Page 54 of Fall or Nothing

“Dead serious,” he guffawed.

“Carter went in there like a cowboy who knew what he was doing,” Jake added, slapping my back once again.

Sage turned back to me. “I suppose you chased off the wolfagators too?”

“Pretty eventful morning,” I gushed.

“Sweetie, I hate to tell you. But jackalopes are a myth. Wolfagators, too. Made-up creatures. They’re on the novelty postcards for sale over in our display.” She picked up the deer antler. “Deer shed these. You can find them all over the property.”

Laughter erupted from the men waiting for this exact moment since approximately three in the morning, and it hit all at once.

I’d been pranked.

Jake’s head flew back, Pete almost choked on his laughter, turning red. Another guy put his head down on the table. Trig looked at the ceiling, eyes bright, the closest thing to delighted I’d seen on his face.

I sat with it for a moment.

Then I set the antler carefully on the table in front of me, looked at Sage. “And the wolfagators? Made up?”

“Completely.” She started filling coffee cups from the coffee carafe. “Locals invented them years ago. The prank has gotten more elaborate every year. Although some people take it seriously. Like finding Bigfoot.”

“Hey, Bigfoot is very real. My uncle heads up the Bigfoot Society in West Virginia,” Pete said, which explained a lot.

“You should have heard it, Sage. We added sound effects this time,” Jake said, wiping his eyes. Still laughing.

Another wave of it hit the table. I took the coffee Sage set in front of me and drank it, letting the morning sink in. My heart rate was only now returning to normal.

“I have to admit. That was probably the best prank ever.” I joined them at last, laughing my ass off.

“Don’t go getting a big head about it,” Trig warned. “You might be one of us now, but you’re still a pretty boy.” But he said it with a smile so that had to count.

An hour and two rounds of coffee later, the group pulled on coats and got ready to head back to work.Trig stood, stretched, and walked out without further elaboration, followed by the others.

“Jake, I’ll be out in a few minutes.” I nodded toward Sage. She was restocking the pastry case and glanced up. He understood.

“Do all the new guys get that treatment?” I asked her, leaning over the counter.

The amusement returned to her face, directed at me rather than at the situation. “Every single one. Some of them never recover. You took it well, for the record. Some guys storm off.”

“Some guys probably needed more sleep before Trig kicked their cot.”

“True.”

I massaged my chin. “If I were going to get them back?—”

“Oh, good. You’re already thinking about it.”

“Purely hypothetically. What would you suggest?”

She set down the tongs she was holding and thought about it. “This one’s my favorite. You get yourself a taxidermy rat and leave it in Trig’s boot in the dark.”

“That’s… deviously perfect. Didn’t know you had it in you, good girl.” Mm. The pink that rose to her cheeks. Too bad I didn’t have five minutes to take her to a closet somewhere and make out. I grabbed her hands instead and squeezed them. “Where exactly do I get a taxidermy rat on a ranch hand’s salary? Keeping in mind I have very little time left to get him back properly before I leave.”

She hesitated. “Yes, that could be an issue. Then you’d better make every minute count.”

To me, it was loaded more about us and our timetogether. She was right. After Thanksgiving, I’d only have two more days on the ranch. Then I’d have satisfied the terms of Dad’s challenge. I could go back to New York a success and collect myhugepaycheck, making all of this time in Montana worth it.Shemade it worthwhile.

“Will I see you on Thanksgiving at the ranch?” Her eyebrows lifted expectantly.