Page 90 of Only With Me

“I don’t mind. I’m off work tomorrow anyway.”

“I’m not.”

“Whaddya have to do?”

“Muck stalls, disperse straw and feed, fill water buckets, check the water troughs, make sure the barn is picked up. It’ll be an easy day since there are no tours, but something always comes up. Someone else will need help or a disaster will happen. A fence post needs replacing, a tractor or four-wheeler needs repairs…you name it.”

“No wonder y’all stay busy.”

“Pretty much every day.”

“Not complainin’ about your long hours should be one of your non-negotiables or they might start givin’ ya a hard time about it.”

“Valid point. I’ll add it.” He taps his temple. “Girls always wanna date a cowboy until they realize how much they’re not home.”

“When my dad worked on a farm, I remember there’d be specific times of the year where he’d be gone before I left for school and wouldn’t be home until after I was in bed. Mama would keep his plate in the oven and stay up to warm it for him.”

“Sounds right. Especially durin’ the summer.”

“He’d try to make it up to us on the one weekend a month he had off. Mama would cram as much family stuff as she could into those two days,” I say with a laugh, remembering how chaotic things would be. “By Sunday nights, I’d be exhausted.”

“At least y’all understood. It ain’t for the faint of heart.”

“Is it fun workin’ on your family’s ranch with your parents and siblings? You probably get to see ’em all the time, right?”

“Yeah, it’s fun most days. But it’s easy to get sick of each other, too.”

We continue talking for a few more hours, moving effortlessly from topic to topic, and before I realize, it’s after three in the morning.

“Your sister just texted. She’s on her way to drop off Wilder.”

“Did she say how drunk he is?”

“Uh…I assume somewhere between him thinking he can ride the mechanical bull for eight seconds and being passed out on the sidewalk. Which means, he’s at least half asleep.”

“I can’t believe how late we stayed up. I’m ready to pass out, too.”

“Same. But you helped the time fly by, so I’m ain’t complainin’.”

“Me neither. It was fun. And I learned a lot.” I giggle, my cheeks heating. I’m still in disbelief he volunteered. “Thanks again for helpin’ me.”

“Sure…”

“I’ll talk to you soon,” I hesitate, almost like a question.

“Yeah, for sure.”

“Okay, good night.”

“Night, Harlow.”

As soon as I end the call, I’m mentally kicking and screaming.

I know I shouldn’t crush on him, but it’s impossible when he’s this sweet and nice.

But it’d never be possible. For so many reasons…

1. He’s twelve years older and is probably looking for a wife