Page 43 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
“Um...” Charly looked around at the cowboys before focusing on Decker. “Is that what you miss most about the bar?”
One of the other cowboys coughed, muttering something beneath his breath, but Decker ignored him and only nodded. “It’s a start.”
A few chuckles came from among the group.
Charly found herself in an unexpected situation, as these men all seemed eager to give her honest feedback. She set her sandwich down on her plate and told them, “All right then, let me have it—tell me everything you miss about the bar.”
Everyone turned toward Jaxon.
He frowned, midway from taking a bite of his sandwich. “Why are you looking at me? I didn’t ask the question.”
Rolling her eyes, convinced they were worried he’d deck them if they upset her, Charly said, “I mean it, I want to know—tell me everything.”
“Okay, then,” Decker said with a shrug. “If you say so...”
Twenty minutes later, she wished she’d never said anything as they hit her with all their various complaints. From missing dartboards to a lack of available single women who didn’t want to claw out their eyeballs. To the choice of music, beer, and bar food.
To the heart of it, Charly knew they wanted Jaxon’s bar back again.
She sighed, trying to sort through what they wanted and trying to mesh that with the vision she, Willow and Aubrey had for the bar.
As if Jaxon saw her struggle, he stood up abruptly and slid his hat back onto his head. “That’s enough bitching for one day,” he announced before turning to face Charly again, offering his hand. “Let’s get back to work.”
She took his hand, rose and had the feeling he didn’t want to let go. Oddly, she felt her fingers twitch to hold on, before she pulled away, tossing her empty plate in the garbage. “You guys aren’t done for the day?” she asked.
Amused laughter spread around her again, telling her everything she needed to know about how serious Jaxon was being right now.
Naturally, he explained himself further, “We still have to brand all of the horses with our freeze brand.”
Charly cocked her head. “Which is what exactly?”
Jaxon gestured toward the dozen coolers that had metal rods inside which lined the paddock fence and said, “Come here and I’ll show you.”
Jaxon grabbed one of the rods and showed it off—a logo shaped like a “T” intertwined with an “F and R.” Pointing at it, he said, “We use this to brand the horses to mark them as Timber Falls Ranch Quarter Horses.”
Her hand instinctively flew to her chest. “Does it hurt them?” she asked.
He shook his head in response. “No, not nearly as much as being fire branded would. It’s quick and easy.” He pointed to the long metal fencing, resembling a tunnel. “We place the horse in the chute there, and after a few seconds, the procedure destroys the natural pigmentation of the hair.”
“So that’s what makes the hair turn white?” She’d seen the mark on Thunder. She stepped closer to get a better look, trailing beside him toward the chute.
He nodded and smiled. “It serves as a badge of pride for all horses from Timber Falls Ranch.”
Staying behind the fence, she watched as the cowboys rounded up the auction horses and moved them to a smaller pen before pushing them through the chute one by one. Each horse was branded before they sent them on their way. Not even one showed any pain, mostly looked startled at first, but they were out of the chute before they even registered it.
“A brand of honor, huh?” she said.
He nodded. “That logo means something around here.” Then, he gestured toward the chute. “Do you want to give it a try?”
She’d come this far and figured she couldn’t stop now. “Hell yeah!” She followed Jaxon around to where a horse the color of dark chocolate stood in the chute. She watched as Decker shaved a spot on the side of the horse’s rump and then Casey washed it, before pouring a liquid on it. “What’s he putting on there?” Charly asked.
“It’s ninety-nine percent alcohol.” Jaxon reached into the cooler and grabbed one of the rods, offering her the end with the handle. “When I say, you press that where I show you for thirty seconds.”
“Okay.” She stepped closer to where she’d seen the other cowboys standing when they did this part.
Casey finished the wipe down, backed away and Jaxon nodded her on. “All right, you’re on.”
She closed the distance, raised the brand, aiming where Jaxon was pointing.
