Page 7 of When I Forgot Us (Blue River #1)

Chapter Four

There didn’t seem to be enough coffee in Blue River to convince her body that dawn was an acceptable hour to be awake and on the move.

She yawned hard enough for tears to leak from her eyes.

Groaning, she shook her head and parked beside the old Chevy.

Dawn had indeed caressed the horizon, sending pink streaks across the sky.

A few stars remained as though desperate for one more moment before they were snuffed out by the light of day.

She took another gulp of piping hot coffee and stumbled out of the truck with the tumbler firmly in hand. Yvonne had been great this morning, plying Michelle with fresh muffins and making sure she had a full tumbler of coffee for the road.

Chase peered out from the barn’s double doors. He wore jeans, a white, short-sleeved button up, boots, and a cowboy hat that clouded his expression. She caught the flash of a grin before he ducked his head and jogged over. “You made it.”

“I said I would.” She might not remember if that was a quality she possessed, but she was determined to make it one. Her fingers cramped around the silver tumbler, and she raised it in a mock salute. “Your free labor, here to serve.”

“Not going to let that go, are you?”

She took another slug of coffee. “Nope. I’m here. Can’t say I’m ready because I know exactly zero about ranch work, but I’m willing.”

“Good enough for me. I’ve trained more than one ranch hand.” He held out a pair of thick work gloves. “You need these.”

“Why?” She took them and flipped them around, flapping the fingers together.

He held out his hands. “Because your hands don’t look like this, and unless you want oozing blisters by noon, you should wear gloves.”

She took in the myriad calluses covering his palms and set the tumbler down on the nearest stall door. The horse inside eyed the mug while chomping on the feed in the wooden box. “Point taken. I’m not fond of putting myself through unnecessary pain.”

“Is anyone?” A sharpness lit the words, and he gave her a look she didn’t understand.

What happened to the congenial man she’d joked around with in the kitchen yesterday? “A masochist?”

The sudden tightness in his shoulders relaxed. “Good point.”

She tugged on the gloves, then clapped her palms together. “What first, boss?”

All the horses chomped on their morning meal, and the gentle symphony mingled with the smell of hay and molasses. She brought the gloves up to her nose and inhaled. “Well, I know I like the smell of leather.”

“Glad I gave you the clean gloves.” Chase handed her a green water hose. “Check every horse’s water bucket. If it’s lower than half full, fill it up.”

A trio of men strode into the barn. Footsteps and laughter tore through the serenade, but the jovial mood radiated off the cowboys with enough force to put a smile on anyone’s face.

The tallest of the group tapped the brim of his hat. “Morning.” He faced Chase. “We’re rounding up the herd in the northeast pasture like you asked. Wanted to double-check you want them moved to the south, southeast.”

“Yep. Thanks, Chuck.” Chase relinquished the hose to her and approached the cowboys.

Michelle concentrated on walking and not tripping over the hose trailing behind her. She started at the far end of the barn and worked her way toward the double doors stall by stall. Each horse greeted her with an ear swivel as they raised their heads from the grain.

One horse, a big red one with silver in her mane, dropped kernels on the straw-covered floor and ambled over to check the water bucket with Michelle. She patted the horse’s shoulder and unknotted a tangle in her mane. “You’re a pretty girl.”

“That’s Sasha.” Chase called out from several stalls down. “She’s one of the cowboys’ favorites.”

“Why is she in here and not being ridden?” Sasha nosed the water, then plunged her entire muzzle deep into the bucket and swished it side to side.

Water sloshed out over the rim, drenching Michelle from the knees down.

She yelped and jumped backward. Sasha snorted into the water, blowing bubbles and continuing to splash.

“She pulled up a bit lame last week. Vet recommended we put her on stall rest for a bit.” His voice came closer. “By the way, she likes to splash.”

Michelle shot him a hard glare and smacked at her damp jeans. “No kidding. You could have warned me.”

There was no real malice in the admonishment. So what if she walked around in wet jeans all day. There were worse things.

“I could have.” The laughter in his eyes said he’d wanted to see how she’d react.

Rolling her eyes, she backed out of the horse’s way and proceeded to the next stall. “Anything I should know about him?” She aimed the hose at Chase. “Better tell me now before you end up drenched too.”

He held up both hands in mock surrender. “He’s a good one. Wouldn’t dream of making a mess.”

She eyed Chase, the water bucket, and the horse, making sure her eyes narrowed and her mouth pinched. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

“She’s got you there.” The cowboy from before rode past the double door. “Don’t let him fool you, ma’am. He’s a prankster. Good as gold all the way to his bones, but he loves to prank.”

“Oh, really?” That made it even better. All that time in the hospital and the uncertainty afterward had turned her sullen and listless.

It was nice to have a jump in her pulse and a skip in her step.

Getting to kid around with a man like Chase seemed both odd and familiar, a sensation she ascribed to her whole life lately.

She leaned forward and tightened her hand on the spray nozzle. “Maybe we see how you like it.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” He matched her narrow-eyed stare and set his hands on his hips.

It was such a traditional old western showdown pose that she laughed outright. “You look just like that guy from the movie I watched last night.”

“Which movie?” He thumbed his hat back. “I need to know if I should be offended.”

“Sam Elliot.” She’d been sure to read his name in the credits because the man’s steadfastness had reminded her of Chase.

“Can’t be offended at that.” Chuck reined his horse around. “We’re headed out. Try to stay out of trouble.”

“No promises.” Chase pointed at her. “If I get into anything, it’ll be her fault.”

“Oh sure, blame the only person here who has no idea what they’re doing.” She huffed loudly and filled up the bucket in the stall behind her.

The remaining horses stuck their heads out over their stall doors, curiosity brimming in their eyes.

Samson bobbed his head in a motion that looked like he was laughing at her.

There was something wholesome about being in the barn with them, and with Chase.

It took all the pressure off. The only thing she had to worry about was learning how to do the tasks Chase gave her.

She could be any new ranch hand seeking guidance.

Today she didn’t have to be the woman without a memory, without a past to guide her.

She could simply live and attempt to learn how to thrive again.

Hoofbeats announced Chuck’s departure. Chase moved around the barn, crooning to the horses and doing things she didn’t understand, like lifting their feet and running his hands down their backs.

The buckets filled in the lull, and she fell into a sort of routine. When she reached the last stall and finished with it, she retraced her steps and wound the hose around the metal ring. “What next?”

“Think you’d want to ride?” Chase motioned her over where he stood in a small room with saddles, bridles, and blankets surrounding him.

A knot of unease pinched her stomach. She concentrated on the feeling, attempting to track down the source of her discomfort. “I don’t know. Thinking about riding makes me feel funny.”

“Funny good or funny bad?” That same calm patience permeated the room and swept between them.

“Don’t know.” She swung her leg over the nearest saddle, trusting the wooden frame it rested on to hold her weight.

There was a comfort in the motion, a sense of having done it before.

Her damp jeans stuck to her calves, and she reached down to tuck her feet into the stirrups.

“Not the best footwear for riding.” She didn’t tell him she’d spent two hours watching YouTube videos last night about cowboys and horses and all she’d learned was that it was a bad idea to ride in sneakers because her foot could get stuck in the stirrup.

“We can fix that.” He nudged her toe with his booted one. “We have extra boots. Or you could buy a new pair.”

She could. She’d even stopped outside the tack store and considered buying appropriate footwear.

But it all came down to practicality. What would she do with boots in the city?

She’d scoured her closet before coming here and gathered up every article of clothing that looked appropriate based on her research of the temperature and climate in the area.

She’d not found a single pair of boots among her belongings.

Chase nudged her toe again. “Everything is outside your comfort zone right now. It’s up to you if you want to change that.”

Indignation rose and crushed her throat.

“I’m doing the best I can.” The threat of hot tears scalded her eyes.

She drove the feeling back, stuffing it into the recesses so it didn’t interfere.

She’d cried enough. “It’s not easy waking up every morning and not having a purpose or a reason for getting out of bed. ”

“Waking up is the reason for getting out of bed. God gave you another day, that’s worth celebrating.” He stuffed his fisted hands into his pockets and backed up a step, then swung into a saddle on a frame across from her. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do.”

“Sure sounds like it.” She grumbled under her breath, pinched the bridge of her nose, and exhaled slowly through parted lips. “I don’t mean that.”