Page 17 of Rough Riding Orc Cowboy

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’ll grow again, right?”

“I suppose. I don’t really want to cut it, though. I like it.” It was one of my good features and one of the few things I could control in my life.

His ears twitched. “Alright. No cutting.”

“If I agree to this, I suppose I could braid it and pin it on the top of my head. I’d have to keep the hat on at all times or the tourists would see right through my disguise.” I couldn’t believe I was actually contemplating doing this.

Although, it actually sounded fun.

“You could deepen your voice.” A sigh escaped him like even he knew how dumb this sounded.

That was it. I lost it. Chuckling, I sat up straight and forced my voice into something gravelly and absurdly low. “Howdy, partner, I’m, uh, who am I now?”

Ruugar’s eyes widened. First in panic, then with something that looked suspiciously like pride. “Ben.”

Laughter bubbled up so fast I had to clutch my stomach. “Ben? You pulled that out of nowhere.”

He crossed his arms on his chest, scowling, though I could tell he'd caught on to the fact that I was teasing and was giving it right back. “It’s a strong name. Very human.” He scratched the back of his neck. “It's a good job. It pays well.”

And I did need money. “How well?”

He named a figure that made my eyes pop.

“I’m surprised everyone’s not lining up for this position. It would be amazing. I’ve never been on a trail ride. Or gone camping. Or…Well, done anything that involved trying to survive on my own.” And how awesome it would be to do this. I could learn. He wouldn’t send me away from the cook fire like the chef had. He wouldn’t bark at me if I tidied my own bunk or whatever it was I’d sleep in.

Ruugar’s expression softened. “It wouldn't be for long,” he said. “Even if you didn't enjoy it.”

But I was beginning to think I would.

“The land is peaceful,” he rushed to say in almost a sales-pitch voice, as if he worried he wouldn't be able to sell me on something I'd only do for a week. Even if it was horrible, it wouldn't last long. “The trails wind through the hills, past streams and trees older than memory. The sky stretches so wide, you’d think you're the only person in the world.”

Something in his voice made my chest tighten. He wasn’t just trying to convince me, he was offering mesomething. A taste of the freedom I'd dreamed about. No walls, no expectations, no father telling me what to do or where to be.

And for seven whole days, I'd be withhim.

I twirled a strand of hair around my finger, mulling over the whole thing out loud. “So…I just hide in plain sight. Pretend to be Ben, the small human ranch hand.”

“You’d be safe. And by the time we return, they might have given up and left the area. After that, you could work with my aunt at the general store. Or help Sel at the bakery. He’s looking to hire an assistant.” His face darkened. “Actually, no, I wouldn’t want you to work with Sel.”

“Why not?”

“He’s the most attractive of us brothers.”

Aw, was he suggesting he could be jealous? It couldn’t be. To be jealous, he’d have to like me, and I suspected to him, I would only be another hired hand. Ben. And didn’t that make my heart sink all the way to my toes?

I didn’t want him to like me that way. Did I?

Maybe a little.

He wasn’t promising anything other than a job for a week, a chance to escape the area and hide. Realistically, my father never gave up on something once he’d decided he deserved it. And he’d long ago decided I was his to control. Punished for my crime of being born. We were only delaying the inevitable.

But the alternative was waiting here, hopingRuugar’s door wouldn’t get kicked in. That my father and Bradley wouldn’t arrive with their version of a SWAT team to haul me away.

I snuck a glance at Ruugar. He sat rigid, watching me like a male afraid to get his hopes up. Maybe he really needed the help. His dark eyes were intense, his jaw clenched like he was holding something back. Being near him made my skin tingle, like I was standing too close to a fire.

But if anyone could keep me safe, it was Ruugar.

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