Page 16 of Wrangling a Texas Hometown Hero

“Corbin said he was going to do it. I guess he got sidetracked.”

Hallie knew exactly what had sidetracked him. “Belle showed up with Tito’s tacos and they headed to Cooper Springs.”

Daddy snorted. “I thought their honeymoon was over.” Corbin and Belle had just gotten back from their honeymoon in Italy. Jesse and Liberty were still on their honeymoon in the Caribbean.

“They’re still newlyweds and enjoy spending time together.”

“Well, they need to spend that time together when there’s not work to be done.”

She stopped shoveling and leaned on the handle. “I hate to bring this up, Daddy, but Corbin’s the boss now. If he wants to go on a picnic in the middle of the day, he can go on a picnic.”

Daddy scowled. “Bosses should work harder than everyone else.”

She wanted to say, “Little good it did you,” but she bit her tongue. Pointing out that her father had almost lost the family ranch wasn’t the best thing to do on her first day home.

“I’m sure Corbin will be back soon.” When he got here, she was hoping he’d be happy to see she’d done his job for him. Mucking out stalls had to earn her some brownie points.

“So what are your plans, Hallie?”

She knew Daddy was talking about her future plans, but she decided to play dumb and postpone the argument they were bound to get in. “My plans? Well, I figure I’ll wheel this pile of crap around to the back of the barn and dump it before I wash out the stall and spread some fresh—”

“Are you just trying to piss me off?”

She sighed. “I want to own a brewery and make my own beer.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re not still stuck on that harebrained idea, are you?”

And here we go.

She jabbed the shovel under another pile of poop. “Yes. I’m still stuck on that harebrained idea. And if you’re going to give me the lecture on what a foolish idea it is, don’t waste your time. I know how you feel and you’re not going to change my mind. I’m going to start my own beer-brewing business come hell or high water.”

He huffed. “I thought age would get rid of that stubborn streak, but I guess I was wrong.”

“Well, take a look in the mirror, Daddy. Your stubborn streak is still a mile long and two miles wide.” She went where she swore she wouldn’t go. “If you weren’t so stubborn, Corbin wouldn’t be your boss.”

“I’m not his boss, Hal.” Corbin appeared in the doorway next to her father. He looked like he and Belle had been doing more than picnicking at Cooper Springs. His hair was finger tousled, his western shirt was mis-snapped, and there was a definite hickey on his neck. Something that had her father scowling. Corbin mistook the scowl. “I mean it, sir. You know a lot more about ranching than I do. As far as I’m concerned, you’re still the boss.”

That seemed to appease her father and remove the scowl from his face. “Thank you, son. But you own the ranch now. Have you had any more foremen apply?”

“Not any after the ones you vetoed.”

Hallie held in her snort. If Corbin was having her father help him pick foremen, she wished him luck. Hank was not easy to please.

“Well, we’ll find one who’s right eventually,” Hank said. “Now I’m riding out to fix some fences. You want to come along?”

Hallie couldn’t help feeling ticked that he didn’t invite her. Of course, after letting her temper get the best of her, she couldn’t really blame him.

Corbin shook his head. “Thank you, sir, but I think I’ll help Hallie finish here and meet up with you later.”

Daddy nodded before he glanced at Hallie. “See you at supper.”

“I’ll be there with bells on.”

Once he was gone, Corbin looked at her. “I thought Belle was exaggerating when she said that you and your daddy were like vinegar and oil.”

She shrugged. “Welcome to the Holiday family. It’s not always a bed of roses. There are a few thorns thrown in. Daddy being the biggest. By the way, your shirt is snapped wrong and you have a hickey.”

He slapped a hand to his neck. “Shit. Do you think your daddy noticed?”

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