Page 31 of Wild and Unruly
“Okay!” she calls back with a wave, then she turns to me and pinches my stomach. “Have a good day.”
I frown. “Wait, where are you guys going?”
“We’re heading out for CT to show me the property and how the cattle part of the business works.” She pecks me on the cheek, and I’m not quick enough to pull her into me and keep her from leaving.
“Well, be careful,” I call out, slapping my hand lightly against my thigh and wishing I could have more time to talk with her. It seems to be running out rather quickly.
“I will!” she says and jogs into the barn, catching up with CT, and he smiles as he talks to her. I narrow my eyes.
I’m not jealous she’s going off with CT and some of the hands to see the property.
But…I am a little jealous she’s going off with CT and some of the hands to see the property.
I sigh and look down at Freckles, who’s sick of standing and nudges me again. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m being ridiculous.”
She pushes me again and nearly makes me lose my footing. “Fine, fine. We’re going.”
Holyshit,that was a long day.
I worked all my young horses and then when that was done and I couldn’t take the begging from my niece anymore, I hopped in the stalls and helped her muck out. She only works one day a week on stalls for the summer, but it was her least favorite day.
Honestly, I didn’t know a single person that would say shoveling shit was their favorite job.
But the big puppy dog eyes and the pouty lip got me every time, dating all the way back to when she was just three years old and mastered that look.
I’m sitting on a box outside the tack room when the group from the cattle ranch tour comes back. Bonnie dismounts, and I watch her closely, from the way her hair is now up on her head in a bun to the shirt that has sweat soaked through to the way her jeans cup her ass perfectly. She was a fucking sight.
She pulls off her straps where her cameras are resting and walks inside the barn with her horse, moving to one of the cross-tie areas.
I stand and make my way over to her. “Need some help?”
She smiles at me and hands me her cameras. I take them carefully. “Their bag is over by that box. Could you just set them in there, please?”
I nod and do as she asks, wondering how much the guys outside can see us. They’re still standing in a semi-circle, and I frown when I see Logan went, too. I thought he was out today.
“Have fun?” I ask as she starts to uncinch the saddle. I step up beside her, slightly behind her, and she smiles over her shoulder.
“So much fun. I can’t believe how big this ranch is.” She keeps moving, not affected in the least by how close I am. “Imean, I knew it was big since you and I went so far up, but still, it’s massive.”
“It’s been family owned for years. They bought this piece a long, long time ago and kept it going.”
“That’s incredible.” She shakes her head and nudges me out of the way. I step aside and watch her walk around the back of the horse, keeping her hand on him so he knows where she’s at. Once she latches the cinches, I take the saddle and pad off for her and go put them away.
When I get back, she’s in the wash rack rinsing him off.
“You know, that will be a great part to add to the article. Family owned for what, four generations?” she kind of asks over her shoulder, and I mentally calculate that.
“Yeah, something like that. Cal would be who you talk to.”
“Do you think he would talk to me?” she asks, pausing in her rinsing to look at me. “He didn’t seem that interested in the article.”
I think about it for a moment. Knowing who Bonnie is, I think Cal would end up really liking her. He was CT and Graham’s dad and had been running the ranch long before any of us came along. As he’s gotten older, he’s taken a step back from the day-to-day parts of running the place.
“He probably would. I’d just ask CT.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.”
I finish watching her clean up the horse, and she lets him stand in the alleyway for a few minutes while he cools down.
