by K. C. Crowne
“There’s the other thing, too,” Adam hedged.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“I’m gonna be workin’ at Bryce’s place. Buildin’ that new barn for him.”
“Shit. You okay takin’ money from an asshole like that?”
Adam appeared conflicted, as if he’d never considered that part of the situation. “I mean, a job’s a job. And Bryce is cuttin’ me a blank check to get it done.”
“As far as I’m concerned, doin’ anything for him’s a bad idea.”
Adam shot me a hard look. “Well, some of us don’t have the luxury of not takin’ high-payin’ jobs. I got a staff to worry about, you know.”
He was right, and I didn’t want to press the issue. Adam had a crew depending on him to put them to work.
“Alright – fine, fine. But if you’re gonna be workin’ for him…”
Adam nodded, a smile on his face. “I’ll keep an eye out to see if he’s gettin’ up to anything. I ain’t exactly a secret agent. But Bryce hasn’t been doin’ the best of jobs keepin’ his business to himself.”
“True. Man’s a cocky son of a bitch. Probably thinks he can do whatever he wants and get away with it.”
“And if he mentions Skye, I’ll be all over it.”
The matter of Skye weighed heavily on my mind. Just the mention of her name was enough to cause a surge of jealousy to run through my body, make me feel an anger I wasn’t comfortable with.
What if Adam had her all to himself? And was that what she wanted?
“Anyway,” Adam said. “I oughta get to it. I’ll make sure to keep you posted.”
“Do it. Talk to you soon.”
Adam left and I was alone. It was all just getting started.
Adam
The conversation with Travis weighed heavy on my mind the entire trip over to Bryce’s. Yeah, Bryce was a prick and he had nothing but bad intentions in mind for Skye, but something about sneaking around and spying on a man paying me to do work for him didn’t sit right with me.
I tried to put all of that out of my mind. After all, this was Skye’s safety we were talking about. And Bryce, in wrecking her car, had shown how far he was willing to go. Maybe he’d go even further.
My truck lumbered along the dirt road that led to Bryce’s property. The gate was open when I arrived, and I drove on through it, coming to a stop and parking my car. It was the same scene as before, crew here and there leading animals around. The day was bright and sunny, good for getting some work done outside.
I hopped out of my truck and headed over to the space we’d cleared for the barn. Before I could bring in the crew and start on the barn, I needed to do a little more surveying. I moved closer to the area and looked it over, trying to decide where to begin. But I didn’t get far into it at all before I heard a familiar voice call out to me.
“Hey! What’re you doing here?”
I turned and was confronted with Bryce. He was dressed in his usual expensive, undirtied cowboy clothes, his face shadowed under a fancy cowboy hat. Though I couldn’t quite make out his face, I could see enough to get that he wasn’t in the best of moods. And likely, he was planning on taking it out on me.
“What am I doin’ here?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips. “I’m tryin’ to start buildin’ this barn for you. That was the agreement, right?”
Bryce stopped a few feet from me, glancing over the property. “No. Today’s a bad day. Come back later.”
“Come back later? What on earth are you talkin’ about?”
He shook his head. “Got too much shit going on today to worry about construction. Clients are coming in, and this new crew I hired has been a pain in my ass. Come back later.”
“What does that have to do with me?” I asked, not happy. “You’re payin’ me to build a barn, and if you want it done in the time frame you’re wantin’ it, then I gotta start pretty damn soon. As in, today.”
“Not an option,” he said. “Come back later.”
“When’s later?”
Bryce was being pissy, and I didn’t care for it one bit. And I wasn’t about to let whatever sour mood he was in get in the way of doing my job.
“I don’t know. I’ll call you. But not right now.”
My hands stayed on my hips and I puffed my chest up. “Now, that ain’t gonna work for me. I got a crew waiting to work, and I got other jobs down the pipe. I’m not about to sit on my hands while you decide when’s a good time for me to come back and do the work.”
My tone was stern and seemed to have an effect on Bryce. He didn’t look like he knew what to say.
“Now, I appreciate you payin’ me a premium for the job. But if you want it done, you’re gonna have to actually let me do it. So, let me do my job or we need to head on back to your office and start renegotiating the terms. Understand?”
Bryce looked away, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Fucking hell,” he said finally. “Yeah, whatever. Just try to stay out of the way of the rest of the crew. Don’t need them getting distracted.”
That might’ve been a good time to let the issue drop. But I was still peeved – Bryce’s attitude sure as shit rubbed me the wrong way.
“Gettin’ distracted? Now, you know when this barn’s gettin’ built, that’s gonna mean my whole crew’s gonna be here, right? That means men and women comin’ and goin’, doin’ the work of buildin’ this thing. We’ll stay out of the way as best we can, but I don’t wanna be dealin’ with any issues down the road.”
Bryce shook his head as if realizing he was in a conversation he didn’t want to be a part of. “Whatever. Fine. Get started and build the thing as quickly as you can. That’s what I’m paying you for, right?”
I let a silence hang in the air. “Yeah. That’s what you’re payin’ me for.” My tone was sharp and even. It was a careful line to walk, making sure Bryce knew what was up but not pissing him off too much to do something crazy like cancelling the contract. Sure, I’d still get a payout if he were to do that, but it was some bullshit I wouldn’t want to deal with.
“Then get to it.” Those were Bryce’s last words before he headed off. I watched him go, disappearing into the front door of the main ranch.
“Fuckin’ prick.” I thought I’d grumbled the words low, but the chuckle of one of the nearby crewmen let me know I’d been a little slack with keeping it to myself.
The crewman walked off, a smirk on his face. I set to the job. Wasn’t much to do, truth be told, and I probably could’ve done the rest of the land surveying without actually coming to the property. But doing it in person was better. And more than that, I wanted to see if I could find out anything about what he had in mind for Skye.
The thought of her and what Bryce had pulled made me want to storm into the house and lay him out. The motherfucker had gone too far. But I needed to keep myself in check, play it cool. Slugging him in his smug face might feel good in the moment, but it wouldn’t do a damn bit of good getting to the bottom of the matter.
I headed over to the plot of land, taking some last measurements and deciding where we could set up our gear for when the time came to start construction. About an hour past, the hot Texas air was beginning to take its tool. I grabbed a bottle of Gatorade from my truck and headed over to one of the barns to cool off.
I pulled the door open and was greeted with the sight of one of the most magnificent horses I’d ever seen in my life. He was huge, oak-brown with cream-colored swirls running through his coat. He snorted as I approached, locking his coal-black eyes onto me.
“Damn,” I said, stepping up to him. “You’re a hell of a creature.”
Moving slowly so I didn’t spook the horse, I drew closer and placed my hand on his side. He was solid as a brick wall, the kind of animal you’d be proud to throw a saddle on and ride.
“Es guapo, no?”
I turned to see the crewman from earlier, the one who’d laughed at my joke at Bryce’s expense, stepping towards me. He was a short, dark-skinned man, li
kely Mexican. Dressed in the usual plaid and denim and boots, he sure looked the part of a rancher.
“Guessin’ that you hearin’ what I said earlier means you speak English. And yeah, he’s guapo as hell.”
“I speak English, sure.” He reached my side and admired the horse with me. “Name’s Quicksilver.”
I cocked my head to the side in mock confusion. “Don’t sound like no Mexican name I’ve ever heard.”
The man laughed. “Funny guy. That’s the horse. My name’s Gael.”
“Adam. Pleasure.” I extended my hand and he took it, Quicksilver watching us all the while.
“Impressive animal, no?”
“Very impressive. Looks fast, too – bet he’s earned that name.”
Gael made a slow circle around Quicksilver, dragging his fingers over his coat. “Fast as hell. Was fast as hell, to be more exact.”
“What do you mean? Animal looks like he’s got years left in him.”
Gael shook his head sadly. “You heard of synovitis?”
“Nope. What’s that?”
He gestured to one of Quicksilver’s legs. “It’s a joint inflammation. Common with horses. It can be treated, not fatal or anything like that. But it means they’re not fit to race. Last thing a horse with that needs is to be pushed to the limit. Easy way to make a bad problem worse.”
“So he’s one of Bryce’s racin’ horses?”
Gael nodded, returning to my side. “Prize-winning animal. You should’ve seen him run when he was in his prime. Well, he’s still in his prime. But he shouldn’t be running anymore.”
“Then he’s stayin’ on the property? Maybe take him out so the tourists can ride him around?”
“That’s what he should be doing, yes. But Bryce doesn’t want to let him go so easily. Paid a lot of money for this guy.”
“What’re you sayin’ here? Quicksilver oughta be takin’ it easy, but Bryce still wants to race him?”
“Exactamente. The rules at his racing grounds say that as long as a horse doesn’t have a major injury, they’re fit to race.”
“Shit. So you’re tellin’ me this guy’s in no shape to run, but Bryce is makin’ him do it anyway?”
Gael nodded again, sticking his hand into his pocket. “It’s pinche ridiculo if you ask me. Maybe he’ll get a few races out of him, but it’s only a matter of time before something bad happens, you know?”
The idea sent a wave of anger through me.
“But there’s some good news, right?”
“What’s that?”
“I hear talk of these people, protestors or activists or whatever. They’re making a big fuss at the race grounds, trying to get some measures passed that would tighten restrictions for the horses, make it so a guy like Quicksilver wouldn’t be able to race.”
No doubt Skye and her friends were who Gael was referring to. “And I’m sure Bryce is takin’ that like a champ.”
Gael laughed. “Not a chance in hell, amigo. He’s fighting them, uh, how to do you say in English, tooth and nail. Every step of the way. And you can tell when he’s losing because he storms around the grounds like a madman, snapping at everyone like some kind of cranky nino.”
A worried expression flashed on Gael’s face. “Ah, hell. I’ve got a big mouth, said too much already. I know we just met, but can I trust you to keep what I just said to yourself? Last thing I need is Bryce finding out. He fired some poor guy the other day for grumbling under his breath about him. He finds out I said any of this…”
“Don’t you worry about it. I’m right there with you on the horses – damn shame.”
He appeared relieved. “Anyway, I need to get back to work. Good to meet you, Adam.”
Gael gave Quicksilver one last look over before nodding to me and heading out. Once he was gone, I sat down on one of the nearby bales of hay and opened my drink, draining half of it in a single sip.
It was some bullshit, no doubt about that. And I didn’t have any illusions about whether Bryce’s pissy-ass mood a bit ago had to do with what was going on with Skye.
Those two were about to butt heads in a big way. And there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Travis and I were about to get caught up in the middle of it.
Skye
Greta was in a hell of a mood. Cranky, fussy, and not wanting to cooperate. But I’d dealt with difficult girls like her before. All they needed was a soft touch. My specialty.
“Alright, girl,” I said, standing beside the gorgeous Andalusian, her colors a deep orange blended with black streaks. “We’re gonna head out for a ride today. I know that’s scary, and I know you don’t exactly take kindly to people throwin’ a saddle on you and ridin’, but we’re gonna ease on into it, y’hear?”
Greta shifted where she stood, tense and antsy. Part of me wanted to take it slow with her, maybe spend a couple of hours getting to know her a little better and letting her do the same to me.
But there was the prideful part of me. Shana, one of the other employees on the ranch, had mentioned Greta as being particularly hard to work with. The Walkers had bought her a couple months back, and since then not a single ranch hand had managed to get her to cooperate.
There was even talk among the more superstitious crew that she was bad luck, one of those horses who simply couldn’t be tamed. Even that her bad attitude might spread to the rest of the animals, making previously cooperative ones ornery. So, of course, that meant I had to be the one to tame her. And the faster I did, the more my reputation around the ranch would grow. I wasn’t there to be any other employee – I wanted to be the best. I wanted the Walkers to know I was the best.
I grabbed a handful of oats from a nearby feedbag and stepped in front of Greta. “You hungry, girl?”
She regarded the oats with skepticism, or what skepticism might look like coming from a horse. And she didn’t touch them. Instead, she kicked her back legs up and let out an angry snort. I jumped back without thinking, the oats puffing into the air and settling on the ground around my feet.
I scolded myself for being so antsy. The key to calming a horse was to be calm yourself. Like dogs, they picked up on the emotions of people around them. If you were tense, they were tense. If you were easy and calm, they were the same. I took a few deep breaths, steadying myself.
“OK,” I soothed. “I know you’re feelin’ weird about this whole thing. You’re probably like, who the hell is this insane girl tryin’ to be my friend? Well, I wouldn’t blame you. But I got a feelin’ about you and me, Greta. We’re gonna be best buds. How does that sound?”
Greta shifted again, thudding her hooves into the ground and making me wonder for a moment if she was about to break out into a run. But I remained calm, not letting the tension running through my body get the best of me.
“Alright,” I continued. “Maybe I’m bein’ bold here, but I’m gonna at least take that as a ‘maybe’ to the whole idea of you and I bein’ buds. And I know you’ve gotta be hungry, girl.”
I went over to the feedbag and grabbed another handful of oats. I stepped in front of Greta again and held them out. “Can’t not eat, right? And come on, I know these oats have to look mighty good to you.”
I took a few from my hand and popped them into my mouth. They were dry and flavorless, sucking the moisture out of my mouth as soon as they touched my tongue. “Mmmm,” I said, forcing them down with a dry swallow. “Better than a slice of pizza with extra mushrooms, that’s for damn sure.”
I held out my hand again, just a few inches from Greta’s face. “I know you’re thinkin’ the same thing as me. Go ahead, girl. Give ‘em a try. I bet you’ll like ‘em.”
Greta eyed the oats again, and for a moment I was certain she was going to swing her head and knock them right out of my hand. But she opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue, and slurped the entire pile off my palm. Her tongue tickled my skin, and I let out a quiet laugh as she ate.
“There you go!” I murmured. “Now, isn’t it nicer to be a good girl than an or
nery one? Think about all the friends you’re gonna make here with this chipper new attitude of yours. Sounds good, right?”
Greta let out a snort.
“Alright, alright,” I said. “We can start slow. No need to be the life of the party right away.”
I reached forward and slowly stroked her coat. To my surprise, she allowed it. I couldn’t help but let a big smile form on my face as I did it.
“That’s mighty impressive.”
I turned where I stood. Travis was at the open door to the barn, leaning against the frame with a sure grin on his face, which was one of the big differences between him and Adam. Both men were personable enough, but Adam had an intensity to him, a more private nature. Travis, on the other hand, struck me as the sort of guy who’d always be down for a pitcher of cheap beer. Maybe a party after.
“Always sneak up on ladies like that?”
“Only when it’s funny to see them jump.”
“Charming,” I said with a smile.
Travis approached, his sharp boots thudding on the hay-strewn barn floor as he did. His eyes were on Greta, and he stopped a few feet short of her. “You’re gettin’ through to the girl. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Well,” I said. “I ain’t done with her yet. Plan is to have a saddle on her by the end of the day and take her for a ride.”
Travis raised his thick, dark eyebrows as he took off his hat. “That right? Now, don’t you go bitin’ off more than you can chew, alright?”
“Trust me. I love a challenge.”
“If you say so. Not expectin’ miracles, but I’d be lyin’ if I were to say that I wouldn’t be impressed.” He checked the face of his simple but nice leather-band watch. “It’s about time for food. Family’s sittin’ down for lunch, but I’m too busy for a big production like that. Got some sandwiches on the way if you wanna grab a bite with me.”
I glanced away, wondering if this was Travis’s way of inviting me to his cabin for more than just lunch.
“Don’t you worry about that,” he commented, as if reading my mind. “Not thinkin’ about anything more than just grub. But there is somethin’ I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”