Breaking Boundaries (5th in Breaking Series)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Nick, you, me, Thomas, Frank and Wendell are going to take two hundred head of cattle into town. The army placed a big order and they got a train coming in early tomorrow morning. That means we'll leave tonight and have them there waiting," Brody said the next day around noon as he caught Nick and Aiden coming out of the barn.

Nick wondered if Brody knew that they had been alone in the small barn for nearly an hour instead of doing the jobs they'd been assigned to do. Nick wasn't normally the type to shirk his duties but Aiden had come to him and asked for him to rub at a particularly knotted spot on his back and that had been all it had taken. Nick was ashamed of the fact that he hadn't been doing his job but as he enjoyed that tingling sensation still coursing through his legs, he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

"Are us four all you're bringing with you?" Nick questioned. The idea of leaving Aiden alone with the other hands for a night didn't sit well with him. Yes everything had gone smoothly last night and this morning but without Nick there to protect him, Aiden would be a lot more vulnerable.

Brody raised a brow and glanced at Aiden who watching the ponies in the corral, "Yeah, that's all I'm bringing," he replied. "I don't need anybody distracted," he added pointedly. Nick sighed and nodded, he had no choice but to agree. This was his job and Brody was his boss—when Liz wasn't around.

"Alright then. When are we leaving?"

"We're gonna get to wrangling them cattle up now. They're done off to themselves since I've been waiting on this train for a good solid two weeks. We'll leave out just as soon as that's done."

"Well I'll get on in to Ellie then and see if she needs any help with the cooking she's doing for the party tomorrow," Aiden stated. Nick saw Brody's brow rise even further on his brow.

"Cooking?" Brody questioned.

Aiden flushed, "Yes cooking! I'm pretty damn good at it too. Suppose you don't think a man should cook?"

Nick chuckled as he scratched at his jaw and watched Brody study Aiden. Brody took a slow draw off his cigarette and then blew the smoke out slowly, "Ain't nothing wrong with a man knowing how to cook. Hell I can cook a hell of a lot better than the boss can."

"Well thanks," Aiden mumbled. He walked around them, offering Nick a smile before moving away from him.

Brody grinned and winked at Nick, "Of course only a little woman would be so eager about cooking supper."

Aiden's shoulders stiffened and he turned to face Brody with an amused smile on his face, "Then I guess that makes me a woman then. But go ahead and ask Nick, I'm a damn good one."

It was Brody's turn to seem flustered and Nick would be damned if he didn't see the slightest bit of color on the man's cheeks. Brody cleared his throat, shook his head with a chuckle, turned his gaze to Nick and then hooked his thumb toward one of the larger barns, "Let's get those horses ready."

***

"Elizabeth, I want you to stay at the ranch house tonight," Brody stated as he hooked his whip onto his gun belt.

"Why?" Elizabeth questioned. She knew Brody must mean business because he had called her Elizabeth which he didn't do very often.

"Because we found two new holes in the fence and a letter saying we'd go to hell for harboring abominations. Now dammit I won't be runnin' scared from these bastards but I'd still rather be safe than sorry. I'd feel better with you and the babies here with everyone else close by while I'm gone."