Page 32 of The Earl’s Wrangler (Cowboy Nobility #3)

“DO YOU think you could help me?” a man asked as Sawyer rode one of the trails around the edge of the village. He pulled to a stop and dismounted.

“I can try.” He was becoming used to folks stopping to talk to him. Word had gotten around that he had made repairs in the village, and a lot of people now asked for his advice.

“I don’t want to bother his Lordship.” Sawyer was quickly realizing that was their code for the fact that Randall still intimidated a lot of the people in the village, but they felt they could approach Sawyer.

“But we are having troubles. The windows in our cottage don’t always close well, so it can get cold in the winter, and the wind will blow in if it comes just right. ”

“How close by do you live?”

“Number 10, just up there,” he said, pointing.

Sawyer nodded. “Okay. Give me a few minutes and I’ll stop in to have a look.

” Great, he was going to end up drinking a ton more tea.

It was the villagers’ way of being polite, but he really wished they served coffee.

Still, he climbed back on Augustus and rode slowly into the village, paying close attention to traffic.

At number 10, he hitched the horse to one of the fence posts, which seemed sturdy enough.

There was plenty of grass for him to eat.

The front door opened and the man stepped out. “Charles Whinton,” he said.

“I’m—”

“We all know who you are, Mr. Kincaid,” he said, shaking his hand. “And thank you for coming. My wife has rheumatism pretty badly, and the cold and damp aren’t good for her.”

“How long have you lived here?” Sawyer asked as he followed Charles inside.

“Oh, almost fifty years one way or another. I grew up in this cottage, and when my mum was ill, we returned to help her, and after I got a job here in the village, we stayed.” He led Sawyer to the kitchen, where the windows had developed gaps.

“The frames seem sturdy enough,” Sawyer said as he checked around and then stepped back.

“The window frame is fine, but the sill under the window has gone soft, probably from years of cooking and dishes.” He checked the other areas around the window.

They seemed solid and dry. “Let me see where I can find a new sill. What I’ll need to do is take out the old window, put in the new sill, and then size it before putting the window back in.

That ought to fix it, and it shouldn’t take too long. ”

“Oh, thank you. It will be nice this winter not having to worry about the cold air.” He seemed relieved.

“It’s no problem. Let me see what I can do, and I’ll stop in to let you know.” He paused before leaving the cottage. “You know you can talk to Randall about your issues.”

“His Lordship….”

“Is a real good man, and he cares about the village and everyone in it. I know he’s been gone a lot, but that’s going to change.

And he’s no more important than you or your wife.

Maybe it’s the American in me, but everyone is equal.

If the earl is your landlord, then he owes you the maintenance of your cottage, just as surely as you owe him the rent.

I’m happy to help, but Randall will help you as well. ”

Charles seemed shocked. “I can’t go directly to his Lordship. That’s just… it almost doesn’t feel right.”

“I’m starting to understand that, but Randall is a good person and he wants to help.

” Sawyer smiled and then left the cottage and got back on Augustus before heading back toward the estate.

They made their way back around the village on the back trail.

All the people they passed waved, and Sawyer tipped his hat before heading off into the woods.

“Where have you been?” Randall asked warmly as soon as Sawyer approached the stable.

“I rode to the village and got corralled. Charles at number 10 is having trouble with one of his windows. The sill is gone and it’s letting air inside. Is there an issue?”

“I don’t think so. Arthur said he tried calling you, but he didn’t get an answer, so he contacted the office. He wants to come out tomorrow to speak with you before he returns to the States.”

“I’ll call him and set it up after I rub Augustus down. I also need to find something to use to make a new windowsill.” He walked Augustus into his stall, removed the saddle, and got a brush to rub him down.

“I got up and you were gone,” Randall told him.

“You were tired, and I wanted to go for a ride. Clive was here earlier to see to the horses, but I told him I’d take care of Augustus when I returned.”

“But…,” Randall started.

“Look, I needed some time so I could think, and I always do that better when I’m riding.” He paused his brushing. “I know what you want, and I’m grateful for the offer. I really am.”

“But you’re telling me no?” Randall said.

“No. I’m saying that I need a little time to get my head around it.

Staying here is a lot of change. It’s not just being with you, but everything is going to be different.

I have to figure out what my place here is going to be and if that is going to make me happy.

” He continued with what he was doing. “I know you care for me, and I feel the same way. I think we can be happy. But you know that love isn’t enough.

We each have to have our place. You were born into yours, and whether you like it or not, you are the earl and have everything that goes with it.

The people here all respect you and think a lot of you. Maybe more than you think of yourself.”

“I’m sure that isn’t true.”

“But it is. Your people come to me with their issues because they don’t want to bother you with them. It’s like you’re too important for them to bother you. I don’t get that, but maybe it’s just something inherent in the society here.”

“But you do have a place. You’d be my partner. Everyone already comes to you with their problems because you’re approachable, at least to them.”

“I don’t want that,” Sawyer said. “I don’t want to be thought of as an extension of you.”

Randall sighed and stepped into the stall.

“You aren’t. Think of it this way. Society in this country goes back hundreds of years.

We’re all born into it, and our role in society, especially in a small village, is ingrained in us.

People defer to me because they have always deferred to the earl.

I carry a lot of weight simply because I own so much of the area.

And they feel that if they get on my bad side, they could be evicted.

I know that some of my predecessors did that, and these people have a lot to lose.

I would never do that to anyone, but they don’t know that. ”

“I get that.”

“But you’re more approachable, and they like you.

You’re accessible, and everyone feels they can talk to you.

” Randall slipped his arms around his waist. “Why do you think I opened up to you?” He kissed the back of Sawyer’s neck, sending a zing down him.

“Everything about you says that you are easy to be with and that you know how to keep a secret. You aren’t going to blab whatever you hear around the village.

So if you want my advice, go with it. If you want a role, then I think this is it.

You’d manage the repairs and upgrades to all the estate buildings.

I trust you to do it well, and the people already know that you’ll do your best for them. ”

Sawyer huffed. “Fine. If that’s what you want me to do, then how can I argue with it? But I’m serious. There’s a lot of work to be done, and it’s going to take money, so we’re going to need to figure out additional sources of revenue.”

“I’m still not sure about the ‘tea with an earl’ thing. It’s too close to playing on my title. And I don’t want to do that. But there are some other ideas that I have. Maybe we can sit down with Celeste and the other estate staff and get some of their input.”

“Fine.” He slowly turned in Randall’s arms and kissed him softly. “I need to finish up, and then I have a window to fix. Maybe you can set up this meeting with the staff, because we are going to need funds sooner rather than later.”

“Okay. I’m on it.” Randall left him alone with the horse, and Sawyer finished the brushing before leaving the stall to get to work.

“ALAN,” SAWYER said into his phone as he paced along the verge that stretched out through the main lawn. “I need your help.” If anyone could help him cut through the hamster wheels in his head, it was Alan.

“What’s wrong?” Alan asked.

“Nothing, or I don’t know if anything is wrong. Randall has asked me to stay.” He swallowed hard.

“That’s great.” Alan sounded happy. “But you aren’t sure you want to.”

“I wish it was that easy.”

“Okay. I’ll tell you that it was hard for me to leave home and come here. I’m not going to lie to you. Some people accepted me, while others didn’t. But there will always be folks like that, and I say screw them. You can’t live your life on what others think.”

“I get that. But how did you fit in? We’re cowboys, and George and Randall live in a world that seems almost unreal. When does the other shoe drop?”

“Let me ask you this. Does Randall love you for who you are? Has he ever expected or asked you to change?”

“No.” Sawyer wouldn’t anyway. “He likes me for who I am.”

Alan was quiet. “The real question is how you feel about him. Randall can’t leave.

His role is too tied to the estate and the people on it.

He may be able to leave for a few weeks or a month, but he can’t just chuck it all and move to Wyoming to be with you.

It isn’t going to work that way. So know that.

It is the way it is. The question you have to answer is, do you love him enough to stay and make a place for the two of you?

Make that pile he lives in a home? A real home? ”

Sawyer swallowed. “What about all the legal stuff?”