Beau and Alyssa reluctantly went down for dinner.

Grandpa K said, “Looks like you survived being out in the spring storm, Alyssa. That was some mighty nasty weather that blew in here so quick, with no warning.”

Alyssa smiled at the grizzled old guy. If he thought it was nasty, then she didn’t feel so bad. “It was kind of scary out there all alone with my phone busted. Mostly because I didn’t know what to expect, since I couldn’t Google to see the norms for this area.”

Travis looked at Beau. “I assume this family meeting you called has something to do with this.”

“Yeah, but there’s more to it than I expected. Let’s get some food on our plates and then we can discuss it.”

They passed around platters of chicken fried steak, and bowls of mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables. Cade tossed everyone a dinner roll, which made Tony hoot with laughter. When everyone had a plate full of food, Emma said grace, and the eating began.

Beau had a couple of bites before he put down his fork and started relaying all the information he’d gathered that afternoon. Starting with why Alyssa was out by herself and had been detained long enough for the snow to start without her noticing and finishing with the conversation with the hired hands. Alyssa added any details he missed as he was talking.

When they were finished with the telling, Beau and Alyssa picked up their forks to eat while everyone discussed what they’d said.

Travis said, “I can’t imagine why a drone would be that far out on our property. It doesn’t make sense.”

Chase said, “Maybe it was a kid and when he spooked the cattle he hid.”

Cade answered his twin, “A kid from where? We don’t have any kids near us.”

Adam tapped his fingers on the table. “Maybe it was a long distance experimental drone whose programming went haywire and it got lost.”

Drew shook his head. “That would have to be a very long-distance drone if it started on public property.”

“Maybe it was someone spying on us,” Emma whispered.

“Who would spy on us? And even more importantly, why would they want to?” Meg said, shaking her head at her daughter.

“I don’t know. Didn’t you do some experimental artificial insemination this year, Beau?” Emma asked.

Beau nodded. “I did, but nothing that is spy-worthy. Plus, I plan to publish and present my findings at the seminar next year at the college.”

Alyssa was surprised to hear Beau was planning to present. It was kind of a prestigious honor to be invited. “You’re going to be at the AI seminar next year?”

Beau shrugged. “Yeah, if I get some good data to present.”

Alyssa smiled. She would see him again before Christmas, and that made her happy. “Cool.”

He grinned back at her.

Travis interrupted their mutual sappy-expression sharing. “Regardless of why they were on our property, we need to keep an eye out for those drones.”

Beau looked at his father. “I told Lloyd and Kent to send a family text if they saw them again, but we should probably let all the hands know. Word will pass slowly through the ranks, but who knows how the message will get scrambled.”

“Like playing telephone,” Emma laughed.

“I’ll send a text to them all,” Adam volunteered.

* * *

Beau was about to piss Alyssa off, but it had to be said. “I also didn’t like Alyssa being alone. I think we need to work on our buddy system a bit more.” Alyssa started to interrupt, but he held up his hand and continued, “It’s not really wise for any of us to be alone when out checking on the cattle and helping them during birthing season.”

Travis nodded. “I agree, the plan is to have you and Alyssa rove with the pair working and assist as needed, not go off and check the rest of the herd alone.”

“But if I hadn’t been there….”

Travis continued, “Yes, it was a good thing you were, but maybe if you had stayed with the pair and helped them finish the births they were recording, all three of you could have gone out and helped deliver the too-large calf.”

“Or it might have been too late,” she said stubbornly.

“A possibility, but you or Beau, or any of our other hands, are more important than one heifer and calf,” Travis said pointedly. “Adam, add that to your text. No one goes alone.”

“Yes, sir.”

Beau could tell Alyssa wasn’t happy with the decree, but it wasn’t about her, exactly. It was about anyone being out alone. And it wasn’t because she was some simpering female, because she wasn’t that in any way. It was a precaution all of them needed to take.

He noticed Adam frowning at him and wondered what that was about. The twins seemed to have some kind of private joke between them.

Alyssa said, “I’ll need a new phone. Is there somewhere in town I can get one?”

Emma clapped. “There is, and I’ll take you there tomorrow morning. Tony and I could use a distraction. With everyone working so hard on the cattle, we’re lonely, aren’t we Tony?”

Tony just grinned at everyone at the table, enjoying the attention focused on him. Beau would have been happy to take Alyssa to town, but it probably was a better idea to let Emma take her. Just in case there was a birth that needed to be attended to.

“Any other business that needs to be addressed at the dinner table?” Grandpa K asked, looking at each one of them. Everyone had a negative response, so they all went their separate ways. Alyssa and the twins were left with the cleanup per the assigned chore chart.

Beau decided to go check on his charges in the birthing barn. He hadn’t looked at Dolly’s leg yet. “I’ll be in the barn if anyone needs me.”

Adam said, “Me too,” and followed Beau out the door.

When they got inside the barn, Beau turned to his brother. “Okay, what’s got your panties in a twist?”

“You slept with her.” Adam put his hands on his hips and glared.

“There was no sleeping involved.”

“Dammit, Beau. What in the hell are you thinking? She’s only here for a short time and you’re like her teacher right now. Don’t you have to turn in a report on her and her work here? How are you going to be truthful if you’re involved?”

“I am going to give her a glowing report because that’s what she deserves. She hasn’t done one single thing wrong and has been an asset. She’s worked hard and learned more than anyone else on this ranch has about the cattle. She even has some theories on some of the statistics and they make a hell of a lot of sense. I plan to execute her ideas when we breed again. And none of that has anything to do with my relationship with her.”

“What about going off on her own, getting caught in a storm, and endangering herself?” Adam challenged.

Beau frowned. “That could happen to anyone and we need to be more diligent about our buddy system, anyway. I don’t want the hands splitting up like Lloyd and Kent did. They should have called in for more help.”

“I don’t disagree with you on that, but I still don’t like you hitting on Alyssa.”

Beau nodded. “I get that, and it wasn’t really me hitting on her. She was feeling revved up after the fear from the storm and needed to vent that somehow.”

“More adrenaline than attraction? Is that what you’re saying? You just happened to be handy?” Adam asked sarcastically.

Beau huffed. “No, we’ve had a spark since day one—we’ve just been ignoring it. Pushing it to the side, to do our jobs.”

“I would have voted that you continue to do your jobs.”

“Oh, don’t worry big brother. We aren’t going to let the cattle suffer for our relationship,” Beau said tightly.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I know that both of you will put the cattle first, and no harm will come to the cattle.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I just hope to hell you know what you’re doing.”

Adam left Beau standing there wondering if he did know what he was doing. But what was done was done and he was going to own it. And maybe even revel in it—he’d never before connected with anyone like he did with Alyssa.