Page 2 of Daddy's Little Cowgirl

“By themselves?”

Darian snorted. “Of course not. Gage and Kaleb are out there.”

Ridge rolled his eyes. “That sounds more like you.”

Darian grunted. “I’ll introduce you to the girls later.”

“I’m looking forward to finally meeting Larkin.”

Darian leaned back. “She’s pretty special.”

“I’m glad you found her.”

Darian nodded and shut the door behind them. “I do, too.” He went around his desk and took a seat while Ridge sat in one of the chairs on the other side, took off his cowboy hat, and set it on his knee.

“So, tell me what’s going on?”

Ridge sighed. “I’ve lost two of my best men and a woman. One of the men retired, and the other moved closer to his mom to care for her. I’ve lost my housekeeper, Tina. She got married and moved away with her husband.”

“What about Mrs. Cox?”

“She can’t do the cleaning anymore, so now I’ve got no one for that. She still cooks for me, but that might even be too much for her. She’s getting up in years, so I’ve no idea how long it will be before she retires.”

Darian frowned. “Do you still have your foreman and barn cook?”

“Thank God I’ve still got both of them, or I would have had a nervous breakdown.”

Darian snickered. “How many employees do you have now?”

“Altogether, about thirty.”

Darian’s eyes widened. “Wow.”

“Yeah, the ranch has expanded, and now I think I might have let it grow too fast. I buy the land around me that comes up for sale. I’m getting close to eighty thousand acres.”

“Hell, man. What are you going to do with that much land?”

“I’ve got over one hundred acres of grain for the cattle, and then the rest of the ground is for grazing.”

“I’m trying to imagine you and your men trying to move cattle miles away from the ranch house.”

“I’ve built several small cabins over the ranch, so the men will always have a place to crash. I keep them supplied with everything they need.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“It’s so damn hard to find people that want to live in the country and have the closest town an hour away. I want to make the place as comfortable as possible to keep everyone happy.”

“What do you need from me?”

“I’ve got money, and I think I can make it do more for me than a money market or mutual fund would.”

“Is it in savings now?” Darian asked.

“Yeah, some. I’ve got several bonds, too.”

“I can help with it, or I’ve got the names of other men who specialize in the stock market.”

“I was hoping you’d offer. I know what you can do with money.”

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