12. Evan
TWELVE
EVAN
Kissing Val in the pasture had been a mistake.
If I thought getting her out of my head was difficult before I knew what it felt like to have her pinned beneath me, I was a fucking idiot.
Thank god she’d taken my rejection in stride.
It truly wasn’t a rejection at all—I wanted her, more than I cared to admit––rather my rational brain overrode my dick for once, and it was the right move.
Above all else, the rules at Redemption Ranch were clear. I could have no ties to my former life. Val was off-limits.
Days later I was still thinking about kissing Val under the stars in the pasture.
It was easy to forget myself—to forget that a man like me didn’t deserve to kiss a woman like her.
I’d chosen my path, just as she had chosen hers, and in no way did those paths meet at a happy ending.
Yet here we were. Thrust together and working on the same ranch, day in and day out.
Sure, I’d swapped a few chores that strategically put me closer to where she’d be spending her days. I was a man, after all, and I enjoyed the view. Plus, it allowed me to jump in and help Val out when she was still learning the basics of animal care.
It was strange to feel helpful. While Val didn’t need my help, any time I offered a suggestion, she listened with rapt attention and simply nodded and tried again. Though her stubborn streak was a mile wide, she wasn’t too proud to try things a different way.
Today I was going to have a little fun with her.
“What the hell is that thing?” Val looked up and down the three-foot-long glove.
“It’s a glove.” I smirked and continued gathering our supplies.
“Why is it so long?”
“Gotta go all the way up.” I was intentionally leaving out key details.
The ranch was moving toward utilizing artificial insemination rather than natural breeding to manage the herds.
While Val wouldn’t have to do much but watch, it was too easy to mess with her.
I’d spent some free time working under one of our suppliers, Don.
He supplied the training many of us needed to learn how to take advantage of high-quality genetics from top-notch bulls.
Artificial insemination was looking like a key factor in keeping the herd productive and keeping our costs down, and it was tricky business—from how to properly inseminate, handling the semen, to overall reproductive management.
Don walked into the barn and nodded in greeting. “We got company today?”
I smiled. “Val’s just here to learn a few things. An extra set of hands in case things get sticky.” I stifled a laugh at the way her eyes slitted and her nostrils flared.
She followed as Don and I walked toward the alley where the first cow was secured and waiting for us. On the small table, Don arranged everything we needed, and I started cleaning the cow’s backside.
“Today’s Friday. It’s your day,” Don said as he nodded toward the glove.
“Yes, sir.” I started rolling the long glove up my arm to my armpit. I placed one gentle hand on the cow’s rump and began guiding the other into the cow’s rectum.
I locked eyes with Val as hers went wide as saucers. “What are you? Oh my—oh my god!”
Don and I shared a laugh as she looked on in horror.
Don talked me through feeling for and tilting the cow’s cervix into the correct position.
He then guided me through inserting the tube of frozen bull semen and depositing it correctly.
Unceremoniously I removed my arm from the cow’s ass, then the tube, and deposited it along with the glove in the trash.
All in all, it was done in less than a few minutes, and besides an initial moo, the cow was none the wiser.
I flashed a cocky grin at a shocked Val, and Don shuffled away to get the next cow lined up.
“What the hell just happened?”
“We’re making babies today.” I winked, and Val turned an adorable shade of pink.
“You could have at least bought her a drink first. Jesus.” Val laughed and flipped her hand through the dark strands of her silken hair. She moved closer to the cow and gently stroked one side. “You all right, girl? Do you need a cigarette?”
“Hey, I think I left her more than satisfied.”
“Yeah. You’re a real Casanova.” Val’s eyes sparkled over the back of the cow, and the dull ache was back beneath my ribs. I rubbed it absently and went about cleaning up for the next round .
After a few more cows, Don, Val, and I worked in a steady rhythm. Val lined up the supplies, watched the thermometers, and swept away messes while we worked quickly to keep the cows as comfortable as possible.
I turned to Val. “Last one. You want to give it a shot?”
She chewed her lower lip, and despite the musk of animals that hung in the air, I wanted nothing more than to capture that lip between my teeth. “Will you help me?”
A slow smile spread across my face. I loved that she was fearless. “Of course. Step up here.”
I helped Val roll the long glove up her toned arm and lingered just a fraction of a second as my hands wrapped around her rib cage. I could feel the hammer of her heartbeat beneath her work shirt at our closeness. I settled her warm body between me and the heifer.
“I have a stupid question.” Val chewed her lip.
“Shoot.”
“Are cows built different? Like, why the butt?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. It was a reasonable question, but she was delightfully nervous in asking.
Don jumped in to say, “Anatomy is pretty much the same. It’s just for easier access. To get everything lined up just right.”
Val nodded, soaking in the new information.
I lowered my lips to her ear. “Are you ready?”
Her lips were set in a determined line, and with a firm nod, she stood. Don lubed up her arm, and she positioned it at the cow’s entrance.
Don talked her through the process of locating and tilting the cervix through the cow’s inner walls. He did the job of inserting the tube and dispatching it correctly to ensure it was placed properly. In less than a minute, it was finished .
“Make sure you hold the top of the glove before you pull out,” Don instructed.
I flashed Val a cheesy grin. “Congratulations! You’re a father.”
“Hopefully,” Don added.
Val dissolved in a fit of laughter. “This is so nuts. How is this my life?”
I steered her shoulders toward the sink at the back wall. “Pretty wild, isn’t it? I’ve found it’s messy, it smells, and I’m dog-tired at the end of the night. But ... I’ve never done anything like this. I feel accomplished most days. That’s a new one for me.”
We lathered our hands with industrial soap, and she watched me as I spoke. Something passed over her face, an expression of wonder or curiosity—something I couldn’t quite name, but then it was gone. Instead, she focused her energy on scrubbing the dirt and muck from her hands.
“Ugh. This is never coming off.”
“Here.” I pumped another squirt of soap and grabbed her hand. “Let me try.” I rubbed and soaped her hands, enjoying the feel of her petite, soft hands in mine. As they slipped together, our fingers intertwined, and I pressed my thumb into the pressure points of her hands.
“Mmm.” A throaty sound vibrated out of her and sent shock waves straight to my cock.
“Feels good, right?” I continued to massage her palms and stroke her fingers as I worked.
Val shifted toward me. The warm water ran over our hands as I rinsed hers, but she didn’t pull away.
I took the opportunity to breathe in her soft, feminine smell.
Such a contrast to the dirt and sweat of the ranch, I could lose myself in it entirely.
“You about done in there?” Don’s voice cut through the air. “These girls are ready to go back to pasture. ”
I swallowed thickly. “Yeah. I’m on it.”
Val’s eyes tracked down to our interlaced fingers, my wide palm nearly enveloping hers. Our eyes met, and for a fraction of a second, I almost kissed her again. Everything inside me screamed to taste her one more time.
Instead, I grabbed her a towel and stalked out into the afternoon sun.
“There’s a matter to discuss as a family.
” Ma’s voice cut above the chatter at Sunday dinner, and everyone got quiet.
“As you know, with summertime just around the corner, the town’s farmers market will be in full swing.
It’s important to me for everyone here to be a part of this community.
They’re good people. They protect their own and they don’t ask questions.
One of the big draws for the county market is the opportunity to purchase fresh beef.
We’ll have our stand, as we always do. I’ll post the sign up.
Volunteers first, but if I have to assign you a shift, I’ll do it. ”
Murmurs of “Yes, ma’am” simmered through the dining room. “All right then, join hands. Let’s pray. I’m famished.”
Everyone gathered around, linking hands and bowing their heads.
I felt Val’s warm palm slip into mine before I saw it.
She wore a shy smile as her dark eyes looked into mine.
I could get lost in her eyes and never want to be found.
Gemma was on her other side and whispered something that caught her attention.
I cleared my throat and bowed my head while Robbie said a nondenominational prayer before dinner.
When it was over, Val didn’t immediately release my hand, and I gave it a light squeeze before dropping it.
In the few weeks that Val had settled onto the ranch, she had found her groove.
She laughed across the table, joked, and playfully teased.
Val was no longer an outsider. Her hard work and grit had earned her the respect of everyone at the ranch.
She may be a city girl through and through, but she wasn’t afraid to put in the hard work and get a little dirty.
Pride swelled in my chest, and I found an odd comfort in knowing she was getting her footing here. Finding her place.
Even if it was temporary.