Boone
Gabs was a trooper. She stayed holding the mama cow the entire time it took me to turn the calf around, put the chains on the front hooves, then get Triton to help me pull it free. She didn’t try to look around the cow and had her head close to the animal’s, murmuring to it. That made me smile.
When it was all over, Gabs released her hold on the cow’s foreleg and came over to me. I wanted to sling my arm around her shoulders and pull her in close against me, but I was covered in bloody mess so resisted the urge as we both stood side by side and watched the calf as it took its first steps, with its mama giving it a once over before beginning to lick it clean.
“You did great, darlin’.”
She scoffed at me. “I didn’t do much. You’re the one who did all the work. Why the chains?”
I decided not to get too detailed with the description. Gabs had been a star doing everything I asked of her, but the fact she clearly hadn’t wanted to see the action had me thinking she wouldn’t appreciate a blow-by-blow account of it, either.
“They’re special OB chains. I wrapped one around each of the forelegs, then with Triton’s help, pulled the calf out.”
She nodded and moved to press against me, but I stepped away. “Whoa. As much as I’d love to cuddle, I’m covered in muck you probably don’t want to share, darlin’.”
“Eww. Yeah, guessing this has put a cramp in our dinner plans.”
I had to laugh at the expression on her face as she took in my body. I preferred the heated look she gave me earlier to this disgusted one, but she still looked as adorable as all get-out.
“C’mon, let’s ride back and get the horses put up, then I’ll clean up and we can eat back at the house. We can do the picnic another day.”
She nodded. “I’ll spend some time with Bolt while you clean up. She looked so damn miserable when we rode out earlier.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing as I mounted Triton.
“You’re gonna spoil all my animals. First you pet and coddle my cattle. Now, you’re gonna have my horses expecting all sorts of benefits.”
“Daisy earned it. And look at how cute her little baby is.”
I shook my head as I got sorted to get moving. I’d been wondering if she’d named the cow. Now I had my answer.
“So, you planning on naming the entire herd?”
She grinned as she guided Stormy to walk beside Triton and me. “Figure I’ll just call all the girls Daisy. You have way too many to go naming them all individually.” She cleared her throat and shrugged a shoulder. “I had to call her something while I was petting and talking to her.”
Then she leaned forward to stroke her palm down Stormy’s neck. “And I’ll spoil your horses as much as you’ll let me. I miss Whiskey and the other horses I used to see nearly every day.”
My heart broke a little for her. Her landlord’s son was an asshole to cut her off like that. No way could I give up all my animals on a dime like she’d been forced to do. Sure, the horses hadn’t technically been hers, but she’d explained how she helped take care of them over the past year or so. She’d bonded with them, and now she wasn’t allowed to see them. I knew how much that hurt.
While I’d been away at college, my parents had sold the family ranch and all the animals, including the horses I’d grown up taking care of. It had been a serious blow to my soul, but I understood why they’d done it. The attack on my sister had left her pregnant with triplets. Both during the pregnancy and while the girls had been babies, she’d needed to be close to medical care, but she’d also needed our folks to be there for her, too.
Unlike my grandfather and me, my dad didn’t get the ranching gene. He did it because it was what he knew, not because it was something that was in his blood, and he couldn’t live without. He’d been happy to sell up and move closer to town to help Summer with the girls. Also meant he could follow his real passion, carpentry.
I leaned forward so I could stroke Triton’s neck.
“You’re welcome out here whenever you want, Gabs. The horses would love to have you out here lovin’ on them whenever you can manage it.”
“Just the horses?” Her voice went low, with a sexy rasp to it.
I turned toward her with a smirk. “Darlin’, you know damn well that I’m always happy to see you.”
She gave me a wink and a grin that had my body coming alive and left me trying to discreetly rearrange myself in the saddle because riding with a hard-on wasn’t much fun. I sure as hell didn’t want to slow our ride down. It wouldn’t be long before I had my silver-haired beauty all to myself in the privacy of my home.
I couldn’t wait.
Gabs
I’d just pulled the saddle off Stormy when my phone started ringing. I ignored the first call as I had my hands full, but when it rang a second time after I’d put the saddle away, I pulled it out of my pocket. Seeing it was my brother, I answered it straight away.