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“Of course you are.”
Lenny chewed on the corner of her lip and thought it over for a few seconds before she said, “Fine. I will go. For you.”
****
Garret spent three long and uneventful nights out with the boys watching the cattle. They suspected cattle rustlers were to blame for the decline in their numbers, but thus far had seen zero nighttime activity.
As much as Eliza enjoyed sleeping with nary a stitch of clothing in Garret’s absence, she grew suspicious her increasingly foul mood had to do with how little she had seen him of late. She hated to admit it to herself, much less utter such embarrassing words out loud, so she would keep that tidbit of information to herself. After bouts of especial grumpiness, Lenny tossed knowing looks at her, which led her to think she was fooling no one.
When Garret showed up to gather more provisions to last them yet another night, that was it. Enough was enough.
“I’m coming with you.”
Garret looked at her in shock, a half-eaten biscuit hanging from his mouth. “No,” he said, biting into the food. “Hell no. You would hate it, and I have enough to deal with without listening to your whining.”
“How do you know I’ll hate it?” she countered. “You barely even know me and besides, I’ve already saddled Buck and packed a bedroll and my own food. You won’t even know I’m there. I’ll be quiet as a mouse.”
He shook his head in annoyance and stuffed food into a pack.
“And I don’t whine,” she said, slamming the front door behind her as she left the house. She would simply wait with the horses lest Garret get the harebrained idea to leave her behind at a dead run.
The ride to the pond was quiet until Garret said, “Your last pie almost looked normal.”
Ah, that hard-earned half-compliment was so sweet to her ears. “I’ve been practicing the creation of the perfect pastry dessert to present at the barn-raising.”
Kicking his horse into a trot in front of her, he said over his shoulder, “You’re likely to run the ranch out of flour with your good intentions.”
Why couldn’t the confounding man let her keep any of his kind words? She stuck her tongue out at his receding back. Mature or not, it made her feel better.
The remaining herd was still substantial. When they arrived, Cookie, Burke, and a ranch hand named Wells were scattered among the bellowing beasts on horseback. The men looked exhausted, and as she steered Buck to her post, the boys threw surprised glances in her direction. All but Burke, who waved and looked as if she was the entertainment he had been waiting for. She would have to try her best not to provide the expected show.
Milling about in the herd, she kept an attentive eye and rode to the edge of the numbers to check the tree line for any unexpected movement. How they would ever keep track of all the cattle was beyond her. The animals tended to wander wherever the wind took them, completely uninterested in staying in an easily-manageable group despite the cowhands’ combined efforts to keep them together. Garret muttered it was because the beasts were dumb, and though she strove to be more charitable in her thoughts, one evening with the herd had her inclined to agree with him.
Eliza was grateful for darkness. Her stomach proved to be an impatient little companion, and by nightfall she had tied a string of tight knots down the extra length of Buck’s reins out of boredom. Her gaze was drawn to her untouchable husband’s strong athletic form more and more often, and she was relieved when Cookie started a fire some small distance away in the waning evening light. Burke disappeared into the trees and Garret kept his position with the herd, but she happily joined the men at the campfire. She hoped to pick up a few tips on outdoor cooking, and was glad when Cookie patiently answered her questions and let her help. Dinner was simple. Beans and ham with a loaf of freshly-baked bread she’d brought. The bottom was scorched and it hadn’t risen properly, but no one complained.
The night was beautiful and clear. The sheer number of stars was nearly aesthetically overwhelming. Billions of tiny diamonds decorated the deep-purple sky. Wells graciously gave up his seat on a fallen tree, which was a fortunate thing because from the looks of it, Garret had no intention of sharing his space on it. Still mad at her forcing her way out here, then.
The men’s easy banter with each other made her chuckle, even when evident the bulk of their amusement stemmed from Garret’s relationship, or lack thereof, with her. The jabs didn’t make her uncomfortable. They bothered Garret though, by the perpetual grimace he wore and the clenched set of his jaw.
Well, hang it then. Let them tease. What they said was mostly true, and she could use a good laugh.
Eliza shoveled the last bite of dinner into her mouth as Burke announced he had a present for her. She turned to look at him and came face-to-face with a spiny lizard. Squeaking, she dropped her plate and hopped onto the log, which elevated her exactly one foot off the ground and made her no safer. Garret’s shoulders shook with the effort to hold in his laughter. At least he tried. The others were hootin’ and hollerin’ remorselessly.
She threw her husband a slit-eyed glare and snatched the lizard from Burke’s outstretched hand. That successfully surprised everyone, including her. Seated again, she cradled the reptile between her hands. It was the size of her palm and spiny, though not painful to hold.
“What is he?” she asked as she rubbed her finger down the folding spines on its back.
“Horny toad,” Garret answered. “Can’t take a step out here without finding one.”
“He’s a cute little rascal. When he isn’t shoved in one’s face, that is.” She gave Burke a mock glare and returned her attention to the horny toad. Eventually, she released the tiny creature, then unfolded her bedroll.
“You need anything?” Garret asked, settling in beside her to lean against the log.
“Perhaps a drink of water?” she asked hopefully.
He took a swig out of his canteen, then passed it to her. She sputtered after she realized she’d just taken a shot of whiskey from that blasted thing.
The boys were all laughing, and Garret’s bright-blue eyes were dancing in the firelight.
