Page 12 of Rival
Without a trace of humor, I laugh at her. “You’re wantin’ to work formeas payment to keep a flea covered kitten in my barn?Andfeed him? Are you out of your mind?”
“No.”
Her answer is simple and filled with truth. I study her more closely, trying to decide if this is some farce, attempting to get one over on me. “You aren’t workin’ here for free. That’s a lawsuit if I ever saw one, especially considerin’ who your daddy is. He’d have me in court faster that I could blink.”
She shakes her head wildly, with her brown eyes wide and staring up at me. “I don’t want him to know I’m over here. He, uhh, he told me I wasn’t allowed to be on your property.”
“You should listen to your daddy,” I snarl. A tiny bit of regret from my tone hits me when she winces, but I shove it away. “About time he did somethin’ right.”
She chews on her lip, staring down at the kitten who’s now much calmer in her arms. Refusing to respond to my scolding, Edith tries once more with me. “Please, Mr. Cooper. I’ll help feed the animals, clean up after them if you want me to. Anything you’d need.” Her eyes lift, and I inhale noisily through my nose with the way she’s trying to let me see everything she’s feeling. “I can be useful. Iwantto be useful.”
Rain starts to fall slowly, so I pull my keys from my pocket and unlock the barn before it turns to a downpour. I’m not anxious to get soaked while my neighbor refuses to see reason. Shoving the door open, I hold it wide and jerk my chin toward the inside. “Get in before you look just as drowned as that cat you’re holdin’.”
Edith scurries in, ducking her head under my arm. Yanking the door shut behind us, I move around her and flick onthe lights. This barn isn’t used for animals, just storage for equipment and hay. Thankfully, I saw the weather and got the cows out of pasture, and I’m doubly thankful I’m done when a low rumble of thunder sounds off in the distance.
I move further inside, taking my hat off to bang against my leg, shedding it free from water. “Do you even have any experience on a ranch?” My eyes roam over her body, then I huff in displeasure. She’s a lovely girl, but she doesn’t have any meat on her. I doubt she can handle actual hard work. “You don’t look like you could lift a bale of hay if your life depended on it.”
She allows the kitten to jump from her arms, and I justknowI’m now the proud owner of a fucking cat. “I’m stronger than I look.” Peering around the space, she adds, “And I’ve got some experience, but I won’t lie to you, Mr. Cooper. I’ve never had a job outside of helping down at the church. My father has a horse, and I know how to care for him. Well, the basics. I’ve never saddled or ridden him before because he’s not my horse, but I can brush him down, handle feed and water, and muck his stall.”
I pause and turn toward her. More surprised than anything, I ask, “You don’t know how to saddle a horse? You’ve ridden one. Right?”
“No. I can learn, though. I’m a quick learner. Just last year, I was part of the volunteer team to help put on the addition at the church. I was there every day until it got done. And I’m helping with a barn raising starting tomorrow, too.” She steps closer to me. “I’m a hard worker. I could come over after I get my chores done at the house first thing in the morning when my father is out. I’ll even get started on them today if you can use me.”
Her offer to let me use her plays around in my head. I’m certain she’ll be more of a hinderance than a help here, but if she wants to come break her back for me, maybe she’ll fuck up enough that I can let it hang over her daddy’s head.
Biting back a smile whenthatidea pops up, I do my best to give her my most serious look. “We’ll do a trial. You need to show up by seven in the mornin’ the moment your chores are done or do them after you’re done here. I’m not gonna pay you for the first two weeks until I know you can handle the work. Then I’ll cut you a check.”
“Cash,” she blurts out. Her face erupts in a massive blush, but she doesn’t take it back. “And I’ve got that barn raising I’m helping with, so I’ll be sure to get up early. I’m signed up for the midafternoon group there. It’ll work out perfectly.”
Nodding once, I hold out my hand for her to shake. “Fine. Cash. But the moment you fuck up or don’t show up, the deal is off. And that cat is gone too, you hear me?”
Her chilled fingers slip along my callused palm, but she grips it more firmly than I’d have expected. “I promise. I’ll work hard for you, Mr. Cooper. Thank you so much. I’ll try to be here extra early so I can make sure the kitten is fed and settled, too.”
“This is my livelihood, Miss Hughes. You fuck me over, you’ll regret it.” I hope she takes my warning to heart, but she’s either a fabulous actress or naïve because she simply smiles broadly at me before dropping my hand.
Squatting down quickly, she clicks her tongue to call the kitten to her. He comes bounding out of a straw pile, completely covered already. Picking the pieces from his fur, she plants kisses on his head before whispering directions to behave like the good boy she knows he is. There’s no stopping my eye roll this time.
As soon as she releases him, he bounds off, and she stands before me once more. “Thank you again, Mr. Cooper. I’ll be here tomorrow!”
With that, she spins happily, then hunches over as soon as she jerks the door open to sprint out into the now pouring rain. Another crack of thunder rattles the rafters in the barn, and Ilook down at my boots just in time to see the little kitten she’s left me with.
Staring up at me with wide eyes, I grunt when he sits on his ass and releases the most God-awful, high-pitched meow I’ve ever heard.
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter, shoving my fingers through my hair in irritation. I gently poke at him with my toe. Another mewl escapes him and I groan. “You’re gonna get my barn infested with fleas, aren’t ya?”
I swear, this thing rolls his eyes at me before sauntering off, disappearing in the shadows for good this time. Eyeing the door Edith escaped through, I already regret my decision to allow her to come back tomorrow. I’m only setting myself up for a disaster, but hopefully it’ll piss off her daddy in the end. That fucker needs to be taken down a peg, in my opinion. Fuck Clayborn Hughesandhis daughter, who’s way too pretty to have ever come from his gene pool.
Once she fucks up badly enough, I’ll be able to drag her ass back to her home and demand reparations for my damages and insist he keep his daughter off my property for good.
Chapter Six
Edith
Itold my father the second lie of my life and I’m feeling strangely okay about it. After getting home last night, soaking wet from the torrential downpour I wasn’t expecting, I quickly changed my clothes and returned to the kitchen to prepare my father’s dinner.
“Why you lookin’ so damn happy all of a sudden?”
My body jerks and I abruptly stop humming. “Oh. Nothing in particular. Just looking forward to tomorrow.”
