The Boss Lady's Man

{Chapter} 5

{Chapter 5}

Erik dried his hands after washing at the outside pump with the other four cowhands.

“Who’s the visitor?” he asked.

“Boss’ cousin. Came for a surprise visit. She’s the religious type, kinda like you and Wade” Ben said.

“And how do you know this?” asked Tiny.

“I found her lost in the southwest pasture” Ben chuckled.

“She took the south road, didn’t she?” Rawhide grinned.

“It’s good that I came along. She looked a little worse for the wear” Ben said.

“Just a little” Erik agreed.

“Reckon why Boss is actin’ so weird?” Tiny asked.

“How do you mean?” Erik answered Tiny’s question with a question.

“Well, for starters she’s fixin’ supper for all of us. Boss never cooks for us. Then she’s actually smiling. Boss doesn’t smile. Not to mention that she was actually civil to us” Tiny explained.

Erik grinned. The next few months of being married to Toni Curtis were going to be interesting if not brutal for him…

**********

Zach smiled as a familiar rider rode up to their campsite and stopped in a cloud of dust.

“Duke is here” he smiled.

“Duke? Who’s Duke?” Jose asked as he stared intently at the dismounting rider.

“My brother” Zach replied, ignoring Jose’s baffled look.

A cocking sound came from behind them and Zach jerked around. J.T. held a rifle at the ready and narrowed his beady eyes at the rider.

“Oh, put that down, J.T. This is my brother, Duke Gage. I sent for him to come help us.” Zach explained as Duke neared.

Jose’s eyes widened and J.T. looked forlorn, but neither of them spoke a word as Zach’s famed gunslinger of a brother approached.

**********

Toni didn’t know what upset her most, the fact that Ben couldn’t take his eyes off of her cousin or the way that Erik was studying her. He hadn’t paid attention to what anyone had said for the past ten minutes at least.

Evidently, neither had she. “Boss, are you listening to me?” Tiny’s voice broke through her thoughts.

Tiny jerked her head up and looked at the cowboy. “What?”

“I said that I would watch the herd tonight if you wanted me to” Tiny said.

“I’ll watch the herd, you boys need your sleep” Toni said.

“I really don’t mind, Boss” Tiny said.

Toni eyed him. “Has that chicken been giving you fits again?”

Ben snickered and Erik smiled.

Tiny cut his eyes at both of them. “The chicken is fine. I was only offerin’ to be polite. Don’t reckon a woman should have to stay up all night when there are men more than able to do it.”

Toni stared at Tiny and resisted the urge to chew him out. The man knew better than to compare her to a man.

Instead, she stood and began gathering dishes. “Erik, you can do the honors tonight.”