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“It wouldn’t be the first ti,” Will countered, his expression one of hard challenge as he deliberately referenced the day when Beau had walked out of the ranch house, never to return until now
The tension in the roo with it Sky rose fro his lanky frame with a ns of going into labor I need to check on her”
Will glanced up at him “Erin’s upstairs in her room I know she wanted to be there when the foal came Should I call her?”
“Not yet,” Sky replied “It’s the ’s all right”
“Keep me posted” Will directed the words to Sky’s back as he left the room
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Before he was out of sight, Jasper planted his hands on the chair’s arot the right idea You two need some time alone to hash this out, and I’ll just leave you to it”
Beau watched the old cowboy hobble from the room, then turned his attention back to Will, determined to end this discussion quickly and cleanly
“I’m not the man for this job, Will,” he stated flatly “It’s been years since I sat in a saddle, swung a rope, or doctored a cow You need a foreman with experience”
“Do you know the kind of salary a man like that would command ?” Will fired back “The ranch can’t afford it This place is land-rich and cash-poor Another bad year, we could be cash-broke And, yeah, you ht be rusty when it coe anizational skills we need And better yet, you know your way around a couments thrown at Beau, his voice took on the thickness of repressed emotion “If you have a drop of family loyalty in those ice-water veins of yours, brother, you’ll cut your ties back East and stay here”
With the words still echoing in his mind, Beau realized this wasn’t some spur-of-the-iven it a lot of thought before proposing it He started to tell Will that all his argue his aze and felt his brother’s attempt to impose his will on him He had always known that Will had been chiseled froe, but the resemblance was more than a surface one Will had a stubborn streak every bit as wide as their father’s Once he sank his teeth into an idea, he didn’t let go of it
Knowing it would likely be futile, Beau tried one last tioing through a rough patch, but the ranch has been through theh this time as well In any case, it’s your problem, not mine”
“What the hell do you mean, it’s not yours?” Will’s voice vibrated with temper “Half of this damned ranch is yours now It’s time you accept the responsibility”
Responsibility Beau felt the surge of old anger, every bit as hot and strong as it once had been How many ti it with accusations that Beau orthless,stupid pranks than he was in shouldering his workload And every ti match between them
Pushed by that old fury, Beau rose to his feet, fists clenched tightly at his sides At the sa his te away