Hope’s Highest Bidders

1. Cole

1

COLE

“ S o?” I ask with my arms crossed over my chest.

I sent two ranch hands over to the Reid Ranch earlier today, but they’re back now, and I barely let them get out of the truck before I’m asking them questions.

Rick shrugs his shoulders. “It’s no different than the last time we went, boss. Amos is letting that ranch fall apart all around him.”

Travis nods in agreement. “Yeah. I mean, we did what we could, but there’s only so much we can get done in one day. We mended fences, Rick patched some holes in the roof of the barn, and then we both worked on the tractor until we were able to get it running. We were able to fix it, but who knows how long for. It’s almost as old as Amos.”

I ask in a cool tone, not wanting to give anything away, “What about Sassy? Did you see her while you were there?”

Rick leans over and smacks Travis in the back of the head as he smirks at him. “Yeah, we saw Sassy. Travis got to work with her the whole day.”

Travis has a big goofy grin on his face, and I can feel my stomach turn. This can’t be good. “Oh yeah? You worked with Sassy today?”

He nods his head up and down. “Yeah. I swear she works harder than most men.”

I’m about to let out a breath of relief. I don’t know what I was thinking, but-

“Yeah, she’s always in those big shirts and jeans. Today she was wearing some kind of tank top. I swear, I had no idea, but she’s got a nice set of tits-“

I stomp toward him, ready to pounce. I grab the front of his sweat-stained shirt and pull him to me. “Did you touch her?”

His mouth falls open, and Rick obviously wants no part of this because he takes a few steps back. Travis doesn’t answer me, and I see red. Gripping his shirt tighter, I pull him toward me until I’m spitting the words in his face. “I said did you touch her?”

Travis shakes his head quickly. “No, of course not. I was just looking-“

I’m towering over him, and it wouldn’t take much for me to punch him in the face for even thinking that it’s okay to talk about Sassy this way. “No looking. No talking about her body. Nothing. So help me, Travis, if I hear that you disrespect her again, I’ll kill you, and no one will find the body. You got me?”

Travis’ eyes are round as saucers. “Yes, yes. No looking... no talking. I got it.”

The man is a big guy but nowhere as big as me. Right now, it doesn’t matter how big he is because I’m not going to let anyone talk about Sassy that way.

I release him, pushing him away from me in disgust. “Get to work.”

I’m breathing heavily, trying to get myself under control. I wait for him to argue because it’s already after dark, and he’s put in a full day of work. But the way he’s looking at me right now, he’ll go muck stalls or something to get away from me. “Sure thing, boss.”

He runs to the barn, and I turn to Rick. He’s standing a good fifteen feet from me now. If he knew what was good for him, he’d walk away too. “What is it, Rick? You got something to say?”

He shakes his head and then lets out a breath. “Well, uh, it’s, uh...”

He keeps stammering, and I force myself to relax. Rick is a good guy and has never given me any problems. Obviously there’s something on his mind. I count to ten before I ask again, my voice sounding way calmer than I’m feeling, “What is it, Rick? You got something on your mind?”

He nods. “Yeah, well, I mean, it’s obvious that Sassy means something to you...”

His voice trails off, and my hands fist at my sides. “If you’re about to tell me that you plan on asking her out-“

He cuts me off. “No, gosh no, boss. I just thought you’d want to know...”

His voice trails off again, and I take five steps toward him. I have to give it to him. He doesn’t back away. He stands firmly in his spot, watching my every move. “You thought I’d want to know what?”

His voice trembles, but he manages to get it out. “There’s something wrong. I mean, she’s always happy... always. And she tried to laugh and smile today. She tried to act like everything was okay, but I could tell something was off. She was... upset.”

I train my eyes on his. “Did you ask her about it?”

He frowns. “No, I didn’t. We don’t really talk about stuff besides what we’re supposed to do when we go there. I didn’t feel right asking her something personal, but I thought you’d want to know.”

I clasp my hand on his shoulder, and he flinches. I force a smile on my face even though it’s the last thing I want to do. I’m known as a grump... fuck, it’s more than that. I’m known as an ass. I’m fair, and I pay my guys well, but they have to put up with my attitude to get it. Even though I’m set in my ways and don’t plan on changing, I do appreciate Rick sticking his neck out for Sassy. “Thanks, Rick. I’ll talk to her.”

He lets out a big breath, and I release him. “Uh, okay, I’m going to go make sure the animals are all good. See you in the morning, boss.”

“Yeah, see you,” I mumble, already lost in thought.

I haven’t seen Sassy since last week. I’ve forced myself to stay away from her and her father’s ranch. Since the day she turned eighteen three years ago, my feelings for her have changed. I shouldn’t be thinking the thoughts I’ve had for her, and I thought by putting some distance between us, I would be able to forget about her. But that isn’t the case. If anything, I think about her more.

Her father is struggling. His ranch has been in the family for some hundred-odd years, and he’s doing what he can to keep it, but getting older is getting the best of him. Sassy is doing what she can. And Travis is right: She works harder than most men, but there’s only so much she can do when it’s all left up to her. They don’t have the money to make the improvements they need, but Amos won’t take any money from me. He’s a stubborn man and refuses any kind of handout.

I shove my hand through my hair in frustration. I’m assuming the ranch is what’s bothering Sassy, but I can’t guarantee it. Heck, I’ve avoided her and have no idea what’s going on with her. Some asshole could be bothering her, for all I know.

Just the thought that some man is upsetting her makes me want to go over to her ranch right now and set whoever it is straight.

I pull out my phone. I never text Sassy even though I’ve had her number plugged into my phone for years. I find her in my favorites and type out a text. Did Rick and Travis do okay for you? Give you any problems?

I stare at my phone and hold my breath when I see the bubbles that she’s typing something back. Cole? Everything was fine. You didn’t have to send them over AGAIN. I’ve got this handled.

I shift my weight from one foot to the other. I don’t know why, but it bothers me that she answered that way. What does that mean, she’s got it handled? I type out a text. I’m just being neighborly.

I hit send and wait. The bubbles appear, disappear, come back on and then off again. I wait a full five minutes before the text comes back. Thanks.

I scrunch my nose up. Thanks? It took her that long for one word? You don’t have to thank me. Everything else okay? Anyone bothering you?

I hit send before I can talk myself out of it. I’ve never pried into her business, but I know I won’t sleep if someone is bothering her, and not knowing is killing me.

I wait a full five minutes and say fuck it. I hit dial on her name and put the phone to my ear. When she answers, she’s breathless. “Lo?”

“Hey, Sassy. You okay?”

She is silent for a minute, and I pull the phone from my ear to see if she hung up. When I see the timer going, I put it back to my ear and repeat her name. “Sassy.”

“What’s going on, Cole?”

She sounds defensive, and that’s not what I want. Sassy has always been independent, and she won’t appreciate me snooping into her life even if I’m only worried about her. I can’t tell her what Rick confessed, so I try to just get her talking. “Nothing’s going on. I was just wanting to check on you. Everything okay over there?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine.”

I slap my hand to my forehead. She says she’s fine, but it’s not enough. “No one bothering you?”

She draws in a deep breath. “Who would be bothering me?”

I don’t know what to answer, and she asks again. “Huh, Cole? Who would be bothering me?”

I sit down on the top step of my porch. “No one... I was just calling to make sure you’re okay. That’s all. Amos doing okay?”

She sighs, and I can hear the exhaustion in her voice. “He has his good days and his bad days.”

“Aww, honey. Was today a bad day?”

“Yeah, uh, he doesn’t know who I am some days, and today was one of those days.”

I can hear the pain in her voice. I knew Amos was getting older. The last few times I’d talked to him, I could tell a difference, but I didn’t know it was that bad. “I had no idea.”

She sniffs. “Yeah, no one really does. It’s so weird. He knew Rick and Travis today but didn’t have a clue who I was. He was surprised that our foreman had hired a woman to work here.”

She laughs like it’s funny, but I can hear the pain in her voice. “Shit,” I answer. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m going to come over tomorrow and see him.”

“He’d like that. Thanks, Cole. I have to go. I have a few things I have to do before I can go to bed tonight.”

I try not to let the image of Sassy laid back on a bed fill my thoughts, but that’s exactly where my mind goes. Guilt hits me in the chest for thinking about her that way and knowing I shouldn’t. “Okay, honey.”

She’s quiet, and normally I’d hang up but I’m waiting for her.

Her voice is soft. “I didn’t know you had my number.”

I clear my throat. “Yeah, I saved it a long time ago. And now you’ve got mine. Call me if you need anything. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I hang up the phone before I do something crazy and reckless... like tell her how I feel about her.