ago, we went to work every day wearing Armani suits, carrying double espresso lattes with an extra shot of chocolate and a dash of cinnamon, worked in air-conditioned comfort, hunkered down in plush wheelie-chairs, juggling appointments with clients and business partners - folks we barely knew, and often didn't even like. And all the while the sun shone down on Manhattan through an almost constant haze of smog."
Chase nodded. Brian had painted a fairly accurate picture of how it had been for them. Chase said, "Thank God we got our sorry asses out of that hellhole."
"Amen, brother. Amen."
Chase turned his attention from the view at large to his more immediate concern - the fence line.
"It's taken us a good three weeks, but that bitch is nearly done. I'll tell you, I'm beginning to wonder about Uncle Jonathan," he said quietly.
"Because he told us we needed to see to all the fences before we even considered getting cattle, or any more horses?"
Chase nodded. "Cattle, horses - breeding stock, that is - or even so much as a dog, is how I believe he put it. I think he was giving us the gears, just a little." Chase didn't often have to explain himself to his twin, but their twin-dar communication was neither absolute nor perfect.
"You mean, sort of along the same vein that saw Matt come out, all serious-like, to warn us about the high occurrence of cattle rustling in this part of the state?" Brian pulled his horse up equal with Chase's.
"Yeah. I get the feeling that there are some members of our family who don't seem to have much faith in our ability to cut it as cowboys."
"Actually," Brian said, "there are quite a few of them, in case you hadn't noticed."
"Well at least Steven's on our side. That's gotta count for something, as he runs the primary Benedict Ranch."
"He is, but mostly because he took exception to those comments Rick made at the Docs' party when we first told everyone what we wanted to do."
Chase grinned. "Biggest brother did piss our cousin off, didn't he? But regardless of why, that's one on our side."
"Point taken," Brian agreed.
"And Jake and Adam, even though they've left and are on their honeymoon, they're on our side. Grandma Kate, too." Chase chuckled. "Actually, Grandma believing in us and going to bat for us with the Town Trust more than balances out all the rest of the ones who don't." He turned and met Brian's gaze. "Of course the only ones that really matter are you and me. And you know what? I don't care if Uncle Jon does want to make us jump through a few hoops, just to test our mettle."
"Me, neither." Brian slapped him on the back. "We'll just shut up, quit our bitchin', and get 'er done."
"My thoughts exactly," Chase said.
"I'll tell you what, though. What with all this introspection that being here and doing what we're doing has brought on for the both of us, I'm not going to make the mistake of thinking that Carrie is Sarah."
"Oh, I don't know." Chase took a moment to adjust the reins in his hand. "The similarities are there." They hadn't spent a great deal of time talking about Miss Carrie Rhodes. They'd taken one look at her, and known she was the one for them. But he'd been watching her and puzzling her, and he'd come to one conclusion. "I think someone's gunning for her - metaphorically, at least, if not literally."
"Yeah, I've caught that vibe, too." Brian shrugged. "It's like she responds to our flirting, but then she remembers something, and pulls back."
"There's heat there, and a strong attraction. But, yeah, something stops her from responding to us." Chase didn't know what her problem could be. He had caught her wearing an anxious look, and checking over her shoulder from time to time.
About the only thing Chase could be certain of was that she wasn't in trouble with the law. Jake had a file on her, and the fact that Kelsey went ahead and hired her said there were no red flags of that kind in her background.
After his sister Julia's kidnapping, the decision had been made to ensure that new folks coming to town wouldn't be a threat to the families. The Town Trust had commissioned Jake to do what was necessary to ensure the protection of its citizenry, but also to guard the privacy of everyone, even the newcomers.
If he and his brother wanted to find out