Page 5 of Buckled in Barbwire

“Not possible. I’ll be surrounded by your most prized possessions. There won’t be a dull moment.” I grin while envisioning the extra hours I’ll soon be spending in the saddle.

“You should bring Ritzy and Maverick to the ranch.”

My smile spreads at the mention of my two horses. “That’s not necessary. I can go back and forth.”

She flicks off the suggestion. “There are empty stalls and an extra corral for them. Plenty of pasture too. Why waste time and energy?”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Shouldn’t you ask—?”

“Nope,” she cuts in. “This is my decision. You’re goingout of your way for me. The least I can do is pave the road for you.”

I laugh at her choice in phrasing. “It would make my life easier.”

“Consider it done.” She brushes her palms together. “Feel free to haul any of mine to jackpots and rodeos while you’re at it. Don’t let them get lazy. It’s tough to get them conditioned.”

“Uh-huh, whatever. Those natural athletes could get a year off and still be in competitive shape.”

“That type of attitude will lead slackers to the trough.” Bianca wags a finger at me.

“Okay, fine. I won’t let them stray from the circuit.” An exaggerated exhale sends my hair flying. “This is a dream gig, Bee. Not sure why you insist on paying me. It should be the other way around.”

My bestie giggles into her cocktail. “As if. Can you imagine? It’s the least I can do for abandoning you. Besides, how else will you keep The Paddock in business while I’m away?”

“That’s a fair point.” My concentration drifts across wagon wheels and whiskey barrels, leading to the far corner where Bucky rests. Fire singes my cheeks while a very specific memory involving that mechanical bull floats to the surface. I square my shoulders while gathering courage to ask my next question. “How did Brody take the news?”

“Better than expected.” But her grumbled tone suggests otherwise. “He tried bossing me around, but soon realized that I wasn’t backing down.”

Just thinking about Brody Benson’s grumpy demeanor elevates my temperature. I swallow another swig of espressomartini for liquid courage. “Did you tell him that I’ll be in charge of your barn?”

Her nod synchronizes to the upbeat song telling us toshake it off. “I strongly advised him to stay away from you.”

The boozy concoction gets stuck in my throat and I choke. “What? Why?”

“You don’t need his broody brand of assholery blocking your path. He’ll just drag you down and cause problems.” Bianca tosses a glare over her shoulder at the shadowed figure darkening the corner. “Like that pain in my plans. He’s starting his guard duty early. Freaking loser.”

My gaze joins hers to scrutinize how Colton is failing at blending into the background. “Could be worse. At least he’s nice to look at.”

“But his personality is more abrasive than a brick wall.”

“That’s probably why your brother assigned him to this task. You’d have any other guy eating out of your palm before landing overseas.”

Bianca offers a noncommittalhmphin response. “Don’t give Brody any credit. Not one inch. He’ll use it against you. That’s how you end up looking weak and stuck with security detail.”

Laughter bursts from me to tease her sour expression. “He’s just watching out for you, Bee.”

“That’s a nice way of putting it, which he doesn’t deserve.” A gentle smile betrays her grumbling. “I shouldn’t be too hard on him. He’s doing so much for our family and the business. I’d crack under the responsibilities he had to accept practically overnight. But he’s different too. Colder. Maybe that’s how he manages to keep himself together.”

A painful sting spreads across my upper body and I flinch. “That sounds… really rough. Is he okay?”

She’s quiet for a moment, heavily chewing on contemplation. “He’s probably fine. The man acts like a machine. I think the constant workload helps him cope. He needs purpose. That driving force.”

“Are you sure?”

“No.”

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