“Oh yeah?” Luke answers. “And what are you doing besides pestering us?”
Ethan smiles. “Point taken. Mom just wanted to talk to Cody. See her before you head out. Something about your birthday celebration.”
“Does she know I’m not ten years old anymore?” I ask, half joking.
I love how committed Mom is to celebrating each of us. Still, I’m well beyond the age of wanting a party to celebrate another year of life.
I put the new hose on and hand-tighten it. “I’ll see her before I go to the farm supply.”
“Good,” Ethan says, nodding once.
I don’t mention that I’m stopping at the station in town to slip in my application for the captain position. Only Jace and Carli know about the opportunity right now. And Carli’s one of the main reasons I even have the clarity and courage to go for it.
“I’ll top off the fluid,” Luke offers. “You can check in with Mom, birthday boy.”
“Not my birthday yet,” I say.
He just laughs. “Better you than me.”
“Just wait ‘til your birthday,” I threaten. We both chuckle.
I take off my goggles and gloves and head in the house to check in with Mom. She’s folding sourdough on the island counter and humming to herself softly. She tells me she’s having some friends over for dinner the night of my birthday—the Buckners and a few other ranch families we’ve known for years.
“If you want to invite your crew, feel free. We’ll have plenty of food.”
“I think I’m good,” I tell her.
She looks up at me from her work, her eyes soft and her brows lifting to the center.
“Fine. I’ll ask the guys,” I concede.
“Up to you, Cody. It’s your day.”
“Is it though?” I joke.
“Yours and mine. I did go through labor all those years ago.”
“You did far more than that—and you still do,” I say. “I’ve got a great idea. Let’s get you a cake and gifts and have the neighbors over to sing to you off-key.”
She laughs softly. “Okay, smart aleck.”
I lean in and kiss her cheek. “I’m off to the Hay and Feed. Dad’s got an order coming in and we need some colostrum replacer for the calf that was born last night and some electrolytes.”
“Be safe,” she says, as if I’m going off to war, not down the road for supplies.
“I will,” I promise.
I drive to the station, my radio playing and the memories of Carli in my truck bed keeping me good company. I park alongside the bay in one of the spots left open for the crew on shift. David’s meeting me here, even though it’s both of our days off.
“Hey, Cody!” a few guys on our alternating crew greet me when I walk through the bay.
“Hey, is Captain David here?” I ask.
“In the office,” Shawn, one of the firefighters on duty, tells me. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I just have to fill out a form for him.”
I walk through the bay and into the office. David and Captain Brewer are sitting at the desk with cups of coffee, talking casually. When I walk in, both their heads pivot in my direction.
