Page 26 of The Breakdown

“It looks good,” she said again, securing her hat on her head. “You’re hired.” She turned to go.

“But, Vaughn.”

“Do what you have to do to get the site ready for tomorrow. I’ll get those photos to you first thing so you can add them quickly.”

Natalie chased her to the door. “Don’t you want to see some of my other work first?”

Vaughn turned to face her. “Your work looks good to me, Natalie. Real good. You seem to know what you’re doing.”

“I—thank you.”

“Keep up the good work.”

Natalie fought for words, unwilling to let her go. “What about the chores? I’m supposed to help you this afternoon.”

“I’d rather you work on the site.”

“But I need information. How to list the horses, photos of the horses, information about the horses, etc. I can’t just do this will-nilly.”

“Get what you can from June. The rest I’ll give you tonight after chores.” She pulled open the door, letting in the harsh glow of sunlight. She tipped her hat at her. “Thanks, Natalie. You’re really doing us a big favor.”

“You’re doing me a big favor,” Natalie whispered.

“Yeah, well, I guess we can call it even, eh?” She walked out the door and left Natalie standing alone.

Natalie watched her walk away, wondering what had prompted the sudden and abrupt departure. It had something to do with the photos, she was sure of it. But what, she didn’t know. She’d have to remember to tread carefully when Vaughn brought them over. She didn’t want to scare her off. If anything, she wanted her to stick around. She liked her easy company, and she found herself more than curious about her. She seemed so strait-laced and reserved, yet she was forward and assertive when she needed to be. She wasn’t someone a person could walk all over, that was for sure, and Natalie admired her for that. Natalie had always been more of a doormat. She’d had trouble telling people no and standing up for herself. She thought maybe it was because she feared rejection or upsetting people, preferring to just keep the peace instead. Because upset people did upset things. She’d learned that lesson once or twice.

She eased the door closed and made her way back into the tiny kitchen where she filled a mug with water and set it in the microwave. She heated it for two minutes and plucked it out to bob a single serving bag of vanilla tea in it. When the tea had steeped enough, she opened a jar of desert mesquite honey that June had given her when she’d brought over some groceries and scooped out a spoonful. She stirred it into the tea and returned to her seat. She sipped on the hot tea, allowing it to coat her throat as she scanned through the mock site. She had a lot to do and not much time to do it in. She decided she’d do what she could alone and call June over for the remaining information. She hated to bother her, knowing she had her own chores to do around the ranch, but Vaughn was right, this site needed to be up as quickly as possible. They needed workers as well as buyers.

“Shit.” She hadn’t even been able to show Vaughn her samples of job listings or some of the potential employees she’d found on a site already. Why had Vaughn taken off so suddenly? It only made things more difficult.

Natalie sipped her tea and stared out the front window. She could see Vaughn back in the corral, brushing down a horse. Just what secrets did she hold? Were they as deep and dark as her own? Was that even possible?

Whatever they were, they’d surfaced some today. She’d seen them firsthand, swimming in Vaughn’s eyes and they’d looked extremely painful.

“What are you hiding, Vaughn Ruger?”

She took another sip of her tea and jerked as a knock came from the door. She set down her mug and walked to pull open the door. June stood there holding a stack of leather-bound folders. “Knock, knock,” she said as she breezed inside, her wild white hair whipping around her face.

“June,” Natalie managed to breathe. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

“Well, Vaughn said you needed me, so here I am.”

“Yes, well.” Natalie struggled to get her bearings and closed the door to return to her seat. She brought up the website again and went into the first page, ready to edit. “I need to know all about the horses,” she said. “Anything and everything you can tell me.”

June lifted Natalie’s cup of tea and crossed back to the kitchen. “I’ll make us both more tea then. Because we’re both going to be here a while.”

* * *

Natalie pressed first one cheek then the other cheek to her shoulders, stretching her neck. Evening was fast approaching; she could tell by the position of the sun out the window. She and June had been sitting at the table, working at the computer for hours now and her neck and shoulders were paying the price. She raised her arms in a big stretch. June stood and did the same.

“Lord, child, are we done? My eyes are about to cross from looking at that screen.”

Natalie swiped the mouse pad a few more times and saved their progress. All that was left to do now was to add the photos. “We’re done,” she said, relieved herself. She was ready for a break.

“If I drink anymore of that tea, I’ll turn into a vanilla bean,” June said. She gathered all the folders full of information about the horses and the ranch finances and headed for the door. “Guess I better go get supper started,” she said. “Or I’ll have some pissed off cowboys clamoring at my door.”

“They eat supper here too?”

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