Earth and Sky

the west range with Dave to check whether the horses there still have dry grass, and you can move them if need be.”

    “Sure thing, boss,” Tim said, tipping his hat at Grant before turning around and realizing his real boss was there as well. “If you agree as well, Hunter?”

    Hunter smiled. “As long as he’s making sense, I agree. We’ll take care of the lean-to on our way over to the north side.”

    Hunter waited for Tim to leave and then paused before walking over to Grant so that Tim would certainly be unable to hear them. “I like the way your mind works. Maybe I should make you foreman? The men obviously think you are anyway.”

    Grant shrugged. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

    Hunter put his hand on the back of Grant’s neck and pulled him closer but stopped himself from kissing him at the last minute. “Don’t apologize.” He let go. “I’ll meet you at the crew block in ten minutes?”

    It was still drizzling when they rode out, but neither man cared. After riding full speed for a good twenty minutes, Hunter slowed down and Grant waited for him to catch up.

    “So how did your talk with Flynn go?”

    Hunter laughed. “You certainly held back long enough to ask.”

    Grant smiled coyly. “I thought about it while I was working, but then you walked into the shed and all my thinking went out the door.”

    They walked their horses alongside each other.

    “Gable’s got massive hospital bills to pay, and Calley and Flynn are trying to figure out a way to keep his ranch afloat.”

    Grant nodded pensively.

    “Gable won’t accept charity, and they don’t have any more sellable horses, so it’s not easy.”

    “And they’ll need oats and hay for the winter,” Grant added. “Gable doesn’t have enough land for grazing to last them through the winter. I suppose you could let his horses graze on your land and give him some of your spare hay?”

    “Or I could buy two of Brenner’s foals,” Hunter said cheekily.

    “Brenner? Foals?” Grant asked, raising his voice as the rain suddenly started cascading down in such a torrent that the men couldn’t hear themselves think. They both jumped off their horses and ran into a nearby lean-to, which became even more crowded than it already was. Luckily, the horses were accommodating and scooted even closer together, allowing them to enter with Raven and Belle in tow.

    Hunter took off his hat and wiped the water off his face. “Apparently Brenner got in with the mares and there’s proof he’s in full working order because two of them are pregnant.”

    Grant laughed. “You mean there’s actually a straight male creature on Gable’s property?”

    “Apparently so,” Hunter agreed.

    “Gable doesn’t breed horses, Hunter,” Grant added a little less merrily. “Does he know his precious Brenner’s going to be a father?”

    They both sat down on a bale of hay that Tim had left when he’d spotted the damage to the old shack. When one of the horses nuzzled Hunter because he was keeping him from his food source, Hunter and Grant both plucked some hay out of the bale and offered it to the horse. The animal munched on it contently.

    “Nope, Flynn and Calley are keeping Gable in the dark about his dire finances.”

    “Bad move,” Grant said. “There’s going to be hell to pay once Gable finds out they hid things from him.”

    Hunter nodded in agreement. They sat in silence for a while, watching the horses and listening to the rain still pouring down in buckets outside.

    “How is Gable, by the way? Did Flynn say anything?” Grant eventually said.

    Hunter thought Grant sounded insecure, so he took his hand and squeezed it, trying to convey that he was okay with Grant wanting to know. “He says the doctors aren’t sure if he’ll make a full recovery. Flynn seemed pretty sure that he’d survive, but he wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to work the ranch again.”

    “Ah, hell,” Grant muttered. “It would kill him if he couldn’t be with his horses anymore.”

    Although Hunter did feel some jealousy, he assured himself that Grant’s relationship with Gable was over, and that even if Grant wanted Gable back, there was always Flynn to stand in their way.

    “Flynn said something about wanting to do everything to keep the ranch from going bankrupt, so even if Gable couldn’t work anymore, he’d still be able to live among the horses.”

    Grant leaned closer to Hunter. “I’m glad Gable’s got