Page 30 of The Chances We Take

Seconds later, a Dodge with a few of the guys who worked for Colter’s family pulled up, saving me from explaining more of my childhood.

“Hey, Colt! Reid!” One of the guys, Landon, came over and gave us all hugs, patting us on the backs as he went.

“Lando! How’s everything been, buddy?” Colter grinned.

The others, Ledger, Walker, and Jasper, hopped out of the Dodge and gave their greetings.

“This is Ellison, my fiancée, and this is her best friend Isa.” Colter introduced Ellison and Isabelle.

“Ah, yeah, I remember you, El. Nice to see you again.” Landon nodded at Ellison. “And nice to meet you, too, Isa.”

They grinned at each other, and a wave of jealousy washed over me.

Don’t be stupid, Reid,I thought.You’re not together, anyway. Who cares if she and Landon hit it off?

Over the next twenty minutes, more stragglers pulled up and, before long, we’d gotten started. Hayden and Colter were on horseback, a couple of the local high school girls helping out were making sure the calves stayed in the corral, and Walker and Ledger had the branding irons.

Landon was making himself a little too comfortable around Isa, chatting it up with her instead of doing his job. Annoyance boiled in my stomach at the sight of it. If I could kick his ass, I would.

“Isa! You’re up next!” I called to her on instinct, andthe look of panic on her face almost made me want to take it back…almost. But if that’s what it took to get her away from Landon, I’d deal with it.

She hesitantly walked over to me, hands in her back pockets, leaving Landon behind with a scowl on his face.

“Get your hands out of your pockets, you’re gonna help me, all right?” I nodded at her hands, trying not to stare too long at how her jeans fit perfectly to her form.

“What do I even do?” she asked, bringing her hands out of her pockets only to wring them nervously.

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you. You’ll hold the calf’s hind legs,” I explained. “All right! Isa and I are next!”

Colter dragged out a calf, and I beckoned Isa to follow me. Ellison trailed so she could hold the head.

“You’re gonna sit on the ground and put one boot on this leg.” I sat down and showed her. “And then your other boot is going right here.”

“On itsbutt hole?” she exclaimed.

I chuckled. “Yes, Isa. Then you’re gonna hold the other leg and kinda pull it back toward you, to make sure it doesn’t move away. Got it?”

“Um, I guess.” She didn’t sound confident, but Ellison encouraged her as she got on the ground next to me.

“All right, I’m gonna move and you’re going to do what I just showed you.”

She nodded and situated herself on the ground, placing her feet where I had instructed. She looked up at me as if to say,“Now what?”

“Now, keep a hold of it and after they’re done, Ellison is gonna get up and as you follow you’re going to spin the calf that way”—I pointed out toward the pasture—“so it runs toward its momma and not toward us.”

Ledger came over and branded the calf. Isa winced alittle as the calf cried out, but she kept a strong hold, doing exactly what I told her to do. Before we knew it, it was over and they let the calf go free.

Dusting off her jeans, she walked over to me, a cheeky grin—which it seemed she was trying to hide—on her face.

“Not so bad, eh?” I grinned at her.

“It was all right,” she replied, clearly trying to be nonchalant, as she tried to walk past me, presumably to go back to Landon.

“Hold up there, Short Stack, you’re not a one-and-doner. You’re gonna do some more.” I grabbed her shoulders and flipped her around so she was facing the same way as me.

“But I—” she tried to protest, but I pulled her so her back was flush against my chest. “What are you?—”

“Shh…” I whispered in her ear. “You know, you can do better than Landon. You want a cowboy who actually does the work, you know?”

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