4. Warren #2
Scrambling to my feet, I shove his shoulder. “Don’t tell me to shut up when you’re constantly running your mouth at me. Insulting me every chance you get.” He remains silent and works with surprising efficiency.
Dane lowers the jack and picks up the lug wrench like I didn’t just get in his face. He tightens all the bolts before dropping the tool into my truck bed. “Get those tightened at a garage tomorrow.”
“I can do it myself.”
“Whatever, Burke.”
He turns to walk away, and I watch as he climbs into a truck that’s just as busted as the one he used to drive. Maybe worse. I stand there in the parking lot, watching his truck drive away until the lights fade into the darkness.
Why the hell did he need to show up and be helpful?
After parking at the rodeo school, I grab the two takeout coffees from the console and use my key to enter through the side door.
My brother’s head jerks up when the office door opens, and a tentative smile sets on his lips.
“Hey. I wasn’t expecting you today.”
I sigh and hold out a coffee to him. “I’m sorry for being a dick about the auction. I know you weren’t trying to hurt me.”
Jesse takes the offered cup. “I’d never do that, Warren. Ever. I’m glad you’re here, though.”
We stare at each other for a moment, and I set my mug on the desk before opening my arms. “Come here.”
Jesse sets his cup down with a huge smile as he hugs me. “Thank you for being here.” He releases me and steps back to grab his coffee. “I promise I won’t steamroll you next time and listen.”
“Well, I can’t promise that I’ll be easier to deal with when you have ideas, but I’ll try not to take it all so personally. It’s business, and I need to separate that better.”
Jesse sits on the sofa and takes a long swallow of the coffee.
“I’ve been here since 4 A.M. The beef cows are first. I have five farms in for that, so it’s a lot.
This afternoon it’s poultry and then ending with pigs.
” He shoots me a pointed look. “If you’re helping, make sure you secure the gate this time.
Those fuckers got out the other day while here, and thank god I had help to catch them. ”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“I did. You never answered.”
I flinch. I was mad that day and didn’t pick up. I thought he was calling about the auction and…damn; I need to be better with this stuff. We’re barely six months into all of us running this place, and I’m doing a shit job.
“I’m sorry. I promise I’ll get better. Who helped?”
Jesse brightens. “Oh! You probably remember him. He used to rope on the circuit. Dane Walker.”
What. The. Fuck.
“You hired Dane Walker?”
Jesse is oblivious to my racing heart and tension just hearing his name. “Yeah. He’s great at roping pigs.” Jesse laughs, and I force a smile. “He answered my ad to help with the auction when I was freaking out over catching pigs.”
“So he’ll be here today?”
“Yeah…sorry, I should’ve consulted with you. I hired him within our budget, though. We had agreed on that.”
“Yeah, no, it’s okay. If I would’ve answered your call, I’d know this. It’s fine.”
It is fine. I mean, he’s capable hands for helping with livestock. We need that for the business, and it’s not personal. I just have to repeat that, and I’ll be fine.
“If you could handle the payments when I’m in the ring, it would be a help. Dane will help people load and unload animals and just keep things flowing.” He tilts his head. “Do you think Dad would mind helping? I could use another set of hands running info back and forth to you.”
“Dad would be here at the drop of a hat. Call him.”
Jesse dials our dad while I mentally prepare myself to work with Dane and see him again after he changed my tire. I can’t be angry with him, but I wonder why he’d take a job like this. When he disappeared, I assumed he went to a different circuit, or maybe just tired of it.
But now he’s here, and about to work for my family’s business.
“Hey Jesse, I—”
Speak of the devil himself. Dane stands in the doorway, and after a moment of indecision, he steps inside. “Mornin’.” He nods my way. “Didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Well, I own the place, so it shouldn’t come as that big of a shock,” I snap, and Jesse glances my way as he hangs up the phone.
“Hey, Dane. Good to see you again.” Jesse shakes his hand because he’s a gentleman like that.
“Thanks, Jesse. Where do you want me today?”
“You’ll be down by the chutes helping the farmers unload the cattle and make sure the right tags are on the ones the auctioneer is calling. Our dad is on his way, and he’ll help you with loading purchased animals to the buyers after they’ve come to the office and paid Warren.”
“Sounds good. I saw a truck arriving when I pulled up. I can go see who it is and get them started if you’d like?”
Jesse hands him a clipboard and a pencil. “If you could, that would be great. I’m just going to run through things with Warren, and I’ll meet you there.”
“Sure thing.”
Dane leaves, and Jesse pulls out an order pad and calculator with more pens and pencils. “Here’s how we’ll work it. Come here.” Jesse motions for me to step to the desk. “The cash box is down there, as always, in case they brought cash.”
“The beef cows are going to go for, like, ten grand or more, easy. I hope they don’t bring cash. How the hell will I have time to count that much?”
“Oh, good call. But the poultry and pig buyers might. Anyway, either Dad or I will run up the sheet to you with the name of the buyer and animal ID with the amount owed. You take payment and give them the slip with a big ole paid mark on it. They have to bring that to the chutes for pickup.”
“Okay. I can manage that.”
Jesse pauses and lowers his voice. “Just go slow and don’t worry if you make a mistake. Everything can be fixed. You’ve got this.”
“Right. I know.”
Just like Jesse knows I struggle with a lot of this stuff. My reading improved when Jesse joined our family. He wanted so badly for me to read books with him that he spent hours with me reading them out loud together. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I’d have graduated, to be honest.
Jesse smiles and pops his cowboy hat on his head. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
With a long, exhaled breath, I nod to the now-empty office.
“Right. Let’s do this. It’s just another day at the office.”