look, elbowed him hard.
“Sure boss, I think everything’s done. Andy is back at his place.”
“Thanks,” Rand said, a scowl still firmly fixed on her face. As she turned to leave, she heard Rick whisper, “Did you see that? Did you see her…”
She could only imagine the gestures he was making and wanted to spin around and fire his ass right there. The only thing stopping her was he was a hard worker that had been with the ranch for five years, and she didn’t want to draw more attention to her body. However, tomorrow he might find himself mucking every stall for week and that made her feel a little better about his blatant idiocy.
She walked past the large red barn to the old bunk house at the edge of the property. Andy, her foreman, had been her granddaddy’s best friend their whole lives and had inherited his little house and Digger, her granddaddy’s cattle dog in the will.
Andy was putting on his tool belt when she found him. “Hey, morning. Everything okay?”
Andy looked up and his craggy face split into a grin. “Sure Rand, just got to fix a couple holes in the fence. Took care of all the animals already.”
She could feel her face heat up. “I’m sorry I overslept. I had quite a night last night and couldn’t drag myself out of bed.”
He tried to cover his grin, but she caught it. “Yeah, I heard about it from a couple of the guys this morning. Apparently word spread about you being three sheets to the wind and threatening to kick Branson Alexander’s sorry ass.”
Rand groaned. “Great. So much for having their respect.”
“It’s not like any of them good old boys ain’t acted a fool once or twice. They respect you fine,” Andy said, patting her arm. “Why don’t you sleep it off some more? You’ve got a lot to handle right now, and you need to keep up your strength.”
“Thanks Andy.” She started to leave and he stopped her.
“Rand, just so you know, the boys have been talking. About R.E.’s will…”
“I won’t be marrying anyone currently employed at the Double C,” Rand said firmly.
She wasn’t trying to be a bitch, and she regretted her harsh tone. All of the men on the ranch were good men, and she wasn’t a snob by any means, but if she married someone that worked for her, it would be a major conflict and the Double C would suffer.
As polite as she could be, without leaving any doubts to her wishes, she amended, “I just don’t want there to be any question who is running this outfit. I’ve already got a few good candidates in mind. Please let the men know that my marriage will have no effect on their job or the Double C.”
Andy nodded solemnly. “That’s what I told them, but it might be better coming from you.”
“I’ll talk to them.” She said, heading back to the house with a heavy sigh.
She came back around the side of the barn and saw a white van parked next to Jake’s truck. As she got closer, she recognized Doctor Jay’s stamp on the side, and her gaze found the handsome Veterinarian standing on her front porch talking to Jake.
I wonder what he’s doing here . Taking the steps of the porch quickly, she smiled self-consciously at both men.
“Hey Doctor Jay, what brings you out here?”
He smiled and stepped away from Jake towards her. “You do Rand. And you can just call me Jay.”
“Okay, Jay. What can I do you for,” she asked, trying not to hunch her shoulders when Jay looked her over, a clear “something’s different” look on his face.
“Well, I was actually coming by to see if you would be interested in buying tickets to the “Pasta for Paws” spaghetti feed we’re putting together. It’s to raise money for strays who come in injured or people who can’t afford lifesaving surgery for their pets.” His gazed shifted towards Jake and he continued, “But it looks like I came at a bad time.”
Jake’s mouth opened like he was going to say something, but she broke in, “No, now’s fine. Jake was
“Sure boss, I think everything’s done. Andy is back at his place.”
“Thanks,” Rand said, a scowl still firmly fixed on her face. As she turned to leave, she heard Rick whisper, “Did you see that? Did you see her…”
She could only imagine the gestures he was making and wanted to spin around and fire his ass right there. The only thing stopping her was he was a hard worker that had been with the ranch for five years, and she didn’t want to draw more attention to her body. However, tomorrow he might find himself mucking every stall for week and that made her feel a little better about his blatant idiocy.
She walked past the large red barn to the old bunk house at the edge of the property. Andy, her foreman, had been her granddaddy’s best friend their whole lives and had inherited his little house and Digger, her granddaddy’s cattle dog in the will.
Andy was putting on his tool belt when she found him. “Hey, morning. Everything okay?”
Andy looked up and his craggy face split into a grin. “Sure Rand, just got to fix a couple holes in the fence. Took care of all the animals already.”
She could feel her face heat up. “I’m sorry I overslept. I had quite a night last night and couldn’t drag myself out of bed.”
He tried to cover his grin, but she caught it. “Yeah, I heard about it from a couple of the guys this morning. Apparently word spread about you being three sheets to the wind and threatening to kick Branson Alexander’s sorry ass.”
Rand groaned. “Great. So much for having their respect.”
“It’s not like any of them good old boys ain’t acted a fool once or twice. They respect you fine,” Andy said, patting her arm. “Why don’t you sleep it off some more? You’ve got a lot to handle right now, and you need to keep up your strength.”
“Thanks Andy.” She started to leave and he stopped her.
“Rand, just so you know, the boys have been talking. About R.E.’s will…”
“I won’t be marrying anyone currently employed at the Double C,” Rand said firmly.
She wasn’t trying to be a bitch, and she regretted her harsh tone. All of the men on the ranch were good men, and she wasn’t a snob by any means, but if she married someone that worked for her, it would be a major conflict and the Double C would suffer.
As polite as she could be, without leaving any doubts to her wishes, she amended, “I just don’t want there to be any question who is running this outfit. I’ve already got a few good candidates in mind. Please let the men know that my marriage will have no effect on their job or the Double C.”
Andy nodded solemnly. “That’s what I told them, but it might be better coming from you.”
“I’ll talk to them.” She said, heading back to the house with a heavy sigh.
She came back around the side of the barn and saw a white van parked next to Jake’s truck. As she got closer, she recognized Doctor Jay’s stamp on the side, and her gaze found the handsome Veterinarian standing on her front porch talking to Jake.
I wonder what he’s doing here . Taking the steps of the porch quickly, she smiled self-consciously at both men.
“Hey Doctor Jay, what brings you out here?”
He smiled and stepped away from Jake towards her. “You do Rand. And you can just call me Jay.”
“Okay, Jay. What can I do you for,” she asked, trying not to hunch her shoulders when Jay looked her over, a clear “something’s different” look on his face.
“Well, I was actually coming by to see if you would be interested in buying tickets to the “Pasta for Paws” spaghetti feed we’re putting together. It’s to raise money for strays who come in injured or people who can’t afford lifesaving surgery for their pets.” His gazed shifted towards Jake and he continued, “But it looks like I came at a bad time.”
Jake’s mouth opened like he was going to say something, but she broke in, “No, now’s fine. Jake was
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