"I did," Roy admitted, smiling slightly at Beverly. "But it doesn't mean I don't appreciate my brothers' hard work and dedication when it comes to building something together."
Roy's words were met with unanimous nodding from all four Griffin brothers, making Beverly feel oddly special for being included in such an intimate moment between them all.
It was clear that these men had grown up doing the same things together—working on projects, maybe even a little building here and there, at the very least fences here on the orchard, and being a true family unit. They had each other's backs no matter what, which was something that Beverly could really appreciate.
"Praise God," Jack said. "I don't mind having you around the orchard at all, Beverly, especially because I was more than a little worried about Roy trying to tackle everything all by himself."
"Sometimes he gets egg on his face when he dies off more than he can chew," Ronald said.
"That's rich, coming from you," Roy retorted. He reached over and brushed at his youngest brother's goatee. "You have crumbs from lunch in your beard!"
"I did not!" Ronald exclaimed. He glanced around wildly. "Did I?"
They all laughed, including Beverly.
"Well,boys," Roy said emphatically, "the lot of you should be getting back to work, don't you think?"
"You too." Ronald fist-bumped him and tipped his hat to Beverly before walking off.
"You keep Roy in line," Jack said with a wink. "If you need help with that, I'll be more than happy to oblige."
"I'll keep that in mind," Beverly said, laughing.
"Be sure to let him help as much as you need," Parker said, sounding serious for once.
The two of them headed off, and Beverly turned back to Roy.
"At this point, you might as well meet the last two cowboys, Colton's young brothers, Lawrence and Myles," Roy said. "Then we can get back to it."
"Lead the way," she said, taking off her gloves so she could shake hands if someone offered.
Roy gestured for Beverly to follow him, and together, they made their way to the other side of the orchard.
"Myles is twenty-three, a year older than Ronald. He's a bit gregarious but can sometimes get himself into one kind of trouble or another. He's known to be quite a charmer and has never been able to pass up an opportunity for an adventure. Lawrence, though, is a little more like Colton. They're both quieter and more introverted, although he has plenty of friends. He's a volunteer firefighter."
"Wow," she murmured. "Good for him."
Roy led Beverly to a nearby stable where two young men were leading horses for a walk for some exercise. They looked to be in their early to mid-twenties. The older one had hair as dark as Colton’s and a five o'clock shadow compared to the oldest with his full beard and mustache. The youngest was clean-shaven, and his hair was a lighter shade of brown. Both seemed to possess a youthful exuberance that was endearing. They wore matching plaid shirts, denim overalls and leather boots that were caked with mud from working in the fields all morning.
"They're just like the rest of us," Roy commented before the cowboys noticed them. "They're hardworking young men who don't mind getting their hands dirty. Lawrence, Myles," Roy said as he approached them, motioning for Beverly to come closer as well. "This is Beverly Young. She's helping with the construction.”
“Is that so?” Lawrence patted his horse’s neck before ducking under the horse’s neck to cross over and shake her head. “Glad to have you on board.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“It’s about time this place had a feminine presence,” Myles declared. “I’ve been saying we should hire a cowgirl, but there’s enough work for us all. We don’t need another hire, so I’ve been ignored… but I do know how to wear down Colton, so we’ll see.”
Beverly laughed. “I take it you three have the same relationship as Roy and his brothers do.”
“That depends,” Lawrence drawled, “by what you mean by that.”
“Loving but teasing terribly,” she said.
“Not terribly,” Myles said. “not us. Never.”
“The Griffins were giving Roy a hard time?” Lawrence asked dryly. “That is such a surprise!”
Beverly laughed. She could tell that working at the ranch must be a blast, and the orchard was beautiful. Working here was going to be just what she needed to get back on track after losing out on those three other jobs as well as getting accustomed to working without her father beside her.