Chapter Two
Clyde
Fire pops in my veins, poking at me from the inside out. I’m not sure why I’m letting that snarky excuse of a business woman get under my skin. I’ve got thirty years experience building cabins, I’ve run multiple teams of men, and I make sure everything is done on a timely basis. Not to mention that the guys working for me are the best in the state. They don’t piss and moan about every little thing, they don’t let the weather stop them from a job, and they take pride in the product they're producing. It’s hard to find guys like that.
I stare out at the sprawling acres of land before me. The sun is still rising and there’s a fog crawling down the mountain range onto the grass. The air is filled with the earthy scent of hay and the distant sounds of horses in their corrals. Cabins scatter in the distance, a warm glow shining from their early morning windows. Scarlett did one thing right, she picked a great location. The ranch reminds me of an old western settlement, complete with a river running straight through it. Truth be told, I think this property once housed a gold rush settlement that long since collapsed on itself.
“Pretty, ain’t it?” My buddy Sawyer leans against the post beside me. We’re standing on the back porch of the main lodge looking out.
I turn toward him and reach out my hand. “What the hell are you doing here, man? Don’t you have ink to do this morning?”
“No appointments until this afternoon, so I thought I’d stop in for the lumberjack breakfast everybody’s been talking about. You had it yet?”
“A few times. Opal and her team are pretty good. They got great biscuits and gravy, and she makes a mean peach cobbler too. You’ll have to come back for lunch.”
Sawyer laughs. “Didn’t even realize this place was open to the public until Monday.”
“It’s something new the boss is trying. Doesn’t make much sense to me since she’s so concerned about security, but what the hell do I know?”
“Sounds like you’re having a bad morning.”
I cross my arms over my chest and glance toward Sawyer before turning back toward the mountains. “I shouldn’t have come out here to work. The guys and I were doing good out on our own.”
“Still the security shit?”
“It’s the whole thing. She’s barely twenty-five, and she’s telling grown men what to do like she knows everything.”
“You were a headstrong kid once, too. I remember a young Clyde who thought he knew everything about the world and couldn’t be told otherwise.” Sawyer and I are nearly the same age. He wanted to tattoo folks since he was a boy, and I went into contracting. We’ve never been shy about telling each other exactly what we think. Some days, it’s helpful. Others, it’s a pain in the ass.
Sawyer drags in a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he stares out at the range. The family of elk are still grazing on the west end of the pasture while a few folks stand around with cameras. “I heard Evie’s getting married. Saw the announcement in the Gazette.”
“Fuck, man.” I reach out for his shoulder in comfort. He had a fling with her years back, but the timing was off. She’s always been the one that got away. “You alright?”
“I mean, I expected it. She’s been dating the guy for years. If anything, I was the one in the way, but I think she and I could’ve been happier.” Love is something I’m glad I don’t have stakes in. The amount of heartache it causes over happiness doesn’t equal up in the equation of it all. “Anyway, I’m gonna go have this breakfast. You give ‘em hell, man.”
I grin and shake my head as Sawyer makes his way back into the lodge. He’s a simple man and spends most of his time working. It sucks that things didn’t work out for him and Evie. If anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s that guy.
I blow out a breath and drag in another, letting the springtime air fill my lungs with fresh pine and moss. I guess it’s time for me to make my way down to the cabins and let the guys know there won’t be any change in security. I’m not looking forward to that conversation. The money is important, but in a small town like this, words get twisted fast, and the guys deserve a good working environment.
Stepping off the front porch, I crunch onto the stone path toward the side by side parked at the edge of the lot. It’s a utility vehicle I use to get around the grounds. I love a good walk, but I’d be walking thirty miles a day if I didn’t use this thing regularly. Apparently, Scarlett doesn’t have the same concerns.
Stomping out into the grass with red high heels, a short black skirt, and matching blazer, the thick-waisted redhead is on some kind of a mission.
Oh, fuck.
Her aim is set for the guys in the back forty gathering their tools. I’m not sure what her goal is, but I can’t wait to hear it.
I start up the Gator and speed across the lawn toward her, trying to avoid staring at her very round ass. It’s an issue I manage daily. The thing should have its own solar system the way it bounces and shakes.
What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m double her age and she’s annoying as hell. The greatest ass in the world couldn’t get me seeing eye to eye with that woman.
I tear my gaze away and glance toward the field, studying the elk that are grazing closer and closer. Surely, Scarlett knows well enough to go around the longer way. She wouldn’t intentionally direct herself through their feeding grounds, right? That would be ridiculous.
Wrong. She stomps her short little legs twenty feet away from the bull elk that’s been fighting all morning. He’s not as patient with her bullshit as I’ve been.
He flattens his head and shows his antlers, letting her know he doesn’t like how close she’s getting. My redheaded boss pays no mind and continues to stomp ahead, careless to the state of nature happening around her.
Damn it!
I lay on the gas and peel forward quickly, then draw my forty-five, putting two shots into the air, scaring the thousand-pound animal back and away from Scarlett before he charges.
You’d think a person would be thankful for help in a situation like that. I’m thinking a medal or a statue in the center of the lodge dedicated to my heroic nature.
Wrong again. She stops in her tracks and turns toward me with the look of the Devil as I pull up next to her.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Are you shooting that thing? Is that the sound I just heard? Are you shooting your gun at my ranch?” Her eyes widen and her stare transforms into something strange, as though I have two heads and a spiked tongue. “This isn’t your personal hunting ground! I have clients here!”
“And you had a bull elk fixin’ to charge you. You’d rather I let you get mauled?”
“He wasn’t going to maul me.”
“Oh, alright. Well, next time I’ll take a wait and see approach.”
She rolls her neck in a circle and narrows her gaze. “I should fire you on the spot. You shouldn’t have that thing out here.”
“This ain’t the city. This is the wild west. We got elk, bear, coyote, wolves, drifters, you name it. They’re all out here. I keep this for protection. Right now, you should be thanking me, but I get it if you’re scared of guns.”
“No, I’m scared of idiots with guns. There’s a difference.”
Nice. I’m gonna need a lot of help from the Lord to get me through this day. “Where are you going, anyway?”
A cold wind whips across the meadow and her dark red hair blows back in the breeze. “I need to talk to your men.”
“What about?”
She stomps onward, rolling her eyes.
Jesus Christ. I follow beside her in the Gator. “They’re not going to do well with a lecture from a twenty something playing grown up. Your security measures have to change, or they’re gone.”
She doesn’t bother climbing into the Gator, and she never looks at me. She continues her march all the way to the cabin build site where the guys have stopped packing to stare at the scene we’re causing.
“Huddle up,” she barks toward the guys as melting snow drips from the edges of the wood logs we laid yesterday. “We need to talk.”
This is extremely unorthodox. No one goes above me to talk to the guys. I own the contracting company. Everything goes through me first.
The guys glance toward me, but they politely gather to listen to the woman on a tirade. “I understand you all have an issue with the new security cameras being installed. They are in fact going up and they are high-tech enough that they will pick up on voices and have the capability to record conversations being had.”
The men chatter amongst themselves as she talks. They’re disgruntled, but I give her credit for coming out here to talk to them. Going toe to toe with a group of unhappy, blue-collar workers is a big deal for a woman Scarlett’s age. I’ll make sure they take it easy on her when I’m giving her a lecture about how fucked up all this is.
“You’re not the only ones being recorded. My office will also be tapped. The stream will be live for the security team, and will be saved on recording for seven years. I’ll be sending out a memo and some paperwork for everyone to sign. The purpose is not to invade your privacy, but rather to protect the confidentiality of our guests. We have a high-profile guest here right now and I’ve found that many employees are sharing personal information, which is highly unprofessional and reflects poorly on the ranch as a whole.”
One of my guys interrupts with a comment, but Scarlett mutes him and continues her lecture. “I understand that this is unsettling for many of you. In response, I’d like to up your pay by twenty percent, given you complete the line of cabins you’re currently working on by the end of the week.”
“That’s five days,” I interject. “We need at least a month to finish this safely.”
“Well, I need it done by the end of the week. That’s five days. Let me know by the end of business today.”
The guys chatter amongst themselves, but I feel their buzz from over here. They want to finish the cabins, and they want to finish it on her timeline. Can’t say I blame them. A twenty percent raise for finishing a job is over twenty thousand per person.
Something’s going on here.
I step toward her and stare down at the thick, redheaded girl who’s shivering in front of me. She’s annoying as hell, but she’s beautiful… even with bloodshot eyes. “You alright? You look like you’ve been crying.” I take off my coat and wrap it around her shoulders in an attempt to help the shivering, but she shrugs it off and shakes her head.
“I need the cabins built sooner rather than later. If money motivates them to work faster, it’s good for everyone, right?” Her tone is flat as she turns back toward the lodge.
I glance toward the guys who are all unpacking and going back to work. I don’t blame them for taking the deal, but it’s impossible.
“You know my guys can’t work around the clock, right? It’s a safety hazard. The state will have something to say about it.”
“The state isn’t here. I am, and I need those cabins built now. So… your guys can do it, or I’ll call in another team. Your choice.”
“You’re acting like a lunatic. I’m telling you, it can’t be done.”
She stops in her tracks and turns toward me. “I’m doing my job, Clyde. I suggest you do yours… minus any more guns.” With that, she stomps toward the lodge, taking that big, round ass with her.