My Knight

Prologue

"Do you want some trail cameras put up?"

"I want our asses covered, use some of that spiffy training you got." He calls out to me, walking away his spurs jingle, a slight limp to his gait from his recent hip injury. The man is as stubborn as an ox. Shaking my head I turn back to conditioning the saddle, wanting to get this over with. With this project almost finished up I can move onto another menial task. With my doctors deciding that I'm not 'fit' for work yet, my father has refused me the ability to actually plant my ass in a saddle. Of course their orders don't actually make me listen to them.

I have kept myself from the saddle with a lot of restraint. Snorting I stand grabbing the saddle with one hand, and rags with the others. Walking into the tack room I chuck my saddle up on it's rack, tossing the rags in the bin. Stepping out of the tack room I grabbed the water logged page, I wasn't gonna read their proposition anyways. The same offer, except they change a few numbers. No matter how many times we've told them to go take a piss elsewhere. Tossing the paper in the fire barrel, I drop my shades onto my eyes.

My phone rings, making me pull out the stupid device, answering it without glancing at the caller ID. Let's face it, if you have my number than you better have a reason for it. "Yeah?"

"Baby, are you out at the ranch?" I chuckle hearing that voice come over the line, my fiance, never thought that I'd be saying that. Kevin Marshall, one of the few men that I grew up with that saw me as something more than just one of the guys.

"Where the hell else would I be? What's going on?" Walking up to the fence I watch as one of our new ranch hands is put to work breaking a bucking horse. This is always entertaining no matter what ass is in the saddle.

"Nothing, I just thought that it would be nice to come out and see you. Besides we got to get some things set up for the rehearsal dinner." Resting my arms on the top rung I rest my left foot on the bottom one.

"What do we need to get figured out for the rehearsal dinner? Aren't we just supposed to eat?" I watch as the bay stallion commences to kicking up a storm. The ranch hand needs to learn his seat quick, they tend to not like the methods my father will pull out.

"Well that, but we also have to figure out placement and table setting. Who we want where, make sure no fights start." He sighs, I still don't understand why he wants so many people to come. All I wanted was an outdoor wedding with family and friends, not half of the town.

"I did say I only wanted friends and family, you wanted all the extra heads to be coming." I shrug, in my mind this is his bitch to rein in. I want no part in playing babysitter on the day I walk down the aisle. Some days I wonder who plays the girl in our relationship.

"Baby, I have a big name in town. Everyone wants to come see who is lucky enough to tie me down." I snorted hearing that cocky ass statement.

"Honey, your head's getting too big for your neck. Sooner or later your gonna start looking like one of those stupid bobbleheads." Hearing a choked up laugh, I shake my head. Kevin has a massive ego. I don't think he'll ever grow into the damn thing.

"Oh please like you've never gotten full of yourself."

"I ain't saying that I've never worn britches too big for my ass. Trust me, I have the scars to prove it, you on the other hand need to get dumped in the dirt some, rough you up." I chuckle thinking about it. Kevin has turned into a pretty boy, almost too pretty for my taste. Then again anyone who can put up with me is a dime a dozen.

"I've been roughed up plenty thank you! I'm not as rough as you are baby. I leave that for you to do, I know you do it better." I shake my head listening as he attempts to butter me up. I steer the conversation back to the main reason he called.

"When's this rehearsal dinner? I have to make sure the ranch hands are all perty."

"You are inviting the help?" Scowling at that, I rolled my eyes, Kevin once was the help.

"Yes, I'm inviting the help. Without them the ranch wouldn't be what it is. They've earned a fancy dinner. I don't know if you've forgotten you started here. It'll do you some good to remember it quick." Not having the patience I hang up on him. Everytime Kevin takes a dig at the ranch hands I want to shake him. Yeah they are a little rough around the edges, but hell so am I. They are family, more so than he is at this point. Growling, I push off the fence not bearing to watch the newbie get his ass chucked once more.

My phone rings, forcing me to pull it out and glance at it, seeing Kevin's name. Rolling my eyes I shut off my phone, if he wants to argue then his ass can come and find me. Walking up the steps of the barn towards my office. I might as well get a head start on a security detail for the ranch. Pulling my keys I make it to my door unlocking it, before pushing it open. The old cow bell I have hanging on the door rings it's greeting. The damn thing belonging to the first calf I helped birth, shaking my head I remember I wouldn't let my Papa do nothing to her, she was a fine bessy. Tore me to bits when we had to put her down, Papa let me keep that one cow. He made sure to make me understand that getting too attached only hurt more in the end.

Don't need the extra heartache that comes along with this job, animal's come and go, it ain't easy watching them go. Sighing I flick the lights on, closing the door as I turn the fan, sweat already rolling down the center of my back. Pulling off my light blue flannel I drop it on the extra chair that sits in front of my desk. Pulling out my bandana I wipe away the sweat on my brow. My eyes drop down to my right hand, flexing my fingers. I stare at the USMC tattooed on the knuckles. The artist who did it chuckled when I explained I wanted whoever I was hitting to know that I ain't the typical broad they can step to.

Tucking the dirty bandana back into my pocket I settle in my seat, booting up my computer as I push the clutter into neater piles on my desk. One part that pisses me off is that people tend to just drop shit on top. I know that I run a lot of the paper bullshit, but I don't need every document sitting there waiting on my slow ass to get into gear. Stacking the pages into piles that I can work through sometime later. I have to pull out a large map of our ranch, the fencing and borders are already marked out.

I know this land like the back of my hand, every entrance, tactical advantages and disadvantages. I've walked every acre of this ranch, hell we've run some ops out here. Marking each area that could use some added care. It'll be a long process to get everything up and set ourselves up on a schedule for maintenance.