One Hundred Choices (An Aspen Cove Novel Book 12)

by Kelly Collins

  Abby elbowed him again.

  Cade turned to her. “What?”

  Her smile was as sweet as her honey. “You have about two seconds to offer her a place to stay. If you don’t, I will, and you know what that means for you. Should I pack your stuff?”

  If the situation wasn’t so serious, Trinity would have laughed. Who would have thought a woman much smaller in stature, but twice his size in courage, could bring her brother to his knees?

  “You can stay, but not in the main house. There’s a trailer and a bunkhouse. The choice is yours. Get a job and figure out your long-term plans.”

  She replayed his words. “I can stay?”

  He pointed to the front door. “Yes, but the accommodations are rough.”

  This time she laughed. “Don’t forget, I’ve lived in bunkhouses all my life.”

  “Look for employment in town. Tourist season is starting. Maybe the bakery or the diner can hire you.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “To do what? All I know is horses.”

  “They don’t serve them in town. Put those looks and that brain to use, or you’ll starve.”

  Abby pinched his thigh. “Or she can care for your horses, and you’ll feed her until she finds something else.”

  He made a sound like he was clearing his throat. “Fine, you manage my stable, and I’ll make sure the pantry is stocked. You can cook, right?”

  “You got a microwave?”

  “Nope, but there are a couple of pans and a range. You’ll figure it out.”

  She would. She’d learned to be resourceful. “Thank you for the reprieve. I promise to not be a pain.”

  “Good luck with that.” He stood and walked over to her. “Now give me a hug, and tell me what you’ve been up to.”

  She held on to him for a long minute before stepping to the side. “There isn’t much to tell. Ended up in Texas working for Blain until he fired me.”

  “Because you slept with him, and it didn’t work out.”

  “Why is that every man’s go-to as an excuse? Besides, you have to know his junk doesn’t work. Not that I tried it on for size, but he got castrated by that bull five years ago. You have to remember that story. It’s why his wife left.”

  Cade cupped his junk. “Yep. Wasn’t sure it was true, though.” He appeared uncomfortable with talk of another man’s jewels.

  “I wouldn’t know from experience, but I’d say he’s a eunuch. He didn’t fire me because of sex. He fired me because he’s an idiot. He blamed his daughter’s failure to win on the horse.”

  “Any truth to that?” Cade asked.

  “Seriously?” Trinity groaned. “I trained those horses. They’d win without a rider but stick someone who’d rather be somewhere else on their back, and it’s a recipe for disaster. He’s a typical man. He decided what Angel wanted. He never asked the poor girl what her dreams were.”

  “Bastard,” Abby spit out.

  If she hadn’t spoken, Trinity would have forgotten she was there.

  “There are a lot of them out there,” Trinity replied.

  “Speaking of assholes,” Cade said. “There’s a guy staying in the bunkhouse. He works for Lloyd. Thought you should know you won’t be alone. Also, a ranch hand is arriving today. The only rule I have is don’t sleep with anyone who works for me.”

  “We’re back to that? If I wasn’t certain you’d rescind your offer of a place to stay, I’d call you an asshole.” She lifted her hands in question. “When do I get the benefit of the doubt? I never slept with anyone at McKinley Ranch. I learned from you, Dad, and Luke. Don’t mix mattresses with money. I got it.”

  “I don’t believe you. Men don’t fight like that over nothing.”

  She laughed. It wasn’t a feel-good laugh but an incredulous one. “So now I’m nothing?” She looked at Abby. “You want to know what happened? Here it is. For the men who’d been at the ranch forever, I was like a little sister or a daughter. No one bothered me. When Luke left, they replaced him with three guys because he is a Mosier, and we do the work of three men. Two of those men didn’t like the word no, and they spread rumors about me. The way they told it, I was swinging from the rafters naked. The third guy didn’t enjoy being left out, so he cornered me and meant to take what I hadn’t offered. I punched him. Yes, there was a fight. Yes, it was about me, but not because I slept with all of them like they made everyone believe. It was because I wouldn’t sleep with any of them.”

  She walked to the door. “I’ll get settled in and look at your horses.”

  Cade stood and walked to stand beside her. “You probably should know—”

  She held up a hand. “I’ve heard enough. My day is starting with a cloud hanging over my head, don’t make it worse.” She glanced past her brother. “Abby, thank you for everything.”

  “Anytime. Stop back for tea again soon.”

  Trinity opened the door, rushed out, and walked into a solid wall of chest. When she looked up, the cloud grew darker. Standing in her way was Tom Kincaid, the asshole who’d ruined everything in Wyoming.

  “Unbelievable.” She swung around to face her brother. “You hired this guy?” She raised her fisted hands in frustration, and Tom stepped back. “You might have snowed everyone that day, but I know the truth.”

  Tom smiled. “Hello, Trinity. Good to see you. Will we be sharing a bunk again?” He turned to Cade. “You said she wasn’t around.”

  “She wasn’t.” Cade stepped between them. “And no one is sharing anything. If I hear about one fight, you’re both gone.”

  Trinity stepped around her brother and pointed at Tom. “You stay away from me. I don’t even want to breathe the air you do.” She pointed to the bump on the ridge of his nose. “Does that still hurt after all these years?” She took a step forward, and Tom staggered back. “Probably not as much as your pride.” She turned to Cade. “You think I was trouble then? Just wait for this asshole to pull more of his shit.”

  “Trinity,” Cade yelled. “You are here by a thread of my kindness.”

  She marched down the steps. “Don’t give yourself that much credit. I’m here because Abby said I could stay.”

  Chapter Six

  Noise traveled in the valley between the two mountains. It was similar to yelling into a mason jar. There was no place for the sound waves to go, so they bounced back and forth.

  Wyatt heard the commotion at Abby’s as he threw his backpack into the front seat of this truck. Rather than ignore the problem, he drove straight toward it.

  He didn’t believe Cade’s sister could be an issue. Most women were at most annoying. He had a sister and a mother, and the solution to all the problems they had was to listen and acknowledge. The voices got louder as he drew closer, and it was obvious someone wanted attention.

  Standing on the porch was Cade. On each side of him, leaning toward one another like slathering dogs primed to attack, was a beautiful blonde and a cowboy he didn’t recognize.

  He threw his truck into park and rushed to help. By the look on the blonde’s face, she was a tornado getting ready to spin, and if the hate in her eyes was any sign, she was capable of destruction.

  “Trinity, calm down,” Cade demanded.

  So, this was the infamous Trinity. She was definitely a triple, as her name implied. She was tall, blonde, and gorgeous. She was also one pissed-off woman.

  She stomped her boot and faced her brother. “Calm down? Have you ever walked into a hornet’s nest?”

  “Hey,” Wyatt said. “Let’s all take a step back.” He moved between the cowboy and Cade’s sister, turning his back to the man and looking straight into Trinity’s eyes. They were a tempest on their own. He’d never seen eyes that were both land and sky, but hers started out brown at the iris and faded to a stormy blue at the edges.

  To his relief, she stepped back and sucked in a big breath. “Who are you?”

  He took her hand in his. “I’m Wyatt Morrison, and I think you need a change of scenery.” He looked at the c
owboy, whose sharp glare could slice a lesser man. Good thing for Wyatt he didn’t flinch easily. “Can you ride a horse?”

  She scoffed. “Can you pee standing up?”

  He gently held her elbow and guided her down the steps. With a glance over his shoulder, he told Cade, “I’m kidnapping your sister for the day.” He walked her to the truck. “You want some time in the saddle?”

  “Is that a come-on? If so, I’ve heard it before.”

  “Nope. I’ve got two horses. One I favor and ride all the time, and one that could use some exercise.” He opened the door and pointed inside the cab. “Looks like you need a cooling-off period.”

  “What I really need is a loaded gun or a branding iron with the word idiot burning hot at the end.” She climbed inside.

  When he rounded the corner and sat behind the wheel, he turned to her. “You want to tell me what that was about?”

  “Why, so you can report to my brother?”

  He held his hands up in mock surrender. “Listen, I’m like Switzerland with your problems. I don’t know you, and I barely know your brother, so there’s no side for me to take.”

  She huddled against the door and blew out a breath. “That guy is the reason I had to leave my home and join the rodeo, which is just the Western version of the circus.”

  He chuckled. He’d never had a desire to take part in the rodeo. He was certain he could rope a steer or break a horse with the best of them, but those cowboys were human show ponies. They didn’t get up with the sun and move cattle. Their horses weren’t their best friends but a path to their next check. He didn’t discount their commitment or their hard work, but it wasn’t the same as being a rancher. That man on the porch she called an idiot was the real deal. All Wyatt had to see were his boots. They were scuffed and worn the way only a man who spent days on the range could beat up a pair.

  “Relationship gone bad?”

  “You’d think. You’re just like everyone else who thinks my reputation is made on my back and not what I do in the saddle. I’m no buckle bunny.”

  “Never said you were.” He put the truck in drive and kicked up a cloud of dust on their way out of town to the Big D Ranch. “Just trying to figure you out.”

  “Don’t even bother. I won’t be here long enough for it to matter.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “I can’t believe Cade hired that asshole.”

  Wyatt lifted a brow. “Now you want to talk about it?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Is he competent?”

  She shrugged. “With horses. I can’t testify to any of his other skills.”

  He didn’t miss her meaning.

  “What about you? Tell me about your skills.”

  She twisted in her seat to face him. “Is this an interview?”

  “Nope, just making sure you can handle Big Red.”

  “Is his name indicative of his temperament?”

  Talk of horses appeared to interest her. She immediately sat up and leaned in.

  “No, his coat. Although he’s not patient with inexperienced riders. He needs someone to show him who’s boss.”

  “I’ll have no problem with him.”

  “Let’s hope you’re better with him than you are with the asshole at your brother’s ranch.”

  They drove under the Big D sign onto the Dawsons’ property.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She twisted around to look at it from the backside. “Big D? What’s wrong with men?”

  “Women have been asking that same question for years. In this case, Lloyd Dawson owns the ranch.”

  “Oh, brother.”

  “Speaking of your brother, he considered naming his ranch the Big C.”

  What started as a giggle turned into a laugh. He rather liked the sound of her laughter. He knew it would be better than facing her fury.

  “I don’t think there’s a risk of that. Abby would kill him.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  He parked his truck in front of the stables and tucked his keys into the glove box.

  “What are we doing here?”

  “This is where I work, and today you’ll shadow me.”

  “You work here but live at Cade’s. Why is that?”

  “It’s a long story that I don’t have time to tell because I’m late. How are you with cattle?”

  She opened the door. “You want me to ride them?”

  He laughed. “No, we have to move them from one pasture to another. We’ll have help. Baz and Lloyd will be there. Maybe Violet.”

  With any luck, Violet wouldn’t be around. Her father had been most effective in keeping her away from him.

  “I lived on a cattle ranch when I was a kid, but I remember very little.”

  He climbed out of the truck and hefted his backpack over his shoulder. “Same as riding a bike. It will all come back to you.”

  She followed him into the stables. “Only we’re riding a horse.” She immediately moved along the stalls and took in the horses.

  He leaned against a support beam and watched her. Watching how they treated animals said a lot about a person. In his experience, most people treated animals better than they treated their fellow man. Horses had a sixth sense about people too. Red wasn’t a fan of most humans, so his reaction to her would tell him something about Trinity.

  “You must be Red.” She stood a few feet from his stall and talked. “You are a big boy. Pretty too.”

  Wyatt moved closer to see if Red paid attention or gave her his ass end. It surprised him to watch the horse turn around and greet her.

  “He’s particular about his humans.”

  She turned toward him. “Can’t blame him. Most aren’t worth the time.”

  “Another cynic. You two will get along.” He tapped a saddle draped over a wooden horse. “This is his.”

  She smiled, and it was like the light in the stable got brighter. “Nice to see he has his own saddle.”

  “He prefers it that way. I always thought sharing saddles was the equivalent of sharing underwear.” He made a face. “Not a pretty thought. One size doesn’t fit all.” He stared in surprise as Red nuzzled into her hair, knocking off her hat. Wyatt bent to pick it up. “Can you have him saddled and fixed to go in fifteen?”

  “Can a dog bark?”

  As he readied Rex, he watched Trinity inspect the equipment before she took the horse from the stall. Her care of Red earned her bonus points. A cowboy was only as good as his horse.

  Once saddled and ready to go, she walked him from the stable into the sun.

  “You ready?” Wyatt asked when he moved next to her and climbed into Rex’s saddle.

  She tugged on the straps one more time. “I am.”

  “Need help to get up?”

  Trinity cut him with a look that could wilt a flower. “Do you ask everyone who rides him that question or just me because I’m a girl?”

  “I’ve never allowed anyone to ride him before.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Why me?” She swung herself into the saddle and moved to Wyatt’s side.

  “Because it takes strength to weather a storm.”

  “Are you referring to me or the horse?”

  He shook the reins and trotted forward. “Not sure yet.”

  They made their way to the southwest pasture labeled number four. Lloyd’s ranch was large, and he moved his cattle frequently to keep the cows and the pasture healthy. Today they’d move a smaller herd from four to five.

  Trinity rode beside him. Each time Red tried to show her he was boss, she reminded him of that error in thought.

  “You’re good with him.”

  “He’s barely tolerating me. Maybe his name should be Cade.”

  “Remember, I’m Switzerland, but in your brother’s defense, he’s got a lot on his plate.”

  “If you’re defending, you aren’t neutral.”

  She had him there. “You’re right.” They neared the herd, and he saw Baz and Lloyd alrea
dy rounding up the cattle to move them along. A person would think they’d be happy to go to a better restaurant where the food was plentiful, but each time the cattle got moved, it was a stampede. They acted as if Lloyd, Baz, and he led them off the side of a cliff. Then again, Lloyd raised them for slaughter. Yep, animals had a sixth sense.

  “Who do we have here?” Lloyd asked.

  Trinity thrust out her hand to shake his. “I’m Trinity Mosier, Cade’s sister, and I hope you don’t mind that I’m tagging along.”

  Lloyd glanced at Wyatt before a broad smile nearly split his face. “You’re with Wyatt?” Right then, Wyatt knew Trinity was the answer to his problems. “She is. Here with me, that is.”

  Baz nearly fell off his gelding. “No way. You can’t possibly be Cade’s sister. How old are you?”

  She cocked her head, and Wyatt was certain she was considering something sinister. He moved his horse between them.

  “Be careful with that one,” he said to Trinity. “He likes older women.”

  She moved Red back to give him room. “How old is old?”

  Baz ducked right and left until he got a clear view of her. “I’m not particular.”

  “Son, take your place.”

  “Fine.” Baz moved off to the left of the herd. Lloyd galloped to the front.

  “I’ll take the right swing position. Lloyd has the point position, and Baz has the left. You can stick with me or take drag.”

  “What’s drag?”

  “You stay at the back and make sure the cattle don’t turn. Red can help you figure it out. He’s a natural. Or you can ride with me.”

  “I’ll pull up the rear.” She turned the horse and moved to the back.

  “Same as riding a bike,” he called after her.

  “Never learned to ride one,” she answered back.

  Trinity Mosier was trouble, all right. How could he resist a woman who could tame his ornery horse with a touch and a word?

  As they moved the cattle to their new home, he thought about her. She wasn’t much different from the cows beside him. Prettier, but not all that dissimilar. If he read her right, all she wanted was a new pasture to settle down in.

  Three hours later, after Baz took off and Lloyd left to meet a delivery of new steers, they were alone.