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The orchard seemed unrecognizable from what it had been just yesterday. All that remained were drenched and ruined crops and uprooted trees, the soil churned up and muddy. They found broken buildings, destroyed fences, and more. What once seemed so peaceful had been transformed into a scene of destruction. Roy stopped for a moment to take it all in and wished that he could have done more to prevent this from happening.

But Roy knew that no matter how hard they tried, nature had its own way of taking its course. He looked back at his two companions who were surveying the damage as well with a mix of admiration and fear. Though the storm had caused considerable destruction, these three cowboys still stood strong, determined to move forward and rebuild what was lost.

"We will get through this," Lawrence told his brother, clasping his hand onto Colton's shoulder.

The owner nodded, but he appeared so lost that Roy's heart skipped a beat.

"Let's worry about the animals first," Roy murmured.

"The buildings... the roofs, the windows... I..." Colton ran a hand down his face.

"Roy's right," Lawrence said. "The animals first."

The trio made sure that all of the animals were tended to before allowing them back into their pens, making sure none were injured from the storm. They removed any debris from pathways so animals wouldn’t trip. They had just secured away the pigs when the rest of the cowboys all raced up to them.

"This... Wow," Myles murmured.

"I've never seen a storm cause so much damage," Ronald said.

"How were the roads?" Lawrence asked.

"A lot of downed trees," Jack said.

Parker nodded. "We had to take so many detours to get here. I'm sorry we weren't here earlier."

"It is what it is," Colton said wearily. "We didn't lose any of the animals, so there's that, but the amount of work to be done... It'll take weeks to handle it all. Longer. Months maybe."

"It'll be done by Easter," Roy cut in.

They all stared at him.

"Easter's only six weeks away," Colton said. "I know there are seven of us, but—"

"No buts," Roy insisted, "and none of you have to deal with the construction issues."

Colton furrowed his brow. His jaw dropped, but before he could say anything, Roy held up a hand.

"If the lot of you handle the ground, the soil, the plants and crops... I can tackle the construction."

"By yourself?" Ronald wrinkled his nose. "Are you sure your eyes aren't bigger than your stomach?"

Roy laughed. Their mom would say that all the time to them.

"I know what I can handle," Roy said confidently.

Hadn't he just been thinking to himself that he needed something more? Maybe this was it. Maybe as the second oldest cowboy and the oldest of the Griffins, Roy felt the need to prove himself. What better way could he do that than to help with this? He had always been a handyman of sorts when it came to the fences, and he could help with shingles and the rest. It wasn't as if he had a girlfriend or wife and kids. If it required more hours than normal, he was willing to do whatever he had to.

"If you're sure..." Colton said slowly.

“I’m positive,” Roy said.

“Uh oh,” Parker teased. “I see that look in his eye. Just let him do it. He won’t take no for an answer, and if he wants to handle it, why not? There’s more than enough work elsewhere.”

“Yes, but…” Colton gave Roy a look.

Roy beamed. “I mean it. Let me do this.”

“All right,” Colton said, clapping his back. “If you need any help at all, you let us know. Don’t be afraid to ask, you hear?”


Tags: Sierra Gamble Romance