strolling in his
direction. Like him, the foreman also took a quick glance at the couple by the
tree and shook his head.
“I thought you were gonna miss all the fun and chill inside your
room.”
“That was the plan.”
“Not tonight. Sandy was asking for you.” Beau turned, looking
around as if he was trying to spot the curvy woman.
Cole shrugged. “I don’t give a shit.”
Frowning, Beau looked at him strangely. “You left with her last
time. What’s different now?”
“ It doesn’t mean I want a repeat experience. You can have
her.”
The foreman eyed him with suspicion. “No thanks. I do have to
ask, this wouldn’t have anything to do with Williams’ daughter would it?”
They both knew the man had two daughters but it was obvious which
one anyone would be interested. That and the fact that the younger one was
married. Regardless, it was a strange question…unless he’d accidentally let
something slip to his friend. Cole had no memory of ever speaking to Beau about
Noelle or any woman for that matter. There hadn’t been much information to
relay.
“Why would it? I don’t know his daughter.” It was the
truth. He wanted to get to know her, but right now he was in a dismal
darkness when it came to Noelle Williams.
Beau lifted a shoulder. “No reason. Just asking, you know. Then
of course there’s the little fact that I saw the two of you by Snake Trail River. You’re a decent guy, so I was apt to believe you weren’t harassing the
girl. I didn’t think you’d harass her. If you weren’t doing that and she didn’t
have a phone to her ears calling for help, what was going on?”
The question stung. “Are you asking as a friend or my
foreman?”
“Both. I’d hate to see you waste your time on her.’”
Was Beau saying that because he disliked Noelle, or he didn’t
think he had a fighting chance with her? “ I don’t see how that has anything
to do with you or my work here. ”
“Not your work.” Beau stared at him then snorted, “C’mon Cole.
You wouldn’t exactly be her type, now would you?”
It was all too clear. “She turned you down so, why would she
talk to me, right?”
The foreman’s face turned crimson. “That’s not what I meant and
you fucking well know it.”
What he knew was that deep inside it was always the same
bullshit. When he’d first applied for the job he had to work harder,
demonstrate that he knew how to rope and drag a steer and everything else his
duties entailed, while the other men were being hired without having to prove
anything except their identity. Even now he still felt like everyday he had to
prove himself, despite the legwork and hours he put in. In the end, it didn’t
matter how well he did the work. He couldn’t speak and that left some dumbasses
thinking he was lacking in the intelligence area or that he had nothing to say.
Now it turned out, someone he admired, his friend and boss, thought he didn’t
stand a chance with Noelle or any woman deemed desirable by other men. He
should be relegated to the Sandy’s of this world, women who spread their legs
for anyone with a prick.
“I’ll see you at work tomorrow, boss.”
Beau shook his head. “Easy there, Cole. I didn’t mean to start
shit with you.” The foreman looked around for a moment and said in a contrite
tone. “Don’t take anything I said to you personal. You know how it is around
here. It’s easy to get desperate for a woman when it’s a commodity. I just
think you’re out of your league on this. You think Williams is gonna approve of
his daughter getting involved with a saddle tramp? Take my advice and let it
go, cowboy. Go have a beer and bang the shit out of Sandy. If you don’t some
other man will.”
Cole glanced over at the woman walking across the field, wearing
a short dress that was far too tight for her round frame. He looked away, completely
turned off. There was no way he’d be able to get it hard for her or any of the
other cowboy chasing