Page 16 of Roping My Rival

“Dad would be here at the drop of a hat. Call him.”

Jesse dials our dad while I mentally prepare myself to work with Dane and see him again after he changed my tire. I can’t be angry with him, but I wonder why he’d take a job like this. When he disappeared, I assumed he went to a different circuit, or maybe just tired of it.

But now he’s here, and about to work for my family’s business.

“Hey Jesse, I—”

Speak of the devil himself. Dane stands in the doorway, and after a moment of indecision, he steps inside. “Mornin’.” He nods my way. “Didn’t know you’d be here.”

“Well, I own the place, so it shouldn’t come as that big of a shock,” I snap, and Jesse glances my way as he hangs up the phone.

“Hey, Dane. Good to see you again.” Jesse shakes his hand because he’s a gentleman like that.

“Thanks, Jesse. Where do you want me today?”

“You’ll be down by the chutes helping the farmers unload the cattle and make sure the right tags are on the ones the auctioneer is calling. Our dad is on his way, and he’ll help you with loading purchased animals to the buyers after they’ve come to the office and paid Warren.”

“Sounds good. I saw a truck arriving when I pulled up. I can go see who it is and get them started if you’d like?”

Jesse hands him a clipboard and a pencil. “If you could, that would be great. I’m just going to run through things with Warren, and I’ll meet you there.”

“Sure thing.”

Dane leaves, and Jesse pulls out an order pad and calculator with more pens and pencils. “Here’s how we’ll work it. Come here.” Jesse motions for me to step to the desk. “The cash box is down there, as always, in case they brought cash.”

“The beef cows are going to go for, like, ten grand or more, easy. I hope they don’t bring cash. How the hell will I have time to count that much?”

“Oh, good call. But the poultry and pig buyers might. Anyway, either Dad or I will run up the sheet to you with the name of the buyer and animal ID with the amount owed. You take payment and give them the slip with a big ole paid mark on it. They have to bring that to the chutes for pickup.”

“Okay. I can manage that.”

Jesse pauses and lowers his voice. “Just go slow and don’t worry if you make a mistake. Everything can be fixed. You’ve got this.”

“Right. I know.”

Just like Jesse knows I struggle with a lot of this stuff. My reading improved when Jesse joined our family. He wanted so badly for me to read books with him that he spent hours with me reading them out loud together. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I’d have graduated, to be honest.

Jesse smiles and pops his cowboy hat on his head. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

With a long, exhaled breath, I nod to the now-empty office.

“Right. Let’s do this. It’s just another day at the office.”

“Thanks for the hard work today. You really helped us out.”

Hunter Burke, the fucking roping legend himself, smacks me on the shoulder with a smile. We worked well together, and I’ll admit I was starstruck at first when he showed up. Sure, I’d seen him years ago when he travelled with Warren on the circuit, but we’ve never spoken. He’s actually a pretty cool guy.

Can’t say the same for his oldest son, though.

“Thank you, Mr. Burke. It’s been my pleasure.”

“Please call me Hunter. I’m no Mister.” He barks a laugh. “When you’re finished here, come to the office.”

I nod and watch the man hop a fence like he’s much younger than fifty-five before turning back to the final few pigs waiting for loading. I tried to listen to the numbers and calculate what the selling prices were, but gave up. But even 5% of the profit, as Jesse promised me in writing, will feel like winning a lottery.

Hell, I might even rent a room without sharing a bathroom until the rodeo season starts. As I load the last pigs for the purchaser, it hits me.

I’m…almost happy.