Asher
It’s the day of the fair and I can’t say I’m excited in the least. The whole thing is a big deal and supposed to be a celebration of the local ranch’s successes. Really, it’s just an excuse for all of us to rub shoulders and network. Well, that and for the dick measuring contest that inevitably broke out.
The whole state of Texas is involved and as is our nature we like being the biggest and the best. Unfortunately, there could only be one king of the hill.
More often than not the three top dogs were myself, Liam, and Sam’s old man. The latter usually trails us though. Whether that was due to mine and Liam’s rivalry or maybe the old man was just too stuck in the old ways to quite meet the modern demands.
But for the rest of the attendants, things were more underhanded. People trying to get into the good graces of those outpacing them, trying to draw out their new techniques or personal formulas for their success. People trying to do everything in their power to succeed.
I can’t really blame them either. Most ranchers don’t share in our excess. They more often than not barely scrape by year after year.
That isn’t to say it’s an entirely unpleasant day out. A lot of us just took advantage of the day and brought good food and better booze. It’d become a bit of a party if you wanted it to be, but others I suppose just didn’t have the luxury.
Regardless, if you didn’t come at all you were screwing yourself. It doesn’t matter how good you are, or how smart that you think that you are, there is always someone or something you have to know or learn. Progress in any industry comes hard and fast, and when you’re at the top of the food chain like me and Liam are, it comes even faster.
Upside is that this time we both have a date. Still a bit of a shame it was the same one. Even stranger though is that the thought of Liam being there was feeling like more and more of an upside too.
I feel something with him that I’d yet to even feel with her. I felt comradery. There weren’t many people in the world who could say they knew what it felt like to be me. They don’t know the struggle of managing a growing agricultural empire. They damn sure don’t know what it’s like to reach the heights I have and still come to work and get their hands dirty.
But Liam knew. He works as hard as any man I’ve ever met. Even when I hated him, I respected that about him.
He’s the type of man who’s the first one clocking in and the last one clocking out, and while I suspected him of fucking me over at every turn, I’ve heard nothing but good things about him from those that work under him.
The thought of him being by my side draws a smile out of me. Him being there both for our girl, and maybe even me, felt like a blessing.
“What the hell are you smiling about?” an earthy baritone asks.
I turn to meet his eyes and mentally curse myself for the warmth in my cheeks.
“It’s nothing.”
Liam looks at me like he could’ve smelled the bullshit from a mile off. He just hands a box to me with a chuckle.
I take it from him.
“What’s this?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow
“Something to make today a bit more fun.” He says with a cocky smile, that looks rather handsome on him.
What the fuck? I’ve never thought another man handsome before in my life. What has that damned woman done to me?
I guess it didn’t really matter though. It’s not like I was any less happy than before. In fact, I feel pretty confident saying this was the happiest I’ve been in a long while.
Still, I’m very curious to what the contents of this box are exactly. It’s not much bigger than a new phone case and it barely weighed more than a pound.
The box is black and blank for the most part, but Liam’s face tells me it’s got to be good. I pop it open and when I notice the rubber tadpole looking thing and remote, I shared his expression. This was going to be a really fun day.
We both speed walk to where Samantha’s getting dressed, evil smiles plastered on our face.
She turns around and makes a cute little chirping sound when she jumps.
“Jesus Christ, were you raised in a barn? You’re supposed to fucking knock,” she says in between gasps of air.
Liam raises his hand.
“As a matter of fact, I believe he was.”
“Yeah, and the door was open. No assumption of privacy.”