Page 31 of All For You
And as nice as that would be, I knew it would be a waste of his money. They’d probably get one use and then sit in the back of my tiny closet.
The alarm on my phone sounded, and I knew it was the preset to remind me of my family’s Sunday dinner. I was dreading it, especially after the run-in with Alex earlier today. I’m sure, between her and my parents, the rumor of me and Owen being a thing was spreading like wildfire. Good in theory, bad in reality, because I was not the kind who enjoyed being the center of attention.
Probably because that was never my role in our family. I was in the shadows. The afterthought. The one who picked up pieces when no one was looking.
But Karma must have been on my side after helping Owen, because as I arrived back home for dinner, only a few ranch hands, plus Autumn, Colton, and Beverly, were seated around the table with my parents. Owen’s mom was quieter than usual as my mom passed around the pan of stuffed peppers. She was normally the most talkative during meals, but her eyes kept glancing over to the empty chair beside me, then casting downward.
It took me a few minutes to realize my parents and Beverly hoped Owen would be joining us for the meal. An invitation I hadn’t considered when I left his place, which was bad if we were supposed to be dating.
I tried to cover up my mistake by explaining that he was busy unpacking and speaking with his coach. Only the smallest of fibs, and thankfully, they seemed to buy it. Everyone but Autumn. I had a sneaking suspicion that Alex already spilled the beans to our eldest sister. Neither of them was a fan of Owen’s. It actually surprised me that my parents liked him so much. They always had. Growing up, they used to explain his picking on me was a way for him to tell me he liked me. I never understood that logic.
Dad and Colton were on dish duty, and I spent the evening moving around some cattle in preparation for the harvest. We didn’t raise them for milk or beef but for sustainability of the farmland. After a fall harvest of the corn, the cows were experts at clean-up duty, grazing on the leftover corn kernels and plants. It not only helped the soil but the cows as well.
As I drove the fence, keeping the cows away from the creek that ran along the back and west side of the property, Inoticed a break in the wire. Aesthetically, we ran a wood fence along the parameter of the fields and property, but we kept a wire fence a few feet inside that line. It was double protection for the animals—keeping them in and predators out.
I usually took care of fixes like this in the daylight. The setting sun made it difficult to see clearly to tie the barbed wire, but it had to be done.
There was a small spool of wire in the back of the UTV, and I ran it from one post to the other, making sure it was taut. This was a smooth cord, and I’d have to clip off and tie portions to create barbs.
Carrie, the cow who loved to test my patience the most, moved toward the newly attached wire, lifted her back leg, and kicked. That asshole repeated the movement three more times—with what I’d swear was a smug grin—until the twist finally popped free.
“Dammit, Carrie! Do you want foxes or coyotes coming after you? Can you please not be a jerk today?”
The cow walked off, head held high in the air, and that’s when I saw the fencing was about to split open. And that’s also when I did the stupidest thing ever. I’d left my gloves in the truck, but that was an afterthought as lunged forward, and I grab the released barbed wire, rolling around my arm and wrist to force the fencing back together. By the time I was done and my adrenaline waned, I finally felt what I’d done to myself.
Along my arm, a deep cut was sliced into my skin. I was going to need to bandage it up as soon as possible. The blood dripped down my hand as I carried the wires to the back of the vehicle, and though I never had issues with blood before, I started feeling woozy.
“Shit,” I mumbled as my vision blurred while I tossed the bundle into the open bed of the UTV. “Freaking Carrie.” The cow meandered close by again, her white head a contrast to herbrown body. It was the only way I could pick her out from the blackness closing in. It was as if the cow got some sick enjoyment out of seeing me lose it.
I stumbled over to the passenger side, where we stored a first aid kit under the seat. I rooted in the box for some of the large bandages but came up empty. What we had in stock was something that could cover nothing more than a splinter.
Thinking quickly, I wrapped my arm in gauze, ignoring how the blood immediately seeped through the white cloth. I continued wrapping until the spool ran empty, then used the medical tape to secure the top and bottom.
I bent forward and lifted my arm in the air, doing my best to decrease the blood flow to the area and restore it to my head. Closing my eyes, I tried to take my mind off the throbbing sensation.
I could hear the mooing in the background as if Carrie now felt some sort of regret for her actions, but then again, she was more likely mooing in victory. She hated whenever we moved them over to a new field, and she was the ringleader for the six of them. Whenever they were moved, the herd acted out for about two weeks before settling again. All of them, except Carrie. She had it out for me all the time, even though I was the one who fed her most days.
Opening my eyes, I sighed as my vision returned. Leaving my left arm in the air, I scooted over to the driver seat. I held onto the top of the vehicle, as I started the ignition. Knowing I’d have to patch the broken wire in the morning, I prayed nothing would breach the barrier during the night, or that Carrie would break more wires loose. It was too late in the evening to send any of the ranch hands out there. The sun had been setting when I first arrived; now, twilight gave way to a navy abyss.
The dirt path led me toward the main barn, but I turned off just before I reached the wooden structure, heading to my house instead.
I didn’t think twice about my outside lights being on, my mind solely focused on my arm and getting it cleaned up as soon as possible. Fear of a tetanus shot pumped adrenaline into my blood as I scooted out of the UTV and rushed toward my door.
Most days, it was unlocked, since we knew who was coming and going on the property. What surprised me was finding Owen sitting on my couch, reading one of my travel books.
I stood just inside the house with my arm lifted high in the air when our gazes collided. His smile fell from his face as he took me in. I could imagine how pale my skin had turned, and by the way he frowned, I was certain I didn’t look as alive as I had earlier today.
“Aspen? What happened?” he asked, rushing over to me, his hands cupping my cheeks in a way I’d have to think over later. It was almost caring. “Who did this to you?” He was staring at my arm still hovering above my head as if a tether in the sky was holding it up.
“No one,” I whispered. “Just a demonic cow and some barbed wire.”
“Fuck, should we go to the hospital? Is it bad?”
“I’m… I’m not sure, but I need to get it clean. Shit, I’m getting woozy again.”
My body started swaying, and I closed my eyes, only to feel myself lifted in the air. I could tell by the smell of the sunscreen I applied every morning that he carried me into the tight bathroom. There was barely enough room for one person, let alone two.
My bottom hit the toilet seat cover, and Owen lowered my arm to rest along the edge of the vanity. I leaned my headback against the wall, hearing the cabinets under the sink slam closed, and then a gentle hand ran through my hair.
