Lawrence held up a hand. “We don’t need one, and after all of the money Colton had to spend to fix up this place after the storm, I just don’t see a new hire, male or female, happening anytime soon.”
“Eh, probably not.”
“Why do you want a cowgirl working here so badly? Looking for love yourself?”
“I… Not really,” Myles said. “Happy with the status quo, for now at least, but for you,,, yeah, I think you need to get yourself a girl.”
Lawrence furrowed his brow suspiciously. “And why do you think that?”
“Maybe because then you’ll stop killing yourself.”
“I’m not—”
“You are. You head from here to the fire station where you’ll stay for hours. You sleep there more nights than you do at your apartment, and the think is… how much sleep do you get a night? Not nearly enough. Studies have been done that show that if you don’t get enough sleep long enough, it’ll take years off your life. You need to slow down some and just relax, and maybe finding a girl to settle down with will help you cut back. You should switch to part time. We could get a cowgirl then.”
“I am not cutting back,” Lawrence protested.
“I’m just worried about you, and I don’t want you to die young.”
“I’m not—”
“You run into burning buildings,” Myles said. “Between the sleep thing cutting down on your lifespan and the fires… I have reason to pray for your safety and health and well-being.”
Myles looked so earnest that Lawrence wrapped an arm around him for a side hug.
“I’ll try to sleep more, okay?” Lawrence said. “It’s the best I can do.”
“Well, I’m going to add praying for you to find love in my prayers,” Myles announced.
Lawrence just chuckled. “I—”
“Hush. I’m praying right now.”
Lawrence just shook his head, but he couldn’t help smiling. He hadn’t realized he was freaking out his brother with his lifestyle, and he appreciated the prayers.
He’d always figured that love would happen on its own time, when God wanted it to, but maybe that time was coming sooner rather than later.
Lawrence bowed his head and prayed that not only he but all of the cowboys at the orchard would find love soon.
* * *