Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25331 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 127(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
I clasp my hand on his shoulder, and he flinches. I force a smile on my face even though it’s the last thing I want to do. I’m known as a grump... fuck, it’s more than that. I’m known as an ass. I’m fair, and I pay my guys well, but they have to put up with my attitude to get it. Even though I’m set in my ways and don’t plan on changing, I do appreciate Rick sticking his neck out for Sassy. “Thanks, Rick. I’ll talk to her.”
He lets out a big breath, and I release him. “Uh, okay, I’m going to go make sure the animals are all good. See you in the morning, boss.”
“Yeah, see you,” I mumble, already lost in thought.
I haven’t seen Sassy since last week. I’ve forced myself to stay away from her and her father’s ranch. Since the day she turned eighteen three years ago, my feelings for her have changed. I shouldn’t be thinking the thoughts I’ve had for her, and I thought by putting some distance between us, I would be able to forget about her. But that isn’t the case. If anything, I think about her more.
Her father is struggling. His ranch has been in the family for some hundred-odd years, and he’s doing what he can to keep it, but getting older is getting the best of him. Sassy is doing what she can. And Travis is right: She works harder than most men, but there’s only so much she can do when it’s all left up to her. They don’t have the money to make the improvements they need, but Amos won’t take any money from me. He’s a stubborn man and refuses any kind of handout.
I shove my hand through my hair in frustration. I’m assuming the ranch is what’s bothering Sassy, but I can’t guarantee it. Heck, I’ve avoided her and have no idea what’s going on with her. Some asshole could be bothering her, for all I know.
Just the thought that some man is upsetting her makes me want to go over to her ranch right now and set whoever it is straight.
I pull out my phone. I never text Sassy even though I’ve had her number plugged into my phone for years. I find her in my favorites and type out a text. Did Rick and Travis do okay for you? Give you any problems?
I stare at my phone and hold my breath when I see the bubbles that she’s typing something back. Cole? Everything was fine. You didn’t have to send them over AGAIN. I’ve got this handled.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other. I don’t know why, but it bothers me that she answered that way. What does that mean, she’s got it handled? I type out a text. I’m just being neighborly.
I hit send and wait. The bubbles appear, disappear, come back on and then off again. I wait a full five minutes before the text comes back. Thanks.
I scrunch my nose up. Thanks? It took her that long for one word? You don’t have to thank me. Everything else okay? Anyone bothering you?
I hit send before I can talk myself out of it. I’ve never pried into her business, but I know I won’t sleep if someone is bothering her, and not knowing is killing me.
I wait a full five minutes and say fuck it. I hit dial on her name and put the phone to my ear. When she answers, she’s breathless. “Lo?”
“Hey, Sassy. You okay?”
She is silent for a minute, and I pull the phone from my ear to see if she hung up. When I see the timer going, I put it back to my ear and repeat her name. “Sassy.”
“What’s going on, Cole?”
She sounds defensive, and that’s not what I want. Sassy has always been independent, and she won’t appreciate me snooping into her life even if I’m only worried about her. I can’t tell her what Rick confessed, so I try to just get her talking. “Nothing’s going on. I was just wanting to check on you. Everything okay over there?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine.”
I slap my hand to my forehead. She says she’s fine, but it’s not enough. “No one bothering you?”
She draws in a deep breath. “Who would be bothering me?”
I don’t know what to answer, and she asks again. “Huh, Cole? Who would be bothering me?”
I sit down on the top step of my porch. “No one... I was just calling to make sure you’re okay. That’s all. Amos doing okay?”
She sighs, and I can hear the exhaustion in her voice. “He has his good days and his bad days.”
“Aww, honey. Was today a bad day?”
“Yeah, uh, he doesn’t know who I am some days, and today was one of those days.”