Half-Broke by A. E. Wasp

Author:A. E. Wasp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A. E. Wasp
Published: 2016-10-31T10:24:32+00:00

PART FIVE

Jake

A good four hours into building and we've made decent headway. "Okay, cow boys and girls. Time for lunch," I say.

"Thank god," Cassie throws herself down on the ground with a groan. Poll is less dramatic, but he's rubbing his arm above where the cast ends. I'm sure they are both aching. I grab some cold Cokes out of the back of the truck and hand them out.

"I'm too tired to even drink," Poll says.

"You guys did really good. I think you've earned the rest of the day off." I don't want to push them. Broken bones hurt. I remember from my own childhood. "I can get some stuff done myself this afternoon, and we'll pick up tomorrow."

Cassie leaps up with a surprising show of energy given her previous collapse. She limps over and hugs me. "Jake, you're the best! Poll, let's get out of here."

"You got it." They both get on the ATV and are gone in a cloud of dust, just as Ethan shows up on Banshee.

He looks between the fencing supplies and the passage of the ATV. "You're letting them go?"

"Yeah, they were both hurting pretty bad. They worked hard today. I think I can get it all - " I look at the pile of fencing material left "- some of the work done alone." Judging by Ethan's laughter, I think my conviction isn't very convincing. It's so good to see him laughing; I can't help but smile at him. Damn, he is good looking. And even better with the laugh lines around his eyes. He takes off his hat, and runs his fingers through his thick hair. My fingers twitch with the urge to do the same. But I don't. He's made it clear enough that despite the very obvious attraction between us nothing was going to happen.

I get it. Wrong time, wrong place. I understand being too damaged by the unprocessed past. Too bad. If I could ever find this Danny who hurt him like that, I think I'd punch him in the face.

"It's okay," he's saying. "I'll find someone else to help you. Hell, maybe I'll help myself. Been awhile since I put in a good day fencing. Mostly, I'm just scheduling them now." His shoulders slump. "Can't do what I used to do."

I slap him on the thigh before I think about it. "Okay, Old Man, get off that horse and come have some lunch with me. My lunch buddies abandoned me and it's too nice to eat alone."

"It's too nice to eat with the bees," he counters. "How 'bout you pack up that lunch and come up here and I'll show you one of my favorite places on the ranch."

I clench my teeth to keep my jaw from falling open. I don't know what's gotten into Ethan, but I'm not turning that offer down.

I shove some sandwiches and a water bottle into a backpack. Ethan kicks his foot out of the stirrup and reaches down for my hand. "Come on."

"You sure? I can walk.

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