“Yep. Had a great crew this year.”
“Looks like it.”
Strange. Renner almost seemed nervous. “Come on over. I’ll introduce you and find you a beer.”
Once they were under the canopy, introductions done, and polite chitchat exchanged, Bran asked the question that was on everyone’s mind. “So, whatcha building up there, Renner? I ain’t the only one who’s wondering what your plans are.”
Renner groaned. “This is why you invited me, wasn’t it? Ply me with beer and food and make me stare into the faces of all your neighbors and explain myself.”
“Yep.”
Laughter.
“I’m sure that most of you noticed I put in a road and poured the concrete footings last fall for four separate structures. I had planned on spending all winter up here getting the framing done.”
“What happened?”
He sipped his beer. “Honestly? I ran out of money. As some of you know, I’m a stock contractor. We had a shit year, and the income I’d counted on from the livestock business, to start my building project, wasn’t there. So I had to suspend all construction until I found an investment partner. Which I have, thank God.”
“What exactly are you building?” Fletch asked.
“I’ll bet it’s a huntin’ lodge,” Ike said.
“Of sorts. It’ll be more like a . . . resort.”
A chorus of male groans caused Renner to grin. “Hey, I’m lookin’ beyond just a hunting lodge. I want men to come and bring their women. So it’ll also have a spa.” He looked at Fletch. “Plus I’m hoping to move part of my stock operation up here and give the customers a taste of working on a ranch, in addition to hunting.”
“I’m always ready for more work,” Fletch said.
“How many locals are you hiring?” Abe asked.
Renner got a funny look on his face. “A few. So go ahead and spread the word that I’m looking to hire locally, especially experts in the areas where I’m no expert.”
“Which would be in what areas?”
“All of ’em,” Renner said dryly.
More laughter.
Talk turned to whether he’d try to stock the area with wildlife for hunting parties. The downturn in the economy.
Bran didn’t envy Renner the work he had cut out for him to get the place up and running, but he admired the guy for his honesty. He could’ve kept hedging until the building process was under way.
“So, do you and your employees plan on living in Muddy Gap full-time?” Abe asked.
Bran almost snorted. Yeah, right. Abe was interested in exactly one of Renner’s employees—Janie.
“For the most part. I’ll still be traveling the rodeo circuit with the stock contracts I’ve lined up for the next few years. When I’m not on the road, I’ll be living here. As will a couple of my key employees.”
Beer was consumed. Stories told. Bullshit shared. Bran was having a great time, but that didn’t keep him from looking for Harper every time the trailer’s screen door banged.
Such a sucker. You are so totally whipped over that woman.
No lie. He had it bad.
Dusk fell and the guys headed home, complaining of aches and pains. Comparing bruises. Branding was hard physical work. Not the branding part, but wrestling the calves to the ground and holding them for the branding iron. Bran had his fair share of bruises.
With no hot young cowgirls, the younger guys had taken off, as had the families and Hank and Lainie. The last stragglers were Fletch, Abe, Eli, Ike, and Harper. Bran lit a bonfire anyway.
But Harper wasn’t cuddled by his side. She’d taken it upon herself to put away all the leftover food and clean up. It wasn’t something a hired hand would do; it was what a wife would do.
Wife. Right. Sex and beer were clouding his brain. Or maybe he’d taken a hoof to the head wrestling calves today.
“That Renner guy seemed a decent sort,” Ike commented.
“You’re just sayin’ that because you’re lookin’ to pick him up as a client,” Bran pointed out.
“That is true. Hey, it’s a shitty economy all around—gotta search out new opportunities.”
“No lie,” Fletch said. “I’ll be dropping my business card off as soon as I’m sure he ain’t gonna run outta cash again.”
“You know, I was surprised he offered that up,” Abe said.
“I wonder who he got to ante up for this resort.”
“He did get a sour look on his face, like he wasn’t too keen on his new partner.”
“I doubt it’s someone local. Probably some bigwig who’ll bring his buddies out here for hunting as an extra perk for bein’ the moneylender.”
“Nothin’ worse than a bad partner, as I know firsthand,” Eli said. “I’m glad to be out of that situation. However, I too will be letting him know I can provide him with horses he might need for trail rides.”
Silence fell. More beer was passed around. Insects buzzed on the periphery of the crackling fire. The spring chill set in.
“Too bad Devin ain’t around. He could sing us a tune or two.”
“Bastard would probably charge for entertaining us these days,” Abe grumbled.
Much to everyone’s relief, Abe hadn’t reconciled with Nancy. He was almost back to being the old Abe, but oddly, he did have a harsher edge than before, and that worried Bran, but he wasn’t about to bring it up.