Page 12 of Brother In Arms

Chapter 4

Bailey

“Well, looks like the new guy is late,” I mentioned to Renaldo who was getting into the farm truck’s driver’s seat to take me out to the north pasture. Apparently there was some new fence damage I needed to see and possibly requisition materials to repair.

“The new gringo you hired yesterday?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

He looked at me and gave me one slow, long, blink as if to ask silently, are you serious? I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head, a classic ‘out with it’ gesture and he said.

“Actually, he was here early.”

“What do you mean, early?”

“Got here about two, drove up to the caretaker’s house. I was making coffee and told him where to park his truck.”

“You’re serious.”

“Yes ma’am. He’s already making repairs to that fence. Seems pretty handy with a hammer.”

I was fuming, but not at Renaldo. He’d been with this farm for as long as I’d been alive and was as dedicated to it as I was. I was more pissed at the new guy for beating me at my own game, but he was about to find out that when it came to me, you were damned if you did and damned if you didn’t. I’d perfected the art from my mother.

Now that I’d had a day or two to think about it, I honestly felt like my mother had played me. She was pretty much the queen when it came to manipulation and I was heartily regretting caving as easily as I had. The more and more I stewed on it, the more I thought that having this guy around was just plain a bad idea. My father had always taught his children that there wasn’t anything out there that couldn’t be fixed without a little ingenuity and elbow grease so that’s just what I was going to do. Figure out a way to make this guy quit.

I was doing fine with the farm, I needed the manpower, sure, but I had some interviews lined up this week. I was sure I could get the help I needed. Even Caleb had to admit we were too short staffed to operate fairly. I mean, there was understaffed and then there was understaffed. We were the latter by this point, and I had no idea why. I was at a complete loss and none of the men and women who remained would tell me if they knew anything.

I was hoping Renaldo would say something, but alas, the rest of the ride out to the point in the north pasture was completed in little more than small talk about which horse was exercised where and which stud was coming in to be bred to what mare. There was no such thing as artificial insemination in racing world; it all had to be done the old fashioned way. Personally, in a world full of technological advances, it was nice that there were some old traditions that still held true.

Renaldo pulled up beside an unfamiliar pickup, dented and old. If vehicles were capable of holding an expression I’d label this one careworn. I didn’t see anyone else around except the new guy, so I guess it was safe to assume that the truck was his. He stood driving a post-hole digger into the sod just a bit inside the old fence line and I scowled. Renaldo hadn’t even stopped the truck completely and I already had the door open. I hopped out onto the uneven ground and called out, “Trying to take out my property line?”

“Trying to fix this damn fence,” he called back and lifted his clinging white tee shirt off of his chest. He was sweating and the material was nearly transparent and molding to his musculature. I mentally slapped the shit out of myself and tried to focus on why I was really here which was to inspect the damaged fence.

Damaged… yeah, that was one word for it. Several of the fence posts were ripped clean out of the ground while several more of the split-logs had been cut through with a chainsaw, bright sawdust littering the ground like confetti. I gritted my teeth and actively fumed, pulling my cellphone out of my pocket.

My asshole brother picked up on the second ring, “Really, Philip? Now we’ve moved on to actively trying to sabotage the farm? You selfish prick why can’t you let me have just one thing?” I demanded.

“Bailey, where is this coming from? I have no idea what you’re babbling about.”

Right. He was too calm and I could just hear the grin in his voice.

“Fuck you, Philip. Stay the fuck off my goddamn farm.” I seethed.

“Our goddamn farm, little sister. Or did you forget that I still own a third of it?”

“I swear to god, you don’t stop this I will find a way, come hell or high water, to buy you out, you smug bastard.”

“You can try, but just remember, I don’t have to sell either.” He ended the call on me, the dick. I turned around to find both Renaldo and the new guy both watching me intently.

“What are you looking at?” I snarled at the new guy. He leaned on the fence post digger and swept his golden brown eyes over me in an appraising look that set my goddamn panties on fire.

“Nothin’ ma’am.”

You’re goddamn right, nothing, I thought to myself and then remembered to ask, “Did you come in early today?”

“Yes, ma’am. Thought I’d give myself the opportunity to get familiar with the place. Didn’t want to be late on my first day.”

The bastard had the nerve to give me this sexy little smirk and I went to wipe it right off his face with, “Yeah, well the next time you just want to help yourself to overtime – do me a favor and don’t. I’m the one who makes that call. Am I clear?”

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