“And what if what comes next is staying?”
The idea should terrify me. Six weeks ago, the thought of moving back to South Dakota permanently would have sent me into a panic. But sitting here, in this quiet apartment in this tiny town, surrounded by the easy comfort of old friendship, it doesn’t seem like the worst thing in the world.
“I guess we’ll see,” I say.
And for the first time since I got Daniel’s wife’s pregnancy announcement in my face, I actually mean it.
FOUR
JESSE
It’s fucking dusty today.We need rain in a bad way, which is why I have the guys going to check fences. I’m afraid some of the old posts will dry rot, and then we’ll be chasing cattle, while potentially losing money.
I take my job as Truett’s right-hand man seriously. We’ve been doing this together since our parents died, and we’ve had to do a good portion of it by the skin of our teeth. There were no life insurance policies, and we had siblings to take care of.
No matter what that meant.
I push the bandana up higher over my nose to keep the dust from choking me, and press my knees against my horse, urging it to go faster. Within minutes, I’m cresting a hill and see my brother, along with a few other men, doing what I asked.
“How’s everything lookin’ up here?” I ask when I get close enough for them to be able to hear me.
Carson nods toward two obviously brand-new posts. “Couple need replacing. We can hold off on most of ’em, though.”
“Sounds good.” I motion for him to follow me as I ride my horse over to the side so that we can have a private conversation.
“What’s up?” he questions.
I glance back at the other men, making sure they’re still focused on their work, before turning my attention back to Carson. The afternoon sun beats down mercilessly, and I can feel sweat mixing with dust under my shirt. This conversation needs to happen now, while we have the cover of legitimate ranch work.
“We got business tonight,” I say, keeping my voice low. “Devlin’s expecting us at the usual spot around midnight.” I mention our oldest brother.
Carson’s jaw tightens, and he shifts in his saddle. “What kind of business?”
“The kind that keeps food on the table and this ranch running.” I pull out a worn piece of paper from my shirt pocket, unfolding it carefully. “There’s a shipment coming through on the old county road. Easy pickup, minimal risk.”
My brother studies the crude map I’ve sketched, his green eyes, so similar to mine, narrowing as he takes in the details. “How minimal are we talking?”
“Single driver, no escort. Devlin’s got inside information that it’s carrying enough to cover our expenses for the next three months.” I fold the paper back up, tucking it away. “We’ll be in and out before anyone knows what happened.”
Carson rubs his beard, a nervous habit he’s had since we were teenagers. “And Truett?”
“Truett stays home.” The words come out harder than I intended. “He’s got Aubree to think about now. Can’t risk her getting suspicious or, worse, getting involved. That’s what Devlin’s there for.” Many would say that he should’ve been the one to take control of the family, but the truth is, I’ve always been the strongest of the bunch.
“She’s not stupid, Jesse. She’s gonna notice if we start acting different.”
I know he’s right. Aubree always was too observant for her own good, even as a kid. Those deep brown eyes of hers see everything, file it away, piece it together like some kind of puzzle. It’s part of what makes her so damn appealing and so damn dangerous to what we do.
“That’s why we keep things normal for the next week or so,” I explain. “We do our regular work, act like nothing’s changed. Tonight’s job gets done quietly and clean. Nobody gets hurt, nobody traces anything back to us.”
The wind picks up, sending another cloud of dust swirling around us. I pull my bandana back up, watching as the other men continue their work on the fence line. From a distance, we probably look like two brothers discussing ranch business. Nothing suspicious about that.
“What about the other guys?” Carson nods toward the workers. “They gonna ask questions if we disappear tonight?”
“Already handled. Told them we’re riding out early to check the south pasture. They’ll think we’re just being thorough.” I pause, letting the lie settle. “Far as anyone knows, we’re just doing our jobs.”
Carson’s horse shifts restlessly beneath him, picking up on his rider’s tension. “This is getting risky, Jesse. We’ve been lucky for years, but eventually luck runs out.”
“You think I don’t know that?” The words snap out before I can stop them. I take a breath, forcing myself to calm down. Carson’s just being cautious, which is smart. “Look, I know it’s dangerous. But what choice do we have? The ranch barely breaks even on good years, and this hasn’t been a good year.”
