Page 46 of Wannabe in Wyoming
“Yeah, just meaner.” Her friend stood beside the trailer door, his expression unreadable under his hat brim.
“You’ve never had an alpaca spit on you, have you?”
“Can’t say that I have, Dale. But why don’t we get this done? Still a lot to do and I have my own ranch to think of too,” Jeremiah snapped in an uncharacteristic display of temper. Willow frowned at him, but he didn’t look in her direction. “Ready?”
Dale nodded wordlessly, his mouth a grim line of displeasure. Clearly, Jeremiah’s ire wasn’t directed at her in any way.I’m staying out of it for now,she thought to herself. She had too much to do without playing referee or, heaven forbid, matchmaker.
Jeremiah swung the door to the trailer open and eighteen fluffy, giant, irritated alpacas barreled out, followed by two noisy goats. As Dale had predicted, just standing to the side while the dogs did their thing was enough to keep the herd directed into the barn. Once the trailer was empty, Dale said, “Come on. We need to get Alfie and put him into his own pasture.”
“If you two have this, I’m going to get the horses settled,” Jeremiah said, already walking backward away from them.
“Thanks Jeremiah.” She’d never seen him like this. He’d been helping her a lot recently, but was she asking too much of him? She frowned at his back as he reached the horse trailer. He’d been doing so much for her, and she hadn’t returned the favor, aside from sharing a few meals with him. Vowing to treat him to a new hat or something, she returned her attention to her foreman.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s me he’s pissed at, not you,” Dale said, handing her a lead rope and glancing over at Jeremiah unloading the horses. “He’s right though—there is still a lot to be done. Let’s get these guys taken care of.”
Willow worked side-by-side with Dale and Jeremiah for hours, taking the second trip back and forth from Redworth with them. All the animals were finally settled in their respective barns and stalls, cozy, warm, and fed. The feed and ATVs were stored, and all that was left to do was help Dale get his trailer in place.
Jeremiah stood next to her, as the wind, now biting and frigid, blew flurries into their faces. Willow was tired, and her temper was on a short fuse. The men had been sniping and bickering at each other for hours, and she’d had just about enough of their shit.
Raising her hand, she motioned to Dale, directing him as he backed his RV into the sheltered area between the barns. He would be close to the animals and have a measure of privacy from the house. Willow had hired a contractor to come to the ranch last week to run electrical, water, and sewer lines from the existing systems, so they could be connected to the fifth wheel. If all went well, she’d look into getting a prefab cottage for him in the spring that they could set further away from the house to give both of them more privacy.
“What is your problem today?” she demanded of her friend who stood several feet away, watching the other side of the RV as it was backed into place.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m frozen solid and exhausted—maybe that’s my problem?”
“Too fucking bad, princess. This isn’t like you. You’re my best friend—you’ve been here for me ever since I moved in—now let me be here for you.” She met his eyes briefly, before waving Dale over to the right a bit.
Jeremiah sighed heavily, and chagrin flooded his face. “Willow-girl, I’m fine really. I’m just beat—it’s been a long day, and he gets under my skin. Don’t worry about it.”
Not believing him for a second, she decided to let it go. He was a grown man, and if he said he was fine, well, there wasn’t much she could do about it now.
Willow and Jeremiah both signaled for Dale to stop, and he cut the engine before getting out of the truck and striding back to them. “Honestly, I’m cold as fuck. I’ll unhook it tomorrow. Thanks for your help today, Jeremiah.” Dale extended his hand to the other man.
It took him a long moment, before he accepted the gesture, shaking the man’s hand firmly but not meeting his eyes and letting go as if the touch had burned him. He was clearly giving off the vibe that he couldn’t wait to get away from Dale.
“I’ll be by in a few days, Willow. Give me a call if you need anything.” He hugged her quickly before rushing off to his own truck that he’d left parked next to hers. His hurry to leave apparent to them both.
“No need to be rude, you know!” Dale shouted at his retreating back. Jeremiah froze, his shoulders stiffening, before he turned and glared.
“Listen here, I don’t know what your fucking problem is, but get the fuck over yourself, Dale. I’m not doing this with you every time I see you. I’ll be here sometimes, so you’d better get used to seeing me and learn how to keep your fucking fool mouth shut.”
“Guys. Please. Can we not do this right now?” Willow’s attempt to calm their flaring tempers failed as Dale’s long legs ate up the distance between him and Jeremiah, irritation evident in his every step.
“Get over myself, huh? You first, fucker!” Dale shouted as he stopped in front of the other man, propping both hands on his hips.
Willow’s head bounced back and forth like a ping-pong ball, as she tried to figure out what in the hell was going on with the two of them and stave off the headache they were giving her. She’d obviously missed something but hadn’t a hint as to what it was. Whatever had happened between them at the rodeo was coming to a head like a festering wound.
“What? You’re pissed that I won’t fall to my knees for you? You act like you have some sort of clue what my life is like! Newsflash, dipshit, you don’t! So, yeah, fuck off, fuck you, and fuck yourself while you’re at it!” Jeremiah was right in Dale’s face, jabbing his finger in the bigger man’s chest. “My life, my call. You don’t get to judge me.”
Dale snarled, slapping Jeremiah’s hand away from his chest. “Yeah, I do. The way you look at me is justbeggingfor me to judge you.”
Willow hesitated, not sure what to do. One man was her best friend and the other was now her employee. Deciding she’d let them continue unless it came to blows, she stayed well back and observed. Maybe they just had to blow off some steam after being at each other’s throats all day.
“Begging? Begging! Not on your sorry fucking life will that ever happen!” Jeremiah’s face was bright red with the combination of anger and the cold air. She’d never seen him so pissed off and didn’t want to ever again.
“I don’t recall asking you to, now did I? I said what I said at the rodeo, and I meant it. Until that day comes, not that I think it ever will, you need to keep your pissy fucking attitude around me in check. You have no one to blame but yourself.”
“Again, asshole, you haveno cluewhat my life is like.” Throwing his hands in the air, he gave the foreman his back. “I’m not doing this. Not now. Not ever. What I do or do not tell people about myself is none of your fuckin’ business.” Opening the door to his truck, he glanced over at Willow. “I’ll see ya, Willow-girl. Tell Nathan I said hey. Call me if you need me.”
