Page 61 of His Fresh Start Cowboy
“If you’re hungry, I’ve got pancake batter in the fridge.”
“I’d appreciate it, thank you.”
Hugo settled with his coffee, and he was beyond grateful when Rose delivered a plate of three huge, hot pancakes and a bottle of real maple syrup. Being waited on still felt strange, after so many years of fixing his own meal plates, but he accepted the attention. God knew he’d miss it if Wayne decided to fire him over last night’s fiasco.
“Everyone else at work?” he asked.
“I expect they will be soon. Wayne met Brand and Jackson out in the barn to call a meeting over the walkie with Rem and Alan, so everyone knows what’s going on.” She squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I know my husband and sons, and your job is safe. Wayne just wants everyone on the same page.”
“Okay.” Hugo wasn’t sure he’d believe that until he heard the words from Wayne’s mouth himself, but he did believe Rose believed them. He ate his breakfast and drank a second cup of coffee, the caffeine doing wonders to unfog his brain. And he was grateful Rose didn’t ask him about last night. Brand had probably filled his family in on all the details anyway.
It was after eleven by the time he finished eating, but then Hugo didn’t know what to do or where to go. Because of the overnight trips, he wasn’t supposed to start today until after lunch. He also felt weird simply puttering around the Woods house when he didn’t live here; he was just a temporary guest. So he volunteered to help Rose hang a load of laundry on the long lines behind the house. Simple work, but something he’d done with his own mother once upon a time.
Back on another ranch just like this one. He’d been born into the cattle ranching life, but maybe this wasn’t the future he thought it was. Except the idea of leaving, of losing Brand when he finally had him, hurt too much to consider yet. So he hung laundry in the sunshine and waited to be told what to do.
At noon, Rose had lunch ready and on the table when Wayne and Brand entered the kitchen. Brand seemed a bit distracted, but he also gave Hugo a friendly smile. Hugo had done his best to help prep lunch, but the only thing he really excelled at cooking-wise was assembling sandwiches. Wayne walked over to Hugo and held out his hand. Hugo shook, apprehension tightening his gut.
“I wanna reassure you right now, son, that I believe Brand’s assessment of things,” Wayne said. “I dunno how those coins got into your trailer, but you’ve proven yourself to be a hardworking, honest boy. Your job is safe.”
“Thank you, sir.” His gut loosened, and he took in a centering breath. “I appreciate you allowing me to stay last night, but I don’t wanna impose on your family. I need to start looking for a new place.”
“I admire that, but Brand here actually has a good idea.”
“For once?”
Brand laughed. “The old bunkhouse. Half of it’s just used for storage, but it’s still got electricity, and the bathrooms should work if we turn the water back on. Just need to clean it out, and you’ve got a cheap place to stay. Plus, an easy commute to work.”
“That’s...wow.” The solution was kind of perfect. He’d have a place to stay close to work, and he’d feel perfectly safe here on the Woods property. In some ways, being kicked out of Elmer’s trailer had been a blessing. Suspecting Buck had broken into his place would have left Hugo sleeping with one eye open for the rest of his time there. To Wayne, he asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Absolutely,” Wayne replied. “I’ve always said I try not to judge people for their past mistakes, so I can’t possibly judge you for something you didn’t even do. You’re part of the family, Hugo.”
“Thank you. Truly, sir, thank you. And I’ll do all the cleaning the bunkhouse needs, I don’t mind.”
“It definitely needs a good airing out. I’ve got Jackson and myself working this afternoon, so you can get started after we eat lunch.”
Hugo kind of wanted to cheer, because boy howdy, the idea of a place where he and Brand could have some real privacy was amazing, but he nodded instead. “I hate to ask, sir, but how do Jackson and Alan feel about what I was accused of?”
“They’re on your side, too. Jackson’s had his own problems in the past, and Alan’s never been fast to judge others.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Good, now let’s sit and eat. I’m starving.”
Hugo laughed and joined the men, plus Rose. He hadn’t eaten pancakes all that long ago, so he kept his own portions small and sipped at his lemonade. No one really spoke much, and at the end of the meal Brand volunteered to take Hugo out to the bunkhouse so he could look around and see what repairs might need to be made so it was livable again.
How was Hugo supposed to say no to that?
The bunkhouse was a squat, single-story building that reminded Hugo of something out ofLittle House on the Prairiewith its rough-hewn board walls and caulked seams. It had a small front porch and lots of windows. Brand opened the front door and a waft of hot, stale air greeted them. He went inside first, and Hugo followed, curious because he’d only ever seen the interior through the grimy windows.
It had a large front room that served as both a living space and a small kitchen, with a wood-burning stove, a wide industrial sink, and no other appliances. A small addition to the right housed the bathroom that, according to Brand, had been added on in the late fifties. Two other doors straight ahead led to two bedrooms. One of them was crammed full of stuff, be it usable or not, and the other was just dusty and dim, with three sets of bunked beds and a few stray trunks for storage.
“Wow,” Hugo said. “Talk about a blast from the past.”
“Yeah, it’s been a long time since we’ve had enough workers on the land to need this place,” Brand replied, one hand wiping dust off the side of a bunked bed. “All the mattresses probably need to be beaten. I’m sure Mom’s got furniture polish and stuff up at the house you can borrow, but I’d definitely start with opening the windows first.”
“Thank you.”
Brand smiled. “Not a problem. I’m honestly not sure why we didn’t think of this when you first moved back. I guess because Jackson and Alan have their own places, and we’re such a small operation now it didn’t seem like we’d ever need the bunkhouse again.”
