Page 8 of Stirring Up Trouble (Saddle Up #1)

Six

Blaze

I was going to have to beat the shit out of my ranch hand.

There was nothing else for me to do.

Not only had Corny been talking to Robin when I approached them, but the motherfucker was all smiles and happy-go-lucky.

Then when I left and walked around the corner just to listen and see what happened next, I saw him wink.

He fucking winked.

Now, obviously, death was the only option because I couldn't have anything coming between me and my future. It was only fair.

It might have been a distant future. One with a low probability of even happening since I wasn’t all the way sure what I intended to do with the man who’d stolen my eye.

But I did know what I’d do with Corny.

Sure, I could fire him. Maybe let him go somewhere else. But what if he got a wild hair to track down Robin later?

Like at the Coleman ranch, which he apparently spent his time at.

I knew Atticus Coleman well. Had worked with his men through various channels for years. And though my stepfather was never a fan, I understood that he had taken his father's ranch and turned it into something even more amazing than it was.

Leslie calling in the favor was merely because I wasn't all that great at asking people for help. It was easier for me to outsource that.

But her handling Robin and his suitors would not work for me. I had tried to be rude without being mean. I wanted to push him away without pushing him too far.

It was stupid of me. I knew that much because it was the whole 'pulling the pigtails' on the playground kind of scenario.

How would I ever get the man to care about me or love me if I treated him poorly?

Yet, I knew that it would only take one smile from me, one kind of word, and the two of us would be embroiled in something that would completely disrupt my plans.

I needed the rodeo to go well. Needed the ranch to keep growing.

I was trying to do what Atticus had done. I wanted to revive this ranch, to have people put their trust in me. And while I didn't have all the fancy features he did, I knew that I could build something great too.

It would just take time and focus.

The rodeo was the initial obstacle. After that, I would have more room. I'd have more time to assess for the future.

“Do I need to call a dentist to come check you? You're clenching that jaw awfully hard there, Blaze,” Leslie drawled as she dropped into the empty chair across from my desk in the makeshift office at the back of the arena.

I shook my head as I drummed my fingers on the top of the wood. “I don't need to see a damn dentist. I’m fine.”

She kicked her feet up and put her hands behind her head. “Oh yeah, I'm sure you are. Got yourself a cute little man here who's interested, but you can't do anything about it all because there are made up rules in your head. Pretty dumb to me.”

“It's not dumb to want to focus on what's important right now.”

Her head dropped back as she groaned loudly.

“Do you even hear yourself? What does any of this matter if you don't have someone to share it with?

If the love of my life, the woman of my dreams, the fairest of them all, strolled into this stadium tomorrow, I would put both middle fingers in the air at you and run off with her to have a good time.

And that's saying something because I love you, and I love this place, and I want to help.

But sometimes you got to be a little selfish.

Besides, I would bring her back, and we would get to work afterwards.

You know, the initial part's important too. The whole claiming and letting them know they matter bit.”

I chuckled at her fervent plea. “It is different for me, you know. Besides, what am I supposed to do about liking him? Before shit went down, I’d thought I’d find a woman to settle down and build a family with.

Hell, I’ve been dating women my whole life.

And before you give me a whole ass speech, we both know that I'm not bothered by this new change, obviously. I can accept that I find this man attractive and would like to be with him romantically. But it just feels too…” I stopped, unsure of the word.

Leslie dropped her feet and leaned forward, elbows to her knees, as she stared at me, serious for once.

“It feels different, I know. It might even feel a little strange because it's not what you're used to.

And I know that your mind is probably already twisted up trying to figure out how you'll be a Daddy to him when that's not what you had imagined. But,” she held her hand up when I began to protest, “but nothing else really has to change.

Yeah, some of the logistics of body parts is a little different, but sex is sex.

Really, it just comes down to you learning and caring and embracing this man who is damn near perfect for you.

Did you see your horse? Because I did. I was damn near having a heart attack all the way across the arena.

She won't even let me pet her, yet she was basically claiming him as hers.”

I smiled as I thought about my angel. She was hell on four legs, that was for sure. Part of the reason I loved her so much is because she could keep people at bay.

And yet Robin had made it through her shields. He had gotten her attention in a good way. It was like a vote of confidence from her to let him pet and nuzzle her that way.

I knew that everyone would be talking about it because my horse was legendary.

At the same time, I couldn't really do anything about it.

I couldn't make all my decisions based on a few small facts.

“You got to let it go for now, Leslie. Whatever happens, happens. We don't have long before everything gets moving. It's day one, and I want it to go off without a hitch.”

Without a hitch turned out to be a big ask.

There were all kinds of little wobbles throughout the day. In the end though, it was pretty good.

I kept my businessman hat on as I spoke with people and greeted families. I smiled and laughed. Got a few claps on the back, even some hugs, and a few kisses on my cheek.

Overall, it was good. There was much more love floating around than there was hate or dislike.

The only sore spot was watching Robin.

It seemed like I was drawn to him all day long.

Wherever he was, my feet would be moving there before I could understand what I was doing.

I would tell myself I wanted a snack and when I got there, he'd be standing talking to one of the cooks about a recipe.

Or I would say I need to go check on an event, and he would be there with a clipboard talking to people and checking on the animals.

By the end of the day, I knew that I couldn't ride home in a truck with him. It wasn't even a possibility.

I pulled Leslie aside and asked her to drive them back to the ranch.

"Where are you going to stay?" she asked.

I pointed behind me towards the office area. "You know I've got a cot in there. It'll do for the night."

She frowned and shook her head. "You're an idiot, Blaze Anders. You know that?"

"I've been told that my whole life," I said back to her, my grin smug.

She knew what I had meant by those words.

A lot of people who didn't like seeing me and my family on the ranch liked to say I was stupid or that I would never amount to anything.

Those same people now came to me for a chance to showcase their animals in the rodeo or because they needed grazing lands for their cattle.

They watched me prove them wrong and had to come back with their tail tucked between their legs apologizing for how they were.

Leslie sighed and pulled me into a quick hug. "I know that it can be scary to open your heart, but you've really got to work past this. I'll take them home and bring them back in the morning. After that, I'm out of it. I will drive all the way back home every night if I have to."

I shook my head at her vow, knowing she would make the extra-long trip just to spite me. "That won't be an issue," I said. "It's just the first day. I still need to adjust."

With that, I gave her my keys and watched her leave.

I waited for a bit, then moved into my office and shut the door.

I took a deep breath knowing that I would finally be alone.

Sure, there would be others around keeping an eye on things for the night, but it would mostly be shut down until the early hours.

A few of the cowboys who had their trailers here would be up drinking and singing. There might even be a few bonfires.

I would tune it all out. I needed as much sleep as I could get to face Robin tomorrow.

You ever felt like someone took a two by four and just smacked you in the back of the neck with it? Well that's pretty much how I felt whenever I woke up on the cot. Half on, half off of it would be a better description.

The damn thing was far too small for me, a fact I had forgotten when I told Leslie I would stay.

But it was what I needed.

I felt more resolved as I shut off my alarm and forced myself to crawl into a position where I could stretch and stand up. It was a struggle, each muscle and vertebrae cracking and popping until I was back to myself.

After thirty, it was like the body just changed on you. I wasn’t far over that marker, yet it aged me greatly. Then again, it could have been all the years of ranch work too. It wasn’t an easy career.

I went about getting clean and throwing on an extra set of clothes I had tucked away in the closet.

I figured I could replace them later since I wouldn't be staying again. You couldn’t pay me to spend another night on the cot from hell.

Besides, the clothes were meant to be a backup, which is exactly why they were handy today.

There was a knock on my door right as I made up my mind to go hunt down some food.

“Come in,” I called out.

It opened, and, of course, Robin's head stuck through. “Good morning! I have food for you.”

My eyes widened as I watched him step through. He held out a foil covered plate to me.

“Leslie said that there would be food here for you, but Ms. Connie made some delicious biscuits and gravy. The least I could do was bring you some in case you didn't have anything yet.”

Robin set the plate on the desk and stepped back towards the door.

I remained frozen in my chair. My eyes shifted between him and the plate a few times before I stood.

“Thank you,” I said, voice gruff. “That was very kind.”

Robin's cheeks went pink as he stammered out, “You’re welcome.”

He spun around, then attempted to open the door a few times before it actually came loose.

“I’m just gonna go. Sorry to bother you. Bye.”

He left quickly, shutting the door behind him so quietly I would have believed this was all a figment of my imagination if not for the plate before me.

When I sat back down and pulled the foil off I nearly groaned. Ms. Connie was a gift to this world. I scarfed down the biscuits and gravy and wiped my mouth while I thought about the man who had brought it to me.

He'd been shy and reserved. I'm sure it had to do with the fact that I had been rude to him the day before. Yet it almost seemed like he was nervous around me for a different reason. Just thinking of him was addictive. I needed to know what it was about him that had me all caught up.

Why couldn't I think of anyone else?

Or had I even tried?

Thinking about the app that I normally used for partnering scenes when I had the urge to be Daddy, I remembered that they had a setting to choose your preferred partner’s gender.

I whipped out my phone quickly, excited at the prospect.

Not because I wanted someone new, but because I could test a theory.

I went into my settings and changed it over, then pulled back up the selections. Gender wouldn’t make me any less of a Daddy than I was before.

Though as I scrolled through the various profiles, none of them stood out to me. I didn't want to message one and tell them that they were a good boy, nor did I picture any of them spread out before me and waiting for me to change their clothes or give them a bottle.

I had done all the different types of play there were and while I often adjusted to my partner's desires, I had a few of my own. I could see that there was no one making me want what I desired with Robin.

I closed out the app, threw away my trash, and decided to get to work. I would have time to fantasize later.

For now, I had a rodeo to coordinate.