Page 99 of Take My Name

chapter seventeen

Warren

Goingto work after such a disastrous morning feels wrong. There’s no way I’ll be productive, but it beats sitting at home alone. I need to get out of my office today and work up a sweat. Something to keep my mind off her.

I close my laptop and go in search of Bodie. I find him with Ricky and Colton.

Of course.

“Hey! He’s alive.” Bodie cracks up.

“I’m surprised y’all are too.”

“So how’d it go last night?” Colton waggles his brows.

“Not great.” I shift my gaze to Bodie. “I’m gonna work in the pasture today.”

“We were about to unload the hay and straw bales from the trailer.”

“Delivery arrived?”

“Yeah, a few minutes ago.”

Oh shit. I’m usually the one who signs off on it.

“Don’t worry, I checked it over,” Bodie says, pulling on his gloves. “If you wanna help, we’re goin’ to the loft now.”

I nod, rushing to my office to grab my gloves, and then meet them outside.

The loft’s above the stables, half for hay, the other half for straw, which means we’re constantly going up and down the stairs until it’s full. We keep a stock of each in a stall for easy accessibility, but someone has to restock it when it gets low.

We recruit a couple other ranch hands and manage to finish within an hour. I’m drenched in sweat, but it felt good to stay busy and do some physical work.

For the rest of the morning, I switch between mucking stalls and checking emails. Bodie knows something’s up, but he doesn’t pressure me to talk about it. Honestly, I’m not sure what to say or if I want to admit I failed.

But I do need to get it off my chest without fear it’ll get back to the rest of my family.

Warren

I signed the papers.

Silas

Already? I thought you had seven days.

Warren

Change of plans.

Silas

I can leave work early if you need someone to drown your sorrows with, or if you prefer another route, I’ll drive us to a strip club.

I snort. No way his fiancéewould care for that.

Warren

Thanks, but I think I’d rather drink alone.