Chapter 11
Turns out, Taurus Ranch is an amazing place to be when you’re not too busy shoveling shit to pay attention.
When I get back to the house, I sit on the porch with a fresh mug of coffee, a blanket, and Doodle snuggled on my lap, and watch the sunrise.
The mountain peaks on the horizon jut up like horns, creating a frame for the sun as it ascends, spilling pinks and oranges and golds across the wide-open sky.
It’s silly, but as dawn breaks, there’s a shift in my chest. Something that was tight releasing and expanding until I’m suffused with this raw sense of potential.
The same potential I felt when I found out about being willed half the ranch, only increased tenfold in magnitude now that I’m here and have a moment to breathe and let things sink in.
Any hazing from Cal is meaningless because there’s a gut-deep realization that this is right. That no matter what the grumpy cow man says, I belong here.
I wish I could say this revelation makes me not care about proving myself to Cal, but alas, that’s not how my brain works. I’m still my determined self.
Doodle makes no move to get up, even after the sky has shifted to a bright cerulean. When I set him down to go inside and eat the last of the stale cereal I found in Dawn’s pantry, he follows me into the house like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“You’re such a funny little guy.” I shake my head at him as he wanders around on the kitchen tile, occasionally dipping his head down to check if a speck of dirt is actually a crumb. He clucks softly, and I’m pretty sure it’s a content, happy sound.
Doodle looks at me expectantly when I sit down with my bowl of dry fruit o’s, and I shake my head. “I don’t think you can eat this.” He clucks at me, this time sounding peevish.
Who knew chickens could be so expressive? Or maybe I’m so starved for company that I’m reading way too much into his behavior.
“Fine, I’ll ask August about your dietary restrictions when I bring you back to the coop.” My words do little to appease him, but to be fair, I think he’s reacting to my intonation and body language, not words.
When he realizes I’m not going to give him anything, Doodle goes back to puttering around the kitchen.
He’s too cute. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat chicken again.
“You don’t mind if I eat eggs, do you?” I ask. “Or is that like I’m eating your babies? There’s no way you’re fertilizing all of them, so the odds of that being the case are low, right?”
Doodle’s head tilts back and forth, and he blinks at me.
“I’m going to take your lack of protest as permission to keep eating eggs.”
Just maybe not when he’s around.
I finish up my meager breakfast, and Doodle heads toward the door, indicating he’s done with our morning date. With nothing else better to do, I follow him outside. He flutters down off the porch and onto the dirt path, then makes a beeline toward the trees.
Curious, I push my way through the branches and find an old walking path that’s become overgrown with lack of use. Grandma must’ve stopped using it when it became too hard to navigate as she got older.
Doodle stops a few times along his journey through the trees, as if he’s waiting for me to catch up. It takes a good ten minutes before we emerge from the treeline out onto the main road, the barn that houses the goats on the other side.
He strides out into the road without a care in the world, which seems to be his modus operandi.
His circuitous route brings us behind the barn and over to the chicken yard.
“Okay, now what?” I ask when he pauses on the outside of the fence.
Doodle stares at me and clucks, unmoving.
“Seriously, how the heck are you getting in and out of there?” The fence is high and there are no breaks or holes where he could squeeze through.
He tips his head back and crows at me.
I laugh. “What? Do you not want me to see your magic trick? Fine, I’ll close my eyes.”
I do it as a joke, covering my eyes with my hand and counting to five in a teasing voice.
When I open my eyes, he’s inside the fence.
“Whoa, wait a second, what? How?”
I didn’t know a rooster could look smug. Doodle pecks at the dirt and then heads off toward the hens who are out in the yard.
“Hmph, I see how it is. Going right from your morning tryst to a bunch of other women.”
“Everything alright, Miss Belle?”
I startle at the sound of a voice behind me, turning to find Remy with an amused smile on his face.
At least I’m pretty sure it’s Remy. The brothers are so similar looking they could almost be twins, but I’ve noticed Remy’s horns have more of a curve to them and he’s broader, while Wylie is taller and has a little white spot behind his ear that stands out from their blue-gray coloration.
I shake my head and smile back. “I’m fine. Just wondering if Doodle is some kind of warlock.”
Remy nods sagely, like he’s actually considering the possibility. “It wouldn’t surprise me. He acts like a hellion, so why not also have a pact with a demon?”
“For a rancher, you know a lot about demons. Is there something nefarious going on here that I don’t know about? Are you all part of some hellish cabal? Because that sounds kind of cool, but also would explain the lack of guests.”
Remy blinks at me and I worry I revealed too much of my weirdness or somehow offended him, but a second later, he chuckles. “Nah, not part of a cabal, Miss Belle. I just play D&D with some friends.”
“Remy, are you a nerd?”
If minotaurs could blush, he absolutely would be.
He rubs the back of his neck and gives me a sheepish shrug.
“Wylie sure likes to call me one. But I think it’s because he’s jealous that I get to hang out with Tessa.
The veterinarian. She comes by to check up on the animals regularly, so I’m sure you’ll meet her soon.
She’s awesome! Her brother, Cade, also plays in our game.
You’ll meet him too, I bet, since he’s a farrier. He’s also our party’s warlock.”
“Oh, very cool.” His enthusiasm is incredibly endearing, and I can’t help but smile when he talks.
His eyes light up. “You should come play with us sometime!”
“Oh, I don’t know how to play.”
Remy shakes his head. “That doesn’t matter. We can teach you, and it’ll be a great way to get to know people if you’re planning on sticking around.”
I’d think he was flirting with me, but there’s something so earnest about the offer and his expression that I doubt there’s any ulterior motive for inviting me.
I smile back at the sweet minotaur and nod. “Well, alright. Sure. Why not?”
“Hell yeah!”
I widen my eyes dramatically. “Don’t invoke hell when Doodle might hear you.”
“Oh. Shit. Right.” Remy glances over at the chickens and lowers his voice.
“We meet every other Saturday. Except not tomorrow because Tessa and Jade are going to some kind of show that’s in town for the night.
I’m not a big fan of theater, so I’m not going.
But I’ll let you know what day we’re meeting next! ”
“Okay, sounds great.” And honestly, it does. Hopefully I’ll have figured out a way to get Cal to stop hazing me to the point of exhaustion by the time their next game rolls around.
“I better get back to work, but I’ll bring my books with me next week and we can make your character during lunch one day.” A slightly devilish look crosses his face. “Man, Wylie is going to be even more jealous now.”
I want to ask why Wylie doesn’t play with them, but Remy’s eyes widen at something he sees over my shoulder.
“Talk to you later, Miss Belle!” he says with a wave before hurrying away.
“You can just call me Belle,” I call back, frowning as I turn to see what scared him off.
Of course, it’s Cal.
He’s got a shirt on now, but it fits tight across his broad chest and for some annoying reason my cheeks heat as he approaches.
“Thought you were doing paperwork.” I place my hands on my hips and give him my best playful smile, trying not to show how my stomach sinks at the prospect of him changing his mind about giving me the day off. “Or did you miss being my taskmaster too much?”
Cal huffs, but there’s a weird look on his face that I can’t decipher. “I decided to work on it later.” He looks past me, glaring at Remy’s back. “Was he bothering you?”
“Uh, no? He was being friendly.”
The stern cow man scoffs. “Sure he was.”
I glare back at him, feeling defensive on the young minotaur’s behalf. “We were talking about his D&D game. He invited me to hang out with his friends because, unlike some people I know, he wants to make me feel welcome.”
There’s a flicker of surprise in Cal’s eyes at the bite in my tone. “I want…” He shakes his head, interrupting whatever he was about to say. “He shouldn’t be bothering you on your day off.”
“So I’m not supposed to talk to people when I’m not working?” I cross my arms over my chest, anger rising inside me.
“No, that’s not…” Cal scrubs a hand across his face and sighs. “I don’t want anyone roping you into helping them. You need to take a break.”
Why is he suddenly so concerned about me resting?
“I told you, I’m fine. If I want to help people on my time off, that’s my business.”
His scowl holds for a moment, but then it breaks, and he nods. “You’re right.” In a softer, almost imperceptible mutter he adds, “Don’t know why I came over here.”
Neither do I. There’s a long moment of silence, but he doesn’t make any move to walk away.
“Did you need something from me?” I prompt when I can’t stand the awkwardness any longer.
That breaks him out of his frozen state. I expect him to make a rude comment or glare at me, but his expression softens. “Do you want to try going for a trail ride?”
I can’t hide my surprise at his offer. “Uh, what?”
“I was thinking about how if you’re going to stay here, you’ll need to get acclimated to the horses.
I know you’re scared and I don’t want to push you if you’re not ready.
” He shifts in place, fidgeting with the sleeve of his flannel.
“We could start out together on Astra, and then you could work up to getting on Undertaker on your own.”
“You want me to go on a horseback ride with you?” I ask, bemused. “Is this some kind of trap?”
His mouth curves into a wry smile. “Guess you’ll have to find out.”
Who is this teasing cow man and what did he do with Cal?
I consider telling him no, blowing him off and having the day to myself. The thought of riding a horse sends a jolt of anxiety through me, but surely I’d be okay if I’m not riding alone. And, as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right about needing to get more comfortable around horses.
Besides, I’d be a fool not to seize this opportunity to talk with him while he’s stuck on a horse with me, if I want the plan August and I came up with to work.
“Alright. I’ll let you take me for a ride.”
Cal looks taken aback and a little flustered.
He didn’t think I’d accept the offer, or… Oh god, that sounded like a come-on, didn’t it?
A flush rises on my cheeks, and I clear my throat, trying to play it off. Inclining my head toward the stables, I smile through the embarrassment. “Lead on, cowboy.”