Page 77 of Spur of the Moment
“She seems sweet,” Brandy said.
“If that son of mine has half a brain, he’ll hire her,” my mom added from behind me.
I turned around, raising an eyebrow in question.
“It’s about time my kids start settling down,” she said, as if that was enough explanation.
“With an employee?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Better that than some city girl.”
Brandy’s jaw dropped. “Mrs. Bronson,” she gasped.
“Nothin’ wrong with them. But Lennon deserves a sweet girl, and from what I saw, she fits the bill.”
“Mom, you can’t go around playing matchmaker for us,” I griped as I gathered up the papers on the table to start packing them away.
“Isn’t that a mother’s job?”
Brandy laughed while she began folding the table cloth. “It better not be. My mom has terrible taste in men.”
Brandy’s dad had left their family when she was twelve after her mom found out he’d been cheating on her their entire marriage. There was a backstory with her father I didn’t know much about other than his tendency to sleep around. He wasn’t home much when we’d hang out at her house, and if he was, Brandy would ask if we could hang out at my parents’ ranch. Thankfully, Brandy was an only child, so he didn’t leave her to raise a bunch of children on her own, but even being a single mom to one child was hard.
Ms. Rose was like a second mom to me and I was now realizing it'd been too long since I’d seen her. I’d have to plan a visit as soon as I had a free moment. Brandy no longer lived with her, having moved out shortly after she turned eighteen, but she visited her every other weekend, regardless of whatever boyfriend she may or may not have around.
My mom got to work loading the truck as Brandy and I took down the canopy tent.
Brandy eyed me. “Was he good? You’re not giving me any details, girl! I’m practically chomping at the bit here.”
I started working on the metal leg opposite of hers, collapsing the tent. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
She scoffed as she worked on her pole, trying to maneuver her hand without using the finger that she’d broken. She’d already taken off the splint. “Oh, please. You told me about vomit guy. Plus, I already know you two have kissed. I mean the rest.”
Brandy was my best friend. I couldn’tnottell her about it.
I made sure my mom was out of earshot and told her about last night, leaving certain details out, like how his hand felt wrapped around my neck, or the words he’d muttered with his head between my legs.
Just thinking about what he did to me made my cheeks heat.
I couldn’t wait to get back home to Bailey.
40
Bailey
Idecided to get some things done around my parents’ ranch before heading over to the Bronsons’. With winter fast approaching, we had a lot of tasks to take care of to prep the property, like emptying the water tank, draining all the sprinklers so they didn’t freeze over, and making sure we were stocked on essentials for the animals for winter.
Then, once I was done doing that here, I’d do the same over at the Bronsons’. They had their hands full with the rescue horses in the winter, so I did my share of winterizing to help out in preparation of the unforgiving season to come.
Winter always stressed all of us out because many of the horses in Bottom of the Buckle Horse Rescue were thin and malnourished when they came in. They took in less during thewinter solely due to the fact that travel was too risky in the cold for them.
Every now and then, Mrs. Bronson would find a neglect case she couldn’t turn down, and we’d do our best to get the animal here, but it was too often that we lost them on the way.
Winters were hard on these animals, and if not given the proper care to begin with, regardless if they were in a trailer on their way to the rescue or in a field with no food, their chances of making it were slim.
After I all but kicked the sprinkler system for being the most frustrating and finicky thing on the damn planet, I checked my watch, seeing that it was almost time for her to arrive.
I’d called Billy’s daughter this morning before I started on my chores to see if she’d be willing to meet to discuss her late father’s property next to Bottom of the Buckle Ranch. I’d found her number on the listing online, and thankfully, she’d been free, so I decided to delay my trip over to the Bronsons’ by another thirty minutes.
