Chapter Five
“Hurry girls!” My voice booms up the stairs. “We’re going to be late. Lythie’s waiting for us.”
My niece offered to take Addie and Evie while we push the cows up the mountain this week.
They’re always excited to stay with Blythe and Justin, especially now that they have baby Jake.
I’m a little jealous they get to stay and I don’t.
It still blows my mind when they all call me grandpa.
He’s not genetically my grandson, but the way our family came to be, doesn’t conform to societal norms.
My girls bound down the stairs from their bedroom carrying their duffle bags. “You got everything you need? It will only be a few days and Lythie has a key if you forget anything.”
“Yep!” Evie beams. Addie smiles along with her sister and we head out the door to my truck.
The Forge family ranch is only about fifteen minutes up the road, so I’ll be back within the hour and we can start getting things ready.
I open the back door to my truck and help each of my daughters up inside before closing it.
As I make my way down the gravel drive and past the barn, I look out my window and see Dixie saddling her horse.
She’s got an amazing, red and white palomino.
Its mane and tail are blonde though. I wonder if it’s just as bullheaded as she is?
I can’t get our last encounter out of my mind as I drive. When she made that threat, it only made the growing burn inside of me hotter. I’ve loved deeply, been consumed by a woman before. But this woman…she put a fire in my belly that apparently doesn’t go away with a good night's rest.
As I pull up to their house, Justin is standing on his front porch with little Jake, bouncing him in his arms. He’s about a month old now, born just a week or two early.
That’s the nice thing about owning your own business…
You make the schedule. Justin is the best farrier in the state and no one can convince me otherwise.
He puts shoes on all the horses for Silo Springs, and basically the whole of Yellowstone county.
The doors of the truck fly open as soon as I have it in park, and my girls are running.
They completely forgot about their bags, and I can’t blame them.
I watch as Justin bends down with the baby to let them nuzzle his cheeks and give him a kiss.
Our life looked completely different around this time last year.
I never could’ve dreamed how this beautiful world would collide.
“How’s it going Grandpa?” Justin pats the baby’s bum, looking at me with a shit-eating grin on his face as I make my way up the steps.
“I’m barely forty-five. Now I’m wondering if you’re all just trying to hurt my feelings.” I chuckle and bend down to kiss my grandson on the forehead.
“Coming inside to say hi?” He asks with an invitation.
I lean and look inside through the doorway my girls left open in their hurry, when they bolted through.
I consider it, but decide I should probably get going.
Knowing myself, if I step inside I’ll want to get the girls settled and then ask Lythie how she’s been doing and I don’t have that kind of time right now.
“Not today, I’ll stay awhile when I get back.
I’ve gotta run, tell my three girls I love ‘em and I’ll see you all on Friday.
” Patting Justin on the shoulder, he wishes me luck.
I’m gonna need it, looks like Blondie probably volunteered herself to go up with us today and I don’t know how that’s gonna go after last night.
By the time I get back to Silo Springs everyone is ready to go and the herd is all rounded up in the main pen, just waiting for us to drive them out of here.
I throw my truck in park and lock it up. Toby and Brian are leaning over the corral, their backs facing me as I stride toward them to ask who’s staying and who’s going. I holler at them once I get a few yards away.
“Alrighty boys, who’s it gonna be today?”
I look at Toby. “Well, sir, we took volunteers first. But then had to eenie meenie miney mo, and volun-told a few they had to stay.”
I chuckle and turn to Brian who has an eyebrow quirked. “What? You're afraid to tell me something…” He juts his chin toward the opposite side of the corral and I see exactly who he means me to.
“She was adamant, sir. We told her it’s rough up there and we sleep on the ground most of the time.
She wouldn’t budge. We agreed she could be one to go up.
We’re bringing Ashley and Clancy too. Figured we had to since we don’t want a bunch of new guys watching everything around here while we’re gone. ”
I place a hand on each of my supervisors shoulders. “You did good. It’ll be fun to see if she can ride and wrangle as good as they say she does.”
Both men nod and I give them instructions to tell the cowboys it’s time.
My cook Sydney is waiting in his pickup truck for the green light.
He’s got a lifted chuck-wagon sleeper trailer set up on the back.
It’s got everything he needs to refrigerate the food and keep the boys fed.
He usually brings about a week's worth of food and water, then drives down to the ranch to stock up, before going back again.
I head to the barn to get my horse, Samson.
The boys have already saddled him for me.
He’s a dark chocolate brown gelding with the sweetest temperament.
I really enjoy riding him since my longtime horse, Fred, has gotten older.
I just don’t feel comfortable taking him up the mountain anymore.
Chilling at home in retirement is where he’s happiest.
As I swing my leg over the saddle I lift my eyes and see her, standing right in front of Samson.
Her wavy golden blonde hair has ribbons of brown running through it in the sunlight.
Her hat is on her head, belt buckle showing and spurs on her boots.
The only thing distinguishing her from the other cowboys is the obvious fact that she is a woman—one that could burn a man to ash with a single look and a whip of her tongue.
“Boss…” She stares up at me.
I back Samson and turn him sideways so we can see each other better. “Yeah…” I say nonchalantly as I straighten the ball cap on my head. I’ve never been much for felt when it comes to hats.
“I’m comin’ today.”
Does she think I don’t already know that? I chuckle and stare at the barn wall before turning my gaze back to her. “I know.”
“You’re not gonna make me stay because of what I said last night?”
No. I will not make her stay because she threatened me. She has the balls to say what’s on her mind and stand up for herself; she deserves to go if she wants to. Grady… He’s staying to shovel shit all summer.
“Nope.” Is all I say back, before I trot Samson out of the barn and toward the corral.