Damian leaned in and pointed at the man. “They got out ‘cause you didn’t fix the fence in the first place.”
“What’s goin’ on here?” His dad walked up, glaring at both men as they faced each other.
Sam jerked his chin in Damian’s direction. “He’s had his head up his ass for weeks now.”
“I would think y’all would have little time to be squabbling like a couple of kids.” His father tugged on his hat and widened his stance, shifting a wad of tobacco from one cheek to an the other.
Anger knotted Damian’s stomach, the fury almost choking him. He’d been itching to slam his fist into something all day, and Sam had given him the excuse he needed.
“Why don’t you go find that sweet little piece you were banging a few weeks ago and have at it?” Sam mumbled as he turned to go.
Shock yielded quickly to rage as Damian grabbed the cowboy’s shoulder and spun him around, his fist raised. “What did you say, asshole?”
Sam shrugged off the heavy hand gripping him and narrowed his eyes. “If you lay your hands on me one more time, boss or not, I’m going to flatten you.” He turned his head and spit on the ground.
His pa yanked Damian by the arm, turning his body to face him. “Is that what this fussin’ is all about, boy? You better git your mind off your pecker and back on the job.”
He took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. “The hell with all of you. I’m headin’ into town. It’s quittin’ time anyway.”
Showered and changed into clean clothes, Damian shoved his front door open and headed to his truck. His blood still boiled from the run-in with Sam.
In all honesty, he’d been a pain in the ass lately, and he knew exactly why. Ms. Kerry Mackenzie. She had him tied up in knots, and he had to do something about it soon.
The Lonesome Steer had the usual crowd, already playing pool, drinking, shuffling around the dance floor.
This place is getting old. Hell, I’m getting old.
“Hey, Damian, what can I get you?” Keira Rankin, Gus’s daughter, swiped the table with a white and blue striped bar towel, and then flung it over her shoulder.
With long blonde hair, soft doe eyes and heart-shaped face, the co-owner always had a smile on her face and a friendly, open personality.
“I’ll have a burger and fries. And a beer.”
“Comin’ right up.” She winked and then headed toward the kitchen.
Damian crossed his arms over his chest, tipped his chair against the wall, and re-settled his hat to cover his eyes. How could a woman he’d only known for a few days cause him such grief for weeks? He’d asked his brother, Don, the same question yesterday as they rode the fences, checking for more breaks.
“I hate to tell you this, little brother, but if she’s the one...” He’d turned in his saddle and gave him a knowing look. “You won’t have any peace until you go after her.”
“She’s stubborn.”
He shrugged. “Show me a woman who isn’t.”
“You didn’t have any trouble with Charlene. Y’all were married within days of meeting each other.”
Don grinned. “Oh, she gave me trouble all right. But I didn’t let her go until she saw things my way.”
Damian snorted. “What did you do? Hold her prisoner?”
“Pretty much.” Don gazed at the brilliant ball of orange setting in the West, casting a glow over the land as it made its final descent into the horizon. “Could be you need to go to Albuquerque and kidnap your woman.”
“Very funny.”
Don then kicked up his horse and shouted over his shoulder. “You sure as hell haven’t come up with anything better.”
“Here ya go.” Damian was yanked back to the present when Keira placed the overflowing platter in front of him, along with his beer and squeeze containers of ketchup and mustard.
He nodded his thanks and dug in.