Page 37 of Unforgettable Cowboy
So why was Bailey, who was all about freedom, tying him in knots?
“I think I can handle having a dog,” Hayes replied dryly.“I ran into Chance Meyers in town.He’s interviewing for a job in the area.”
“There’s a local opening for pompous ass?How do I apply?”
“I think you’re overqualified,” Hayes said to his brother who laughed and called him a fuckwit.
“Honestly, though.I’m thinking about finding work closer to home.”
“Wade’s going to need someone nearby.”And for some reason Trev was one of the few people their stubborn uncle listened to.Hayes had no idea why.Maybe something about being the youngest.
“How long will you stay?”
“As long as I can.It’s going to take at least two people to get through the winter and I’m concerned about what Parker will be capable of when he returns.He’s in his late fifties and back surgery can be rugged to come back from.On the other hand, Wade can’t pay both of the Parkers and me.Despite wishes to the contrary, I’ll need a steady paycheck eventually.”
“We’ll talk when I get home,” Trev said.
“I bet we will.When will we see you?”
“I’ll roll in on Friday morning.Don’t want to miss the street dance.”
“I’ll tell Wade.”
“Looking forward to seeing you guys.Can I name your puppy?”
“No.See you in a few days.”
*
Despite the decrepitoutbuildings, Bailey’s homestead was a peaceful place during the day.It was only after the sun had set and the shadows grew that she started feeling jumpy, but during the golden hours of late afternoon, her homestead was downright bucolic—the perfect place to unwind after a day spent on the hill dealing with bad wire.
The grain had ripened.The golden heads bobbed in the light breeze as she sat in the lawn chair near her trailer next to a small folding table, polishing her silver pieces with a cloth before packing them into individual bags with a small square of tarnish inhibitor in each one.Tarnish was the bane of her existence, but much better to deal with than a micromanaging boss.Or even a handsome cowboy who was pushing his way into her thoughts way too often.
She picked up a buckle, sterling with inset turquoise, her mind flashing on Hayes’s plain brass belt buckle.He’d won a drawer full of sterling trophy buckles yet didn’t wear them.Maybe he didn’t like to battle tarnish.Her lips curved a little as she gave the buckle a final rub and slipped it into a velvet pouch before picking up a set of bangles.
Silver stock was expensive, so when she’d started her career, she’d focused on small items—bracelets, earrings and necklaces.From there she’d segued into fancy bridle buckles, sometimes in silver and sometimes in brass.Belt buckles followed and as soon as this season was over, she was going to try her hand at embellishing bridle bits and spurs.The investment in the larger pieces was financed by selling smaller pieces, which moved more quickly.Coming up with an inventory was a slow process, but now she had a nice stock of jewelry and enough buckles of various sizes to encourage people to make custom orders if they didn’t care to buy off the table.
She sealed the bag around the shiny bangles, set her rose cloth aside and then sipped from her water bottle.It had been a full day on the Tree Fork cleaning out the clogged pipe that Hayes had found.He’d intended on coming with her but had been waylaid at the last minute.Bailey had been both relieved and disappointed.Relieved that she didn’t have to monitor her treacherous hormones all day long and disappointed that she didn’t get to banter with the man.
Push-pull was not her thing, yet she was dealing with it on a daily basis since Hayes had returned to the Tree Fork.What was it about the man that made her want to suspend her carefully constructed parameters and just, well, go for it?
Her thoughts had been drifting that way more and more since that kiss, which instead of being sweet and nostalgic, had felt edged with tantalizing possibilities.
Bailey closed her eyes in an attempt to center herself.They popped open again at the sound of an approaching vehicle.Her first thought was Hayes.Her second was holy shit.
She knew that rig.Hated the sight of it.A wave of anxiety rolled over her as she visualized what was ahead, then she girded herself.Whatever shit Chance Meyers brought, she would deal with it.
Chance pulled his shiny red Chevy one-ton dually to a stop next to her much more sedate blue Ford three-quarter ton.Bailey rose from her chair and took a casual stance as he got out of the truck.The game was on.She wasn’t ready, but damn it, she was going to fake it.Pulling a deep breath in through her nose, she took a few steps forward and waited, one hand propped on her hip, wishing her phone wasn’t in the trailer.
“Chance?”How did you find me?“This is a surprise.”
She’d told Hayes that if Chance managed to hunt her down, he’d find her living on the homestead with no mare, and it’d be no big deal.The first part was true, but she felt less certain of the second.Facing the man alone, a good mile from another living being, suddenly made the situation feel a bit less cut and dried.Almost like it was a big deal.
Heart hammering, she managed to hold her neutral, yet openly curious expression.
“Nice place,” he said without a hint of irony.
“Yes.”She waited.She had no reason to expect this to be more than a fishing expedition for Dakota Sunshine, but she was still glad that the keys were in her truck.
