Page 2 of His Fresh Start Cowboy
The entire thing happened so fast Hugo spent the rest of his lunch hour staring at the side of the guesthouse, unable to form a proper thought. His cheeks were half-frozen from the February chill but he didn’t care. Had he really just accepted a job back in his home state? Had he committed to leaving a job he enjoyed and coworkers he liked for grueling long days under the hot Texas sun?
Would he really be around Brand again?
He was still staring blankly at the guesthouse wall when Colt approached, his brow creased. “Hey, dude, uh, can I ask you something?”
Hugo saw it coming but still nodded. “Sure.”
“Were you ever gonna tell me you knew Rem? And me?”
Heat crept across Hugo’s neck and cheeks, and he turned to face the older, taller man. “I never really saw the point in mentioning the past. I mean, we didn’t really know each other at all. I did know Rem, though. And Brand and your sisters. But all that happened after you left.”
Colt frowned at him while his left thumb twirled the gold band on his wedding finger. He’d married the love of his life not quite two years ago, and the pair somehow managed to make a long-distance relationship work, with Colt living here and his husband living an hour away in San Francisco. “You still could have said something when you realized who I was. Can’t say as I remember a family named Turner from back then, though.”
“Turner is my mom’s maiden name. When my parents divorced, we both took it back, and even after she remarried, I kept it. Never did like my stepfather’s name. Plus, we lived in Daisy.”
“I vaguely recall my father buying cattle from a failing ranch in Daisy not long before I left. Was that you?”
“Yeah. Well, my parents. My mother inherited the ranch, but they went through a bad patch of hoof rot. Didn’t treat it right. Money went south and so did their relationship. Everything got divvied up in the divorce.”
“Sorry to hear that. It’s a big kick in the head that we both ended up here, though, huh? What are the odds?”
“Pretty slim. But I’ve heard some of the other guys say there’s something magical about Clean Slate. It brings people here when they’re meant to be, for whatever reason. I, uh...” Hugo took a deep breath, held it, then released. “I applied to work at your family’s ranch. Your father offered me a job.”
Colt’s eyes went comically wide. “You’re shitting me. Really? I mean, he called me this morning and mentioned he’d gotten an application from a guy named Hugo Turner who worked here, and he asked me for a personal reference on your working habits. But he didn’t mention he’d offered you the job.”
“That’s because it just happened. I honestly didn’t expect anything to come out of it. I love it here. Arthur and Judson have been great, and I’ve learned a lot since I’ve worked here, but now I feel as if I have unfinished business back in Texas.” No way was he going to admit part of that business included a never-ending crush on one of Colt’s younger brothers. “I didn’t leave on good terms with a lot of people. I kind of want to fix that.”
“You don’t have to leave the ranch to fix old hurts. When’s your next week off?”
Hugo shook his head. All the hands got a week’s vacation on a rotating basis throughout the year, but he’d never used his to go home. He rarely went much of anywhere, because everything he needed was at the ranch. Or so he’d thought. “I like this job a lot, Colt, but this isn’t the end of the road for me. I’m only twenty-seven. I’ve got a lot of miles left to travel, and if those miles take me back home for a bit, I’m okay with that.”
More than any other time since he’d left home, Hugo truly was okay with going back. With facing his past and all the ugly parts he’d tried to leave behind.
“Well, I can’t say I won’t miss you,” Colt said. “You always were an easy mark on poker night.”
Hugo laughed. Genuine laughter, because he did kind of suck at cards, and because Colt was just teasing him. The big, blond cowboy didn’t have a mean bone in his body—much like his younger brother Brand. “You aren’t wrong about that. I’ll miss poker nights. And I’ll miss our group visits in San Francisco to hang out with Slater and Derrick. I’ll miss a lot of things, but the more I sit with it, the more this move feels right.”
“Then go with your gut, pal. And hey, I’ll see you next time Avery and I go home to visit my family. I’ll bring you all the juiciest gossip.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” Hugo wasn’t much of a gossip himself, but he definitely wanted to know what was up with the friends he was leaving behind. “I guess I should find my courage and go tell Judson I’m resigning. Give him time to hire a replacement.”
“I imagine it’s easier for Judson to find new hires than it is for my father. Ranching is a bit more complicated than leading trail rides and camping trips for tourists. You sure you’re up for that life?”
“Yes.” Hugo stood a bit straighter. “I grew up on a ranch, and my stepfather still works for a local CSA. I got my first paid job there when I was fifteen, so I know hard work. I know cattle and horses. I’ve got a lot of metaphorical fences that need tending back in Texas, and I know I can’t mend them in a week.”
I can’t mend myself in a week.
“I hear that,” Colt said, his familiar, affable smile firmly in place. “I also won’t spread your news all over the ranch. Promise.”
“Thanks. I’ll probably tell Shawn and Miles tonight. Might as well rip the bandage off, right?” Hugo considered the pair of cooks to be his two best friends on the ranch. They were the closest people to his age, and he’d definitely miss seeing them in person. But the power of smartphones and the internet meant they could easily keep in touch.
“Yeah, putting it off never seems to accomplish much except hurt feelings.” Colt checked his phone. “I gotta get back to work. Some of the south fencing needs repairs, and that’ll probably take up the rest of my afternoon.”
“I need to get back, too. I’m on this afternoon’s trail ride with the guests. Thanks for the chat, Colt, I appreciate it.”
“Not a problem. See you around.”
Hugo watched Colt amble toward the big red barn to collect whatever tools he’d need for his fence mending, then walked around the back of the guesthouse to face the main house. Arthur Garrett, the owner of the ranch and adjacent horse rescue, lived there with Judson and Patrice, the woman who cooked for their guests and the hands. Judson was likely in his office, and there was no reason to put off giving his two weeks’ notice.
