Page 62 of Tethered

She sighs as she considers.

“You’re more than welcome to drop by the ranch even when you don’t need a man repellent,” I tease. “Dawn and I are outnumbered by men.”

“Really?”

“Sure. I know I’m old and therefore boring, but Dawn’s around your age and could use a friend herself. After everything went down…well, you know how small-minded people can be.”

“You’re right. I should have reached out sooner, but you never know if it’s the right move or if people just want to be left alone.”

“Well, consider it an open invitation. Dawn and Hannah live out there now.”

“Good. Porter is a dick. He never deserved them. I hope he gets hit by a tractor or something.”

I throw my head back and laugh. I’m sure I could arrange for that to happen. “I bet Dawn would have some ideas for the festival too, though I really do need to find her some help,” I mutter.

“Help?”

“Oh, she does all the packing and posting of my creams and things, but online orders have gone nuts, and it’s getting to be more than just the two of us can handle.”

“I could do it. I mean, if you don’t mind someone part-time. I work at the library three days a week and take classes in the evenings twice a week, but I could always use the extra money.”

“Actually, that would be perfect. It’s not fancy work, but I pay well, and you’ll get staff discounts and all the regular benefits. Would you be okay doing a trial run? Say two weeks? You’d still get paid, obviously.” I’d rather spend time getting to know her and make sure the good vibe I’m getting off her isn’t a fluke.

“That sounds perfect.”

“Well, we can discuss it tomorrow when you drop by, and I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

“Thank you, Calliope. You don’t know how glad I am that I came over.”

“Well, my next stop is the library to pick up some books for Hannah, so I’m guessing it was fate we would run into each other.”

She smiles, which makes her look so young. I have this insane urge to take her under my wing. For someone who has always been a loner, I sure seem to keep picking up strays everywhere I go.

“Well, I’m heading back over there now, so I could join you. I just stopped by to pick up my lunch and thought I’d come over when I spotted you alone.”

“That would be great.” I add some money to the table, even though Riggs left plenty, and get to my feet with a groan. “I’m going to have to start working out if I keep eating here.”

She laughs, that slightly sweet, slightly shy sound again. “Tell me about it. Give me two seconds, and I’ll be with you.” She hurries to the bar where the bartender is waiting for her with a bag on the counter. She gives him a smile and hands him some cash before waving.

I head over to her so we can walk out together. I give the bartender a friendly nod, but his eyes don’t stray from Sarah.He drinks her in from top to bottom, and she’s oblivious to it. I narrow my eyes. There’s a slight age gap there. Not as much as Austin and me, but maybe around five or six years. Enough for Sarah to think she hasn’t made it onto this guy’s radar.

“Who’s the guy checking you out?” I ask when we step outside.

“Huh? What guy?”

“The bartender who gave you your food.”

“What? Oh, that’s just Henry. His uncle used to run the place, but he had a heart attack a few years ago and left it to Henry.”

“He likes you?”

She waves me off. “He’s a friend. That’s all.”

“He’s not your type?”

She flushes, dipping her head. “I’m not his type.”

I seriously doubt that, but I’ll let it go for now and make a mental note to have David dig into him.