Chapter 2
Diego
The metallic clang of my hammer striking a nail rang through the air.
Sun beat down on my shoulders as I nailed the final board into place on the little picket fence out front of the Turner Ranch house.
It was one of the last pieces we were installing before doing maintenance on the barns.
And even though I was the ranch manager, my other hands were far too busy with running the ranch to worry about a fence. I could handle that.
Lucas wanted the place to look nice before he and Beau got married in the spring, and it was my job to get the never-ending list of chores done.
They had several hands working on the ranch now just to keep it running.
Guest cabins had been built, a parking lot installed, landscaping manicured, all while the ranch continued to operate as normal.
I had people teaching riding lessons, guiding hikes, fixing fences, and driving cattle all at the same time.
Mending a fence by myself felt like a vacation compared to keeping all that in line.
I dropped my hammer into the toolbox beside me and slipped my hat off and onto the nearest fencepost. Reaching down, I pulled my white t-shirt up, wiping the sweat from my face. It might’ve been December, but it was a warm one.
“Lord have mercy…” I heard off to my left.
I pulled my shirt down to see Lucas standing there, a small cooler in his hand.
I couldn’t help but grin. That city boy stared at me every chance he got.
It made Beau jealous. Sometimes I wondered if Lucas did it on purpose just to goad Beau into taking it out on him in the bedroom.
I’d known lots of people who liked to play that little game.
“Hey Lucas,” I said, dropping my shirt back into place. “How’s it goin’?”
“Better now,” he replied without missing a beat. “Don’t call HR on me, but… damn. Whoever you end up with is gonna be a lucky man.”
“I’d say you’re the lucky one,” I nodded, soaking up the compliment. “Beau is a pretty handsome fella.”
Lucas beamed. “Yes, he is.” He stepped forward, holding out the small cooler. “Here. I saw you working out here and figured you could use some lunch.”
“Thanks,” I smiled, taking the cooler.
“Wasn’t there anyone else who could do this fence for you?”
“Nah, I wanted to do it,” I nodded, pulling out a beer and twisting the cap off. “Gives me a break. I miss doin’ things with my hands.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow, his green eyes sparkling with mischief. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
I nearly choked on my beer, feeling heat creep up my neck. “Get your mind out of the gutter, city boy. I meant actual work. Carpentry. Building things.”
“Uh-huh.” He leaned against the fence post, clearly not buying it. “And here I thought you were being all philosophical about the satisfaction of manual labor.”
“Well, that too,” I admitted, taking another swig. The beer was ice cold and hit the spot perfectly. “But mostly I just like the quiet. Don’t have to worry about guest complaints or scheduling conflicts or whether the new guy knows which end of a horse bites.”
Lucas laughed, that rich sound that always made something flutter in my chest. Damn him for being so easy to talk to. And damn me for noticing how his dark hair was getting a little long around the edges, curling slightly in the Texas heat.
“Speaking of the new guy,” Lucas said. “He seems nice. Is he your type?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Lucas had been trying to set me up with every guy in town since I’d started working for him. He had a good heart, bless him, but his gaydar was the worst I’d ever seen.
“He’s straight,” I replied with a shrug. “Got a girlfriend back home waitin’ for him.”
“He’s straight at home,” Lucas teased. “Sometimes that’s different when you’re out on a cattle drive.”
“Yeah, not this one.” I took another swig of my beer. “I’m not lookin’ anyway. Settlin’ down just isn’t my style.”
“Oh, come on,” Lucas said, not letting it drop. “What about that guy who comes into town sometimes? The one who works at the feed store?”
“Married,” I said flatly. “Wife and three kids.”
“The bartender at the Spoke?”
“Straight as an arrow and twice as boring.” I pulled a sandwich out of the cooler and unwrapped it. Turkey and swiss on what looked like homemade bread. My stomach growled appreciatively. “Lucas, I appreciate what you’re tryin’ to do, but Sagebrush ain’t exactly crawling with eligible bachelors.”
“There’s got to be someone,” he insisted, that stubborn set to his jaw that I’d seen him use in business meetings. “What about dating apps? You could expand your search radius.”
I nearly laughed at that. “You want me to drive two hours to Austin for a hookup? Some of us got work to do.”
“Not a hookup,” Lucas said, looking genuinely offended. “A relationship. Love. The real deal.”
That made me pause mid-bite. The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. Here was a guy who’d found his person, who was planning a wedding and building a life, and he genuinely wanted the same for me. It was sweet, even if it was misguided.
“Some folks just ain’t built for that, Lucas,” I said quietly. “And that’s okay.”
“Bullshit.” The curse sounded funny in his East Coast accent, like he was trying on cowboy boots that didn’t quite fit. “Everyone deserves someone who looks at them like they’re the most important thing in the world.”
I felt something twist in my chest at that. The way Beau looked at Lucas was something special, all right. Like Lucas hung the moon and painted the stars just for him. I’d never had anyone look at me like that, and I’d made my peace with it. Mostly.
“Maybe,” I said, taking another bite to avoid having to elaborate. The sandwich was damn good. Lucas might be a city boy, but he knew his way around quality ingredients.
“I’m serious, Diego,” he pressed. “You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re built like a brick shithouse.”
I glanced over at him, an eyebrow raised.
“Sorry, but it’s true.” He continued. “And you’ve got this whole mysterious cowboy thing going for you. Any guy would be lucky to have you.”
The compliment hit harder than I expected, and I found myself looking down at my boots. “You’re gonna make me blush.”
“Good. Someone should.” He shifted against the fence post, and I could feel him studying me. “When’s the last time you went on an actual date?”
I scratched my jaw, the stubble rough under my fingers. “What makes you think I don’t date?”
“Because Beau said you haven’t brought anyone around since you started working here. And you’ve been here over a year.”
“Just ‘cause I don’t parade ‘em through the ranch don’t mean they don’t exist,” I countered, though the lie tasted bitter on my tongue.
Truth was, I couldn’t remember the last actual date I’d been on.
Hookups, sure. Those happened now and then when the right sort of guy came to visit the ranch.
But sitting across from someone at dinner, making conversation that wasn’t just a prelude to getting naked? That was a different story.
“So, you’re dating someone?” Lucas perked up, his eyes bright with interest.
“I didn’t say that.” I took another bite of sandwich to buy time.
“Then what are you saying?” He crossed his arms, looking every bit the marketing executive he was. The man could smell bullshit from a mile away, which made lying to him particularly challenging.
I sighed. “I’m sayin’ that my personal life is personal for a reason.”
“Fine, keep your secrets.” He didn’t look convinced. “But Christmas is coming up, and nobody should be alone during the holidays.”
“I won’t be alone,” I said. “I’ll be right here, making sure this place runs smooth while you and Beau are busy playing Santa and decorating every inch of the property.” I gestured toward the main house, where a massive wreath already hung on the front door. “Besides, I got my own traditions.”
“Like what?”
I thought about my typical Christmas. A bottle of whiskey, whatever game was on TV, and takeout from whatever place was open. Not exactly Hallmark material.
“Just stuff,” I said vaguely. “Important cowboy rituals. Very sacred.”
Lucas snorted. “Uh-huh. Well, whatever your ‘sacred cowboy rituals’ are, you’re spending Christmas Eve with us. Jack’s making his famous eggnog, and Beau’s firing up the slow cooker.”
My chest did something funny at the invitation, like a horse shying away from a snake. “That’s real nice of y’all, but—”
“No buts,” Lucas cut me off, pushing off from the fence post. “You’re family now, Diego. Whether you like it or not.”
Family. The word hit me sideways, and I had to look away, focusing on peeling the label off my beer bottle.
Nobody had called me family in... hell, I couldn’t even remember.
The foster homes sure as shit hadn’t, and the string of ranches I’d drifted through over the years treated hired hands exactly like that. Hired help.
“Don’t go gettin’ all sentimental on me, city boy,” I muttered, but there wasn’t any heat behind it. Truth was, the thought of spending Christmas Eve somewhere that wasn’t a dive bar or my empty bunkhouse made something warm unfurl in my chest.
“Too late,” Lucas grinned. “I’m already planning the seating arrangements. And before you ask, yes, I’m absolutely going to invite every single gay man within a fifty-mile radius.”
I groaned. “Lucas...”
“What? It’s Christmas! Season of miracles and all that.” He checked his watch and started backing toward his truck. “Speaking of which, I should get back. Conference call with some investors in twenty minutes.”
“Don’t you go invitin’ anybody on my account,” I called after him.
“No promises!” he called back, already climbing into his truck. “And Diego? Thanks for fixing the fence. It looks great.”
I watched him drive off, dust kicking up behind his tires as he headed back toward the main house. The man was like a damn tornado. He blew in, stirred everything up, and then left you wondering what the hell just happened. No wonder Beau had gotten so swept up.
I finished my sandwich in the relative quiet, listening to the cattle lowing in the distance and the whisper of wind through the grass.
This was what I loved about ranch work. The peace of it.
The way you could lose yourself in simple, honest labor and forget about all the complicated shit churning around in your head.
But Lucas’s words kept echoing. You’re family now.
I’d been telling myself for months that this job was just like all the others.
Good pay, decent boss, nice enough place to land for a while before the itch to move on got too strong.
But somewhere along the line, things had shifted.
Jack had started asking my opinion on everything from cattle breeding to what brand of coffee to stock in the kitchen.
Beau had gone from polite but distant to actually seeking out my company, asking about my day, remembering details about my life that I’d mentioned in passing.
And even Mabel treated me like one of the boys that she loved taking care of.
And Lucas... well, Lucas had appointed himself my personal matchmaker, which was annoying as hell but also kind of sweet. Like he actually gave a damn about my happiness.
When was the last time anyone had cared whether I was happy?
I shook my head, draining the last of my beer. This was dangerous territory. I wasn’t built for putting down roots, or for getting attached. That was a one-way ticket to heartbreak, and I’d had enough of that growing up.
I tossed the beer bottle into my toolbox and wiped my hands on my jeans. The fence was done, but there were still a dozen other items on my to-do list before sundown. No time for dwelling on things that couldn’t be changed.
When the time came, I’d move on from Turner Ranch and Sagebrush. And that was all there was to it.