Page 46 of The Earl's Wrangler
“You were tired, and I wanted to go for a ride.Clive was here earlier to see to the horses, but I told him I’d take care of Augustus when I returned.”
“But…,” Randall started.
“Look, I needed some time so I could think, and I always do that better when I’m riding.”He paused his brushing.“I know what you want, and I’m grateful for the offer.I really am.”
“But you’re telling me no?”Randall said.
“No.I’m saying that I need a little time to get my head around it.Staying here is a lot of change.It’s not just being with you, but everything is going to be different.I have to figure out what my place here is going to be and if that is going to make me happy.”He continued with what he was doing.“I know you care for me, and I feel the same way.I think we can be happy.But you know that love isn’t enough.We each have to have our place.You were born into yours, and whether you like it or not, you are the earl and have everything that goes with it.The people here all respect you and think a lot of you.Maybe more than you think of yourself.”
“I’m sure that isn’t true.”
“But it is.Your people come to me with their issues because they don’t want to bother you with them.It’s like you’re too important for them to bother you.I don’t get that, but maybe it’s just something inherent in the society here.”
“But you do have a place.You’d be my partner.Everyone already comes to you with their problems because you’re approachable, at least to them.”
“I don’t want that,” Sawyer said.“I don’t want to be thought of as an extension of you.”
Randall sighed and stepped into the stall.“You aren’t.Think of it this way.Society in this country goes back hundreds of years.We’re all born into it, and our role in society, especially in a small village, is ingrained in us.People defer to me because they have always deferred to the earl.I carry a lot of weight simply because I own so much of the area.And they feel that if they get on my bad side, they could be evicted.I know that some of my predecessors did that, and these people have a lot to lose.I would never do that to anyone, but they don’t know that.”
“I get that.”
“But you’re more approachable, and they like you.You’re accessible, and everyone feels they can talk to you.”Randall slipped his arms around his waist.“Why do you think I opened up to you?”He kissed the back of Sawyer’s neck, sending a zing down him.“Everything about you says that you are easy to be with and that you know how to keep a secret.You aren’t going to blab whatever you hear around the village.So if you want my advice, go with it.If you want a role, then I think this is it.You’d manage the repairs and upgrades to all the estate buildings.I trust you to do it well, and the people already know that you’ll do your best for them.”
Sawyer huffed.“Fine.If that’s what you want me to do, then how can I argue with it?But I’m serious.There’s a lot of work to be done, and it’s going to take money, so we’re going to need to figure out additional sources of revenue.”
“I’m still not sure about the ‘tea with an earl’ thing.It’s too close to playing on my title.And I don’t want to do that.But there are some other ideas that I have.Maybe we can sit down with Celeste and the other estate staff and get some of their input.”
“Fine.”He slowly turned in Randall’s arms and kissed him softly.“I need to finish up, and then I have a window to fix.Maybe you can set up this meeting with the staff, because we are going to need funds sooner rather than later.”
“Okay.I’m on it.”Randall left him alone with the horse, and Sawyer finished the brushing before leaving the stall to get to work.
“ALAN,” SAWYERsaid into his phone as he paced along the verge that stretched out through the main lawn.“I need your help.”If anyone could help him cut through the hamster wheels in his head, it was Alan.
“What’s wrong?”Alan asked.
“Nothing, or I don’t know if anything is wrong.Randall has asked me to stay.”He swallowed hard.
“That’s great.”Alan sounded happy.“But you aren’t sure you want to.”
“I wish it was that easy.”
“Okay.I’ll tell you that it was hard for me to leave home and come here.I’m not going to lie to you.Some people accepted me, while others didn’t.But there will always be folks like that, and I say screw them.You can’t live your life on what others think.”
“I get that.But how did you fit in?We’re cowboys, and George and Randall live in a world that seems almost unreal.When does the other shoe drop?”
“Let me ask you this.Does Randall love you for who you are?Has he ever expected or asked you to change?”
“No.”Sawyer wouldn’t anyway.“He likes me for who I am.”
Alan was quiet.“The real question is how you feel about him.Randall can’t leave.His role is too tied to the estate and the people on it.He may be able to leave for a few weeks or a month, but he can’t just chuck it all and move to Wyoming to be with you.It isn’t going to work that way.So know that.It is the way it is.The question you have to answer is, do you love him enough to stay and make a place for the two of you?Make that pile he lives in a home?Arealhome?”
Sawyer swallowed.“What about all the legal stuff?”
“Leave that to Randall.Cutting through red tape is something earls and dukes are very good at.Besides, if the two of you get married, then some of the issue resolves itself.But don’t let that put you off.”
Sawyer paused.“I guess I need to figure a few things out.”
“You do.But there’s one more thing.There are a ton of men in this world, but you kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince—or an earl or a duke, for that matter.When you find one, don’t let him get away.”
