Wild Trail (Clean Slate Ranch #1)(76)

He and Wes kissed by the door for a long time, before Mack finally pulled away. “Jesus, but I can’t get enough of you,” Mack said.

“Good. Then you’ll come back and see me as soon as possible.”

“How’s Saturday night sound?”

“Perfect. I’m usually done at the theater and home around ten.”

“Sounds like a date.”

Mack kissed him again, and then reluctantly left. The drive back to the ranch seemed to take forever, and also end too soon. Arthur was sitting on the porch swing with a tablet, and as soon as Mack parked the pickup, Arthur stood. Beckoned Mack.

He approached the porch with a pang of worry, but Arthur looked more confused than anything. He glanced at Mack’s bruised hand once, then harrumphed. “You wanna explain to me why Colt came into my office this morning and tried to quit?” Arthur asked.

Surprise jolted down Mack’s spine. “He did what?”

“Tried to quit. Can I connect your damaged hand to his busted face?”

“Yes, but I didn’t tell him to quit.”

“Then why’d he try to?”

Mack glanced around, but that week’s tourists were probably out at the lake enjoying the summer sunshine. “Because Colt confessed something last night that he’s been keeping from me for the last five years, and it pissed me off something fierce. I couldn’t control my reaction, and if Reyes hadn’t been there, the beating would have been worse.” Guilt tried to poke at his conscience, but Mack fought it.

Arthur studied him a beat. “I won’t make you tell me what secret of his got you all riled up, but I will ask you this. Should I accept his resignation letter or shred it?”

“If he really wants to quit because he’s unhappy with the job, fine, I won’t stop him. Let me talk to him first.”

“You gonna hit him again?”

“Hope not.” Mack flexed his right hand. “My fingers won’t survive another direct hit like that.”

“Be hard to tack a horse with a broken hand.”

“Good point. You know where he is?”

“Told him to keep working until I’d made up my mind on accepting his letter. Saw him heading toward the west fence with his toolbox. Had a board come down last night.”

“Thanks.”

Mack texted Reyes that he was on the property, and then went in search of Colt.

Reyes texted back during his walk: Should I hide the weapons?

No. Gonna talk to him, not kill him.

Sounds like Wes is a good influence on you.

He is. We’ll talk later.

Mack found his target about a quarter-mile down the west fence. It bordered a lot of trees and county-owned land, and Colt seemed to be finishing up his repairs, replacing tools in that careful way of his. Just like last night. Mack tamped down on a fresh flash of rage. Yeah, he wasn’t ready to forgive him yet. He couldn’t even look at the back of Colt’s head without wanting to growl, so this needed to be short and sweet.

“Tell me why you want to quit,” Mack snapped.

Colt startled and fell onto his ass with a shout. He scrambled to turn and stared up at Mack with a healthy amount of wariness. “Christ, man, my blood pressure is already through the roof right now.”

Mack didn’t apologize, just restated his question.

“I assumed after last night that you’d want me gone,” Colt said.

“Part of me does, but I’m not going to fire you or make you leave, unless leaving is what you want to do. Arthur will shred your resignation if you ask him to.”

Colt studied him from his spot on the ground, making no move to stand. “I thought it would be easier on you, not seeing me every day.”

“No, you thought it would be easier on yourself. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive you for this. I don’t know if we’ll be friends again. But, Colt, a coward runs away. A strong man stays and faces what he’s done.”

And since that was all Mack had to say about that, he turned around and walked back to the main house.

*

Wes flittered around the apartment Wednesday morning, in a strange place between happy to have seen Mack and upset on his behalf. The weight of that secret had to have been crushing for Colt, and while Wes hated Colt on Mack’s behalf, he also kind of grudgingly understood why Colt had kept quiet. What good would telling have done?

Still, Mack had been lied to, and he’d come to Wes for comfort. Comfort that Wes was pretty sure he’d handed out well, because Mack had left that morning with a smile on his face. Miles commented about the lack of sex noises, and Wes simply told him that Mack was having a personal crisis. Miles didn’t press further, and he’d left a few minutes ago to go grocery shopping.

And in between the happy and upset, Wes had a little bit of annoyance tucked in there. Mack’s arrival and momentary assumption that Wes was cheating on him still stung a bit, even if he did understand it, after hearing more about Geoff’s behavior. And Mack had seemed to believe him when Wes said he didn’t cheat.

Wes didn’t have to work until one o’clock. The dinner show wasn’t until six, but he also waited tables for the lunch crowd, to make the job full-time. Without those hours, he’d be broke. He nosed into the fridge, already hungry for lunch. His phone rang with an unassigned ringtone, so either unknown caller or old contact.