Page 29 of Sudden Summer

“Let’s tackle the trim together, and then we can roll,” Birdie suggested.

“Sounds good to me.”

We both moved towards the ladder I had set up in the corner.

“Uh, where you going, Cowboy?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Chickadee.”

“I’m going to do the trim around the ceiling.”

“Like hell you are,” I grumbled. “I don’t like the idea of you up on the ladder.”

She rolled her eyes and pointed her paintbrush at my chest.

“Don’t even start. I’m perfectly capable of climbing a ladder safely.”

“I know you are. I’m not saying you couldn’t—I’m just saying it’s safer for you to keep two feet on the ground. So, you should.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Yeah, but you like that about me.”

She shrugged, but I could see the smile she was fighting to hold back.

“Well, I won’t be disappointed with the view,” Birdie teased.

“Damn, I hadn’t thought of that. Here I was being chivalrous, and I fucked—ducked—myself over.”

She patted my chest. “You’ll be fine. Better scurry up that ladder.”

I groaned as I took my place, watching Birdie as she pulled out her phone and rested it against the window. Some sort of ethereal music started playing.

“Is this one of your midwifery playlists?” I joked.

“Yeah, it is.” She laughed as she sat on the floor, pulling the second tray of paint closer to her. “This is a favorite. It’s soothing while still being energizing; something I think we could both use right now.”

“Alright. But when we start rolling, we’re switching to country.”

“Whatever you say, Cowboy.”

I chuckled. “Oh! I can’t believe I forgot to tell you. We had two calves born this morning.”

“What?!” Her whole face lit up, and my chest tightened. She’d always loved getting to bottle feed the babies when their mamas didn’t take to mothering.

“Ma sent out this guy who she met at the diner to come talk to me about hiring on as an extra hand, and Travis called up, telling me there was a mama in distress.”

“No. What happened?”

“He was elbow deep when we got out there. Emmett—the new guy—stepped right in and got the calf’s position fixed, and out that baby popped. It was wild.”

“Aw.” Her eyes went wide. “Are they okay? The baby and the mama?”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, flipping back to the text I’d gotten from Kip while I was taping down the tarp.

“Kip was checking on ‘em this afternoon. Looks like they are both doing great.”

I held out the phone and showed her the picture I’d gotten.