3. Rhett

Chapter 3

Rhett

I pull the veil from my hat and wipe the sweat from my face as I prepare to unload the supplies from the back of my truck. The ladies are doing excellent, and as always, Bee-yonce's hive is doing far better than Susan Bee Anthony's. There's just nothing stopping the Queen Bey. When I go to lift the crate, I realize I'm not alone, and sigh.

"You just going to hover there like a ghost?" I ask Colt where he sits on the porch steps with Dolly Paw-ton, our very own retired drug bloodhound. Retired by force, not by choice. Dolly is barely five years old, but she's a stubborn old gal. We'd gotten her from Steele Mountain Ranch, one of Ole Red's pups back in the day, and she'd come with the silly name. She'd served with Colt on the police force, but when he'd left, she'd come with him. Good thing, too. Dolly isn't so much a drug dog as a dog that sometimes decides to oust every illegal item within a five-mile radius. She's got the best damn sniffer I've ever seen and an attitude to match it. ‘Bout the only person she listens to is Colt, and even that is sometimes iffy.

"We've got a problem," Colt says instead of answering my question.

I sigh again, this time heavier. "Don't we always?"

He grimaces. "This one is different."

Releasing the crate I'd been about to lift, I instead unzip my white bee suit and pull my arms from the sleeves before tying it around my waist. It's always risky to expose so much skin to the sun when I'm as pale as Casper, but I'm sweating up a storm and clearly I'm not about to get inside anytime soon. I brace my hands on my hips.

"Well, what is it?" I ask, watching him carefully as he pets Dolly. "Another money request? The bank circling us like sharks again?"

Colt shakes his head. "No, nothing like that. It's worse."

I tense. "Spit it out, King."

"Someone booked a stay," he finally says.

I blink. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, someone went onto our website and booked a stay here on Circle Bee Ranch."

"I thought Amy took that down off the website years ago?"

"I thought so, too. Apparently, she forgot, and everything is automated, so we all missed it until now. She didn't even realize there was money sitting in the accounts for reservations," Colt says before standing up. "She's frantic so I thought I'd tell you."

"Okay? So cancel it," I tell him, frowning.

Colt winces. "Can't."

"Why the hell not?" I scowl. "It should be easy enough to?—"

"It's been booked for over seven months, Rhett. Somehow we missed it, but?—"

"What does that have to do with cancelling it?" I growl. "Just do it."

Colt levels his gaze and I'm reminded again how good of a cop he'd been, and then about how bad of one he'd been. There's always this duality to Colt that we don't often see, but it's there. Inside my friend that's as close as a brother to me is both the good cop and the bad cop. One man. Both sides of the coin.

"It's paid in full, Rhett. Whole month," he says.

I clamp my lips shut. Shit. We need that money. We always need the money. "So they paid. . ."

"Ten grand. Yep."

I run a hand through my hair and whistle. "Highest package?"

"Yeah."

"Fuck," I grunt.

"Exactly," Colt nods. "That's what I'm saying."

"Please tell me it's not some city jerk wads on a bachelor retreat? I can't handle the shit that happened last time. We still never fixed the four-wheeler they wrecked," I grunt. The assholes had been a nightmare and they'd only been on the ranch for three days. I couldn't imagine how a whole month of that would go.

"It's just two women," Colt replies. "That's what Amy said."

I stare at him. "That's it?" When Colt nods, I sigh. "You tell Amy to get the cabin ready?"

"Already did," Colt nods again.

"Good. Tell Gunnar and Trent. How long we got until they get here?"

"A month."

"Fuck," I draw out. "Tell everyone to start prepping. We can't have anyone stumbling into places they shouldn't be. We'll just keep ‘em busy. Shouldn't be too hard. Most city folk grow tired of ranch life fast and if they leave early, we don't have to refund the money. It's in the contract. Maybe they'll just leave after a few days."

Colt shrugs. "Maybe. Trent ain't gonna like it."

"Yeah, well, lead with the ten grand when he complains. He'll come around to it," I grumble, before picking up the crate again. "And make sure Amy knows I ain't mad at her. Shit happens. We just gotta be vigilant. And for fuck's sake, have her take the reservations down this time. I don't want this to happen again."

"I'll tell her." He whistles and Dolly stands up and follows him down the steps. "Oh, and Rhett?"

"Yeah?" I grunt, glancing over at him.

"They asked for more money, too."

Mother fuckers!