Nine
Bart
I watched as Keith pulled the nail out of Dolores’s hoof and hoped it didn’t hurt too much, and she’d be able to walk a little more comfortably.
When I first arrived here, I didn’t know any of the cows and couldn’t really tell them apart.
Now I knew them all, even the four that were put out to pasture that were no longer able to give milk, but that Asa had promised a peaceful life.
There were so many things I didn’t know about and a few I wasn’t comfortable with.
The cows were sweet and trusted all of us and I didn’t want to think of them not having a nice retirement after all the years of giving to the farm.
“It’s okay, girl. You’re going to be much happier with that nail out.
” I patted her side and she leaned into my touch as much as she could considering she was being held in place.
That was another thing, cows really were like big puppies just like Asa said that first day.
They loved us all if we paid attention to them.
They got the zoomies and ran around the pasture when they “were feeling their oats” as Asa said.
But they were also kind to each other and looked out for their friends.
“She’s sweet,” Keith said, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“She is. Some of them are a little spicier than others but I had no clue how big their personalities are.”
“I’m going to go clean up the milking area,” Noah said before he disappeared off to another part of the barn leaving me alone with the big handsome hoof trimmer.
“This life suits you,” he said without looking away from where he’d pulled the nail out and was now trimming the area with his knife to check for damage that might be deeper.
“I think so too. If you’d asked me that six months ago, I would have said you were crazy. How long have you been trimming hooves?”
“Going on ten years. I started a bit like you. There was another guy that worked around here for years. He was the only one, but when he knew he wasn’t going to be able to do it forever he decided I was worth training.
” He huffed out an amused laugh and put whatever he put on a cow’s hoof before wrapping it and putting a lift on the other side, so she didn’t have pain while walking.
“What did you do before this?” I wasn’t sure how old Keith was, but he had to be in his mid-thirties, so I was sure he’d had a life before he started this career.
“I was a welder. Worked on a lot of the big job sites in Sacramento including the airport and some of the downtown buildings.”
“Did you live in Sacramento?”
“No, god no. I didn’t mind commuting. There’s no way I would live in the city. Where did you say you lived?” He released Dolores from the machine, and she walked off without even a limp or a backwards glance.
“Auburn. I’ve lived there my whole life. Even went to Sierra College so I lived near my family. We have a heating and air conditioning business there.”
“I bet you’re busy this time of year,” he said and took his hat off to wipe the sweat on his sleeve. “Hopefully it’s not as hot there as it is here.”
“Feels the same to me. Only it’s more humid here with the rice fields and the lake.”
“I was just thinking that this morning. The rest of the summer is going to be brutal if we keep up this heat and humidity.”
After a comfortable silence as we watched Dolores move further away, he spoke.
“Want to go have a drink sometime?” He turned to face me then and the intensity of his eyes made it hard for me to look away but also made it hard for me to form a coherent thought.
My brain was skipping like one of the old country records Asa was fond of playing.
“I haven’t really been to any of the places in town.
Asa and I go grocery shopping once a week, but we don’t always shop in town.
He’s not fond of eating out apparently.” I babbled for no other reason than I really did want to go out with him, but I was terrified of making a fool of myself—and here I was making a fool of myself.
Plus, I was a little shocked there was more than one gay couple in town.
I had been to the hardware store and the young guy, Jack, made sure I knew that Hudson was taken even though I hadn’t said a word to him.
Hudson explained he was a little territorial, and here I was rambling now to myself. “Sure?”
“You don’t sound so sure,” he said with a grin. “But I could come pick you up around three on Friday. I work Saturday so it’s better for me if we go out early.”
“Oh my god, I’m just getting used to going to bed before the sun is down and getting up at the crack of dawn. Early is great. And I can meet you in town if you’d rather. It’s sort of a long way for you to come all the way out here.”
“I don’t mind,” he said, just as Asa pulled up on his quad.
“How’s it going, Keith?”
“I’m just getting going. Pulled the nail out of Dolores’s hoof. She’ll be fine in a few days.”
“Say, I wonder if you’d have time to go out to the south pasture,” Asa asked but he looked worried and glanced between the two of us.
“Me?” Keith asked, obviously not used to being asked to do something like this while at work.
“Yes, Noah too. There’s a huge turtle in the field and I know for a fact it weighs over a hundred pounds. He’s settled down real nice amongst the old girls, but I think it’s time we shoo him home to where he lives, next door.”
“Do you mean one of the tortoise’s next door? You don’t have to ask me twice,” Keith said and looked at the quad that obviously only held one or possibly two.
“Tell Noah to get the jeep,” Asa said. He stepped off the quad and walked over to the barn while I ran to find Noah who was on his phone in one of the stalls.
“Dude, we’ve got a situation, go get the jeep,” I said.
He looked up with a blank expression that was lit up in the dim barn by his phone. “The jeep?”
“That’s what Asa said.” He grinned before he took off running and I knew without a doubt there was more to this than a giant turtle in the field.