Cut and Run

by Amy Elizabeth

  She nodded as Kevin knelt on the calf’s neck and Alec secured its hindquarters. The iron felt heavy in her hands, and the W glowed fluorescent red from the heat of the fire. With a deep breath, she raised the iron and steadied her stance, pausing briefly before connecting it to the calf’s flank. She winced as a cloud of smoke erupted into the air and the calf started to squirm beneath the scorching W.

  “Keep going, Rebecca. You won’t hurt him.”

  She gathered her courage and brought all her weight down on the iron. “That’s enough,” Alec said, and she obediently withdrew it. He leaned over to inspect the brand before he stood and untied the calf’s legs.

  As the calf scrambled back to the herd, Rebecca glanced uncertainly at him. “Was it okay?”

  She could tell his response was a rare one. “It was perfect.”

  *

  The following afternoon, Rebecca was in the staff barn preparing for the first trail ride when Alec appeared. He paused to look in on Star before turning to her with a forced smile.

  “I sent Tommy and Kevin into town on an errand. I thought maybe you’d like to lead the trail rides.”

  She had yet to be granted that privilege. “R-really?”

  “Yeah. Are you up for it?”

  “Sure. Who’s going to come with me?”

  “Is it alright if I do?”

  Rebecca was taken aback, stunned that her boss was asking for her permission. “Of course it is,” she answered, vigorously brushing Pumpkin’s neck. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  When he didn’t respond, she dared a glance back at him. He looked terrible, with dark circles under his eyes and worry lines etched across his forehead.

  “Rebecca, I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “That night in the office…I shouldn’t have…”

  She waited to see if he would finish his sentence. When he didn’t, she turned back to Pumpkin. “You don’t have to apologize, Alec. I’m sorry for what you’re going through. And I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I had only come down to the barn to check on Star.”

  A long, uncomfortable silence passed as she continued brushing Pumpkin’s back, very aware of Alec’s eyes watching her work. At last he cleared his throat. “I’ll finish up in here,” he said, stepping under the crossties. “We have four going out on the first ride. I brought in Cinnamon, Rush, Midnight, and Zack and pulled their tack out for you, if you want to get them started.”

  “Okay,” she responded, handing him the brush. Their fingers touched just slightly, enough to send a shiver radiating up her arm. Tell me that did not just happen, Rebecca pleaded as she made her way down the aisle.

  From the morning roping lesson, she recognized the first guests as two easygoing couples from Chicago. Instantly she relaxed, knowing they were all experienced riders. She was tempted to greet them with a howdy, but she figured Tommy was the only one who could pull it off.

  “Hi there,” she said instead, trying her best to sound confident.

  She helped them mount their horses and was in the middle of describing the trail when Alec appeared, leading Onyx and Pumpkin beside him. “Just pretend I’m not here,” he said as he handed over Pumpkin’s reins.

  Rebecca almost laughed at the absurdity of the notion. Alec had more presence than anyone she’d ever known.

  The ride passed without incident as the couples gushed about the beautiful scenery. They cantered across the usual meadow and forded the shallow stream, winding back along the crest of a tall hill and pausing to admire the view. Rebecca had ridden the trail many times by now, but she’d never been responsible for guiding it, and she found that she loved the role. It was easy to be enthusiastic when she was talking about Wyoming.

  The second trail ride involved seven guests, including the family from Brooklyn and a group of college students from San Francisco. Once again, Alec let her lead. The pace was much slower, as they were all novices, but everyone seemed to be having a great time as the trail wound alongside the river.

  “What are all those pretty red flowers?” asked the mother from Brooklyn.

  Rebecca smiled. Roger had told her the legend, and she’d been waiting for the chance to repeat it.

  “They’re called Indian paintbrush. The story goes that a young brave tried to paint the sunset with his warpaint, but he was disappointed because he couldn’t match the brilliant color in nature. So he asked the Great Spirit for help, and it gave him paint brushes filled with the rich color he wanted. He painted his masterpiece and then left the brushes in the field, and they sprouted into flowers.”

  “That’s a lovely story.”

  Rebecca could tell by Alec’s expression that he was pleased. “Yeah,” she said, half to herself. “I think so, too.”

  The sun was sinking behind the distant mountains when they arrived back at the ranch. After the last guest had thanked her again and scurried away, she turned to Alec with a hopeful smile. “How’d I do?”

  “You did great. You’re a natural.”

  They worked in companionable silence, untacking the horses and hauling the saddles back to the tack room. “Oops,” she said, removing a camera from one of the saddlebags. “Someone left this. I think it’s that guy Jason from San Francisco.”

  “Hang on to it for now. We’ll make sure he gets it back.”

  Rebecca was leading a gray gelding named Zack down the aisle when Alec called her name. She stopped as requested, and he approached them with a puzzled expression. He knelt by Zack’s right foreleg and ran his hand down the length of it, picking up the hoof to inspect it.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s lame,” he said, pointing to the dark spot on the underside of the hoof. “Looks like a stone bruise.”

  She was amazed at his ability to pinpoint the problem when she hadn’t even noticed anything was wrong with the horse’s stride. “Is it serious?”

  “Nah. We just need to soak it and give him some time off.” He stood and rolled up his sleeves. “Go ahead and put him away. I’ll be right there.”

  Give him a horse that’s damaged somehow, and he’ll crawl right inside their head and sort ‘em out. Walter’s words echoed in her mind as she placed Zack in his stall, still unable to see any trace of a limp.

  She watched from the aisle as Alec attempted to coax the horse’s foreleg into a bucket of warm Epsom salts. Zack threw up his head, but Alec patiently knelt beside him and waited for him to calm down. Finally the horse let out a long snort and dropped his hoof into the salt bath, standing still while Alec stroked his shoulder.

  “Hey.”

  Rebecca turned to see one of the guests strolling down the aisle towards her. “Hi. Jason, right?”

  “Yeah. I think I forgot my camera.”

  “You did,” she said, reaching into her back pocket. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks,” he replied as she handed it to him. “Actually…I, uh, I kind of left it there on purpose.”

  She frowned. “I’m sorry?”

  He gave a little laugh. “I wanted to ask you something. I just needed an excuse to come back here when that boss of yours wasn’t around.”

  Alec’s head snapped up from where he was kneeling in Zack’s stall, completely out of Jason’s range of vision.

  “I was wondering…if you have a night off this week, if you’d like to go out with me into town. I wanted to ask when we were on the trail, but I didn’t know if it’s against the rules. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble.”

  It took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to burst out laughing. “Oh,” she said, unable to think of a different response. As Jason shuffled his feet and looked bashfully at the ground, she snuck a wide-eyed glance at Alec. To her relief, he appeared equally entertained by the situation.

  Help, she mouthed.

  He stifled a laugh and rose to his feet, nonchalantly clearing his throat. Jason whirled around and turned crimson when he realized that Alec had been five feet away the entire time.

  “Actually, I don’t allow my st
aff to socialize with guests after-hours. I’m sure you can appreciate that.”

  Jason’s mouth was agape. “Yeah, of course. I’m sorry about that.”

  Rebecca felt embarrassed for him. “Thank you, though. That was very nice of you to ask.”

  “Uh-huh. Thanks for my camera,” he mumbled, disappearing down the aisle.

  She turned back to Alec, knowing her cheeks were as red as Jason’s. “Thanks.”

  If Alec was trying to hide his grin, he failed miserably. “No problem.”

  *

  With perfect timing, a heat wave hit Wyoming on the Fourth of July. It was already nearing eighty degrees as Rebecca and Allison climbed into Roger’s beat-up truck and drove into Jackson. Technically Alec had sent them to buy feed and supplements before the store closed for the holiday, but they figured they’d sneak in a quick shopping spree for something to wear to the party that evening.

  If someone had told her two months ago that she’d be searching for a dress in a western boutique, Rebecca would’ve laughed hysterically. For some odd reason, though, she enjoyed scanning the racks now, studying the different styles of skirts and blouses. Maybe it was because she finally had a real friend to share the fun with. She selected a knee-length black dress with a wide red belt and a diamond-shaped opening in the back. It was something the old Rebecca would never dream of wearing, and for that reason alone she fell in love with it.

  “What do you think?” she asked as she held it up.

  Allison raised a brow. “Just be glad you found it first.”

  The day felt torturously slow as the girls joined Roger, Tommy, and Kevin in unloading the feed and hauling it up to the hayloft. By the time they returned to their cabin to shower and change, the sun was already low in the sky. Rebecca dried her hair and borrowed Allison’s mascara before reaching for her new dress. Then she zipped up the side and took a deep breath as she turned to inspect her reflection.

  “Whoa.”

  The dress was spectacular, showcasing her slender waist, but the back was scandalously bare. She craned her neck around, startled to see that her tattoo of an Arabian horse was plainly visible. No one would give it a second look back home, but flaunting it out here seemed wildly inappropriate.

  Rebecca was just about to reach for the zipper when Allison emerged from the bathroom. “Oh, no, you don’t. That looks gorgeous on you.”

  “But look at the back!”

  “That’s the best part. Nice tattoo, by the way. Why have I never seen it ‘til now?”

  “Um…because I don’t normally dress like this.” She grinned uncertainly at her roommate. “I’m not a hopeless flirt like you are, you know.”

  “That’s your problem, Bec. You need to loosen up a little. Here,” she said, reaching under the bunk and producing a half-empty bottle of tequila. “This should help.”

  Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a terrible influence?”

  Allison poured two shots without a hint of remorse. “Why yes, actually. They have.”

  The evening air was still pleasantly warm, prompting the girls to leave their jackets in their cabin as they headed to the lodge. The same band that played on Memorial Day was back, setting up at the far end of the patio. The banquet servers were hanging red, white, and blue streamers around the perimeter, and all four of them stopped mid-motion as Rebecca approached. Immediately she knew she should have changed, after all.

  She ducked into the lodge and raced back to the kitchen, ignoring the cooks’ remarks that she didn’t need to help them. They finally assigned her the task of setting up the buffet line, which killed twenty minutes as she hauled plates and glassware out to the dining room. When there was nothing left to do, she wandered back outside. Dozens of guests milled around, munching on appetizers and snapping photographs of the sunset.

  She found Allison sitting at one of the benches, tipping back another shot of tequila. “May I join you?” she asked, taking a seat without waiting for a response. She poured herself a shot and drained it, welcoming the tingling sensation on her lips.

  Allison gave her a curious look. “What’s got you all flustered tonight?”

  “I don’t know. Feeling a little overdressed, I guess.”

  “This again? You know the perfect remedy?”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “More tequila,” Kevin declared.

  Rebecca laughed as he and Tommy settled in beside them and produced two additional shot glasses. “Don’t you guys do anything but drink at these parties?”

  Tommy winked at her. “Welcome to the club, Bec.”

  Kevin poured a shot for everyone but held the bottle poised above Rebecca’s glass. “You only get a drink if I get a slow-dance later.”

  She rolled her eyes, tipping the bottle to pour it herself. “Lucky for you, Kevin, tonight I am in a great mood.”

  Rebecca nearly jumped out of her skin when an authoritative voice sounded behind her. “Excuse me, ma’am, can I see some I.D.?”

  Alarmed, she whirled around, startled to see Alec standing there with a stern look on his face.

  “Aw, come on, boss,” Tommy interjected. “We’re just having a bit of fun.”

  A hint of a smile appeared on Alec’s lips as he dropped his gaze to Rebecca. She felt his eyes briefly studying her tattoo before he looked up at the group. “Don’t let me stop you.”

  As soon as he was out of earshot, the four of them burst out laughing and downed their shots.

  Chef Ryan prepared a spectacular feast featuring baby back ribs and grilled corn on the cob, and staff and guests alike enjoyed the delicious meal. Once everyone finished eating, the band started up, kicking right into high gear. Rebecca was on her way over to Allison when Tommy stepped in front of her.

  “And just where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

  “Tommy, I think I’m a lost cause.”

  “We’ll just see about that.”

  She didn’t know if it was the tequila or Tommy’s endless patience, but at some point she finally seemed to get the hang of the western dance steps. She could at least keep up with him without looking like a total idiot as they danced to half a dozen upbeat songs in a row. By the time Kevin asked to cut in, she was having such a great time that she didn’t even bother trying to object. Kevin spun her around for two high-energy songs before Andrew, a guest from New Hampshire, politely asked if she’d dance with him.

  Damn this dress, she couldn’t help but think as she went for yet another whirl on the dance floor.

  There appeared to be no end in sight. The band struck up an old-fashioned square dance as Rebecca tried to sneak off to the lodge for a glass of water.

  “Oh, no, you don’t!” Allison declared, dragging her back out onto the floor.

  In spite of herself, she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she, her co-workers, and the guests went weaving around each other, clapping and stomping in time with the fast music. Halfway through the song, even conservative Alec joined in the square dance.

  “Fancy meeting you here!” she said as the song ended and everyone burst into applause. “I didn’t know you could dance.”

  He had a coy smile on his face. “I didn’t know you couldn’t.”

  Rebecca laughed and playfully punched him in the shoulder. “That was so mean!”

  Alec laughed, too, for the first time since she’d known him. It was a quiet, reserved laugh, but it was pleasant to hear. It made her sad to think of how rarely he must laugh on a day-to-day basis.

  One of the cooks approached them from the lodge. “Mr. Westin? We’ve got an issue in the kitchen.”

  “I’ll be right there.” As the cook scurried off, Alec looked back at her and grinned. “I was just teasing, by the way.”

  She mirrored his grin. “No, you weren’t.”

  Rebecca expected him to chuckle again, maybe take another jab at her before he turned to go. Her heart skipped a beat when instead he remained right where he was, si
lently holding her gaze. His eyes gleamed under the brim of his hat, and she blushed as she looked at him just a second longer than she should have. She dropped her gaze as he opened his mouth to say something, and when she glanced up again, he seemed to change his mind. He tipped his hat and turned away, and she released a deep breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

  Allison was beside her instantly. “What in the world was that all about?”

  “That? Oh, nothing. Just some problem in the kitchen.”

  “Not the cook,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “You and Alec.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There’s something sizzling between you guys. I could see it from a mile away.”

  Rebecca laughed uneasily. “Alli, please.”

  “I’m dead serious, Bec. He hasn’t stopped looking at you all night.”

  Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. “It’s just the dress.”

  “It’s not the dress. What’s going on with you two?”

  “Nothing,” she replied, beginning to feel defensive. “Can’t I say one sentence to our boss without being secretly involved with him?”

  “Sure you can. But why the sudden thaw? You used to recoil whenever anyone would so much as mention his name, and now you’re totally flirting with him.”

  “I was not flirting with him!” she cried, giving her friend a lighthearted shove.

  When the last of the long daylight faded away, the fireworks began, bursting against the black Wyoming sky. Everyone stood and watched the show in silence, applauding with gusto when it was over. As there was still an excited buzz in the air, the band kept right on playing, showing no signs of shutting down anytime soon.

  Rebecca turned to head for the cooler and ran right into Kevin. He flashed a dazzling smile as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

  “How ‘bout it, Boston? You promised me a slow dance, remember?”

  Her buzz had worn off, but she was still relaxed enough not to argue with him. “Fair enough.”

  She was startled when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her right up against him. “Kevin, I think we’re a little too close.”