"I can do it alone?—"
"Brock. Pull."
We pulled. The calf kicked, spraying us with wet clay. Sienna planted her boots and leaned back on the rope. Her arms strained, shaking with the effort, but she didn't let up.
The calf lurched and pulled us off balance. On the second try, we hauled it over the ridge. I stepped in to pop the loop loose before it bolted. It scrambled off into the brush, leaving us standing there, breathing hard.
Water streamed down her face, her hair wrecked and her clothes destroyed.
"Hope you didn't like that shirt," I said.
She looked down at the mess on her chest and grinned. "It's dry-clean only."
Then, she started laughing. A big, whole-body laugh that had her shoulders shaking.
"You're insane," I said.
“That's one of the nicest things you've said to me."
"I'll aim lower tomorrow."
The truck was still running. We climbed in, both of us dripping mud onto the seats. I turned on the heater, and the cab filled with the smell of wet earth. We drove in silence until she let her head fall back against the seat with a long breath.
"Sky was dark for an hour before the rain hit," I said. "You always go wandering off when it looks like a flash flood's coming?"
She looked out the window. "I had a video call with my boss before the storm. It didn't go great, so I went for a walk. Thought I had time."
A boss telling me what to do was something I'd never been able to imagine. That was exactly why I worked for myself. Some friends had tried to set me up with an agent once, but I always said no. I didn't need anyone else calling the shots.
The wipers thumped back and forth. Gravel crunched under the tires as I took the bend.
"Can I ask you something?"
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Depends.”
“Why do you let them treat you like that?”
"Excuse me?"
"Your company canceled your hotel last minute and stuck you on the ranch. But you're good at what you do. Handled me just fine, and I'm not easy. So why put up with it?"
She stayed quiet a moment.
“My sister wants to get into med school. I cover a big chunk of her tuition so she doesn’t have to get a job while studying. That’s why.”
I stared out the windshield, at my home in the distance.
"Yeah. I get that."
And I did. Rodeo checks kept the hay truck running and the vet bills paid. I’d ride in Cody even if my arm was hanging off, because winning was the only way to stay ahead of the debt and keep the ranch afloat.
The image flashed clear as day—a heavy chain on the front gate and some developer’s bulldozer sitting where Mom’s greenhouse used to be.
I gripped the steering wheel tight, shoving the image away. I’d break every bone in my body before I let strangers take our land.
When we finally pulled up to the house and I killed the engine, the storm had faded to a soft patter on the roof. Before either of us could speak, a blur of black and white bounded off the porch, splashing through a massive muddy puddle. Moose hit the side of the truck, barking wildly, his front paws slapping against the passenger window.
I sighed and leaned my head against the headrest. "Great. Now he's covered in it too."
