When she saw Damaris later and brought up the coming weekend, Damaris said, “Of course you can go. It’s your weekend off. You don’t need to clear it with me if you want to go somewhere.”
“Yes, I do. First of all, I need to ask you or Marshall to take care of Dawn and Midnight.”
Damaris waved a hand. “Don’t be silly. What are one more horse and dog added to the mess of them we’ve already got? Of course we will. What’s this about really?”
Ella wasn’t sure how to start. “I love working here.”
“Good. We love having you.”
“Since Chase and I got together, I worry that I’m taking advantage of y’all.”
“Is that all?”
“It’s a big deal,” Ella insisted. “I know we switched to full weekends working, instead of by the day because of me. So I could go to rodeos with Chase.”
“That wasn’t the only reason. Besides, it’s nice only having to work one weekend out of three. Unless we want to, of course.”
“Which both you and Marshall usually do.”
“Our choice. Not because we have to. You know neither of us has much of a life outside the ranch and the horses.”
“I have noticed you’re both homebodies, but I still don’t want to take advantage. I need to pull my own weight.”
“You do. I’ll forgive you for worrying since you haven’t known me all that long. But seriously, Ella, don’t you know I’d say something if I thought you weren’t ‘pulling your weight’? I mean, Marshall might not. For one thing, he might not even notice, bless his heart. But I would and you’d better believe I’d be all up in your face about it.”
When she looked at it that way, she knew Damaris was right. The ranch and the horses came first and Damaris, and Marshall too, would make sure they were taken care of.
“Are you and Chase having problems?” Damaris asked bluntly.
“No.” Not yet, anyway.
“I’m not sure I believe you.” She waved away Ella’s protests. “I completely understand you might feel weird talking to his sister about something like that. But if you are having doubts or problems or whatever, you really should talk to someone.”
