Chapter Seven

Rohn’s sigh was audible even from where he stood across the yard.

Obviously, the man thought his employees were pulling into the drive so late because they’d indulged in too much booze or womanizing last night. He was wrong. Yeah, a woman was involved, but not like he thought.

Tyler slammed the truck door and ambled toward his boss. Colton did the same on the passenger side. When they’d moved close enough, Rohn crossed his arms and shook his head. “Do you see how high that sun is in the sky?”

Looking up at the sun, Tyler said, “Yup.”

“I fed the horses myself. With Justin hurt and home recuperating, there’s too much work to do in a day even when you two manage to get here on time.”

“There sure is a lot of work to do around here. You’re right about that. I guess we’ll have to work late tonight. Right, Colton?” Tyler glanced over at Colton, who only rolled his eyes at him.

“If you’re not too hungover to work, that is.” Rohn let out another huff of breath and looked agitated.

Since Tyler had gone to sleep early and sober last night, that comment was extra insulting. Sure, he was torturing his boss, purposely by not telling him where they’d really been and what they’d been doing, but that was what the man got for making assumptions.

“Rohn, we’re late because we were over at the Smithwick place fixing a broken fence for Tom’s widow.” Colton, the Boy Scout, ended the game that Tyler had been enjoying so much. “I’m sorry. We should have asked you first.”

The older man’s eyes softened and he let out a breath. “Yeah, you should have told me first, but it’s all right. I’m glad you went over. Janie could use the help.” Rohn’s gaze cut away from Colton, looking less charitable as it landed on Tyler. “And you . . . You let me stand here and lecture when all you had to do was tell me where you’d been in the first place.”

Tyler folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the fence. “Yup.”

“You wanna tell me why?”

Tyler shrugged. “My granddaddy always said the best way to teach somebody something was to let them screw it up a few times so they could figure out their mistake on their own.”

Rohn’s brows rose high. “So you’re teaching me a lesson?”

“Yup. Trying to, anyway.”

“And that lesson would be what?” Judging by Rohn’s tone, he was not happy with Tyler or his lesson.

“You should never assume, because when you do, you make an ass out of you and me.” Tyler repeated the saying he’d heard since he was in middle school. Back when he had thought it was a big deal to say the word ass. The sentiment still held now he was an adult. And the saying worked well to further goad his boss.

“There’s only one ass here,” Colton mumbled under his breath. Tyler shot his traitorous friend a sideways look.

“God almighty, Tyler, if you weren’t so damned good with the stock, I swear . . .” Rohn let out a breath and shook his head.

“Thanks, boss.” Tyler grinned, knowing full well it wasn’t meant to be a compliment, but choosing to take it as such.

“Hey, what are you saying? I’m good with the stock, too.” Colton frowned.

“Yeah, Colton, you are, but you don’t piss me off enough to want to fire you.”

“Oh, okay.” Colton visibly backed down. He probably figured he should quit while he was ahead.

“Um, are we done here?” Tyler glanced from Colton to Rohn. “Time’s a wasting. It’s already late and I really need to get to fixing that shed.”

Rohn leveled his gaze on Tyler before he let out another sigh filled with frustration. “Yeah, we’re done here.”

“All right. Nice catching up with you.” He pushed himself off the fence and headed toward the shed. A few steps in, he glanced over his shoulder at Colton. “You coming or what?”

A frown creased Colton’s brow. “Yeah, I’m coming.”

“Well, come on, then.” The last thing Tyler saw before he turned back around toward the shed was Rohn shaking his head.

Nothing more fun than being a pain in the ass. Teasing Rohn to frustration always had been fun. And Colton? Well, he deserved whatever Tyler dished out today. It had been Tyler’s idea to help Janie, but meanwhile when they’d been in her kitchen, Colton was the one who was all, We’ll help you anytime, ma’am. Just call and I’ll come running.

The kiss-ass had better not have any ideas in his head about the lovely Widow Smithwick, because whatever Colton was thinking, Tyler had already thought it. That marked a prior claim in his mind.

He opened the door to the shed and waited for Colton to catch up to him so they could each take an end of the table saw and bring it outside. They’d need to cut the boards to length in order to make the repair to the back wall.

Opposite him, machine in hand, Colton hefted the weight up while he asked, “Are we going out tonight?”

“Nah. Don’t think so.” Tyler followed Colton out while holding the other end of the table saw.

“Why not? We don’t have to go to the Two-Step.”

“Set it down here.” They’d reached a level spot in the yard, so Tyler tipped his head toward the ground and lowered his end. “And yeah, I think I shouldn’t be going back to the Two-Step in the near future.”

Colton grinned wide, still amused at Tyler’s misfortune the previous night. “We can go to the Thirsty Squirrel instead.”

“Nah. I’m not in the mood.” What Tyler didn’t tell Colton was why he didn’t want to go out. “You should go, though. Hey, you could call Justin and see if he’s up to it. He’s probably going crazy cooped up in his house, not being able to work or ride.”

“You’re right. Maybe I will give him a call.”

Tyler wasn’t the kind to give up easily on anything, his interest in Janie included. He’d just have to figure out the smartest way to proceed. There was nothing like good hard physical labor to help a man think. He had a full day of work during which to come up with some plausible excuse to get him back over to her place. A plan he’d hopefully start implementing right after he finished working at Rohn’s today.

Just the thought of seeing her again was enough to have him whistling while he worked.