Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Christian
I stood in the barn, the rain hammering the roof like it was trying to bust through.
Water dripped from my hat onto the hay-strewn floor, and my boots were caked with mud from trudging through the pastures all morning.
The storm had rolled in fast, catching me halfway through checking the herd, and now I was stuck fixing what it’d messed up.
A couple of the horses were spooked, pacing their stalls, and one of the barn cats had knocked over a feed bucket in its scramble to get dry.
I grabbed a pitchfork and started scooping the spilled grain back into the bin, muttering curses under my breath.
“Hey, Dusty, settle down,” I said, tossing a handful of hay into the gray mare’s stall. She snorted and kicked the wall, her ears flicking back. “Yeah, I don’t like it either, but you’re not helping.”
I moved to the next stall, where Rusty, our big chestnut gelding, was chewing his gate like it’d offended him.
I tapped his nose with the pitchfork handle.
“Cut it out, bud. You’ll splinter the damn thing, and then Damian’ll have my hide.
” He huffed but backed off, and I shook my head, grabbing a brush from the wall to smooth his mane.
Keeping busy kept me from losing it. Rain like this always stirred things up because animals got twitchy, fences got loose, and I got stuck playing handyman.
The barn door creaked open, letting in a gust of wet wind, and I glanced over my shoulder. Tommy, our youngest ranch hand, stumbled in, soaked to the bone. “Christian, you need me out by the south fence? Saw a post leaning when I was coming in.”
“Nah, leave it for now,” I said, setting the brush down. “Too sloppy out there. Help me get these horses calmed down, then we’ll figure out the rest.”
He nodded and grabbed a lead rope, heading for Dusty’s stall. “She’s been a pain all day. Kicked me twice yesterday.”
“She’s got spirit,” I said, grinning. “You just gotta sweet-talk her.”
“Yeah, right,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You’re the only one she listens to.”
I shrugged and moved to check the tack room, making sure the saddles were off The last thing we needed was water ruining good leather.
The rain wasn’t letting up, drumming steadily and loudly, and I could hear the cattle bawling faintly in the distance.
They’d be fine since Red Rock’s pastures drained decently, but I’d have to ride out later and make sure none of them got stuck in the mud.
Damian would be on my ass if we lost even one head to this mess.
“Christian, you got that new rope coiled yet?” Tommy called from the stalls. “Dusty’s eyeing the gate now.”
“Yeah, hang on,” I said, grabbing the coil from the tack room shelf. I tossed it to him, and he caught it one-handed, looping it over the stall door. “Tie her up if she gets rowdy. I’m not chasing her through the mud again.”
“Got it,” he said, already knotting the rope. “You think this’ll clear up soon?”
“Doubt it,” I said, leaning against the wall to watch him work. “Looks like it’s settling in. Might be a long night.”
He groaned but didn’t argue, focusing on Dusty.
I turned back to the tack room, wiping my hands on my jeans.
The barn smelled like wet hay and horse sweat, familiar and sharp, and I liked it better than being cooped up in the house.
Out here, I could move, fix things, and keep my hands busy.
Damian ran the show, and Cosmo talked our way into deals, but I was the one who kept the animals alive and the land working. It suited me fine.
A low rumble of an engine cut through the rain, and I stepped to the barn door, squinting out into the gray.
Cosmo’s truck rolled up the drive, tires splashing through puddles, and parked near the house.
I figured he’d been in town, probably schmoozing Carter at the feed store, but then the passenger door opened, and a woman climbed out.
She had dark hair plastered to her shoulders and a red dress sticking to her legs, and she moved quicklyducking under the porch overhang with Cosmo right behind her.
I raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t said anything about bringing company.
“Who’s that?” Tommy asked, popping up beside me.
“No clue,” I said, crossing my arms. “Looks like Cosmo found a stray.”
Tommy smirked. “He’s got a knack for that. She’s hot, though.”
“Yeah, she ain’t bad,” I said, watching them disappear into the house.
The rain blurred everything, but I’d caught enough: curves, confidence, and a vibe that said she wasn’t from Costa Solara.
Cosmo always had a way with people, especially the good-looking ones.
I’d rather deal with a pissed-off bull than try to charm a stranger.
“Think she’s staying?” Tommy asked, leaning out the door.
“Knowing Cosmo, he’ll talk her into it,” I said. “Come on, let’s finish up. I wanna see what’s up.”
We got back to work, settling the horses and stacking some hay bales that’d gotten too close to the leaky corner.
Dusty finally calmed down, munching her hay, and Rusty stopped gnawing the gate.
I sent Tommy to check the water troughs, then grabbed my jacket from the hook by the door.
The rain had eased to a steady drizzle, so I jogged across the yard to the house, shaking water off my hat as I stepped onto the porch.
Inside, the kitchen smelled like coffee, and I heard Cosmo’s laugh before I saw him.
He was leaning against the counter, shirt damp, pouring a mug for the woman.
She sat at the table, toweling her hair with one of our old rags, her dress still clinging in ways that made me pause.
Up close, she was even better: full lips, sharp eyes, and a body that filled out that red fabric like it was made for her.
“Christian, there you are,” Cosmo said, spotting me. “Meet Geraldine. Her car crapped out in town, so I brought her back.”
“Hey,” I said, nodding at her. “Rough day for a drive, huh?”
She looked up, her lips twitching into a half-smile. “You could say that. Didn’t plan on swimming to a ranch.”
I grinned and leaned against the doorframe. “Yeah, storms’ll do that. You sticking around?”
“She is,” Cosmo cut in, handing her the coffee. “Till we get her car towed. Figured she could crash here.”
Geraldine raised an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t agree to that yet.”
“Sure you did,” Cosmo said, winking. “You just don’t know it.”
I snorted and grabbed a mug from the cabinet, pouring myself some coffee. “He’s full of it, but he’s right. Roads are a mess out there. You’re better off here till it clears.”
She took a sip and eyed us both over the rim. “What is this place, anyway? You all live here?”
“Red Rock Ranch,” I said, sitting across from her. “We run it together. Damian’s the boss, Cosmo’s the talker, and I handle the dirty work.”
“Dirty work’s right,” Cosmo said, smirking. “He’s been out in the rain wrestling horses all morning.”
“Someone’s gotta,” I said and kicked my boots up on the chair next to me. “You just sit pretty and flirt with strangers.”
Geraldine laughed, short and sharp. “Sounds like a system. So, what, you’re all roommates?”
“Friends,” I said, shooting Cosmo a look. “Been running this place for years. Keeps us busy.”
“And out of trouble,” Cosmo added, leaning closer to her. “Mostly.”
She smirked again and set her mug down. “Well, thanks for the rescue. I’ll figure out my car tomorrow, but I’m not promising I’ll stay long.”
“Take your time,” I said, standing up. “I’ve got animals to check. Cosmo’ll talk your ear off if you let him.”
“Damn right,” he said, grinning. “Stick around, Geraldine. We’ve got more coffee and better stories.”
She didn’t answer, just watched me head for the door.
I stepped back into the drizzle and pulled my hat low.
She was something: tough, pretty, and not falling for Cosmo’s charm right off the bat.
I liked that. It made me curious what she’d think of the ranch once the rain stopped.
For now, I had horses to deal with, but I figured I’d see her around.
Cosmo wasn’t letting her go that easily.