He’s right, I don’t. I’m in the middle of a growth spurt, which is causing an unfortunate streak of clumsiness. If I can bump into it, I probably will. Earlier this month, I hit my head on the counter so hard I saw stars.
It not only hurt, but it meant I couldn’t help with the dishes after dinner because I was so dizzy. The lump on my head made me nauseous to touch. I have to be more careful.
“Mom?” I call out, limping as I go inside. “Are you ready?”
“Evie, are you sure you’re okay to watch the kids?” Mom asks my grandmother, biting her lip.
My mother is ten years younger than my dad. I only know this is supposed to be odd because so many people gossip about it. I think love doesn’t have an age requirement, as long as everyone is an adult.
“Michelle, I raised five boys,” Grandma laughs. “Of course I can watch your angels.”
I have to hide a smile because my sisters can behave like gremlins, especially at bath time.
“Alright,” Mom says with a shrug, pulling on a ball cap. Her ponytail hangs out the back, and it reminds me of how pretty her chestnut hair is. Only Laura has her shade of hair so far, but Mom told me that it could change in the sun.
I secretly hope not. A family full of blondes would be boring.
“See you later, rug rats,” I tease the twins as they stick their tongues at me. They’re adorable, huh?
Dad has the horses all brought out by the time Mom and I leave the house. Water bottles and granola bars are tucked into saddle bags while my father teases my mother about how well she takes care of us all.
Being in a saddle is comfortable for me, and one of my favorite things. It’s a great place to think, something I find myself doing often. I wonder what my kid sisters will be like when they grow up, and where my life will take me.
I guess this isn’t something a kid typically does, yet as the Tennessee sun beats down on us, there’s not much else to do. Making a face, I adjust my own trucker hat as we ride.
“Look alive, Bentley. We’re getting closer,” Dad calls out, knowing how I tend to get lost in my head.
Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I nod to show that I heard him.
“They’re further away from where I last saw them than they should be,” Derek, the ranch hand, murmurs.
Picking up the pace, we ride closer.
“I’m going around,” Mom says, pushing her horse into a trot.
Dad glances at Derek, and he nods as he follows her. My mom doesn’t act like any omega I’ve ever met. She’s headstrong and independent. I love how my dad just goes with the flow.
“Maybe I should have pulled Eric and Zack in for this,” Dad muses as we wade into the mass of cattle.
“They seem okay,” I say. None of the cattle seem to be hurt, and they’re all acting normally.
“We’ve had more trouble with the neighbors, so I wanted to check,” Dad sighs. I don’t think he even realizes that he’s talking out loud.
As I have my horse move closer, what seems like an explosion goes off all around the cattle. I’m unsure what the hell caused it, but I vaguely think about how it’s odd for there to be fireworks on our property.
“Bentley!” Dad yells as the cattle freak out.
Heart racing, I struggle to stay on my horse as I’m squeezed and jostled by the cattle, and my horse attempts to keep its cool. My family does a really good job at unspooking the horses in our stable, but this is asking too much of them.
I’m bumped and pushed to the point where I’m almost forced off my horse. I can hear a scream, but can’t look in that direction as the cattle continue to run away. The explosions went off right when Dad and I were in the middle of the herd.
“Are you okay?” Dad asks, while I gasp in a breath.
“Yeah. What made them freak out?” I ask, looking up to watch them continue running away from us. I sound a lot more calm than I feel. My hands are shaking and I don’t think my heart will ever stop pounding from the scare. “It’s going to take forever to round them up, Dad.”
“I’ll pull in friends to help,” he grumbles. “It sounded like fireworks. I don’t know if one of the cows stepped on a mine, orif they’re hurt. I’m going to need to bring in the vet, and that’s going to be a pain.”
“Leif! Leif, hurry!” Derek yells.
