Jake twisted the wire around the screw head and cut it with a snap of the wire cutters. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he squinted into the sun, looking down the field toward the big house, and cussed under his breath. Where the hell was Tor? The bastard was supposed to be helping fix the fencing in the back field. They had to move fifty head of cattle in here in the next day or so, and the storm last week had snapped wire all over the place. Jake cursed again, not seeing any sign of anyone, much less Tor, coming to lend a hand. He put the tools in the back of the truck and moved on to the next break.
Jake was just finishing up the south end of the field when he heard hooves coming up, nice and steady. He stood and leaned back on the fence post, watching Tor ride up. Damn, but he looked good on horseback. Jake hated that Tor looked good at any time. Sure, the man was a good hand to have around, but the most arrogant son of a bitch Jake had been cursed with in a long time, and no matter how dark his hair, or how strong his back, Jake wasn't about to put up with the shit Tor could bring with him just by entering a room. Besides, the man was just begging for a fight. Jake wasn't about to let him have it.
Tor swung down from the saddle and patted the horse hard on the flank, murmuring softly to the animal before taking his sweet time sauntering over to the fence.
"How's the work going?" Tor asked, checking out the latest fix.
"Slow. Could have used a hand about three hours ago. Still have the east side to do." Jake moved to the truck and got a water bottle, drinking deeply. "Where the hell were you?"
Tor grinned at him and slapped his thigh, raising dust from the denim. "Missy wanted me, now didn't she?"
Jake rolled his eyes. Of course. Missy. Barely eighteen and trouble in boots. Thought she was queen of the damn world, prancing about in tight jeans and tiny shirts, teasing the hired hands and torturing the young lads with a hell of a lot of 'look, but don't touch'. Figured she'd go for Tor. Thirty--three, dark and strong, not a kid by any means. Sure she would find something for him to do.
Jake snorted. "Watch yourself, Tor. Boss finds out you're messing with the Princess you'll find yourself out of work and less your balls."
Tor stared at him and laughed. "Christ, Taggart, what kind of fool do you take me for? No way in hell I'd play with that little girl. I was helping her break her filly. Boss was there, even." He smirked, then said, "You know what she named that horse of hers? Pegasus. Pegasus, for Christ's sake. Calls her 'Peggy'. What the hell is it with that family and names? You know what 'Missy' is short for?"
Jake grinned and nodded slowly. Together they said, "Mississippi," and started laughing.
When they finished laughing at the name the Boss had seen fit to curse his vixen daughter with, they moved on to the next piece of fence and started working.
)
