said no.”
“I know, but it’s done. I made a promise and I’ll deliver on that promise.”
Isaac sighed. “I’ll help. Someone needs to watch your back. That Kylie is as sly and conniving as her mother. The rotten apple didn’t fall far from the poison apple tree.”
Trent chuckled. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Isaac breathed a sigh of relief when Trent finally went inside.
He listened for the sounds of his brother entering and exiting the bathroom and finally the house fell silent.
Checking his watch, he noted it was thirty minutes past midnight. The Ugly Stick closed at midnight on Thursdays, even when it was Ladies Night. Before he’d left the saloon, he’d askedAudrey if he could use the five-gallon jug of gasoline she kept on hand for the bar’s lawn-care equipment. Thankfully, she’d filled it the day before. He’d poured all five gallons into Lucky’s truck. That should have been enough to get her to the truck stop in Temptation where she could use the forty dollars he’d given her to fill her tank. If all went well and she didn’t have trouble following his directions, she’d be driving up the driveway in the next five minutes.
Headlights shined through the trees heading up the road to the ranch.
Isaac stepped off the porch and waved Lucky to park on the side of the house Trent rarely visited, hoping the lights wouldn’t alert Trent to a visitor at this late hour.
When Lucky turned off her lights and climbed down from the old pickup, she smiled. “You didn’t have to stay up and wait for me to come. But thanks.”
“I didn’t want you tripping in the dark, trying to find your way around.” Isaac turned toward the house. “If you’ll follow me.”
When he didn’t hear her behind him, he turned to see her standing with her back to him, staring up at the night sky. “Wow. I didn’t know how much I missed this.”
“Missed what?”
“The night sky.”
“Have you been living in a city?”
“Not a city, but I’ve been living in a small town outside of San Antonio. Even the small towns have a lot of lights that shine all night.”
“I can wait to show you to your room if you want to sit out on the porch for a while.”
“Do you mind?” She gave him a tentative smile. “After the noise of the saloon, this is heaven.”
“Sure. Let me get your gear, then you can come sit on the steps with me.”
“The boxes can stay in the backseat. I just need my clothes.” She grabbed a duffle bag from behind the seat and slung the strap over her shoulder.
“I’ll get that.” Isaac took the bag from her.
“I’m a ranch hand. I don’t expect special treatment just because I’m a girl.”
“I know, but chivalry isn’t dead.” He slung the bag over his shoulder. “Humor me.”
“You’re the boss.” She followed him to the porch, dropped the duffle bag and sat down on the steps, leaning back on her elbows. “It’s beautiful.”
Isaac sat beside her and leaned back on his elbows as well. “ I think so.”
“Someone else doesn’t?”
“My partner thinks he wants to move back to Houston.”
Lucky shot a glance at Isaac. “I personally can’t see how anyone would prefer Houston over this.”
“Me either.” Isaac continued to stare at the night sky. “Tell me about yourself, Lucky.”
She stiffened beside him. “You might not want me to work for you if I tell you about myself.”
Isaac chuckled. “Unless you’re a convicted felon, I can’t imagine you’ve done anything fire-worthy.”
Lucky hesitated. “Well, actually…”
“I won’t believe if it if you tell me you’ve killed someone, unless it was justifiable homicide.”
She laughed and relaxed a little. “No, I haven’t killed anyone that I know, but you might as well know now.” With a deep breath, she told him, “I have an unlucky streak the size of Texas.”
Isaac wiped his hand across his forehead. “Whew! For a minute there I thought it was something big.”
“Maybe you
“I know, but it’s done. I made a promise and I’ll deliver on that promise.”
Isaac sighed. “I’ll help. Someone needs to watch your back. That Kylie is as sly and conniving as her mother. The rotten apple didn’t fall far from the poison apple tree.”
Trent chuckled. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Isaac breathed a sigh of relief when Trent finally went inside.
He listened for the sounds of his brother entering and exiting the bathroom and finally the house fell silent.
Checking his watch, he noted it was thirty minutes past midnight. The Ugly Stick closed at midnight on Thursdays, even when it was Ladies Night. Before he’d left the saloon, he’d askedAudrey if he could use the five-gallon jug of gasoline she kept on hand for the bar’s lawn-care equipment. Thankfully, she’d filled it the day before. He’d poured all five gallons into Lucky’s truck. That should have been enough to get her to the truck stop in Temptation where she could use the forty dollars he’d given her to fill her tank. If all went well and she didn’t have trouble following his directions, she’d be driving up the driveway in the next five minutes.
Headlights shined through the trees heading up the road to the ranch.
Isaac stepped off the porch and waved Lucky to park on the side of the house Trent rarely visited, hoping the lights wouldn’t alert Trent to a visitor at this late hour.
When Lucky turned off her lights and climbed down from the old pickup, she smiled. “You didn’t have to stay up and wait for me to come. But thanks.”
“I didn’t want you tripping in the dark, trying to find your way around.” Isaac turned toward the house. “If you’ll follow me.”
When he didn’t hear her behind him, he turned to see her standing with her back to him, staring up at the night sky. “Wow. I didn’t know how much I missed this.”
“Missed what?”
“The night sky.”
“Have you been living in a city?”
“Not a city, but I’ve been living in a small town outside of San Antonio. Even the small towns have a lot of lights that shine all night.”
“I can wait to show you to your room if you want to sit out on the porch for a while.”
“Do you mind?” She gave him a tentative smile. “After the noise of the saloon, this is heaven.”
“Sure. Let me get your gear, then you can come sit on the steps with me.”
“The boxes can stay in the backseat. I just need my clothes.” She grabbed a duffle bag from behind the seat and slung the strap over her shoulder.
“I’ll get that.” Isaac took the bag from her.
“I’m a ranch hand. I don’t expect special treatment just because I’m a girl.”
“I know, but chivalry isn’t dead.” He slung the bag over his shoulder. “Humor me.”
“You’re the boss.” She followed him to the porch, dropped the duffle bag and sat down on the steps, leaning back on her elbows. “It’s beautiful.”
Isaac sat beside her and leaned back on his elbows as well. “ I think so.”
“Someone else doesn’t?”
“My partner thinks he wants to move back to Houston.”
Lucky shot a glance at Isaac. “I personally can’t see how anyone would prefer Houston over this.”
“Me either.” Isaac continued to stare at the night sky. “Tell me about yourself, Lucky.”
She stiffened beside him. “You might not want me to work for you if I tell you about myself.”
Isaac chuckled. “Unless you’re a convicted felon, I can’t imagine you’ve done anything fire-worthy.”
Lucky hesitated. “Well, actually…”
“I won’t believe if it if you tell me you’ve killed someone, unless it was justifiable homicide.”
She laughed and relaxed a little. “No, I haven’t killed anyone that I know, but you might as well know now.” With a deep breath, she told him, “I have an unlucky streak the size of Texas.”
Isaac wiped his hand across his forehead. “Whew! For a minute there I thought it was something big.”
“Maybe you
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