Page 24 of The Unbuttoned Ranger
“We don’t have to milk them by hand?”
“There are thirty goats. Trust me, you’ll want to use the machine, unless you want to be out here all.”
“Piper must do pretty good selling her cheese,” CaDee said as she dipped the towel into the solution.
“I’ve always told her she could go national. Best cheese this side of Texas.” He flipped on an old radio and turned up the volume to the country song. “The goats like music.”
****
CaDee stared down at the breast pump looking contraption hooked to a hose.“What do I do with this?”
“You attach them to the teats. Like so.” He showed her.“Pay close attention because tomorrow you’ll be on your own.”
After the machine was hooked up, he told her,“Now let them do their thing.” He strode out of the barn.
“Am I supposed to follow?” He didn’t answer. She had to jog to catch up with him.“Why do you think Piper needs help around here? There doesn’t seem to be much that needs tended to.”
“I’d say it’s the arthritis in her hands giving her fits. It might not seem like hard work yet, but there’s a lot to do for one person.” He stopped at the chicken coop.“Feed the chickens and then meet me in the cow barn.”
“Wait, how do I feed the chickens?”
“Feed’s in a bag inside and you sprinkle a couple of scoops on the ground. They’ll do the rest.”
“Which is the cow barn?” She saw that there were three other outbuildings.
“The one with the cows,” he said over his shoulder.
“The one with the cows.” She mocked under her breath, barely containing her eye roll.
She fed the chickens and found him in the barn. She’d already worked up a sweat and was grateful that the interior of the barn was cooled with large fans.
“Any trouble?” he asked with a lifted brow when she walked in.
“None at all.”
“Rake or shovel?”
“Rake or shovel what?”
He grabbed a rake and shovel that were hanging on hooks on the wall.“We need to muck the barn. Do you prefer raking or shoveling?”
“I’ll take the rake.”
“Do you need instructions?”
“I think it’s pretty self-explanatory.” She wasted no time raking the floor and he shoveled up the mess, dumping it in a wheelbarrow.“What’s Piper’s story?”
“What do you mean?” He paused to wipe the sweat off his brow.
“First impressions mean everything, but I had a hard time reading her.” She took a break, leaning on the rake. Although the fans were running at full blast they didn’t take the stuffiness, or the smell, away.
“She’s always been a hard nut to crack but she’s a good woman.”
“So you’ve known her a long time?”
“I live next door. I’ve known her all my life,” he said. She realized he was looking at her shirt, so she made sure the sleeves were hiding the fading bruises.“What’s your story, city girl?”
She focused on raking, not interested in having the spotlight on her.“There’s not much to tell.”
