AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Jax, I need a painting like this in my new rental. It’s up in the mountains, and a creek flows right behind the cabin. It would be perfect.”
“Since you know Rose Marie Shaw,” Kylee stated, “maybe you should contact her to paint your cabin and creek.”
I heard fingers snap. “That’s a great idea! It will add more of a personal touch to have the cabin and creek painted and hung in the cabin.”
“Exactly,” Kylee stated. “Now, how do I go about contacting the artist? Does she specialize in landscapes?”
“She, um, she does a number of landscapes, yes,” Jax stated.
“And the price?” Kylee asked.
Without missing a beat, Jax replied, “Three thousand.”
“That’s a steal for this!” Jonathon stated.
I turned around and gaped at the three of them. Kipton walked over, took me by the arm, and led me into the back room. Lily followed.
We slipped inside the office that was in the back and shut the door. The three of us grabbed hands, jumped, and silently screamed. I had sold my first painting. And I had sold it to a Hollywood actress!
Chapter Twenty-Three
BRYSON
“Don’t be afraid to walk up to him,” Ty said as we both stood in a pasture on his portion of the Shaw Ranch.
Glancing back at him, I frowned. “You want me to walk up to a bull? In an open field? Not to mention, the bull is mean.”
“He’s not mean,” Ty replied with a smirk. “I take that back. He is mean when he’s in the pen. He’s not mean right now.”
I shook my head and took a few steps back. Suddenly, Josh walked by me and straight to the bull. Then he jumped up on the bull and sat on it. My heart nearly leaped from my chest.
When he laid back on the beast and folded his arms behind his head, I glared at Ty.
“They are gentle giants. We raise them from the time they’re born, and when they’re out here in these fields, they’re babies.”
I turned and looked at the fifteen-hundred-pound baby.
With a laugh, I said, “Are they all this…gentle?”
“Hell no!” Blayze said as he walked up next to us.
“Don’t let him fool you, Bryson. Most of these bulls will let you pet them, give them a treat, and some even let you sit on them, like Josh there. A few will try to buck you and finish you with their horns.”
I faced Ty. “You wouldn’t let me try to sit on one of those, would you?”
He shrugged and walked toward his son and the bull. Looking at Blayze, I let out a nervous laugh. “He wouldn’t…would he?”
Blayze leaned in and replied in a low voice, “You’re dating his daughter. Practically living with her in her apartment, so…you tell me.”
I rubbed at the base of my neck. “Good point.”
“Bryson, you ready to go?” Josh asked as he walked up to me. He had replaced his cowboy hat with a baseball cap.
Motioning for him to lead the way, I replied, “I’m ready if you are.”
Turning to follow Josh, Ty walked up on the other side of me, sandwiching me between him and Blayze.
Clearing his throat, Ty said, “I really don’t know how to thank you for doing this, Bryson. It means a lot to Joshua and Nathan.”
I stole a quick look at Ty. “It’s not a problem at all. I’m kind of excited, if I’m being honest.”
“Do you mind if I tag along?” Blayze asked. “Mom and Dad are with Georgie and the kids, so I’m free this afternoon.”
“The more, the merrier.”
Ty slapped me on the back. “Let’s go cause some baseball coaches and parents to shit their pants, shall we?”
The few months I’d been in the area, I had kept a low profile—mainly because I hadn’t wanted it to get out where I was and have people attempting to get a picture of me and sell it. After the whole episode with Kennedy and the interview Rose had talked me into doing, the steam had been taken out of the sails of some attempting to find out where I was and what I was up to. Giving ESPN the exclusive interview, showing them the house, and announcing my relationship with Rose had been the perfect thing to do. Now that I wasn’t playing, there really hadn’t been much interest in me. Nathan and Josh had begged me to come to their practices numerous times, which I’d declined, but now it finally felt like it would be okay. Most people in town knew I was living here, and I had to say, no one treated me any differently besides a request for a photo or signed ball or hat. It had been nice.
An hour later, and after the shock somewhat wore off that I was at their baseball practice, I was giving an impromptu pitching clinic. I’d never had so much fun in my life, besides actually playing. Something about working with the kids brought me pure joy. After the practice was over, I met and shook hands with some parents, signed a few things, and found myself talking to Ty, Blayze, and Larry about baseball, ranching, and raising cattle. I wanted to do something with my land, and I’d always been interested in cattle.
