Chapter 10
Ihaven’t even been home an hour before there’s pounding at my door. I just pulled leftovers out of the microwave, so I drop the plate on the counter and answer.
“You and I need to talk, fucker.”
What the fuck is Griffin Graham doing at my place?
Crossing my arms across my chest, I fill my doorway and stare him down. “Try that again, asshole, or I’m shutting my door.”
Griffin matches my pose and stare, eyes narrowed as he sneers, spitting mad. “I said exactly what I meant. I need to talk to you about your new hire.”
I draw a blank for a moment before Edith Hughes’ face flashes into my head. Rolling my eyes, I let my arms fall and lean against the doorjamb. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumble. “The fuck is this about?”
The man in front of me takes a step closer, clearly wanting to intimidate me, but he’s unsuccessful. I don’t move an inch and stay relaxed. “What the hell are you doin’, hirin’ Clay’s daughter to work for you? What’s your game here?”
Am I annoyed that my neighbor couldn’t even wait a few days before running her mouth about our arrangement? Fuck yes, I am. But I’m not about to let this fucker know that.
Instead, I study my nails, letting him know I couldn’t care less that he’s confronting me right now. But Edith and I will have words in the morning. “Not sure what the problem is. She was lookin’ for work, so I gave her some.” Then, as an extra jab, I let a smile grow and meet his eyes. “Not sure how long she’s gonna last, though. Girl isn’t really made for hard work, if you know what I’m mean.”
I can literally feel his fury vibrating from him as he moves closer. Again, I stay relaxed, but I’m ready if he tries anything. “I know you got a problem with her daddy, but fuckin’ with her is beneath you. What are you hopin’ to gain here? Work her to the bone, then fuck her over? Just to piss off Hughes?”
Shrugging, I suck on my teeth and narrow my eyes at him. “It don’t matter what my goal is. But I didn’t ask for her to show up at my place. That was all her, beggin’ me with those big ol’ brown eyes for a chance. Who am I to say she can’t have it? Whether I bone… sorry, whether I work her to the bone or not is none of your business. Now, if you don’t mind, I got some supper to eat.” I’m thrilled when he flares his nostrils in fury, so I add a little extra push, just to see if he’ll make a move. “Maybe I’ll even jerk my dick to the thought of a little girl breakin’ her back as she shovels shit on my farm, but we’ll see where the evenin’ takes me.”
I’ll admit, I’m impressed with how fast Griffin has his hand around my throat, but I’m nothing if not the best at keeping my cool around trash that seems to keep popping up in this town.
“I’ll fuckin’ destroy you if you fuck with her. Get rid of her. Fire her. Give her a suggestion on where she should work instead of your place. I don’t care. But this ain’t the road you wanna go down, you piece of shit.” Griffin’s threat would have most men pissing themselves, but I’ve known him and his brother long enough to know I can take them both.
Shooting my hand up, I peel his fingers from my throat and bend them back until I know he’s worried I’ll break them. Griffin Graham doesn’t flinch. Instead, he gives me a feral smile. Releasing him, I relax against the frame of my door again.
“Not gonna happen. Maybe I’ll see if little Jennice Graham wants a job too. Heard she’s workin’ for Thorton nowadays. Unless you wanna rethink your threat. If not, I can be real charmin’ if I need to be.”
There’s a flash of what I assume is my death in his eyes, but he steps back and off my stoop until he’s on the walkway. “You’re so full of shit. Get rid of Edith. Be a fuckin’ human for once in your life.”
“No.”
Without waiting, I slam my door and lock it, then turn off the lights so he’s forced to head back to his ride in the dark. Laughing to myself, I find my way back to the kitchen.
I’m sure my next visitor will be good ol’ Clayborn Hughes himself, and I grin imagining that upcoming confrontation. He’s been a thorn in my side for as long as I can remember. Infuriating him will give me nothing but some enjoyable entertainment in my near future.
Grabbing my dinner from the counter, I eat the semi-cold meal, coming up with ways I’m going to punish little Edith Hughes for sending trash to my doorstep and disrupting my evening. She just put an end date on her employment with Cooper Ranch, but not before I play with her for a bit first.
Taking a sip of coffee from my travel mug, I stand in the shadows, watching Edith coo at that damn kitten as he does his best to climb up her body while she changes out his food and water.
She arrived fifteen minutes early, but with the distraction of playing with the cat, it’s now two minutes past our start time. Checking my watch again, just to ensure we’re definitely past the top of the hour, I push myself away from the wall.
“You’re late.”
I ignore the way she jumps and wait her out, taking another sip of my coffee. She pushes herself to her feet quickly, brushing off the loose straw from her pants, then smiles at me.
“Good morning, Mr. Cooper. I actually got here a while ago. I just wanted to get this little guy fed and settled for the day.”
If my voice comes out gruffer than I had planned, I hold no regrets. “Feeding your cat isn’t my problem. If you’re not ready to start at seven, then you’re late.” I don’t pay any attention to her using Mr. Cooper. Today seems to be a day I’ll enjoy it rather than feeling like an old man. “Unless this isn’t somethin’ you want to be doin’. You wastin’ my time, Hughes?”
She looks shocked by my mood, which may partly be because I got shit for sleep. But I also think Clayborn’s daughter needs to be put her in place. “N-No! I swear—”
Turning my back on her, my departure cuts her off as I leave the barn. This time, I grin at the sound of her running footsteps to keep up with me. I don’t wait as I head over to the calf barn.
“M-Mr. Cooper. I’m so sorry for—” She’s breathless as she comes up to my side.
Again, cutting her off, I snatch a rake and shove it into her fumbling hands. Holding it close to her chest, I glare. “I don’t give a fuck about excuses. Act like a grown ass woman and be ready to start when you’re supposed to. It’s not that hard.” Brushing off the way her shoulders curl over her body, I continue. “Today, I want all the straw changed out for the bedding. Not just the spots where they’ve shit and pissed. Think you can handle that? Or do you need to go play with your kitten a bit more?”
“No, sir,” she whispers, which irritates me.
“Knock off the simperin’ act,” I demand, annoyed with her whole attitude. “I’m not askin’ you do anythin’ other than what you did the other day. If you can’t handle it, there’s the door.” I whip my hand up to point at the exit.
I freeze when she jerks her head back, eyes immediately finding the floor. “What the fuck was that?” I ask, seething now. Fuck her for acting like I’m going to hit her.
Edith swallows convulsively, eyes wide and panicked as she stares up at me. “Nothing, s-sir.”
I want to get in her face and scold her for acting like I’m the type of guy who’d hit a woman, but when my eyes roam over her, I catch the slight tremble of her body as she holds herself rigid under my perusal. Goddamnit. This is why I don’t want a woman workin’ around here.
“For fuck’s sake,” I groan, then hold my hands in an exaggerated way, backing away from her. “I’m not gonna hit you. Just do your fuckin’ job, would you?”
She nods her head quickly, clinging to the rake like her life depends on it, eyes welling, but she doesn’t let her tears overflow. “Yes, sir.” I don’t hear the words, but she mouths them clear enough for me to understand.
“Fuckin’ hell. I’m leavin’. This shit better be done by the time I get back,” I order, circling her face with my finger, pointing out her ridiculous emotional outburst. She’s never going to make it in this job if she can’t toughen up.
Before I leave, I spin around and give her one last parting shot. “By the way, I don’t need your boyfriend showin’ up on my door to lay into me about you workin’ here. Thought you wanted to keep it secret. Tell him if he shows up again, I have a right to put a bullet in him for trespassin’. Rein him in or you’re not comin’ back here another day.”
Storming out of the barn, I leave Edith to her work and angrily saddle my horse, Austin, then drag him outside. As I click my tongue to get him moving the moment I’m seated, I see my dad waving me down.
“Whatcha need?” I call out to him.
Bill Cooper waves an envelope at me, his brows furrowed in clear frustration. I guide my horse over and hold my hand out.
“What’s this?” I ask as I skim the letter, then my eyebrows drop to match my father’s. “What the hell?”
“Apparently, Thorton thinks we still owe him a balance for the crap job he never finished out here couple of years ago. Tryin’ to charge me late fees, too.” My dad fists his hands on his hips as I reread the letter. Looks like Jaxon is trying to charge us for unused materials still sitting over at his place.
Growling, I clench the letter in my fist. “Lemme get some chores done and I’ll head over to knock some sense into that asshole. He may not know his dad fucked us over, but I’ll clear it up real quick. Mom need anythin’ from town?”
“I’ll ask. When you gonna head out?”
“I got the Hughes girl in the calf barn changin’ out straw. I’ll wait until she’s done, then go. She’s helpin’ with the church with the barn build, so I’ll just drop her off or somethin’.”
Dad tips his hat up to look up at me. “How’s that workin’ out? Havin’ her in the barns, I mean.”
“Only been a couple days,” I say, not thrilled with talking about her.
“That don’t answer my question.”
My father is a hard man, but he’s not unaware of what’s going on around him. Sighing, I take my hat off and knock the dirt off before shoving it back on hard. “I don’t know what you want me to say. She’s doin’ fine, I ‘spose. Ran her fuckin’ mouth to one of the Grahams about workin’ here. It was real fun when he showed up on my doorstep last night to warn me off of fuckin’ with the girl.”
“And are you fuckin’ with her?”
The corners of my lips tilt up, and I meet my dad’s eyes. “Maybe a bit. But she surprisingly does good work. Not really a Hughes’ trait, if you know what I’m sayin’.”
He snorts. “They ain’t nothin’ but trash, but she seems like a decent sort of girl.”
I choose not to respond to that. “I’m gonna get my shit done. Have mom text me if she needs anythin’. What are you doin’ today?”
“Got some stuff to fix around the house, so I’ll knock that out. Let me know what Thorton says. I’m not payin’ for this shit when his daddy couldn’t get the job done.”
Nodding, I pull the reins on Austin and lead him from the house. I don’t glance toward the barn as I click my tongue and drive my heels into his flanks to get him moving.
I don’t have time to be worried about what kind of shit that girl is going to bring to my door. I’m not into drama and I’ll have her gone faster than she can blink if it happens again.