AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You can call me Brand, everyone does. My father is Mr. Woods until he says otherwise.”
“Of course, sir.”
“I’ll draw up an employment contract for you to look over. Hours vary and weekends are required, but I do my best to make sure everyone gets two days off a week, and I can work with specific requests. You obviously have your own transportation to and from the ranch. I suppose when you can start depends on how quickly you’re able to relocate.”
“All I need is a place live around here. Everything I have is in my car.”
Brand’s eyebrows went up, his face showing a different expression for the first time in the whole conversation. “You’re kidding. May I ask why? Or is that none of my business?”
I packed up my whole life to come here so I could prove something to my stepfather and grandparents, and also to figure out if you’re my biological father. And if you are, if you’re the kind of person I want in my life.
“It’s personal, sir,” Wyatt said instead.
“I respect that, and I apologize if I overstepped.”
“You didn’t, but thank you.”
“And if it helps pry my foot out of my mouth, I do have a lead on a place you could potentially rent while you’re here in town.”
Wyatt perked up. He’d been prepared to shell out for a motel for a few nights while he searched—or pick up another guy like he had last night, and maybe this time he’d get everything he wanted out of the encounter. This was better and, as Jackson had pointed out last night, a lot safer than tricking for a bed. Not that Wyatt had seen it that way, and he’d been genuinely offended Jackson thought he was a rent boy.
Not appropriate thoughts for this particular moment. “I’d appreciate the lead,” he said.
“We have a neighbor a few miles from here named Elmer Pearce, and he has a trailer on his property he’s rented to our workers in the past. The rent is reasonable, it’s currently empty, and if you need any other reference for the place, Elmer’s son Michael works here, too.”
“Oh. Wow.” A place close by, rented to him by someone who knew the Woods family. He couldn’t have asked for better. “That’s all the references I need. If Mister, um, I’m sorry?”
“Pearce.”
“If Mr. Pearce agrees, I’d love to take it. My credit score isn’t great, but I’ll pass any kind of background check.”
Brand chuckled, and the sound was too damned close to Wyatt’s own laughter. “Don’t worry about any of that stuff. Elmer never asks for it. He also keeps a shotgun on hooks above his front door.” His smile helped Wyatt see the gentle teasing.
They discussed his salary, which Wyatt thought was fair considering he had very little experience. Wyatt did have a decent savings, though, so he’d be fine either way. He’d been planning to do something like this for the past two years, and had pinched every single penny while getting his degree at community college. Last night’s stunt with Jackson had been less about not affording a motel room and more about the life experience he’d been hoping for.
Too bad he’d sold the runaway story too well and Jackson had been a decent guy.
“So do you officially accept?” Brand asked. “I can have you start as soon as tomorrow, if you want. We just need to do some paperwork.”
“Yes, I accept.” Wyatt stood so he could more easily shake Brand’s hand, unofficially sealing the deal.
When Brand sat back in his own chair, he seemed more relaxed than ten seconds ago, as if he’d been nervous about this interview, too. Seemed weird for the ranch foreman, but beyond knowing the ranch had been down a hand, Wyatt had no idea what was going on in the man’s personal life.
Yet.
The great thing about small towns was everyone knew everyone else’s business. Wyatt just had to find out that business without being too obvious and making people suspicious. That would be the trick his entire time here: find out what he wanted to know, when he wanted to know it, and maybe confront Brand with what he suspected. If what he suspected was even true.
They completed the official hiring paperwork, which didn’t bother Wyatt in the least. This was an official job, and he’d taken his stepfather’s last name when Mom married him. And his former address was counties away from where Wyatt had been born. According to his mom’s parents, his bio dad didn’t know where Mom’s family had moved after being rejected by Maybe Brand.
But Mom’s parents also knew exactly who his bio dad was, and they’d both refused to tell him when he started asking at sixteen. If his stepfamily knew the secret, they never said anything. Wyatt had a right to know his past, damn it. Maybe this subterfuge wasn’t the best way to go about finding the truth, but if Brand Woods really had coldly turned his back, who was to say he’d tell Wyatt the truth if Wyatt asked point-blank? He’d obviously given Wyatt up for a reason.
This was Wyatt’s truth to know, and by God he’d find out.
One way or another.
Chapter Three
The trailer at Elmer Pearce’s was a bust for now, and that disappointed Brand a bit because he’d promised it to his new hire. But it also wasn’t Elmer’s fault.
