“You go ahead. I’ll catch up. I want a minute to talk with Paget,” Cheyenne said.
“Sure thing.” JB kissed his fiancée and strolled through the barn with the same Whiskey swagger his brothers had.
“I really need to go,” Paget said.
“You can give me five minutes.” Cheyenne leaned against the desk. “You’ve known this family longer than I have. Do you really think they are going to let this go that easily?”
“No,” Paget admitted. “That’s where I hope you and maybe Kitty and Annette can intervene. It’s not just about me being proud. But my father would be upset if I let them give me money or any kind of help without me earning it.”
“We can all understand that and respect it. We all love your dad, and we don’t want to insult him, or you. But sometimes pride gets in the way of doing what is best for our family. Look at me and JB. You were there. I nearly tossed it all away, and he was going to let me walk.”
“But that’s not what happened, and I really don’t see how that has anything to do with me and my dad.”
“JB looks at you like a kid sister. So does JD. JW and Georgia Moon see someone who isn’t blood but has a bond to this land that only a handful of their employees have. Truth be told, while many are loyal, most have a price and given the right circumstances, many of those employed here would give their notice for the right opportunity. It’s why the Whiskey family has tried to make it impossible for anyone to sweeten the deal. But it happens. If you were to leave, for any reason, it would hurt all of us as if a member of our family moved away.”
“That is very kind of you to say, but—”
Cheyenne held up her hand. “This family is overwhelming at times, trust me I know. I’ve been a loner most of my life, and the second you agree to marry one of them, you’ve essentially gone to bed with the whole lot. My point being they’ve all decided that they will do whatever it takes to make sure your job is secure and your father has what he needs, and they aren’t going to take no for an answer. So, while I know you don’t want a handout, and they wouldn’t insult you with one, let them—let us—help, but you have to be honest and you are allowed to set boundaries.”
Paget blew out a puff of air. “I don’t mean to be rude. But I don’t want your money.”
“You’ve made it perfectly clear you want to earn your keep, and unless you’re going to end up homeless and on the streets, we won’t be extending any free rides. All we want is to be kept in the loop and given the opportunity to support you. That’s all we’re asking and offering.”
Paget nodded. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
Cheyenne nodded. “Give your old man my best and tell him when he feels up to it, Jimmy and I would love to stop by and visit.”
“I’m sure once we get him settled at Morning Side, he’ll be begging for people to stop by.” Paget did her best to keep the tears at bay. Her father told her that crying never made a person weak, but there was a time and place for it, and she suspected he wouldn’t think this would be an appropriate atmosphere to let the salty liquid roll down her cheeks. “I best be going. While the staff is great and they always let me stay later than they are supposed to, my dad tires quickly.”
“Now, it’s Friday. I don’t expect to see you on this ranch until Monday. You got that?”
“Loud and clear.” Paget tipped her hat. Cheyenne wasn’t her immediate supervisor, but she was sure Annette would have said the exact same thing. “Have a great rest of your weekend.” Paget strolled through the barn, shoving her shades up her nose. The evening sun glared, forcing her to squint. She glanced at her watch.
Maybe tomorrow she’d stop in at Boone’s place. Tonight, she’d just sit with her father and contemplate her next move.
3
Boone wished he could have spent the last two days with Paget and her father, but he still had a business to run and weekends were a bitch. He also needed to set up a new schedule with his managers and employees so he could spend more time with Paget.
Starting tonight.
Sunday would be a little more subdued and he could bug out really early.
He promised her he’d bring over her favorite along with all the mixings for his mean whiskey sour. He glanced at his watch. It was close to seven and she would be back at her father’s place by eight. She had told him it couldn’t be a late night since she had to go to the ranch in the morning, but it would give him the chance to set the groundwork. For over a year he’d been doing nothing but daydreaming about the woman of his affections, worried she’d loathe him the second she found out the truth.
Only, she never had to know about his past. No one did.
This was his chance to start fresh and put his money to good use.
The front door of his restaurant pushed open and in walked JD and JB Whiskey. It had been a while since those two had shown up in this establishment, especially without their wives. Well, JB wasn’t married yet. Those nuptials were taking place in two weeks in a very small ceremony on the ranch.
Paget had eagerly filled Boone in on all the details.
“What brings the two of you into town?” Boone wiped up the bar and set two coasters down on the counter in front of the Whiskey brothers.
“We actually came by to see you,” JD said. “We’ll both have a couple of beers. Whatever you have on tap is good.”
Boone pulled down two glass mugs and filled them to the top with his best brew, flicking his wrist to make sure there was very little foam. “Me or my famous burgers.”
“You,” JB said. “We’ve heard how close you’ve become to old man Sour.”
“He’s my next-door neighbor, and I like the man. It sucks what happened to him, and it’s going to be hard on Paget.”
“That’s in part why we are here.” JB raised his glass. “She’s like family to us.”
“She’s worked on the ranch since she was sixteen, and we’d do anything for her,” JD added. “But she also suffers from way too much pride and won’t let us do much.”
“Welcome to my world, fellas,” Boone said. “She wants to take care of everything by herself.”
“That’s for sure,” JB said. “Is there a place we can go talk in private?”
“Sure.” Boone stepped from behind the bar. “We can go to my office.” He waved to the other bartender before leading the two Whiskey brothers to the back of the restaurant and through a long corridor. He passed two storage spaces before coming to a short staircase. “Sorry about the hike.”
“No problem,” JD said. “We appreciate you taking the time.”
Boone unlocked his office and pushed back the door. When he bought the place, he’d had it completely gutted and remodeled, including making a nice plush office for himself. He’d kept the decorations modest, avoiding designer furniture and using local stores only. He’d found a great whitewashed desk with matching bookshelf, minibar, and hutch. On the far wall, he had a sofa, just in case he ever needed to rest his eyes.
In front of his massive wood desk were two chairs. He waved toward them as he took his seat on the other side, pushing two coasters in front of the men for their beers.