Chapter Text
A light breeze tickled through the tree leaves as Alex listened to the faint sound of cattle calling to one another in the surrounding mountains. If she closed her eyes, Alex could almost convince herself that today was like any other, and the only thing she had to worry about was the list of chores that needed to be taken care of around the ranch.
Reality found Alex standing in a small family cemetery, staring at Robert Danvers’s marble headstone as her grandfather’s casket sat readyn to be lowered into the ground. For a moment, Alex was transported twenty years earlier when she stood in this same cemetery in an itchy black dress as her grandmother was laid to rest. She had hated that dress, and her mother had nearly lost her patience with all of Alex’s fidgeting. At least this time she was much more comfortable in her cleanest pair of black jeans and a black button-down.
A lot had changed in the last twenty years. Kara, currently fidgeting next to Alex, had come to live with the Danvers at the age of twelve after her parents had been killed in a car accident. Alex had known Kara most of her life. Owners of a small nearby farm that was known for its horses that were well-bred and well trained, Kara’s family had done business with most of the surrounding ranches, including the Danvers’. Alex had never expected Kara to become the sister she didn’t know she needed.
Glancing at the headstone next to her grandfather’s, Alex was reminded of another change, the most heartbreaking change. The death of Jeremiah, her own father. Suffering a sudden and unexpected heart attack a few months after Alex’s sixteenth birthday, Jeremiah’s loss had taken its toll on the family. Eliza, Alex’s mother, had withdrawn, shutting herself away in the bedroom she had shared with Jeremiah. While Kara had been nearly inconsolable for weeks – having been dealt the loss of yet another parent – Alex had been angry. The person she had looked up to most in the world was gone.
Everything she knew about running her family’s ranch she learned from her father. Alex funneled her grief and anger into work, taking on as many of Jeremiah’s old tasks as she could. She was determined to show her grandfather that her father had prepared her to take care of the ranch. Alex wanted Robert to be proud of her.
Instead, she was met with indifference. Her grandfather was never one to show emotion, but Alex didn’t know how to handle him acting as though nothing was different. After J’onn, the ranch foreman and a longtime friend of Jeremiah’s, found her sobbing in the horse barn one afternoon, he did his best to fill the void that Jeremiah left behind. One that Robert seemed intent to ignore.
Despite Robert’s indifference, Alex continued working the ranch just as her father had before her. She finally came to the realization that no matter how hard she worked, her grandfather wasn’t going to acknowledge her for no other reason than she wasn’t a man. So Alex stopped caring and stopped doing the work for Robert and instead did it for her father and for herself.
Now Robert was gone, having succumbed to a cancer diagnosis his family wasn’t aware he’d been given. Alex’s love for her grandfather had always felt obligatory, but the fact that he hadn’t even allowed those around him to know he was sick or to have the opportunity to take care of him or prepare to say goodbye hurt more than she expected. And it seemed to only add to Alex’s constant anxiety over being able to carry on running the ranch now that both her father and grandfather were gone.
She was already imagining a tumbler of scotch in her hand once the funeral was over.
Pulling her eyes away from her grandfather’s headstone once again, Alex glanced around at the various people who had gathered in the small cemetery. The family chose to keep the service private, inviting only folks who knew Robert well or whom he regularly did business with over the years, as well as those from the community whose appearance at the funeral was deemed an expectation. Alex internally rolled her eyes at the small-town politics.
Alex continued to scan the small crowd until her eyes landed on the Sawyers. Front and center stood Maggie Sawyer, and Alex felt a fluttering in her stomach at the sight of her. Taking in her olive skin, further tanned by time spent working outdoors, and her long, dark hair pulled back into a low pony, Alex’s eyes traced over the other woman. She noted their similar wardrobe: black pants, black button-down, and black cowboy boots. Maggie had also chosen to wear a black cowboy hat that was currently clasped in her hands, having taken it off out of respect. Standing directly behind Maggie looking like personal bodyguards were her cousins, Beau and Emmett, their tall, broad statures a stark contrast to Maggie’s shorter height.
The Sawyers and the Danvers had been running neighboring ranches for nearly a hundred years, and their history had built mutual respect between the families. Alex had only known Maggie since their freshman year of high school when Maggie had moved to live with her aunt and uncle on the farm. Noticing the absence of Maggie’s uncle now, Alex recalled the last time she had seen Maggie was at her own aunt’s funeral the previous fall. Maggie and her cousins attending Robert’s funeral as representatives of Sawyer Ranch was mostly for appearances, but Alex still felt an appreciation for the other woman’s presence.
As Alex’s gaze lingered on Maggie, the other woman shifted and glanced up, looking directly at Alex. Maggie’s eyes softened, and she offered a small smile. A memory from ten years earlier infiltrated her mind, and Alex was transported to the bed of a pickup truck, those same eyes and that same smile sitting across from her. As a familiar yearning began to creep in, Alex mentally shook herself out of the past and gave Maggie a small nod before dropping her eyes.
A throat cleared nearby, and Alex looked up at the funeral officiant standing by her grandfather’s grave.
“Are you sure you want to keep waiting?” he asked, glancing at the small crowd.
Before Alex could answer, Kara spoke up, “They should be here soon. Let’s wait a few more minutes. Please.”
Closing her eyes, Alex took a deep breath to try to tamp down her irritation. The “they” Kara was referring to were the cousins she barely knew. Robert’s lawyer had informed Alex, Kara, and Eliza that the reading of Robert’s will required other members of the family to be present. Alex had been relieved when Eliza had offered to reach out to her husband’s remaining living relatives.
Alex had grown up knowing she had aunts and cousins, but Jeremiah’s sisters had left the ranch before she was born. She hadn’t been told the full family history, but she knew there had been tension between her aunts and her grandfather. Alex remembered her father going to Seattle when his eldest sister Lillian passed away.
Eliza had been able to reach Lillian’s daughter Lena, who in turn shared that her father had also died, but that she was willing to come to Robert’s funeral.
Jeremiah’s other sister, Ella, had been much less inclined to make the trip. Alex could remember her father speaking on the phone to his sister a few times, but after Jeremiah died, they hadn’t seen or heard from her again. Ella had informed Eliza she would not be attending Robert’s funeral, and how she didn’t care what was in the will because she didn’t want anything from him. A few days later, however, her daughter Lucy had called to say that she would be coming to the ranch in her mother’s place. Eliza hadn’t shared much about the conversation, but Alex got the feeling Lucy wasn’t coming in the spirit of reconciliation.
Just as Alex was about to tell the officiant to go ahead and begin, the sound of a car driving down the gravel lane cut through the silence. Everyone turned to watch as a black, four-door sedan pulled off to the side of the lane, and a young woman emerged, dressed in a simple black pantsuit. Walking swiftly toward the gathering, the woman stopped at the entrance, glancing nervously at the small crowd.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said quietly, hesitating and unsure if she should step further into the cemetery.
Kara glanced expectantly at Alex, who shrugged in response. Rolling her eyes, Kara stepped away from her sister and toward the woman. As she got closer, Kara offered her hand. “Hi, I’m Kara.”
The woman relaxed as she shook Kara’s hand and responded, “I’m Lena.”
Offering Lena a smile, Kara gestured toward where Alex and Eliza were standing. “You’re welcome to stand with us. The service is just about to begin.”
Lena offered a quiet “Thank you” and followed Kara into the small cemetery. Once they took their places, Alex nodded to the minister. Opening the book in his hand, the officiant welcomed everyone and began to read a poem when the sound of another vehicle kicking up gravel pulled everyone’s attention once again.
A black SUV roared down the lane before it came to a sudden stop and the engine was cut. The door opened, and the voice of a young woman could be heard before she stepped into view, a cell phone pressed to her ear.
“No, I said I need you to reschedule that deposition to next week,” the woman barked into the phone as she struggled to walk across the grass in heels. “Because I’m out of town for the next few days. Yes, I should be back by then. Just get it taken care of.”
Dropping the phone to her side, the woman looked up to see everyone in the cemetery staring at her. She glanced around before zeroing in on Alex and her family standing next to the gravesite. Taking careful steps, the woman walked directly toward them. “I’m Lucy. I believe I spoke with Eliza?”
Alex’s mother stepped forward. “I’m Eliza. We were just getting ready to begin if you would like to join us here.”
Nodding, Lucy turned, stepping into line next to Alex. The minister began speaking once again, but Alex tuned out his words as she studied Lucy out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t know a lot about fashion, but between the suit and the heels this woman was wearing along with the designer bag clutched in her hand, Alex figured the entire ensemble probably cost more than all of the clothes in her closet.
Taking in Lucy’s perfectly styled hair and flawless makeup, Alex felt a momentary pang of jealousy. Worrying about her looks was never a priority for Alex considering she spent most of her time in the barns, out in the pastures, or with the cattle. They certainly didn’t care how glamorous she looked. Sometimes Alex wondered if putting more effort into how she looked might change another area of her life.
Before she could sink too deeply into those insecurities, Alex felt Kara slip her arm through her own and lean into her. Alex shuffled her feet as she focused her attention back on the words being spoken about her grandfather.
At the end of the service, an announcement was made that food and drinks would be served at the main house. Eliza led the group of attendees along the path as workers began the task of moving and lowering Robert’s casket. Alex found herself trailing behind Kara and Lena who were talking quietly as they walked. Glancing over her shoulder, Alex could see Lucy behind her, eyes glued to her phone as she typed. Shoving her hands in her pockets, Alex’s eyes dropped to the path as she continued to follow her family.
A hand on her upper arm caught Alex by surprise. She glanced over to find Maggie walking alongside her. Alex’s heart skipped a beat at the soft, brown eyes aimed her way.
“Hey, Alex. I just wanted to say how sorry I am about your grandfather.”
The only response Alex could muster was a murmured, “Thank you.”
The women walked in silence until Maggie spoke again. “If you need anything, help around the ranch, or really anything at all, I’m here, you know.”
Alex’s brows furrowed as she glanced sidelong at Maggie. Did Maggie think Alex needed help because she was incapable of running the ranch? That she wouldn’t be able to handle things with Robert gone? Alex had been taking care of things just fine since her father had passed. Did everyone think that the ranch was more work than she could handle?
Alex’s thoughts continued to spiral until Maggie’s voice cut through the noise.
“Alex?”
Jumping at the sound of the woman still walking next to her, Alex muttered her thanks once more before veering off of the path and heading for a side entrance to the house. There was work to be done, and if Alex was going to prove to everyone and herself that she could handle running the ranch, she needed to get to it.
“Alex, where are you going?” Maggie’s voice called as the distance grew between them.
Alex hunched her shoulders and continued walking, trying to shake off the insecurities swirling in her mind.
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
Changed into a pair of work jeans and a flannel, Alex sat on the edge of her bed, pulling on her boots. Taking a deep breath, Alex leaned forward, elbows on her knees and head in her hands. She could feel the tangled emotions filling her chest. Of course, she was sad over her grandfather’s passing. Robert may not have been one to show emotion or affection, but he was still family.
Digging beneath those feelings, Alex found the familiar sorrow for the loss of her father that felt a little closer to the surface today. Even after nearly thirteen years, there was a rawness to the pain. There was also an uncertainty churning in Alex’s gut, and if she were honest with herself, fear as well.
They had expected a reading of Robert’s will. What Alex wasn’t prepared for was the stipulation that other members of the family needed to be present for it. Neither of Alex’s aunts nor their immediate families had stepped foot on the ranch since they’d both left years prior. None of them had had any contact with Robert at all. No one had expected this stipulation, and Alex had been carrying around a nagging worry since she’d found out. She didn’t know what she would do if the ranch was no longer her responsibility. This place had been her home her entire life. She didn’t know anything else.
As these thoughts and feelings clashed inside of Alex, she was unable to hold back the stinging tears that began to fall. She’d been holding them in for days now, but she was too tired to fight them anymore.
Focused on the feeling of letting her tears run freely down her cheeks, Alex was startled by the sound of her mother’s voice. “Alexandra, it would be nice if you would at least make an appearance downstairs.”
Alex lifted her head and wiped at the wetness on her face. When she looked up at her mother, Alex saw the sternness of her gaze shift to understanding.
Moving closer to the bed, Eliza sat next to Alex. “Thinking about your father?”
Surprised, Alex glanced at Eliza, who smiled back softly, brushing stray hair from her daughter’s forehead. It was then that Alex noticed the hint of sadness in her mother’s eyes. For the first time that day, Alex considered how her family might also be feeling.
“Yeah,” Alex murmured, pulling Eliza into a hug.
Over the years, the two bore the ups and downs of their relationship. Alex had favored Jeremiah, shadowing him to every corner of the ranch nearly from the moment she learned to walk. Eliza had remained unbothered, fostering the special relationship between father and daughter. But she had found it difficult to keep her opinions to herself when Alex began making comments about forgoing college and staying on the ranch.Eliza had had no problem with Alex remaining on the ranch, but she’d wished for her daughter to further her education. Alex had been stubborn, insisting she saw her future here with her family and working alongside her father. Eliza, the parent from whom Alex had inherited her stubbornness, had wished for Alex to have a plan in the event she no longer wanted to herd cattle, to live on the ranch, or to stay in Nebraska. Multiple arguments had followed, often with Jeremiah attempting to play peacemaker.
Jeremiah’s death brought the end of that disagreement.
Leaning back, Alex lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry I haven’t been present. I just….”
“You’re scared.”
“Yeah,” Alex sighed, twisting her fingers in her lap.
Eliza reached over, resting her hand over both of Alex’s. “Robert may have been a bastard most of the time, but I don’t believe he was completely heartless.”
Alex huffed out a laugh. Eliza and Robert had always been congenial, especially when Jeremiah had been alive. That didn’t mean Eliza hadn’t called Robert out for his behavior or treatment of herself or her daughters when necessary. And while “love” never seemed to be a word in Robert’s vocabulary, Alex knew he respected Eliza and her work running the household.
The sound of a throat clearing in the doorway interrupted the moment. Alex looked up to find Kara.
“Mr. Porter is ready to read the will. He said he’d like everyone to gather at the table in the kitchen.”
Nodding, Alex stood, wiping away any remaining tears on her face. As she moved to walk out of the room, Kara stepped in her path, opening her arms wide. Alex sank into the embrace, wrapping her own arms around her sister, and thanked the universe once again for bringing Kara into her life.
Alex felt another hand rubbing across her back before hearing her mother speak quietly, “We should get downstairs.”
Walking into the kitchen, they found Mr. Porter at the head of it, papers spread out before him. Lena was already sitting at one side of the table, eyes downcast. As Eliza and Kara took their seats across from her, Alex noticed Lena glance up and share a small smile with her sister. Very familiar with Kara’s sunny disposition and how quickly she could make friends, Alex wasn’t surprised to see the two women had already made a connection.As Alex took the seat opposite Mr. Porter at the other end of the table, Lucy walked into the room, wine glass in hand, and took the remaining seat next to Lena. Alex eyed the wine, wishing she’d had the forethought to pour herself a glass of something strong before sitting.
“Alright,” Mr. Porter spoke, “I can read the entire will or just go over the terms and conditions.”
“Whatever’s fastest,” Alex answered before anyone else could speak.
Mr. Porter glanced around the table at the others, before continuing. “Okay, first, Eliza, as his daughter-in-law and acting housekeeper, Robert left you $150,000.”
Eliza clasped her hands on the table, nodding her silent acceptance. Alex scoffed quietly to herself. She knew her mother deserved far more, considering all of the work she had put in over the years, not to mention the fact that she was Jeremiah’s widow. Alex silently cursed her grandfather for what felt like the millionth time since he’d died.
“Alex, in recognition of the work you have put into the ranch over the years, Robert left you $100,000,” Mr. Porter read from the document in front of him.
Again, Alex held her tongue, though the amount her grandfather believed equated everything she had done to keep the ranch running smoothly since Jeremiah’s death felt like a slap in the face.
“Kara,” Mr. Porter moved on, “you receive $50,000.”
This time Alex came up for air. “No, that’s not right. Kara is my sister. She’s lived here for nearly half of her life. She should at least get the horses she’s trained.”
Kara reached over, placing her hand on Alex’s arm. “Alex, it’s fine.”
“No, it’s not fine. Robert never could get past the fact that you’re adopted, but blood or not, you’re family.”
A scoff came from the other end of the table, then Lucy said, “As though blood really made that much of a difference.”
Everyone at the table fell silent until a bitter laugh came from Eliza.
“You’re not wrong, Lucy. I remember shortly after Jeremiah and I were married, a woman showed up claiming to be Robert’s daughter. She kept saying her mother had met Robert during a trip he’d taken to Montana. Robert told her to get off of his property and never come back or he’d have her arrested.”
Alex’s jaw dropped, having never heard this story from her mother before.
Lucy snorted, turning to Lena, “You and I will be lucky if he left us a bucket of dirt from the pasture.”
Before anyone else could speak, Mr. Porter cleared his throat, “Danver’s Ranch business will continue as usual with Alex as operator, but there are conditions.”
“You haven’t mentioned J’onn yet,” Kara interrupted.
“J’onn?” Mr. Porter glanced around the table before his confusion cleared and he flipped through the pages in front of him. “Oh, J’onn. The foreman. He isn’t mentioned in the will.”
“J’onn gets nothing?” Alex asked, anger evident in her voice.
Mr. Porter powered on, “Robert left each section of his family a one-third interest in the ranch.”
“Us?” Lucy questioned, pointing between herself and Lena.
“Seriously?” Alex’s chair scraped across the floor as she shot to her feet. “A three-way split? These two have nothing to do with the ranch. They’ve never even been here before today. My father’s sisters haven’t been anywhere near this ranch since the day they left.”
“Alex,” there was a warning tone to Eliza’s voice as she stared her daughter down. “Let’s hear the rest of it.”
Alex stepped away from the table, tangling her hands in her hair out of frustration.
Mr. Porter’s voice cut through the rage pounding in her ears. “In order to inherit, someone from each family must live on the ranch for one full year. At the end of that period, if the conditions are met, each family will have one-third interest.”
The incredulous laugh bubbled out of Alex before she could stop it.
“Wait a minute,” Lucy said, “I have a one-third interest in a cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska, and now I have to live on it?”
“Well, you or someone else from your family,” Mr. Porter answered.
“Right,” Lucy let out a humorless chuckle. “My sister is married with two little boys, my father is who knows where overseas probably barking orders to some unlucky unit, and my mother has zero interest in anything that has to do with this ranch.”
Alex watched as Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she was looking at Eliza. “My mom won’t say much about what it was like living here, but I can gather that it was a pretty hellish experience after her mother died. She did mention that Jeremiah’s mother tried to make it better after she married Robert, but her kindness could only reach so far.”
There had never been much talk about Marilyn, Robert’s first wife. Cancer had taken her life when his daughters were both young. Alex always wondered if her death was the beginning of Robert becoming the hardhearted person she knew.
Taking one last drink from her wine glass, Lucy stood and picked up her bag to leave. “You can just give my family our share in cash.”
“Miss Lane,” Mr. Porter’s voice halted Lucy’s exit, “your grandfather’s terms are clear. You have every right not to agree to them. However, if you don’t, the entire ranch will be donated to the local nature preserve. It’s ironclad. If no one from your family is willing to stay, the land is forfeited, and each family gets one thousand dollars.”
Silence filled the room. Alex closed her eyes, the overwhelming feeling of everything closing in around her becoming too much. Her fear of losing the ranch could easily become a reality now that the fate of the ranch was also in the hands of two people Alex had met only a few hours ago. She took a deep breath, attempting to keep the panic at bay.
“I’ll stay,” Lena spoke up from her place at that table. “It’s not fair to you, Alex. As soon as the year is over, I’ll sign over my family’s share.”
Realizing all eyes were on her, Lena shrank in her seat a bit before adding quietly, “Everyone knows the ranch is already yours. Besides, it’s not like I need the money.”
Alex felt a sense of gratitude toward the other woman. She was well aware of Lena’s prosperity, having gone on an internet deep dive to find information on both of her cousins when she learned they would be attending the funeral.
Before Lilian’s death, Lena’s parents had dabbled in the tech world where risky investments had paid off and rewarded them ten-fold. They had funded labs and continued to invest, but news of their success appeared to taper off after Lillian died. Most of the remaining information Alex had been able to find detailed Lena’s brother’s run-ins with the law and later, her father’s obituary. Alex could only assume Lena was the beneficiary of her parents’ estate.
“That’s so sweet of you, Lena,” Kara commented. “Thank you.”
A shy smile formed on Lena’s face as her cheeks tinged pink.
“That’s really touching and all,” Lucy’s voice broke the quiet, “but I’m sure as hell not wasting a year of my life in the middle of nowhere. I have a job and responsibilities to get back to in Metropolis.”
Alex watched as Lucy hoisted her bag onto her shoulder, digging through its contents as she once again walked toward the doorway.
Information on Lucy hadn’t been as easy to find. Rather than rely on news stories, Alex had been forced to scroll through social media. She had gleaned that Lucy and her family had moved a lot over the years due to her father’s military career. Pictures and posts of Lucy at Northwestern preceded a picture from her graduation and an acceptance letter to Stanford Law School.
Lucy didn’t seem shy about sharing moments from her life, both big and small: drinks out with friends, her graduation from Stanford, a before and after of her cubicle at a small law firm... From there, Lucy’s career trajectory prompted a few articles on how the young lawyer was on her way to being one of the most sought-after attorneys in Metropolis. Between the fancy townhouse Lucy had posted photos of and the designer clothes she seemed inclined to wear, Alex could safely assume Lucy enjoyed the finer things in life.
“Where are the damn keys?” Lucy grumbled, hand buried in the depths of her bag.
“Mr. Porter, you might want to tell Lucy how much her family’s portion of middle of nowhere is worth,” Alex deadpanned.
Mr. Porter didn’t hesitate. “Approximately eight million dollars.”
Everyone watched as Lucy slowly stepped back into the room.
“Well, shit,” Lucy breathed, pulling her sunglasses off her face.
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
“You can’t be serious,” Alex nearly yelled, dropping her fork back onto the plate of scrambled eggs in front of her.
“Alex, lower your voice,” Eliza warned. “And, unfortunately, I am serious. Mr. Porter figured you’d had enough surprises thrown at you yesterday, so he pulled me aside before he left. Your grandfather added another provision to the will. During the probationary year, Robert designated Kieth Sawyer to supervise the running of the ranch.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Alex spat. “I know how to run this ranch, and I don’t need anyone looking over my shoulder. It’s bad enough I have to deal with two people who know absolutely nothing about this place living here with us for the next year.”
Eliza closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking, “I know this isn’t ideal. Kieth Sawyer has always been good to us. I’m sure he only sees this as a formality. And you also need to remember that Lena and Lucy didn’t ask for this either. But they’ve decided to stay rather than let this ranch, our home, be turned over to the nature preserve.”
As if summoned by her name, Lucy walked into the kitchen. Dressed in floral satin shorts and top under a blue robe, Lucy rubbed her eyes as she made her way to the coffee machine.
“What’s for breakfast?” Lucy asked, taking a sip of her newly poured coffee.
“I don’t know how things are in that fancy city of yours, but around here we’ve got a thousand animals depending on us and we’ve got crops to raise. If you plan to stay, then you better plan to work,” Alex snarled as she grabbed her hat off of the table and dropped her plate in the sink on her way out the door.
Yanking keys from the pocket of her jeans, Alex whistled and opened the door to the back seat of her truck cab. A few moments later, a black and white border collie came barreling across the yard and jumped into the truck. Alex leaned in, scratching the dog behind the ears.
“Good girl, Gertrude,” Alex cooed, giving the dog one last pat before closing the door and climbing into the driver’s seat.
Mentally going over the to-do list ahead of her, Alex used the drive into the hills to dull her anger. She was either going to have to stock up on some good quality scotch or start looking into mediation if she was going to make it through the year.
Pulling into one of the old camps in the hills of the ranch, Alex turned off the truck and climbed out. Opening the back door to let Gertrude jump out and walking around to the bed of the truck, Alex dropped the tailgate and pulled out the tools she needed to repair a fence section that had begun to fall.
Dragging her tools to the fenceline, Alex focused on the task at hand. All of the voices, worries, and thoughts that had been on repeat in her mind went silent as she pulled back the tangled barbed wire and dug out the remaining portion of the rotting fence post.
With the new post in place, Alex worked to reattach the barbed wire. Sinking into the monotony of hammering fence staples in place, she lost track of Gertrude until a rabbit darted from a nearby bush, having been flushed out by the dog. Alex jumped at the sudden movement, catching her jeans on the barbed wire. A sudden, sharp pain radiated from her thigh as a barb cut through the denim and sliced across her skin.
“Shit,” Alex hissed, looking down to see blood trickle from the cut and begin to seep into her jeans.
The injury didn’t appear to be too deep. Alex returned to her truck and opened the passenger door, reaching for the first aid kit she kept under the seat. Rifling through the kit, Alex gathered the items she would need to clean and cover the wound. Despite the rip in her jeans, Alex realized the best way to access the wound was going to involve dropping her pants.
Grateful her only witness was a dog currently attempting to track another animal to chase, Alex unbuckled her jeans and slid them down to her knees, careful not to drag the fabric over her cut. With the items laid out on the passenger seat of the truck, Alex opened an antiseptic towelette and carefully cleaned the area. Once cleaned and treated, Alex placed a gauze pad over the cut and began applying tape to hold it in place.
“I’d be happy to help you out with that if you needed.”
Alex whipped around at the voice behind her, nearly falling as the pants around her knees hindered her movement.
Sitting astride a chestnut horse was Maggie Sawyer.
A small thrill went through Alex at the other woman’s presence, but it was quickly overshadowed by the realization that her pants were still around her knees. Turning her back on Maggie, Alex pulled her pants up, careful not to disturb the bandaging on her leg.
Pants and belt buckle secure, Alex turned back to find Maggie standing next to her horse, eyeing the rip in Alex’s jeans.
“You alright?” Maggie asked, a note of concern in her voice.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Alex answered, shutting the truck door and walking back toward the fence post. “Just a small cut. Nothing serious.”
“Can I help with anything?”
“Nope. Just about finished.” Alex tried not to be annoyed at Maggie’s offer. She could handle fixing a fence.
She hammered in the last two fence staples and began collecting her tools. As she walked back to her truck, Alex tried to hold in her irritation as she remarked, “I assume I can expect a visit from your uncle Keith. I’ve been informed he’ll be supervising my running of the ranch.”
“About that,” Maggie began, stepping closer to Alex and watching her put her tools in the bed of the truck. “Kieth asked me to supervise in his place.”
“What?” Alex snapped, turning toward Maggie, hands curled around her shovel.
Maggie took a step back holding her own hands up, “He’s been helping Beau get his ranch going over near Broadwater. He was concerned he wouldn’t be available if you needed anything. Plus he knew we were…friends.”
“Right. Friends,” Alex scoffed, tossing the shovel into the truckbed before slamming the tailgate closed. “So can I expect you to show up unannounced to make sure I’m not running things into the ground?”
“Alex, that’s not-”
“You know I’ve been handling most of the day-to-day for nearly thirteen years, right?” Alex cut Maggie off. “Robert may have been the owner on paper, but I was the one actually getting my hands dirty.”
Maggie took a tentative step forward. “Alex, I promise-”
Yanking her Stetson off of her head and pushing a hand into her hair, Alex interrupted again, “I already have to spend the next year dealing with two people who have no idea how a ranch runs, and now I can add you looking over my shoulder and telling me everything I’m doing wrong.”
“Alex!” Maggie yelled.
Scowling, Alex put her hat back on her head and looked at Maggie. There was a fire in the other woman’s eyes, daring Alex to say one more word. As Maggie stared Alex down, hands on her hips and jaw clenched, Alex struggled to silence the chorus of Maggie, hot, angry, hot that was suddenly running on a loop in her mind.
“I have absolutely no intention of telling you how to run your ranch. I know you know what you’re doing. But maybe try being a little more open to people offering to help out.”
Crossing her arms, Alex dropped her gaze to the ground between them. She knew Maggie didn’t deserve her anger, and she was inclined to believe the other woman’s words. This whole situation was just so completely fucked up.
Alex was about to apologize when high-pitched, rapid barking came from the other side of the old camp.
“Gertrude?” Alex called out, realizing she hadn’t noticed the dog since Maggie’s arrival.
Running toward the barking, Alex caught sight of Maggie pulling a rifle from the scabbard attached to her saddle before following. Once she reached the far side of the camp, she could see Gertrude standing just outside a three-sided barn, barking at something inside.
Before Alex could get any closer to the barn, Maggie grabbed her arm. “Danvers, wait, let me go first. Just in case.”
Wanting to argue, but also knowing there could be a number of dangerous possibilities for what had Gertrude on alert, Alex nodded and stepped behind Maggie. As they moved forward, an acrid odor hit Alex. She halted and placed a hand on Maggie’s hip to stop her. “Maggie, do you smell that?”
Maggie lowered her rifle and glanced over her shoulder at Alex before sniffing and scrunching up her nose. “That’s not a smell you easily forget.”
Easing around the side of the barn, the women found it empty except for a few remaining piles of hay and something laying in the back. No longer concerned they were in danger, Alex moved deeper into the barn, the odor growing stronger as the source became evident. Alex grimaced at the sight of a young, mutilated cow half buried in the hay.
“Jesus,” Maggie breathed, stepping up next to Alex.
“What would have done that?” Alex asked. “Cougar?”
Maggie shook her head, “I don’t think there’d be this much left if it was.”
“Coyote couldn’t have done this either,” Alex said, looking around the barn and stepping back toward the front of the building. “It’s almost like it was butchered.”
“There’s only one predator that does that,” Maggie murmured.
Back outside, Alex crouched next to Gertrude, scratching the dog’s ears as she surveyed the surrounding hills. Someone had been at the camp, and someone had killed one of her cattle, but Alex knew realistically that that someone was likely long gone. Still, she couldn’t get over the uneasiness in her gut.
“I need to get the herd out of the hills,” Alex stated, standing and making her way back to the other side of the camp where her truck was parked. “C’mon, Gertrude.”
As the dog took off past Alex, Maggie appeared on her left, walking alongside her. “We should probably do the same. I need to get back and let Keith know what we found.”
Back at the truck, Alex opened the door so Gertrude could leap into the cab. She turned to Maggie, who had already put her rifle back in the scabbard, and watched as she agilely mounted her horse. Alex’s eyes scanned over Maggie, imagining the muscles hidden beneath the other woman’s clothes as the chorus from before broke into her thoughts.
Hothothothothothot .
Shaking her head to clear her mind, Alex dropped her eyes to the ground. “I assume I’ll be seeing you soon so you can make sure I’m running things properly.”
“I meant what I said, Alex,” Maggie replied, looking down from where she sat on her horse.
“Right,” Alex nodded, scuffing the toe of her boot in the dirt. She turned to walk to the driver’s side of the truck.
“Hey,” Maggie called, causing Alex to stop and turn back toward her. “Be careful, okay?”
Alex couldn’t help but smile, “Yeah, you too.”
Offering a smile in return, Maggie prodded her horse in the direction of her family’s ranch and spurred it into a gallop. Alex watched until Maggie disappeared over a hill before finally climbing into her truck and heading back to her own ranch.