Turn and Burn (Blacktop Cowboys 5)

“Hmm.”

Hmm from Eli never boded well. Fletch returned his sharp look. “What?”

“Nothin’.”

“Bullshit. Say it.”

“Just thinking how it’s gotta suck for you, always bein’ so dedicated and responsible. And I’m pretty sure there ain’t no one you’ve let down recently.”

Fletch snorted. “You oughta talk. Your dedication to the people and animals in your life makes me look irresponsible.”

Eli grinned. “I gotta one-up ya when I can, Dr. Fletcher.”

“I’ve definitely one-upped you in the vehicle department. This truck of yours is like riding in a tin can.”

“Stop fidgeting. I swear you’re worse than the rez kids.”

“Doubtful. I’ve seen how wild your charges are.”

The caravan pulled around and they followed as the second to last vehicle out, passing Kyle so he could make sure all the gates were closed.

Eli parked at the edge of the road down from the house. “About time to eat, I reckon.”

“Good. I’m starved. Maybe there’ll be leftovers to take home.”

“Says the bachelor,” Eli said dryly.

“Says the former bachelor who now has a woman fixing his meals and warming his bed.”

“Your jealousy is fully warranted because my Summer is damn good at both.”

“Don’t rub it in.” Fletch hopped out of the truck and took in the trucks and SUVs as they walked toward the tents. “Seems to be less people here than in years past.”

He shrugged. “Ain’t that the way it goes? People say they’re gonna help and then they don’t.”

Was that a poke at him? Before he could ask for clarification, Eli spoke again. “There are new faces here. Well, Devin ain’t new, but he did show up.”

“Why in the hell would Devin show up at a branding? He never has time for this stuff anymore.” Fletch squinted at the people clustered in groups of two or three. No surprise he saw Devin talking to some woman by the corrals.

“Mebbe he needed to connect with his roots. Spend time with his friends who don’t care that he’s a country music superstar. He had a great time. Threw down a lot of calves today. He partnered with Celia and Lainie’s friend.” He pointed to the woman chatting with Devin. “That girl knows her way around ranch work. She impressed me.”

High praise coming from Eli.

Ike motioned to Eli and he jogged up the hill to meet him.

Tobin Hale, Renner’s jack-of-all-trades whiz kid, entered Fletch’s peripheral vision and handed him a beer. “Heya, Doc.”

“Thanks for the beer.” He cracked the can open. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Not much. Wishing there were more single chicks here. We had a blast last year, remember?”

“Parts of it. Other parts . . . kinda hazy.”

“You ended up with that Carla chick from Montreal.” He sighed. “She was hot. You ever hear from her?”

“Nope. I don’t recall why she was even at the branding.”

“Seriously?” Tobin glugged down his beer. “She was a photojournalist on assignment for some cowgirl magazine. She kept snapping pictures of chaps and asses. Maybe she got your buck-nekkid butt on film. What if you’re on some Wild Men of Wyoming hunk-of-the-month calendar?”

“Fuck off.”

Tobin laughed. “Easy for you to say when you’re getting laid all the time.”

“You’re not?” Fletch gave him a lewd once-over. “You ain’t that bad lookin’. You packing a peanut or something?”

“Fuck off, old-timer. Ain’t a lot of opportunities to meet women when I spend ninety-five percent of my time at the Split Rock with Hugh and Renner. And the guests are off-limits.”

Sipping his beer, he watched Devin and his mysterious female branding partner cozied up. “Who’s she?”

“Hard not to notice, her, huh? She’s the Split Rock’s newest employee.”

“What’s her name?”

“Tanna. I brought a cup of coffee to her trailer this morning, you know, to welcome her, since she only showed up yesterday. She was real sweet. She even laughed at a couple things I said. So I thought I might have a shot at her, but it appears she’s fallen for movie-star good looks, fame, money and charm.”

“Be easy to hate McClain if he wasn’t such a great guy.”

“He sure wasn’t afraid to get dirty today.”

“Devin may be all slicked up when he’s onstage, but down deep he’ll always be a rough Wyoming cowboy.” He considered wandering over and introducing himself, but like Tobin, he couldn’t compete with Devin’s fame, PR training and practiced charm. But for some reason, he couldn’t look away from the couple.

Tobin kept talking and Fletch half listened as he finished his beer.

He watched this Tanna chick flirting shamelessly with Devin. She looked great from the back. Long legs. A tight ass. Curvy hips and a small waist that he could span with his hands. She wore a beat-up straw hat pulled down low that put every part of her face in shadow. She wore dusty, muddy jeans with some greenish substance smeared across the back of her shirt. She held a beer in one hand, gesturing wildly with the other. Whatever she’d said made Devin laugh.

An odd buzz started in the base of his spine as she leaned forward to set her empty beer can on the ground and her hat fell off. Her freed hair fell in a waterfall of mahogany-colored silk.