Page 44 of Chasing Home
“Ah, fuck off, Tommy,” he grunts back.
“Leave the woman alone, you behemoths,” Eliza says, the jingle of the gate sounding soon after. “We’re goin’ to see if Johnny needs any help. Make yourselves useful and go give Wade a hand with the sprinklers before he ends up damaging the system even worse.”
“Got it,” Thomas says, giving her a two-finger salute before glancing back at me. “I’m sure I’ll see you around soon, yeah?”
“I work here now, so I’d assume so.”
He barks a laugh. “You’ll warm up to us sooner or later. I’m sure of it. But until then, it’s been lovely, Aurora.”
Loren keeps his eyes on me after Thomas leaves us. The corners of them crinkle as he inspects me like I’m a criminal on a courthouse stand and he’s the lead prosecutor. I lift my brows in question and let him look.
“Get on your way now, Loren. Don’t be lookin’ at Rory like that, you damn grump!” Eliza calls.
Finally, he blinks and takes a step back. “It was a pleasure, Aurora.”
Really? Was it?
“Likewise,” I reply.
Thomas makes a loud clicking noise from behind me, and then Loren is heading his way. I swallow at the sight of two large horses coming around the front of the truck. Thomas is on the back of a dark brown one, and Loren doesn’t hesitate to swing himself onto the other one. In a flash, they’re taking off on horseback, leaving clouds of dust behind them.
“Come here, sweetheart,” Eliza urges. I do as she says. “Sometimes they need tough love. They’re good boys, but they’re protective of one another. You know?”
“I know. That’s a good thing.”
“It is. As long as they aren’t rude about it. If they ever are, you just let me know, and I’ll beat some sense into them.”
I attempt to smile. “Does everyone know that Johnny is . . .”
“Interested in you? No. I don’t think they care as much about his interests as they do teasin’ him from time to time. Nobody is going to force you to give him anything. That’s not how we work around here. You make that boy work for your attention if you so choose to, or tell him to get lost. Either way, you’ve got my support.”
“Thank you,” I say, and I mean it.
I’m bullheaded enough not to give in to anything simply because someone wanted me to, but it’s nice knowing it wouldn’t upset her if I stayed true to my original decision and didn’t let myself get swooped up in all that Johnny is. I quite enjoy spending time with Eliza, and I don’t want to lose that before my time is over here. Even if that’s a choice that could hurt me later on.
“You got it, honeybee. Now, are you ready to meet your first cow? Fair warning, this one . . . she’s a stubborn thing. She’s liked to do things her own way since she was a calf, and it drives Wade downright bonkers. I’m certain that’s why Johnny insisted the other boys leave. He’s got the patience to get her followin’ the right lead,” she explains.
I listen with rapt attention and follow her into the pasture. Looking down at where I step, I pay close attention to the thick patches of green grass and areas where it’s a bit more mown down. There’s a significant lack of weeds around, and I wish I knew more about ranch life to know if that’s due to the cows eating them all or if they make sure none grow at all instead.
“Come on, sunshine, you’ve gotta work with me here, yeah? One hoof in front of the other. The ramp isn’t gonna hurt you,” Johnny coos. “Go. Get going.”
My eyes jump in the direction of his voice. He’s standing tall beside the open end of a long silver trailer. The ramp is down, and I focus on every calm movement of the paddle in his hand as he moves it toward the trailer and back to his side before glancing at the cow across from him.
I stay still at Eliza’s side, unsure what type of movements will spook the cow. Eliza waits as well, but she’s much more at ease, like she knows exactly what to do. I follow her lead.
“You two can come closer. She’s just stubborn, not scared,” Johnny says to us. He clicks his tongue and takes a step closer to the cow. “You’re goin’ to embarrass us both if you don’t get up this ramp, missy.”
Eliza extends a hand to me, and I take it before letting her lead us to Johnny’s side. Standing beside him now, I hold my breath on instinct. Our arms are so close that a breeze would have trouble sliding between them. I keep my eyes trained on the red cow in front of us and force myself to take a breath.
“How long have you been out here alone with her?” Eliza asks him.
“Not a damn clue. The guys led the rest of the herd back a while ago.”
The cow remains still, her dark eyes watching and observing us in a way that makes me think she knows exactly what she’s doing by refusing to get in the trailer. Maybe she gets a kick out of driving people mad with her stubbornness.
Johnny shifts, and the space between our arms disappears. They glide together, the dark hair on his tickling my skin. I swallow and look up at him at the same time he glances down at me. A swipe of his thumb over my wristbone electrifies my blood.
“If you’re here, I’m assuming I missed lunch. I’m sorry, darlin’. Real fucking sorry.”