19
Seth
“They’re not gonna let us come out to the farm this week, sweetie. I’m so sorry.”
Gramm’s voice trembled in the receiver wedged between Seth’s shoulder and ear.
“What do you mean? I thought it was all lined up and we were good to go.” Seth balanced a large bottle of milk on his knee as he crouched down in the fresh bedding of straw in the old barn stall. The calf nudged at the bottle with his wet nose, smacking his lips while he searched to find the nipple to latch onto. The poor thing ended up rejected by its mother, an outcome no cattle rancher liked to encounter. Seth and Tanner now switched off feedings. It would take some teamwork, but they were determined to give the calf the best start in life possible.
Gramm sighed. “There’s been a flu outbreak and they don’t want any of us leaving.”
Seth’s hopes nosedived at that. Of course, he had wanted to have his grandmother and her friends out to the ranch, but their health was more important than an afternoon field trip. If only the people that ran that facility understood their mental health was something to consider, too.
“That’s really a bum deal, Gramm.” The calf’s wobbly legs buckled and Seth readjusted his feeding position so he could get a better latch. “I was hoping you could spend some time out here. It’s been so long.”
“It really has.” There was a wistful quality in her voice. “But it’s probably better this way, anyway.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Oh, Seth, dear. You’re the only Ford on that ranch that would be happy to see my face around there again.”
His chin tucked back, startled by her blunt statement. “What do you mean, Gramm?”
“Can’t imagine your mother and father would take too kindly to seeing me at their ranch after all they did to make sure it didn’t stay my ranch after Pop passed.”
Seth hadn’t been privy to any of that information, mostly because he’d been a teenager when his grandfather had passed and things like wills, trusts, and landownership were far less interesting than girls, trucks, and Friday night football games.
“Anyway, all’s well that ends well, I suppose,” Gramm said with resignation. “I guess this crazy old lady will just have to stay locked up here like everyone insisted. Listen, sweetie, I have to go for now. They’re calling us for lunch and if I don’t get down there before Nancy does, all of the mac and cheese will be gone. She never leaves any for the rest of us, selfish old bat. Anyway, love you, dear. We’ll chat soon.”
“Love you, too, Gramm.” Seth clicked his phone off and slipped it into his back pocket, then looked down at the sweet calf with milk dripping from his lips. “What do you think she meant by that?” he said rhetorically to the animal who blinked with thick cow lashes, giving him a blank, bewildered stare.
“Knock, knock.”
Josie’s voice filtering into the barn was the sweetest sound; exactly what Seth needed after his grandmother’s disappointing news.
“I’m in here.” Seth megaphoned his mouth with his hands to holler from his hunkered position in the stall. “First stall on the right.”
“Hey.” She peered over the panel. “Aww, look at that little cutie.”
“Why, thank you,” Seth teased. He flashed a toothy grin. “Oh, you mean the calf.”
She chuckled and wove her arms over the pipe panel, resting one on top of the other.
“You got your cast off!”
“Yep.” Josie beamed. “Everything healed up faster than the doctor had originally predicted and they were able to take it off today. And I’m all cleared to start shoeing again, too. I’ve already got an appointment at Bridgette’s tomorrow afternoon with another horse they just brought in. It’ll be nice to pick things back up with that. It’s been too long.”
“That’s great news, Josie. I’m really happy for you.”
She unlocked the stall and shut it gently behind her before crouching down to join Seth with the hungry little calf. “How’s he doing?”
“Seems to be okay now that he’s got some groceries in him. Poor dude. Rejection sucks.”
“Especially when it’s from your mama.” She stroked the top of the animal’s fuzzy head. “He’s adorable. I honestly don’t know how you guys do what you do. Raise them knowing they’ll be on someone’s dinner table one day. I’d have a hard time with that.”
It was the harsh truth of things but Seth definitely knew where Josie came from. It was part of the reason he wasn’t as in love with ranching as his father and brother were. Seth easily became attached to the animals they raised, but it was all part of the process—and the paycheck—and that reminder was the main motivating factor.
“I guess I just have to tell myself that this is their purpose. They have a good life here; we make sure of it. And when it’s time for them to be shipped off, I know we’ve done everything we could to ensure a peaceful existence and end. But it’s not easy, and if I wasn’t born into this lifestyle, I’m not sure it’s one I would’ve picked for myself.”
“What would you have picked, if it were up to you? Because it is, you know.” Josie plucked a bit of straw from her shirt with her fingers. She was casual today like every other day with her boot cut jeans and sweatshirt. Even still, Seth thought she looked downright sexy, but the ring she wore on her fourth finger might’ve had a little something to do with it.
“Would you believe I wanted to be a veterinarian?” He pulled back the bottle to give the calf a rest. It had slurped down over half and needed to pace itself.
“I absolutely can believe it. Don’t you remember, I was standing by your side while you delivered this very calf?” Josie said. “So how come you never pursued it?”
“It’s a ton of schooling, and a whole heap of money that I couldn’t really ask my parents for at the time.” He shrugged. “Anyway, that ship has sailed.”
“What if it hasn’t? What about starting out as a vet tech to see if it’s something you’d even enjoy. It would be a great way to get your feet wet before committing to vet school for the long haul.”
“That’s the thing. I know I would enjoy it. It’s just not my path. Not right now, at least.”
“So what is your path, Seth? Is it waiting around to see if your parents will give you a bigger piece of the family business? Because that doesn’t really sound like a path to me. It sounds like a road block.”
Josie spoke bluntly, but Seth respected that because the truth of the matter was, she was entirely right. He didn’t have a future at the ranch. At least not one that would ever end with his name on the deed.
“I’m sorry.” She must have sensed the doubt swirling in his eyes. “It’s not my place to talk like that.”
“Sure, it is. You’re my pretend wife, remember? You should get some say in my pretend future.”
“If all of this were real and I actually did have a say, I would tell you that you’re worthy of chasing after your own dreams, Seth. Just as worthy as anyone else.”