Page 16 of Then You Happened
Rusty sounds much older than his thirty-two years, but I guess that’s what comes from listening to your dad your whole life.
“Your father doing well?” I ask.
He nods. “As good as retirement can be expected. I think he misses the feeling of importance that wearing the badge gave him, but he’s managing just fine.”
I had no idea that Rusty Sr. had retired, but the way his son says it, I should have. I smile to cover my surprise. “Does that mean he’s driving you crazy and constantly asking about the town happenings?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Rusty moves across the driveway, his eyes taking a curious glance around the ranch, and I wonder what it is he sees. Does he still see Fletcher Knox’s ranch or does he see Tatum Knox’s attempt to keep it afloat?
And I’m not quite sure why I care but Jack Sutton’s words from the day before hit a nerve that I want settled.
“What can I do for you, Rusty?”
He hooks his thumbs in his utility belt and shifts his feet some before meeting my eyes. “Another complaint has come in on the ranch.”
“Christ. For what this time?” I ask with a part chuckle, part sigh of exasperation. “How can there be any complaints about my care when there isn’t a single person who’s been up here to see otherwise?”
“Not a one?”
“I think I’d know, and I assure you no one was up here who looked close enough to have a valid reason to lodge a complaint.”
He draws in a steep breath and nods. “I have to investigate it all the same.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” he says, slipping his sunglasses on. “So, you haven’t had anyone come up here and cause you trouble?”
Jack was here, but he seemed like a straight shooter, not some asshole who would call in a petty complaint as a way of getting back at me.
But he has been hanging out at the bar.
“Nope. Can’t say that I have.”
“What about that Jack fellow. The one who’s in town for the job?”
Definitely been at the bar.
“The complaints have been happening well before he got to town. I mean, I don’t really know him, so I can’t say for sure, but what reason would he have to say anything?”
Besides the fact I ran him off and he mentioned the complaints himself.
Shit.
“Did you hire him?”
“No.”
“There’s reason enough right there. He traveled quite a way to interview.”
“He told you that?”
“No. Haven’t met him yet . . . but rumor at Ginger’s is that he did.”
“Hmm. Love those Lone Star rumors.” I sigh. “What was the complaint this time? You know I’m not starving the horses because you already checked on that complaint two months ago. You know they have the best medical care because Doc is your friend and she’d tell you otherwise. Besides, when that complaint was lodged last month, I showed you all of my vet bills so you knew that was false. Should I keep going through all of the grievances that have been filed and that you’ve debunked or can we just assume this one is just as baseless? Because, honestly, this is getting quite ridiculous.”
“It is.” His eyes take in the ranch slowly.
“When are they all going to get over that damn article? It wasn’t meant how it was taken. I wasn’t bad-mouthing Lone Star. I wasn’t showing them how much better I was than them. Christ,” I mutter, “if they don’t want people to think they’re small-minded, then they need to stop acting like it.”
