Cowboy Love

Chapter 3

"Now, can I work, please? I need to keep myself busy," I beg my granpa's. 

"Fine, but you're taking it easy for the next several weeks," paw-paw relents with a small sigh and shake of his head fondly at me. 

Grinning at him I nod in acceptance, and I'm just glad I can help and stay busy.

"You can muck out the horse stalls, place the new hay inside, and then ask Aspen what to do after that," papa tells me as the four of us head outside to help with the chores. 

Once I'm inside the horse barn, I grab the wheelbarrow by the entrance, and a pitchfork off the wall, and start mucking out the first stall. After mucking out each stall, I empty the wheelbarrow in the mound that will be used as much in the spring for the garden for mulch. Three hours later, I have the stalls cleaned, and I place new hay on the floor before cleaning out the wheelbarrow and pitchfork, and place them back where they belong before searching for Aspen. When I'm unable to find him anywhere, I stop to ask Rebel.

"Hey Rebel,  have you seen Aspen? I need to ask him what to do now?" I quietly ask him while he works on fixing the fence for the cow pen. 

He glances up at me with a smile; "I'm Rowan, but Aspen is over at the pig enclosure working. He said he wants you to help me fix the fence."

"I'm sorry Rowan, but can I ask you a question?" I shyly answer while picking at my nails. 

"Sure kid, we can talk while working," he nods with a kind smile while gesturing me to come over to the fence. 

"Okay," I murmur, kneeling down next to him. "How do people tell you and Rebel apart?" 

"Physically you can't, but my voice is a little deeper than his, and he's left-handed and I'm right," he replies, and I tuck away this information into my memory bank for the future. 

For the next hour and a half, Rowan teaches me how to fix the fence while we talk. Once we've finished, he and I place the tools in the bed of the white Chevy Silverado, and then head to the horse corral to talk to papa and paw-paw, where they're fixing to work with two of the horses. 

"Okay, we've fixed the fencing on the cow pasture, Aspen and Tenysi are still at the pig pen working on the wooden and electric fences, and Rebel is working with Romeo," Rowan tells them as they put the saddles on the two horses. 

Romeo is a foul that was born three months ago. 

"Great," papa grins at us while paw-paw intently studies me. "Why don't you take Echo with you to town to pick up feed and order the hay."

"Got it," Rowan agrees with a nod of his head. 

"Where's Emery and Carson?" I nervously ask looking around for them.

"Carson and Emery went to the pond to fish for our dinner tonight," paw-paw replies with a smile. 

"Awesome, I've missed your fish dinners," I grin, feeling better knowing where they are at. 

"Let's roll, kid," Rowan says with a grin; fifteen minutes later we're at the farm store where we buy pig, horse, cow, and sheep feed, and he orders to big round hay bales that need to be delivered. 

"Alright, we're stopping off to pick up lunch, so where are we stopping at?" he asks once we're settled into the truck. 

"Um, I dunno. Wherever you want," I stumble out with confusion; I was never allowed to pick out fast food when Kyle allowed us to have it, and when we did have fast food, it was whatever Kyle wanted. 

"Didn't your mama let you and your brother pick sometimes?" he curiously asks starting the truck. 

"She used too, before Kyle came around," I mumble with a scowl.

"Kyle your stepdad?" he asks driving toward the restaurants.

"Technically no, he's our mum's boyfriend," I grumble with furrowed eyebrows. "She met him three years ago at a bar while out with friends, and they've been together ever since. He treats Emery okay, but he is horrible to mum and me."

Wow. Since when have I been one to word vomit to someone I've just met?

"Why hasn't she left him then?" he asks, pulling into 'Little Ceaser's'.

Yum. Pizza is my krypotnite.

Shrugging my shoulders as I study the building; "No idea. She left my dad when I was little, and Emery's dad died."

He hums in response while climbing out; "Come on." 

Quickly climbing after him, I follow him inside the store where he orders six pepperoni pizzas, three orders of bread sticks, and three 2-liters of soda. Ten minutes later we're back home and bringing lunch into the kitchen. My head snaps to the right toward the living room when I hear Emery crying. Rushing into the room, I find papa trying to sooth my sobbing brother, who is on the couch and papa is squatting down in front of him. 

"Emery, what's wrong?" I ask rushing over to him. 

"I-I though you left me!" he sobs, reaching his arms out toward me. 

Bringing him into my body, I sway us gently; "I would never leave you by choice. I'm sure papa told you where I went, and besides my truck is still here. I couldn't leave you behind, as you're one of my best friends."

He slowly stops crying, down to sniffles and hiccups, but stays silent for a few minutes before quietly saying; "Papa did, but I was scared you wouldn't come back. I'm really one of your best friends?" 

"Yup, right along with Carson," I confirm. "Now, what do you say to some pizza and bread sticks for lunch? Rowan picked that up for us all." 

Emery snaps his head up from where he's had it against my neck with a gasp, as he squeals out; "No kidding?" 

"No kidding," I agree with a nod and a smile while wiping off his blotchy face. 

"You're good with him," Aspen says directly behind me, making me twitch slight in surprise at his proximity.

"Thanks," I whisper as my face floods with heat at the naughty thought that flood my mind about this burly 6'3" man.

"Echo's my protector," Emery announces to Aspen to my shock. 

"What do you mean?" papa inquires as we walk into the kitchen. 

"It's nothing, papa," I quickly reply, trying to avoid the topic. "Emery how many slices and bread sticks do you want?" 

"One each, please!" he replies with a grin. 

"Okay," I say, avoiding papa and Aspen's eyes; placing Emery on his feet, I grab a paper plate to put his food on while silently pleading that the subject has been dropped. 

"Here Em," I say once I've finished, and he carefully takes it from me. 

"Can I have some soda?" he quietly asks with hopeful eyes. 

"Um, I'm not sure," I honestly tell him. "Ask Rowan okay?"

He nods while biting his lower lip before walking over to Rowan, and he talks to the correct man, too before sitting down next to him with a smile. 

Rowan brings his head up to meet my eyes to say; "He can have whichever flavor he likes."

"Thank you," I reply with a tiny smile, then pour Emery a half of glass of 'Sprite'.