Rode Hard, Put Up Wet (Rough Riders #2)(20)

Which was part of the reason he’d jumped at the chance to work for Gemma. He wouldn’t be underfoot and under scrutiny as he prepared for the art show with the potential to change his future.


Carter was relieved Gemma hired Cash Big Crow. Lately, taking care of the livestock sapped his energy and his creativity suffered. He’d finished half the pieces needed for the art show. The ideas were there, but the drive wasn’t. Now that time wouldn’t be an issue, could he focus on completing projects? Or would meeting his beautifully haunting muse prove an even bigger distraction?


Just thinking about the sweet temptation of Macie…


The knife slipped and he swore. He wiped the blood on his jeans and dumped a splash of beer on the cut. Wasn’t whiskey, but it seemed to do the trick. Disgusted the blob of wood in his hand was still a blob, Carter drained the beer and headed into the barn.


Muse or no muse, he needed to get back to work.


Chapter Nine


Dog-tired after a busy day at the diner, Macie crawled out of a cool shower and flopped on her tiny couch. Not two minutes later two raps sounded on the camper door.


She shouted, “Come in,” over the din of the air conditioner.


Maybe Carter deigned to stop by. Not that she’d been holding her breath for his appearance last night, but she was a tiny bit disappointed he hadn’t shown.


Typical man. The sweet words were no more than sweet lies, Macie.


Shut up, Mom.


The door opened and her father stepped inside.


She couldn’t hold back a smile. “Hey, Dad.”


“Hoka hey, Macie. What’s up? Is this a bad time?”


“No.”


He paused on the threshold, looking…nervous?


“Bet it’s weird knockin’ on your own door, huh?”


“That it is.”


“Come on in. I appreciate you letting me crash here. It would be uncomfortable staying in Gemma’s house,” she added hastily, “not that she’s not nice or anything.”


“True. Plus, I imagine you’re used to your independence.”


“Also true.” Macie was glad he understood. “You want a beer?”


He grinned. “You drinkin’ my beer?”


She grinned back. “Yep.”


“Glad to see it ain’t goin’ to waste.”


Macie pulled two bottles from the small fridge. A pop hiss echoed as she twisted the caps off and handed him a cold one.


Her father slid into the bench seat of the folding table. She scooted in across from him.


“So how was your first day on the job as foreman?”


“All right I guess. Foreman’s a fancy title considerin’ I’m the only one workin’ for her. Gemma’s runnin’ less cattle than I assumed. There’s more broken equipment than what I expected. Lucky thing I’m a jack-of-all-trades, eh?” He lifted his bottle in a mock toast.


Macie clinked her beer to his. “Very lucky.”


He sipped. She sipped.


“Speakin’ of jobs. You found something pretty damn quick.”


“Yeah, I know. I wasn’t planning to work, but when I saw the help wanted sign, it seemed like a sign. And I knew you’d be busy and I didn’t want to sit around taking up space, waiting for you to pay attention to me.”



A lengthy pause hung in the air before he sighed. ”That’s how you feel?”


“Sometimes.”


“I didn’t mean—”


“I am a big girl. I’m perfectly capable of seeing to my own needs and taking care of myself.”


“This ain’t goin’ the way you wanted, is it?”


She dropped her gaze to the bottle and her fingers picked at the soggy label. “Dad, nothing ever goes the way it’s supposed to when it comes to us. Something always comes up and changes our plans. No biggie. I’m used to it.”


Silence hummed as loud as the air conditioning.


“I’m sorry.”


More silence.


“I’m always sayin’ that to you, ain’t I?”


Macie shrugged.


After a while he laughed. “Well, this is fun. I sure know how to kill a conversation.


This wasn’t what I had in mind when I came here.”


She looked up at him. “Why are you here?”


“Here as in, here in this camper? Or here as in, here on Gemma’s ranch?”


“Both I guess.”


With a drawn out sigh, Cash took off his hat. He tossed it on the seat beside him and scratched his head. “Mostly, I’m here in the camper because I wanted to explain some things.” His gaze caught hers. “Or as your mother used to say to me, to give you an excuse on why I’m disappointin’ you once again.”


She looked away, but she couldn’t help but listen.


“When I talked to you last week, hell, for the whole last couple of months, you sounded so down. I thought I could be the one to cheer you up for a change. That’s why I invited you to hit the road with me. But the truth is, I didn’t think beyond that, which has always been my downfall. I tend to live in the moment.” He gestured to the inside of the camper. “As evidenced by my lack of foresight for my future. Since I ain’t got much of anything. Hell, I still ain’t got much to offer you, Macie—”