Chapter 20


    Jake


    Fuck, fuck fuck! What a fucking shitshow!


    I’ve been the fucking foreman for barely a month, and already someone got seriously fucking injured on my watch. And of course that person has to be fucking Zane!


    The kid has been giving me attitude from the moment I became his foreman. To be fair, it technically started a couple of hours before that, when we ran into each other next to Amber’s quarters. He’s been a stubborn dick to me ever since. I’ve been cutting him some slack, trying to ignore his behavior and work around it, but right now I realize that was a huge mistake. A horrible fucking mistake that may very well cost Zane his life. I should have just confronted him about it and set us straight, to make sure that we’d be able to properly work together. I feel a hint of relief when I see Ray and Kenneth come running out of the house.


    ‘Drive into the barn,’ Ray shouts at Nick, who’s sitting behind the wheel. Kenneth is already running towards it to open both doors, so the truck can get inside. Smart thinking. It’s pretty cold already and it looks like it might rain soon. Ray runs after us and jumps on the cargo bed as soon as we’re inside the barn.


    ‘The ambulance is coming. What the hell happened out there?’ he asks, kneeling down as he’s staring at the motionless body of Zane. His voice is laced with worry. Nick and Eli jump out the front of the car and run towards us.


    ‘A stampede,’ I reply stiffly, without taking my eyes off Zane. ‘Zane got tossed off his horse and thrown into the ravine. Thank fuck he landed on a ledge and not all the way down, but it still took us almost thirty minutes to get him back up. Somewhere on the way up he passed out from the pain. His left leg is definitely broken and I''m guessing there might be some internal injuries too, on top of all the obvious cuts and bruises. He hasn''t woken up since we put him in the car.’


    I briefly place my hand on Zane’s forehead. A useless gesture, but feeling his sweaty skin and racing pulse against my palm tells me that he is still alive and breathing, and right now, I really need that confirmation.


    ‘How?’ Ray asks curtly.


    ‘A timber rattlesnake,’ Eli answers in a rough voice. He stares at Zane with hollow eyes.


    Eli was riding in the front, leading the herd, when the stampede started. He was also the first one to climb down to the ledge with me to get to Zane. Eli shakes his head in disbelief.


    ‘Everything was fine. Jake made us take our time to safely cross the bridge to the new pasture, so we wouldn’t get too close to the ravine. Then suddenly two cows in the front got startled by that damn snake. They took off in a panic. Before we knew it the others were following suit and we had a fucking stampede on our hands, like Jake said. I got thrown off too, but thankfully I just fell to the side and I could get straight back up.’


    I see the question in Ray''s eyes when our gazes meet. I know he expects me to continue the explanation. I was the one in charge out there. Handling this is my responsibility. I swallow before picking up where Eli left off, my voice coming out hoarse.


    ‘Nick drove the supply truck behind us. I told the others to try and break up the herd, keeping as many calm and near the truck as possible, while Sylvester and I rode to the front with Eli to catch the instigators. We were trying to get around them on the left, where there was enough space, when Zane suddenly came forward on the right, riding along the ravine.’


    ‘Along the ravine?’ Ray asks sharply. He sends me an incredulous look. ‘What was Zane doing riding to the front in the first place? He should have stayed in the back. He doesn’t have nearly enough experience to try stopping a stampede!’ Ray’s voice is laced with a level of anger and disappointment that goes straight to my gut.


    ‘It wasn''t Jake''s fault, boss,’ Nick interjects on my behalf when I stay silent. He climbs in the bed of the pickup and kneels beside Zane’s head, next to Ray. ‘He ordered Zane to stay with the truck. Jake yelled at him several times to go back and to get the hell away from the ravine, but Zane didn''t listen to him. My guess is that he didn''t realize the others were taking the longer route around the left of the herd, because it’s not safe to ride so closely along the ravine. Especially not during a bloody stampede. He probably just thought he was helping. The kid is always trying to help everyone out.’ Nick sorrowfully shakes his head and briefly rests his hand on Zane''s shoulder.


    Ray opens his mouth to say something, but instead he snaps his head to the door when Amber suddenly appears inside the barn. She’s carrying Olivia on her left hip, while holding a white box in her right hand. She walks up to the truck with the other Jenkins children in tow.


    ‘I called Marjorie at the library, she’s on her way home as we speak,’ Amber says quietly to Ray. She hands him the first aid kit. ‘I know it won''t do much in this case, but I thought it might be useful to clean up some of Zane’s minor injuries before the paramedics get here. It could save them some time, so they can get straight to the serious injuries without getting distracted by the minor stuff first.’


    ‘That’s smart thinking,’ Ray nods.


    ‘Is there anything I can do to help, or shall I take the children back inside?’


    ‘No, they will stay here with us,’ Ray says resolutely. ‘This ranch is our livelihood. Everyone who works here is as important to us as a family member. When one of us is down, we all need to be there to support them. My children need to learn that.’


    ‘Of course,’ Amber replies understandingly.


    ‘Could you do it?’ Rar asks her, holding up the first aid kit. Amber nods affirmatively, but then hesitantly glances at the toddler on her hip.


    ‘I can hold Livvy,’ Fiona, Ray’s oldest daughter, offers quickly. She steps forward with a pale face and reaches for her youngest sister.


    ‘Thanks, Fi,’ Ray nods at his daughter appreciatively. After Fiona takes the toddler from Amber, Ray and I both reach out to help Amber climb onto the truck bed. ‘Do what you can for him, please,’ Ray says to Amber, nodding at Zane. ‘I’m going to call Zane’s parents and tell them to meet us at the hospital. Jake, walk with me,’ he orders me sternly.


    I send Amber a quick glance before I jump off the truck, but she’s already focused her attention on Zane. She and Nick are in the process of cutting open his shirt, revealing Zane’s bruised abdomen. I''m filled with a sense of dread as I follow Ray outside towards the main house.


    ‘Tell me I did not make a mistake, Jake,’ Ray says curtly.


    ‘Boss?’


    ‘You’ve always been one of my best workers. It seemed like a no-brainer, naming you foreman after I fired Gary. But if you can’t get these men to listen to you, I may need to revisit that decision.’


    Ray doesn’t make it sound like a threat, but I know he won’t hesitate to demote or fire me if he thinks that is best for his ranch. I wouldn’t even blame him if he did, after the giant cluster fuck of today.


    ‘Maybe you should,’ I say, tormented. ‘You have every reason to fire my ass. This happened on my watch.’


    ‘Don’t give me that shit, Harmon,’ Ray says vehemently. He scowls at me. We enter the house and head straight towards Ray’s office. ‘I know you have the respect of our men. I know you have the leadership skills that it takes to do this job. I need you to man up and tell me what the hell went wrong today.’This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I follow Ray into his office and sink into the chair in front of his desk, letting my head hang low. Ray sits behind his computer and pulls up Zane’s file to find his emergency contact information. Once he finds it, he dials the number on his phone but pauses before hitting the call button, looking straight at me.


    ‘Tell me what happened out there, Jake. Right now, before I have to make this call to his parents,’ Ray demands sharply.


    I run my fingers through my hair and bury my head in my hands, letting out a sigh.


    ‘Amber,’ I confess eventually, looking up again to meet Ray’s gaze. ‘I''m seeing her.’


    I’m honestly not sure how Ray is going to respond to this news. He did issue that warning to all of us when she first got here. I think that my confession may catch him off guard, since Amber and I have kept our interactions platonic around everyone else. However, Ray’s expression remains stoic.


    ‘I already had a feeling something was going on between you two, after the whole Rustler affair,’ he says neutrally.


    ‘You did?’ I try to hide my surprise at his words. I honestly thought that I’d kept my feelings for Amber pretty well-hidden for the outside world, but apparently I was wrong.


    Then again, I know Ray makes it his business to know everything happening on his ranch, so maybe I shouldn’t be this surprised. I guess there wasn’t much point in Amber and me trying to keep our relationship private, then. I wonder how Amber will feel about Ray—and probably Marjorie—knowing about us. As far as I know, Amber hasn’t mentioned anything about us to anyone at the ranch. We haven’t even spent a night together yet. Amber has to help with the kids in the morning, and the family would definitely notice if she’s not in her own quarters—or if I’m there—when they get up. But since they apparently already know about us, I guess there’s no real reason for us to be discreet anymore.


    ‘Yes,’ Ray confirms. He looks at me sharply. ‘Are you and I going to have a problem about that?’


    ‘Not on my account, Ray,’ I say, decisively shaking my head. I definitely plan to see this thing with Amber through. I''m done avoiding my feelings for her. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’


    ‘Good. Now what does this have to do with what happened today?’


    ‘Zane likes Amber,’ I explain. ‘He’s had a crush on her since she started working here. He saw me kiss her that day when Rustler bolted, after I got her back to her quarters. He wasn’t happy about it, and he—’ I pause, suddenly hesitant. I don’t want it to sound like I’m blaming Zane by bringing up his attitude towards me. ‘He’s been taking it kind of hard, I guess,’ I finish carefully.


    ‘You mean to say that he has a personal issue with you, and has therefore not been listening to his foreman?’ Ray concludes, perfectly capturing the situation.


    ‘Something like that, yes,’ I admit.


    ‘What have you done about it?’


    ‘Nothing,’ I shake my head. ‘I figured I would just cut him some slack and give him time to get over it.’


    ‘That’s not how it works, Jake,’ Ray says sternly. He shakes his head, clearly disappointed in me. ‘You are the foreman of this ranch. Zane needs to accept that you’re in charge. If his personal feelings are interfering with your ability to work together, you should have addressed the issue with him head on.’


    ‘I know. You’re right,’ I say, defeated, but I don’t avert my gaze. ‘Do you want me to resign, Ray? I wouldn’t blame you. I w—’


    ‘Quit trying to get yourself fired, Harmon,’ Ray says, clearly pissed off. ‘The transition from being a peer to being the one in charge can be difficult. I get that! The job comes with a learning curve, so I’m not going to fire you for not being perfect right out of the bat. You’re a damn good foreman. Just make sure that you learn and don’t ever make this mistake again! Now get out, and wait for the ambulance with the others. I need to make a call I was hoping I’d never have to make,’ he sighs.


    I nod at him, feeling only slightly relieved, and quickly head back outside. In the barn, Amber and Nick are still working on Zane. They have cut off all his clothes, except for his underwear. I see a ton of freshly cleaned cuts and scrapes, being held together with butterfly bandages. The bruising on his abdomen seems to be getting darker though, and his broken leg is hard to look at now that his jeans are gone.


    ‘I don’t know how to do anything more,’ Amber says softly. She looks at me apologetically when I approach the pickup truck.


    She gently covers Zane’s chest with Nick’s coat to keep him warm. Eli is already shrugging his coat off to put over Zane''s legs. I exchange places with Amber to sit with Zane again, while Amber hops off the cargo bed. She takes Olivia from Fiona''s arms and gently guides the children towards the wall. They all sit down and Amber quietly talks to them, comforting them and answering their questions.


    I know it can’t have been more than fifteen or twenty minutes before the ambulance shows up, but it feels like we’ve been waiting for hours by then. The paramedics do their work swiftly and efficiently, and quickly load Zane into their ambulance. Ray follows them to the hospital in his own car, telling us that Zane’s parents are going to meet them there, and he explicitly leaves me in charge.


    From the moment Marjorie arrives home, not even ten minutes later, I feel like I''m running around like a headless chicken. First, I fill her in about what happened with Zane and every moment since. Right when I tell her Ray followed the ambulance out to the hospital, the other ranch hands arrive. They’re riding towards us at lightning speed, so I head outside to meet them. I check that they’ve done as I instructed and have gotten all the cows safely to their new pasture, which they did, and I tell them that Zane is on his way to the hospital. They have brought our horses back with them and we decide to bring the animals to the horse stable first.


    We work on autopilot until all the animals are taken care of. I don’t need to assign tasks, because we all know exactly what needs to happen. We collectively finish the remaining work of the day in silence, before we join the others inside the barn. I formally announce the end of the workday, but nobody leaves the barn. We all understand that we’re not going anywhere, until we’ve heard something about Zane. It’s probably going to be a very long night.


    I shoot a quick text in the family chat about what happened, so they know I won’t be coming home tonight. Within seconds my brothers and sister have all replied, wishing us luck and strength, and telling me to call them if I need anything. Then I spent an hour or so talking to each of my coworkers, making sure that they’re doing alright. Everyone is despondent and subdued as we try to deal with what happened. Zane’s broken leg looked horrible, but it’s the blackening of his abdomen that has us all worried the most.


    But even after I have talked to every single one of the men, I’m still restlessly pacing around as if I''m searching for something. Suddenly I realize that it’s Amber I’m looking for. I fucking need her. After trying to comfort everyone else, I really need to hold her and hear her tell me that everything will be alright. I’m so fucking worried about Zane! He may have been a pain in my ass these last couple of weeks, but he sure as hell doesn’t deserve to die because of it. I know Ray is right. I should have fucking talked to him. It’s my job and besides, I can’t exactly fault him for having a crush on the woman I myself am in love with.


    Because there''s no point in denying that fact anymore. As much as it terrifies me to admit, I’m certain that I’m in love with Amber. And right now, I really need to fucking be with her. I look around the barn, but I don’t see her anywhere. Marjorie has taken Amber’s spot against the wall, sitting with her children and softly speaking with them, but Amber is nowhere to be found. I slip out unnoticed to look for her.


    As soon as I step outside the barn, I catch a scent that’s become a familiar part of the ranch over the past few months. Normally, I would be thrilled to smell it, but right now I find it’s kind of pissing me off. Is she fucking serious right now? I can feel myself getting worked up as I stride over to the main house. I head straight towards the kitchen and there my suspicions are confirmed. Amber is baking!


    Is she fucking kidding me? I understand she likes to bake and it’s her hobby and all, but this hardly seems like the time for it. She should be in the barn with us!


    Amber turns around and puts a baking pan with what seems to be a pound cake on the counter. I''m about to angrily ask her what the hell she thinks she’s doing, when I notice that her eyes are red. She carries the same worried expression on her face as the rest of us. Amber sees me standing in the doorway and gives me a sad smile.


    ‘I didn’t know what else to do,’ she says with a noticeable tremble in her voice. ‘I can’t fix Zane. There’s nothing I can say to anyone that will make things better. But I figured I could do this,’ she gestures to the oven behind her.


    I slowly walk towards her and I notice there are three large casserole trays inside the oven.


    ‘You’re cooking,’ I ask.


    ‘Mac and cheese and two lasagnas,’ Amber nods. She looks at me with pleading eyes. She must have noticed the anger on my face. ‘This, I know how to do. I can bake. I can cook. I can make sure everyone is fed tonight, so they won’t go hungry too, on top of being miserable, sad and worried about Zane.’


    ‘You’re making us comfort food,’ I realize softly, wrapping my arms around her from behind.


    My anger disappears as soon as I understand that Amber is just as upset as the rest of us. She’s simply trying to help in the best way she knows how. It somehow feels familiar, and with a smile I realize that this is something my mother, Grace, used to do as well. I remember breaking my wrist once during baseball practice when I was a kid. After we got home from the emergency room my mother baked me my favorite dessert, a pecan pie. And when our elderly neighbor died, my mom brought her poor old husband a fresh casserole every week for months.


    ‘You’re the best,’ I whisper gratefully in Amber’s ear.


    Amber turns around to face me and wraps her arms around my waist to hug me back. I pull her close against me and rest my chin on top of her head, instantly comforted by her warmth and presence. We keep standing like that for a few minutes. I''m just grateful to be holding her, but after a while Amber glances up at me. Her expression is mischievous with a hint of nervousness.


    ‘You know, the food still needs a few minutes. I can’t really do anything for the others, but if you want, I could try to make you feel a little bit better while we wait?’