Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Jack
“So Brynn wasn’t doing the checks by herself in the morning like I thought?” I ask Nick.
“No, most of the time we do it together. She went out earlier than we discussed to do the fence on Sunday, and I was off Monday. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been alone. She’s a stubborn one.”
I cock my head to the side and eye him carefully.
“She didn’t tell me that.”
“Lane had a lot of the hands scared to do anything that made him look bad. Me? I didn’t care. I’ve been here too long to let a punk like that tell me what to do.”
“But why…?”
“He was an off-limits topic with Brynn and John.”
“Why is that?”
“He’s Clay’s brother, Olivia’s uncle.”
“They said that.”
He tightens the hold on the reins and looks ahead. “Brynn will never admit to it, but she’s scared of Clay. He’s not a good man, and from what I’ve seen of Lane, I’d lay bets that he put hands on her.”
I tighten my hold on the reins, too, as I fight back the anger that bubbles up over the thought of anyone hurting Brynn.
“But why would they let Lane stay here knowing he was a problem?”
“Clay was always claiming he’d take Olivia away from Brynn.
I think they were trying to do whatever they could to eliminate a court battle.
He’d never actually take her to court; he’s too lazy and wouldn’t have a leg to stand on anyway.
I think John was trying to protect both of them and thought it wouldn’t hurt to give Lane a job. He wasn’t always a jerk, until he was.”
The horse whinnies, noticing my irritation as we ride. I focus on calming my breathing, reminding myself that Lane is no longer a problem, and if Clay ever comes to the ranch, I’ll handle it.
The sun is already high enough to sting the back of my neck.
The heat rises off the ground in shimmering waves.
The pastures stretch out ahead of us, dry and brittle, the grass more yellow than green.
My horse’s hooves kick up little puffs of dust with every step.
It hasn’t rained in over a week, and the land is starting to show it.
“Everything’s looking really dry,” I say, scanning the horizon for any signs of trouble—downed fences, stray cattle, anything out of place.
Nick nods, his weathered face drawn tight. “Yeah, it’s not good. If we don’t get some rain soon, we’re gonna be in trouble. The forecast isn’t calling for anything, either. The irrigation system is working overtime, but it can only do so much.”
“I know,” I mutter, tugging my hat lower to block the sun. “We should think about moving some of the cattle into that shaded area over by the creek. The grass might hold out a little longer there.”
Nick pulls his horse to a stop and looks out over the dry expanse. “Not a bad idea. It’s not much better over there, but at least it’s something. Better than leaving them out here to graze on dirt.”
I nod, steering my horse toward the section of the fence line we haven’t checked yet. “Let’s finish up here, and then we can start moving them this afternoon.”
Nick glances at his watch and grimaces. “We’d better head back soon.
Brynn’s probably got breakfast ready. She’s got a very set schedule, and she’s a creature of habit.
If we’re late, she’ll put it all away and have the kitchen spotless before we get back.
She’s got to get Liv to school and then open the shop, so she doesn’t play around. ”
I smirk, thinking about Brynn and her relentless efficiency. “She runs a tight ship, doesn’t she?”
Nick chuckles, shaking his head. “That’s an understatement. She’s burning her candle at both ends between her shop, the ranch, her dad, and Liv. She thinks that she has to take the world on all alone. Lane didn’t help matters, either. That man…” He trails off, his expression darkening.
“Lane’s an asshole,” I say bluntly, and Nick snorts.
The thought of Brynn shouldering all that weight alone makes my chest tighten. I don’t like it. Not one bit.
I’m regretting not punching that asshole in the face when I had the opportunity. I’m not usually one to fight like that, but sometimes it’s warranted.
We turn our horses back toward the house, the smell of dust and dry grass thick in the air.
If we don’t get rain soon, this is going to be a problem.
“What’s John’s normal protocol for a drought? We can move the cattle to the shadier spot, but there’s more that needs to be done.”
“First thing, we gotta keep ’em from overgrazing what little grass is left. Once they eat it down to the dirt, it won’t come back even if we do get rain.”
“Probably a couple of days for each section?”
“Depends on what’s there, but I’d say no more than three or four days in one spot. And we’ll need to check water every day, too. Some of these tanks are gettin’ shallow, and if they dry up or get fouled, we’re in trouble.”
“We’ll have to haul water if it comes to that. Got enough tanks on the trailers to make it work?”
“Yeah, we can rig up the big ones if we have to, but it’s a pain. I’d rather start culling before we get to that point.”
“Culling? You think it’s that bad already? It’s only been a week.”
“Not yet, but we gotta have a plan in place. We don’t know how long this will last, either.
We had a four-week drought when I first started at the ranch.
John’s dad was the only rancher in the area who didn’t lose a lot because he prepared immediately for the worst. He had a plan in place from the beginning, and each week that we went without rain, other things would fall in. ”
“That’s smart. We can start with the older cows and any that aren’t breedin’. No sense wastin’ feed and water on animals that aren’t pulling their weight.” I say.
“Makes sense.”
“What about supplementing? We got enough hay stored up to keep ’em going?”
“Not for long. Prices are through the roof right now, and even if we could afford it, there ain’t much to buy. We might need to start feeding cubes or protein tubs to stretch what we’ve got.”
“Cubes’ll help, but they won’t fix the water problem. You think we need to start drilling?”
“Could be worth it, but that’s a big expense, and no guarantees we’ll hit water. We’d have to talk to John about that one.”
“I’ll go into town later today and get some cubes and tubes on order. I’ll see about more hay, too. I want to make sure we’re ahead of everything.”
“One way or another, we gotta keep these cattle alive and in decent shape. Ain’t no point in lettin’ ’em suffer or lose value.”
“All right, we’ll start rotating the pastures immediately.
I’ll check the tanks and see which ones might need hauling.
You make a list of cows we can cull if it comes to that.
And I’ll go into Marley’s Feed Store, but I’ll also call around, see if we can lock in some hay or cubes before the prices climb even higher. ”
“Got it. And if we don’t see rain in the next week or two, we’ll need to revisit this plan and tighten things up even more.”
I sigh as I look out at the dry field. “Yeah. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
By the time we reach the yard, the sun is climbing higher, and I can already feel the sweat sticking to my back. The smell of coffee and bacon greets us as we dismount and tie the horses to the post.
Inside, Brynn is in the kitchen, her back to us as she wipes down the counter. She turns when she hears us, her expression wary. Her face is tinged with worry, and she looks exhausted.
“I was just about to clean everything up,” she says, her voice clipped.
“We’ll take care of it,” I tell her, pulling off my hat and hanging it on the rack behind the door. “You’ve done enough.”
Her eyes narrow, and I can see the fight brewing. “I’m fine. It’s not a big deal.”
“Brynn,” I say, my tone firm, “we can do it.”
“I’m not…” she says quickly.
Why is this woman always looking for a fight with me?
“Don’t you have to get Olivia to school? Or open your shop? We’re all grown men here. We can clean up a kitchen properly.”
She crosses her arms, her gaze sharp. “I know what I need to do. There’s a strict time for meals around here because of it. It’s on you if you can’t make it in time for that. I won’t allow someone to mess up my day because they don’t value my time.”
Whoa! Where is this coming from?
I take a step closer, my eyes boring into hers. It bothers me that she’s so on edge that she seems to constantly be on the defensive.
I step closer, lowering my voice. “We’re not trying to mess up your day. I’m trying to help. Let me help.”
“I don’t need anyone’s help,” she says huffily.
“I swear, you’re the only woman in the world who would complain and fight someone when they’re trying to help clean up a kitchen.”
For a moment, she just stares at me, her lips pressed into a thin line. There’s a spark in her eyes, something electric that makes my pulse quicken.
“Mama?” Olivia says softly behind us. “I…uh, I forgot to tell you that I need to be at school early.”
She glances back at her daughter warily before she pinches the bridge of her nose and lets out a sigh. Then, to my surprise, she throws up her hands and turns on her heel.
“Fine. Have at it. But don’t be messing up my organization.”
I watch her go, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “Don’t worry. I’ll manage.”
She stops in the doorway and looks back, her expression a mix of disbelief and… something else. Something that makes my chest feel too tight. Then she’s gone, her footsteps fading down the steps.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Jack,” Olivia says with a giant grin as she walks past me.
“For what?”
“I don’t have to be at school early, but she wasn’t going to give an inch. Thank you for trying to make her work less.”
She waves and rushes out the door after her mother. I watch her leave as I laugh to myself. Nick chuckles, too.
“Well, at least you’ve made a friend with her mini-me,” he says as he fills a plate with food.
“There is that,” I laugh.