Read Online Return to Marker Ranch by Claire McEwen - Free Book Online

the brim.
    â€œLooks like you showed him.”
    She glanced at Seth, slouching back to his truck, radiating a bad attitude that she could feel from here. “I hope I didn’t upset him too badly. He’s just been giving me such a hard time. But now he looks angrier than ever.”
    â€œHey, it’s your ranch. Run it how you want. If he hates it, he’ll leave and go work somewhere else, and you’ll both be better off.”
    â€œThat would be awesome. He hates having a boss lady , as he calls me.”
    Wade grimaced. “Well, keep an eye on him. If he doesn’t come on board soon, fire him.”
    He seemed to come in peace, at least. So she teased him a little. “Listen to you, all managerial.”
    â€œI learned a thing or two leading a platoon.” He sobered, took off his hat and looked right into her eyes. “But evidently I don’t know much about being a good neighbor. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the answer you wanted about the water. I just needed time. And honestly, I was scared.”
    â€œScared?” He’d always seemed so tough. It had never occurred to her that he was even familiar with that emotion. “What are you scared of?”
    â€œFailing. I don’t know what I’m doing with the ranch, and it makes me too careful about certain things and not careful enough about others. So with the water, I just balked. I didn’t want to make a mistake that could cost me the ranch.”
    â€œWell, I know that feeling. Too well.”
    His mouth softened into a brief smile. “But I’ve realized that you were right. We should share the water.”
    Relief relaxed muscles she hadn’t even realized she was tensing. She wanted to raise a fist and shout hooray , but she kept herself calm. “That’s great news. Thank you.”
    â€œAnd I brought you something.” He pulled a carrot out of his back pocket, the greens still on it, and held it up like a bouquet. “I would have brought apology flowers, but I knew you’d be working and there wouldn’t be any place for them. This seemed better.”
    â€œIt’s perfect.” He understood her, and it warmed her a little inside. She turned Dakota sideways and reached for the carrot, shoving it in the back pocket of her jeans. “I’ll share it with Dakota later on, if that’s okay.”
    â€œThat’s the idea.”
    It was her turn to apologize. Her horrible words had been eating at her ever since she’d stormed off his ranch. “I’m sorry I said so many rude things.”
    â€œI reckon I deserved it.”
    â€œMaybe a little...” She couldn’t resist.
    He acknowledged the teasing with a brief smile and rushed on. “But I hope you can help me with something.”
    â€œWhat do you need?”
    He flushed a little. Swallowed hard. “Look, I’m new at this ranching thing. I mean, growing up, we had animals pass through, but mainly my dad was stealing them from one person and selling them to another, so they never stayed around long. I have no idea what I’m doing. Seeing your ranch running so smoothly... How do you do it?”
    Wade asking her for ranching tips? Not what she’d expected when she’d seen him standing there. “Well, part of it is that I’ve been doing it forever and I studied it in school, and part of it is that I’ve been trying out some new management practices. As you can see—” she inclined her head slightly to where a group of men were standing around Jim with bemused expressions on their faces “—it’s going over really well with the staff.” Sarcasm couldn’t mask her frustration.
    â€œThey may give you grief about it, but I’d bet deep down most of them are pretty impressed.”
    She swung down from Dakota, since evidently Wade was here for a long chat, and tossed the reins over the mare’s neck so she could go