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“No, you won’t. Get your gear together while I find a man to drive you to town. You’re fired.”
Lute straightened. His lip curled in contempt. “My cousin Sky might have something to say about that.”
“Sky works for me. And I don’t care if he’s your blasted twin brother. If he was here, he wouldn’t just fire you, he’d beat you till you couldn’t piss standing up. The one thing he won’t stand for is some idiot mishandling a horse. You’re to be outside in fifteen minutes. Somebody will be coming by for you. He’ll have your back pay. After that, I never want to see your lazy ass around here again!”
Beau strode downstairs and outside, his step lightened by the sureness that he’d done the right thing. Once he heard the story behind his cousin’s dismissal, Sky would be fine with it. The man was slow to anger where most things were concerned, but Will had mentioned seeing him break the jaw of a cowhand he’d caught whipping one of the horses.
Jasper had just finished breakfast in the kitchen with Bernice. The old man would be free to drive Lute into town. Maybe he’d even impart a few words of wisdom into the young fool’s ears. But Beau couldn’t imagine Lute would listen.
Replacing him would be easy enough. With school letting out, there’d be plenty of husky kids eager to work for the Tylers and earn a little college money. He’d give Jasper a notice to post at Burger Shack when he got into town. Meanwhile, he could get one of the regular hands to do the job.
Before going back to the house, he stopped by the mare barn to check on Lupita. He found her nursing her foal, looking fine. She’d be hungry this morning. He’d get her some hay as soon as he saw Jasper off.
Lute had told the old man to let him off at the Blue Coyote. He climbed to the ground, shouldered his backpack, and watched as the pickup pulled away. The ride to town had taken forever, with the old-timer driving under the speed limit and lecturing him on the virtues of honesty and hard work all the way. Screw that! Lute swore silently. He’d shoveled shit for the last time.
Slade was bound to be sore about the firing. But maybe the news that he’d pretty much caught Slade’s wife in the hay with Beau Tyler would make up for that. Lute was counting on Slade to give him more work. Maybe now that he’d proved his worth, he could even get his license and be hired as a driver. He could drive a pickup. How much harder could a big truck be?
The bar wasn’t open yet, but peering through the gap between the plastic blind slats, Lute could see somebody moving around inside, cleaning or setting up. Maybe Stella would give him some work, too, or at least help him with a place to sleep. He had to find something. If he had to pay for food and a motel room, the back pay he’d gotten from the ranch wouldn’t last him more than a few days. He could be faced with living on the street or hitching his way back to Oklahoma.
Stepping up to the door, he knocked. After a brief silence, it opened a few inches. Lute found himself staring into the sharp, black eyes of Nigel, the bartender.
“We’re closed,” Nigel growled.
“I . . . I know,” Lute stammered, thinking he’d give his right arm to inspire the kind of fear that man did. “I need to talk to Stella.”
Looking past Nigel, Lute saw that Stella had come out of the back. He caught her eye. “It’s all right,” she said. “Let the boy in.”
She motioned Lute to a stool at the bar and sat down next to him. She was dressed in a loose tank top that showed her black bra straps at the shoulders. With her face bare of makeup, she looked older than she had the first time he’d seen her, more like somebody’s mother. Up close, he could see the graying roots of her hair.
A box of stale doughnuts lay open on the bar. Lute eyed them hungrily.
“Help yourself,” she said. “I was just going to throw them out. So tell me why you aren’t at work. What happened?”
“Got fired.” Lute spoke while cramming his mouth full. “Damned Tyler blamed a sick horse on me. Wasn’t my fault, but anyway, I need work and a place to stay. Is Slade around?”
“He won’t be back till tonight. Can’t say he’ll be too happy about your getting fired. But I’ll see that he gives you some kind of work and a back room at the trucking company. For me, it’ll be better than having you at the ranch. Now you can really keep an eye on him.”
Lute stared at her, puzzled. “Slade’s bound to be mad. What makes you so sure he’ll hire me?”
“Because I own his business.”
“What?” The last of Lute’s strawberry doughnut dropped to the floor.
Stella shrugged. “He was having money troubles last year, about to lose the place. I bought him out, and now it’s mine. Not many people know that, including that stuck-up little wife of his, so I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it to yourself, even with Slade.”
“Sure. But I thought Slade had plenty of money.”
“He does—now that I’ve set him up with some of my business connections. We split whatever he brings in. But lately I’ve had the feeling he’s been holding out on me, making deals on his own. That’s why I want you to keep your eyes open. A hundred a week, just like before. Deal?” She held out her hand. Her fake crimson nails were long and sharp.
“Deal.” Lute accepted the handshake.
Stella smiled like a satisfied cat. “Now, how’s about some coffee to go with those doughnuts, honey?” she said.
Why did so many emergencies have to happen at night? And why two nights in a row? Natalie struggled to keep her eyes open as she drove her SUV homeward over the back roads. Tonight her patient, a yearling stud, had been found tangled in barbed wire. The thrashing colt had to be tranquilized while the wire was clipped away and the deep wounds dressed.
The young horse would be all right, but Natalie was exhausted. All she wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed.
Slade was due home tonight. With luck, he’d be out cold. If she could sneak into the spare bedroom, where she’d been sleeping since the night she’d accused him of cheating, she might be able to get some needed rest.
