Page 20 of Caught By A Cowboy

“Just whatever you got, it’s for the girl.” I lower my voice for that last part. Sawyer nods his head and smirks before disappearing out the back.

“You speak to your uncle?” he calls out while he goes through his stock.

“Yeah, he stopped by the ranch this morning.” I spark up a cigarette and stare at the barstool Maddison was sitting on when I first saw her. It’s insane to think that forty-eight hours agoI didn’t know she even existed. Now it seems she is my entire existence!

“I assume you plan on taking Mathers by yourself?” he checks, coming out of the back room and placing a box on the bar in front of me. He takes the brand new phone from its box and sets to work on loading it with a sim card.

“Ain’t nothing I can’t handle. Elliot Mathers is just a good-for-nothing weasel who prays on women. It’ll be fun.” I clear my throat because I’m starting to realize that making Maddison mine means I’m gonna have to live in two different worlds. She can never know about what I do. If she did, I’d be sure to lose her.

“It’s been a while since you wanted any help.” Sawyer grabs a glass and pours me a whiskey.

“You know I prefer to work alone.” I pick up the glass and stare at the liquid as I swish it around.

“I also know that if you stopped being stubborn and sold up to those Gendrys, you wouldn’t have to work that kinda shit at all. Come on, Jace, you know the Gendrys have the council on their side. The ran–”

“The ranch has been in my family for decades, I will not be the one who fails it.” I stop him before he even gets started.

“C’mon, your turnover barely covers the boys’ wages, and taking these kinda jobs from your uncle is risky shit.”

“It’s ain’t just about the money, you know that. And last time I checked, you take jobs from my uncle too,” I point out.

“Yeah, well, I got my own reasons for that.” Sawyer makes it damn clear that we ain’t gonna discuss whatever those reasons might be.

“Look, I got to head back to the ranch, cheers for this.” I knock back my drink and pick up the phone.

“Miles and some of the boys were in here last night, they were sayin’ that new housekeeper of yours has got you runningin circles.” He’s wearing a smug grin, one I’d like to knock right off his face.

“They’re wrong, She ain’t just my housekeeper.” I place my hat back on my head and fix it into position.

“Then what is she?” Sawyer laughs.

“She’s fuckin’ mine,” I warn him. Sawyer may be my friend but I saw the way he was looking at her when she was sitting at the end of his bar, and I’m pretty certain of what was going through his filthy mind too.

I don’t wait for his response, I head out, stepping back out onto the main street so I can get in my truck.

There's a small crowd of women gathered outside Billy McGee’s cigar store and when I notice Eleanor Chambers in the center of them I can’t resist heading on over.

“Please, don’t tell me you ladies have taken to smokin’, it’s a devil’s curse, ya know.” I slide another cigarette out of my packet, balance it between my lips, and make sure my eyes lock in Eleanor’s.

“Of course, not,” Daphne, who owns the hair salon, snaps, looking outraged by my accusation while Eleanor remains cool and calm.

“Jean and I stopped by a few days ago to see if we could put up a poster for the autumn dance, and we noticed the place was closed,” she explains, and right on cue, the mayor's new wife steps forward and presents me with one of the flyers like it’s evidence. I smile at the woman who’s far too young, and far too pretty for Eli Kelley. She looks out of place with these old busybodies, and I’m sure she’d much prefer to socialize with someone like Maddison.

“Jace.” Jean saying my name drags me back from thinking about her,again.

“We thought it was odd that the place was closed, he always opens 10 til 4 on weekdays.” Eleanor proves she knows his habitswell and looks unnerved when my eyes widen. “Anyway…The shop’s been closed for three days straight, and I know it’s been the weekend but he always opens on a Saturday morning.”

“I’m sure he’s fine. It wasn’t so long back that he skipped town for a whole month, you didn’t seem concerned then,” I point out, noticing how Eleanor’s cheeks turn red and her shoulders pull back. Her lips move but no words come out, and I decide to put the poor old dear out of her misery…for now. “I’ll bet wherever he is, he’s having the time of his life.” I smile them all a toothy grin, and when I refuse to take my eyes off hers, the tension gets so great she gives up and looks away first.

“I should get back to the shop. I left Loretta in charge of this week's altar spread, Heaven knows what she will have done.” Elenor scurries across the street toward her florist shop and I hear the door chime as she slams it shut behind her.

“Enjoy the rest of your day, ladies, and try not to worry about Billy.” I raise my hat to them again before making my way back to the truck.

“Jace.” The mayor's wife, Isabel, chases after me in her three-inch red heels, and I give her a chance to catch up by stopping.

“Can you take some of these back to the ranch for me?” she hands me a handful of flyers. “I’m sure those men you have working for you would like to cut loose.” She sounds hopeful.

“I don’t think dancin’ is their strong point.” I frown.

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