beside me and I knew it was Nate. He never got scared away by my moods and he never stopped being there for me. Even though the first time he met me I was vomiting my insides out, we became fast friends. He put his arm on the back of the swing, and I shied away from it. He let out a sigh, and I knew I frustrated him. “Say it, Nate.”
“Nothing to say, Kate. You are who you are,” he said, not taking the bait. It made me realize I was trying to pick a fight, just so my anger and grief had somewhere to go.
“Sorry, didn’t realize I was doing it again,” I mumbled softly.
“You don’t need to apologize, Kate. I know you don’t do it on purpose. With everything happening, you act however you want if it makes things easier. We can handle it, and we’re not going anywhere, okay?”
“Okay,” I replied, not knowing what else to say. He was pushing my comfort level.
“Kate,” Nick said over the radio. “We got the last of the cattle in. Didn’t lose a single one. After we finish with the horses we’ll be heading in, over.”
“Got it, Nick. Make sure all the radios and GPS locators get back in their chargers. See you all up at the house, out,” I replied. I turned back to Nate. “I have to think of a thank-you present for all the volunteers, and a bonus for the hands. Least I can do for all the extra work, don’t you think?”
“You’re always good to your employees. Don’t overdo it though,” Nate warned. “You don’t want them to start expecting it every time they do something extra. I had a nice chat with Nick.”
“How long until his background check is in?” I asked, hiding my smile.
“Sometimes I forget you know me as well as I know you.” He snorted good-naturedly.
“What’s your initial assessment?”
“Good guy, has something to prove, but he’s loyal.”
“I thought the same thing,” I replied, pausing, “I think he’s gay.”
“Why’s that?”
“When I first found out about the fence, I said fuck me and he replied I wasn’t his type. Just the way he said it, I got the impression he wasn’t referring to me personally, but women in general.”
“That’s not a problem, is it?” he asked carefully.
“No, I don’t give a shit, but I’m not sure everyone feels the way I do. Though he seems to get along with all the other guys, so who knows.” I saw the first of the volunteers heading this way from the barn. “Shit. Time to go play hostess.”
“Jamie and I can handle most of that. Just make sure you say thanks to each of them. We’ll do the rest,” he said, standing. I introduced everyone to Nate, and said my thank-yous as people headed into the house. I went back to my seat on the swing, while Nate went into the house. After a bit, I saw Sheriff Swick coming to join me.
“Not one for talking much, are you?” he asked.
“Nope, not unless I have something that needs to be said.”
“Just like your grandpa,” he chuckled. He was quiet a few minutes. “You okay?”
“No. No, I’m not, but there’s nothing I can do about that.”
“No, there’s really not. You’ve done all you can, and you’ve got good friends at your back. Plus, you can see that you have your grandpa’s friends if you need them too.”
“Yeah, everyone’s been great. You might be the right person to ask,” I hedged, trying to figure out how to phrase it. “I want to send a thank-you gift to everyone that helped, but I’m not sure the proper thing. You know what I mean?”
“Pie,” he answered.
“Pie?” That was not what I’d been expecting.
“Pie. Everyone around here loves a good homemade pie.”
“Do I strike you as a woman who makes pie?” I asked with a sarcastically raised eyebrow.
“Nope, but I knew it would get you to smile,” he said softly.
“Smart guy,” I teased. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” We sat in silence a few more minutes. “Do your friends make pie?” That time I laughed out loud and he joined in.
“Can you think of
“Nothing to say, Kate. You are who you are,” he said, not taking the bait. It made me realize I was trying to pick a fight, just so my anger and grief had somewhere to go.
“Sorry, didn’t realize I was doing it again,” I mumbled softly.
“You don’t need to apologize, Kate. I know you don’t do it on purpose. With everything happening, you act however you want if it makes things easier. We can handle it, and we’re not going anywhere, okay?”
“Okay,” I replied, not knowing what else to say. He was pushing my comfort level.
“Kate,” Nick said over the radio. “We got the last of the cattle in. Didn’t lose a single one. After we finish with the horses we’ll be heading in, over.”
“Got it, Nick. Make sure all the radios and GPS locators get back in their chargers. See you all up at the house, out,” I replied. I turned back to Nate. “I have to think of a thank-you present for all the volunteers, and a bonus for the hands. Least I can do for all the extra work, don’t you think?”
“You’re always good to your employees. Don’t overdo it though,” Nate warned. “You don’t want them to start expecting it every time they do something extra. I had a nice chat with Nick.”
“How long until his background check is in?” I asked, hiding my smile.
“Sometimes I forget you know me as well as I know you.” He snorted good-naturedly.
“What’s your initial assessment?”
“Good guy, has something to prove, but he’s loyal.”
“I thought the same thing,” I replied, pausing, “I think he’s gay.”
“Why’s that?”
“When I first found out about the fence, I said fuck me and he replied I wasn’t his type. Just the way he said it, I got the impression he wasn’t referring to me personally, but women in general.”
“That’s not a problem, is it?” he asked carefully.
“No, I don’t give a shit, but I’m not sure everyone feels the way I do. Though he seems to get along with all the other guys, so who knows.” I saw the first of the volunteers heading this way from the barn. “Shit. Time to go play hostess.”
“Jamie and I can handle most of that. Just make sure you say thanks to each of them. We’ll do the rest,” he said, standing. I introduced everyone to Nate, and said my thank-yous as people headed into the house. I went back to my seat on the swing, while Nate went into the house. After a bit, I saw Sheriff Swick coming to join me.
“Not one for talking much, are you?” he asked.
“Nope, not unless I have something that needs to be said.”
“Just like your grandpa,” he chuckled. He was quiet a few minutes. “You okay?”
“No. No, I’m not, but there’s nothing I can do about that.”
“No, there’s really not. You’ve done all you can, and you’ve got good friends at your back. Plus, you can see that you have your grandpa’s friends if you need them too.”
“Yeah, everyone’s been great. You might be the right person to ask,” I hedged, trying to figure out how to phrase it. “I want to send a thank-you gift to everyone that helped, but I’m not sure the proper thing. You know what I mean?”
“Pie,” he answered.
“Pie?” That was not what I’d been expecting.
“Pie. Everyone around here loves a good homemade pie.”
“Do I strike you as a woman who makes pie?” I asked with a sarcastically raised eyebrow.
“Nope, but I knew it would get you to smile,” he said softly.
“Smart guy,” I teased. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” We sat in silence a few more minutes. “Do your friends make pie?” That time I laughed out loud and he joined in.
“Can you think of
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