“Okay, thanks. I’ll hitch up and see you in a bit.”

I turned to find Tiffany standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Another horse?” she asked.

Sighing, I tucked my work phone into the back pocket of my jeans and reached for a blank manila folder to gather all the information I could from Jacob.

“Yeah. That was Jacob. Direct signs of abuse, and the owner won’t even pay for the treatment.”

“I don’t understand it,” Tiffany said, sadness filling her eyes. “How can people do this to animals?”

My heart clenched thinking of it too. That was why I devoted every bit of time I had to the horses that came here. They deserved a good future—if it wasn’t on my own ranch, it would hopefully be with someone who had the time to undo the damage of past abuse.

“I need to hitch up the trailer and get going. Jacob is waiting for me at the clinic. Looks like I’ll have to pass on the Iron Stallion tonight.”

“I understand. Do you need some help?”

“I’ll be fine,” I smiled assuredly when Tiffany frowned at me. “I can handle a spooked horse. Besides, Jacob said he was going to sedate it.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” I said. “I’ll see you on Monday morning. Enjoy your weekend.”

I waved goodbye to Tiffany after hitching up the horse trailer. She gave a cheerful wave from her black truck before disappearing down the long stretch of dirt road that ran in the direction of town.

Sliding behind the steering wheel, a pang of disappointment washed over me. A nice meal out plus a drink, all while taking in Colt’s sculpted physique did sound pretty good. Even if I couldn’t get involved, I could still enjoy the view and fantasize at least.

I sighed as the truck roared to life. Fantasies were about all I had these days.

Chapter Two

Colt

Mom would be over the moon right now. I stared down at the hot and soapy water my hands were currently submerged in, remembering how she always used to yell at the two of us for not helping out with the dishes.

The Iron Stallion was jam packed at the bar and in the dining room. We were running out of glassware fast, along with dinner utensils. The two high school girls that I’d hired to wait tables were darting around fluidly, taking orders, running out plates, and then taking the empty ones back. My dishwasher was slammed while my cook and bartender rushed through orders as quickly as possible.

If my blood pressure wasn’t so damn high, I’d feel proud to know that the Iron Stallion was a popular attraction for the locals and surrounding towns. My soft run turned into a hard one within a matter of days when word of mouth spread the news. Now my three-month-old ‘baby’ was quickly growing into a well-liked restaurant and popular bar.

That said a lot, given that Green Point had a reputation for chasing out businesses if the locals didn’t like the store or the owners. I had a foot up I guess because of my parents. Their ranch, located just a few miles outside of town on over two hundred acres of land, employed at least twenty people from town or nearby. ‘Hire locals’ was what my father had written in his will if I needed help to run and maintain the ranch.

Settling the now clean glasses on a towel, I drained the sink before drying my hands. A loud and happy sounding chatter filled my ears when I stepped out from the back room to check on everything. Cheerful grins greeted me as I passed through the maze of tables, nodding to anyone who smiled up at me. I took my position behind the bar where Joe Billings was wiping down the countertop.

“Busy night,” Joe said, nodding to the full bar. “Gotta say, boss. Looks like this place will be in business for a long time to come.”

I scanned the group of people waiting around the hostess stand. “I was thinking I might need to hire a few more employees to help us here. Busboy, bar back, hostess, that sort of thing. What do you think?”

“You’re right on with that. I think you’re going to get busier as the days go on.”

“Any recommendations on who to hire around here? Somebody that would be good about doing their jobs?

Joe stroked his jaw in contemplation. “You know, my two daughters just turned sixteen. They could use something to do.”

“Have them stop by if they are interested. I like the idea of hiring young people. Jobs can really help keep them out of trouble, you know?”

“In case you hadn’t

noticed, Green Point is smack dab in the middle of nowhere.”

Tags: Claire Adams Romance
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