"You don't have to like it. You just have to pay them." Garrett grunted, sipped his coffee, and stared into the flames. "You know what's going to happen when word gets out I hired women, don't you?" "People will talk."
"People will laugh. And then they'll stop hiring me because they think I've gone soft." "Then don't tell them." "Hard to hide three women on a cattle drive, Mercer." Cole shrugged.
"Let them laugh. Long as the cattle get where they're going, what do you care?" Garrett didn't answer. He stood, tossed the rest of his coffee into the fire, and walked off into the darkness. Cole watched him go, then turned his attention back to the women who were sitting together on the far side of camp, talking quietly. They'd done it.
One week, no complaints, no failures. And now they'd proven Garrett wrong, proven Briggs wrong, proven everyone wrong. Cole should have felt satisfied. Instead, he felt uneasy. Because proving people wrong meant they'd stay.
Meant the debt would keep stretching week after week until Cole couldn't remember what it felt like to ride alone. And the worst part? He wasn't sure he minded anymore. The drive lasted six weeks, and by the end of it, Cole had almost forgotten what it felt like to sleep in a bed that didn't move.
They delivered the herd to a ranch outside Fort Dalton without losing more than a dozen head, and Garrett paid them in full. He even threw in a bonus for the women, though he grumbled the entire time. "Don't expect this to become a habit," Garrett said, counting out coins into Kaya's palm. "Wouldn't dream of it," she replied. Cole watched the exchange from where he leaned against a fence post, arms crossed, hat pulled low against the sun.
The women had earned their pay and then some. They'd worked harder than half the men on the crew, complained less, and handled every insult Briggs and his friends had thrown at them with a mix of sharp wit and cold silence that left the men looking like fools. Garrett finished paying out and turned to Cole. "You looking for more work?" "Maybe. Depends on what it is."
"Got a friend who runs a freight operation out of Coldwater Springs. Always needs guards for the wagon trains. Pays decent, and it's safer than driving cattle." "Safer how?" "Bandits mostly leave freight alone if you've got enough guns. Mostly."
Cole considered it. "I'll think about it." Garrett nodded, shook his hand, and walked off toward the ranch house. The rest of the crew was already scattering, some heading into town to drink away their wages, others mounting up to ride for the next job. Within an hour, the camp was empty except for Cole and the three women.
Lyra stretched, groaning as her spine popped. "I'm never sitting on a horse again." "You'll be back in the saddle tomorrow," Sani said. "Tomorrow I'm sleeping for three days straight." Kaya looked at Cole.
"What about Garrett's offer? Freight guard work?" "It's an option." "You don't sound excited." "I'm never excited."
Cole pushed off the fence post and started gathering his gear. "But it's steady pay, and steady's better than starving." "Then we're going?" Lyra asked. Cole stopped and turned to face them.