Page 68 of Cowboy Daddies

“The bathroom is through there.” Their host pointed to the obvious door. “Shower stalls, toilet stalls, and a four-person sauna if you want to catch some steam after work. I highly recommend that.”

“About the work thing…” someone called out. “We’re um, not really going to be doing cowboy—uh, cowgirl stuff, are we? Like real ranch work?”

Ma motioned for them to all move in and sit. “The life of a cowboy is rough. They work from sunup to sundown most of the year, and it’s exhausting. So, in that respect… no, you won’t be doing that.”

A relieved murmur swept the group. “What we aim to do is give you a slice of that life. You’ll get the experiences and you’ll learn a lot, but there will be plenty of time for rest, relaxation, and most importantly… bonding with your significant other.”

Allegra felt the tension in her middle loosen. That sounded a lot better than what she’d been picturing, and apparently, she wasn’t alone. “What if we don’t know anything about ranch stuff though?” she couldn’t help asking.

Ma smiled at her, and it seemed maybe a little more personal than the professional smile she’d been giving the others. “Don’t you worry about that, Allegra. We know that most of our guests have never actually been on a working ranch. You’ll learn as you go. We team each couple up with an experienced cowboy who can show you the ropes.”

Allegra nodded, right before the older woman added, “Although in your case, I expect Carter will be able to teach you anything you need to know. He was one of our best hands when he was here.”

The other guests all turned to look at Allegra, and she felt suddenly like she was on a stage. She wasn’t really sure how to reply to that, so she just said, “Thank you,” and waited for them to move on. Since there were plenty more questions, the attention left her pretty quickly.

The rest of the day flew by, with tours of the ranch, unpacking, and getting to know the other couples they’d be with. New guests arrived throughout the day and by dinner time, everyone was present and accounted for.

The food was served outside, and the smell of barbecued meat had her stomach growling long before they made their way over. The late afternoon sun slowly sank behind the trees, as they filled their plates and wandered around chatting with each other. When the stars came out, Pa and some of the cowboys started a fire in a large ring of rocks.

Carter picked one of the logs that made up the fire’s rustic seats, and she settled down next to him. Her head rested against his shoulder as she sipped a glass of wine. “This is nice,” she admitted.

His arm went around her and he squeezed. “I’m glad you like it. This place meant a lot to me. To be honest … I’d forgotten how much.”

She kept quiet hoping he’d say more, but he didn’t. “Why do I get the feeling there is more to the story than ‘I worked here for a few years.’?”

He chuckled. “Probably because there is. So, how do you like the bunkhouse?”

“It’s really nice, actually. I’d obviously rather be in a cabin with you, but I guess I can deal with it.” She tipped her head back and nipped at his neck. “Not thrilled with the no sex rule.”

“You and me both, sweetheart, but it’s only a week.”

‘Only’ a week turned out to be an eternity.

Their hosts shoo’d them all off to bed at nine, and there was plenty of grumbling about it. “Feel free to stay up,” Ma said. “But morning comes early here and so does the work.”

Some people listened, but the next morning, it was clear to see who hadn’t by the dead-eyed stares and huge yawns. Ally was feeling it a little, thanks to the early hour, but she’d been tired enough to go to bed immediately when she got back to her bunk. Two cups of coffee were enough to get her going.

And there was a lot to do. Hauling feed, mucking out stalls—these were basic chores that didn’t need much teaching, so the guests started there. By noon she was tired, itchy, and starting to feel like this whole marriage rehabilitation thing was a scam to get free labor.

One thing she did like though, was that they never got stuck with a chore for too long. They were constantly switching around, trying new things. If you absolutely hated a job, you could at least be assured that you wouldn’t be doing it long. She was too stubborn to complain, especially in front of Carter, but throughout the day, she heard other people whining about the work or muttering about spending a fortune just to do hard labor.

Sometimes they hunted up Pa and asked (or demanded) better treatment. He didn’t seem to take the requests seriously. “Naw, yer good there. Trust me, you’ll get the hang of it,” he’d say, and then he’d wander off before they could ask again.

One couple left before dinner on the first day, which was a shame because the porterhouse steaks they were served were insanely good. She wasn’t even a huge steak fan, preferring chicken usually, but she cleared her plate and then devoured the strawberry shortcake dessert with its freshly whipped cream.

“I can’t believe I ate all that,” she whispered to Carter, feeling almost embarrassed.

He laughed. “It’s the fresh air and the hard work. Don’t hesitate to ask for seconds if you’re still hungry. Anyway, food tastes better when it feels like you had a hand in creating it.”

“Creating it?” She frowned, tilting her head. “What do you mean?”

“It’s a ranch, sweetheart. Where do you think the meat comes from? And the milk. And the eggs. And the fresh herbs. There’s a huge vegetable garden too.” He tapped his fork against the side of her empty plate, nothing but strawberry juice left. “They don’t produce everything they use, but I can guarantee most of this meal came from right here.”

Her mouth shaped a silent ‘oh’.

“And what they don’t grow here, they can usually trade or buy local. There used to be a ranch/farm co-op, I’m guessing there still is.”

Somehow Allegra hadn’t connected the cows and chickens with the food they were eating. She wasn’t dumb, of course she knew where food came from, but somehow in her head it hadn’t entirely clicked. Or maybe it had just felt like the place was here for guests to play at being cowboys, instead of a real ranch. It gave her a new appreciation for the food. It wasn’t the last revelation of the week.