Page 11 of The Unbuttoned Ranger (Texas Heat: The Heart of a Texas Ranger #1)
Although he had things to keep himself busy that morning, he found that he ’ d jumped out of bed feeling pretty damn good.
He was even glad to see that CaDee wore proper foot attire.
He surmised the muck boots belonged to Piper.
The jeans had to be CaDee’s because they fit her perfectly.
She wasn ’ t as skinny as he first thought.
“ So where are we starting?” she asked.
“ Those are chickens,” Sharp said. He received a non-humorous glare from CaDee. “ Most importantly, these are the goats. They are Piper ’ s pride and joy. One turns up hurt or dead you might be next.” He had to turn to hide his smile because he had a feeling CaDee thought he was being serious.
“ Carsen seems particularly fond of the black and white one. Does it have a name?”
“ Dee”
“ Really?”
“ No. They ’ re not pets, unless you ’ re Piper. These are all Saanens. It ’ s the widest recognized milk producing goat breed.” He stepped over and opened the gate. “ Ladies first.” He let her pass and caught a whiff of her scent. “ You don ’ t want to do that.”
“ Do what?” she asked.
“Wear perfumes or strong scented lotions. The animals don ’ t like it.”
“It’s not perfume. Piper gave me some of her homemade lotion.” She sniffed her skin. “She said it keeps the bug’s away.”
He closed and locked the gate. “ First rule on a farm. Closed gates always stay closed. Open gates always stay open. Got it?”
“ I think I can remember.”
The goats followed them into the barn and he showed her how to place them, five at a time, inside the milking stations.
He then poured warm water and sanitizing solution into a clean bucket, grabbing up towels from the container on his way back to her.
He tossed her two pairs of gloves and one towel.
The latex gloves are for milking. The work gloves are for everything else.
Do you need help putting them on?” he said after he watched her examine them like they were a two-headed snake.
“Where do I put the work gloves so I don’t lose them?”
“You have two back pockets for a reason.” He moved the bucket to the first goat.
“ She shoved the work gloves into her pocket and pulled on the clean pair of latex gloves. “I’m ready.” She held up her gloved hands and wiggled her fingers as if she were proud of the small accomplishment.
He pulled over the stool. “ It’s a simple process.
You clean the udders thoroughly, and I do mean thoroughly.
Front to back. Not back to front. Have a seat and get comfortable.
If you ’ re not comfy the goat won ’ t be.
The best milk production comes from a happy goat.
You start washing and I ’ ll get the milking machine prepared. ”
“ We don ’ t have to milk them by hand?”
“ There are thirty goats. Trust me, you ’ ll want to use the machine, unless you want to be out here all.”
“Piper must do pretty good selling her cheese,” CaDee said as she dipped the towel into the solution.
“I’ve always told her she could go national. Best cheese this side of Texas.” He flipped on an old radio and turned up the volume to the country song. “The goats like music.”
****
CaDee stared down at the breast pump looking contraption hooked to a hose. “ What do I do with this?”
“ You attach them to the teats. Like so.” He showed her. “ Pay close attention because tomorrow you ’ ll be on your own.”
After the machine was hooked up, he told her, “ Now let them do their thing.” He strode out of the barn.
“Am I supposed to follow?” He didn’t answer. She had to jog to catch up with him. “ Why do you think Piper needs help around here? There doesn ’ t seem to be much that needs tended to.”
“ I ’ d say it ’ s the arthritis in her hands giving her fits. It might not seem like hard work yet, but there ’ s a lot to do for one person.” He stopped at the chicken coop. “ Feed the chickens and then meet me in the cow barn.”
“ Wait, how do I feed the chickens?”
“ Feed’s in a bag inside and you sprinkle a couple of scoops on the ground. They ’ ll do the rest.”
“ Which is the cow barn?” She saw that there were three other outbuildings.
“ The one with the cows,” he said over his shoulder.
“ The one with the cows.” She mocked under her breath, barely containing her eye roll.
She fed the chickens and found him in the barn. She ’ d already worked up a sweat and was grateful that the interior of the barn was cooled with large fans.
“ Any trouble?” he asked with a lifted brow when she walked in.
“ None at all.”
“ Rake or shovel?”
“ Rake or shovel what?”
He grabbed a rake and shovel that were hanging on hooks on the wall. “ We need to muck the barn. Do you prefer raking or shoveling?”
“ I ’ ll take the rake.”
“ Do you need instructions?”
“ I think it ’ s pretty self-explanatory.” She wasted no time raking the floor and he shoveled up the mess, dumping it in a wheelbarrow. “ What ’ s Piper ’ s story?”
“ What do you mean?” He paused to wipe the sweat off his brow.
“ First impressions mean everything, but I had a hard time reading her.” She took a break, leaning on the rake. Although the fans were running at full blast they didn ’ t take the stuffiness, or the smell, away.
“ She ’ s always been a hard nut to crack but she ’ s a good woman.”
“ So you ’ ve known her a long time?”
“ I live next door. I ’ ve known her all my life,” he said. She realized he was looking at her shirt, so she made sure the sleeves were hiding the fading bruises. “ What ’ s your story, city girl?”
She focused on raking, not interested in having the spotlight on her. “ There ’ s not much to tell.”
“ What brings you out here?”
“ I needed a job.” She didn ’ t look at him.
“ That might cut it for a lot of folks here in Fin ’ s Creek but it doesn ’ t make sense to me.”
She knew this would come. He put off those vibes. Setting the rake aside, she focused on him. “ Sometimes people just want a change of scenery.”
“ Right, they do, but not all those people have bruises.”
She wouldn ’ t entertain his concerns. “ I need a break to go check on my son. Piper said she was leaving after breakfast.” She paused at the double doors. “ Just for the record, I ’ m a private person. Thanks for showing me the ropes but I’ve got it from here.”