The Boss Lady's Man

{Chapter} 3

Like the new book cover?? Pound your clappers together for Miss Jo Ari!!! She requested it for me since I was too chicken to do it myself;) Thanks Jo!!!

{Chapter 3}

Erik started work at the BF Ranch that next day. Though the place was comfortable enough, he didn’t feel as easy about his new employer. The last thing he wanted was to be ordered around by a woman, let alone a woman like Toni Curtis, who thought that she was superior to any man. Erik had been tempted to tell her about the verse in the Bible that said that women were the weaker vessel, but refrained for employment purposes.

Equally disturbing was the news of the rustlers lurking around the BF Ranch and taking livestock. Erik had no idea how Toni was planning on dealing with the criminals, but it apparently didn’t involve the law.

Wade had also told Erik about Mr. Downs, who was trying to cheat Toni out of a piece of her land that she didn’t use much. Wade had said that the land was perfectly functional, but Toni still stayed as far away from that corner of her property as possible.

Something told Erik that Toni was hiding something from all of them. Something in her past that she didn’t want anyone to know. How did a woman start her own ranch anyway? The whole thing seemed a little strange.

All three hands, Rawhide, Ben, and Tiny, came to the bunkhouses the evening of Erik’s first day to meet him.

Rawhide was the oldest of the three, with salt and pepper hair and a graying goatee. He had the build of a younger man, though, telling Erik that he was spry yet.

Ben was the youngest of the bunch, with dark hair and playful green eyes that twinkled mischievously. He seemed like a kind-hearted man, but Erik knew that he should beware of him when he was in a pranking mood.

Tiny was the one who didn’t live up to his name. He was huge, with shoulders so broad that he nearly had to turn sideways to get through the bunkhouse door. He looked more like a clumsy ox than a horse wrangler, though.

Overall, Erik thought that he would like it on the BF Ranch. That is, until he met Mr. Cluck…

“He’s evil, Erik” Tiny warned Erik as he approached the chicken coop.

Erik had been sent by his boss to gather eggs on his first morning, and he couldn’t help but notice the slight smile in her eyes that didn’t reach her face.

Erik inched closer and the rooster stared at him wildly. Yellow eyes.

The rooster had the most evil, yellow eyes that he’d ever seen.

Taking one step too close, the chicken sprinted at him in that weird, wobbly run that chickens do. Erik gave the basket to Tiny and ran off toward the barn where he climbed the ladder up into the loft and watched the chicken chase Tiny around the yard.

He couldn’t help but laugh as Tiny kicked the bird, who got flung back a few feet but hit the ground running on his feet back toward Tiny.

A shot rang through the air and Erik looked to the porch where his boss held a rifle on her hip. She looked madder than a wet hen.

“What in tarnation are you doing, Tiny?” she hollered.

Tiny was glued to the spot in a stare down with the wild creature.

“Where’s Erik?” Toni asked, walking toward Tiny.

“I’m a dead man,” Erik mumbled.

“He ran off after the chicken started chasin’ us,” Tiny said.