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“You got it.” She prepared the drinks and set them on the bar. She watched Scarlett take a sip from each one, then looked at her.
“You’re hired.”
Siobhan laughed. “Great. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you Thursday at four.” Scarlett got off the stool. “Let me get you a few T-shirts—jeans in the fall and winter. You’ll wear bibbed overall shorts with cowboy boots in the spring and summer. I’ll supply the overalls and shirts. I also need to give you your tax forms.”
“Boots in the fall and winter, too?”
“Yes. If you don’t own a pair, you can get Beckett boots at the Western Wear store on Main Street. They are not cheap. You could buy a cheaper pair, but you’ll be on your feet a lot, so you want comfortable boots. Beckett boots are the best and very comfortable.”
“All right. I’ll get them before Thursday.”
“Be right back.” Scarlett smiled, walked down a hallway, and returned with T-shirts and paperwork.
Siobhan walked around the bar, took the shirts, shook Scarlett’s hand, and walked out the door. She was happy Scarlett hired her. Siobhan liked her and thought she’d be a great boss.
Walking outside, she strode across the lot, climbed into her SUV, and drove to the Western Wear store.
****
Liam Flynn was tired. All he wanted to do was eat, shower, and collapse into bed.
The damn cattle broke through a section of fence, and he and the men took hours rounding them up. Red Angus was known for being hard on fencing, and no one could convince him otherwise.
Removing his hat, he slapped it against his thigh to remove the dust and dirt, then ran up the steps of his home. He wiped his feet on the mat, entered the house, and hung his hat on a peg. He smiled when his Australian shepherd, Rebel, entered the room. She ran to him and sat at his feet.
“Hey, girl,” he said as he rubbed her ears. The dog was partially deaf, and even though she could hear his voice, the vet told him Rebel could only hear muffled sounds. She was solid white, with blue eyes and Liam always talked to her. He sat on the bench beside the door and removed his boots. Leaning his head back against the wall, he wondered if he had the energy to get up.
When his cellphone buzzed, he removed it from his pocket and groaned when he saw Monica’s number. Nope. Not tonight. He hitIgnore,set the phone on the bench, and got to his feet. He removed his flannel shirt, hung it on a peg, strode from the kitchen, through the living room, and down the hall to his bedroom. He glanced over his shoulder to see Rebel on his heels. She rarely let him out of his sight when he returned home.
He entered the bathroom, stripped off his dirty clothes, and tossed them into the hamper. He turned the water on in the shower, stepped in, and groaned as the hot water hit his skin. If he weren’t so dirty, he’d say hell with it, fall on the bed, and sleep until morning.
It wasn’t cold, but it was chilly. It was early May, and summer wouldn’t be far behind. He loved spring and fall but did not look forward to summer or winter. He sweated his ass off in the summer and froze his balls off in the winter. Such is the life of a rancher.
Being born and raised in Clifton, Montana, you’d think he’d be used to the snow and cold. He was, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
He picked up the shampoo, washed his hair, then scrubbed his tired body. If he weren’t so hungry, he’d pass. Even the thought of making a sandwich made him sigh with frustration.
After his shower and a sandwich, he sat in the recliner, watching the weather. He smiled as he saw Faith Maddox on the screen. A good friend of his, Cord Maddox, was married to her. Lucky bastard.
Liam shook his head. He was too busy to get involved in a relationship of any kind. Being too busy ruined more relationships than he could count. No woman understood he had a ranch to run. There were never regular hours. He had no clue what it was like to work a nine-to-five job. He was up before sunrise and didn’t quit until he finished the chores. Sometimes he didn’t make it home until after nine at night. It would have to be one hell of a remarkable woman to see that.
He knew it was a tough life, but some women accepted it and worked alongside their husbands on the ranch. That was the reason he and Monica broke up. They had a big argument about him working so much.
He had told her how it was when they started dating, and if she couldn’t accept that, they should stop seeing each other. She convinced him she was okay with it. It didn’t take long to know that she wasn’t.
The ranch had been in the Flynn family for generations and would not end with him.
“It will if you don’t find someone,” he muttered, then sighed. He knew the ranch would live on with his sister, JoJo, though.
At ten, he pushed to his feet, went to his room, crawled into bed, and closed his eyes. He’d get up tomorrow and do it all over again.
Friday morning, he entered the barn and strode to his office. He had to hand out paychecks. The men had direct deposit, but Liam still handed out non-negotiable copies. He hoped the day went fast because he wanted to go to Dewey’s for a night out. Maybe talk to a pretty woman and go home with her. He hadn’t had sex in a month and was damn horny.
“Hey, boss.”
Liam glanced over his shoulder to see Jerry Garfield, the ranch foreman, strolling toward him.
