Page 13 of Barbed Wire Hearts

“Not just me. He dislikes most everyone,” Wiley laughs with a shake of his head. “And I think we both have a different definition of what sweet is.” He winks. “For example, I think you’re pretty sweet. Harry? Not so much.”

I flush and glance back at the horse, not sure how to respond.

“Don’t worry,” Wiley says. “I won’t bother you. I just came to let you know dinner will be served in a few hours.”

“Sounds good. Do I just go up to the house?”

He nods. “Yep. Just come on in. No need to knock.” He turns to leave but pauses. “Oh! And I’ll see you at five a.m. for work.”

“Five a.m.?” I gasp.

The grin that splits his lips is charming and a little bit mischievous. “Round here, work starts when the sun comes up and the roosters crow, darlin’.” He tips his hat. “I’ll see you at dinner. Watch your hands in case that horse changes his mind and decides to eat you.”

I watch him go before looking back at Harry. “Five in the morning, Harry? Someone should have warned me. This city girl never wakes up so early.”

But I’ll do what I have to. So far, it’s not so bad. I doubt it could get much worse than waking up at the butt crack of dawn. Hopefully, I don’t end up eating my words.

ChapterTwelve

Kate

At about six p.m., someone clangs a triangle like I’ve seen in the movies to call us all for dinner. I come out of the cabin excitedly at the sound. How fucking cute is that? It makes it all the more picturesque, large pretty house, mountain backdrop, and the clangs of a triangle to call us all for dinner. I can’t wait until there’s a campfire!

I follow everyone else as they go up to the big house, trailing along. I’m a little nervous to meet everyone. I’ve always hated being the new girl every time I changed jobs. It’s why I loved my last job. I rarely had to go into the office. I just sent emails and tuned into a few video calls, and it was all good.

On the front porch of the house, the dogs all lay, happily sleeping the day away. They wag their tail when I walk up the porch, but don’t rush toward me. I stoop down to pet the few closest to me, and then give in and pet them all so they don’t feel left out. Some of them look like cow herding dogs, but the one is clearly a hound dog. It’s the same one that had run up to my car when I’d pulled in, Ole Red. None of them move even after I pet them, but the hound dog wags his tail with a few happy thumps and stands to follow me inside as I open the door.

Inside the house is just as amazing as the outside. I’m immediately met with a large wood carving displayed on the wall inside. It’s not any wood I recognize. It’s almost black in color rather than the normal woodgrain I’m used to. And it hasn’t been stained. It’s clear it’s the natural wood color. There’s a scene carved into it, of a man riding a horse as it chases down a cow. He has a lasso in his hand, swung high in a circle above his head. I don’t get much time to admire it before I’m ushered inside by the others coming in behind me. Some of them give me a few curious looks, but most just happily come inside.

I follow them all to the right into a large dining room where a table fit for a party is set up with food already. There’s so much food, it feels like a thanksgiving feast, but there’s certainly plenty of us who come in for dinner. I realize quickly I’m one of at least two dozen regular workers.

Dakota stands at the head of the table, a small smile on his face. When I come in, he gestures for me to come over to him, so I do as he says, trailing around the table until I’m right beside him.

“Everyone, we have someone new joining the ranch family. This here is Kate. I expect everyone to show her how we do things when she goes out on the ranch tomorrow.”

There’s a chorus of “welcome” “and “hey” as they all wave. There are a few women mixed into the crowd, each of them wearing a smile at my addition.

“Go on and take a seat next to me,” Dakota offers, pulling out the chair for me.

I blink in surprise and take the seat, accepting his help to scoot it in before he takes his own seat. I can’t remember the last time a man helped me into my chair. Everyone else takes their own seats. Wiley bounces in and takes the seat right next to me, a bright smile on his face.

“I see you’ve still got all your fingers,” he declares.

I wiggle my hand at him. “Indeed. Harry didn’t even try to take them once.”

“Harry?” Dakota interrupts. “Harry Trotter? You were petting that damn horse?”

I nod. “He didn’t try to bite me. He invited me to pet him even.”

Dakota blinks. “Well, at least you seem to have a way with horses, I guess. The only reason we keep that horse around is because he’s a great stud. He ain’t good for much else, though.”

Wiley leans in. “Harry used to be a pretty damn good barrel racer, but he up and one day decided he didn’t want anyone else to ride him after Dakota’s ma passed away. He was her horse, see. I think it broke his heart when she no longer came out to tell him good morning every day.”

My heart immediately swells for the horse. “The poor thing,” I murmur. “No wonder he’s so eager for attention.”

Dakota’s face pinches, but he doesn’t respond. He instead reaches for food in the center. “Help yourself to whatever you’d like,” he tells me. “There’s plenty for everyone.”

The table is set with food of all kinds. There’s an aluminum tin of roasted chicken I take a few pieces of and a whole heaping amount of side dishes. Some sausage sits piled up next to a tray of corn. There’s sweet potatoes and green beans and bread rolls. I hesitate to load my plate too high until I see everyone else takes as much as they want. So, I take an extra bread roll. I’m such a hoe for bread.

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