Montana Sky

not-so-subtle way of telling me we’re running thin?”
    “I’m going to talk to you about that.” He waited until she came through the gate, took his time enjoying his smoke. “We could use another hand, two would be best. But it’s my thinking you should wait, till spring at least, to hire on.”
    He flicked the miserly butt of his cigarette away, watchedit fly. Behind them, Beans and Nosey whined at the gate, hoping for more attention. “Pickles was a pain in the ass. The man would bitch if the sun was shining or if a cloud covered it up. He just liked to complain. But he was a good cowboy and a halfway good mechanic.”
    “Jim told me that you and the men want to buy his stone.”
    “Only seems right. Worked with the picky old bastard damn near twenty years.” He continued to stare out at middle distance. He’d already looked into her face, seen what was there. “You ain’t helping anybody, blaming yourself for what happened to him.”
    “I sent him out.”
    “That’s crap, and you know it. You may be a stiff-necked temperamental female, but you ain’t stupid.”
    She nearly smiled. “I can’t get past it, Ham. I just can’t.”
    He knew that, understood that because he knew her. Understood her. “Finding him the way you did, that’s going to prey on you. Nothing much to do about that but wait it out.” He looked back at her again, shifted his disreputable hat against the angle of the sun. “Working yourself into the ground isn’t going to make it go away any quicker.”
    “We’re two hands short,” she began, but he only shook his head.
    “Will, you ain’t sleeping much and you’re eating less.” Beneath the grizzled beard, his lips curved slightly. “Bess being back on her feet, I get plenty of the news from inside the main house. That woman can talk the ears off a rabbit. And even if she wasn’t rattling away at me every chance she gets, I could see it for myself.”
    “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
    “I know that.” His voice roughened with his own brand of affection. “I’m just saying you don’t have to have your hand in every inch of this ranch. I’ve been here since before you were born, and if you don’t trust me to do my job, well, maybe you should be looking for three new hands come spring.”
    “You know I trust you, it’s not—” She broke off, sucked in a breath. “That’s low, Ham.”
    Pleased with himself, he nodded. Yeah, he knew her all right. He understood her.
    And he loved her.
    “As long as it makes you stop and think. We can get through the winter the way things are. That oldest boy of Wood’s is coming along fine. He’ll be twelve before long, and he can pull his weight. The younger one’s a goddamn farmer.” Baffled by it, Ham took out another cigarette, rolled fresh that morning. “Rather bale hay than sit a horse, but he’s a good worker, so Wood claims. We’ll do well enough through winter with what we’ve got.”
    “All right. Anything else?”
    Again, he took his time. But since he had her attention, he figured he might as well finish up. “Them sisters of yours. You might tell the short-haired one to buy her some jeans that don’t fit like skin. Every time she walks by, that fool Billy drops his tongue on his boots. He’s going to hurt himself.”
    It was the first laugh she’d had in days. “And I don’t suppose you look, do you, Ham?”
    “I look plenty.” He blew out smoke. “But I’m old enough not to hurt myself. The other one sits a horse real pretty.” He squinted, gestured with his cigarette. “Well, you can see that for yourself.”
    Willa looked down the road, saw the riders heading east. Adam sat on his favored pinto, hatless and flanked by two riders. Willa had to admit that Lily handled the roan mare well, moving as smooth as silk with the mare’s gait. On the other hand, Tess was jogging in the saddle atop a pretty chestnut. Her heels were up rather than down, her butt bouncing against leather in quick, jerky slaps that had to hurt, and she appeared to be gripping the saddle horn for dear life.
    “Christ, will she be sore tonight.” Amused, Willa leaned on the gate. “How long has that been going on?”
    “Last couple days. Seems she took it in her mind to learn to ride. Adam’s been working with her.” He shook his head as Tess nearly slid out of the saddle. “Don’t know if eventhat boy can do anything with her. You could saddle Moon and catch up with them.”
    “They don’t need