“Where the fuck have you been?” he asks.
“That is no way to talk to your boss,” I snap, then grin. “Overslept.”
“You dumbass. I already sent the boys out to the far pasture to round up the cows and move them. Saddled Meadow for you so we could ride over to the wells and make sure they’re good. I think the pump on the east side needs to be rewired. It was making a noise a week ago.”
“A noise?” I prompt. “And you decided to say something now?” Releasing a deep breath, I shake my head and walk over to Meadow and climb on. He’s a red quarter horse who loves to run and ride through the mud. We’ve had some great days together even though he’s young, spunky, and doesn’t always listen.
Once my feet are in the stirrups and Grayson is on his horse, we take off down one of the yellow trails that shortcuts over to the little water shack we need to check. Looking up at the sky, I see the dark clouds in the distance and know we don’t have much time.
“Should we take the four-wheelers instead?” Grayson asks, looking out over the horizon.
“Nah, I think we’ll be okay if we get going and don’t lollygag any longer. We’re already halfway there.”
“Alright. You’re the boss.” He snickers and follows me as we continue forward.
The temperature is dropping, and the wind is picking up, but I focus on the task at hand so we can get it done before getting dumped on.
“You gonna talk about those bruises on your neck?” Grayson finally asks, trotting up beside me.
“God, not you too,” I huff. “Riley’s ragged on me enough this morning for it. In front of Alex, too.”
“Well, it’s impossible to ignore it when they’re like beacons in the night.” He chuckles.
“I drank too much, but luckily, I wasn’t drunk. One more beer and I might’ve gone home with her, but I’ve had enough one-night stands to last me a lifetime,” I admit.
“And it’s not because Rowan’s coming home tomorrow?” He arches a brow.
All I can do is smirk. “Maybe I’m not as transparent as I thought.”
“Better get something to cover up those marks, or she’ll notice.”
I nod, agreeing. I honestly didn’t think about it. Rowan will use every opportunity to bust my balls, and these stupid hickeys will be enough to get her wrath for a month.
We continue riding until we arrive at the water well. We dismount and tie the horses to a fence post before walking over. Grayson was right; it’s making a noise, but I’m not sure what it is exactly.
“Go check the water trough and turn on the water so I can hear this pump kick on and off,” I order, and he jogs across the pasture. I take the casing off the pump and continue to listen closer. After everything is filled, Grayson joins me in the small shed.
“I’m pretty sure it’s the bearings. They need to be replaced before this thing burns up. We’ll need to look in the supply room and see if we have a few extra.” I pull out my cell phone and take pictures of the model number and type of pump it is. “And we’re gonna have to hurry. This storm’s movin’ in quickly.”
Grayson unties the horses as thunder rumbles in the distance. After hopping on, we decide to gallop for a while and run into my ranch hands, who are moving the cattle to where we just were. We don’t have time to stop and chat but exchange words in passing.
“I’ll catch y’all at the B&B for lunch,” I yell, and several of them give me a thumbs-up. The Circle B Bed & Breakfast has been around for decades on the Bishop’s ranch. It’s an old farmhouse Riley’s grandparents converted into a secluded Southern getaway. It’s known for many things: the rooms are named after colors, they serve the best damn food in this part of Texas, and horseback riding lessons are offered. Riley and Rowan’s cousin Maize is the chef now. She uses all of Grandma Bishop’s homemade recipes, and a kitchen staff prepares every meal fresh. John has been in charge of it for years and gets his panties in a knot anytime us ranch workers come in and overstay our welcome. But just thinkin’ about Maize’s buttermilk biscuits makes my mouth water. The B&B’s booked year-round with repeat guests who love visiting the ranch and animals.
I can’t blame anyone for wanting to return because I’ve been obsessed with this place since I met Riley. During my high school summers, I started at the bottom of the barrel doing grunt work and all the shit assignments. I hoped after years of busting my ass, I’d get promoted, and once Herbert announced his retirement, Alex offered me the job.
The only thing that would’ve made things better is getting promoted earlier so I could rub it in Fisher’s face. He’s Riley’s cousin who lives in California and worked on the ranch during the summers and busted my balls on a daily basis. He conveniently started dating my ex Gretchen and constantly pissed me off and pushed my buttons. While we had a small rivalry for years, we ended our feud and became friends. After Fisher got married, he took a full-time job in Sacramento and stopped working here. If only he could see me now.
“What’re you smiling about?” Grayson asks when we climb off the horses.
“Nothing.” I quickly change the subject. “I’m gonna run to the shop and see if I can find the parts we need. We’ll take the side-by-side so we can get out there quicker if you wanna put the horses up before the storm hits.”
“Sounds good,” he says, leading them into the barn.
Running to my truck, I haul ass to the storage building where the spare parts are kept. After digging around, I find an extra pump that’s the same model and quickly disassemble the housing and remove the bearings. I stuff them in my pockets and head back. By the time I meet Grayson, he’s finished and waiting for me. We hop in the side-by-side and take off.
Less than ten minutes later, the bottom falls out of the sky, and when we finally make it to the pump house, we’re both soaked. Grayson isn’t amused as he parks and follows me inside. I pull some tools from my pocket, turn off the pump, and change the bearings as fast as I can because lightning’s striking too close for comfort. Thunder booms, making us both jump.
“Hurry the hell up,” Grayson urges, looking out the door as the rain pours down around the little shack we’re standing in. It takes every bit of strength I have to loosen the bolts, and the constant rumbles have my nerves on edge. For us to be out here like this is dangerous, and I can tell Grayson is just as unhinged as I am. The storm seems to have stalled right above us, and we’re already soaked from head to toe, but in this part of Texas, we pray for rain, especially during the brutal summer months. There have been too many years when we’ve suffered droughts, so we never take it for granted. After tightening everything and replacing the casing, I start the pump and thankfully, the loud squealing noise is gone when it comes on.
“Thank fuck,” I mutter, wiping my greasy hands on my jeans. “Let’s get the fuck outta here.”
We run to the side-by-side and hope we don’t get struck by lightning as we rush to the barn. Though it’s nearly impossible to see the trail, when the building comes into view, I let out a sigh of relief and feel better once we’re inside. Grayson turns off the engine and shakes his head at me.