Page 53 of Rough
Also, I remember very specifically informing them they weren’t welcome on my property.
Marching over, I plant my hands on my hips. “What the hell are you doing?”
Wilder jumps down from the back of the truck, clapping his gloved hands together to clean any excess hay from the leather. “Mornin’, Bets. We’d have come to the house, but saw you had a visitor and didn’t wanna bug ya. Who’d you have over so early?”
I don’t like the tone he uses with me, so I move past him, choosing not to answer. Looking up at Remy, I snap out my question again. “Sincehe’snot gonna answer me, it’s on you. What thehellare you doin’ here?”
He leans over the side of the truck, his arms resting on the side as he grins down at me. “Mornin’! Because you asked so nicely, I’ll tell ya. Ma thought we ought to get out of the house today and suggested we find somethin’ productive to do. She made us a nice big breakfast, too. Got us all energized and ready to go, so we figured we’d come on over here and start earnin’ our keep and give you a break. Followed the truck right into your driveway and started unloadin’. I checked in with her ‘bout halfan hour ago just to make sure, and she thought it was a great idea.”
My nostrils are flaring I’m so pissed off. Trying to save face in front of my regular guys, I give Remy the fakest smile I can muster. “I’m sure your momma forgot that I got this all handled. Why don’t you three scurry on back home now that you know I don’t need ya?”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he actually felt bad when he starts to shake his head slowly, frowning in apology. “No can do, Bets. She’d have our hide if we went back right now. So, what else you need done after we’re finished here?”
“Nothin’,” I bite out, but fucking Emmett calls me out for the liar I am.
“Thought we needed to get the herd out to field and run the fence? Plus, it’s time to clean out their barn for the week.”
Glaring at him, I do my best to give him my best warning to keep his mouth shut here on out. “Nope. I can handle that part. Already planned on saddling up Bar—Frank to do the run.” I almost said Baron, Wilder’s horse. He’s due for a ride, but I’m gonna have to do that later this afternoon.
“What about gettin’ the cattle out?” I swear to God, Emmett is not picking up what I’m throwing down right now.
Grinning, I grit out, “We’ll get it taken care of.”
“Why don’t we saddle up with you, do the ride, while these boys get them out to field? It’d be a nice way to catch up.” Remy’s offer sounds reasonable, but I want nothing to do with being alone with a single one of them right now.
“No.”
“I’ll start saddlin’ them,” Clyde offers. Then, without waiting for an answer, immediately starts walking to the barn.
Chasing after him, I try again. “It’s nothin’ you need to worry about, Clyde. I can handle the fences by myself.”
Turning around to face me, he keeps walking, but now it’s backwards as he lets his heavy-lidded gaze run over my body. “No worries, Country. We’ve been wantin’ to take the boys out for a ride. This is just killin’ two birds with one stone.”
“I don’t want ya’ll here,Clyde.”
He only grins before spinning around and continuing his journey to the horses. Calling over his shoulder, he shrugs. “Nothin’ to do ‘bout it now. We’re already here.”
Stopping in my tracks, I take a deep breath to calm myself down. If they see me overreacting, they’re going to assume they’ve won this battle of wills. I tilt my head back and close my eyes, inhaling deeply before facing off with them again. Once I feel settled, I turn around, then jump because Wilder is standing less than a foot away from me.
“You look real nice today, Bets.” Then, lowering his voice, he steps a little closer and leans down. “I know you don’t want us here, but we aren’t gonna go anywhere until today’s work gets done. So, either tell us what’s on your list, or we’re gonna be followin’ you around like lapdogs.”
This time, I take a step toward him and lean back to look into his face. “Ya’ll can follow me around all you want like the dogs you are, but you’re not gettin’ any fuckin’ treats from me.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Remy
“So, you never did say. Who’d you have over at the house this mornin’?” I try to ask casually, but with the way Betsy stiffens in her saddle, it’s obvious it didn’t come across that way.
“None of your business. If you three want to follow me around, I can’t stop you. But what Icando is not engage in friendly chitchat.”
Clyde gives his horse, Fielder, a nudge, picking up his pace to trot alongside Betsy. She looks in the other direction in an attempt to ignore him, but the fucker doesn’t give up. He leans toward her and whispers something, although I can’t hear what he’s saying. Whatever it is has her reacting strongly, jerking her head toward him with a deep frown.
“You obviously lifted your ridiculousdon’t work for Betsyban, so I don’t need your help,” she hisses at him. Clyde only pulls the brim of his hat lower and sucks air through his teeth in annoyance.
When she urges Frank faster, he lets her pull ahead. I can’t stop from blurting, “What’d you just say to her?”
“Said it’s clear she’s exhausted, and she needs to let us help.”
