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She’s been on an emotional roller coaster with work and the pregnancy and planning the wedding. I tried taking the reins on a few things, but she chewed me out and told me it would stress her out to have a man planning her wedding, so I backed off.
“You okay? Seem awful quiet,” Trent says as we work on a tractor together.
“Just feeling sorry for myself is all. Feels like I can’t do anything right lately.”
He hands me a wrench. “How so?”
“With Brook. Poor girl is emotional with the pregnancy, and work is just so busy I feel like she’s not taking care of herself properly. I tried stopping by her office a few times to bring her lunch or check in on her, but she told me she knew what she was doing and she can take care of herself.”
Trent chuckles. “Glad it’s not just me.”
I roll out from under the tractor and give him a questioning look.
“She’s been on one at work lately with me too. She can be bossy, so you’ve got your work cut out for you.”
“Yeah, it’ll pass, though. She’s overworked right now, so I’m just trying to give her space while also being there for her. It’s a mindfuck, I won’t lie.”
“I was scared she was going to rip my head off when I went to apologize to her for the engagement party, but she was actually really understanding. She did say I had to apologize to Amelia before the wedding. Not looking forward to that.”
Brooklyn and I actually had a bit of a fight this morning. Nothing major—she just felt frustrated once again that I was being overprotective. She said I made her feel like I thought she was incompetent and not taking care of herself or the baby. It wasn’t my intention at all, but this is so new to me too. It just feels like we aren’t working together, and we’re both drowning a little.
“We got poachers!” Ranger shouts down the long hallway of the barn.
Trent and I whip our heads around and walk toward him.
“You saw them?” I ask, and Ranger nods.
“Saw their truck. It was pulled off the road with some brush thrown over it. They’re up by pasture six.”
“I’ll mount up,” I say, walking toward the stables to get Misty.
“I’m coming with you. I bet you anything it’s these fucking land vultures swooping in.”
We saddle up our horses and I grab my shotgun. You can’t be too careful out here in the wilderness. People like to think the Wild West days are gone, but to Trent’s credit, some of these folk out here are downright dirty and they’ll make damn sure you won’t tell anyone about it.
This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with poachers, and I know it won’t be the last. Usually, it’s just a hunter who didn’t realize the land was private, but every once in a while, you get some rich schmuck who thinks the rules don’t apply to him. Most of the time, I can handle it, but we never go alone when we run into one.
Trent grabs his pistol and slides it in his holster.
“Don’t do anything stupid with that,” I say, saddling Misty. “Keep it holstered unless I say, you understand?”
Trent isn’t an idiot, but he can act on impulse, as he displayed at the engagement party. The last thing I need right now is him getting hyped up and running his mouth to some poor father and son who unknowingly crossed onto our land.
“I’m not stu—”
I stop Misty in her tracks and reach over to grab his saddle.
“This isn’t a negotiation, Trent. You listen to me out there. This is my ranch and my land. When we’re at the office and in the boardroom, I listen to you and I don’t try to cowboy your meetings. But I’m the one in charge here.”
He nods and we both take off to follow Ranger up to pasture six. I hate to pull rank on him like this, but Trent doesn’t realize just how quickly these situations can turn from dangerous to deadly, and I’m not leaving behind a pregnant widow.
Ranger takes us right to where he found the truck. Decker is still there.
“You see ‘em yet, Deck?” I ask as we ride up.
“Nope. Nothin’ yet.”
I dismount and look at the truck.
