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I sighed. “But it was my dad that gave me the opportunity to experience things I loved. I was sporty growing up, preferred putting together things and cars over makeup and cheerleading. One year, my brother was building a go-kart for some school project. When he finished, I stole it so often my dad took the time to build one for me. With me.” Another tear slid down my face as I choked back the honest truth. The truth was that I was terrified. So afraid of having to do this life without him.
“How am I supposed to live without him, Weston?” I whispered, the flood gates opening. Tears poured down my face, crashing against my legs as I let everything I’d been holding at bay flow through me. He placed a hand on my thigh and began brushing his thumb back and forth, letting me cry. Letting me feel.
“By simply living. And living for him,” he softly replied.
Chapter 15
We arrived in quiet solace; he’d allowed me to sit in my thoughts. He never removed his hand from my leg, which I was grateful he hadn’t. Maybe I really should try and continue having a life instead of simply waiting for my dad to pass away. Having a little fun would be alright, a little adventure wasn’t illegal, and my parents had been asking for me to get out there. Not to date Cassidy, but finding something to enjoy would be alright.
Weston led me over to that trusty steed of a side-by-side, and we took a short ride to a smaller pasture where there were about ten cows munching on some hay. They barely picked their heads up when we arrived, docile and older. Which made the process go smoothly and quite quickly. We did preg checks on all of them on top of deworming, and wellness exams to make sure that they really weren’t pregnant.
“Weston,” I said as he released the last cow from the chute.
He leaned against the green metal and raised a brow towards me. “Yeah?”
“You really didn’t need my help doing this, did you?” I asked, crossing my arms and giving him an annoyed expression. He winked and pushed himself off of the chute, heading my way with a sly grin.
“I mean, it made it so I didn’t need to get one of the hands to help,” he responded as a thundering vibration began to rumble through the hillside. I turned away from Weston’s intense gaze and chiseled features, and waited. Waited for the scene that I knew was coming as the whistling intensified.
Then there it was. Rising over the hillside across some beautiful snow was a herd of cattle surrounded by Cassidy and a couple hands on horses. I watched as they rose over the hill and walked towards the gate at the far side of the pasture. Growing up I’d only heard of cowboys, but I’d never had a chance to make it out of L.A. They’d been a myth until college and vet school.
At least I knew they were real then, but I’d never been able to meet one in person until moving here. Within a few weeks, my life had changed so abruptly, and in such a strange way. I found myself intrigued and falling in love with this life.
Sighing loudly, I watched the procession with eyes of infatuation. A deep chuckle sounded beside me, and I whipped my head towards Weston. He’d shoved his hands into his pocket and was watching me with a smirk.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I snarled at him.
“Like what?” he asked.
I gestured at him up and down. “Like that. Like it’s so amusing to see someone find this lifestyle awe inspiring.”
“But you do,” he stated as a matter of fact as the cattle began pouring through the gate. I watched them slip through towards the hay that was scattered throughout the pasture and begin to hungrily munch upon the feed, bellies filled with babies and hay already.
Weston was right. I did find this lifestyle absolutely incredible. Hard. Intense. But incredible. Definitely glorified outside of the actual western world, but all the same, I knew why it was so easily made out that way. Why so many girls wanted to find themselves a part of this world, because I was desperately and deeply falling into that same trap. Even with the everyday hardships and blunders I was beginning to catch a glimpse of, this made me feel more at peace than anything else I’d ever witnessed before.
“Come on, darling,” Weston whispered into my ear as the gate was closed, and I turned around, following him towards our side-by-side. Even he was a view unlike anything I’d seen before. Men didn’t grow quite like him back where I was raised. Men didn’t grow quite like my father either. Maybe that’s why I hadn’t dated much growing up. Hadn’t cared too much for any of the boys that had shown up in my life previously.
Weston pulled the Razor into its typical parking spot and a wave of kids came running, led by Keaton despite the fact that at least two boys and a girl following him were taller and older. They gathered in a circle around Weston and I, eager faces pleading with the cowboy sitting in the driver's seat.
“Is it time?” the oldest boy said, a beige felt cowboy hat upon his head. He also had curly hair, although it was light brown, and big blue eyes that were framed with a scattered pattern of freckles lit up on his face. A mixture of Cassidy and Weston. He most certainly had no problem with gaining friends at school with that smile he just flashed.
“It’s time, Butch,” Weston said, stepping out of the Razor. He pointed at me as I popped around the backside. “That’s Doc Tenley, and she’s never even been regular sledding before. So let’s be nice today.”
A warning that the kids all grimaced at, and Weston shook his head as if knowing it was fruitless.
“Hey, Uncle Weston?” A small girl with rosy cheeks and bright red, curly hair peeked out from behind Keaton. She looked like a mini version of him.
“What’s up, Millie?” Weston bent down, and she ran towards him, her puffy mittens matching nicely with her bubble coat and beanie on her head. She jumped into Weston’s arms, and he adjusted her zipper so it was tighter under her chin.
“Can we do the horses first?” she asked, causing me to furrow my brows.
“Yo! I could break out them old skis Dad was telling me y’all used to use,” Butch replied with a sly, mischievous grin.
And when I looked at Weston, I knew I was in trouble. He had that same glint in his eye. “No. Whatever you guys are thinking, no. I’m a beginner, remember?” I quickly said as Weston’s mischievous crooked grin grew even wider.
“They should be in the barn laid up against the side somewhere,” Weston said, and Butch grinned before scurrying off.
“What are you getting me into?” I asked as Millie clapped her hands and squealed.
