Page 34 of Wild Rose (Blue River Springs #1)
I’ve been quietly grateful for him leaving me to get this done all morning without “checking on me” like he said he would.
“Oh, well, I was just helping—”
Dallas holds up a sharp hand. “I wasn’t asking you.” He glances at the knocked-over bucket. “I believe you were just about to pick those up.” His voice is steel.
The kind of voice that demands respect.
It’s like all the stories I’ve heard about Dallas being hard-edged and intimidating, suddenly come to life.
His eyes and tone aren’t all that softer when he turns back to me, shifting his horse. “Rose?”
I shrug. “I’m stone picking.” I’m almost afraid to tell him why . I watched this man get into a fist fight for no real reason. If I told him right now that I was involved in attempting to steal a horse—Wilder’s horse, no less—he wouldn’t hesitate to fire me.
His eyes roam over the empty field. “I can see that. Why?”
“I, um .?.?.”
Another horse rolls up. One I recognize. Tuscan.
Wilder.
God, he looks so .?.?. clean. I bet he smells better too.
Wilder doesn’t smile when he pulls up next to his brother, holding my gaze like I’ve done something wrong. The muscle in his jaw ticks as he glares around the field and back at me.
What, am I not working fast enough for you?
“I .?.?. assumed you knew,” I say to Dallas.
Randy warns me with a vigorous headshake just as Nelson and Barry pull up on a tractor, several stone-filled buckets in the rear cargo.
I take my dirty hat off, setting it over a filled bucket, wincing from the muscle pain when I straighten. “I’ll let Randy tell you.”
The guy glares at me before looking up at his boss in defeat. “Nelson, Barry, and I planned to attend the Callahan Rodeo Friday night. We were going to sneak Tuscan off the ranch to compete. No—to win. In the name of Blue River Ranch.”
Dallas releases a deep breath, shaking his head.
“Rose overheard us and .?.?.”
“I offered to help.” I speak up over my pounding heart. I don’t know what this is. Heat exhaustion, Wilder’s hard glare, or just Randy pissing me off all morning, but I’m about to act out. “In fact, I thought it was a great idea. Even stood guard.”
Dallas smirks but keeps his eyes on the men.
“Not very well,” Randy mutters.
“Oh right, why don’t you tell him the version you told my brother. That I’m the reason you were caught.”
I catch Wilder rolling his eyes.
Randy shifts. “I exaggerated some parts. Anyway, he should tell his sister to stay out of our business.”
This is exactly why I didn’t want Wilder letting me off the hook today. I’m not some helpless, ignorant child.
Dallas flicks his gaze between me and Wilder, bored with all the accusations. “I heard enough. What’s happening now?”
“Wilder caught us and put the boys and me on stall duty and Rose on stones. Asked me to supervise.”
Dallas’s eyes drop to the spilled bucket. “I see you’re being real helpful.”
“Well, I—”
“Grab some gloves and finish the field.”
Randy dips to refill the bucket.
“No,” I shout.
Wilder snaps his head at me. “Rose. Go get cleaned up. You’re done.”
“I said no. I’m not finished here. I can do this.”
Wilder exhales a frustrated sigh. “Rose, that was—”
“An order?” I demand.
Dallas coughs into his fist. Wilder shoots him a glare.
Dallas rolls his eyes. “She’s right. It’s not fair. They were all involved. Boys,” he calls them over. “Why doesn’t everyone just apologize, and you can all call it a day.”
I hear them all mutter their apology, admitting it was wrong. While I stand here simmering with rage.
Dallas looks at me. “Rose. We didn’t hear you.”
“I’m sorry .?.?. we got caught.”
Dallas’s brows shoot up and he covers his mouth.
I fold my arms defiantly. “This city girl obviously works best alone .”
Randy cocks his head. “Excuse me?”
“No pun intended, but who’s bright idea was it to shut off the emergency lights?
” I put my hand up before anyone can argue.
“All I know is I had no problem sneaking out with stolen property my second night here. Couldn’t find an exit, so I fucking made one.
Meanwhile, three country boys couldn’t figure out how to quietly make it to a rodeo with a borrowed horse? Amateurs.”
I’m clearly having a tantrum right now. No one gives me enough credit.
Wilder’s scowl deepens. “Show’s over. I don’t care what you all do, just go,” he shouts at the men.
Randy and the others don’t hesitate to take off.
I stalk over to the buckets, lifting one to carry it back to the shed.
“Drop it,” Wilder barks, jumping off his horse. I only grip it tighter.
Dallas jumps off too. “Something you forget to tell me this morning?” he mutters to his brother.
“I’ve got a handle on it.”
The older brother—who looked downright lethal a moment ago—carefully takes the bucket from me, then shuffles my hair. “Nice job, sis.”
I frown up at him.
He shrugs. “Wes is family to us, which means you are too. Don’t let those guys get to you. And, if it helps, I’ll set things straight with your brother.”
I hold up my hand. “Don’t. I’ve got a reputation to uphold with my family.”
Dallas flicks his gaze between Wilder and me with uncontrolled amusement. “So .?.?. this all happened Friday night?”
“You got someplace else you could be?” Wilder growls.
He rubs his chin. “I suppose. See you back at the house .?.?. or not .?.?. that’s cool too.” He turns and climbs back over his dark horse, riding off.
Wilder picks up my hat and two of the stone buckets I filled, while I’m trying to figure out why Dallas was being so weird.
My eyes widen when I put it together. “Oh my God, he knows?”
“Grab the other one and follow me to the shed.”
I’m frozen in place when he glances back at me. “That’s an order.”