Chapter Nine – Aspen
My usual Sundays were filled with finding ways to occupy myself around the farm—either checking inventory, cleaning storage areas, or prepping for harvest or soil rotations. But once I helped Owen sort through his things at Rory’s house, I’d driven to my favorite overlook and sat on the makeshift bench I put together when I was a teen.
I found this spot during a hike while on a field trip in middle school, and I’d been coming back ever since.
I was pretty certain I wasn’t the only one who used the jutted-out rock formation as a resting place, but it was so far off the trail that it was usually empty when I arrived.
The overturned log had weathered from the sun and rain, but it was still sturdy as ever, and as I laid back on the blanket I draped over the surface, I stared up at the cloud formations high in the bright-blue sky. All the while trying to convince myself that my truce with Owen was just that and nothing more.
I knew I was getting the better part of the deal we made. Not that I truly had time for a boyfriend, but I wasn’t a one-night stand kind of girl. I wanted to be with the person I lost my virginity to. Tryston had been the only person so far who piqued my interest. But the entire process of dating and forming a committed relationship, all for the sake of experiencing sexual intimacy, seemed like a scheme itself.
I could only hope that whatever I formed with Tryston would be long-term, but I knew it was probably unlikely. From the rumor mill, I learned he worked just as much as I did. And while that would be ideal in most situations, I wanted someone who could partner with me on the farm. Or, at a minimum, help with kids if we ever had some. And I had a feeling Tryston would find that emasculating.
Without provocation, my thoughts immediately conjured up a vision of me and Owen with a family. Just from my memory, I recalled how great he was with kids during his summers running baseball camps. I’d seen him on television enough times to know he was amazing with his young fans as well. Owen was definitely going to be one hell of a father one day, even though he’d grown up with a horrific man as his own.
“Stop thinking about him,” I murmured as I sat up. My skin was tan from working in the fields all summer, but tinges of pink spread across my legs and arms after being out in the sun today.
Sitting up, I wondered why Owen popped into my mind while I’d been daydreaming about Tryston. I chalked it up to the fact that I’d been with him for the past two days. Thankfully, I wouldn’t have to see him again until Tuesday, when he was taking me out on our first date.
I had no idea what that entailed, but he told me to dress “casual but nice.” This was his first test; otherwise, he said he’d be taking me shopping for new clothes.
And as nice as that would be, I knew it would be a waste of his money. They’d probably get one use and then sit in the back of my tiny closet.
The alarm on my phone sounded, and I knew it was the preset to remind me of my family’s Sunday dinner. I was dreading it, especially after the run-in with Alex earlier today. I’m sure, between her and my parents, the rumor of me and Owen being a thing was spreading like wildfire. Good in theory, bad in reality, because I was not the kind who enjoyed being the center of attention.
Probably because that was never my role in our family. I was in the shadows. The afterthought. The one who picked up pieces when no one was looking.
But Karma must have been on my side after helping Owen, because as I arrived back home for dinner, only a few ranch hands, plus Autumn, Colton, and Beverly, were seated around the table with my parents. Owen’s mom was quieter than usual as my mom passed around the pan of stuffed peppers. She was normally the most talkative during meals, but her eyes kept glancing over to the empty chair beside me, then casting downward.
It took me a few minutes to realize my parents and Beverly hoped Owen would be joining us for the meal. An invitation I hadn’t considered when I left his place, which was bad if we were supposed to be dating.
I tried to cover up my mistake by explaining that he was busy unpacking and speaking with his coach. Only the smallest of fibs, and thankfully, they seemed to buy it. Everyone but Autumn. I had a sneaking suspicion that Alex already spilled the beans to our eldest sister. Neither of them was a fan of Owen’s. It actually surprised me that my parents liked him so much. They always had. Growing up, they used to explain his picking on me was a way for him to tell me he liked me. I never understood that logic.
Dad and Colton were on dish duty, and I spent the evening moving around some cattle in preparation for the harvest. We didn’t raise them for milk or beef but for sustainability of the farmland. After a fall harvest of the corn, the cows were experts at clean-up duty, grazing on the leftover corn kernels and plants. It not only helped the soil but the cows as well.
As I drove the fence, keeping the cows away from the creek that ran along the back and west side of the property, I noticed a break in the wire. Aesthetically, we ran a wood fence along the parameter of the fields and property, but we kept a wire fence a few feet inside that line. It was double protection for the animals—keeping them in and predators out.
I usually took care of fixes like this in the daylight. The setting sun made it difficult to see clearly to tie the barbed wire, but it had to be done.
There was a small spool of wire in the back of the UTV, and I ran it from one post to the other, making sure it was taut. This was a smooth cord, and I’d have to clip off and tie portions to create barbs.
Carrie, the cow who loved to test my patience the most, moved toward the newly attached wire, lifted her back leg, and kicked. That asshole repeated the movement three more times—with what I’d swear was a smug grin—until the twist finally popped free.
“Dammit, Carrie! Do you want foxes or coyotes coming after you? Can you please not be a jerk today?”
The cow walked off, head held high in the air, and that’s when I saw the fencing was about to split open. And that’s also when I did the stupidest thing ever. I’d left my gloves in the truck, but that was an afterthought as lunged forward, and I grab the released barbed wire, rolling around my arm and wrist to force the fencing back together. By the time I was done and my adrenaline waned, I finally felt what I’d done to myself.
Along my arm, a deep cut was sliced into my skin. I was going to need to bandage it up as soon as possible. The blood dripped down my hand as I carried the wires to the back of the vehicle, and though I never had issues with blood before, I started feeling woozy.
“Shit,” I mumbled as my vision blurred while I tossed the bundle into the open bed of the UTV. “Freaking Carrie.” The cow meandered close by again, her white head a contrast to her brown body. It was the only way I could pick her out from the blackness closing in. It was as if the cow got some sick enjoyment out of seeing me lose it.
I stumbled over to the passenger side, where we stored a first aid kit under the seat. I rooted in the box for some of the large bandages but came up empty. What we had in stock was something that could cover nothing more than a splinter.
Thinking quickly, I wrapped my arm in gauze, ignoring how the blood immediately seeped through the white cloth. I continued wrapping until the spool ran empty, then used the medical tape to secure the top and bottom.
I bent forward and lifted my arm in the air, doing my best to decrease the blood flow to the area and restore it to my head. Closing my eyes, I tried to take my mind off the throbbing sensation.
I could hear the mooing in the background as if Carrie now felt some sort of regret for her actions, but then again, she was more likely mooing in victory. She hated whenever we moved them over to a new field, and she was the ringleader for the six of them. Whenever they were moved, the herd acted out for about two weeks before settling again. All of them, except Carrie. She had it out for me all the time, even though I was the one who fed her most days.
Opening my eyes, I sighed as my vision returned. Leaving my left arm in the air, I scooted over to the driver seat. I held onto the top of the vehicle, as I started the ignition. Knowing I’d have to patch the broken wire in the morning, I prayed nothing would breach the barrier during the night, or that Carrie would break more wires loose. It was too late in the evening to send any of the ranch hands out there. The sun had been setting when I first arrived; now, twilight gave way to a navy abyss.
The dirt path led me toward the main barn, but I turned off just before I reached the wooden structure, heading to my house instead.
I didn’t think twice about my outside lights being on, my mind solely focused on my arm and getting it cleaned up as soon as possible. Fear of a tetanus shot pumped adrenaline into my blood as I scooted out of the UTV and rushed toward my door.
Most days, it was unlocked, since we knew who was coming and going on the property. What surprised me was finding Owen sitting on my couch, reading one of my travel books.
I stood just inside the house with my arm lifted high in the air when our gazes collided. His smile fell from his face as he took me in. I could imagine how pale my skin had turned, and by the way he frowned, I was certain I didn’t look as alive as I had earlier today.
“Aspen? What happened?” he asked, rushing over to me, his hands cupping my cheeks in a way I’d have to think over later. It was almost caring. “Who did this to you?” He was staring at my arm still hovering above my head as if a tether in the sky was holding it up.
“No one,” I whispered. “Just a demonic cow and some barbed wire.”
“Fuck, should we go to the hospital? Is it bad?”
“I’m… I’m not sure, but I need to get it clean. Shit, I’m getting woozy again.”
My body started swaying, and I closed my eyes, only to feel myself lifted in the air. I could tell by the smell of the sunscreen I applied every morning that he carried me into the tight bathroom. There was barely enough room for one person, let alone two.
My bottom hit the toilet seat cover, and Owen lowered my arm to rest along the edge of the vanity. I leaned my head back against the wall, hearing the cabinets under the sink slam closed, and then a gentle hand ran through my hair.
“Stay with me, okay? Where’s your first aid kit?”
“In the upper cabinet, next to the sink.”
“Okay. I’m going to help get you cleaned up, and we’ll see if we need to go to the ER.”
I winced at that thought. The closest ER was an hour away. That was the downfall of owning a rural farm. Accidents happened, and unless it was during business hours, there usually wasn’t anyone close by to treat farmers.
He pulled his hand away, and I pouted, missing his touch.
“All right, pretty girl, let’s see what a mess this demonic cow caused, shall we?”
As he began tugging at the medical tape, I explained how the cow hated me, and his chuckle was like a numbing salve. I focused on it instead of the throbbing in my arm.
With the tape free, he held my arm up to unravel the gauze. I cracked open my eyes and immediately closed them when I noticed red painting across all the white material like I was the freaking Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.
“Damn, cricket,” he mumbled, and I felt his fingers trace around the skin. It heated under his touch, and luckily not from infection, but from my reaction to him. “This is pretty deep. I think we need to go to the ER.”
“Too far away,” I whispered. “I’ll be fine. Just put a couple of bandages on it.”
“It’s going to leave a nasty scar if I do that. Is there a farm medic I can call?”
There was, but he was out of town, expecting a grandchild at any moment.
“Not really.”
“What does that even mean, cricket? Look, I’m going to call your dad.”
“No!” I jolted and immediately regretted it. If my dad thought I couldn’t handle the farm, he’d take on my hours, which would defeat the purpose of his retirement. And Mom would throw a fit. “Please don’t. Just… wrap it up, and I’ll grab some liquid stitches at the pharmacy tomorrow.”
“Pretty sure it will be too late by then.”
Silence grew around us. The only sounds were my deep panting to keep from passing out and Owen’s steady breaths.
I heard shuffling, then I felt his hand caress the side of my head. For someone who used to torment me, he sure was attentive.
“Sit tight, cricket. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“I make no promises.” I smiled and opened my glassy eyes to watch him smile in return.
I tried my best to stay awake by listening to Owen’s soft murmurs in the other room. I wasn’t sure who he was speaking with, but he wasn’t gone long.
“All right. First, we’re going to work on stopping the bleeding, which seems to have slowed a lot. Then I’ll start cleaning it, okay?”
“Yeah,” I replied, licking my lips nervously. “I’m usually not so bad with blood. Guess it’s different when it’s my own.”
Chuckling, he confessed he was the same way. “You were smart to keep it above your heart. I think we’ll get this stopped quickly. I’m going to wrap it up again and apply some pressure. Do you want something to hold on to while I do that?”
“Your balls,” I joked through gritted teeth as he wrapped clean gauze around my arm.
I felt every tug and pinch as he tightened it around the wound, doing his best to stop the bleeding.
“I’m such a wimp,” I whimpered.
“You’re perfect, cricket. Now, tell me something about you no one knows.”
“We already did this. I told you I wanted to travel.”
“No. Something personal. Something that no one would ever guess about you.”
I opened my eyes again to find Owen’s gaze pinned on my face. His eyes were filled with concern and care… and something else I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
There weren’t many secrets I kept close to my chest. If anything, Jenna knew every deep and sordid detail of my mind. She knew I was only a virgin because the one guy I dated in my early twenties turned out to be a douchebag with another girlfriend on the side. Even though I was conservative in my thoughts that I wanted to wait until marriage. But my outlook was thinning on that aspect. I would probably remain a virgin forever.
That was a secret I could tell Owen, but I hesitated. Instead, I spilled something that only my mom knew.
“You were the reason I went to our senior prom.”
Owen’s grip loosened, only slightly, but enough for me to feel the blood rush back to my arm. He quickly adjusted his hold and regained the tension.
“But I—”
“You didn’t go, even though I heard Tessa waited for you before she came alone. She started the rumor that you showed up at her house drunk.”
“Yeah, I remember hearing about that from my coach. I wasn’t. I mean….”
“I know. It didn’t sound like something you’d do.”
Owen glanced down, focusing on my arm while I focused on him. His hair had lightened a bit since he was in high school. I attributed it to the California sun and all his time spent in it. There were blond streaks mixed in with the dark-brown. For a moment, I wondered if he had it done professionally.
“You really went to prom because of me?”
“I mean… I didn’t have a date or anything. I wore my sister Autumn’s pink slip dress. But I thought…. I don’t know. I just wanted to see you in a tux, to be honest.” I followed the confession with a giggle and felt relieved when Owen smiled along. It was his eyes that told me it was only for my benefit though.
Just when I thought he would say more, there was a knock on my door. Owen stood up immediately with a look of relief.
“I’ll be right back.”
There were two voices mixed with his, and just as I mustered the energy to look over at my door, I found three sets of eyes staring at me.
“Oh dear,” Beverly said as she moved into the room. There was a young man with her, who I recognized from the doctor’s office in town.
Owen moved into the space, his body seeming to fill every crevice once he stepped inside. I felt his leg press against my body as I continued sitting on top of the toilet seat. Embarrassment overwhelmed me, and I ducked my head.
“What happened?” Beverly’s gentle fingers pried the layers of gauze from around the wound, hissing when she saw the slice through my skin.
“Long story short, the demonic cow and the barbed wire won this round. I’ll have my vengeance… eventually.”
She nodded, then gesture for her sidekick to hand her a small bag. “I’m going to clean wound and surrounding skin with some saline and antibacterial ointment before I stitch you up.”
Out of instinct, I jerked my arm back.
“Careful, dear girl. I was a nurse in my past life. Kevin was able to get these supplies over to help. Thank goodness Owen called me.”
She pulled out a squirt bottle and cleansed my arm before wiping something on my skin. When she pulled out a syringe, I nearly passed out, but Owen crouched next to me and grabbed my free hand. I turned my face toward him, distracted. I never even felt the pinch.
“That was to numb you. Now, I’ll stitch you up. I’ve had a lot of practice doing this,” she said solemnly, and I wondered how often she had to stitch up her own wounds… or her son’s.
“Thank you,” I whispered to Owen, whose eyes were still filled with worry. His hand shook in mine. I wondered if he was reliving moments of his childhood by watching my arm getting stitched up.
“You doing okay?” Beverly asked. “I’ve only got a few sutures left.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I squeaked, feeling the tug on my skin. It wasn’t painful, but the sensation wasn’t completely absent.
Owen pressed his head against mine and whispered, “You’re doing great.”
My body heated at the compliment, and I felt my cheeks burn.
“All done. I brought some fresh bandages. Take some pain meds and get some rest. Okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“When was your last tetanus shot? You may need to get one tomorrow.”
“I had a booster last year.”
“Oh, good. You should be covered then. Let’s not wrestle with barbed wire anymore, shall we?”
Chuckling, I leaned my upper body against Owen’s hip, my energy already drained.
“Get some sleep,” she said, and then I was abruptly lifted in the air and deposited on my couch. “Thank you for calling me, Owen,” I heard her tell her son.
“Well, I figured if anyone could stitch her up, it would be you.”
Even I felt the subtle dig, but Beverly replied gracefully, which surprised me. “Years of practice.” She leaned over me. “Make sure to get extra rest and be careful with that arm over the next few days. It will be sore.”
“Okay.” My response was garbled.
I felt the couch shift, then heard Owen’s deep voice off in the distance. He was likely saying goodbye to his mother. Opening my eyes, I examined the dressing on my wound, wondering how I could have done something so stupid. I’d been rewiring the fences since I learned to use the metal cutting sheers when I was ten. It was a stupid mistake I made, and now I was injured because of it.
Owen closed my front door and then sat beside me. The couch cushion dipped dramatically under his weight.
“Thank you, Owen.”
I leaned toward him, resting my head on his shoulder.
“You’re welcome, cricket. I was worried you’d go nuts once you realized I called my mom.”
“You did the right thing. I’m sure she appreciated it too.”
“Probably.”
We stared at the black screen of the television. The only sound in the living room came from the large clock on my wall that ticked quietly with each passing second.
“You know, you never told me why you were at my house in the first place.” I stifled a yawn, using the back of my good hand to cover my mouth.
“You’re exhausted. How about I help you get to bed, and we can talk about it tomorrow?”
Yawning again, I agreed.
He argued to carry me up the loft stairs, but I protested enough he let me go on my own. By the time I reached the landing, I was woozy again and even more tired than before. It took me twice as long to remove my clothes, since I had a numb hand and arm.
Owen called up to me twice to make sure I was okay.
“Yeah,” I mumbled as I finally released my bra and slid it down my arms. My sleepshirt rested around my neck as I tried to maneuver my arms through the holes. The first went through fine, but I struggled to get my injured arm through the opening. It took an extra minute, but thankfully I tugged the shirt down enough to cover my panties just as Owen climbed the stairs.
“Good. You’re dressed. Now, get into bed.” He brushed past me and tugged down the covers for me to slide in.
Once I was settled, he moved around the bed and sat down. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but then I heard two thumps. Shoes.
Then… he stretched his large body across the other side of my bed, on top of the covers.
“What are you doing?”
“Keeping an eye on you.”
“Owen, that’s ridiculous.”
“Sorry, Mom’s orders. Now get some sleep. If you need some pain meds during the night, wake me up. I’ll get them for you.”
There was no point in arguing. Owen was just as stubborn as I was. Instead, I turned over and faced him, my injured arm draped over my body. Gently, he slid a small, decorative pillow under my arm to help it stay elevated, then turned to face me.
Any other night, I would have protested his staying over, or at least take the opportunity to stare at his handsome face. But as soon as my body relaxed in the bed, I was lost in slumber.