“Yes, sir,” I replied automatically, the words practiced and hollow.
His eyes narrowed slightly. “You look tired.”
“Long night,” I said truthfully, then added the lie. “Too many beers and not enough women.”
That earned me a disapproving head shake, but there was a hint of fatherly pride in his eyes. “You know how I feel about excessive drinking, Ryder. We’ve got responsibilities here. And the Lord doesn’t take kindly to that kind of behavior.”
I nodded, appropriately contrite. “Won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t.” He turned to go back inside, then paused. “And button your collar all the way up. We need to look professional for the new men. Don’t want them thinking this is a ranch they can slack off on.”
My hand instinctively went to my neck, where I knew a faint mark was visible. I quickly adjusted my collar, heart racing. “Yes, sir.”
Inside, I grabbed a quick pop tart for breakfast while Dad reviewed the day’s schedule. Six new workers coming today, all ex-cons on parole. There was a mix of crimes amongst them, but nothing terribly serious. Most of it was drug-related or theft. But that meant that I and the other ranch hands would need to be extra perceptive about what kinds of things the new recruits were keeping in their bunks and what they got up to on their days off. The last thing we needed was another incident like we’d had three years ago.
“Did you hear about those boys over at the Nelson Ranch?” Dad asked after a sip of his coffee.
“No.” Another lie. I didn’t look up from my breakfast, pretending to be completely uninterested.
“Saw Evelyn in town yesterday,” he sighed. “And she said those boys areengaged.” He paused, clearly waiting for me to lose my mind about it. “Did you hear me?Engaged.”
“Yeah?” I said, giving him a shrug. “That kinda thing’s been legal for a decade now. It’s bound to happen, I guess.”
“So, you’re just alright with a couple offagsliving in town?”
I knew I’d already given him the wrong answer, so there was no reason to try to backtrack now. “Live and let live, Dad. Aren’t you the one always telling me that it’s not our place to judge? Only God can do that.”
He huffed at that. The man hated it when I turned his religious bullshit back on him. “But what about Evelyn?!”
“What about her? She’s a woman. Clearly they aren’t gonna molest her or something.”
“But a fine lady like her being exposed to that kind of…depravity?” He shook his head. “It just ain’t right. God didn’t intend for that sort of thing to happen.”
“I thought you said God didn’t make mistakes?”
He looked back down at his papers. “God doesn’t make mistakes. People do. And a couple of queers runnin’ Nelson Ranch is amistake.”
I stuffed the rest of my pop tart in my mouth, pushing myself up from the table. There was no arguing with him when he got like this. The man refused to see reason and to see the hypocrisy in his own beliefs. It was better just to let him stew on his own.
I grabbed my jacket and headed out to find Larry, my mind still wandering back to last night’s encounter despite my best efforts to focus on work. The cool morning air helped clear my head as I made my way across the ranch toward the bunkhouse.
Larry was already there when I arrived, clipboard in hand, taking inventory of the bunks. He was in his fifties, with a permanent tan from decades of ranch work and a no-nonsense attitude that Dad appreciated. He glanced up when I entered, his weathered face breaking into a rare smile.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” he said, eyeing me up and down. “Wild night in town?”
I forced a casual laugh. “You know how it is with college buddies.”
“I sure do.” He winked and then handed me a stack of fresh sheets. “Make yourself useful, kid. Beds need to be made before the newbies arrive.”
“Ah yes,” I said with a nod. “I forgot my part here. Housemaid.”
I got to work, honestly grateful for a mindless task. Larry was one of the few people at the ranch who didn’t report my every move back to Dad. He’d been here since before I was born, and while he respected my father, he had a live-and-let-live attitude I appreciated.
“So, what’s the story with these new guys?” I asked, tucking sheets under a thin mattress.
Larry consulted his clipboard. “Six of ‘em. Mostly drug charges, one armed robbery but non-violent. Youngest is twenty-three, oldest is forty-four.” He looked up at me. “Your dad’s making you do the welcome speech this time.”
I nearly dropped the pillow I was holding. “What? Since when?”
