Page 70 of Relentless

“They haven’t really caught on for some reason,” Oakleigh shrugged. “All the followers seem to want are the chickens.”

“If all else fails,” Bethany chuckled. “I’ve heard goat yoga is a thing.”

Oakleigh ran her fingers across her chin as she genuinely considered. “Maeve would never go for it.”

“Never say never,” Bethany smiled. “So — how are you doing with your mom being here?”

Bethany had clearly seen right through Oakleigh’s deflection. She sometimes reminded her so much of Paisley back in the days when they would suntan on the bow of the yacht and confide about the family drama. Her little sister always had a way of speaking truth and slicing through every facade.

Stop it, Oakleigh.

“I’ll be fine,” she replied quickly, hoping her overwhelming feelings of loss hadn’t traveled into her voice.

It wasn’t a complete lie.

“Just do me a favor,” Oakleigh quipped with an amused grin. “Keep Sawyer distracted long enough for me to install the Nugget Cam in the barn.”

“That I can do,” Bethany replied. “— I think.”

After completing the evening chores, Oakleigh joined Maeve in the living room with a mug in hand. She settled into the soft leather sofa by the roaring, crackling fireplace and took a long sip of her coffee.

Despite all the time Oakleigh spent honing her craft, nothing compared to Maeve’s expertise.

“It’s quiet,” Oakleigh remarked, relishing the silence.

“Finally,” Maeve agreed, taking a long drink of her dark black coffee.

There hadn’t been a moment of peace since Harper had arrived, and Sawyer’s accident had left an even greater feeling of unease.

“Bethany said Sawyer’s going to be just fine,” Oakleigh chimed in, merely making small talk.

“Oh, he’ll be okay,” Maeve replied. “He’s made of tougher stuff.”

“And —” Oakleigh didn’t have to finish her question. They knew each other well enough that her concerned expression conveyed it all.

“I’ll be fine,” Maeve answered, but she seemed distant like she had the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders.

“Did you see that reel today from Melody Fields?” Oakleigh asked, pivoting to a more comfortable topic.

“Oh, don’t tell me,” Maeve shook her head, taking the phone from Oakleigh’s extended hand. She pulled her reading glasses over her eyes, and tapped the screen.

The video had been recorded days earlier.

Tucker was standing in the frigid mountain weather. He was shivering in the light of his truck’s headlights. Snow was catching on the top of his cowboy hat, and piling up around the brim.

“Is it recording?” Tucker asked, swiping his glove over his frozen mustache. “Alright —Tucker here.”

“I wanted to let our fans know that we’re still stuck in the pass,” he informed. “Big thanks to Callaway Ranch for stopping and giving us a hand.”

He swept his arm behind him to reveal Dallas working under the hood of the truck.

Oakleigh saw Maeve’s eyes brighten, just as she had hoped.

Dallas had obviously taken charge of the potentially dire situation. His hands were black with grease and he was pointing to different parts of the engine, giving orders to Colton and Wade.

Tucker stepped back into the center of the frame.

“We picked up some real fine bulls at the auction —”

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