Rough, Raw, and Ready (Rough Riders #5)(12)

Before he retreated to the barn, Trevor discouraged Edgard from helping with chores again—a reaction Chassie didn’t understand. Every damn day there was more work to be done around the ranch than time to do it. The fact Edgard had volunteered filled Chassie with relief. The fact Trevor discounted it filled Chassie with resentment.

She frowned as she backed the truck underneath the feed hopper. Something was up with Trevor. But whenever she asked him what was wrong, he wouldn’t talk. Rationally, she knew most men were like that, especially cowboys, keeping concerns to themselves.

But she’d believed Trevor was different. No, he had been different, which was why his about-face bugged her so much. Her husband was keeping secrets and she had a pretty decent idea what about.

Money.

The end of last summer they’d crunched numbers and figured out pretty quickly in order to stay competitive in the cattle market, they’d have to increase the size of their herd. Which they did. But it left them at absolute capacity for grazing areas. Land leases from the state or individual ranchers were few and far between. Bottom line: they needed more land.

As luck would have it, their neighbor to the south, Gus Dutton, was kicking around the idea of selling his acreage. Gus gave them a heads-up—it was an unwritten rancher’s creed to offer neighbors with bordering ranches a shot at purchasing the land before offering it to strangers. Not only had Gus approved of Chassie and Trevor’s improvements to the West homeplace, he understood the struggle of trying to get ahead when developers and “hobby” ranchers were swallowing up land all around you.

So, giddy at their apparent good fortune, Trevor and Chassie had scheduled an appointment with the family banker to discuss their options. But the banker’s news wasn’t good. Although Chassie owned the West ranch land outright, she had no credit history. Same went for Trevor because he’d spent years living hand-to-mouth on the rodeo circuit.

The banker did present an option. Because they were otherwise debt free, if they could come up with ten percent of the purchase price as a cash down payment, the bank would be willing to lend them the remainder.

Not the answer they’d hoped for, but one which showed the banker’s faith in their ability to procure the funds. A totally misplaced faith since the couple was strapped for cash and living on next to nothing as it was.

If they didn’t assure Gus Dutton they could meet his price, Gus would offer the parcel to the other neighbors whose land bordered his on his south end—the McKays.


“It doesn’t take three f*ckin’ hours to feed the cows.”


“We had extra time so I took Ed on a tour of the ranch.”


“Durin’ this private tour with Ed, did it occur to you that you hadn’t taken your goddamn cell phone along? And maybe I worried that you’d gotten stuck or something?”


Stung by his sharp tone, she retorted, “If you were so worried you could’ve tracked me down on one of the four-wheelers.”


Trevor growled.

Sugar worked better than vinegar with her grumpy—jealous?—husband. Chassie jumped into his arms and he staggered backward. Before he started another diatribe, she peppered his scowling face with kisses. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to give you more gray hairs, darlin’. Let me make it up to you. However you want.”


“I like the sound of that.” Trevor whacked her ass twice before setting her down.

Edgard stopped in front of the truck. Trevor took a step back from Chassie and from Edgard and they didn’t so much as look at each other.

Weird. “You guys hungry?”


“It’s at least an hour until lunchtime,” Trevor pointed out.

“We on a shed-jewel now?”


Her snooty pronunciation of schedule always amused him. He gave her his dazzling cowboy grin and her stomach flipped. Lord, she loved being married to this man.

Trevor bent down and kissed her. “Lunch later. I wancha to look at something in the barn first.”


Edgard said, “I’ll leave you to it. I’m going up to the house for a bit.”


Chassie followed Trevor into the metal barn. Stalls covered half of one side. Tractor parts littered the walking space on the other side. She stepped over the makeshift partition and saw Trevor stopping in front of the farthest stall.

She sidled up beside him, needing to stand on the lowest rung of the gate to see over the top. Meridian, the beautiful quarter horse they’d purchased the first month they’d married, stared back. “Is it time already?” Chassie asked Trevor.

“Either that or there’s a big storm comin’ ’cause she is mighty restless. She don’t wanna eat, neither.”


“Hey, girl.” Chassie held out her hand. “It’s okay. Come on. Come over here.”


Meridian didn’t move.

Normally whenever Chassie showed up, Meridian pranced right up to her. Not so today. “Is she okay?”


“For now. We’ll have to see. That’s why I brought her in. I didn’t trust that she wouldn’t run off to that grove of trees she’s so partial to.”


No amount of coaxing would bring Meridian any closer.

“Forget her. I have something else I wanna show you.” Trevor snagged her hand and half-dragged her to the tack room. “Ta-da.”