Page 56 of Knot what I want for Christmas
“They’re pregnant?” Hollie says.
“Yep. Calves will come in spring,” I tell her.
The cattle hear us coming and turn and start walking our way.
“They think we’ve got food, right?” she asks me.
“Yep,” I say. “Sorry, girls, but we left plenty in the field yesterday.” In fact, Clay and Nash are already looking for the hay bales, sprinkling it on top of the snow. “Come on,” I say. “Let’s check the water.”
At the back of the shed, there are two troughs fed by the pumps. “It’s heated and insulated to stop them from freezing over in the winter but it’s always worth checking. Besides, the water trough itself may have iced over,” I explain. And I’m right – they have. There’s a thick layer of ice sitting on top of the water, preventing the cattle from drinking.
I walk back over to Storm, pull a small pickaxe from the saddlebag, and stroll back over. The ice is thicker than it looks,and it takes me several swings to crack it. Then I use the other end of the axe to swirl it into the water, encouraging it to melt. Then I walk to the next one.
“Hey, tough girl,” I say with a smirk. “Want to give it a try?”
She lifts her chin with determination. “Yep,” she says.
I hand her the axe. She swings it right up above her head and then down again with a hard thwack. The blade of the axe lodges straight in the ice and refuses to move, and the propulsion has her losing her balance and skidding on the snowy ground. I’m there in a flash, righting her back on her feet.
“Sorry,” she says.
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “Takes a bit of skill. Watch.”
I unhook the axe from the ice and thwack it again. Then I hand it back to her. She copies my action and this time keeps her balance. The ice cracks, fissures running along its surface, and she sinks it into the liquid below with a satisfied smile.
“I did it,” she says.
“I think you could do anything you set your mind to. Hollie Bright. You’re right, you are tough, and I’m sorry if we haven’t treated you that way.”
She glances up at me. “I’m not always tough.”
“Can I let you into a little secret?” I say, bending low so my mouth is by her ear.
“What’s that?”
“I’m not always tough. And you may find this incredibly hard to believe, but neither is Clay Jackson.”
“Oh my goodness,” she says, giggling. “I think I might drop dead with shock.”
“Please don’t,” I tell her. “Dead bodies are extremely hard to move and even harder to dispose of.”
“Do you have experience?”
I wink at her, and she giggles again.
I tuck the axe into my belt and then I offer her my hand, noticing for the first time that she’s shivering. “Come on,” I say. “Let’s go and find the others, give them a hand.”
She stares at my outstretched palm. “Are we holding hands now?” she asks.
“Don’t want to be separated in a snowstorm, sweetheart,” I say with a grin. “Wouldn’t want to lose you. Besides, you have a rather frequent habit of falling over.”
She sighs. “I do. I’ve got two left feet.”
“Wow,” I say. “Is that true? I was beginning to suspect you were doing it on purpose.”
“Why would I fall on my ass on purpose?” she asks, taking my hand in hers. We’re both wearing gloves, so I can’t feel the warmth of her hand, but it’s still satisfying.
“On account of the fact I’d catch you, and I think you rather like that. Rather like being in the arms of a big, strong alpha.”
