It looked peaceful. Idyllic, even.
Looks can be deceiving.
I headed back to the barn, mentally running through the morning checklist. Goats: fed, watered, and currently plotting their next break in. Chickens: fed, watered, and most likely hiding eggs from me. Buddy?—
A loudcracksplit the air.
I spun toward the sound.
The garden irrigation timer box hung open, its plastic cover dangling by one hinge. Water sprayed from a broken coupling, turning the garden into a muddy mess.
“No. No, no, no.”
I ran.
The valve wassomewherein this system—Walt had shown me, I'dwatchedhim do it—but the sprays were already soaking the lettuce beds, pooling around the tomato cages, turning three weeks of careful watering schedules into a disaster zone.
Think. There's a shutoff. He showed you the shutoff.
My hands were already wet, my shirt plastered to my skin, and the valve—there—half-hidden behind the timer box and currently being defended by the world's most aggressive spray of water.
I lunged for it.
The coupling sprayed me directly in the face.
Great. This is going to be an interesting summer.
ChapterTwo
Callum
The coffee Sharonhanded me was strong enough to wake the dead, which seemed appropriate considering I felt like one.
“You look terrible.”
“Good morning to you, too.”
She settled behind the reception desk with her own mug, eyeing me over her reading glasses. “What time did you get home?”
“Late.”
“Callum—”
I took a long drink of coffee, savoring the burn. “Colton Ranch. Mare with colic. Got there around midnight, left at four.”
“And you're here at seven-thirty because...?”
“I have appointments.”
“You could've called me. I would've rescheduled the morning.”
“You work part-time. That means you get tohavea life.” I leaned against the counter, trying to ignore how much my back hurt. “Besides, it's just a few checkups. I'll survive.”
“That's what you said last Tuesday. Then you fell asleep standing up while Mrs. Wendell talked about her cat's digestive issues.”
“In my defense, she'd been talking for twenty minutes.”
“You snored.”
