Tough and Tamed (Moon Ranch Book 1)

by Em Petrova

  She sent him a long look. “You realize this ranch owes me a substantial sum.”

  “How much?”

  “Thirty-two hundred.”

  Jesus.

  “That much?” He kicked at a clump of grass in the paddock. What could they sell to get that amount?

  “That much,” she repeated. Her expression told him she expected not only to be paid for today’s visit, but what they owed for past ones as well.

  He noted movement in the yard and spotted Asher coming toward them. Circling the topic of vet bills, Zayden waved to his brother. “This is my brother, Asher.”

  “Hello.” She turned to him but only briefly. “About that bill.”

  “Yeah, about that.” Zayden rubbed a hand over his nape. “I don’t have all of it right now.”

  Her brows shot up.

  “But I can get it. Maybe not all at once, but you’ll be paid, I promise.” When she shot him a skeptical look, he said, “Not all Moons are trash. I keep my word. Look, you did a fantastic job here today, and I’m sure in the past for our father too. You deserve to be paid for your services, and I’m sorry this has gone unpaid so long.”

  Leaning against the fence, Asher ducked his head to hide a smile.

  “Look at this horse. She seems to be feeling so much better already.”

  Dr. Cody reached out to stroke the mare’s neck. “I’m glad she’s better, and I’m only doing my job.”

  “Will you accept payments if I put it into writing that you’ll get your money?” Zayden offered her a smile.

  She delivered one more pat to the mare’s neck and bent to pick up her bag of supplies. “Your word’s enough, Moon. Just don’t make me sic the sheriff on you for failure to pay. Got it?”

  “Thank you, Doctor. I’ll see you to your truck and give you the first installment in cash.” He did what he promised and when he returned to the paddock, Asher was still standing there, grinning his cheesy grin.

  “The fuck are you smiling about?” Zayden asked.

  “Z, you still got it, don’t you? That Moon charm.”

  He huffed out a breath in response and started back inside the barn to finish the chores he’d begun hours ago.

  Asher followed. “Remember Dad would run out of cash and his tab at the bar was full, but he’d still talk people into buying him another drink. You got it too. You sweet-talked that vet into taking payments from an account she’s had frozen for years.”

  “Didn’t have much choice. We need every animal we got on this ranch earning us money.” He hoped to hell he didn’t use whatever skills he had for the wrong reasons.

  Asher chuckled. “I’m still in awe of your skills, big brother.”

  “Stop being in awe and make yourself useful.” He tossed him a manure fork, which he caught onehandedly. Together, they worked in companionable silence a while.

  “What do you think one o’ these horses is worth?” Zayden jerked his head toward the field, where half a dozen good horses grazed.

  Asher followed his movement. “Dunno. That white one would fetch the best price.”

  “I can’t understand how Dad even held on to these animals. Where was the money coming from?”

  His brother shrugged. “Where did it ever come from? We Moons are resourceful. You’ll figure out how to get this place running again.”

  Pausing in his work, he turned to look at Asher. “What makes you think I’m stayin’ on?”

  “You have a connection to this place.”

  “You don’t?” Zayden tossed more dirty shavings into the wheelbarrow to cart out.

  “Not the same as you. I’ve always been along for the ride, but you were the one steering the ship.” Asher propped his fork in a corner and grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow. “I’ll dump this.”

  Zayden watched him go, his mind rioting with all he knew of the ranch, his family, and himself. The ranch and family he understood. His real question lay with himself. The man he’d become over the past ten years wouldn’t for a moment consider staying here, but here he was thinking of selling a horse to get quick cash for the place.

  Looking out the barn door, he saw the white gelding trotting across the field. Asher was right—it would be worth most. But Zayden thought he’d sell one of the others first.

  * * * * *

  Esme smiled at the customer in front of her. “Welcome to People’s Credit Union. What can I do for you today?”

  The woman studied her. “You’re the woman who was lost on the mountain a couple of days ago, aren’t you?”

  Feeling her cheeks burn, she said, “Yes, but I’m here now. Are you cashing a check?”

  “What happened anyway? Your boyfriend dump you?” The nosy woman wasn’t the first customer to come into the credit union and drill her about her ordeal, and she was getting sick of the attention. As if she didn’t feel stupid enough for having chosen Owen as a boyfriend, the whole town of Stokes seemed bent on driving it home.

  She offered the woman a smile in hopes that she’d begin to feel some of the calm she portrayed on the outside. “Cashing a check?” she prompted again.

  Seeing that Esme wasn’t willing to answer her question, the woman slid a check across the counter. Esme took it and began processing it. “Would you like this deposited?”

  The transaction took a few minutes, and thankfully the woman left without more questions. The next in line stepped up, and Esme gave the gentleman the same smile.

  “How can I help you, sir?”

  “Wanted to see for myself if you had lost a finger or two to frostbite, but seems like you got all ten.” The man’s drawled words struck her with irritation.

  “Yep, got both working hands. Thanks for asking.”

  “Heard you wandered that mountain for a full day.”

  God, didn’t anybody have anything else to talk about? Surely there was some other news to occupy these people’s time.

  “What can I do for you today?” She ignored his interest in her life, and he soon left as well. By the time her break came, she couldn’t wait to sneak off to the breakroom and be alone.

  She’d barely uncapped her iced tea when her coworker, Natalie, came in.

  “See you got all your fingers,” she said as she breezed by her to the mini fridge and took out her lunch.

  Esme groaned and plastered a hand over her face. “I’m so tired of talking about it. The people of Stokes need a life.”

  “You’re just now figuring that out, girl?” She smiled at Esme and popped her plastic container into the microwave. While it warmed, Natalie looked her over. Concern pulled her brows together. “You sure you’re okay?”

  “Positive.”

  “Owen seems like such a good guy. He must have had a good reason for leaving,” Natalie said.

  Esme’s brows shot up. “If he did, he didn’t tell me. That might have been helpful before he just stranded me without transportation or the ability to call for help.” Anger washed through her—she was sick and tired of men who acted badly and their indiscretions were pushed off as minor. She liked Natalie, but she wasn’t going to brush off Owen’s actions on the mountain because he seemed like a “good guy.”

  Her friend chewed her lower lip, and Esme waved a hand at her. “Out with it. Just ask whatever it is you want to ask, because I’ve probably already heard it today.”

  “I wondered if you’d heard from Owen.”

  Her stomach pitched between anger to despair at the mention of her boyfriend yet again. No, her ex. Definitely her ex—the man didn’t even deserve a glance from her after what he’d done.

  She did feel she could trust Natalie with the story. “I haven’t heard a word from him.”

  “You didn’t try to call?”

  She gave a hard shake of her head and drank some tea while Natalie fetched her meal from the microwave and sat down at the break table with it.

  She looked over Esme. “You’re not eating?”

  “I had a big breakfast this morning,” she lied. Fact
was that her appetite had fled since her time on the mountain.

  “All right,” she said with a suspicious ring to her voice and dug into her chicken and vegetables.

  Esme watched her for a moment, her own stomach knotted. What was she going to do about Owen? She deserved some answers, and it was clear he wasn’t going to provide any unless she demanded them. The idea of picking up the phone and calling or texting him made her stomach hurt, though.

  “Here, have some of my grapes. I can’t eat them all.” Natalie pushed another container across the table, and Esme sank to one of the chairs and took a grape.

  The sweetness lay on her tongue, but didn’t whet her appetite any more. In fact, she felt a little nauseated. After only two grapes, she pushed the container back.

  “Thank you.”

  Natalie gave her a soft smile. “I know you’re new to Stokes, that you came here to be with a man. That didn’t work out and now Owen…”

  “I don’t want to discuss it,” she said quietly.

  “I’m just trying to say that you can talk to me. And if not me then somebody else.”

  She arched a brow at her friend. “Jason?”

  Natalie’s gaze met hers, and they both burst out laughing at the mention of their stiff bank manager who had actually asked Esme about her scenic trip.

  “If you talked to our manager more than one time a day, Esme, the man would follow you around like a puppy.” After that shocking statement, Natalie took a bite and chewed.

  “What on earth are you talking about?”

  “He looks at you all the time.”

  “I don’t notice it. He doesn’t look at me any more than he looks at anyone else who works here.”

  Natalie offered her an expression that said differently.

  Esme shivered. “Ew. Just ew. Anyway, the last thing I need is more interest from a guy. I’ve got my hands full with dumping Owen.”

  “Wait—you haven’t dumped him yet? Or did he really dump you by leaving?”

  Somehow, Natalie’s words didn’t irritate the way anyone else’s would if they’d asked her the same question.

  She shook her head. “I’ll figure it out. I’m going to relax and finish my tea before I have to deal with more people asking if I’m really missing a big toe. Where the hell do these rumors come from?”

  Natalie giggled. “You should limp around a little, let them think it’s true.”

  She groaned. “That’s the last thing I need.”

  “I do have one question for you and then I won’t ask any more.” Natalie centered her focus on her.

  “What is it?”

  “The man who rescued you. Is it really Zayden Moon?” She pitched her voice lower.

  Esme tipped her head. “It was Zayden. Why? Do you know him?”

  “I know of him. He and his family have been the talk of Stokes for many years. His youngest brother Asher graduated with my oldest sister, the one who lives up in Juniper Bush now with her husband and three kids?”

  She nodded, though she didn’t know a thing about her sister.

  Natalie leaned over the table. “Their father just died a few days ago, and the brothers are all back in town.”

  “For his funeral.” Esme’s stomach swam with even more regret than it had been since her day on the mountain. She’d ripped a man away from grieving for his father to come and search for her on the mountain. She bit off a groan.

  “I’d say that’s why Zayden’s in town.”

  “When is the funeral?”

  “Should be today or tomorrow.”

  “Will it be announced in the newspaper?” He’d told her Stokes didn’t have a paper when he’d left—now it did. Luckily, the article about her being lost was small and hadn’t made the headline.

  “Maybe, but you aren’t planning to go, are you?” Natalie popped a grape in her mouth.

  She could never show up at the church or cemetery, so it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t intrude on Zayden’s grief, but was truly sorry her stupidity gave Zayden more worry in this already stressful time.

  She placed the cap on her tea and put it back into the fridge. “I’m going out to face the next influx of gossip.”

  Natalie smiled. “Make sure you limp.”

  Esme faked dragging her foot until she reached the breakroom door and then walked normally to the sound of Natalie’s laughter following her.

  She threw a glance toward Jason’s office as she resumed her position on the line and found him looking at her. He glanced down at his paperwork, but it left an icky feeling of dread that Natalie could be right about his interest.

  It didn’t matter, because she wasn’t interested in any man, let alone a forbidden office affair. She was through with guys—burnt twice.

  Her mind shot back to Zayden Moon. On the mountain, she must have been so preoccupied with herself that she hadn’t noticed a single hint of sadness on the man’s rugged features. How horrible of her. If she ever got the chance to apologize to him, she would, but if he left Stokes after the funeral, Esme may not ever see him again.

  * * * * *

  Cold-calling the neighbors and asking if they’d be interested in buying a horse was on Zayden’s to-do list today, along with taking off the damn tie trying to choke him to death.

  When he tore it off his neck, Asher laughed. “Don’t know why you bothered dressing up for that motherfucker’s funeral. Told ya the old man wouldn’t care if you showed up in your underpants.”

  “I don’t know why I wore it either,” he muttered and loosened the top three buttons of a dress shirt he’d located in the far rear of his closet. He’d drawn the line at suit pants, though—his jeans and boots had done just fine for the short service and five minutes it had taken to dump his father’s casket into a hole in the ground.

  Zayden might have dressed for the occasion, but it was Asher, always Asher, who’d shown enough respect to toss a handful of dirt over the casket. Zayden had turned and walked away. And Dane hadn’t shown up at all.

  As Mimi entered the living room bearing a tray of sandwiches and tea, Asher looked up with a smile. Zayden started to thank her and realized he had more to say.

  “I’m thinkin’ of stayin’ on here at the ranch.”

  Her blue eyes sparkled. “Thought you might, son.”

  Not for the first time, he realized Mimi was more his family than the asshole who shared DNA with them. But she was just as screwed up as he and his brothers were. To the bitter end, she’d enabled Chaz Moon’s behavior by continuing to cook and clean for him. They were all to blame.

  She swayed her gaze to Asher. “What about you, Ash? You plan to make a home here again?”

  He heaved himself to his feet. “Actually, no. I’ll be heading out this afternoon.”

  Zayden’s chest tightened. When he lost his brothers to the far scatters of the country, it continued to haunt his daily life. Over the years, he’d blamed himself for being out of touch with family, and then he’d come to terms with the fact that just because you shared a bad upbringing didn’t mean you had to be friends into adulthood.

  Still, it stung.

  He reached out a hand, and Asher took it. The hard clasp of their hands felt like a bond to Zayden, and for now, it was enough.

  “Good luck in whatever you do.”

  “Thanks, Z.”

  “If you run across our brother out in the world, kick his ass for me.”

  “Will do.” Asher’s crooked grin reminded him of many more adventures of kids. It hadn’t all been bad, and what was good, they made for themselves.

  Zayden pulled him into a hug, and they thumped each other’s backs while Mimi dabbed her eyes with a tissue she produced from up her sleeve. When they drew apart, Zayden cleared his throat.

  “I’m heading over to Schumer’s to see if he may be interested in buyin’ one of the horses.”

  “Knowin’ you and that Moon charm, you’ll come away with more than it’s worth.” Asher looked to Mimi, who openly cried now. “A
www, c’mere, darlin’. Give me a hug.” He enfolded the dear woman against his chest and shot Zayden a look that said take care of her.

  Zayden nodded. Guess if I’m takin’ responsibility, I’m going all the way.

  Chapter Five

  Esme came out of the money vault and shut the heavy metal door behind her. With a bundle of one-dollar bills in hand, she moved toward her station and began filling her money drawer.

  “Wow.” The feminine sigh from behind made her look up just as a tall hunk of a man crossed the credit union lobby. A man who was all too familiar to Esme, since she’d spent a night cuddled against his chiseled body.

  Natalie and another teller named Allison huddled together, whispers flying.

  Esme followed Zayden’s progress across the room. Jason stepped out of his office. He caught Esme staring and glanced at Zayden.

  Quickly, Jason intercepted him. “Can I help you?”

  “Here to talk to the loan officer.” Zayden’s deep voice cut a wide swath through the female workers. While Natalie and Allison stopped whispering, Esme’s pulse quickened.

  “Do you have an appointment?” Jason asked him.

  Zayden’s posture spoke a thousand volumes. The hard set of his shoulders and how he braced his boots on the tile floor said he wasn’t a man who made appointments.

  “All right, then. Step into my office please.” Jason waved him inside.

  As Zayden vanished through the door and it closed behind him, Esme dragged in a deep breath.

  “Oh. My. God. He is hotter than I imagined a bad boy like one of the Moons to be.” Allison’s statement made Esme twist to look at her and Natalie.

  “I can’t believe that’s the man who rescued you, Esme!” Natalie’s quiet squeal had her glancing around. Thankfully, no customers were in the building at this moment, besides the topic of discussion, who was enclosed in Jason’s office.

  He was here for a loan, and his father had been buried the previous week. Did that mean he planned to stay in Stokes?

  She found herself ignoring the questions thrown at her by her coworkers and stared at her boss’s door. When Roberta, one of the older ladies who also handled loans, left her desk in the corner to bustle over and join the discussion, Esme wished she could sink in to the floor.