Page 31 of Rugged

Jeez. When would Chapman be back? Lyssa had made it sound like he almost never came.

“I, um, I’m not sure.”

Johnny studied me. “Should you give him a call and check?”

Crap. Did it sound like I was lying? It was true, I didn’t know, but that was because I was a total fake. So itwas still a lie. He’d called me on my fib earlier. He definitely picked up on it every time I tried to be cagey.

I tried to remember what Lyssa had said. She’d seen her boss a couple of weeks ago, and he probably wouldn’t be back for a couple more.

“I think, ah, maybe in a week or two. I can try calling him to find out.” I didn’t know his phone number! I was going to have to fake call. My conscience felt awful doing that to Johnny, but I was really into this lie now.

Johnny flicked his brows. “I get to keep you for a week or two, or do you need to be there to pick up the mail? Can we make it a month?”

I laughed, warmth filling my chest.

“But I would love it if you found out about Chapman. Rob needs me to settle some ranch business with him. And I’d hate for you to lose your job.”

“Have you tried calling?” I asked. I was sure they had his number.

Johnny rubbed his forehead. “Yeah. He hasn’t answered. That’s why I drove all the way over there. I was hoping to get a face-to-face to resolve things. But maybe he’d answer your calls since you’re his employee.”

Resolve things. Huh. I kind of wondered what kind of ranch Lyssa’s boss was actually running over there. There were cattle and wide open spaces, and Lyssa said sometimes cowboys were out there in the barn. Real ranch things were happening there, but it was also allglitz and glamour. I knew from working in Hollywood that a lot of times that could be all show with no actual capital or net worth behind it. No, that place screamed money. The land alone… tens of millions.

“Does he…owe you money or something?” I asked. “Did he steal your cows?”

Johnny picked up his hat and dropped it on his head, like he wanted to cover his eyes. “Yeah, it’s something like that. But it’s Rob’s business, so I can’t really talk about it.”

My smile slipped. Whoops. “Oh. Sorry.”

“No, no, no.” He whipped his hat back off. “Don’t be sorry. Fuck, I’m sorry. Did I sound like an asshole?”

“No.” My heart thudded like we’d just had a fight, except we hadn’t. Something was off, though. I felt it but couldn’t figure out what. Rob owned Wolf Ranch. It was a huge spread in itself. I’d say even more of a working ranch than the Chapman place. He was a busy man, so he sent one of his ranch hands to tackle business.

But why was it secret? Or, what was the secret they were keeping? Or was it only me left in the dark? Did it matter? Whatever it was came about before Johnny met me. It really wasn’t any of my business.

“Will you try him for me?” he asked.

I swallowed hard then nodded. Pretending to swipe at my phone for a number, I put it to my ear. After a minute, I put the phone down and said, “No answer.”

He grinned. “Well, that’s good for me then. I’m keeping you until he gets back,” he told me. “It’s settled.”

I smiled, those nervous twitters flitting about in my chest again. “You’re keeping me?”

He nodded. “Yup. You’re mine. You just don’t know it yet.”

I circled my hand in the air. “I thought this fell under the category of hot date.”

His smile faltered. “Oh yeah. We did say that. Can I change the rules?” He reached for me and was somehow strong enough to pick me up without dragging my ass across the rock to sit on his lap.

“God, you’re strong,” I laughed.

He flexed his biceps for me. “Ranch work.”

Not wanting to touch the conversation about whether this was a hot date or he got to keep me, I redirected the conversation. “So they–Marina and Colton–said you came here when you were just eighteen?”

He wrapped his arms around my waist and nibbled on my arm. “That’s true.”

“Why? I mean, how’d you get the job? What made you want to work on a ranch?”

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