Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Vaughn
“Heard from Glori.” Gus shuffles out to the rocking chairs that have become our regular morning meeting spot.
The sun is barely cresting the horizon, lighting up the sky with bright pinks and orange.
Birds sing their morning song in the crisp air.
“Yankee’s got an injured leg, and she needs us to bring him here for a while.
She’s about to pop that baby out, so she don’t need to be dealing with the extra work. ”
In the week since Kate has been back, we’ve settled into a routine.
She gets up and starts the coffee first, then heads to get ready.
I noticed after the first day that she wasn’t eating before she left, so I started making a breakfast she could take with her.
And in a strange turn of events, Gus and I have been sharing coffee together every morning.
The change is not unwelcome, and each day, Gus becomes a little less antagonistic and a little more forthcoming, minus the attitude. We’re still butting heads, but we’ve also managed to find a way to work through some things together—one of them being the things needed on the farm.
“Can she show me what needs to be done?”
“You forget everything you ever knew about horses while you were out playing soldier?”
I’ve found that if I ignore the barbs, Gus will lose interest.
“Sailor. And not everything. And learned a bunch more. The trailer in good enough condition to move him?” I ask.
Any minute, Kate will bound through the door wearing those damn gray sweats.
I don’t know what it is about that simple garb that does it for me.
Maybe it’s the memory of her stripped down to her shorts and sports bra while she worked out in the barn that does it.
Maybe it’s just her. Regardless, I’m thankful we’re sitting so Gus won’t notice the semi I’ve popped.
He takes a pull of coffee and grunts.
I take this to mean he’s not sure about the trailer. “I’ll take a look at it before I head over there.”
The chair creaks as he sets it to motion. “I’ll call and get him some feed delivered.”
The morning settles over us. A quiet start to what will likely be a long day.
It’s the end of the second week that Kate’s been home, and she should be planning on resting since she slept a solid twelve hours her first night back, indicative of how exhausted she’s been.
Instead, she’s been making plans to get in some extra study time with some others over the coming weekend.
I hate the idea of why she’s so tired. The rigorous class, the extra workouts. Sleeping on someone’s couch. All of it nauseates me. At least I’ve got a list of things a mile long to take care of around the farm to help distract me from obsessing over her.
I don’t know how Gus thought he could handle the farm, especially when he was too proud to ask for help and she has zero experience in maintaining a place like this. Even still, I’m glad she’s back.
We spent her first weekend home cleaning out the upstairs and making Gus tell us what had to stay and what could go from the second floor.
Kate is surprisingly efficient in making things happen and in handling Gus when he’s at his orneriest. “Should’ve seen this place when I moved in,” she stated when we uncovered a closet jammed full of things Gran had probably stored decades ago.
Meanwhile, I’d been too aware of the close confines of the space and the way she’d brush against me rather than any of the crap we discarded.
This morning, Gus remains quiet while we drink our coffee and watch the sky turn blue.
It’s peaceful, and somehow, we’ve both laid down our antagonism in our efforts to take care of Kate.
I don’t think too hard on why it’s taken her coming into our lives to lay the swords down, when even Gran couldn’t get us to.
Perhaps we both needed the last two decades to get to this point.
The screen door flies open, and Kate barrels through it, light gray recruit sweats on, backpack over one shoulder, giant water bottle in one hand, and a to-go cup in the other.
“Bye, guys. I’ll grab a pizza on my way home.
And yes, Gus, I’ll get the one you like since you’ve been eating your veggies without complaint. ”
“Acts like I’m a damn toddler,” Gus grumbles into his mug, and I cover a chuckle.
“Vaughn, what are those white boxes you cleared out at the edge of the wood line a couple days ago?”
“Beehives,” Gus replies.
A flash of panic crosses her face before Kate gives an exaggerated shudder.
“Not a fan of stinging insects.” Her reaction is more over the top than I’d expect.
“Anyway, wish me luck. Today is our third rotation evaluation. But at least it’s Friday!
” And with that, she bounds to her car with a jaunty wave back at the two of us.
All day, I try to avoid thinking of how those damn sweats did nothing to camouflage the body underneath. The memory of her all sweaty in skintight workout clothes distracts me more often than I care to admit.
Later, Kate comes in bearing pizza, which we scarf down, and then she puts on a freaking Disney movie that she and Gus talk through.
I should be back in Bali—or getting ready to head back, anyway—instead of watching them watch a movie.
But everyday, it’s something new around here that I need to help with.
I spent the day working on the trailer. Took a visit to Yankee and confirmed that I’d be picking him up.
And now I catch myself watching the two of them like some damn lovesick fool.
Shoving out of the chair, I announce that I’m headed to bed.
Gus grunts, but Kate’s eyes meet mine. If she’s felt this lingering tension between us, she’s doing a damn good job of keeping it to herself.
There’s no hint of the woman I ran into in that coffee shop.
She’s so focused on her goal of passing this class that she can’t even see me beyond a quiet acknowledgment that we coexist.
And I’m the pathetic loser who’s been leaving his door open, hoping she’ll take it for the invite that it is.
The next morning, I’m loading up the trailer to get the horse when Kate finds me after her workout session.
“You know, your body might appreciate a break,” I state without preamble. The skintight workout gear is back, and I do my best but fail in keeping my eyes off the pert breasts and rock-hard nipples staring back at me.
She slips a sweatshirt on, knocking me out of my trance. “I’ll rest after I pass this class. What are you getting ready to do?”
She’s not taking care of herself, and I don’t like it, but what right do I have to point that out? Instead of calling her out on it, I deflect. “Yankee has an injured leg. Glori can’t take care of him right now, so I’m going to get him and bring him home.”
“Need help?”
Not really, but I’m the fool who wants to spend time with her, so I simply nod.