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Chapter 10: Stetson

So, he was kinda an asshole.

He knew it, and wasn't surprised by it. He owned that title and ran with it...most of the time.

He'd intentionally taken his coffee outside that morning, ostensibly to enjoy the patter of rain on the covered porch and look out over his family's farm, but in reality, because he wanted to see if the thief really would show up on time. He wanted to rub it in her face when she didn't.

And even though she had been late, when she'd stepped out of her car and right into that giant puddle, he'd been entertained instead of pissed. He should've been mad that she was wasting time – not treating his case with the respect that it deserved. Instead...

Well, it was hard to be mad at a drowned rat, and especially a drowned rat in a very nice skirt.

Muttering curses he didn't dare say within Carmelita's hearing, Stetson headed to the barn. The hired hands had vaccinated the calves yesterday under the direction of Christian, everyone was fed, and with this rain pouring down, it wasn't a terrific day to be outside anyway. He needed to replace that section of fence out in the triangle pasture before some cow figured out that she could push her way through, but...

Not today.

He found himself in front of Grandpa's tractor, staring at it contemplatively. If he just did a full tune-up and replaced the valve cover gaskets, he could probably have it running by the end of the day. He looked at the tires, worn and beat up, but still holding together. They could probably stand to be replaced, but who had money to spend on nostalgia? He'd make do with the old tires for a while. See what happened with this audit, then decide.

The audit...

Stetson wrenched at a bolt a little too hard, the screech of abused, rusty metal giving way echoing in the barn's rafters, but he couldn't make himself care. No matter how cute the thief was and how adorable she looked, her soaked hair hanging in her eyes, she was still the enemy, and he would do well to remember that.

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