He istrouble.
For her sanity.
For her heart.
Chapter 13
With the dog days of summer fast approaching, the bunkhouse begins packing up shop, preparing for the annual move to the summer pasture. Late July is when it starts to get real—when the heat becomes less of an annoyance and more of a safety hazard. Left to roam beneath the blistering sun, the cows could suffer a multitude of temperature-related maladies: dehydration among the mildest, and heat stress—which can lead to infertility and decreased milk production—among the most lethal. Because of this, most ranches have a designated place where they set up camp for a brief period, somewhere near the summer pasture, which is typically more shaded by trees or hills. Halcyon is no different from any other ranch in this regard. But aside from the obvious upgrades in equipment, tents, and toiletries compared to Braxton, there’s one feature in particular that sets this summer camp apart: About a quarter mile east, nestled within a ring of lush oak trees, is a watering hole.
This piece of Eden is the first place they go after dumping their things at the campsite and tying up the horses. When Grace walks up to the water’s edge, she’s flanked by Mikey and Alec—who are hastily stripping off their shirts and bolting past her. Grace laughs at the scream Mikey lets out when he nearlytrips on a branch, and then she looks to her left to find Cooper jogging lightly to catch up with her.
Once at her side, he slows, panting. “Hey, Grace.”
“Hey, Cooper,” she says, looking sidelong at him curiously.
“How are you?”
Grace’s brow furrows slightly. “I’m…great. A little hungry. How are you?”
He nods, but it’s animated, a bit over-the-top for small talk. “I’m hungry, too, yeah. Forty’ll start cooking dinner soon, right? Want me to ask him what’s on the menu?”
She barks a laugh. “That’s all right. I’ll wait and be surprised.”
“Right,” he says, a little deflated.
A moment of awkward, loaded quiet sits between them, and then Grace decides to show him some mercy. The guy doesn’t seem to know how to voice whatever it is he’s after. And he’s clearly aftersomething. This is the most they’ve spoken in all the time she’s been at Halcyon. “Was there something you needed, Cooper?”
His hand flies to the back of his neck, and he rubs at it nervously. “Yeah, um—listen, I was wondering…”
They come to a stop at the edge of the pond. The water looks absolutely divine. It sparkles, dancing glimmers of light that skip to and fro atop the concentric ripples. The trees are tall enough that it’s perfectly shaded, a guarantee it will be like dipping into euphoria after a day spent in the heat. The guys are already splashing around, standing thigh-deep in just their briefs. They’re like children without a jungle gym, the way they crawl and hang all over one another.
Grace turns back to Cooper, who seems to be mustering upthe courage to finish his sentence. She helps him along with a soft, “You were wondering…”
He nods quickly, like he’s finally, sufficiently psyched himself up. “I was wondering if you’d happen to know if June is seeing anyone.”
A smile erupts on Grace’s face. After their dance at Clint’s party, she might’ve predicted this would happen, but seeing it play out in real time—being even a small part of it—fills her up with warmth and affection for them both.
“I don’t think she is,” Grace says honestly. Smirking, she adds, “We don’t get a whole lot of time to socialize, if you haven’t noticed.”
“Right.” Cooper’s eyes fall shut on an embarrassed exhale. “Duh. Of course.”
A game of chicken is happening in the pond, but it’s quickly ended when Raymond topples over into the water from atop Pierce’s shoulders, and the opposing team of Mikey and Caleb are cheering at the quick victory, wading around the pond with Caleb’s ankles hooked into Mikey’s armpits. Alec is readying himself to duck so Bryan can lift up onto his shoulders, and Forty is adamantly shaking his head when Harrison tries to bring him into the mix.
Cooper sighs loudly, dramatically—like a Caldwell—and says, “Do you think she’d be interested in going out with—”
Then a voice echoes across the pond, familiar and mischievous. “Oh,boys…”
Cooper’s mouth snaps shut, and all the surrounding chaos quiets at the melodic, sultry sound.
Like they are puppets tied to strings, every single head liftsupward to find the blonde sitting on a branch, nearly to the top of the highest tree in this little patch of forest. June’s feet swing back and forth, dangling absently, like it’s not absolutely insane that she’s twenty feet above a waist-deep body of water.
“Guess we know who’s taking the record for highest climb this year,” she says with a grin, then starts to unbutton her shirt with one hand.
“Holy shit,” Cooper says under his breath. Grace rolls her eyes.
June dangles her shirt outward once it’s off her body, and everyone continues to stare up at her, dumbstruck. She lets the shirt fall, and Mikey catches it just before it hits the surface of the pond. He wraps it around his neck and looks back up. “Cowabunga, Junie,” he calls.
“Cowabunga, indeed,” June parrots with a laugh.
