Page 2 of Westin
“These city people don’t do well in the cold.”
“The last group I took out in snow, three of them quit before we got out of the main paddock,” Landry agreed.
“You know this wasn’t my idea, boys. I just make assignments.”
Westin glanced in the mirror, a little surprised that Clint was giving in so easily. But, again, there were rumors he was having trouble at home. Maybe his mind wasn’t on business today.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and all of them will quit tomorrow,” Bowie said. “They only come here for the views and the romance they think they’ll find.” He shot a glance back at Landry. “Just put him in charge of the morning ride, and you’ll satisfy that part of things.”
Westin chuckled, as did Remington. Landry even smiled as he stole a look at himself in the rearview, always aware of how good-looking all the women seemed to think he was. Clint simply grunted, turning to stare out the window as Westin gunned the engine, pushing the truck up over the slight incline where the gate had opened for them. They were on the state highway a moment later, burning the asphalt toward town.
Bowie shook his head too, clearly having caught Landry looking at himself in the mirror. Then he, too, turned his attention to the window, staring at the frozen landscape as they raced by. It wasn’t a bad view, really. Westin knew it better than the back of his hand, and he couldn’t think of a better word for it than beautiful. He’d grown up in Denver, but his mother had filled him with stories and images of this place from the time he was very small, probably starting when he was still just a gleam in her eye. She’d loved it here, and that adoration had rubbed off on him.
“Looks like the boys from Rocking D are here.” Landry leaned forward against the back of the front seat as Westin slowed and pulled the truck into the parking lot of Roni’s Diner. He pointed toward another truck that was parked near the front of the place. “Maybe they have some information on that new vaccination everyone’s been talking about.”
“Why would they know more than us?” Clint shot a dark look at his brother. “We all get the same newsletters; we all use the same vet.”
Landry snapped up the collar of his jacket. “They seem to always know the latest when it comes to stuff like that.”
Clint clearly didn’t like that idea. He shook his head, grumbling something under his breath as he pushed the door open and stepped out into the cold air. Landry followed, but he waited for Westin to get out and walk beside Clint, seeming to prefer his own company to that of his brothers. Bowie came around and walked with Landry, knocking him in the shoulder with his much bigger shoulder, nearly pushing Landry into the parked car beside them. Remington brought up the rear, his arms wrapped around his dark coat, his head bowed to avoid the cold air, his face hidden behind his hat.
“Hey, boys!” Roni herself called from behind the counter as they came in and shed their outerwear, hanging it all on a coat tree that was already overflowing with heavy work jackets and hats. “Grab that booth over there and I’ll get your order in.”
“Thanks, Roni!” Landry called, blowing her a kiss that she pretended to catch then giggled like a little girl with a crush. Westin pushed Landry forward, giving him another shove as they reached the booth, knocking him down onto the bench before he slid in beside him. Remington took the opposite bench with Clint next to him and Bowie nearly spilling out the end. Another waitress, this one a young blonde with the prettiest brown eyes, came over and dropped five mugs on the table, filling each one with coffee. “Food shouldn’t be but a minute or two.”
Westin grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the table when she tried to escape. “Make my pancakes blueberry, would you, Annie?”
She smiled, a touch of color darkening her cheeks. “Sure thing, Westin.”
He winked as she walked off, peering back over her shoulder at him.
“You’re as bad as him,” Clint scoffed, a gesture of his head indicating Landry.
“Just because you’re married, doesn’t mean the rest of us are dead.”
Clint’s face darkened, too, but not in the same way Annie’s had done. Clint’s expression warned of a storm, and Westin was quick to back off, not anxious to get caught up in it. Instead, he picked up his coffee and blew on the hot brew, letting it warm up his still-frozen fingers.
“This weather…” Bowie shook his head, doing the same with his coffee. “I think I’ll take my ass back down to Texas.”
“You say that every year, but you never go anywhere,” Landry informed him.
“Yeah, well, springs here are pretty fantastic. Makes me forget how my balls turn to ice cubes in this damn weather!”
Clint pushed Bowie, gesturing for him to get up. Westin watched as their foreman stomped off to the bathroom, pushing the door so hard that he could see it rattle as it fell back against the frame.
“What’s up with him?” Westin asked, pushing his shoulder against Landry’s. “He and Melanie fighting again?”
Landry shook his head. “It’s something more this time, but he won’t tell me about it. You know how he is.”
“What could it possibly be?”
“I heard she was stepping out,” Remington said, his tone low and his eyes stuck to the table like looking at us would be an actual admission of something. “Heard she was messing with one of them boys from over in Dixon.”
“Hell,” Westin muttered under his breath. “That sucks, man!”
“There’s no way Melanie would do that to Clint,” Landry objected. “No way in hell!”
“I heard it, too.” Bowie set down his coffee, his eyes narrowed in his big face. “Heard it was some banker or something.”