{Chapter 26}
A few days passed with settling in to ranch life again. For Toni it was like a breath of fresh air to finally smell dust when she walked out of the door each morning. She smiled when she saw the blasted chicken chasing Tiny, when she caught Ben and Katie in each other’s arms instead of working - repeatedly. Things she had once taken for granted were now like indulgences that she had missed during her two weeks away.
She was standing on her porch watching Erik work with Prince while thinking on these things.
“For once I find you idle. It’s kind of a shocker,” Wade grinned from beside her.
She looked over at him. “Just thinkin’.”
“Dangerous stuff right there” Wade leaned against the porch railing beside her and they both watched Erik as he stood in the stirrup on one side of the horse.
He just stood there as if he had all the time in the world. Toni had no idea what he was doing, but she decided to let him to it.
“How are things with you two?” Wade asked.
Toni looked over at him. “Fine. I feel bad that the poor man has to sleep on the floor, though.”
“You could change that,” Wade teased.
Toni rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder. “Don’t be a dufus.”
“You two getting along?”
“I suppose, why you so anxious to know?” Toni asked the question more like an accusation.
“No reason,” Wade pushed off the railing.
Their attention directed to Erik, who had just been thrown through the air by the contrary horse.
“Oh, for the love of…!” He tore off his hat, threw it into the dirt before jabbing his fists into his hips, and commenced to telling the animal of his sentiments on the subject. “I come out here and break my back every day just so you’ll be able to be ridden, and this is the thanks I get?”
The horse bucked and snorted.
“What if I called this whole arrangement off, huh?” Erik acted as if the horse could understand him.
Prince snorted again.
“Yeah, put that in your pipe and smoke it!” Erik smashed his hat back on his head and stomped out of the corral, leaving the saddled horse alone.
He came up to Toni muttering some words she couldn’t understand. He continued speaking until she thought he wasn’t even speaking English.
“Problem?” She leaned over and asked him.
“Nope” Erik said, not looking at her.
“Seems like Prince is being contrary today.”
“It ain’t his fault,” Erik muttered.
“Somethin’ nagging at you?”
Erik sighed. “Yeah, I guess. I’ve been struggling with how to tell you this for a while now.”
“Tell me wha-a-t?” Toni drew out the last word.
“Well, I’ve been thinking. I need to call of this whole marriage thing.”
**********
Smooth, Erik. Real smooth.
He rolled over on his bedroll, placed in the back of the barn on an old workbench. He had explained to Toni his reasons for wanting to call of the marriage, and then she kicked him out, and threw his bedroll after him. He had been sleeping in the barn for two nights now and it hadn’t got any easier. She had thrown harsh denunciations at him, such as “you’re a filthy liar”, “You’re just like the rest of ‘em”, “You were planning this the whole time”, and “You stupid, Bible-thumpin’, heart-breakin’, rat.”
YOU ARE READING
The Boss Lady's Man
Romance"Look, Toni. Not everyone who comes into your life is there just to use you. Some people are there because they really do care about you" Erik's calmed voice only made her anger worse. "Why do you not trust anyone?" Toni lost it. She was tired of ho...
