The next day, Travis walked into the barn. His eyes adjusted to the darkened interior, and he saw Clinton, mucking out the st
alls. He owed the kid an apology.
He had been too rough on him.
He walked up and leaned against the stall, watching the younger man. Clinton was a good kid, a hard worker, and was always polite and ready to pitch in a hand and please. He deserved better than what Travis had dished out to him.
Before he could think of the words to say, Clinton looked up and asked, "What's up, Boss?"
Travis cleared his throat. Apologies never came easy for him. "I shouldn't have jumped your ass the other day. I know you were only trying to help Selena." He paused. "I'm sorry."
Clinton grinned. "You're what?"
Travis let out a small laugh. "Don't push your luck, kid."
"Never, Boss. Okay, no harm done. Hey, I can understand why you're so testy about her. She's enough to make a saint become a sinner." Clinton continued to shovel the muck.
Travis flared up at his words. "You need to back off from her. She's too innocent to mess around with. You're used to the whores in Laredo. Selena's a lady, through and through."
"Hell, I know that. Any fool can tell she's marriage material. Shit, one of us ought to marry her. Just the food alone would be worth it. But Christ, can you imagine--"
Travis interrupted him with a low growl. "Don't even say it, boy. Don't even think it.
She's not the girl for you."
Clinton stood his ground. "I don't know why the hell not, if you don't want to marry her. I don't want to be alone forever, and there aren't any women in this godforsaken part of South Texas. You either need to claim her or--"
"Consider her claimed. I don't know about marriage, but take this as a warning. If you value your job here, you need to step back. She's mine, got it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. This subject is closed. Don't make me bring it up again." Travis turned and walked out of the barn.
****
After the scene in the kitchen, Selena realized the volatile situation she was in.
Travis had told her before about a man wanting and not getting. She needed to stay away from him. It wasn't as easy to do as she would have liked. He was always there, in the background, those dark eyes watching her.
The next few days, she prepared his food and did her best to avoid him. She didn't eat with him, claiming she had already eaten or wasn't hungry. He grumbled about that, but she did her utmost to ignore him and do the best job she could while staying virtually hidden from him.
She stayed busy by baking large quantities of desserts for the cowboys and researching her grandparents on the internet. She wasn't getting very far on the last endeavor. Taylor wasn't a very distinctive last name, and she didn't have much else to go on.
But for now, she was comfortable on the ranch, even though she was avoiding Travis like the plague.
That came to a cataclysmic end one day at noon when he came into the house for his lunch. She heard the back door open, and she decided to slip out to the front swing. She opened the front door and stepped out. She hadn't taken one step when she let out an ear piercing scream.
Travis ran straight through the house at the shrill shriek and came to a sudden halt as Selena turned and stood panting with her back against the door.
Her chest was heaving, and her body was shaking so hard she couldn't control it.
Her eyes were wide, and her face washed of all color.
"What's wrong?" Travis stood watching her gulping in oxygen.
" Ser--serpiente." Selena said the word and began to hyperventilate.
Travis saw the fear on her face and that was all the translation he needed. "You saw the old snake that lives under the house?"