“I work hard, just not like this.” My words rang false. I hadn’t worried about food or money until college. I hadn’t grown up with many chores. My parents were alive and wouldn’t let me suffer. Chief had been ready with a job when I’d lost mine.
“I bet in America, you are surrounded by people who do it all for you.”
My mouth dropped open. How could she be so . . . accurate? So incredibly on the nose that it hurt to hear? Rina was obviously used to working hard, doing this for herself, and she was helping her sister live her dream. Was it because she didn’t want to do it for herself? Or because she didn’t have other options? Rina could be here, because like me, she had no other options, no job advantages, no money to make her dreams happen, and no one to pave the way to make it easier.
We were so much alike, only she’d had to work her ass off to reach the place I’d just decided to fly to on a whim. Without Xander here, I’d have landed on my ass. Unlike him, I didn’t have friends and contacts all over the world. I didn’t know how to work with my hands and my body for a living and I didn’t have the skills to do it.
“God, you’re right,” I said and laughter bubbled out.
She eyed me warily.
“You’re so right and that’s why you bugged the hell out of me.” She lifted a brow, but I continued. “You didn’t do a damn thing to help me and I’m not used to that. I’m a pampered princess.”
My parents had safety nets up all over the place. If they didn’t, my sisters wouldn’t let me go homeless. Then there were my friends. Others who’d been raised like me. And Brady, enabler extraordinaire. His motto was take the easy way out and he’d encouraged me to rely on my parents.
“You are a pampered princess?” she said, her accent thickening around “pampered.”
“It means spoiled.”
Understanding lit her eyes. “Yes, rotten.” Her eyes twinkled and I knew she wasn’t messing up that meaning.
“Sometimes rotten, mostly helpless.”
Her mouth quirked in a smile and I couldn’t hold back my grin.
“Everything all right over there?” Xander called. He’d finished the branch I’d brought him and was watching us, the ax impaling the stump. From his vantage point, we probably looked like we were facing off.
“We’re bonding,” I called.
“Okay?”
“Bonding?” Rina asked, a faint smile still on her lips. “Like, friends?”
“As long as you don’t spoil me. I need a little more reality in my life.”
She fought a smile and her gaze swept over the small area I’d been clearing all morning. It was half the size of hers. “You have a lot of branches to haul and you’ve been talking too long. That kind of real?”
My arms were starting to burn for it. “You have to admit, you didn’t think I would hang on this long.”
She shook her head. “I thought you were going to cry after the first row of seeds.”
The planting fiasco. Putting seeds in dirt should’ve been easier, but there were directions to read and details to pay attention to. This was how Eris and Hector made a living and they’d had to keep correcting me. I’d lost a crapload of radish seeds in one corner when I’d spilled the bag. I’d never get my pants clean after kneeling in the dirt to save as many seeds as I could.
But I’d done it. I’d also helped haul lumber off the truck that delivered the supplies for the next cabin Hector was building.
I was still grinning when I dropped my armload by the wood chipper pile.
“What did I just witness? Both you and Rina are smiling. At the same time.”
“I think I need her.” I swiped my gloves together, my grin triumphant. Energy infused my muscles and I no longer felt like dropping in a pile of blood, sweat, and tears.
I hadn’t had much time since arriving in this country to get to know my husband, but I was getting to know myself, and maybe that was the real first step to making this crazy, impulsive relationship work.
Xander
Savvy was blooming like the wildflowers along the house that Eris had planted. She and Rina were fast friends after another week of playful bickering, and I could see why. Rina didn’t coddle Savvy. She expected my wife to take care of herself and get shit done, and Savvy did.
We’d cleared another area in the trees and I’d started helping Hector build a small cabin. There was even a set of hikers in the first cabin Hector had erected two years ago. Eris was busy cooking and cleaning for them with Rina’s and Savvy’s help.
I propped a boot on the edge of a couple of two-by-fours, placed a nail at the joint, and swung my hammer. The pounding was a familiar sound. This would be a lot faster with a nail gun, but the budget didn’t allow for it. Hopefully, once Hector got this cabin built he could rent it out enough to pay for itself and buy some extra tools to build more.
I was almost done with this wall. It was early morning but since the summer had started unusually hot, we worked early mornings and tried to hang out in the house in the afternoons. There wasn’t AC, but the lower level was pleasant with the paddle ceiling fans running.
Hector emerged from the house and started through the field, along the little path that Rina and Savvy had made while clearing the land. It’d be covered in pea rock to keep from dragging mud into either dwelling, but we’d worry about that when we had a building that resembled something someone could sleep in.
I kind of wanted to see Savvy pushing a wheelbarrow. She’d learn to do it. Nothing stopped that woman. Admiration swelled in my chest.
We’d snuck some kisses here and there, and I’d had to reassure her that getting to sleep next to her each night on our small twin mattress was enough. I wasn’t lying. I might be hard as granite when I went to sleep holding her and again when I woke her up with soft kisses down her neck, but we were together and that was all that mattered. She’d groan and complain about sore muscles. I’d massage the worst spots, fight a painful erection, and then let her get ready for another day of hard work.
Hector approached. I straightened and took a few steps to the left to hit a patch of shade. The strength of the sun diminished to tolerable.
“Great news. We rented out the second cabin for all next week.”
“Awesome, man. How many?” My brain circled over the to-dos to get the place ready. Since they hadn’t been rented, we’d worked on other tasks that were harder to do when snow was on the ground.
“Four. Two couples. They said they were okay sleeping on cots when I told them how small the cabin was.”
“They just want a roof over their heads.” Made sense. The customers Hector’s business attracted were harder core than the average hiker. These people probably just wanted a dry place to store their gear while they explored and if they got the bonus of a roof over their head during rainy days, even better.
“Savvy offered to clean it up, but when she walked through, she said there might be a small leak in the roof.”
“Want me to take a look?” I was in the middle of building a frame, but I offered anyway.
“Sure. Yeah.” He puffed out his chest and clapped his hands. “I need to work off some of this energy. The summer bookings are filling up fast.”
“For the outdoor sites too?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. His dream was coming to fruition.
Damn. What would that feel like? He’d had a goal and he’d worked steadily toward it. I’d left my camera in the bedroom since that day Rina had looked through it. I’d seen plenty of photo-worthy sights. Sunsets. Rain clouds gathering over the peak of Ljuboten. Savvy and Rina squatting in the garden, pulling weeds and thinning out sprouts. My fingers itched to point and click, but my camera was in my room.
“Hey . . .” Hector scratched the back of his neck. “Could you maybe take some shots of the cabin and, you know, anything that’d attract people to this area? I could use some more photos for the website. Eris thinks brochures are still the way to go.”
“Yeah.” Like those sunsets
and rain clouds I had just been thinking of. Hell, any shots with Savvy and Rina would attract more than a few male campers. I should’ve thought of it earlier. “I’d love to. I didn’t want to assume . . .” That was a lie. A total bullshit lie. Instead of using a pseudonym, I should just call myself the Shy Photographer. My tagline would be I’m too much of a pussy to actually take photographs, but I couldn’t sell them anyway.
“I get it. Totally. I’ll pay.”
“Are you kidding? Consider it part of settling my tab.”
“No tab. I couldn’t have done all this without you. I wasn’t sure about Rina, but she’s been a rock star. And you and Savvy have been such a help. I don’t know how long you’re staying, but we’ll take you for as long as we can.”
He might think differently after he had a baby. With a booked-up summer, word would spread and he’d start taking reservations for cross-country skiers and winter adventurists who’d want to explore the mountains. Then he could hire his own help, help who had a home to go to after a day of work.
I left him to finish the frame. He vibrated with excitement, and swinging the hammer would help burn it off.
I walked down the path toward the main house, which served as headquarters, then angled off to the cabin that needed to be cleaned for next week. I didn’t bring tools. I’d find out what it needed first.
That was me. Aspiring photographer, handyman around the world.
I stepped inside, letting the door creak shut behind me. Faint mustiness greeted my nose. I let my eyes adjust. The cabins had rudimentary electricity that could be spotty. With the sun shining today, I wouldn’t need more than a flashlight.
I walked through the space, inspecting both the floor and the roof. Delicate footsteps displaced the dust on the floor. Must’ve been from Savvy’s walk-through. The cabin wouldn’t need more than a good dusting and mopping. The mousetraps in the corners were clear, so that was a good sign. I went back to the light switch and flipped it on to make sure everything worked. Same with the faucets, all the while looking for the leak that Savvy thought she’d seen.
Hector hadn’t been lying to the campers. The cabins were sparse. They were a shelter and little more. Any cooking needed to be done via campfire and the pressure of the well didn’t lend to more than spit baths and light dish rinsing.
I hadn’t grabbed my camera, but I took out my phone. A few demo pics would tell me if there was any point in taking photos of the insides of the cabin. Rustic attracted just as many customers as plush.
A message I hadn’t noticed before made me pause. Working cattle next week. You in?
It was the same message I got every year around this time.
Footsteps resounded on the floors and echoed off the walls. “Hey. Looking for the leak?”
Savvy’s hair was up in its standard messy bun. The sunburn she’d suffered after her first week out in the sun had faded to an even tan, but her cheeks were red from the rising temperature and uphill climb to the cabin. She was in leggings today. She’d taken to wearing her one pair of jeans when we worked outdoors, but since she was cleaning today, the leggings made sense. She’d adapted quicker than I thought she would. She was thriving.
“I haven’t spotted it yet.”
She led me to the second room that wasn’t quite a bathroom but was too small to be a bedroom so it was just an extra room that Hector had installed the sink and showerhead in. Pointing to a corner just under the roof, she said, “There. Is that a water stain?”
I walked around the room. Where the leak was didn’t make sense until I thought about what was outside the cabin. “The old bathroom.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What old bathroom?”
I chuckled and led her outside. The grass surrounding the base of the building muffled our footsteps. On the wall that had the water spot on the inside was an old wooden partition that Hector and I hadn’t removed yet.
I pointed to the triangular hole in wood planks that made up what would’ve otherwise looked like a deck. “Bathroom.”
She scrutinized it. “I don’t get how— Oh!” Inching toward it, she bent to look down the hole. “Is it . . .”
“This place had been abandoned for years before Hector bought it. This was an original cabin so it had an old-school toilet.” I gestured to the hole. “He filled in the reservoirs with dirt but didn’t tear down the partitions. I should do that though, before we have campers thinking it’s still good. I think it’s where that partition is nailed into the wall that’s caused the leak. I can seal it up.”
“He must’ve put a lot of money into this place to get plumbing and electricity.”
“He’s taken it in stages, but yeah, he worked hard and saved up. I’m glad I could be a part of it.”
Her expression went soft. “It’s really taking off, and perfect timing with the baby.”
Hector was older than me, and he’d had his shit together for much longer. I’d lucked into a marriage and was waiting out nine-plus more months until I could collect a shitload of money—that I had no idea what to do with. I was broke and aimless. I didn’t want to be rich and aimless.
My phone was still in my hand. I didn’t have to see the message, I knew who it was based on the time of year.
“Not important?”
Was it obvious I was ignoring the message? I tucked the phone back into my pocket. “Dawson. They’re working cattle next week.” She waited for me to elaborate. Her look forced me to do more than ignore the message. “We’re too busy here. I want to help Hector through the summer and get him set up for the winter.”
Her head bobbed. “Makes sense.” She bit the inside of her lip. Another move that forced me to think about what I’d just said.
Shit. “But I suppose I should talk to my wife about it first.”
She blinked. Perhaps she hadn’t been thinking about it like I had—or maybe not consciously. “The flight would be expensive. And long.”
“Unless we take the company’s private jet.”
Shock rippled across her face. “They would do that? To work cattle? Wait, what does working cattle mean?”
The sun had shifted and was blazing on us now. I held my hand out to her. She took it and I led her behind the cabin, where branches shaded lush grass. I sat and pulled her onto my lap. She settled against me with a sigh.
“Working cattle in the spring means vaccinations, tags, and Dawson usually does AI with part of his herd.”
“AI?”
“Artificial insemination.”
“Oh.” Her smile was sheepish. “I have so many questions about that.”
“I have most of the answers.”
She giggled. “Not the conversation I thought I’d have today. So, you’re not going?”
“We’re not going, if it’s okay with you.”
She was quiet and I’d been around her enough that I could see her mind working.
“What are you thinking about?”
She didn’t respond at first. A long breath eked out of her before she spoke. “Are you going to talk to your family before you get the money? Do you plan to see them before then?”
I never planned to see them. Plans were for people who knew where their future was going. I’d planned to go to college. I’d planned to be a photographer. I’d planned to have accomplished more in life by the time I was thirty. Plans were for those who could get stuff done.
Seeing my family just happened. Some circumstance eventually brought me back to Montana. But that wasn’t exactly her question. She was asking if I was avoiding them until I was a millionaire. Then what? I swagger back home, count out bills, and pay Dad back for all his money?
“You think I should?”
She rested her head on my shoulder, her face tipped up to the sky. The temperature in the shade was pleasantly warm. “I don’t know your family, but I can say that I never thought talking to my mother about my issues with them would turn out the way it did.”
“The only talking I’ve ever done with Dad l
ed to him reiterating how disappointed in me he is.”
She licked her lips. “You talked to your mother a lot, didn’t you?”
My stomach sank. The one topic I tried to never think about. My mother and how she was no longer here. “Yes.” We were quiet for a moment before I kept talking, something I’d never done. Previous women had never pushed me on the subject. Not that Savvy was pushing, not really. Maybe she would eventually, but I wanted to tell her about Mama. I wanted to tell a girl who’d become really fucking important to me about the woman who had been the most important in my life.
“She taught me to take pictures. Whenever I got into trouble, or in a fight with my brothers, which was all the damn time, I’d go to my room, or to a quiet space in the barn, or to ride my horse, and she’d find me. She always had her camera and instead of telling me how wrong I was, asking me what I thought, she’d take some pictures and then hand the camera over and give me tips.”
“No wonder you’re a natural. How old were you?”
I would’ve shrugged, but with her resting against me, I didn’t. “I first remember her sitting with me when I was four. We took pictures of Buster, one of the blue heelers we had growing up. I was eleven when Mama died.” When she had been murdered.
“I hope you’re not mad, but I read the story.”
“King’s Creek doesn’t have much to report on, and the paper covered Mama’s death for a full year.” Mama’s death was so gruesome even a bigger town would have salivated at the story. The ranch hand our bastard neighbor had hired had thought something in our house could fund his next meth score. Instead, he’d found Mama. “They constantly interviewed us and did stories about how we were coping and moving on. I hated that Dad could still read the newspaper. I hated a lot of things that Dad did after Mama died.”
Savvy turned her head into my neck and twined her fingers through mine. She didn’t speak and that was what helped me keep talking.
“He played the field. Less than a year after she was gone, he was sleeping with everyone and everything, like he was making up for lost time.”
King's Treasure (Oil Kings Book 3) Page 17