“Now hold on,” Rex said, finally finding his voice. “Tom there’s a good hand, and we’re short handed as it is…”

“Then maybe you should have kept him under control,” Anna said. “I won’t tolerate cussing and I won’t tolerate shots and you ought to know that.”

Rex looked stunned. All the hands did. There was a silence during which Anna felt very much at a disadvantage.

“Apologize to the lady,” Rex finally said. “And we’ll get on with the drenching.”

“No,” Anna insisted. “It’s too late for apologies. Take your bad attitude and get off my property. Now.”

The ranch hand’s expression went from incredulous to sullen. “Fine,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to work for a bitch anyways.”

Anna’s free hand balled into a fist. She’d never been much of a fighter, but the ranch hand was testing her patience. She knew damn well he’d never talk that way to her if she were a man. She knew damn well too that the other ranch hands would have set him straight if they’d been loyal to her. It was no fun being captain of a mutinous crew, especially without a loyal second in command.

“See him off the property, then come and see me, Rex.” She turned and stormed off. She was back at the house before she realized she still had the offending cattle prod in hand. Good, she thought to herself, that would teach the arrogant ass not to mess with her.

Pacing her father’s office, she had still not calmed down when Rex made an appearance. He seemed amused, like her little display had been a joke, not something to take seriously.

“What seems to be the problem, little lady?” His patronizing tone was enough to make her want to slap the mustache right off his face.

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped. “Sun Ranch is my home. It’s my business too.”

Rex puffed out his cheeks for a moment, then let out his breath. “I don’t reckon anybody is arguing that.”

“No, but there’s a lack of respect. That ranch hand, Tom, why did he think he could speak to me that way?”

Further acting out his complete confusion, Rex rocked back on his heels and shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you.”

“I think you could. I think you’ve been letting them get away with things. I think standards have been slipping.”

“Is that what your lady friend told you?”

“I don’t need Tamsan to tell me there is something wrong. We used to handle cattle with patience, not prods.”

“Times are changing,” Rex tried to explain. “We have to handle more cattle and we have to do it quicker. Prices are down. The market is soft.”

“We’re not going to take that out on the cattle.”

“We don’t have the money to pay for two days worth of work when it could only take one.”

“And we’re not in the business of stressing stock,” Anna said, ignoring his excuses. “That’s how cattle get hurt and its how people get hurt.”

“Well gee,” Rex said, his temper flaring with sarcasm. “I had no idea. Tell me, you know how to suck eggs? Maybe you could teach me that too?”

“Rex…”

“I’ve had just about enough of this,” he growled. “I’ve been running this place since your daddy died and you ain’t been one bit of help. Now you’re firing my hands and telling me how to do my job. If that’s how things are going to be around here, well I reckon it’s time I moved on.”

Anna’s temper sparked. “Well if that’s how you feel, then I guess you gotta follow your gut.”

The man looked shocked for a second. Anna realized he must have been expecting her to beg him to stay. He expected her to be so scared of working all alone that she’d put up with anything, including abuse from the hands, and insubordination from him.

“I’ll see you’re paid out to the end of the week,” she said. “Please leave the premises immediately.”

“I’ve worked here for over twenty years…”

“And you just told me you wanted to move on. I agree it’s time for a few changes around here.”

“Changes? Like cuddling the cattle? Letting them wander in and out as they please?”

“Maybe we’ll get out of the cattle business and grow organic kale,” Anna said. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“You’ll run this place into the ground, that’s what you’ll do,” Rex said, mustache puffed up like an angry cat as he leaned forward, looming over her. “I’m glad your daddy isn’t here to see…”

“Get out,” Anna said, snarling. “Get the hell out.”

Rex slapped his hat against his thigh, then put it on his head. “It’s a sad day for the ranch, being taken over by the lezzy freak kid of a decent man. He deserved better than you.”

“If you don’t get out this second, I’ll…”

“You ain’t going to do nothing,” Rex said. “You ain’t got the balls. More’s the pity, if your daddy had…”

It was the third time he’d mentioned her father, and that was three times too many. Anna found her hand reaching for the confiscated cattle prod. Gripping the trigger, she jabbed it into his thigh and gave him a taste of the medicine he’d been happy to see inflicted on the cows. The prod zapped loudly. Rex gave a shout of pain and backed away, grabbing his leg with both hands.

“You crazy little witch!” He narrowly managed to avoid swearing at her, much to his credit.

“I’m going to get a whole lot crazier if you don’t get your shit and get off my property in five minutes.” Anna waved the prod at him. “I’ve had enough, you hear me? I’ve had enough!”