Chapter Fourteen
Three weeks later
Garrett repaired the fence and sent two hands to town to get more posts. Mac gave him the assignments and told him to rotate them between the hands.
He counted the men in the bunkhouses and then those listed on the paperwork. The numbers didn’t add up. It seemed the ranch split into two sections, and the side he worked on never crossed the dividing line, making him more curious.
His mind drifted to Riley. Since her father showed up a little over three weeks ago, she seemed quieter.
She only perked up when Tara entered the room.
Garrett expected a fight over the new computer he gave Tara, but instead, she gushed over it, exclaiming her happiness over Tara’s good fortune.
Saying all the right things. Riley waited until the teen left the room and wrote something down on a piece of paper she kept in her dress pocket.
Tara, true to her word, kept her end of the bargain, and the meals he returned home to tasted outstanding.
Finishing up the assignments, he saddled Gus and made his daily rounds, ensuring the cowboys didn’t slack off.
After speaking with Matthew, he planned to attend the horse auction on Saturday.
Although Gus loved his daily ride, he seemed tired by the time they returned to the barn.
Deciding it’s time he bought himself a proper horse, he wondered if Riley and Tara might like to go with him.
Glancing at his watch, he finished his tasks with two hours to spare.
On Thursday, they expected a herd of cattle to arrive.
Garrett wanted to oversee the unloading.
Since starting, he found two lazy workers who half-assed their jobs.
If they continued doing it during unloading, he planned to speak with Mac.
Deciding to call it a day, he put Gus out to pasture and returned to his cabin.
He entered from the garage door, and his mouth shot open at seeing Riley balance herself with one crutch and stir something in a pot with the other.
Anger filled him as he watched her grab the other crutch with practiced ease.
“Garrett, you’re back early,” she said, startled. “We didn’t expect you.”
“I see. Where’s Tara?” he asked impatiently as he pulled out a kitchen chair and motioned for her to sit.
“She’s in her room studying for her chemistry test. I’m keeping an eye on the beans,” she said nervously.
Garrett scanned the counter, noticing the onions chopped and bowls pulled out to make other items. “How long have you done the cooking?” he asked, patiently.
“Since I stood on a stool and mixed the cornbread batter with Mom,” she said, sitting down. Sweat covered her brow, and the crutches wobbled as she set them next to her, letting him know she did too much.
One of the crutches slid to the floor, and she bent to pick it up.
The neck of the God-awful smock dress the saleswoman sold him opened, and he got a view of her ample breasts.
He turned away to keep from embarrassing her as he swallowed down the saliva, which seemed to pool as he thought about cupping them in his hand and sucking the tiny buds.
“Tara,” he said, knocking on her door.
A minute later, she opened it, and her eyes grew wide at seeing him standing there. She slid the earphones from her head onto her neck. She glanced at Riley and fidgeted with her hair. “Hi, Garrett. You’re home early.”
“Yeah, it seems I’ve surprised everyone.
Can you explain why Riley’s cooking in the kitchen?
If you needed to study for your test, you only needed to tell me,” he chastised softly, unwilling to make her feel guilty.
Heaven knows the teen worshiped her older sister, who most likely insisted on doing it.
“I…I told her to stop after we finished the laundry. She says it’s good to move around, and the doctor agreed.”
Garrett’s lips thinned and his eyes narrowed on Riley, who shrank in her chair.
“It’s fine,” he assured Tara. “Matthew visited me in the field this afternoon. Rachel invited Kara over after school today. She wanted to know if you might like to join them for dinner. Matthew will bring you home when you’re ready. ”
“Oh,” Tara said excitedly. “Rachel told me about her. When can I go over?”
“You have a test to study for,” Riley exclaimed. “It’s a weeknight, too.”
“Please, Riley,” Tara begged. “She’s my age, and I haven’t had a friend in like forever.”
“What about your test?” she pointed out.
“I’m almost done studying. I took the practice test and got an A. Please let me go,” Tara said, her big blue eyes pleading with her sister.
“It’s good to have friends your own age,” Garrett chimed in, noticing the scowl cross Riley’s face.
She sighed, realizing they ganged up on her. “All right. Finish studying. School doesn’t let out for another hour, and then you can go.”
“Oh, thanks. Do you want me to do your vacuuming before I leave?” Tara asked innocently.
Garrett’s gaze went to Riley, whose cheeks flushed as she avoided peering at him.
“Sure.”
Tara closed her door while Garrett stalked over to the kitchen table. Riley’s fingers appeared swollen and her toes seemed purplish blue.
“What the hell?” he muttered as he handed her the crutches. “How long have you been doing the house chores and cooking? Don’t even think of lying to me.”
She huffed as she took the crutches and went into the living room.
She swung her leg up on the pillows and stuffed one under her arm.
“Do you feel happy now? What do you expect me to do all day and night? I’m about to go out of my mind.
I can’t plant my ass on your couch and watch gameshows all day. ”
“You’re supposed to rest. Have you not noticed your fingers and toes? The doctor said to keep your leg up until the swelling goes down. Tell me how long this has gone on,” he demanded.
“Since the third day you left for work. I don’t always stand. Sometimes I sit at the kitchen table and peel the potatoes or apples,” she offered, hoping to minimize her guilt.
Garrett gazed up at the ceiling and counted to ten. “Riley, if you don’t stay off your feet, you won’t heal properly. What will you do when you work crazy hours somewhere else, and your body can’t handle it?”
“I’ll suck it up as I do now,” she insisted. “Garrett, I’m bored. Please don’t get angry. Usually, Tara helps me. I swear she only left me alone this time. Mom always said I have ants in my pants. I guess she was right.”
Garrett didn’t want to think about anything in her pants.
“Why don’t you rest for now? I’ll put the beans in the crock pot to cook on high.
If you do as I say, you can ride over to Matthew’s place.
Tara needs someone her age to spend time with.
She considers you a second parent. As cool as you might think you are, you’re still an adult. She needs friends.”
Riley’s shoulders slumped, and she picked at the blanket in her lap. “I know.”
Garrett returned to the kitchen and took care of the beans. “What else did you plan on cooking?” he asked.
“I planned to fry up some pork chops and make cornbread. Tara made granola to add to an apple crisp for dessert,” she said, fiddling with the hem of the dress.
“Did you eat lunch? Once we drop Tara off, we can go for a short ride if you like,” he suggested, feeling empathy for her situation.
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. “Yes, I ate lunch. I’ll do anything to get some fresh air. I don’t care if an entire field smells like cow manure, I’d gladly walk it.”
“We won’t be doing any walking, and I’ve gotten my fill of manure today. One of the bulls got loose, and it took the hands over an hour to capture him. We have a shipment of cattle coming in on Thursday. I won’t get home until late,” he said, while he put the bowls away.
“What kind did you get? Who did you use? I love attending auctions. Do they have sheep or goats here? It’s not the best place for a huge herd of sheep, but it’s enough to gather up wool and mohair.
Mom showed me how to process, spin, and ply the wool and then dye it.
I love using it to knit and crochet in the winter months.
If they have goats, you can make all kinds of fancy butter, cheese, and soap. ”
For the first time since meeting her, Garrett saw Riley excited about something. Her eyes sparkled as she went into detail about what she made on her family ranch. Her voice muted as he watched her body shift from depression to hope and dreams.
“I want a small ranch where I can raise a few of each. Someday, I’ll do it.
First, I have to get Tara through college, and then I can have a life of my own.
I’m not complaining. She’s smart as a whip, and I’m incredibly proud of her.
She feels the same way about school as I do about ranching,” she babbled.
“I’m done,” Tara announced. “I’ll vacuum the floors, and then we can leave.”
She went into the laundry room and started in Garrett’s bedroom. The machine whirled as she worked, making it impossible for Garret to converse with Riley.
“Do you need to do anything before we leave?” he asked.
“I’ll use the bathroom and put on my shoes,” she said, rising from the couch.
Garrett palmed himself in the forehead. The air still carried a chilly wind, and Riley didn’t have any socks.
Tara moved to the living room, still vacuuming.
He entered the laundry room and grabbed a pair of his socks.
It’d at least keep her feet warm until he bought her some of her own.
Tara finished, and Riley still never came out of her room.
“Can you check on your sister?” he asked Tara as she put on her shoes.
“Sure,” she said, hopping up and running into the primary bedroom.
Garrett waited and they still didn’t emerge from the bathroom. Thinking something amiss, he knocked on the bathroom door.
“Everything all right in there?”