Out of all the hired hands, Daryl Conrad was the only one that Kara knew and liked. The man had always been at Howe Ranch. He was older than Nicholas had been but in far better physical health.
“Out.” Nick made a sound close to a growl. She’d never heard anything like it from him before.
“Yeah, you heard that, nigger, you’d better—” Willy started, but Nick stood up quickly and went nose to nose with his cousin.
“I said, get out,” Nick said in a low tone. “If you ever talk to anyone on this property like that again…”
Nick’s fists clenched, and she swore she saw Willy wince.
“You’ll what?” Wilbert walked into the room.
Nick didn’t even spare the older man a glance. “Daryl, would you like to press charges?” Nick asked.
“No.” Daryl stood up and took Nick’s shoulders. “We all know it wouldn’t do any good.”
Nick turned to Wilbert finally. “Get your son out of here. When you come back to talk business, leave him at home. Where he belongs.” Nick turned back to Daryl and ran his eyes over the man’s face. “Maybe Kara can help you clean up?” he asked, and she rushed forward to take Daryl’s arm.
“Come on,” she said, pulling the older man along with her.
“Out,” Nick said firmly again, this time to the crowd watching the show. “Everyone. The party’s over.” He motioned towards the front of the house while she and Daryl walked into a bathroom.
For the next few minutes, she helped the older man clean up his bloody lip. They could hear the sounds of the entire town leaving Nick’s house.
“I didn’t do nothing to provoke that kid,” Daryl said with a sigh. “That one’s just… off.”
“Yeah, he is,” Kara agreed as she wiped the man’s bloody lip.
“I can do this, myself. It’s not the first time I’ve been bloodied. Nor, I fear, the last.” Daryl smiled.
“Nick asked me to help.” She smiled up at him. “Besides, I think he wants to make sure you didn’t bump your head.”
“I didn’t.” Daryl sighed. “The kid punches like the child he is.”
Kara laughed as the house grew quiet.
“How are you holding up, old timer?” Nick asked from the doorway.
“Shadow did me worse just last week,” Daryl joked. “That horse is going to be the death of me. Mark my words.”
“You say that about every horse you break.” Nick’s smile was fast and over before she could fully enjoy the view of it. “I think there are a lot of leftovers in the kitchen. You should take some out to the boys. I’m sure they’d appreciate the pies,” Nick suggested.
Daryl stood up and rubbed his hands together. “I was just heading into the kitchen to get me a slice of that rhubarb pie anyway.”
Daryl quickly disappeared, leaving them alone in the bathroom. Kara turned and started cleaning the mess she’d made.
“You can leave that,” Nick said behind her.
She dumped the tissue into the trash and turned to him.
“I didn’t mean what I said earlier,” she blurted out. Nick’s dark eyebrows rose in question. “About the other night just being a bet.”
Nick seemed to relax slightly. “Okay.”
“I mean…” She leaned against the sink and crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t come over just because of the bet.”
Nick’s eyes moved to her mouth as she licked her lips in frustration.
“What did it mean?” he asked, moving closer to her.