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“Right as rain,” he says and winks.
“You look a little pale, Neil. Have you been taking all your meds?” Olivia asks as she sets plates of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast on the table.
“Yes, I’m fine thanks, Olivia.” He turns to glance at me as I reach for the eggs. “We need to move some cattle to the back pasture. Can you help old Dan herd drive them down the Old Fork road?”
“Sure, I haven don’t that cattle for a long spell, but I’ll give it a try. Of course I’ll have to check with Mrs. Roberts and see if there are any emergencies brewing at the office first,” Olivia says as she sits down to eat.
“Can, I help?” I ask, because if she goes out all day as much as I love granddad I’ll rather spend my time with her. Seeing as we’re getting to know each other and I want to tell her about Dede. I just want to get it all of my chest. The truth, for once in my life. Whenever we’re alone, I just want to take her. At least out there while we’re working we can talk when we have a break and then she’ll know the demons that really turned me to drink. The real reason that I lost my way.
Olivia’s lost in her thoughts, “Autumn’s a good cutting horse and maybe if she’s out there working again then she won’t feel so down.”
“Sure of course,” Neil says beaming his ear to ear smile. “If that’s alright for Isaac to go with you too?”
I smile as there’s no one I would go driving cattle with than Olivia, the beautiful red head that doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.
“Think you’re up to it, Cowgirl?” I tease her.
Olivia raises her eyebrows. “When’s the last time you were in the saddle all day, Isaac?”
“Point taken. My butt has been glued to the office chair for a while and when I tried riding last week after an hour, I was getting tired.”
Granddad says, “Well there’s only one way to find out!”
“Granddad you’re right. Saddle me up and I’ll be there all day with you.”
She winks, “You’ve got a deal!”
***
After breakfast as we walk to the barn to saddle the horses, I can’t help but say, “I wish we were sleeping in the same bed. I don’t like you being in the guest cottage.”
“Sex friend.”
“Me, how can you even say that? Yesterday you were the one that wanted me in the shower.”
“Yes, I was an innocent cowgirl before you came along and branded me,” Olivia’s battering her eyelashes as if to say that she’s innocent.
“Really, you really think that?”
We’re both smiling at each other, playing and teasing, it’s kind of funny that she thinks that I’m the one that’s been after her. When I’ve wanted to stay as far away from her as possible.
Olivia raises her chin, “Yes, I was respectable before I met you.”
Suddenly, we are both laughing so hard that tears are running down our cheeks.
“I can see getting any work done today with you around is going to be hard,” I say wiping my eyes as we enter the barn.
“Yeah, well you better hold up your end of the drive. I have my doubts you can cowboy up for this one.”
I shake my head. “Cowgirl, you just haven’t seen me and Buckskin working cows. You just hold your hat while you watch, or we will blow it away,” I joke. Then I get a serious. “Be careful, Olivia. With a herd as big as the one we’re moving today anything can happen.”
“Yeah, same goes to you,” she says as she splits off and heads for Autumn’s stall while I go to greet Buckskin.
Minutes later we ride out to join Granddad’s hired hand who seems almost his age. However, I quickly find that Dan and his horse Smokey still have the moves. Of course, he has old Shep nipping at the cows heels helping out. We’ll be driving the cattle down a gravel road with fences on each side, I realize that Dan can probably move the cattle without our help. Maybe it would be a little difficult, but I’m sure that he could do it alone.
Damn is granddad manipulating me again?
Yet, this time I don’t mind. Sure, the work’s dusty, and I’m not used to being in the saddle all day. But, Olivia’s riding at the tail end of the herd with me and I hate to admit that as we get started, I’m enjoying myself.
