“Hi, Mindy! Good to see you out here.”
“Mornin’, Bo. I noticed that one of the horses is getting a supplement to her feed. Why is that?”
“Vet diagnosed her with an ulcer so she’s being supplemented with an edible clay. She’s eating better. Feeling better. Aren’t you girl?” Bo rubbed the neck of the horse.
“What do you think of Creed Hawke working here?” She watched several expressions flicker across his face.
“Been here for almost three months now.”
“I was shocked.” She followed him inside. “Do you mind if I ask if you were hurt? I noticed you’re limping.”
He grabbed a shovel from the corner. “Don’t mind at all.” He patted his thigh. “I tripped at home over my dog, Susie, and broke my leg. The son-of-a-gun hasn’t healed completely.”
“I’m glad you’re still here at Sage Ranch.”
“I won’t be much longer.”
“Why?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Is that because Creed is working here?”
“No, but he’s hiring a few new hands and it’s best this old coot does what he should have done a couple of years ago.”
“Daddy hired them?” Had she heard wrong?
“Rusty didn’t hire them. Creed did.” Bo shoveled up dirty straw off the floor and dropped it into the wheel barrel.
Several seconds floated by as she absorbed what he was saying. “Creed hired them. Why?”
“Yes, ma’am. Don’t look so astonished, girl. Creed’s a good man. He didn’t push me out. He’s doing some good changes around here.”
“What’s going on, Bo?” She removed her gloves and laid them on the workbench. She’d suspected from the start that they were all hiding something from her.
He lifted his gaze from the floor. “Mindy—”
“Is there something I need to know?”
He blew out a long breath and shrugged. “I mind my own business and I’d like to keep it that way.” He went back to mucking the stall.
“We’ve known each other for a long time. What am I missing?”
He paused in shoveling. “Mindy, you haven’t been here in a long time. Best I can tell you is talk to your Pa.” He turned his back to her, signaling the end of the discussion.
Realizing the discomfort of the hand, she didn’t pressure him. He wouldn’t give her any information anyway.
She went in search of her daddy and found him standing in the center of a circle of hands.
When he saw her, he stopped talking.
Stepping up to the group of men, they all greeted her with a nod. Her father shifted from one dusty boot to another.
“Go on and get back to work,” Rusty commanded and the men dispersed.
“I’d like to speak to you, Daddy.”
“I’m headed to take care of some business.” He turned and strolled toward his truck parked along the grass.
She caught up to him as he opened the driver’s door. “Since when did Creed take over the running of this ranch?”
“What do you mean?” He slid behind the wheel.
“Hiring hands. Making decisions regarding the livestock. I don’t know a lot about ranching but how does a hand take over unless he’s boss?”
He narrowed his grey gaze on her. “You’re right, you don’t know much about ranching so stick to what you know.”
“I know enough that I can sniff out bull crap when I smell it. What’s going on around here that you’re not telling me?”
“If you were so good with sniffing out bull crap then why didn’t you sniff out that your husband was having an affair? Or that he was a self-absorbed jerk from the very beginning? I’d say you need to worry about your personal life before you start worrying about what’s going on here.”
“I do have my personal life in order.”
“Really? Could have fooled me,” he huffed.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The wrinkles around his eyes and mouth softened some. “Listen, I’m glad you’re here, but I don’t need you to start nagging me about the running of this place. For nineteen years you haven’t cared about Sage Ranch. Are you sure you care now?”
She took a step away from the door as he started the engine.
He pulled away and she stood there for the longest time, long after the dust cloud faded. A cold grip held her.
Mindy had other ways of finding out important information.
Following the worn path up to the house, she stepped inside and made her way down the hall and into the office, closing the door behind her and locking it. The place was a cluttered mess with stacks of papers and files on the desk, on the chair and an overflowing trash can. Scooping up the pile on the chair, she laid them on the desk and sat down, scooting the chair closer. Most of the paperwork were paid invoices, but at the bottom she found an envelope marked “Deed”.
Lifting the flap, she took out the thick document and unfolded it, skimming the words, “Deed of sale” “Transferred to Creed Hawke” “Sold”. Her heart sunk. Oh no! What had her father done? Why did he sell the ranch to Creed?
How could he do this?
How could Daddy not tell me?
Staring at the legal document until her temples ached, anger scoured through her. Why didn’t either one of them mention this? How was this possible? Why would her father sell the land?
Taking the envelope with her, she stomped outside and got into her car. The tires sent dirt flying as she pressed on the gas pedal and spun out toward the road. Pulling over next to the barn, she waved one of the younger hands over. He shyly stepped up next to the driver’s door, resituating his Stetson at least a dozen times before he finally gave her a smile.
“Hi there, uh….?”
“Grady.”
“I’m Mindy.” She forced a smile on her
