AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She pursed her lips. “I still don’t trust him.”
“Good. You shouldn’t.” The last part of my statement was lost to an enormous yawn.
She gave me a once-over, taking in my rumpled clothes, tousled hair, and red eyes. “When was the last time you slept?”
I shrugged. “Depends. What day is today?” I gave her my most disarming grin, but it was lost on her.
“Come on to the kitchen and let me get some food in you. Then it’s to bed for at least a few hours,” she said, starting off down the hall.
I nodded and followed after her. After several days of nonstop issues and little sleep, I was dead on my feet. Maybe the sleep deprivation hadn’t helped me handle the Richard and Tyler situation as well as I could have, but the fact remained Richard was nothing more than a temporary solution to a long-term problem. My being shorthanded this season was a direct result of Walt Hosser hiring up all the decent hands around here—more than he’d ever needed before and more than he could need now— in an attempt to make my life hell.
It was working. Calving season was always a lot of work, but I couldn’t remember it ever being this grueling.
While Norma reheated a big bowl of chili for me, I washed my hands and downed several glasses of water. I didn’t like having to think about the situation with the Hosser Ranch. I’d done my best to keep my head down and keep my own business to myself all these years, but I should have known that kind of blissful ignorance wasn’t going to last forever. There was no doubt in my mind my hiring Tyler on was going to finally bring it all to a head.
“How’s Richard working out?” Norma asked with a cheeky grin when she set the chili bowl down in front of me.
“Fine,” I grunted. Maybe if I shoved a giant spoonful of food in my mouth, she’d take the hint.
“Fine? You mean fine like the way his ass looks in those jeans? Or fine like those eyes of his would look fine peering up at you from—”
I held my hand up to stop her while I tried my best not to choke. “Good god a’mighty, can’t a man eat in peace?”
She laughed and turned away to clean up the dishes she’d used. But I knew she wasn’t done.
“He’s pretty damned cute,” she said over her shoulder. “And sassy too.”
“I thought you and Jed had a thing going,” I said, deliberately misunderstanding her.
Her neck flushed pink. “You think that’s enough to make me back off teasing you, but it’s not.”
“He’s only here another three weeks,” I said before taking another mouthful. If I could empty this bowl in the next ten seconds, I could escape to the blessed solitude of my bedroom.
“Who’s to say he won’t stay longer than that?” She turned back around and wiped her hands on a kitchen towel.
“Pfft. What in the world would he stay for? He’s meant for bigger and better things. City things.”
She tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “What makes you say that?”
Was she for real? “Uh, everything? I took him into town, and I thought he was going to cry when he learned we didn’t have a Starbucks. And have you seen his clothes? Tell me those clothes don’t cost more than our new baler.”
I didn’t like the way Norma’s eyes seemed to want to cut right through me. I blinked down at my rapidly emptying bowl.
“The boys say he’s a hard worker.”
I said nothing, but I couldn’t help remembering the look of concern in Richard’s eyes earlier that morning when he’d asked what he could do to help lighten my load. His offer had been genuine. That wasn’t the action of someone trying to shirk work.
“And he’s eager to please too,” she continued. “I’ve never seen someone so desperate to hear that he’s doing good. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s never had anyone on his team before.”
I thought about the way Richard had stood up for Tyler. The minute Tyler had given in and suggested going back home, Richard had turned into a full-blown mama bear. I’d tried staring him down—a technique that usually sent every other ranch hand off to do my bidding—but Richard had stood strong, squaring his shoulders and crossing his arms, giving as good as he got.
He’d been willing to face my anger if it meant standing up for Tyler, and I wondered now if part of the reason why was because he’d never had anyone do the same for him.
I didn’t like how that thought made me feel, so I pushed it aside, along with all the other things I didn’t want to think about.
Unfortunately, Norma hadn’t gotten that memo. “He’s taking to this work like a duck to water,” she continued. “I’m not sure who it’s surprising more: him or us.”
