Page 9 of His Accidental Cowboy
After finishing the formal stuff, Brand had decided to give Wyatt a quick tour of the barn and surrounding property. Michael and Jackson were still out in the pastures, but he did manage to track down Hugo in the garage. He’d been tooling around with one of their old tractors, hoping to get it running for the upcoming local farm consignment auction. Dad had finally agreed to let go of some of the unused things on the ranch (Dad hated the worddeclutter), and Hugo liked to keep busy on his days off.
Brand smiled at the sight of his boyfriend with his butt in the air and head under the tractor, unable to help himself from admiring that taut ass even after all these months. “Hey, Hugo, get your hands off your wrench and come say hi to our newest recruit,” he said, tossing out the innuendo on purpose.
Hugo scooted backward, wrench in hand and a streak of oil on one cheek. “Fuck off, boss, you like how I handle my wrench.”
Yes, he did, but this was not the time or place to explore that. Brand waited for Hugo to stand and take a few steps toward them. “Wyatt Gibson, this is Hugo Turner. Wyatt, Hugo.”
“Hey, man,” Wyatt said in the same affable tone he’d had since he arrived. The guy seemed friendly enough, if a touch wary at times. But he was also in a new, unfamiliar environment. “Are you a mechanic?”
“He thinks he is.”
Hugo laughed and shook Wyatt’s hand. “Nah, I’m a rustler, but I’ve always liked to tinker with things. Keeps my mind active, plus you can learn almost anything online nowadays. Even how to fix a sixty-year-old tractor. It’s nice to meet you, Wyatt. Welcome to Woods Ranch.”
“Thank you, sir,” Wyatt replied. “I’m glad to meet you, too, and I’m really glad Brand is giving me a chance to prove myself.”
“Prove yourself?”
“I’m a bit of a greenhorn, but I’m a fast learner and really eager to do the job.”
“In that case, Brand’s a fair boss and a good teacher. You picked a great place to get started in the ranching life.”
Brand hoped so. He’d been torn about hiring someone with almost zero experience, but the kid had a degree, sounded eager, and if he’d already packed his life into his car, he had everything to lose if he failed at this job. Giving him a chance had also lifted a bit of weight off Brand’s shoulders.
Only immediate family knew, but Dad was scheduled to have hand surgery next week, so he’d be out of commission for a while. Even if all Wyatt could do was muck stalls and feed the horses for a few weeks, it would help them out immensely so the experienced hands could focus on the herd.
“I really look forward to getting started,” Wyatt said with a cheerful grin.
“So who are you pairing him with?” Hugo asked Brand.
“Not sure yet,” Brand replied. Truth. His best options were Hugo or Jackson, because Michael was still too new to the ranch. And Brand’s younger brother, Rem, did not have the patience to teach someone with almost zero experience. “Besides, I’ve gotta get Wyatt settled over at Elmer’s place first.”
“Um, Michael didn’t tell you?”
He bit back a groan, not liking Hugo’s tone or the way his eyebrows scrunched; Brand knew those signs. “Tell me what?”
“That’s a no, and I only know because Josiah told me, and I guess he assumed Michael would tell his boss.”
Brand noticed the slightly glazed-over look in Wyatt’s eyes. The kid was probably confused by all the names being tossed around and the interpersonal relationships on the ranch. He’d figure them out soon enough. “What’s wrong with the trailer, Hugo?”
“It had an electrical fire last night in the kitchen. Elmer has someone coming out today to assess the cost of repairing it versus, you know, not. It’s not like the trailer is vintage or anything he’d want to sink a lot of money into, but it’s also not livable right now.”
“Damn it.” Brand remembered himself. “And that really sucks for Elmer. Is there anything we can do?”
Hugo shook his head. “You know Elmer’s too proud to accept money, and if Michael didn’t say anything, it’s probably because his dad asked him not to. It’s not like anyone expected Alan to break his hand again and for us to need a new hand this soon. Um, no pun intended.”
“It sounds like Mr. Pearce is having a run of bad luck,” Wyatt said. “May I ask a dumb question?”
“Ask away,” Brand replied, his brain already whirring for a solution to their problem. He didn’t like offering a new hire a place to stay and then having to go back on his word. Especially a kid who didn’t seem to have much life experience.
“Well, that building where your office is? You mentioned it used to be the bunkhouse, and that another hand lived there because of a special arrangement. Sorry if I’m being rude, but there’s no space for other hands to live there?”
Sweat prickled the back of Brand’s neck. He glanced at Hugo, who shrugged with his eyebrows. While they didn’t hide their relationship from the ranch staff or their families, it wasn’t something they paraded around town.
Wyatt was going to find out anyway. “It used to be a bunkhouse for staff until last summer when Hugo needed a place to stay,” Brand said, “so we cleared it out and fixed it up. He’s the special arrangement.”
Brand took a step closer to Hugo and brushed their fingers together without actually holding his hand. Brand was still working up to that around family, much less a new hire. “Then after we became an official couple, I moved in with him. The bunkhouse is our place.”
Wyatt blinked once. His gaze drifted from Brand to Hugo, then back to Brand, and Brand watched for any sign of disgust or disapproval. He was ready to tear up the employment contract if Wyatt gave either of them shit, especially Hugo. Hugo had been bullied enough to last a lifetime.