In the midmorning light, he looked right as rain framed against the faded barn. He had the whole fantasy thing going—sexy cowboy with a side of trouble.
Or a side of fun.
Okay, yeah, she was attracted to him. Very attracted to him. He made little butterflies flit around her tummy and warmth curl up her spine. But that wasn’t a good enough reason to employ someone she’d not even vetted to help her out of a tight spot with the Triple J.
Just as she was about to open her mouth to turn down his offer, generous or not, a pickup truck bumped over the rise. The paint job was interesting—two doors covered in white primer and a hood painted bright blue. The rest of the vehicle was a rusty red. It looked like a worn-out American flag as it came to a halt beside Cal’s truck. The engine died and an older man climbed out.
Cal rubbed a hand over his face. “Ah, shit.”
“You the gal I’m supposed to meet?” the older man called in a gravelly voice, walking toward them. He wore a straw cowboy hat, brand-new indigo jeans and a T-shirt with Rattled Rooster Saloon stamped across the front. He spit in the dust and eyed Cal.
The tension between the men was thick. Like there could be a shoot-out at the not-so-OK Corral.
“The gal?” Maggie repeated, not bothering to extend her hand.
The older man lifted his hat. “Sorry about being late. Set my damn alarm clock for p.m. and not a.m. I’m usually up when the cock crows, but I must have been tuckered out.”
Cal snorted.
Charlie’s mouth tightened at the sound.
“I’m assuming you’re Mr. Lowery?”
The man nodded.
“I accept your apology. But what I do not accept is the condition of this ranch. You’ve been paid a considerable sum of money each month to take care of the Triple J and you’ve failed miserably.”
Charlie drew back. “Now see here, Ms....what’s your name again?”
“Stanton.”
“What you don’t understand is how much money it takes to run a ranch. It’s more than feed and vet bills. I asked Bud for extra money to fix the barn and repaint it last year. Those damn kids are always out here drinking and fu—uh, messing around. Only so much I can do. I told him about the roof leaking. He said he’d send somebody. So I tried.”
“Tried?” Maggie reined in the anger brewing inside her. “I’ll need to see your accounting, Mr. Lowery.”
“Like receipts and stuff? Might be a few on the floorboard, but Bud never told me I had to keep a book or nothing.”
“You realize you’re going to make restitution, don’t you? This place is in shambles.”
Charlie looked over at Cal who stood still as a puddle watching the confrontation. “What are you doing here?”
Before Cal could say anything, Maggie pointed a finger toward Charlie. “He’s the person who is going to oversee you and the cleanup of the Triple J. Consider Cal the foreman on this project. And you’re going to be intimately involved with rectifying the neglect or I’ll sue your pants off.”
She hadn’t meant to make Cal the foreman...which wasn’t actually a position for something like this. Or maybe it was. She’d never undertaken the salvaging of a ranch. Lawyering up was merely a threat. Though she was certain she could get the attorney Bud had used for forty years to draft a threatening letter. Regardless she had to get the place cleaned up and Charlie Lowery owed her. Lumping Cal in was sheer insanity. Maybe the horniness she had for the man had blocked out logic. Or perhaps it was the image of him lifting boards and painting fences, shirtless and glistening with sweat in the hot Texas sun.
Oh, God. She needed to have her head examined. Or get laid.
Or both.
Charlie’s face registered agitation. “You’re hiring Cal? He’s not a contractor. He’s a bu—”
“I’m perfectly capable of overseeing the repairs,” Cal interrupted. “If you remember, I spent many summers working ranches.”
Charlie didn’t say anything more in argument. He merely shifted his gaze from Cal to her and then back to Cal again. After a few tense seconds, he uttered, “This is bullshit.”
And then he stalked to his truck, lowered the tailgate and hefted a heavy bag to his shoulder. Without another word to either of them, he disappeared into the barn. Five or six cats followed him, their heads ducked cautiously.
Cal turned back to her. “You’re really going to hire me?”
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“But...”
She sucked in more hot Texas air. “Honestly, you’re the only person I know here. And you were true to your word—you got me inside the ranch. And I don’t have time to do a huge job search. Please tell me you have some actual experience with—” she threw her hands in the air and spun around surveying the Triple J “—working miracles?”
“They call me the miracle worker,” he said.
She arched her brow.
“Okay, they don’t, but I spent every summer in high school working ranches and construction. If I can’t do it, I’ll find someone who can.”
Maggie squeezed her eyes closed and tried to center herself. This was going to be a huge undertaking and would cost a pretty penny. She had forty thousand dollars in savings and maybe five thousand in her checking account. No way would she cash out any investments. But if she wanted to sell the Triple J for more than a marginal profit, she’d have to spend some cash. Starting with Cal. “How much?”
“For what?”
“To get this place ready to list? I’m assuming you’re unemployed otherwise you wouldn’t have offered your services.” Her tongue nearly tripped on those last words. They’d sounded suggestive, though she’d not intended them to be.
A strange expression crossed his face, but he caught himself. “Four thousand. Should take about five or six weeks if the rain stays away. It’s mid-July so I don’t see an issue there. Probably have to hire some pros for some stuff, but I know a few guys who are good and won’t charge an arm and a leg.”
“That seems fair. I’ll draw up a contract.”
“But I need to inspect the place first. Let’s meet at the Barbwire tomorrow morning,” Cal said before jerking his head toward the barn. “A word of warning—Charlie has a drinking problem and a habit of interfering where he’s not wanted.”
“He owes Bud recompense. The shape this place is in rests on his shoulders. Find something for him to do, or I’ll sue him for breach of contract.” Maggie wasn’t sure if the contract would hold up since most of the terms were unwritten. But she’d bluff her way through. Charlie was a free laborer and free sounded good at the moment.
Cal shrugged. “Your rodeo.”
Yeah.
