Goldridge (Steve Rogers AU)

3

"Your face is really one I'd prefer not to see of a morning". Elsa said as she noted Steve Rogers sat at her, now his, kitchen table the next morning. She'd not slept particularly well, and had spent most of the night tossing and turning. Her mood this morning was scathing to say the least.

"Well aren't you just a bundle of sunshine". He replied, not bothering to look up at her as he pondered over some documents that the had been given to him with regards to the ranch house.
It was a nice place, nicer than he'd imagined it would be anyway. Elsa said nothing to this and began to make herself some coffee. "Black, one sugar". He then said, still reading and hearing the slam of the cup on the counter.

"It's your house now isn't it? You can make your own damn coffee - just like you can turn up here at first light to start your redecorating, or to bulldoze this place to the ground".

It was only now he looked up, being met with an icy glare. "Chill out Frozen, I'm not levelling the place - it's nicer than I expected actually".

"Is that supposed to be a Disney joke? Because it's not funny".

"And I'm not a funny guy - so no. Anyway I've got contractors coming to look at the barns and stuff today, get them repaired and extended if needed". He got up and began to look on the cupboards for a mug.

Elsa rolled her eyes as she watched him. "Second on the right asshole".

He opened it and took one out. "Gonna be needing to move these cupboards around too".

If he was trying to get a reaction out of her, then he was going the wrong way about it. "You think it's gonna wound me about you moving a few mugs about? Choosing new paint or whatever? Because it's not. If anything this place needs a good sprucing up".

Her father had slowly but surely been going down his list of things that needed to be repaired, such as the barn as Steve had mentioned earlier. Jack was barely any help when it came to that though and so in between training the horses, Elsa had been there with a drill in her hand trying to patch things up around the ranch and its outhouses.

"And what about Daddy's bedroom?"

Her face changed at this. He wouldn't. "Don't...don't you even think about..." If he was going to take that then she'd go mad.

He continued to make his coffee. "Relax, I was actually gonna suggest you move into it. Would be in bad taste if I were to take a dead man's bed".

"Even worse to turn up to his funeral and tell his kids you now own everything". She fired back calmly, but relieved that he wasn't going to take her father's bedroom from her.

At this, Steve stopped. "Correction- my dad actually. Ok, yeah the funeral thing was an asshole move - but would you rather we'd have just turned up here and threw the contract at you?"

"It would've been easier if you'd have left it on the porch. Least then my dad could be a bit colder in his grave".

"Where's the cemetery?" Steve asked, turning to her and leaning against the counter.

"Why? You gonna go dig him and my other relatives back up to put another building there?"

He huffed. "No, so I can tell any contractor who comes onto the land that the area is off limits - you can still keep your dead ancestors - I'm not that much of an asshole".

"But you're enough of one. Go find it yourself - and while your there, you can thank my dad for giving you all this".  Taking her coffee, she stomped outside to where the ranch hand's were starting their work for the day. Most had stayed at the offer of a rise in their pay and updated accommodation - to them, it didn't matter who the boss was. Well, to everyone other than Brock and Jack.

She could already feel Steve's presence behind her. "I don't wanna fight with you Elsa".

"Our families have been fighting one another since we came here".

"So isn't your dad's decision enough to tell you that even he thought it was stupid?" He was becoming impatient with her now. Perhaps he had been wrong about her being the smarter one. She was just as stubborn as her good for nothing brother.

She spun round to face him. "It's enough to tell me a lot of things about him. Now I've gotta wild horse to tame and he doesn't take too kindly to strangers, so you and your contractors stay outta my way".

He snorted. "If anything, I think you're the one who needs to be tamed".

Walking up to him, she leant up - her face close to his as his gaze fell onto her."And you think you could be the one to do that Rogers? Try it and see what will happen - I dare you". Her last words were a whisper of breath hitting his lips before she walked away to the stables.

Steve watched her go and exhaled deeply. This woman was going to be the reason that he would have to take up drinking at 7am.