“Told her that we got caught up fixing the fence, and it got dark on us earlier than we’d anticipated. She seemed to buy it, and to keep the charade going, I sat out there with her for a while.”
“It was midnight. She wasn’t suspicious? That’s the last thing I need. Her getting involved with what we’ve been doing to keep both places afloat since our parents died.”
Don’t I fuckin’ know that. Not only that, but she’ll be in as much danger as we are, day in and day out. The part of me that’s always wanted to protect her is not happy with that, and won’t stand for it. “Not that I could tell. We have to be honest and know that she might figure out what’s going on, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
“Sounds good. What does the rest of your day look like? Can I put you with Aubree?”
Fuck. My. Life. Does he realize he just keeps throwing his little sister at me? The part of me that’s been obsessed with her since she was born? It answers the question. “Yeah, put her with me. I’ll get as much done as I can before she comes out here in a few hours.”
“Thank you.” He claps me on the shoulder.
I drain the rest of my coffee, grimacing at the bitter burn, and head out to find Carson and Denver. The morning air is crisp, carrying the scent of hay and horses, along with something else. The lingering tension from last night’s job. We can’t afford to get sloppy, especially not now that Aubree’s back.
I find my brothers near the equipment shed, Carson checking over some tools while Denver leans against the fence, smoking a cigarette. They both look up as I approach, and I can see the question in their eyes before either of them speaks.
“Truett happy with what went down last night?” Carson asks, setting down a wrench.
“Yup. He’s more worried about Aubree figuring things out than he is about the actual job.” I grab a fence post that’s been leaning against the shed and test its weight. “Speaking of which, we need to talk about last night.”
Denver flicks his cigarette butt into the dirt and crushes it under his boot heel. “Everything went smooth as silk. No complications, no witnesses, cattle are exactly where they need to be. It was an all-hands-on-deck situation, and us Nelson boys made sure things were taken care of.”
“Good. But we need to stay sharp. With Aubree back, we can’t have any more close calls like last night. She was outside when Devlin and I got back to the ranch. Luckily, I was able to play it off.” I look between my brothers, making sure they understand the gravity of the situation. “She’s smart, and she knows this ranch better than anyone. One slipup and she’ll start asking questions we can’t answer.”
Carson nods, running a hand through his dark hair. “What’s the timeline on moving the herd?”
“Denver’s handling the brands and tags today,” I say, turning to our youngest brother. “How long do you need?”
Denver straightens up, all business now. “Give me three days, maybe four. I want to make sure everything’s perfect. The brands need to be clean, and the paperwork has to be airtight in case someone comes asking questions.”
“Four days it is. After that, we move them to the holding pasture on the north side, then Carson takes them to market next week.” I set the fence post back down and check my watch. “In the meantime, we keep doing regular ranch work, keep everything looking normal.”
“What about Aubree?” Carson asks. “Truett’s got you babysitting her today, right?”
The way he says it makes my jaw clench. “I’m not babysitting anyone. She’s capable of handling ranch work.”
Denver smirks. “That why you’re wound up tighter than a tick on a hound dog this morning?”
“Fuck off, Denver.” But there’s no real heat in it. My brothers know me too well, know that Aubree has always been a weakness for me. “Just keep your heads down and do your jobs. We can’t afford any mistakes.”
“Speaking of mistakes,” Carson says, his tone turning serious. “You sure sitting out on that swing with her last night was a good idea? Getting close to her while we’re in the middle of all this?”
The question hits harder than I’d like to admit. Am I making a mistake? Probably. But the memory of her sitting there in the moonlight, looking lost and vulnerable, makes my chest tight. “It was nice talking to her, and it wasn’t like I was going to leave her out there alone.”
“Just be careful,” Denver says, and for once, there’s no teasing in his voice. “We all care about Aubree, but if she finds out what we’re doing…”
“She won’t.” The words come out sharper than I intended. “I’ll make sure of it.”
We spend the next hour going over the details—which pastures to avoid, how to explain any unusual activity, what story to stick to if anyone asks questions. By the time we’re done, the sun is fully up, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink that remind me of Aubree’s cheeks when she blushes.
Christ, I need to get my head straight.
I’m just finishing up some paperwork when I see her walking toward the barn, and my mouth goes dry. She’s wearing jeans that hug her curves in all the right places and a simple T-shirt that somehow makes her look both innocent and sinful at the same time. Her honey-blonde hair catches the morning light, and those deep brown eyes are focused on me with an intensity that makes my pulse quicken.
“Morning, Jesse,” she says, and there’s something shy in her voice that wasn’t there yesterday.
“Morning, Bree.” I clear my throat, trying to ignore the way my name sounds when she says it. “Ready to get your hands dirty?”
She tilts her head, studying me with those intelligent eyes. “Depends on what kind of dirty we’re talking about.”
