Chapter 4

C hapter F our

“Lookee what we have here.” Harm was slurring his words as he leaned against the bar on the other side of Hazard. “If it isn’t Hazard Pay. You’d have to give me that to work with a guy like him.” He plopped himself on the stool.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Burt warned from the other side the bar.

“I ain’t going to cause none.” Harm had clearly been here a while, judging from the way his eyes had glazed over and the fact that he nearly slipped off the stool twice.

“Maybe you should get his buddies to take him home,” Bryce said calmly, but he was already eyeing Harm, wondering what was going on in that pea brain of his. They had gone to high school together, and Harmon hadn’t smartened up over the years. Bryce knew he could be mean, especially when he was drunk.

“That’s a grand idea,” Burt said, calling over to the table from the Circle C. But none of them got up.

“He got himself fired,” one of the men finally said with a shake of his head. “That’s why he’s drunk already. He grabbed a bottle on his way off the ranch and then came here.”

“So where does he have to go?” Bryce asked, firmly, meeting the men’s gaze. Finally, one of them stood and got Harm off the stool. But he shrugged him away, and his legs buckled. Hazard leapt to try to catch Harm before he hit the floor hard.

“Get away from me,” Harm snapped before getting back to his feet. He glared at Hazard and then tried to hit him. Bryce jumped up, putting himself between Hazard and Harm, taking a hit to the shoulder before clocking Harm a good one, sending him sprawling to the floor.

“You all right?” Bryce asked. “What the hell is with him?”

Hazard shrugged. “I never did anything to him. He must just be drunk off his ass.” The way Hazard paled, there was more to it than that, but Bryce let it go.

A groan came from near the floor, and a couple of the guys from the Circle C helped Harm to his feet and he stumbled out the door. Burt was already on the phone to the sheriff to let him know what happened.

“He didn’t hit you, did he?” Bryce asked.

“No. But he got you.”

Bryce groaned as he slowly rotated his arm. “Damned bastard. I’m going to be black and blue in the morning.” He shook his head and rubbed his shoulder. “He was always too stupid for words.” He wondered what Harm had done to get himself fired. He was a cousin or something of the Richards family, the owners of the Circle C, so whatever it was must have been pretty serious for them to just cut him loose.

“Yeah… well… he and I have a history,” Hazard said softly, looking down at the floor. He seemed to shake it off. “Anyway, I should get back to the ranch. I have plenty of stuff to do….” He paid his bill with Burt and strode out the door.

“What the hell?” Bryce asked half under his breath. Then he turned to Burt. “What do you know?” Burt shook his head, but Bryce wasn’t buying it. He knew plenty of shit, and Bryce was well aware that the guys came in here, drank a little too much, and started talking, spilling all their secrets. “Don’t give me that.” He could tell that Burt knew one hell of a lot.

Burt filled a drink order before asking Bryce if he wanted another. Then he met Bryce’s gaze. “It’s better if….”

“No. That ass is dangerous, always has been,” Bryce said, remembering the way Harm bullied everyone. It was the one arrow in his quiver. “What does he have against Hazard?”

“Harm told me once that when he was in Cheyenne about a year ago, he saw Hazard and another guy… and they….” Burt paused. “Don’t fucking make me say it, okay? I don’t believe Harm, anyway, because he’s always drunk and makes shit up to feel important or hurt someone. Hazard is a good guy, always has been. And it’s no never mind to me if a guy likes bulls, if you get my drift?”

Bryce found himself growling under his breath. “I’m glad of that, Burt.”

Yelling drifted in from the parking lot, and Bryce reached into his pocket and tossed enough money to cover his tab on the bar before taking off outside. “What the hell is going on now?” Bryce snapped, and everyone froze. Hazard took a step away from Harm, who looked like a bull who had seen red. “Get him the hell out of here and back to the ranch.”

“Richards fired him,” one of the men said.

“I don’t care. He’s part of their family, and this is something they’re going to need to handle. You tell old man Richards he can call me if he has any questions. But be sure to relay the message that if he wants me to clean up his mess, I’ll make sure that the maid service will cost him.” His arm ached like hell. He knew it wasn’t broken, but it throbbed, and he was pretty sure he needed to get some ice on it. “Hazard, get out of here. I’ll be right behind you.” He waited until Hazard was in his truck before climbing into his own and heading out, leaving the hands from the Circle C to take care of their own mess.

Bryce climbed out of the cab and looked at the big house, not wanting to go inside. His mother would take one look at him and know something was wrong.

“You need to get some ice on that arm,” Hazard told him softly. “Come on in, and I can help you, so you don’t worry your mama.”

Bryce followed as Hazard went around to the side entrance and opened the door. He hadn’t been in this set of rooms since he was a teenager. “Mom,” Hazard called, but there was no answer, and Bryce was relieved. He didn’t need Charlotte telling his mother what had happened. “Have a seat at the table, and I’ll get some ice and stuff.” Hazard filled a plastic bag with ice and then got a towel. He placed the ice in it and stood near him. “I think you need to take off your shirt.” His voice sounded rough.

“I don’t think I can.” His arm ached and was becoming stiff. Hazard gently tugged his shirt upward and helped him get it off, the air-conditioning caressing his now-cooling skin. Hazard placed the light towel against his arm and tied it fast. It slipped almost immediately, and Hazard held it in place, his other hand lightly touching his arm.

“Come on to the sofa,” he said, helping him over, and once Bryce got comfortable, Hazard got the ice back in place and stepped away, their gazes meeting. For a few seconds, the ice had no effect whatsoever as the temperature in the room rose by the second.

“Hazard,” Bryce whispered, his mind whirling. The attraction had been building, as far as he was concerned, for quite some time, but Hazard never seemed to pay any attention. This was probably a bad idea, but he used his good arm to lightly touch Hazard’s wrist. He waited, and Hazard drew closer.

“You know this is not a good idea.” Hazard’s voice had grown sandpaper-rough, and Bryce knew the attraction he felt deep inside him was mutual, at least on some level.

Bryce tugged gently, pulling Hazard closer, his scent intensifying as the last light from outside began to purple. Hazard closed the distance between them, and their lips touched, sending a zing of energy through him. Bryce deepened the kiss as his free hand slid around Hazard, tugging him closer.

Hazard groaned, vibrating against him. Damn, that was sexy, and Bryce wanted more of a taste, but Hazard pulled back, their gazes locking for a few seconds. “This is a really bad idea.”

“Okay. Do you want to stop?” Bryce asked. Hazard didn’t move, and Bryce figured he’d moved too fast and blown his chance, but Hazard cupped his cheeks and kissed him even harder, sending a wave of desire through him that had Bryce throbbing in his jeans, as well as his aching shoulder.

“Hazard…?” Charlotte’s voice rang through the room, and Hazard backed away. “I saw your truck and wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”

“Harm Carsen was causing trouble,” Hazard said.

His mom hurried to where Bryce was sitting. “And you got in the way.” She clicked her tongue as she lifted the ice away. “You’re going to have one heck of a bruise.” She set the pack aside. “Leave it off for ten minutes before putting it back on again. Your skin needs to warm up or otherwise you can hurt yourself more.” She lightly patted Bryce on his good shoulder. “You’re a good man.”

“Mom….”

“I know what Harm did and what he thought. He tried to make trouble for you the way he always did.”

Hazard shrugged because he didn’t want to make too big a deal of it.

“The truth is that Harm seems to be one of those people who doesn’t know what he wants, and when Hazard thought….”

“You don’t need to tell him this,” Hazard said, trying to get his mother to stop, but she was determined.

“Fine. I’ll keep my opinions to myself. But that man’s problem is that he hates himself.” Mom turned and left the room, leaving the two of them alone. “Are either of you boys hungry?” she called from the other room.

“I’m fine, Mama, but Bryce probably needs something to eat. Maybe a grilled cheese or something. I ate, but he just sat at the bar.”

His mom returned. “I’m sorry about your dad. He’s a good man, and he doesn’t deserve the hurt that’s coming his way.”

Bryce winced as he sat up. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Dad is strong, and yeah, he has cancer, and it’s going to be hard on him, but….” Bryce sighed. “What is it that no one is telling me?”

Mom sat down next to Bryce, and Hazard took the chair nearby. “Your father kept putting off going to the doctor. Your mom talked to him about it, and I did too. We were both worried, but he is so stubborn, and, well… he waited a long time, and the cancer got a chance to really take hold. I know this because your mama told me, and I researched it online. The thing is….”

“That Dad waited too long and he doesn’t have much of a chance,” Bryce supplied.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you, but you deserve to know the truth. Your mom and dad would have, but I don’t think your mom has fully grasped what’s going to happen, and your father….”

“He thinking he’s going to tough it out like he does everything else,” Bryce supplied.

“Let me go make you something to eat,” Hazard said, but Bryce shook his head.

“Nonsense. You got to keep your strength up. It’s going to fall to you to keep all this running. I know a lot about what goes on because I’ve been doing to books and herd records for years. But your dad is the one who everyone trusted, and he was the one who knew how to get the best price. He also had this sense of when to expand and when to sit back and bide his time. He’s a good man.”

“Yes, my father is good at what he does here. But….”

“What?” Hazard asked.

Bryce looked to Charlotte. “You worked with my dad for years. Would it surprise you to know that I played basketball in high school? I was pretty good. A high scorer on the team.” He swallowed.

“That’s awesome.”

Bryce turned to Hazard. “Can you guess how many time my father saw me play?” He shifted to Charlotte, who shook her head. “Zero. He never came to one of my games, ever. He was always too busy. There were things on the ranch here that required his attention. My mother came, but Dad never did.” Damn, his throat ached, and he wished he’d just kept his mouth shut.

“I see,” Charlotte said.

“No, you don’t. No one does. I’m expected to take over the ranch and run it because my father is sick. My mother expects that, and so does everyone else here on the ranch. Their lives depend on it. But no one has ever asked what I wanted.” He shrugged. “Not that it matters, because I can’t let everyone down. This is what I was born for. I am supposed to run the ranch and carry on what my father and grandfather built.”

“Jesus…,” Hazard breathed.

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about it, so I just need to quit whining and get to work.” He placed the ice back on his shoulder. “Do you think you could get some of the latest reports and information on the ranch for me to go over? Dad always kept the financials to himself, but I’m going to need to know where we are and what it is I have to do.”

“Of course. I have most of that put together already. And you should call in Danny and go over what your father had him doing and what their plans were. I know your dad had a plan for where he wanted to take the ranch, but it was all in his head. Or at least it seemed to be.” That’s what he was afraid of. “We can bring you up to speed, and then you’ll have to sit down with him.”

“He always ran things his own way,” Bryce said. Charlotte stood and left the room. Soon, the scent of grilled cheese filled the space, and his stomach rumbled. She returned, handing him a plate with a sandwich on it and giving one to Hazard as well. She went back to the kitchen to make seconds and brought them out.

“I know my ranch hands, and you need more than one.” She sat and put her feet up while Hazard got him a beer. He turned on the television, and the three of them watched until Charlotte excused herself. Then Hazard took the dishes to the sink, turned off the TV, and helped Bryce to his feet.

“I should go home.”

“And scare your mother with all this?” Hazard said, before taking Bryce’s hand and leading him down the hall.

Bryce leaned closer. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

“Is it working?” Hazard grinned slightly before turning to where his mother had gone. “Seriously, I think you need to get some rest, and with your shoulder hurting the way it is, I doubt you’re going to be up for any physical activity tonight.” He closed the door behind them and pressed Bryce until he sat on the side of the bed. “Let me get you some pain pills, and you can get undressed and into bed. I’ll stretch out on the sofa.” Hazard left the room and closed the door before Bryce could argue. Not that he had much to argue with. His arm hurt like a son of a bitch, and the ice was only doing so much.

Hazard brought in a glass and a couple pills, which Bryce took. Then he was about to leave, but Bryce took his hand. “Don’t sleep out there,” he said softly. Hazard met his gaze and then nodded, going to the other side of the bed, where he pulled off his shirt and slipped off his pants before sliding under the blankets, giving Bryce a brief look at his chest and powerful back that made him want to reach out and touch.

Bryce managed to kick off his shoes and slip his pants off before lying on his back, hyper aware of each and every breath Hazard took. He tried rolling onto his side, but the weight of his arm put additional pressure on his shoulder and made it ache more, so he lay on his back once more and waited for the pain meds to kick in.

“Hey. It’s okay. Just relax.” Then Hazard slid his hand across Bryce’s chest, blazing a trail of heat, and he found it impossible to relax, though he could admit that at least his mind was on something other than how his shoulder hurt.

“I’m trying. But I’m not used to sleeping with anyone, and this shoulder just won’t stop aching.”

Hazard patted his chest with the flat of his hand. “I know. I’ve had those kinds of injuries before.”

“Yeah, well. I’ve fallen off a horse and even gotten into a bar fight or two, but taking one on the shoulder from a drunk who could barely stand up… that has to be the most pathetic injury ever.”

Hazard chuckled. “Then we’ll just have to tell a better story, like how you stepped in front of me to keep said drunk from hurting me.” Hazard leaned over so Bryce could see him. “See, you’re my hero.”

“Stop,” Bryce protested, but Hazard leaned closer and then kissed him. Bryce wanted to gather him into his arms, pull Hazard to him, and taste every inch of the man, but as soon as he moved, his shoulder ached again, and all he could do was lie still as Hazard’s kisses helped mask the pain.