A surprised laugh fills my ear. “I was thinking about it. I guess Miranda already told you?”
“Told me what?”
Another laugh. “She’s supposed to go on a run to pick up a couple mares and bring them back here. The weather might get pretty nasty out that way, and it’s already going to take the entire weekend. I told her I didn’t want her going alone.”
Roger stops speaking, but I don’t say a word. I am not going to volunteer to spend the weekend alone with Miranda. I feel shitty enough just with him even thinking about asking me to. It means he trusts me. Meanwhile, I can’t even trust myself.
“Well, she argued with me, and I said I was going to call and see if you’d go with her.”
Again, I say nothing. I wait for him to say he was just threatening her, laugh, and then tell me he didn’t expect Miranda to mention it. Or…something. The silence stretches between us, and I climb into my truck and sit there, not putting it in gear until I hear what my friend has to say.
“You’re really going to make me ask, aren’t you?” he says with a sigh.
“Are you going to have to ask me to give up my entire weekend? Yeah. You are,” I say with more bite than was intended. He knows I won’t say no to him.
“Hayden, do you mind doing that run with Miranda over to Wilson County so she’s not traveling alone for two entire days in possible torrential downpours, storms, and strong winds?” he finally asks, adding as much guilt as possible into a singlesentence. “I would go with her, but I have something I can’t get out of.”
Tossing my hat onto the bench seat beside me, I lean back in my seat, resting my palm on my forehead as I try to think of a way out. “Why don’t I just do the run instead?”
Roger’s laughter fills the silence of my truck. “Have you not met Miranda? You think she’s just going to let you go instead?”
I heave a sigh. He’s right. She’s stubborn as hell when it comes to stuff like that. I may have only known her for five years, but she will do anything if someone implies that she can’t or she shouldn’t. I’ve seen the forecast. They are expecting some pretty nasty weather out that way. Of course, I’m not going to let her go alone if I can help it.
“Fine,” I say on another sigh. “I’ll be at your place at 5:00 a.m. Saturday.”
Chapter 6
Miranda
“What do you mean, Hayden is on his way?” I stomp around to the trailer and begin checking it over.
“I told you I was going to give Hayden a call. I don’t like you doing these runs alone. If something comes up and you end up off course or stranded, you’ll be all alone out there. And the weather is going to be shit,” my dad explains.
I don’t give a damn what he says. Last I checked, my dad hadn’t called Hayden. If he didn’t trust me to do this, he should have said so from the beginning. I’ve been working as a ranch hand and taking care of the horses at Boulder Ranch for years, not to mention I literally grew up around horses and tagged along with my mom as she gave lessons. That should be more than enough to prove I’m capable of doing this one thing.
“I don’t need a babysitter, Dad. I’ve been working on ranches for as long as I can remember. I know how to handle horses.I can drive a truck hooked up to a trailer. Why are you doing this?”
My dad’s nostrils flare as he looks at me. “Like I said, it’s not safe to be on the road all alone. And the weather is supposed to be bad. If you want, Hayden can do the run instead…”
I’m surprised by how quickly the flash of anger hits me. Over my dead body will Hayden take over and haul the horses in place of me. Checking the lights, I mark everything down in my notebook as I do my best to ignore my father. He should have known I wouldn’t be okay with a babysitter.
The sound of tires crunching over the gravel shifts both of our attention to the truck slowly pulling in. Hayden’s truck. It pisses me off when I feel butterflies instead of the anger I’d been expecting. I take a deep breath to try and calm the unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach as I watch the truck door swing open. My eyes remain glued to the spot even as his boots meet the ground.
“I’m sorry you wasted your time driving up here, but I’m good,” I say when Hayden joins me beside the rear of the trailer.
He folds his arms across his chest and laughs. And as if that’s not infuriating enough, the sound sends a spark of awareness straight through me. I return to my task, focusing on the rest of the safety check. I need something to concentrate on thatisn’t anger or the things my body insists on doing in response to Hayden’s nearness.
I finish the inspection, marking everything down before returning the notebook to the center console. They don’t trust me to make a run to pick up horses, but I treat it like my job. I do the same checks a truck driver would do before a long haul. I know how to make sure the vehicle I’m driving is safe. I know how to be aware of my surroundings and to avoid unsafe stops. By the time I turn around to face Hayden and my dad, my anger is back at the forefront.
“Why are you both still here?” I ask, folding my arms to mirror them.
My dad meets my glare. “Because either you go together, or Hayden goes in your place. You’re picking up animals for this ranch. My ranch. So, the decision is mine.”
My face heats, and I’m not sure if it’s because of rage or embarrassment. This isn’t my first trip; I cannot believe my dad would act like this. Feeling like an errant child, I mumble some version of “fine” before climbing into the driver’s seat and slamming the door.
It doesn’t take long before the passenger door opens, and Hayden claims the seat beside me after tossing a duffel bag into the back. My first thought is to ignore him, but I remind myself I’m not a teenager. I give him a nod before I put the truck in reverse and slowly back up, careful to school my expression.
“You going to stay pissed at me the entire time?” Hayden asks in a low voice.
