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Which shocked me to say the least.
Chapter 5
Tenley sat beside me as we slowly bumped across the field. Driving the old farm truck across snowy ground to feed was always adventurous, but this time it was turning out to be more so. I glanced in my rearview, shaking my head.
“She’s as useful as a crocheted bathtub,” I muttered as Butch, who was sweating, once again shoved more hay out of the bed while Charlotte clung to the side of the truck in desperation.
“She’s what?” Tenley gasped beside me.
“As useful as a crocheted bathtub, darling,” I replied, raising a brow as she threw her head back, and laughed.
“I need to remember that,” she wheezed out, struggling to breath. I tossed my arm across the back of the single bench seat and pressed my hand against her shoulder. This time, it was my turn to place her closer to my body, directly next to it.
Tenley smiled and scooted as close as she could, still wrapped in the fuzzy blanket as I turned the steering wheel to angle us toward the bottom of the field. Cattle brayed, following the trail of feed that was left behind us.
Clearing her throat as the laugh finally subsided, Tenley sighed. “You should be nicer though. She’s never done this before and I’d probably be as helpful as she is.”
“I am being nice,” I replied, glancing in my rearview once more.
“Would you say that to me?” she asked, and I lifted my brows.
“No. But I’d be thinking it,” I answered, and she lightly slugged my shoulder. “What was that for? I was just being honest.”
“Maybe be a little less honest.”
“You want me to lie sometimes?” I chuckled, smiling to myself as she rolled her eyes.
“You know that’s not what I meant, cowboy.”
“But that’s exactly what you—”
My reply was cut off by a scream from outside. Butch began shouting something, and I looked out my rearview mirror just as he came flying to the front. He pounded his fist against the window, begging for me to stop.
Alone. He was the only one in the bed of the truck.
Slamming on the brakes, I threw the truck into park and jumped out, leaving Tenley sitting by herself. Again.
“Charlotte fell off!” Butch shouted, jumping over the side of the truck as curly hair popped up in the middle of a small herd of cattle. Hay was coiled in the strands as she screamed again.
I immediately stopped jogging and sucked in my breath.
Tenley popped her head out the door of the truck. “Weston,” she cautioned and I kept my mouth and thoughts to myself as Butch barreled through the cattle and scooped her up. It took everything in me to not laugh as he walked back to the bed of the truck, holding Charlotte in his arms.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she was shaking her head. “The cows almost ate me!” she cried out, and I nearly doubled over from holding my breath to keep myself from laughing. A subtle snort managed to sneak out my nose and a death glare from Butch snapped my way.
“They just wanted the hay you were on top of, not you,” Butch calmly replied, returning his focus to Charlotte, and he helped her back into the bed of the truck.
“When we are done with this, I’m going home,” she hissed and Butch’s shoulders sagged. He swung another nasty glare toward me and I wiped the smile from my lips. My intentions had not been to scare her off entirely, so I kept my face as stoic and unemotional as possible.
But honestly, other than the fact she would be leaving sooner than Butch wanted, I was finding this debacle absolutely hilarious.
“Get back in the truck, old man,” he grumbled, and I let a wicked grin slide over my face before turning around and hopping back in.
Tenley scooted up directly against me once more, her sweet smell of honeysuckles dancing through the air. “Good job.” She patted my arm and my stomach swirled. I knew it held some sarcasm, but I liked it. I liked anything with her and even if this wasn’t our actual second first date, it was still fun being here with her.
“Call me later, Butch,” Charlotte quickly said, jumping in her jeep and squealing out of the parking lot without a second gland toward me. She was swallowed up by the trees within another minute, and the evening became silent once more.
Butch kicked at some snow, pulling himself up on the wet railing. Tenley stood beside me, shivering a little.
