Earth and Sky

did, actually, although she made it clear that she’d rather die than become the next foreman… woman… or whatever, around here,” Grant chuckled.

    “Which leaves the two of us to fix the gate, I suppose,” Hunter answered. On any other day he would probably have laughed along with Grant, but right now he wasn’t sure how to behave around the big guy, the memory of what had happened the night before all too vivid in his mind. He knew he’d overstepped more than a few boundaries, and he didn’t want to give Grant the impression that it was going to happen again anytime soon, if ever.

    “If you prefer, I can stay busy and find someone else to help me this afternoon. I’m sure the storm damage won’t be that bad.”

    Hunter looked at Grant to gauge his expression, but he didn’t know how to interpret it. Did Grant not want to work with him? Or did Grant sense his unease and want to give him an easy way out? “Hugh told me you had two right hands, so why don’t we get it over with so when the workers return, they don’t have to drive the long way around?”

    “Sure,” Grant answered evasively, leaving Hunter with all his questions unanswered. “I’ll go get some tools if you have a new spring lock?”

    Hunter nodded as he watched Grant leave.

    Just over ten minutes later they were on horseback, making their way over to the broken gate. The ground was saturated with water, and although it didn’t seem to bother Raven, it made Davenport even more skittish than other days.

    “You know, it’s none of my business,” Grant started a little hesitantly, “but I would have given up on that horse of yours eons ago. He’s a stubborn, annoying animal with an attitude problem, and he makes you look bad.”

    Hunter threw Grant a sideways look but didn’t say anything.

    “Like I said, it’s none of my business,” Grant added with a shrug.

    “There are no badly behaved animals, just riders who don’t know how to handle them,” Hunter murmured.

    “Makes you look even worse,” Grant laughed. “And you sound just like Gable.”

    Hunter smiled as he realized Grant was right. “I know, but this was the first horse I ever bought for myself at auction, so I can’t give up on him.”

    Grant raised an eyebrow as Davenport skidded off a wet patch and whinnied, giving Hunter one hell of a time to get him under control again. “You don’t have to sell him. Just put him with the herd for a few months. They’ll put him right. I’ll ride him for you a few times. We might need to give him some stern training, though.”

    Hunter sighed. He knew Grant was right but didn’t want to admit it. It was too close to admitting defeat, and he wasn’t about to turn over for anyone, least of all Grant. “I suppose I could buy another horse from Gable. As a backup.”

    “Yeah,” Grant replied, stifling a chuckle, “merely as a backup, of course.”

    Although he realized Grant was mocking him, deep down, Hunter was glad of the banter. Grant didn’t seem to be fazed by what had happened the night before, which made it easier for Hunter to relax around him. Maybe they could do this. Maybe they could just work together and become friends.

    Grant dismounted, and water splashed up as his feet landed in the mud. It was only now, in the full light of day, that it was clear how damaged the gate really was. Hunter jumped down as well and tied up the two horses while Grant surveyed the wood they’d hurriedly patched up the night before.

    “Looks like we’ll need a new side post. This one is pretty rotten,” Grant evaluated. “The lock is broken, which we knew, and the top beam needs replacing too.”

    “We can measure the size of wood we need and use the truck to bring it over here when the workers bring it back this afternoon,” Hunter agreed. “You’re good at this,” he added, sounding surprised as he watched Grant take the measurements.

    Grant shrugged. “I didn’t work on ranches all my life. Started out making furniture when I lived in the city. School was never really my thing. I wanted to go out and make money, but with barely a high school education, my options were either a life of crime or becoming a carpentry assistant. Lucky for me, the second option was the most appealing.”

    Hunter was more than a little surprised to hear Grant talk about himself. This was the most he’d ever learned about the guy. “You’re definitely good with your hands.”

    Grant threw Hunter a teasing