Page 58 of Love and Memories

“You’re pretty wound up this morning. Is there something else bothering you besides Dean?”

She released a deep breath and sat back against the seat. “I’m sorry. It’s the hormones. That’s not a good excuse, but I didn’t get to eat this morning. Dean was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

“Why didn’t you get to eat? We can stop and get you something on the way.”

Bella held up a hand. “No, thanks. I can’t eat. That’s the problem. Nothing stays down. At least nothing that I want. The doctor said the morning sickness might be the worst between weeks six and twelve but also let me know that it could last the whole pregnancy.”

Travis kept his attention on the road as he reached into the back seat and pulled out a box of crackers. “Would this help?”

Bella took the box and inspected it. “You keep crackers in your truck? A whole unopened box?”

“Since you weren’t able to eat breakfast the last time we went to work, I figured it might be a new trend.”

Bella stared at the box as tears began to prick behind her eyes. “Thank you.” She opened the box, pulled a cracker out, and shoved it into her mouth before the emotion had time to claw all the way up her throat.

“Tammy said she had something new for us to work on today. Any idea what it is?” Travis asked.

Bella shook her head as she nibbled the rest of the cracker. “No clue.”

When they parked in front of the Bensons’ house, she was already waiting for them on the front porch.

“It’s a beautiful day!” Tammy said with her arms spread out wide.

“It sure is,” Travis said before pointing to the pallet of plywood and bundles of wood. “What’s this?”

“Your new project. You’re replacing the floor in one of the cabins.”

Bella clapped her hands together. “Fun. I’ve never done that before.”

“Travis knows what he’s doing,” Tammy said with a slap on his shoulder. “Matt’s gone to get the forklift, and we’ll get you loaded up.”

Bella looked up at Travis. “Am I going to be able to carry this stuff?”

“Nope. No carrying for you.” He turned and opened the toolbox on the back of his truck. A few seconds later, he pulled out a handheld machine that looked a lot like a drill. “Have you ever used a nail gun?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“It’s easy. You pull this trigger, and it shoots a nail out.”

Bella’s eyes widened. “It shoots a nail out?”

“You can handle it. Just be careful.”

Bella took the tool from him, careful not to touch near the trigger. “No big deal. I can do this.”

Tammy clapped her hands and turned to head back into the house. “Oh, I almost forgot. I packed you a snack bag.”

Matt drove the forklift over, and the noise saved Bella from having to respond right away. Matt and Tammy had been supportive from the start, but how could Bella ever get used to their kindness? It went above and beyond sometimes.

When Tammy reappeared with a bag of snacks, she handed it to Bella with a hug. “Come back for lunch. I have beef tips in the slow cooker.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Bella got back into Travis’s truck and waited for Mr. Benson to load the rest of the supplies.

Travis took his place at the wheel and headed toward the row of cabins off to the east of the main house. “Looks like they’re planning to offer housing when they start hiring wranglers.”

“Is that common around here? It seems like a huge perk. Jobs don’t usually provide housing for employees.”

“Wranglers are sometimes seasonal help, especially around here when the calving and hay seasons are in the spring, summer, and fall. Winter is for maintaining and making sure the herds have food and water, but you don’t have to work the calvesas much. A lot of wranglers move to Texas and the southern states for the winter because they can work cows year-round.”

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