Wild Cowboy Country

by Erin Marsh

  “And it is out of respect for that tradition that I’ve put up with you disobeying direct orders,” Clay said, “but this time, you didn’t just attack me. You went after Lacey.”

  “Valhalla will crumble without me. I’m the only one holding this place together.”

  Clay stared Pete down. “I think the other men would disagree. We all work hard to keep this ranch running.”

  “But it’s in my fucking blood.”

  “Mine too,” Clay said quietly, “yet you always conveniently forgot that. I’m not just a Stevens. I’m a Frasier as well.”

  “If you fire me, I’ll see this ranch ruined. That’s a promise.” Pete’s eyes burned. He balled his hands into fists, and Clay knew only their difference in bulk kept Pete from throwing a punch.

  Clay would have preferred the blow. That, he could see coming. He could handle a physical fight, but he’d have trouble combatting a campaign to ruin him. Pete had the ability to persuade the ranch hands to leave, and the tales he would spread wouldn’t help Clay build the Valhalla brand. But Clay couldn’t and wouldn’t ignore how Thompson had treated Lacey. No woman deserved to be treated like that, and any man who did had no place on Clay’s land.

  “You won’t survive firing me,” Pete continued. “You’ll see.”

  Clay wouldn’t allow this man to get in his head. Not anymore. Ignoring Thompson’s second warning, he crossed his arms. “I asked you to leave, Pete. If you’ve forgotten the exit, I’m more than willing to escort you.”

  His former foreman stomped off in a storm of profanity and threats. Clay sucked in his breath as he faced Hawkins and Stewart. He had no idea how the two men would react, and as witnesses to the whole damn argument, they had the most power over how this would play out.

  “Let’s go chase off the wolves,” Clay said.

  Both men nodded. Joe Stewart spoke, his voice the same lazy twang as always. “You got it, Boss.”

  Relief flooded through Clay at the last word. The ranch hands rarely, if ever, called him Boss. They’d reserved that for Thompson. And Joe hadn’t slung the word sarcastically either. In fact, Clay might even have detected a note of deference. As the most senior employee after Pete, Joe commanded a lot of respect. His support meant something.

  Hawkins, who generally spoke little, added, “A man shouldn’t treat a woman like that. It’s not right. Sorry about that, miss. That kind of stupid should’ve died out years ago.”

  “Thanks, Carter,” Lacey said. “I couldn’t have said it better.”

  With a final nod, both men sped off on their four-wheelers. Clay mounted his gelding and then gave Lacey a hand up. He preferred taking the horse in case the wolves headed to the steeper parts of the ranch. He wanted to make sure they were completely gone from his land, not just chased into the hills. He’d have Hawkins and Stewart camp out the rest of the night with the cattle, just in case. He’d do it himself, but he had Zach back at the house and Lacey to get home.

  He felt her slim arms wrap around his middle as she settled into the saddle behind him. She rested her cheek against his back, and a smile slid over his face. He could get used to riding like this. Being close to Lacey only made him crave her more. Everything about her intoxicated him, from the sound of her voice to the bounce of her chestnut-brown ponytail.

  “Thanks,” Clay told her as he set Charlie into a canter.

  “For what?” Lacey asked, genuinely confused. “You’re the one who defended me.”

  “But you let me,” Clay told her quietly. “You were perfectly capable of taking Pete Thompson down yourself. Thanks for allowing me to do it. It’s been a long time coming.”

  Her chin scraped against his shoulder as she held him just a little tighter, and for a moment, he felt lighter. Even after the confrontation with Pete and the fate of the ranch at risk, she could make him feel good with the tiniest of gestures. He’d needed someone like Lacey Montgomery in his life for a long, long time.

  “What you said before, about keeping Pete because you didn’t want your ranch hands to revolt? I don’t think you need to worry. Thompson has been out of line for a long time. They’ll support you, Clay.”

  He frowned as he stared at the stars dotting the sky near where the horizon would be. “I hope so. I can’t afford to lose help, especially this time of year. I’d make Joe Stewart the foreman, but I doubt he’d want the job. He’s thinking about retirement.”

  “Do you have anyone else in mind?” Lacey asked.

  Clay shook his head. “I don’t think any of my current ranch hands would be interested, plus I’d like someone new, someone who isn’t going to have divided loyalty between Thompson and me. But I also need someone who the men and the town will respect. It’s not going to be easy to find a replacement.”

  Lacey was quiet for a moment. “Do you want a recommendation?”

  “Hell yes.”

  “What about Rick Hernandez?”

  “Isn’t he the son of your uncle’s foreman?” Clay asked, surprised she’d offer up the name of someone who worked for her family. Lacey cared for him, that Clay didn’t doubt, but her loyalty to her relatives went as deep as an old copper mine.

  “I know he’s young to be a foreman, but he’s been helping out on my uncle’s spread since before he could walk. And he’s got a degree in ranch management. He’d love what you’re trying to accomplish. He’s smart, and you two think alike.”

  “Won’t your uncle be mad? And what about Rick’s dad? I don’t want them gunning for me too.”

  “Both of them know Rick is planning to move on. His father is still relatively young, and Rick wants to be in charge. They’d be thrilled that he would be living so close to them. Our families have always been tight-knit.”

  “Do you think he’d work for me?”

  Lacey nodded. “He was just a kid when the pyramid scheme imploded, and the Hernandez family didn’t invest with your dad. You’re going to be offering him a dream job that’s next door to his folks.”

  “I’ll talk to him later this morning,” Clay said. “I should stop by your uncle’s anyway and warn him about the wolves. He’ll probably know already though. Tim Forrester is good about warning all the ranchers, and he’s the best at spotting the lobos.”

  “That won’t be the only news my uncle will have heard,” Lacey said, and Clay could easily detect the whisper of worry in her voice. “I don’t think there’s any chance of keeping our relationship secret now.”

  Clay nodded, a heaviness settling over him like an eighty-pound weighted blanket. “How do you feel about that?”

  “Concerned about my mom’s reaction. I’m going to head over there first. Luckily, everyone knows she likes to sleep in since the Prairie Dog is open so late. Hopefully no one has bothered her. But other than that, I guess I’m relieved. I didn’t like sneaking around.”

  If they hadn’t been riding a horse, Clay would’ve swept her into his arms and kissed her right then and there. “I didn’t enjoy the secrecy either, but I understand we still need to take things slow on the public front. I imagine it’s going to take time for your mom to get used to us being together.”

  Lacey pressed her lips against the back of his neck, the kiss so soft and sweet that it caused an ache deep inside him. He wished like hell this wasn’t so damn hard. He just wanted to be with Lacey, but he’d trudge through knee-deep manure if it meant spending even a few moments in her presence.

  Chapter 9

  “I knew there was going to be trouble as soon as I learned that no-good Stevens’s spawn was driving you back and forth from the zoo.” Lacey’s mother paced in the tiny living room of her house that sat directly behind the Prairie Dog Café.

  Lacey rubbed her forehead. This was not the conversation she wanted to have with her head simultaneously pounding and swimming. Although her light-headedness had been gradually improving, she required more sleep th
an normal. Unfortunately, last night, she’d gotten practically none. She and Clay, along with Hawkins and Stewart, had spent most of the night and early morning searching for the wolf pack. They hadn’t spotted anything.

  All Lacey wanted to do was collapse. She’d even seriously considered returning to bed, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want her mother learning about her relationship with Clay from anyone else. She was surprised the incendiary gossip hadn’t already sent the town up in flames.

  “Mother,” Lacey began.

  “Don’t Mother me. What has happened to my levelheaded daughter? First, you tell me you’re dating, dating, Clay Stevens. And then I hear he fired Pete Thompson! After all the years that man’s family has worked—”

  “Mom, Pete called me a whore who spreads my legs for a pretty face. I don’t think you want to defend him.”

  Her mother’s mouth fell open. “What? Pete said that? Pete Thompson?”

  “Yes.”

  “But Pete would never say a thing like that. Especially to you!”

  “Well, he did.” Lacey tried to fight back her annoyance. She just wanted to find a dark room with a big comfy bed…preferably with Clay in it. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem like it would be happening anytime soon.

  “I know he lost big on Trent’s scheme, but to attack you when you had nothing to do with it…” her mom began.

  Lacey massaged her eyebrow. It didn’t really alleviate her symptoms, but it made her feel like she was doing something. “Hmm, blaming people for events they had no control over. Now why does that sound so familiar?”

  Her mother frowned. “Pete calling you a whore isn’t the same as my concerns about that Stevens boy.”

  Lacey sighed. She felt weary of everything. “Mom, I know this is hard on you and Grandpa, but I really care for Clay. Could you try to give him a chance? For me?”

  Tears welled up in her mom’s eyes, and the sight sliced at Lacey. Her mom wasn’t using them as a guilt tactic. Emotional manipulation wasn’t her way. These…these were genuine, and they cut deep. But Lacey couldn’t back down, not on this.

  “I don’t want to see you hurt, Lacey.”

  “Grandpa said that same thing, but, Mom, I’ve been protecting myself, my heart, for so long, I’ve been doing more harm than good. When I’m with him…I don’t know, I just feel again, and I like it. I like him. I’m not asking you to welcome him with open arms or even to accept him. I just want you not to dismiss him reflexively. Judge him on his own merits, not his father’s.”

  Her mother pursed her lips together in a clear effort to stem her emotions. She gave a watery nod. “I’ll try my best, honey.”

  Lacey sucked in her breath. She hated asking her mother for more, especially now, but she knew how rumors worked in Sagebrush. They could be as destructive and devastating as an invasive species to an isolated population.

  “There’s one more favor.”

  “What?”

  “At the Prairie Dog this morning, can you make sure it’s clear why Clay fired Pete?”

  Horror flashed over her mother’s face. “You want me to protect a Stevens?”

  “Mom, he fired Pete to defend me,” Lacey said. “Thompson has been undermining his authority for years, but Clay put up with it because he didn’t want the town to eviscerate him. Now there’s a good chance they will. Pete’s going to try to paint himself as the hero who tried to save the silly female who got mixed up with bad company. Personally, that’s not a very flattering picture of me either.”

  Her mother sighed. “Well, when you put it that way, I can see your point.”

  “I’m going to head over to June’s tea shop for breakfast, but I’ll be at the Prairie Dog when it opens for lunch. So hopefully you won’t have to say much, but if the staff is talking in the kitchen, could you just make sure it’s the correct version of events?”

  “I will, sweetie, but you don’t need to come yourself. You look dead on your feet, and I don’t like how you’re rubbing your head. You need to lie down. Your old bed is already made up, waiting for you.”

  Lacey managed a brilliant smile she didn’t feel. She wanted nothing more than to accept her mother’s offer, but running damage control was too important. “I’ll see if June will let me crash in her apartment for a bit.”

  “Okay,” her mom said, “but don’t overdo it.”

  She was already overdoing it, but it wouldn’t help to admit that. Instead, she gave her mom a quick peck on the cheek. “I won’t do anything more than necessary.”

  When Lacey stepped out of her mother’s house, she winced against the brightness. The brilliant desert sun had risen to its full glory during her visit with her mother, but she didn’t pull her ball cap down further as she walked to the Primrose, Magnolia, and Thistle. She didn’t want to look like she was hiding. Instead, she waved brightly whenever she passed a local.

  As soon as she entered the tea shop, her grandfather’s and his best friend’s heads popped up like ground squirrels from their favorite table that served as a good vantage point of both the door and the large picture window. Although neither man would admit it, they were two of the biggest gossips in Sagebrush Flats, and they loved monitoring all the comings and goings around town.

  “Thompson called me last night,” her grandfather said. “Is it true Stevens fired him?”

  Lacey pulled out a chair and gave him a kiss on his whiskered cheek before she sat down. “Yes, but only after Pete verbally attacked me. And Clay had every right to fire him before that. Pete constantly ignored direct orders with no reason other than spite. If your foreman had done that, you wouldn’t have even given him a second chance. Pete had plenty.”

  Stanley tipped back in his chair. “Don’t seem right not to have a Thompson riding the herd on the Frasier spread.”

  “It’s a downright shame,” her grandfather echoed.

  Lacey fought the urge to press her fingers against her throbbing eyeball. The reveal of her relationship with Clay couldn’t have gone worse.

  “Clay’s fighting to keep the ranch afloat,” Lacey said, “and Pete stonewalled his improvements at every turn.”

  Stanley snorted. “What would a city slicker like him know about saving a spread?”

  “Better land management for one,” Lacey said. “That ranch has been overgrazed for more than a century, which I know is a pet peeve of yours.”

  Stanley let out a noncommittal grumble. He’d worked as a foreman on several ranches over the years, and one had folded when the owner didn’t listen and expanded the herd beyond what the land could support. “My old boss was from back East too. He didn’t know a cow’s front end from back.”

  “Do you really think John Frasier would have left the land to Clay if that was the case?” Lacey asked.

  Stanley turned to Lacey’s grandfather. “Aw hell, it’s the wolves all over again. She’s not going to give up until we give in, is she?”

  The other man sighed heavily as he took a long sip from his coffee. “’Fraid not. She’s already convinced me to give the greenhorn a chance.”

  “Now if that don’t beat all.” Stanley turned back to Lacey. “How is it you can go on a fool’s mission and still come out the victor?”

  “Maybe ’cause the mission isn’t so foolish.” June’s Southern drawl broke into the conversation. Although she didn’t normally leave her station behind the counter during the breakfast rush, she stood beside Lacey, a pot of coffee in one hand and a sunny smile on her face. “Refill, gentlemen?”

  As June poured Stanley a new cup, she turned her attention to Lacey. “Why don’t you come up to the counter and order something, honey? You look as famished as a hibernating bear after a long, hard winter.”

  “I am starving.” Lacey stood up and then addressed the older men. “I’ll be back soon.”

  June grabbed her lightly by the upper arm and lea
ned close as they crossed the store. “The rumor mill is certainly churning this morning.”

  “And I’m the ground-up grain,” Lacey said glumly.

  June laughed, the sound as bright as her first name. She simply had a knack for putting people at ease. “Do I sense you’re here to do a little damage control?”

  “It’s like trying to plug a tiny leak when the rest of the retaining wall has collapsed.”

  June gave her arm one last pat before she headed around the counter. She didn’t attempt to take Lacey’s order. Instead, she leaned both elbows on the glass and kept her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

  “Do you want a little bit of help with the cleanup?”

  Lacey perked up. If there was anyone the town rallied around more than herself, it was June Winters. “Are you sure you want to take this on? There’s a lot of buried resentment being stirred up.”

  “There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good challenge,” June said. She got out a dishrag and pretended to clean the glass. The woman spent so much time polishing, it was a wonder her display case didn’t sparkle so much it hurt the eyes.

  “And,” June added, still keeping her voice low, “Clay came to me about a year ago, asking me to help him improve his reputation.”

  “Really?” Lacey forgot to keep her voice low. She’d known about Clay asking June to sell Valhalla Beef burgers but not this. Her grandfather’s and Stanley’s heads shot up again at her exclamation, this time like prairie dog sentries spotting a black-footed ferret.

  June sent her a warning glance before continuing. “It was when Magnus and I had broken up for a spell,” June said, mentioning her fiancé. “I’d sworn off meddling, so I turned Clay down. Then I couldn’t even market his new beef like he wanted. I was in the middle of expanding my jam business, and I didn’t want to take the risk of plastering the name of his ranch all over my tea shop.”

  “So what’s changed your mind?”

  “I’m getting better at not going overboard when I lend a helping hand,” June said, “and if the two of us work together, we’d be stronger than a gale at full strength. Plus you’re not just some greenhorn who breezed into town but my friend.”