Chapter 18 – Sunshine/Kaitlyn #3
It wasn’t my first time seeing a gun, just like it wasn’t my first time seeing a herd, but the connection was there again.
Tag would do whatever it took to save the calves, not because he was fond of them, but because they were valued for what they would become.
Which was a product on the market. A very highly valued product because of how they were raised.
This is what Ethan brought me out here to see. Not the calves being born so much as the full breadth and scope of the operation. Under a big, open sky, and inside a wide, open valley, it was really quite something to see.
“Takes your breath away, doesn’t it?” Ethan said, as he circled around me on his horse to come up between me and Tag.
I nodded. It was all so beautiful.
“It was like this for me, too, when I came home. Had to remember it all over again. How much bigger it is than us.”
A big, brown cow with a white nose wandered over to us, her calf, newly born, was already up and following her momma around.
I shifted a bit on Shirley, uncertain what the cow wanted, but she just lifted her nose up and mooed.
“I think she’s showing off her baby,” Ethan told me.
I leaned over Shirley a little awkwardly to pet the cow on her nose. “You did a good job, momma. Your baby is beautiful.”
The cow mooed again, clearly thanking me for my compliment.
“What the hell are you doing?” Tag barked at me. Lord, that man was testy without his night’s sleep. “Sit up in that saddle. You’re going to spook Shirley.”
“Shirley and I have already bonded. She promised she won’t gallop or toss me,” I told him. “Right now, I’m congratulating the new momma. Look, she made a baby cow! ”
“That is the whole point of his,” Tag said, making a circle with his finger in the air.
“Yeah, I know. But I forgot how cool it all is,” I admitted.
Like the other day when I’d ridden to the creek. Maybe Ethan was right. Maybe this had always been in my blood.
“Take her home, Ethan. Before she starts soul bonding with the cows.”
Tag mounted his horse and rode toward the trees that hugged the perimeter of the valley. “And watch for wolves on the way back,” he shouted, over his shoulder. “It’s not safe for a city girl out here.”
“Again, the cowboy doth protest too much,” Ethan said, even as he retook the saddle.
“The fuck does that mean?” Carter asked Ethan, who was close enough to hear him.
“I think Tag’s got a thing for our half-sister.”
“That’s not possible,” Carter said. “Because then, I would have to kill him.”
“Why?” I asked, taken aback by Carter’s immediate rejection of the idea of Tag having a thing for me.
Not that he did. We were just messing around.
Carter shrugged. “Don’t know. It’s like the brotherly teasing. It’s instinctive. We have to give you shit. No one we know is allowed to date you. And you have to tell us when we’re wearing the wrong color tie.”
“You don’t wear ties,” I pointed out to Carter.
“What about younger brothers?” Mac asked, coming to stand next to Carter. “What the hell am I supposed to do with an older sister?”
“I don’t know,” I told him. “I’ve only had younger sisters.” And I wasn’t the best at being the older sister to them .
“You’re supposed to go to her for dating advice,” Ethan told Mac, like he’d looked it up in a medical text book.
“Really?” Mac asked, skeptically.
“I don’t think I would be very good at that,” I admitted. But, a thought occurred to me. “Although we can start with why you can’t be in a room with Amity.”
Mac’s face immediately shut down. “Hard pass,” he said, then turned to Carter. “I’m heading back up to the bunk house. Tag will take the first watch, so I’m going to sleep while I can before I relieve him.”
Carter nodded. “I want to be back for the kids when they get home from school, but plan for me to join you on the night watch. Ethan, do you have any time to cover some hours?”
He was shaking his head as he brought his horse around so he was heading north. “Got to be back at the clinic for the seven pm shift.”
“Can I help?” I offered.
No times three was the immediate answer. I was about to take offense, when I realized I couldn’t actually help. I couldn’t shoot a rifle or save any of the calves. “Fair enough. I really wouldn’t know what to do against a wolf.”
“You’re the money woman.” Carter lifted his chin toward me. “We doing okay?”
“We haven’t lost anything, if that’s what you’re asking,” I told him. “But the major score I’m looking for doesn’t happen for a few days.”
“You keep your eye on the prize. We’ll keep our eyes out for wolves.”
“Okay,” I said. “Just make sure Annabelle’s calf doesn’t get eaten.”
“Annabelle?” Carter asked.
The brown cow with the big white nose blew air through her nose and stomped the ground. She knew who I was talking about.
“We connected at the soul level.” I explained, to an unamused Carter.
I tugged on Shirley’s reins to the right while also giving her a tap with my heel. She took the lead and turned in the direction to go back up the path we came.
I was anxious by the time I got back to the house to check the numbers.
I had my phone and the alert system, but I’d been away too long.
So, when I checked the investment and saw that we were doing more than okay, it was a tremendous relief.
The trick when dealing with people’s money was always to set conservative expectations.
They had their job to do. And I had mine.
Settling down into the desk chair, I didn’t even think about changing back into my work clothes.