Chapter Thirty One #2
“I say we send a couple of the cowboys down to the biker bar and keep their ears open. You’re the only reason for him to stay in Embers unless he has a drug deal about to go down.
If we can nab him and the others in a bust, we can get them out of here faster,” Julio surmised, glancing at the computer screen.
“Riley’s not happy with you, Garrett. You fucked up. She already has trust issues, and you made them worse,” Rachel said, entering Matthew’s office, her eyes filled with rage.
“Rachel,” Matthew warned. “Remember the conversation of staying out of other people’s business?”
She scrunched up her nose and turned toward the man who hurt her friend. “Yeah. And I remember requesting you kicking his ass. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel angry when we pulled up to the Silver Spurs Hotel.”
“She stayed there?” Garrett exclaimed.
Matthew waved him down. “She rented the room for about thirty minutes before we got there.”
Rachel sent daggers in his direction. “Riley may have made a mistake, but her sister’s life was at risk. She dressed up for you, and you made her feel cheap. What will you do to fix it?” she demanded.
“I can’t do anything right now,” Garrett explained. “My mother and boyfriend might put her and Tara in danger.”
“So, sitting here on your asses and gossiping like a bunch of old ladies having tea will solve it? Why don’t you try having an adult conversation with her? She’s a big girl. Trust me, she can handle it,” Rachel said vehemently.
Garrett rose and walked toward Rachel. “I tried speaking with her. She didn’t seem very receptive. Then again, I didn’t give her a chance to give me an explanation.” Garret held his hat in his hands. “Do you know where she is?”
“She’s taking the greenhorns to the east pasture and wrangling them to the other side. Then, she’ll shower and volunteer at the cafeteria like she has ever since you kicked her out. Riley works herself to exhaustion and I’m sure it’s because of you.”
“I’ll check in later,” Garrett murmured as he left the room. Getting into his truck, he drove to the barn closest to the pasture where Rachel mentioned Riley working. He saddled one of the ranch horses and headed out to find her.
“Ya, ya,” Riley called as she herded the animals, her braided long hair whipped in the wind.
“Jay, keep your attention on those animals to your left. You’re giving them too much space to wander off,” she directed as she watched the people under her care.
“Mike, you let one of the calves slip by you, let’s get him. ”
Riley maneuvered her horse around the herd, grabbed her rope, and wrangled the calf before it made it to the stream.
“Damn, Riley, who taught you how to do that?” Mike exclaimed, shaking his head, impressed with Riley’s skills.
“My mom,” she said, smiling. The fresh air gave her skin a healthy glow as she watched the ranch cowboys helping the greenhorns. She handed the rope to Mike. “Get him back to the herd and then we’re done for the day.”
Her hand went up to shade her eyes as she searched for any areas not covered where an animal might escape, and Garrett realized she wasn’t wearing her hat. Yeah, you idiot, because you made her feel like a piece of shit, and she left it at your cabin.
Estimating she still had an hour of work before she made it back to the barns, he turned his horse and headed back. Jumping into his truck, he drove back to his cabin. Garrett grabbed her hat off the hook and returned to his truck, determined to meet her at the barn.
When he arrived, she patted Mike on the shoulder as one of the other cowboys took her horse inside the barn. Riley followed them inside. Garrett waited until the cowboys loaded into their vehicles and drove off before approaching her.
“I’d say we did a good job today, Daisy. Jay needs to work on his attention span, but all in all, we didn’t do too badly,” she said, stroking the horse’s head.
“I think you did an amazing job,” he said, startling her. When she realized who it was, she turned back to the horse. “At least our day went great. I guess we can’t expect miracles.”
“I know you don’t want to talk to me, and I screwed up big time. Will you at least give me five minutes to hear me out?” he asked.
“Like the five minutes you gave me?” she shot back. “Go away, Garrett. We have nothing to say to each other.”
“I have plenty to say, starting with I’m sorry I hurt you,” he said softly as he approached her.
Riley stopped petting the horse and gripped the stall door. Tears gathered in her eyes as she regained her composure. “Thanks for the apology.”
“I mean it, Riley. As soon as I left you at the cabin, I regretted every word I said. I turned the truck around, but you were already gone. The cabin doesn’t feel the same without you,” Garrett informed her.
“I don’t expect you to come back. I’m asking if you’ll give me a chance to make things right. ”
She whipped her head around to stare at him as she brushed the tears from her eyes. “I told you why I didn’t give my virginity to one of the cowboys on the ranch. We work here together. I don’t sleep with people I’m forced to work with,” she said angrily.
“Riley,” Garrett implored, slowly walking toward her like he would a startled animal.
“Don’t, Garrett,” she said, holding out her hand to stop him.
He took her hand and walked closer. “When will you get this cast off? I saw you riding out in the field. You’re incredible. I’m concerned you might lose your grasp and injure yourself. Will you let me at least take you to the doctor?”
“No. I don’t want you or your precious money,” Riley said, attempting to grab her crutches.
Garrett picked her up, hauling her over his shoulder.
“Put me down, you imbecile,” she yelled, beating on his back.
Sitting on a bale of straw, Garrett turned her on his lap. “Listen, I know you’re upset. Word has it you’re working yourself to death. I know you’re angry with me, but I’m worried about you.”
“You have no reason to feel concerned. You booted me out of your cabin like a piece of trash,” she sniffled.
“I’ll pay you back as soon as I can. I won’t get paid until next week, and Amy offered Tara and me a job on the weekends at her farm stand.
I’ll send over the first payment with Matthew or Julio. ”
“You don’t owe me anything,” he insisted. “You and Tara made meals and did laundry, amongst other stuff. The rest of it, I gifted you.”
She shook her head. “No. I made up stories to make you buy it.”
Garrett ran his hand through his beard. “I said it and deserve your wrath. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but will you at least consider keeping two things?
Tara needs her computer for school. I gave it to her with no strings attached.
” Garrett brushed her cheek. “You need your hat. Your face will get red from the wind.”
Riley stubbornly raised her chin. “I’ll buy my own. There’s a charity store with loads of them.”
“Did I ruin the memory of your mom and how excited you felt when I gave you the other one?” he asked softly. “It’s yours, Riley. Just as I am. I said some horrible things, and I’m trying to make it right.”
A single tear ran down her cheek. “I trusted you, Garrett. You’re the first man I ever wanted to…
you know. You took the memory and crushed it.
I’m not so naive to believe we’d have a happily ever after, but I thought you cared.
Mom said, anger can be more destructive than a sword. I feel like you cut me in half.”
“I know, Baby Girl,” he agreed. “I ran into Kenny. He seems to know a lot about you. The man claimed you convinced a customer to buy you the necklace Tara wore. It ate at me to think of you doing this with other men. The green-eyed monster got me. Everything he said carried some truth to it, and it ate at my gut.”
“Please don’t call me that,” she said, pushing off him. He made no move to hold her down, knowing she’d only fight. “I can’t do this right now. You gave your explanation, and I’ll accept your apology, but it doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt me.”
Garrett sighed. “What can I do to make you feel better?”
Riley hung her head. “I don’t know if I can unhear those ugly words coming from you. Please give me time.”
“I’ll do whatever you want,” he vowed. “Will you at least take the hat and the computer?”
“I’ll give Tara the computer. After all, I added it to the IOU,” she said begrudgingly.
“You also added the hat,” he reminded her. “Why don’t you consider it a rental until you get a new one?”
“Fine,” she murmured. “I want to make it clear. You invited us to your cabin. We didn’t have ulterior motives. I think it’s best if you keep your distance.”
“I understand,” he said. “I’ll put the computer and your hat in your truck. In the meantime, please be careful. Kenny and his men still have their eyes on you. I went to convince him to leave. He’s up to something.”
“I’ll be careful,” she assured him. “And Garrett?”
“Yeah?” he said, turning back to her.
“Thank you for everything. We appreciate you letting us stay with you and everything you did for us.”
“I’ll do anything for you, ba-Riley,” he said sadly, before heading toward his truck.