Page 47 of His Fresh Start Cowboy
“Good man. So how about we get this feed unloaded?”
“Sure thing.”
They were about halfway done moving the bags when Hugo appeared. He didn’t look directly at Brand, but he also wasn’t as upset as the last time he’d seen Buck. Hugo simply tossed a bag of feed over one shoulder and hauled it into the barn. By the time they finished, Brand had worked up a good sweat, so he grabbed a bottle of water from the break room fridge. Held the cold plastic to the back of his neck for a minute, then gulped a little too fast, because he got an instant headache right behind his eyes.
When he got himself under control, Hugo was standing in the doorway, arms folded, his expression perfectly neutral. But his eyes still flickered with...something.
“Even if you hadn’t seen Buck and talked to Dad,” Brand said, “as soon as I saw the name on the application, I’d have told Dad no way in hell.”
“Thank you.” Hugo let out a soft, adorable snort. “Alan probably thinks I’m crazy, because as soon as I saw Buck, I just sort of handed my reins over to him and said to take my horse.”
“You don’t have to tell Alan anything you don’t want to. He’s a decent guy.”
“Yeah. Well, uh, I’ve still got some chores left before I clock out. See you.”
“Sure.”
Brand leaned against the fridge and sipped his water, grateful for the simple exchange, which was as close to personal as they’d had in weeks. Somehow he had to find a way to get Hugo to talk to him. A foolproof way for them to be away from the main ranch, away from Elmer’s place, in a quiet setting where they could just...talk. He needed to make it up to Hugo for pushing him away. Get them back on the same page. Maybe kiss more. And in a way that wouldn’t arouse suspicion.
An idea popped into his head, one that would benefit them and also the herd. With a grin he couldn’t hide, Brand left the barn and headed for the house, brain already sorting the puzzle pieces into place.
The evening following his second sighting of Buck on Woods property, Hugo was in the process of teaching Elmer how to play chess in lieu of their usual puzzle, when his cell rang. Unused to anyone calling him unless it was about changing his work schedule, he glanced at the screen. Brand.
He excused himself from the dining table and wandered into the kitchen. “Yeah, hello?”
“Hey, it’s Brand. I wanted to let you know there’s been a change in tomorrow’s schedule.”
Color Hugo (not) shocked. “Okay.”
“We want to take the organic herd out to the far north pasture for a few days. The grass is high and plentiful, and we want to try and bulk them up before slaughter. But because it’s so far from the house, you’ll need to stay overnight. Camp for a couple of days with the herd in case any coyotes or bobcats get too close. After the incident with Brutus, we don’t wanna take chances on a steer getting dragged off.”
“I understand.” Hugo loved camping. He’d adored doing the overnights with guests back at Clean Slate. “Who am I going with?”
“Jackson and Dog. We’ll have all the gear ready when you get here, plus food. You just need to bring clothes and your toothbrush.”
“What about water?”
“There’s a stream that crosses the pasture, and we had enough rain last week that there should be enough for you guys and the horses. We’ve got a purification kit so you don’t have to worry about bacteria in the water.”
Good to know. Maybe Hugo had drank from the garden hose as a kid, but sometimes freshwater sources could get people sick. “Okay, sounds good. Thanks.”
“No problem. See you tomorrow.”
Hugo ended the call, a little surprised Brand hadn’t used it as an excuse to see how Hugo was feeling, as they were both technically off the clock. He was also glad Brand hadn’t pried. While Hugo had been surprised to see Buck yesterday, he’d mostly been furious. Then grateful when Wayne said he wouldn’t hire Buck, and for Brand’s support in the matter.
And the idea of camping for a few days with Jackson held a lot of appeal. Nights under the stars, surrounded by nature, wildlife, and their herd. Cooking over a campfire and washing up in a stream. It was practically a paid vacation, and Hugo was all about it.
Elmer seemed delighted by the idea, too, when Hugo told him about it. “I used to love spending time out in the wilds,” Elmer said. “But my old bones don’t tolerate the hard ground anymore. You enjoy yourself for us both.”
“I will.” Hugo eyed the board, pretty sure Elmer had moved a piece while he was gone, but he wasn’t about to call the old man out. Hugo wasn’t exactly a pro himself, but he’d been taught by a friend, and this was all for fun anyway. “Guess you didn’t get a card back from Michael, huh?”
“Nope, and I don’t expect to.” His son Michael’s birthday had been four days ago, and Elmer had mailed him a card the previous week. No response so far, but at least the card hadn’t come back markedReturn to Sender. Elmer had tried to reach out, only to have seemingly been rebuffed. “Say, when’s your birthday? If I can’t celebrate my kid, I can celebrate my tenant.”
“Not until August,” Hugo hedged. He hated birthday parties with a passion since the first one he had after Mom married Frank. Right before the party with all of Hugo’s classmates and friends, Buck had cut out a huge chunk of cake and eaten it. Mom didn’t notice until she went to put candles on the cake. Hugo had been mortified, especially when Buck appeared to sing “Happy Birthday” with icing on his face.
Asshole.
“Besides,” Hugo said, “your company is all the party I need.”
