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Mike groaned. He didn’t know what to do anymore. At first, everything had felt right. He’d come home to take care of his grandfather’s things with the intention of selling to a new family who would be able to make something of it. Rose was just supposed to be an extra pair of hands to help him out until he could get it listed.
But then the job got too big and the money was too much. And Rose—she was too irresistible. Even if she was too good for him.
Mike nodded more to himself than to anyone else. He pushed open the door to the hardware store and headed to the front, where the owner was on the phone.
“I don’t want you leaving the house. The storm hasn’t hit us here yet, but it’s coming.” Bob Haney glanced up at Mike and smiled genuinely. “I’ll be fine. No, I won’t drive unless I feel the roads are safe. I can get the cot set up and stay the night if needed. I love you, too.” Bob hung up the phone and turned to Mike. “Mr. Anderson. How’s that property coming along? You’re fixing up your grandfather’s place, aren’t you?”
Mike nodded. “It’s coming along, sir.”
“Wonderful. I bet your grandfather would be so proud to know how much work you’re putting into fixing it up. Do you have any plans for it yet?”
Mike swallowed the lump in his throat. “I have a few ideas… but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Oh? Do you need something? I noticed you haven’t been in often since you started working on the place, but then your grandfather had a knack for keeping everything he owned.” Bob chuckled. “I don’t think Otis knew how to throw anything out.”
This was going to be harder than Mike thought. He cleared his throat and shook his head. “I don’t need anything. I was actually coming by to tell you something. I needed to come clean. There was a box of tools, a few months back… when I got started…” Heat seared his face and probably made his ears look redder than cherry tomatoes. “I took some things that I shouldn’t have. I wanted to come here and tell you—maybe pay for them—but if you need to call the sheriff, then I would understand that, too.”
The smile faded from Bob’s face. “The box of materials that I had set out for Ethan Boone?”
“Those would be the ones.” Mike looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. “I shouldn’t have taken them.”
“Then why did you?”
Mike forced himself to look up at the owner of the store. “I didn’t have much money and I needed to get started fixing up my grandfather’s place. It’s not an excuse, but it’s what helped me rationalize that what I’d done wasn’t a big deal.” He hurried on to say, “Like I said, I want to pay for everything—with interest. I want to make it right.”
Bob studied him, eyes narrowing as he did. “I see.”
“Rose Boone helped raise some money for the bigger repairs and I think there’s enough for me to pay for the materials I took. I also grabbed a window from around back to replace the one that some kids broke.” Mike hated the way the heat continued to burn his face. He’d never come clean before. The last time he’d stolen something, he had left town. This was so much harder than he would have ever imagined. “What can I do to make it right?” he whispered.
“Well, I’ve already submitted the loss from our inventory. I don’t think there’s anything you can do to pay for the materials now. But perhaps we can work out a different arrangement.”
A loud booming crash exploded outside, rocking the building and causing both of them to jump.
Bob sighed, moving to the window to stare up at the sky. People were darting down the road just as the first fat drops of rain fell. “This storm sure came out of nowhere. It’s going to be a doozy for the folks who have animals.” He glanced over his shoulder toward Mike. “Weren’t you working out at Sagebrush for a while before you got started on your grandfather’s place?”
Mike nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“I bet they’re having a heck of a time getting their herd back in from the pastures. Ethan mentioned they were going to have to bring all the animals closer to the house. Not an easy job when they’re spooked.”
“No, sir,” Mike murmured. They probably needed help. He stared out the window at the folks who were darting into their vehicles. “Would you mind if we finished this conversation up later? I’d like to see if the folks at Sagebrush need any extra help.”
Bob nodded. “Drive safe. Last thing we need is to pull your truck from a ditch.”
Mike took off, securing his hat to his head with one hand and fumbling with his keys with the other. He jumped inside and drove the familiar route to the Reese family’s ranch. When he arrived, everyone was rushing to saddle horses and head out in groups to get the cattle. He didn’t see Rose anywhere, but Ethan was barking orders at everyone close enough to hear him.
Their eyes locked and Mike nodded.
Ethan hesitated for only a moment and pointed at a horse that had already been saddled. “You come with me. There’s a smaller herd in the western pasture that we need to bring in.”
Wind tugged at their clothes and drops of rain pelted their faces and hands, but Mike was able to ignore all of it as he fell back into the routine he’d had before he’d quit to work on the house. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to work with a bunch of cowboys. They were a team, doing everything necessary to care for the animals that trusted them.
By the time they got back to the house, the rain was coming down harder than if angels were dumping buckets of water on the property. Sheets of water doused every one of them and as Mike hurried toward his truck, he heard his name called out, carried off by the wind.
“Mike! Don’t you think about driving home in this weather. It’s too dangerous. The visibility is horrendous.”
Mike turned to find Eli standing under the porch, flanked by Ethan and Rose. Everyone else had hurried inside. He gestured toward his truck, but Eli shook his head and pointed to the house.
“Get inside, will you?”
