Chapter 5

"You hired a killer in my ranch?!" Mark yelled at Scott as he shaved off his growing moustache in his bathroom. Scott washed his face with running water and turned to face his son, who was shirtless and glaring at him like an old woman.

"Put on a shirt, you need to exercise or something." Scott lightly patted Mark's back as he walked out of the bathroom. "And it's not your ranch."

"It will be, you know, when you—" Mark shrugged and dodged the crumbled piece of paper Scott threw at him.

"I was going to say, really old and retired." Mark said quickly.

"Yeah, if you can at least pass your math classes." Scott applied the aftershave cream on his desk.

"Okay, now you're just changing the subject. About this killer." Mark folded his arms.

"Right, who I hire is none of your concern, she hasn't showed any violent tendencies so far." Scott explained. "No complaints from the other workers."

"It's only a matter of time till something bad happens to me." Mark says.

Scott rolled his eyes. "Go do your homework or whatever it is you do in that room of yours."

Mark looked uncomfortable. "You suck." Then left his room.

Scott laid on his bed and turned of his lamp light by his bedside desk. Was he doing the right thing by keeping Harper? He remembered when Easton approached him.

"You don't understand how I feel about that woman here!" Easton had yelled at him in his office.

"No I don't, this is a work environment and I don,'t think you would even see her often." Scott told him.

"She killed my sister and you expect me to be professional with her, I respect you Scott, but this is where the line draws, either she gets fired or I leave." Easton barked.

"You wanna leave then go, she's only working part time then skipping town, she served jail time—"

"Still not justice Scott, you don't know how it feels to bury your little sister, she was my anchor, my joy. I don't know if I can work with her." Easton's voice betrayed him.

Scott knew Easton was a valuable worker and now it feels like a ticking bomb with Chloe Harper around. Easton agreed to stay after an hour of talks. Chloe would just have to get out of the way.

                      *         *        *

I couldn't quite figure out Scott's schedule, He was here and there then in his office or taking the cattle out to pasture. Wendy however, was over him. I had heard one of the workers say, it was only a matter of time before they get hitched. How horrifying, a stubborn cowboy and the cook in love? I only felt bad for the kid, sort of.

Easton proved to be a problem. Why did I feel so guilty whenever she saw him? I never killed Joan, the judge, jury and everyone never believed me, there was no point in speaking to him about it.

I took up a cup of coffee to his office and knocked.

"Come in." I heard him say.

"And how's everyone's favorite boss doing this fine afternoon?" She drawled.

"Harper—"

"Carter." I corrected. "I'm seriously gonna need to change my last name."

He leaned back on his chair with a bored look. "What do you want?"

"Just dropped by with this." I dropped the mug on his desk, nearly spilling it over.

"You brought me coffee?"

"Sure, courtesy of the canteen."

"Well, I don't drink coffee by noon, and there is no way in hell I'm drinking anything you made." He pushed the mug aside.

"You need to work on trust issues." I tell him.

"Not really, you expect me to just drink whatever I'm offered in this ranch? I'd be dead before the harvest comes." He said.

"Look, I'll go first." I take a sip. It tastes awful. "See? Now we can both die if I did poison this."

"Get out." He says.

Stubborn as ever. "More for me."

I leave his office, how does Wendy do it anyway? I'm wondering why my coffee tastes bad till I almost bump into Easton Humphrey.

"Whoa there, better watch where you're going champ." He says.

"And you better watch yours, you almost spilled my coffee." I drink coffee again.

"What were you doing in there?" He gestured to Scott's office.

"Just sharing some ideas with boss man, he gave me this free coffee which I think is great." I smile.

"Boss gave you coffee, must be a cold day in hell." He smirks.

"It is, isn't it?" I say. "Want some?"

"No thanks, but get back to work, don't want Wendy to think you're slacking off again right?" He asks.

"I think that's already been established." I shrugged.

"I can see that, I gotta go." He said and strolls off.

It's Saturday and I don't think I'll have enough cash by the time I'm out of town and nobody would hire me. Warren was really uncomfortable having me around the boys, especially when I was teaching them how to gamble with Texas Hold 'Em. Anderson's ranch had a small boarding house, but she would still need to pay for it.

"So, are you ready?" Helena asked me as I was changing the channel on the TV.

"For what?" I ask. There was nothing interesting, TV in prison wasn't really what she looked forward to.

"To meet the kids, Chloe, don't tell me you're not ready." Helena hissed.

"Why? They're pretty much fine without me and I'm not going to relive some motherly bond, haven't been a mom in years, never will." I snapped.

"What is wrong with you? You cannot just turn off that feeling, they still need you no matter what!" Helena retorted.

"No, never. You don't get to tell me what to do." I stand to leave.

"I have to tell you because I'm your only friend." Helena stands.

"I've got other pals, who are smart enough to respect my decisions you know what? I think I'll just get put of here, don't wanna 'influence' the kids." I dart for my room.

"Chloe, I didn't mean that, you cannot solve problems with irrational decisions." Helena told me as I stash a few clothes she lent me in a backpack.

"I gotta go, thanks for the clothes and getting my stuff back, but I can't live with you anymore." I say sincerely.

Helena looks at me with disbelief.