Chapter 11
Fifteen years ago
Lacey
“Mom! Is it okay with you if Lexie stays the night?”
“Sure, honey. You know she is always welcome.”
I smile at my best friend. Our parents were childhood friends so it’s only natural that we became besties, too.
“How is your mom today, Lex?” My mama asks as she stirs sugar into the sweet tea pitcher.
“Oh, um, she is having a better week this week. I think she starts chemo again next week though, so you know how that goes.”
My mama nods. “Well, she is a fighter. I will call her later and check in. You girls go on outside and play. Carson and Beckett are out there somewhere, too.”
“Yes ma’am.” We say together and hurry out the door in a fit of giggles.
I don’t pay attention as I step off the porch and collide into a hard chest. “Whoa now, Lace. Slow down.” My daddy’s voice makes me jump, but a smile spreads across his face making me giggle.
“Lexie is staying the night.”
“Well, we wouldn’t have it any other way.” He pulls her into a hug. “How’s your mama sweetheart?”
“She’s having a good week.” Lexie smiles at him, but I could tell the worry in her eyes.
“Good.” My father smiles. “Well, girls, y’all go find something to get into. I need to go take a shit.”
“Ew!!” we squeal as he chuckles before running as far away from the porch as we can get.
We round the side of the barn, the horses raise their heads watching us run by while they graze in the pasture; Lexie and I stop and pat Nugget, my dad’s ranch horse, since he hangs his head over the fence for us to reach.
“Want to go for a ride?” I ask my friend.
She smiles. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
Fifteen minutes later, we both sit on the back of two geldings, the leather from our saddles creaking as we cross the creek in the back of the pasture heading toward the mountainside.
I notice Lexie is quiet, so I ask, “You, okay?”
“Oh, um, yeah.” She gives me a soft grin, but when her eyes meet mine, I notice the unshed tears in her eyes.
“Don’t lie to me,” I tell her.
“Mama isn’t really doing as well as I made it sound to your mama and daddy.”
I stop my horse beside her. “What do you mean?”
She sighs, a single tear falling down her cheek. “Doctors have given her maybe two years, Lace. They said it has spread to her liver and kidneys.”
I wrap my arm around her, pulling her into me and her head leans on my shoulder. “I am so sorry, Lex.”
“I just don’t know what to do without her. How am I going to survive?”
“You’ll survive because you won’t be alone. You have all of us here.” I rub my arm over her shoulder, warming her up. “You are never alone, Lex. I am here for you, always. I will be here for you.”
By now, tears flood her cheeks. She totally loses it, soaking the sleeve of my t-shirt. “Thank you, Lacey.”
“What’s going on here?” a loud chuckle from behind us makes us jump. Turning around, I find my brother and his best friend, Beckett, on their own horses, riding up behind us.
“Go away, Carson.” I snarl. His fat grin fades when he notices Lexie wiping tears.
“What’s wrong?” He stops his horse beside her, his hand going to her shoulder.
“It’s my mama. It’s spread to her liver and kidneys.” Lexie tells him. His eyes widen and he pulls her into him, her head hitting his chest. “Lexie,” he sighs. “I am so sorry.”
She starts crying again; Beckett pulls his horse up beside mine, but he stays quiet, resting his hand on his saddle horn.
“Come on.” Carson finally says when Lexie calms down. “You girls can do pasture checks with us.”
“Thank you.” I mouth to my brother when his eyes meet mine, a soft grin lifting at his lips.
“You have us, Lexie,” he assures her. “You’re not alone. We will get through this as a family.” He looks across all of us. “Because that is what we are—family.”
* * *
“Your ranch is like a dream.” Lexie smiles at me.
We are now on top of the mountain, helping the guys do pasture checks. I can’t help but smile back, I don’t take a moment on this land for granted. I know how special it is to care for something so breathtaking.
“It is, isn’t it?”
“LACEY!” Carson yells at us from about thirty yards away. “HELP!”
I had just seen him and Beckett ride into the wood line. Lexie and I kick our horses into a gallop, rushing to find them. Entering the wood line, Beckett sits on his horse, shot gun up on his shoulder. Carson is on his hands and knees, trying to help a baby calf out of its laboring mama.
“Lacey, get down here and help me!” Carson’s voice is stern.
“What happened?” my voice shakes, handing Lexie my reins and stepping out of my stirrup onto the ground.
“Coyote was trying to get the baby. I think mama is already gone. We have to save this calf.” Carson looks up at Beckett. “Shoot it if it comes any closer.”
“I will.” Beckett says, looking down the barrel of his gun, his sight on the coyote ahead.
“What can I do?” Lexie asks.
“Just watch that coyote with Beckett. Keep an eye out for others,” Carson instructs.
He turns to me, “I know this is asking a lot of you. But I need your help. You’ve seen plenty of calves being born.”
“But I have never assisted with it.” I look at him, terrified.
“I will walk you through this,” he assures me.
I kneel beside my brother, watching his every move. “I will grab one foot, and you grab the other. All we have to do is pull.” He grabs ahold of the right hoof; I follow his lead by grabbing the other. I can see the poor calf’s nose popping out in the middle of the two legs.
“Carson, is this baby alive?”
“I don’t know, Lace. Just pull.” He tugs with me, and we both almost fall to the ground. Without the mama cow pushing and contracting, it makes it harder to pull out, contractions are what guides the calf through the shoot.
“Lacey! Pull!”
“I am trying!” I yell back, but we aren’t getting much headway.
“If we want this calf alive, we have to do this fast!” Carson is out of breath.
Feet run up behind us, two sets of new hands come around us, grabbing hold of the legs, too. I look up and see Beckett on my right and Lexie beside Carson.
“Together,” Beckett says. “We can do this together.”
Carson nods, “Let’s do this. Pull!”
We all pull backward; the calf budges a little but not as much as we would like. “Again!” Carson yells.
All four of us tug as hard as we can, falling back on our butts when the calf falls out onto the ground.
“She’s out!” I exclaim not knowing if it’s a heifer or a bull, but either way, I don’t care at the moment as long as she is breathing.
Carson crawls quickly to her, taking off his shirt and rubbing it over her to stimulate her body.
“Come on baby. Come on.” Tears fill my eyes, and I hold my breath until I know she is alive.
The sound of her little grunt, her eyes open, and her back legs kick slightly letting me exhale with relief.
“We did it!” Lexie jumps up and down happily grabbing me.
Carson looks up at us, a proud smile spread across his face. “See, I told you we can get through anything together as a family.”
Beckett chuckles. “I am just glad that coyote finally decided to run off so I could put that gun down. My shoulder was killing me.”
We all bust out laughing while Carson goes back to wiping off the calf.