Take the Reins (A Cowboy's Promise Book 2)

by Megan Squires

  “Yeah.” Carly pulled a face. “Still not enough info. You are going to need to elaborate.”

  “He’s just a guy that texted me about shoeing some horses he recently acquired.”

  “Which you’re not doing yet, right?” There was a motherly warning in Carly’s tone which made Josie laugh because of the three Friar sisters, Carly was the youngest. “You’re not shoeing yet, right?”

  “No, I’m not shoeing yet. Don’t worry. I’m following doctor’s orders.”

  “But you’re working for this guy?”

  “Yes.” Josie was going to need another drink if her sister kept up with the inquisition. “I’m going to break his horses. And I’ll be staying on his property while I do it.”

  “Do you think you should be working with animals already? You still have another month until that cast comes off.”

  “I can start their training with one good arm. I need to make money, Carly. Plus, I’m starting to go stir crazy. I’m not good at being idle. You know that.”

  “I get that. But you just made my point for me. You do need money and Brian owes you for what happened that night. Monetarily. If you would’ve just involved the police instead of handling things on your own…”

  Well that certainly wasn’t going to happen. Yes, Josie noticed the way Brian had stumbled from his car, his legs tangling and feet tripping up like his shoes were two sizes too big. The dense smoke billowing from the hood of her crushed-beyond-repair vehicle did little to obscure his inebriation. Of course, he’d been drinking. She could even smell it on his breath as he wailed his apology over and over in a heartbreaking admission of guilt.

  Shock hadn’t allowed her to register her own pain at that time. But Brian’s pain was clearly etched in the creases of his tired eyes and in the purple bags slung below them. If Josie had lost her soul mate in the way Brian had just weeks earlier, she figured the bar would’ve been her preferred hideout, too. She knew he’d drained his savings to pay for his fiancé’s funeral, a memorial every citizen of Riverburn had attended. Cancer was an unforgiving evil that had just upended his marriage, his bank account, and his future. Josie was not going to turn the remains of his shattered life on its head. She just couldn’t do it.

  “From here on out, talking about the accident is off limits.” Throwing her head back, Josie depleted the last of her drink and slammed the bottle down before pushing up from the dining table. “Got it?”

  “Yeah,” Carly relented. “Got it.”

  She followed Josie the few feet to the sink where she settled her empty bottle in the basin that housed a Jenga-like pile of dirty plates and dishes. With her backside pressed against the counter, Carly folded her arms and squinted out the window, a look of curiosity crossing over her face. “You expecting company, sis?”

  “Nope. I wasn’t even expecting yours.” Josie jabbed her sister with an elbow and when she didn’t budge, Josie followed her gaze through the curtained window on the opposite wall of the trailer.

  “Then who is that?”

  “Speak of the devil,” Josie grumbled before grabbing the handle to the screen door and flinging it open.

  “Which one?” Carly wondered aloud, hot on her sister’s heels. “We were talking about a few different devils. Marcie. Brian.” Carly bumped her shoulder into Josie’s once she caught up and added, “And from what I can see, the only thing devilish about that man is his good looks.”

  Eyes rolling so far she feared they’d get stuck, Josie grunted. “What on earth is he doing here?”

  Right then, Seth looked up through the windshield and when his eyes met Josie’s, something a whole lot like butterflies expanded in her stomach. What on earth was that all about? She knew she shouldn’t’ve downed that beer without a little something in her belly first.

  “You forgot this,” Seth said with a grin as he exited his truck and paced toward the two women—one with her mouth agape in unabashed gawking and the other with her lips pursed so tightly they’d almost turned white. “Your hat,” he clarified in an unsure voice as he passed off the ball cap in question. “Thought you might need it.”

  “Could’ve waited until tomorrow.” Josie jammed the hat onto her head and when she felt the daggers her sister shot through a silent yet judgmental expression, she ground out a reluctant, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Seth flipped his attention toward Carly who was still all smiles. “Hey there, I’m Seth. A friend of Josie’s.”

  “Carly,” she answered in a rush. “A sister of Josie’s.”

  “Welp.” Josie clamped her hands together. “Thanks for the hat, Seth. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow—”

  Seth sidestepped around her. “This is your trailer?”

  Josie delivered a softer version of the sarcastic remark that wanted to fly out. “Yep. That’d be the one.”

  “My truck can haul that. No problem.”

  “Didn’t think it would be.”

  If they’d been inside, Josie would’ve ushered Seth toward the door. Standing there in her dirt driveway, it seemed as though all the hints she threw at him sailed away with the evening autumn breeze.

  “We used to have a farmhand on our property so the land’s already cleared where the trailer will go,” he continued, oblivious to her wishes. “Septic connection and everything. This’ll be a piece of cake.”

  “Glad to hear it. Thanks again for bringing my hat by…” Josie’s words trailed off with her gaze. She hadn’t expected a visit from her sister, let alone Seth, so when she took in Marcie’s sedan squealing to a stop right behind Seth’s parked truck, she couldn’t contain her frustration. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Devil number two,” Carly muttered around a snicker.

  “Marcie, I’m a little busy right now!” Josie cupped her hands around her mouth to megaphone the words.

  “This your fancy lawyer?” The woman cut Seth a glare as she tramped her way toward the trio on wobbly, pointed high heels. She hooked her hands on her hips, seething with visible annoyance. “You sure didn’t waste any time.”

  With a quick glance at Josie for some sort of affirmation, Seth shot out a hand. “Yes, ma’am. Seth Ford. Lawyer…” he vacillated a beat before adding, “At law.”

  “I didn’t think you had it in you to lawyer up, Josie. Figured you were all bite and no bark.”

  “I laid out my clear expectations,” Josie rallied. “I told you I’d get my lawyer involved if need be. But seeing that you’re here on your own accord, I hope it’s to settle this peaceably without the need for Mr. Ford’s involvement.”

  “Well, you see…” Marcie kept her eyes pinned on Seth like she expected him to lunge toward her purse to steal her checkbook right out of it. “I don’t exactly have your money.”

  “That’s going to be a problem,” Seth said. He shrugged nonchalantly. “But one we can handle in court if that’s the route you’d rather take.”

  “You’re not taking me to court,” Marcie snapped.

  “Then I suggest you liquidate whatever assets you must in order to pay my client what she’s due.”

  “I don’t got any assets.”

  “I noticed you drove here in a car.” He looked around her in the direction of the vehicle, and then flicked his attention to the flashy ring perched on her fourth finger. “And I see you have some jewelry that you might be able to take down to the pawnshop to convert into cash. I don’t think you’d have to look too far to come up with the money Miss Friar is seeking. But if you’re unable to make those decisions on your own and you’d rather let a judge outline it for you—”

  With a harrumph of exasperation, Marcie reached deep into her purse and pulled out a jangling set of keys, then hurtled them at Josie’s stomach like a fastball aiming for a strike.

  “Fine. Take the car.”

  “You think we’re gonna believe you actually own that outright?” Carly snipped.

  “You hush!” Marcie jabbed a finger in the air at Carly. “The pink slip i
s in the glove box. I’ll sign it over.”

  Seth stroked his jaw. “You’re getting close, but based on my calculations—”

  “You hush, too!” Twisting her ring violently from her finger, she threw it in the dirt at Seth’s feet. “There! Now that’s more than enough.”

  Dipping down, Seth snatched up the ring. “Pleasure doing business with you, Marcie.” When he took a half-bow, Josie had to fight hard to keep from snorting. “And since you just handed over your mode of transportation, it looks like you’ll need a lift back up to the main house. I’ll be happy to drive you, as I was just on my way out.”

  Despite the announcement of his departure being the very words Josie had hoped for just moments earlier, she felt a twinge of disappointment at the thought of Seth leaving so soon. He’d surprised her, both in his willingness to play along, and in the success he’d had at actually pulling it all off.

  She’d underestimated Seth Ford and that revelation unnerved her to no end.

  5

  Seth

  “What do you have for us today, Sugar?”

  The walker scraped across the patio, grating against the gritty surface as Berta McNabb shuffled close for a look, her entire appearance disheveled save for her perfectly coiffed silver hair that twisted into a neat bun at the tip-top of her head. Seth always had a little chuckle at that. Most every lady at his grandmother’s senior living home donned such elaborate hairstyles they could belong in a salon look-book. All except for Gramm. She was always a wild mess of wiry, white strands in need of a good brushing.

  “I sure hope it’s more of those oatmeal ones.” Nancy Tremaine rubbed her frail hands together as she peered into the basket.

  “No one likes oatmeal,” Gus Whethers bemoaned. “Belongs in a breakfast bowl, not in a cookie.”

  “Out of my way. Grandma coming through.” Gramm pushed through the throng of eager seniors, snagging the handle of the basket of treats and pulling back the cloth napkin covering the still warm cookies. “Drumroll, please.”

  Walkers, loafers, and slippers tapped the pavement in what had to be the quietest buildup ever, but it didn’t diminish the anticipation. They waited on bated breath for the big reveal.

  “We have…snickerdoodle!” She thrust a cookie into the air.

  Nancy squealed and Berta did a little hop in celebration. Gus groaned, but that was just Gus. Nothing could satisfy the man.

  Gramm handed a cookie to each of her friends who quickly dispersed once they received what they came for, then she tucked away a few extra into her robe pockets to save for later, like always.

  “What’s on the agenda for today?” Seth scooted out one of the patio chairs for his grandmother to take a seat, then found another for himself. He flopped down with a huff. “Anything fun?”

  “You’re looking at it,” Gramm said, her voice flat.

  Gramm’s retirement home wasn’t the most luxurious, Seth knew that, but it had been a good place for her to land after Papa’s death five years earlier. She was the social butterfly of the Ford family. Living alone within four empty walls wasn’t an option. Apparently, it wasn’t an option to live at the ranch, either. Seth never understood that, but the land didn’t belong to him, so—like everything else—it was a matter he had little say in.

  “They need to find another activities coordinator for you guys.”

  Seth lifted the empty cookie basket from the table and set it by his feet so it wouldn’t obstruct his grandmother’s view. Not that there was much of one. An old, dried up fountain, a low boxwood hedge, and an empty parking lot served as the only visual stimuli within twenty yards of their patio table. Seth wondered how Gramm didn’t go stir crazy. If he didn’t have his foothills with their jagged terrain to serve him both on horseback and as the picturesque view from his window, he’d likely lose a few of his marbles each and every day. He needed that beauty and inspiration to keep him going, and he knew he wasn’t alone in that.

  “We’ve got bingo tonight.” Gramm chomped down on a cookie and half-smiled, her lips wobbly with the effort. “And they’re showing Casablanca tomorrow after a pancake breakfast.”

  It was something, he supposed, but not much. “What about outings? Didn’t they used to take you all out to the casino once a month. Do you ever get to leave here to do things like that?”

  “Nope. Haven’t left this place in three months and counting. Starting to feel a bit like a jail cell, but I suppose it beats the alternative. I hear a pine box isn’t any more comfortable.”

  It was as though by placing his grandmother in this facility, they’d put her out to pasture and a sick feeling roiled through his gut at that. She deserved more. “Is there someone I can talk to about coordinating a little trip for you? Plan an outing for you and your friends?”

  “Sure, you can talk to them, but it won’t likely change anything.” She popped the last bite of cookie into her mouth and moved forward to cover Seth’s hands with her own. The wrinkles around her eyes buckled from a soft smile. “Enough about this dreary place. I want to hear about you. How’s the farm?”

  “The farm’s good. Everyone’s up in Oregon for the week looking at some new cattle prospects. I’ve got a few cows due any day now, so I’ve been checking the herd more often just to make sure the births go smoothly. Same ol’, same ol’, but I can’t complain because I prefer that over the unexpected when it comes to ranching.”

  “I remember the first calf you helped your daddy deliver,” Gramm said wistfully. She squeezed Seth’s hand a little tighter. “Never seen that shade of green on a young boy before. Thought you were going to lose your lunch out there in that pasture. Don’t seem to have any problem with it now, huh?”

  “Thankfully, no. But those breech births still get my heart rate going. Too much to go wrong.”

  “Nothing you can’t handle, Seth. You’re one impressive cattle rancher.”

  Seth appreciated the vote of confidence, but it wasn’t a title he had earned, or even deserved. Neither the cattle, nor the ranch, belonged to him and he wasn’t sure they ever would. Still, his grandmother’s appraisal was thoughtful and he loved that she always had a compliment at the ready.

  “Would you like to put in a special request for any particular cookie for next week?” he asked, needing to change the subject.

  “You know my favorites are your peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. But Gus has that dang nut allergy. How about those lemon crinkle ones? Those are always a hit.”

  “I think I can manage that.” Seth winked. They were his specialty. “And I’m serious about talking to someone about getting you all out of here. I think a change of scenery would do you a world of good.”

  “Hard to remember there’s even a world of good out there.” Gramm shrugged. “Haven’t seen it in quite some time.”

  That fleeting comment had Seth’s stomach bottoming out. Gramm deserved so much more. They all did. Right there, he made it his mission to make good on his promise.

  “If you need anything, I’m just in that little house right over there.” He nudged his chin toward the one-bed, one-bath structure that each generation of Ford bachelors had resided in at one point or another. It was a ramshackle hand-me-down made of old wood, sturdy beams and dust-coated memories.

  Josie looked everywhere but at Seth or his house. “All I need is Tiffany, Tammy, and Tawnya.”

  Sisters? he wondered, but didn’t let his speculation form words. Josie didn’t seem like the type of woman who welcomed prying when it came to her personal life.

  “My plants. They’re still in the back of your truck. I think that’s all that’s left.”

  Plant was a generous word for what she referred to. Spindly, brown stalks poked out of dirt clods so dry a gallon of water likely wouldn’t even soften the soil and the chipped pots looked like they had been salvaged from a dumpster. Still, they must’ve meant something to her. She’d named them, for goodness sake.

  “I’ll grab those and bring them right over.”
<
br />   “Appreciate it.” Their gazes connected for a quick moment. “I’ll be inside straightening things up.”

  Seth nodded. Josie was a difficult woman to read. Her face rarely faltered from her tight-lipped, tense-browed, stern expression, but there was a firestorm of emotion constantly brewing in her amber eyes that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Seth had been around downed power lines that gave off less energy.

  Alternating thoughts wove in and out of his mind as he retrieved her potted plants. This is a great idea morphed into This is your worst idea yet, Ford. He knew his parents would agree with the latter, which said a lot because Seth had had some pretty bad ideas in his lifetime. Luckily, he executed few of the ones that popped into his head, but the fifth wheel that now interrupted the landscape meant there was no going back. He’d have to own this decision and Josie would have to make good on her word to train the horses. Anything less and his parents would have even more reason to cut him loose from the ranch completely.

  “You can just leave those right there.” The screen door to her trailer was propped open, but even if she had welcomed Seth in to set the plants down, he doubted the cat that blocked the threshold would let him past. He felt a hiss building up each time he locked eyes with the judgmental feline. “Cowboy.” Josie stomped a foot. “Leave Seth be.” If a cat could shrug, this one did just that before sauntering into the depths of Josie’s trailer.

  “Sorry. He doesn’t take well to strangers,” she offered, coming down the front steps to adjust the pots Seth placed on the ground. “He doesn’t take well to anyone, really.”

  “Got it. I’ll be sure to give him a wide berth each time I come around, then.”

  Josie’s head snapped up. “I won’t need you checking in on me, Seth.”

  “Oh, I…I just meant—”

  “I’ve got everything I need in this trailer and I’ll be borrowing the stuff I’ll require for the horses from my brother-in-law. I won’t be a nuisance to you. You have my word on that.”