This kid would survive the most intense interrogation known to man.
My shoulders slump in defeat, and I push a piece of meat with my fork.
“I learned how to saddle a horse.”
“Wait, really? That’s so cool, Jonas.” I beam at him. “Auntie B would love to hear that, I’m sure.”
“I guess.” He lifts his pop to his lips. “Is it cool if I go back tomorrow? Auntie B said she’s heading out there in the morning and I can catch a ride.”
“If it’s okay with Denny, I don’t see why not.”
He nods, a brief glimmer of light sparking in his eyes. “He said I can get on a horse tomorrow, if I want.”
I thought it was customary for every little kid to beg for a pet. Blair and I created an entire presentation to show our parents we deserved a dog—not that they fell for it. But even when prompted, Jonas has never indicated wanting so much as a goldfish. I figured animals weren’t his thing.
“Do you?” I lick stray tomato sauce from the corner of my mouth. “Do you want to ride a horse?”
He answers mid-chew. “Yeah.”
“Tell Denny I want pictures.”
For the next few minutes, it’s quiet. A peaceful quiet, though. There’s no tension or awkwardness or preteen angst bomb ticking in the middle of the table. Jonas’s fork scrapes against his plate, collecting every remaining ounce of food. Iswear I hear vacuum sounds coming from his open mouth. And he goes back for seconds.
Leaning in close for the last bite, there’s a real possibility he’ll lick the plate. “This is really,reallygood, Mom.”
I sit taller, basking in the flutter of butterflies and dulcet warmth in my chest.
Colt
Maple creamer swirls through my coffee with the clink of a spoon, and I add an extra splash for good measure. Despite the early hour—just shy of four a.m.—the bunkhouse is bustling with ranch hands getting ready for work. In the summer months, we start at dawn and work until the midday sun becomes unbearable. With the boss, Austin, insisting we work solely on horseback, high temperatures aren’t only putting the men at risk, they’re dangerous for the entire remuda.
Rob, the biggest asshole in the bunks, elbows me hard in the ribs, nearly causing me to spill the spoonful of sugar I’m carefully navigating toward my cup. “Should you pour that entire tin of sugar in there?”
“It’s how I stay sosweet.” I stir the heaping spoonful into my drink, turning to bat my eyelashes at him.
“Your mommy tell you that?”
I shoot him a finger gun with a supporting wink. “Yours did.”
Denny’s cackle echoes through the small kitchen space, and he pushes between Rob and me to grab a coffee mug. “You walked right into that, Rob.”
“Fuck you both,” Rob sneers.
I click my tongue at him. “That’s no way to talk to your new stepdaddy.”
Yanking open the fridge, I stare blankly at the lack of food inside. We get bagged lunch from the women in the big house every day—the main ranch house with a massive kitchen—but my metabolism still thinks I’m a teenage boy, and Ineedbreakfast. Guess an apple with a few bruises and some of the snacks I keep in my room will have to do today.
“Speaking of stepdaddy.” He leans against the counter and slurps his coffee loudly. “Your shadow gonna be here again today?”
A quick glance over at Denny confirms that, yes, Jonas will be here today. Lost track of how often he’s been here lately—what started as Denny trying to win back the heart of his ex-girlfriend became Colt the nanny. Finding chores for a ten-year-old who’s never spent time on a ranch before is a job all on its own, though the barn walls and floor have never been this clean.
“I talked to Whit last night—told her we’d keep him busy all summer, actually. So he’ll be around a lot,” Denny says.
“Got any ideas for chores to give him?” I raise an eyebrow at Denny. “He’s gonna wash the paint right off the barn walls pretty soon.”
“Actually, yeah. We’re tarping the silage pit today. He can help move tires.”
Rob chuckles. “Good way to get rid of your shadow in a fucking hurry. Kid probably only weighs as much as those tires.”
