With a grin thatmakes my cheeks ache, I toss my phone back into my pocket and grab the controls of my Cat.
Movement near the main house has me glancing over in time to see Mason and Dixon, marching in my direction.
By the clouded look on Mason’s face, this might not be a pleasant conversation.
I let the bucket of the excavator settle into the freshly turned dirt and hop out of the cab.
If they’re going to pick a fight, I don’t want to be trapped.
“Good morning, Mason. Dixon.” I nod as they get closer.
“Oliver. I saw you drop Sophia off?” Mason grits with a clenched jaw.
“Yep.” My hands come out of my pockets. Just in case.
“I’m glad she was with you.” His lips purse. “Lori was awfully worked up last night, but I was hoping what you said the other day was an indication.” What the hell?
Dixon’s arms cross his thick chest. “That’s why we’re here.”
“I am…not exactly sure what’s going on?” I glance from one to the other apprehensively. “Are you mad at me for taking Sophia home?” My shoulders lose some of their tension when I see him shake his head.
Mason lets out a sigh. “I worry about her, but I trust her. And since I know she sure as fuck wouldn’t go with you if she didn’t like—”
“She loves me,” I correct him, crossing my own arms to match Dixon. “I told you, I’m gonna marry her.”
He pauses, blinking at me like I just grew a second head, then snorts. “Alright. Then I reckon that makes you family.” He throws a look to Dixon before facing me. “That’s why I’m here. We have a…situation.”
Dixon grunts some sort of affirmative sound.
Well, they’re not here to beat my ass.
I let myself lean against the tracks of the machine behind me.
Despite how much fun it was, I didn’t get much sleep last night.
“What’s going on?”
“We lost our north pasture contract.” Dixon’s mouth is a thin line.
They both stare at me like that has significant meaning.
“Okay?” I finally ask.
“It means we either have to downsize the herd by a thousand head, or find new grounds to run them on.” Dixon raises an eyebrow.I get the impression he really hates explaining himself.
“I have a business proposal. Well, two.” Mason shifts, looping his thumbs in his belt. “But both hinge on you taking Sophia’s cows unless she wants to sell them outright.”
For some reason it never dawned on me how much of a stake she may have here.
“How many? I only run a couple of dozen. Just enough to keep my ag status.” I don’t have time for more with a fulltime business and rodeos every summer.
He holds up his palm. “I know you have the ground, and I have the manpower. I want to lease your acreage that you aren’t using.”
“How do you know what I have?” I’m back to being a little worried.
This time it’s Dixon that snorts. “You think Sophia goes missing after you pipe off about having her, and we wouldn’t have Wade do a full background check on you?”
Mason smirks. “Let’s just say, if shehadn’tshown up with you this morning, we would have checked.”
