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“Riggs,” Tripp rolls his eyes, his tone coated in a soft warning.
“Just stating facts,” I grunt, shuffling in my horse’s saddle and he moves forward.
Tom’s eyes move between me and my brothers, seconds passing between each fixed gaze.
“Don’t sell,” I feel my heart quicken when Tom’s dark brown eyes settle on me.
“Riggs,” the crack in his voice evident as he eyes the ground.
“Let us help, we can get the herd moving. Pacey and Marty will help where they can to get the meat shifted as well as the wool. We’re a family, us ranchers need to stay together. We can’t let the suits win…” I trail off and I hear the heavy sigh leave Tom, his shoulders sagging. It was the truth. We were all family. Especially Tom. He was never blessed with children, so my dad used to throw us down here a couple of days a week to help him out which he was always grateful for and when his wife died suddenly, we all surrounded him to remind him that he wasn’t alone. We were ranchers, and ranchers are for life.Family.
“I’m too old for all of this shit.” He admits on a grumble.
“Let us buy the ranch, nothing will change, we’re just securing it,” I feel Tripp’s eyes on me and even I am wondering why I have just offered to buy a sinking fucking ranch that is hemorrhaging money.
“What the fuck?” I hear Pacey whisper under his breath, but I ignore it. They can grill me later.
Tom takes a moment to mull it over, his eyes on me the entire time.
“Look, sleep on it, but just promise me one thing… don’t fucking sell to the suits.”
I watch as Tom steps forward, the sound of his boots on the gravel crunching beneath him. He looks up at me on my horse, lifts his hat from his head as he holds it across his chest and holds his hand out for me to shake.
“You got yourself a deal, son,” he nods, and I don’t miss the way his eyes glass over.
“I’ll get the contracts drawn up and over by end of the day tomorrow. Sit tight, keep quiet and I mean it, not a word on this.”
“My lips are sealed,” he gives me a nod and places his hat back on his head.
“We will see you tomorrow,” I return his nod then slip my glasses back in place and kick Raff forward, Hudson following.
I know I am going to get it in the neck from Pacey and Tripp but at this moment, I give no fucks.
I did what was right and they both know that deep down.
Live by the ranch, die by the ranch.
* * *
Putting the horses away,I head off to the bunkhouse to sink a couple of beers with the guys. I feel like I haven’t been around them much lately as everything else has consumed all my time. Pushing the door, they all groan and grunt something in the form of ahelloand I drag a chair out, twisting it round and straddling it as I sit.
“Do your rounds tomorrow and take the day off, it’s Sunday after all. God’s day of rest,” I sigh, taking my hat off and placing it on the floor beside me.
A few of them whisper amongst themselves, a couple stay quiet.
“If you’ve got something to say just say it,” I grit, my eyes moving from each of them.
“Any reason?” Billy pipes up.
“I felt like being nice,” I shrug my shoulders up and they chuckle.
“Riggs Rivera being nice… is there a special lady that might be making you nice?” Paul chimes and the bunkhouse explodes and I just shake my head from side to side as I fight to hide my smile.
“Give it a rest will ya,” I laugh, taking a bottle of beer off Hudson and sinking it in one.
I reach for another and this time, I savour it.
I’ve missed the ambience in here, it feels like home somehow. This life is all I have known.
