Page 81 of We Drank the Dawn

His grip was firm. “Hey, man.”

“Thanks for comin’ in. Have a seat.”

I eased down next to Jesse, fighting the urge to immediately spew defenses and jump to apologies before the trial officially started. Whatever I did, it was an accident. An accident. I loved my job here. Meadowbrook felt like home now and I didn’t know what I would do if I had to leave. I had nowhere to go, no real skills, no friends outside. I’d saved a little bit of money, but not enough to go create a whole new life. Leaving the ranch would mean homelessness. And I’d be right back at square one.

Jesse’s head lulled my direction as he said, “We were just talking about Tag’s interview with the Alliance. It’s today at three.”

“Nice,” I said, my voice a strained rasp. “You nervous?”

“Very.” Tag gave a soft chuckle. “Talkin’ to a bunch of cameras isn’t my…” His words trailed off as he frowned. “You alright? Your face is white.”

My throat pulled with a heavy swallow, fighting against the storm of emotions brewing beyond my control. “I’m just—wondering what I did. Whatever it was, I’m sorry, Tag, and I didn’t mean to. This job means a lot to me and I don’t want to leave and I⁠—”

“Whoa, wait a second. Breathe, Cooper.” Tag said, using a tone he took with skittish horses. “You’re not in trouble. Not at all.”

“I’m not?”

Tag and Jesse shared a glance and started chuckling like something was funny.

“No.” Tag spoke with a laugh as he sat forward, his gray and hazel eyes roaming my face. “You didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, you’re doin’ a lot right.”

“I am?”

“Yeah. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You’re doin’ a great job. And I got the full scoop on what happened Saturday night. I’m proud of you. Walkin’ away ain’t easy.”

Suddenly, the angry wind whipping the sails around in my chest and jerking my heart a thousand different directions began to dissipate. I averted my gaze, studying the filing cabinets behind his desk as heat lifted to my eyes. “I don’t feel proud. I never should have gone.”

Jesse nodded. “Been there, buddy.” I turned my head, watching his side profile as he spoke about the way Bill down at the Tasty Mart saved his ass the day before he met Hollie. “If I would’ve been hung over when I picked Hollie up at the airport, I wouldn’t be married right now.”

My muscles released their tension—one by one—as Tag chimed in, talking about his early days of sobriety and how hard they were.

Lacing his fingers behind his head, Tag sat back in the chair, moving it back and forth as he changed his tone to something more business-like. “Anyway, to get right to it, I need your help.”

“Okay.”

“First of all, I know you really don’t want to run rodeos, but…” Tag paused for dramatic effect. “Would you be willin’ to run the sheep into Austin on Friday night?”

I thought for a moment, still struggling to shift gears. “Yeah…maybe. What kind of rodeo is it?”

He filled me in. Amateur stockyards. One night. Adjacent to a campground.

“You can take someone with you and we’ll touch base after to make sure it went well.”

By went well he meant that I stayed sober and didn’t get into trouble.

Hope and fear mingled in my chest as a hesitant, “Yeah, I think I can do that” slipped from my unready lips. More responsibility meant more trust. And even though I craved that, more trust meant higher stakes. And more chances to fail.

“Next order of business is Peter. He’s been in that fifth wheel since Sunday. Bea and Hollie have both gone down there every day, tryin’ to get him up and out, but he’s not cooperatin’. There’s several problems with that. First of all, the Holmes need the fifth wheel this weekend. Second, he can’t just bum around forever. And third, our wives love him too much to let him self-sabotage and that’s definitely what he’s doin’ right now. So later today, I’m goin’ down there to talk to him and let him know he’s gotta move to the bunkhouse and start workin’ the ranch like everyone else or he’s gotta make plans to leave by breakfast tomorrow. My gut says he’ll stay and work. And, if that’s what he chooses, I want you to train him.”

I fought the urge not to recoil. “Me? Why me?”

“Well, Harlan’s got other duties this week, and I think you can do it.”

“Can’t Cody or Rudy do it?” To be honest, my interactions with Peter had been less than stellar and leading a blind guy around the ranch sounded like a royal pain.

“Rudy doesn’t have the maturity. And Cody is…” Tag shook his head. “A loose cannon. I don’t really trust him. Between us, I doubt Cody will be employed here long term.”

That was news to me. True, Cody was a bit unpredictable and had to be reminded of the rules, but he could still train Peter. Dragging a pitch fork through manure wasn’t rocket science.