“That's not the same thing.” Rosie crouched beside me, peering at my face. “Do you ever do anything that's not work?”
“I run a rescue.”
“Which is also work.”
“It's different.”
“Is it?” She tilted her head. “When was the last time you did something just for fun?”
I tightened the new coupling, testing the connection. Solid. “I don't remember.”
“Cal.”
“What?” I looked at her. She was still crouching there, sunglasses pushed up in her hair, studying me with an intensity that made my chest tighten.
“That's really sad.”
“I'm fine.” I stood, brushing dirt off my knees.
“Working yourself to death isn't fine.” She stood too, crossing her arms.
I opened my mouth, then closed it. Because what was I supposed to say to that? That she was right? That I couldn't remember the last time I'd done something purely because I wanted to?
“Let's test it.” I turned toward the control box, needing to escape this conversation.
She followed. “We're not done talking about this.”
“Yes, we are.” I watched her reach for the valve. “Ready?”
“Cal—”
“Turn it on.”
She sighed but twisted the valve.
Water flowed smoothly through the lines. No eruptions. No fountains. Just steady, even pressure feeding into each zone.
“It works.” Rosie's face lit up. “It actually works.”
“Told you it wasn't that complicated.”
“You fixed it.” She turned to me, beaming. “I've been hand-watering fordays. I can sleep in now. Well, not really sleep in… I still have goats to milk and chickens to feed, and Buddy needs his hay and—” She stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening. “Wait, what time is it?”
I checked my watch. “Seven-fifteen.”
“I'm so behind.” She ran both hands down her face. “I haven't even started milking yet, and Sugar getssoloud when she's waiting, and then Chip will start headbutting things, and—” She looked at me. “Thank you. Really. This is amazing. You're a lifesaver.”
That smile.
God, that smile.
“Glad I could help.”
“It was really nice of you.” She adjusted her ponytail, still grinning. “And now I'm going to helpyou.”
My stomach dropped. “What?”
“Make friends.” She said it like it was obvious. “You've been here four years with zero social life. That's unacceptable.”
