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“I’d be willing to bet there’s no maybe about it,” Cricket said, laughing.
“He’s popular,” I gave in.
Both Jonah and Cricket laughed. Ethan shook his head.
“What about you?” Jonah asked me. “You gotta girl back home? At Brown?”
I looked straight at Cricket and grinned. “Nope. Free as a bird.” Cricket visibly swallowed. Click.
“We’ve gotta bunch of cute girls around here,” Jonah continued. “Every Saturday night except during calving season, we all go into Kalispell. You should join us then.”
“I bet the girls would be glad for a fresh face,” Ellie chimed in happily.
“I’d love that,” I said, sitting back a little, still watching Cricket, but she was ignoring me. Click.
“Are you good on a horse, son?” Emmett asked, changing the subject.
It took me awhile to turn my gaze away from Cricket. “Yes, sir,” I answered. “I used to play polo in prep school.” Our half of the table laughed. “What?” I asked, slightly offended.
“Not quite the same,” Ethan said.
I leaned a little toward him, not sure why I was letting him get to me, I was usually very schooled at playing the upper hand. “I bet I’m a little better than you think.”
He nodded as if he didn’t believe me. Let’s go, dude.
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to see then,” he added.
“You’ve got good arms and shoulders,” Ellie said, appraising me. “You’ll be handy come birthing season and that’s just around the corner.”
I exaggeratedly flexed my muscles, imitating a bodybuilder, making Ellie laugh. “Point me the direction of your nearest cow,” I joked.
She slapped the table and actually hooted. “Boy, you are cuter than a button!”
“Thanks,” I said, my cheeks feeling peculiarly warm.
Someone entered the room, another young ranch hand, but he appeared out of breath. “Emmett, we’ve got a heifer gone into labor and she’s having some trouble.”
“What in the Sam Hill!” Emmett exclaimed. “She’s two weeks early!” He stood and Cricket followed.
“I’ve got it, Pop Pop,” she told him.
He nodded and sat back down, picking up the drumstick he was still working on, thinking nothing of her offer.
She started for the room with her coat and boots, Eugie nipping at her heels. They’re going to let this tiny nothing of a girl deliver a calf by herself?! I jumped up and everyone’s eyes turned toward me. Bridge eyed me strangely. I stood there a good minute, debating whether I should chase after her like a goon.
“Would you like to go?” Ellie asked me, saving me.
“Is that too weird?” I asked.
“Not at all. I didn’t think you’d be able to see this for a while, but the ranch is fickle and the heifer had different ideas. Go.”
I followed Cricket but not before noticing Ethan’s furrowed brows. He was catching on, but I couldn’t seem to care.
I grabbed my coat and gloves and opened the door to freezing temperatures. The cold was so bitter; it made me step back slightly. I pushed through the frozen wind and saw Cricket’s little frame entering the barn, Eugie right behind her. The wind whipped against my face and I raised my scarf higher against my mouth and nose, reveling in the warmth from my breath. I made an immediate mental note to buy a cap of some kind.
When I entered the barn, it was several degrees warmer than the outside, the cows and hot lights brought it to a tolerable temperature. I looked around and noticed Cricket crouched in a corner messing with something. “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” began to play. Oh my God, could she be any sexier? She stood and did a little shimmy dance move and my jaw went slack, but then she left out the other side of the barn. Where in the hell is she going? I started to follow but she quickly came back into the barn leading the heifer by a rope. She still hadn’t noticed me. She guided the animal into a metal stall and it tried to ram itself through to the other side. It was caught by a hinged gate butting against its shoulder blades and enclosing its head. The gate prevented the heifer from stepping back, most likely to stop her from trampling Cricket. I stifled a shudder.
“You gonna just stand there?” I heard, startling me. Okay, she had noticed me.
