During lunch Melody told Julie their plans for her to take over the foreman’s cabin. Afterwards, she and Billy ran down to take a look and came back to say Julie felt she could easily live there in its current condition. Melody and Sierra assured her they’d have it renovated and updated for her within short order, but if she preferred to stay there she could.

While several of the ranch hands helped to get Julie’s things unloaded into the cabin, Luc and Ryder left Melody and Sierra up at the main house.

“Jackass,” Sierra muttered under her breath.

Melody laughed. “Still pissed?”

“He even admits I’m as good as any of the men with horses and better than most but I’m regulated to being the good wife. I just hate that.”

“Well, at least he hasn’t grounded you and then left you wearing a butt plug for the rest of the day.”

“No, but in case you missed it that was his threat if I didn’t settle down. He has never made me do that until Luc did that to you. I really don’t need Luc giving him ideas.”

“I don’t need Luc coming up with ideas to give him. It’s the weirdest feeling.”

“I know,” said Sierra. “I hate it and yet I love it at the same time.”

Melody giggled. “I told Luc that very thing the other night. And like right now, it certainly has my attention, but not in a bad way.”

Sierra joined her laughter. “We are two sick bitches, you know that?”

“Yes, we are, but we make a good team.”

“The best!”

They worked on finalizing the plans for the renovation of Julie’s cabin and the commercial kitchen they planned to place between it and the main house. They’d placed the kitchen out of sight for the most part, but intended to make it look as though it had been there for a hundred years or more. The placement of the guest cottages had been completed and the new guest barn and corrals were also ready to get started.

Melody’s phone rang. Seeing it was Luc, she answered, “Are you planning to let me remove this thing?”

“No, I’ll take care of that tonight if you convince me it served its purpose. Slayer should be here in the next thirty minutes or so. You and Sierra are to stay up on the porch. I’m going to send Julie up as well. When we’ve got him safely in his stall, you can come down, but not until Ryder or I give one of you the okay.”

“You’re such a bossy britches.”

Luc laughed. “I am indeed. And you, miss, will do as you’re told or wish you had. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, Luc. Be careful.”

“Always, sweetheart.”

She had no sooner hung up than Julie knocked on the kitchen door and entered.

“I love the cabin. Thank you so much for letting me have it,” she said, clearly happy to be at Crooked Creek.

“Glad you can live there. Want to see the plans we have?”

Sierra and Melody showed her the plans for the renovation and the young chef was enthusiastic about the cabin but even more so at the proposed plans for the commercial kitchen. She made several suggestions for improvements on the kitchen and Sierra and Melody exchanged glances, acknowledging they had made a great choice.

Sierra’s phone rang. Placing it on speaker, she answered, “Yes, my husband? How might I serve you in your daily labors seeing as how I’m not good enough to deal with Slayer?”

“You can drop the attitude. I mean it, Sierra. Knock it off. They just turned in the driveway and so should be here momentarily.”

The three women went out on the porch. The trailer in which Slayer was being transported seemed to be bouncing.

“You’d have thought with what you’re paying they’d have hired a better trailer,” said Melody.

“Oh, the trailer is fine,” answered Sierra. “Slayer is just that much of a pain to deal with. The bouncing is from him bucking and trying to tear the thing apart. All kidding aside, ladies, Slayer is far more dangerous than either the mustang stallion down in the barn or the red roan one Ryder got me as a wedding present.”

* * *

Luc shook his head. “Would you look at the way that trailer is bouncing. Let’s make sure that chute into his stall is double reinforced. I rather suspect he’s going to be in a nasty mood when he gets off that trailer.”

The truck came to a halt. Billy offered to let the driver and the relief driver get out and sit while he backed the rig up to the chute. They readily took him up on his offer. Bill expertly backed the trailer up to the loading chute and alley that would allow them to release Slayer into his new stall.

Once the rig was snugged up to the chute, Luc and Ryder climbed up on either side of the trailer. The plan was for Luc to unlock and then swing the door open and over to Ryder, who would secure it. If Slayer cooperated, he’d come out of the trailer like a bat out of hell and stampede into his new stall where Eddie and one of the other hands were prepared to close the door by sliding it along its track from one to the other. This allowed them to remain in relative safety outside of the chute that had been attached to the stall entrance.

Luc unlocked the door and swung it over to Ryder. The big dapple gray stallion bellowed and charged out of the entrance. He bucked and snorted all the way down the chute and into his stall. Eddie slid the door closed and the man on the other side secured it. The men all cheered that it had gone so well.

Billy pulled the truck forward and Ryder closed the trailer up. The men began disassembling the chute. The stallion reared and struck at the walls of his stall.

Before leaving, as soon as Ryder signed the papers, the driver said, “You boys are welcome to that nasty bastard. If I never see him again, it’ll be too soon.”

Ryder invited the driver and his partner to stay at least for dinner if not the night, but his offer was refused. He called Sierra on the phone and gave the women the all clear to come down to see their latest acquisition.

* * *

Melody, Sierra, and Julie left the house and headed down to the barn. They could hear Slayer kicking and striking at the walls.

“Good thing Luc got those walls reinforced,” said Sierra as she went toward the stall to get a better look.

Melody smiled as she saw Ryder’s hand reach out to pull his wife closer and to keep her at a safe distance. Melody joined Luc but noticed that Julie held back.

“He’s really something, isn’t he?” said Melody.

“He’s a dapple gray like Queenie but with a black mane and tail like the blue roan mustang stallion,” observed Sierra.

“He is,” agreed Luc, “but he’s a nasty piece of work. Generally bullfighters don’t have to deal with broncs trying to hurt the cowboys they toss, but this bastard was every bit as nasty as he was good at his job.”

“Unlike Deadshot,” grinned Ryder.

“There’s nothing wrong with Deadshot,” said Sierra. “He’s a doll. He just doesn’t like you.”

Ryder laughed. “Me and the rest of the world save you and Luc.”

“I’ll bet he’d like Melody,” Sierra retorted.

“Melody had best never try to find out,” said Luc grimly.

Melody smiled at him. “Not something you need to worry about.”

He smiled. “Glad to hear it. Although I have wondered how Deadshot would react to you. But before I try to find out, I will need to figure out how to keep you safe.”

Sierra grinned. “I’ve got $100 says he likes her better than you.”

“Sierra,” scolded Ryder with a laugh. “You do not need to lead Melody astray.”

“Mainly because Melody doesn’t need any help in that area,” teased Luc.

“No,” Melody corrected, “because Luc thinks it’s his job to lead me astray.”

She turned to head back up to the house. Sierra joined her after telling Julie to take time to get settled in.

Sierra linked her arm through Melody’s. “I think we made a good choice with her. I’m so glad you noticed her shirt.”

Melody smiled. “I do too. I just hope her brother recognizes that if he tries to make trouble, he’ll have more than Julie to deal with. Living with a bully can eat away at your soul. I’m proud of her for having the gumption to walk away and pursue her dreams.”

Sierra nodded. “Talking from personal experience? I’m sorry. You’ll tell us when you’re ready.”

Melody turned to her friend. “It’s just something I need to deal with... on my own.”

“I can live with that, but at some point Luc is going to decide enough is enough.”

“So he tells me.”

“Believe him. He’s like Ryder. They don’t make idle threats.”

Melody laughed. “He tells me that as well. Although my ass sure wishes he did.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon alternatively working and just enjoying their growing friendship.

Luc entered the house and kissed Melody, running his hand lightly over her derriere. She ducked her rump and he laughed.

“It’s not funny, Luc. I can tell you from experience that welts hurt,” said Sierra.

“I’m sure you can,” he responded. “And you’re right. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wasn’t thinking about the stripes you’re wearing. And you,” he said, indicating Sierra, “need to head down to the SUV. Ryder’s ready to head back to the Flying M. I think if Melody agrees that we’re going to just make something simple here.”

Sierra grinned at him. “Bullshit. You just want to enjoy Melody’s company all by yourself.”

Melody laughed. “He isn’t the only one. Now get out so I can jump him.”

Luc shook his head at the two of them and smiled as Sierra left them, calling over her shoulder to Melody, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

Melody grinned. “Well, that doesn’t leave a whole lot out.”

He nodded. “I would think nothing at all. So what would you like for dinner?”

“You,” she said simply as she shucked out of her clothes, opened his fly, and knelt in front of him.