Chapter 3

C hapter T hree

The following week was a hard one with plenty to do. “You coming into town with us? It’s Saturday, and all the guys are going to have some fun. You should come too.” Dusty was one of those guys who was always just too happy. At first, Hazard had steered clear of him, if only because he wasn’t sure what the guy’s deal was, but Dusty genuinely had that happy puppy disposition.

Hazard leaned against the handle of the pitchfork. Sometimes, he felt like there was an old man inside his young body.

“Yeah, you should come,” Hank called as he approached with a group of other hands all dressed and ready to go. “Put the pitchfork away, put on a fresh shirt, and come on. We’ll wait for you. I could always use a new wingman.” He smiled a dazzling smile, and Hazard rolled his eyes and set the pitchfork inside the door, out of the way.

“What you need is to check your ego so your head will fit through the door,” Hazard said flatly, and the other guys hooted, razzing Hank for the burn. “Give me a minute.” He strode inside and to the small set of rooms off the house that he shared with his mother.

“Going to town?” she asked from her chair in front of the television as he kicked off his boots, leaving them near the door.

“Yeah,” he said. “Do you need anything?”

She shook her head. “Just don’t get drunk and wake me up when you come home.”

Hazard continued to his room. “When have I ever?” He pulled off his shirt and checked himself in the mirror, adding fresh deodorant and fingering his short hair before shrugging into a clean shirt and putting on his nicest boots. Then he strode out, kissed his mom on the cheek, and wished her a good night.

“You okay?” She seemed tired and a little pale.

“I’m fine. Go have a good time.” She smiled slightly, and Hazard let it go. Something was worrying her, but whatever it was would wait until she was ready to talk or the issue passed on its own.

He left and joined the guys in the yard. They hopped into trucks, with Hazard driving his own and Dusty and Joiner riding along.

“I just want to cut loose tonight and get lucky,” Joiner said, rubbing his hands. “It’s been a long week.” He hated any lack of sound and tended to talk just to fill the space.

“They usually are, and if they aren’t, you ain’t working hard enough.”

Hazard kept his attention on the road rather than on their banter.

“Have any of you seen Mr. Lyle this week?” Joiner asked, like he hadn’t heard what Dusty said. “Apparently, he’s been sick. The missus took him to the doctor. She didn’t want anyone to know.”

“Then how come you do?” Hazard asked. Joiner tended to gossip because he always needed something to talk about. He swore if Joiner stopped talking, the words would get all backed up, and his head would explode.

“I saw him coming home, and he looked really pale and sickly. I offered to help get him inside, and she told me to keep it to myself.”

“And you managed that for a whole two hours…,” Dusty said, smacking Joiner on the head. “You better not go telling that to anyone else—otherwise, she’s going to know where it came from, and you’re going to find your ass out in the cold.” Dusty glared in a way that Hazard had never seen before, serious as all hell.

“He’s right,” Hazard added. “You file that away in the ‘going to get your ass kicked’ section of your brain if you mention it again. What goes on in the big house is not subject to gossip. The Mavericks pay our wages and have hired us to do a job, not talk behind their backs like this is an episode of Downton Abbey .” Hazard had seen it once because his mama loved that show.

The truck conversation trailed off as they reached town, and Hazard pulled into the parking lot of the Six Shooter Saloon. It was really just a bar, but the guys all piled out of the trucks and hustled inside to a long set of tables, with some of the thirstier going right to the bar.

“What’s he doing here?” Riley asked from across the table, nudging the guys next to him as he looked down the bar to the final seat at the end. “He never comes in. At least I ain’t never seen him before.”

Bryce sat on the stool, hat on low over his eyes, a half-empty beer in front of him. He had a “don’t even talk to me” vibe going on, and Hazard found himself watching for a lot longer than he should, wondering if he was here because of his daddy or if something else had happened.

“You went riding with him the other day. Did he say anything?” Dusty asked.

Hazard shrugged, still wondering. “It was just a ride out to the old dry watering hole,” he said, not wanting to make too much of it, even though every time he closed his eyes, his mind twisted the day into something a hell of a lot more than that. In his last dream, the watering hole was full and a lot bigger, and they decided to go swimming. Since they didn’t have suits… well, his imagination filled in everything just perfectly.

“Honey, you want something?” Sally asked, and Hazard’s mind skipped back to the present.

“A beer, please,” Hazard said gently.

“See. A man with manners who doesn’t grunt his order,” she scolded, with a glare at Hank. “Or get handsy.” That got a scowl as she leaned over the table. “Next time, you’ll be wearing your beer. You got that?” She went on taking orders and then left the table.

“See, she wants me,” Hank said.

Hazard scoffed and then laughed. “Sally thinks you’re a complete pig.” He rolled his eyes.

“When did she say that?”

“The last time you were here,” Dusty broke in, and the entire table laughed. “Everyone knows that. If you really like her, then you need to stop acting like a jerk. The best way to get a woman interested in you is to not treat her like crap.” He shook his head. “Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, you’ve been going home alone a lot lately.”

“It’s just a dry spell,” Hank protested.

“Nope. It’s the women in town talking to one another, and word had gotten around.” Dusty grinned as Hank paled. “People talk, and women most definitely talk about men… a lot.”

Hank scowled. “How do you know?”

“Because it’s true,” Sally said, obviously listening in. “You treated Carry Ann terrible, and none of us are going to be used like that.” She leaned right close to Hank, letting him get a good look at what was on offer. “So we all decided you need to learn a lesson, and the only action you’re going to be getting is with your right hand. So how does that sound, cowboy?” She passed out the beers. “Now, go ahead and order your food before the kitchen gets backed up. And Hank, you better tip well or else you’ll be known as a cheapskate too. A third strike and you’ll never get another girl in this town again.”

Hank smiled, but it was clear he was tense as hell and trying not to show it. Hazard ordered a burger and fries, while the others got their orders in as well. Then Sally left, and damned if Hank didn’t watch her go, his eyes bouncing with every step she took. The man really was an idiot. Hazard turned away from Hank’s idiocy, his gaze falling on Bryce, who sat in the exact same place, only his beer glass was emptier.

“Is he okay?” Hazard asked Joiner.

“He looks like hell, but I’d probably be the same way if… well… you know.” He turned away, and Hazard had to give him props for not running his mouth again.

Hazard got up and slowly went over to the bar with his beer and sat on the stool next to Bryce. He didn’t say anything or ask any questions. Bryce nodded slightly, but kept looking forward, his hand on the handle of the beer mug. Bryce sighed, but made no other sound as Hazard sipped his beer.

He was well versed in the strong, silent kind of communication. That was most cowboys, especially when it came to anything emotional. They didn’t talk about shit and tended to stew in their own juices until they either figured it out or they’d buried shit deep enough that it became part of the reason why they never talked about shit. While Hazard understood the type, he wasn’t really that way. But he knew he just had to wait it out, if that was possible.

“Another beer?” the bartender, Burt, asked, but Bryce didn’t seem to hear him. “Bryce… dude… another beer?”

He lifted his head, his eyes seeming unfocused.

“I don’t think so, for now,” Hazard answered for him, and Burt went back to the other end of the bar.

Bryce drank the last of his beer and still held the glass in his hand. “I suppose everyone knows that my father is ill.”

“I heard a few of the men talking, but it was out of concern,” Hazard told him. “Your dad is well respected, and the men really care for him.”

“Yeah. That’s my dad. Always the life of the party.” He sighed. “He is the perfect rancher. Built the place up from what he inherited, added land and cattle, made it all work. Basically, he performed a damned miracle.”

“Your dad works hard and is good at business. What’s wrong with that?” Hazard asked, sipping his beer and watching Bryce’s lips move as though he were talking, but no words came out.

“Nothing. Unless you’re supposed to figure things out and spend the rest of your life in his shadow. No matter what I do, I’m compared to my father. If I tell Danny what I want, the first thing he does is check with my father, like I’m some teenager.”

Hazard sat still. “Your father is the boss, and everyone on the ranch wants to please him. He gave me a job when I turned eighteen, and I’m grateful to him. I know my mom has worked for the family for a long time, but he didn’t have to do that.” He took a gulp of beer. “Not after the hell I put my mom through.” His teenage years had been filled with rebellion and enough angst and acting up to fill an encyclopedia. “You know I got busted for drinking when I was sixteen and pot a year later. I did it all back then. And you know how your dad feels about that stuff.”

“Yeah, I do.” Bryce lifted his head, and Burt came down. He ordered another beer and a glass of water. Burt refilled the mug and added a water before heading to the register to put it in. “I caught hell for drinking too. And for smoking. Dad found me behind the barn and blistered my ass. I’m not sure if he was madder about the smoking or the possibility of setting the stable on fire. Either way, I couldn’t sit down for two days.”

“That’s just it. Your dad can be tough, but he also believes in second chances.”

“Well, if I mess this shit up, there aren’t going to be any second chances for any of us.” Laughter rose from the table where the others sat, and Hazard looked over, smiling a little as the men jostled each other. “You should go on over and be with them. They are a hell of a lot more fun than I’m going to be.”

Hazard stayed where he was, figuring Bryce needed to talk more than he needed to listen to the guys jawing about whatever girls they had their eye on. So when Burt asked if he wanted his food at the bar, he nodded, and Sally brought it to him when it was ready.

“Dad is sick, and it’s probably pretty bad. So I have to take over for him.”

“Is that all?” Hazard said. “You’ve lived on this ranch your whole life and know it as well as anyone else. You know what needs to be done and when to take the cattle to market. And if there’s stuff you don’t, my mom does. She’s been helping your dad for years. She keeps all the herd records and does the books for him.” He wanted to pat his hand, but he didn’t dare touch Bryce, not in a bar—or anywhere, for that matter. “You don’t have to do this alone. You got plenty of people who are here to help.”

Bryce sighed. “It feels like I have this weight settling on me, and I don’t know if I can handle it—or if I want to.” He turned to Hazard. “I used to dream of getting the hell out of this town. It was all I wanted. My mother has relatives in Germany, and she sent me over to visit them when I was seventeen. I think she figured my father and I needed some time away from each other.” Hazard could understand that. “I got to see an entire world that’s so different from this, and I want that. I….”

“You want more than the ranch, but you’re stuck now,” Hazard supplied, and Bryce shrugged as though it didn’t matter. And maybe in a way it didn’t.

“Life is the way it is,” Bryce said, “and I just need to accept it.”

“Or at least you do for now. If you take over and run things well, then that will take some of the stress off your dad. Maybe then he’ll be able to get better and take over again, and you can go out in the world like you want. This is a hard life, and it’s worse for someone who feels trapped into it.”

“Did you ever want out of here?” Bryce asked just as Hazard took a bite of his burger. He chewed and swallowed.

“Almost every day of my life. I always figured there had to be more than cleaning up after horses and cattle, checking fences, and running full speed ahead of a storm to batten down the hatches. It always seems like we’re hoping and praying for something. Either for it to rain or for it to stop raining before the flood washes everything away.” He ate some fries and offered some to Bryce. “You need to give yourself a break.”

“But the job is so huge.”

“Not if you take it one day at a time. You may have some learning to do, but like I said, there are plenty of people who can help. All you gotta do is ask.” He took another bite of the burger. “And as far as Danny is concerned….” He leaned closer. “Show him who the boss is.”

Bryce turned, looking at him as though he were crazy. “How?”

“Take charge and lay down the law. If you are going to take over for your father, then demand to be treated the same way he is. If you make a decision, then enforce it. Listen to opinions but make your own decision and then go with it. Danny needs to take direction from you, and if he can’t, then replace him.” Hazard could hardly believe he was suggesting such a thing. It seemed like treason. “I don’t think it will come to that.”

“My father would have a fit,” Bryce said.

“Maybe. But you have to stand up to him too. If you’re going to take charge, then he has to get behind you… and your mother as well.” He ate a few fries. “I have your back, and so will most of the men once you take charge. They want someone to lead, and your dad always did that.”

“But how will I know what he wants?” Bryce asked.

Hazard looked deeply into those blue eyes. “You won’t. You’ll make the decisions according to your judgment, not his. Go with your gut, and don’t worry about what your dad would do.” Hazard swallowed hard. “I know you can do it.”

Bryce sighed. “You’re the only one.”

“No, I’m not. You know you can do it too. Just stop second-guessing yourself.”

He smiled slightly. “How did you get to be so smart?” Damn, the intensity in that gaze left Hazard feeling warm, and he signaled for a second—and last—beer.

“I don’t know. Maybe you can see what someone else should do even when you have no idea what to do in your life.” He finished his burger and set his plate aside. “I know that no matter what I say, I’ll probably work on a ranch for the rest of my life. My mother is here, and she’s the only family I have. I can’t just leave her.”

“I get that. But wouldn’t it be fun to run away for a little while and just do what you want? No expectations or pressure from anyone else? I dream of that sometimes.” He pushed his beer away. “I have no idea why I’m telling you all this. I never talk about stuff like this with anyone.”

“Maybe you need to, and maybe you know that I’m not going to blab all over anywhere.” He asked for a glass of water and drank it down when Burt brought it. “It’s good to have a friend you can trust.”

Bryce nodded slowly. “You’re right, it really is.” And for the first time that evening, he smiled. But it didn’t last long as Harm Carsen, one of the hands from the Circle C across the county, began lumbering over. The man was huge and about as smart as a box of rocks, and tonight, it seemed that Harm had already dulled whatever brain cells he possessed.