Page 3 of Savage

God, why am I looking?

“Can’t wait,” he grins.

“Oh, I bet you can’t,” I bark as I make my way back to my desk to search for a bottle of Tylenol. Lucky me, today is already off to a great start.

Chapter Two

Clyde

Fire pops in my veins, poking at me from the inside out. I’m not sure why I’m letting that snarky excuse of a business woman get under my skin. I’ve got thirty years experience building cabins, I’ve run multiple teams of men, and I make sure everything is done on a timely basis. Not to mention that the guys working for me are the best in the state. They don’t piss and moan about every little thing, they don’t let the weather stop them from a job, and they take pride in the product they're producing. It’s hard to find guys like that.

I stare out at the sprawling acres of land before me. The sun is still rising and there’s a fog crawling down the mountain range onto the grass. The air is filled with the earthy scent of hay and the distant sounds of horses in their corrals. Cabins scatter in the distance, a warm glow shining from their early morning windows. Scarlett did one thing right, she picked a great location. The ranch reminds me of an old western settlement, complete with a river running straight through it. Truth be told, I think this property once housed a gold rush settlement that long since collapsed on itself.

“Pretty, ain’t it?” My buddy Sawyer leans against the post beside me. We’re standing on the back porch of the main lodge looking out.

I turn toward him and reach out my hand. “What the hell are you doing here, man? Don’t you have ink to do this morning?”

“No appointments until this afternoon, so I thought I’d stop in for the lumberjack breakfast everybody’s been talking about. You had it yet?”

“A few times. Opal and her team are pretty good. They got great biscuits and gravy, and she makes a mean peach cobbler too. You’ll have to come back for lunch.”

Sawyer laughs. “Didn’t even realize this place was open to the public until Monday.”

“It’s something new the boss is trying. Doesn’t make much sense to me since she’s so concerned about security, but what the hell do I know?”

“Sounds like you’re having a bad morning.”

I cross my arms over my chest and glance toward Sawyer before turning back toward the mountains. “I shouldn’t have come out here to work. The guys and I were doing good out on our own.”

“Still the security shit?”

“It’s the whole thing. She’s barely twenty-five, and she’s telling grown men what to do like she knows everything.”

“You were a headstrong kid once, too. I remember a young Clyde who thought he knew everything about the world and couldn’t be told otherwise.” Sawyer and I are nearly the same age. He wanted to tattoo folks since he was a boy, and I went into contracting. We’ve never been shy about telling each other exactly what we think. Some days, it’s helpful. Others, it’s a pain in the ass.

Sawyer drags in a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he stares out at the range. The family of elk are still grazing on the west end of the pasture while a few folks standaround with cameras. “I heard Evie’s getting married. Saw the announcement in the Gazette.”

“Fuck, man.” I reach out for his shoulder in comfort. He had a fling with her years back, but the timing was off. She’s always been the one that got away. “You alright?”

“I mean, I expected it. She’s been dating the guy for years. If anything, I was the one in the way, but I think she and I could’ve been happier.” Love is something I’m glad I don’t have stakes in. The amount of heartache it causes over happiness doesn’t equal up in the equation of it all. “Anyway, I’m gonna go have this breakfast. You give ‘em hell, man.”

I grin and shake my head as Sawyer makes his way back into the lodge. He’s a simple man and spends most of his time working. It sucks that things didn’t work out for him and Evie. If anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s that guy.

I blow out a breath and drag in another, letting the springtime air fill my lungs with fresh pine and moss. I guess it’s time for me to make my way down to the cabins and let the guys know there won’t be any change in security. I’m not looking forward to that conversation. The money is important, but in a small town like this, words get twisted fast, and the guys deserve a good working environment.

Stepping off the front porch, I crunch onto the stone path toward the side by side parked at the edge of the lot. It’s a utility vehicle I use to get around the grounds. I love a good walk, but I’d be walking thirty miles a day if I didn’t use this thing regularly. Apparently, Scarlett doesn’t have the same concerns.

Stomping out into the grass with red high heels, a short black skirt, and matching blazer, the thick-waisted redhead is on some kind of a mission.

Oh, fuck.

Her aim is set for the guys in the back forty gathering their tools. I’m not sure what her goal is, but I can’t wait to hear it.

I start up the Gator and speed across the lawn toward her, trying to avoid staring at her very round ass. It’s an issue I manage daily. The thing should have its own solar system the way it bounces and shakes.

What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m double her age and she’s annoying as hell. The greatest ass in the world couldn’t get me seeing eye to eye with that woman.

I tear my gaze away and glance toward the field, studying the elk that are grazing closer and closer. Surely, Scarlett knows well enough to go around the longer way. She wouldn’t intentionally direct herself through their feeding grounds, right? That would be ridiculous.

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