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“A chicken?” He’s perplexed.
“Yeah. There’s a coop over at my house, and it’s been empty for years.” It’s time to bring more life to my home. Pets do that, and I have yet to take the time to get a rescue dog. Chickens are probably just the thing. Especially with my unpredictable work schedule.”
“All right. You got a deal, but you have to take at least two, three would be better. They don’t like living alone.”
“Perfect.”
The ranch hand behind me finally urges the last cow into the chute, and I pat her rump.
“Come on, girl. I got hens on the line here…”
I examine the screen intently but I’m already stoked with such a high success rate. I know it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the cows themselves but I’d love those chickens.
I hate to admit it, but I’ve been lonely.
After years of all that shit in New York, I was elated to live on the ranch with my brother, Dash. He’s grumpy sometimes, and not exactly the life of the party, but he’s also the kind of man who knows when you need a little extra TLC. And I do. But he moved out days after I came back, not wanting company as much as I do.
I tried not to let it hurt my feelings when he said he needed to be closer to the horses at the resort stables, because there’s a lot of truth in that. I’m not going to hunt him down. He has enough going on with the new horses we all decided to bring on for the dude ranch business. All my brothers have a lot going on.
I thought it would be good to come back to the Canyon. But both of my best friends from high school moved away,so I truly feel like I’m starting fresh. It isn’t exactly the cozy feeling I thought I’d have at home. Thankfully, I’ve already made some new friends. My brother’s new wife, Sam, is incredible, and two women from the resort stables are fab—Georgie, a local gal much younger than I, and Molly, a seasonal worker who just turned permanent. I’m so excited she’s staying.
But she’s awfully busy, and much as it isn’t fair, she’ll have to work her tits off to keep Dash off her back.
My mind wanders to Ashton again, and his ancient words echo in my memory.I promise I’ll always be your friend.
Thirteen years ago, the man uttered words I never wanted. I wanted more then. But a lot has passed in both our lives since Ashton said he’d be my friend forever in the dark and cold summer air. My curled hair still smelled like hairspray and tears when he promised me that. It was heartbreaking. But I believed him. I believed he valued me and wanted to be my friend. Even though after that night, I never once saw him again in the flesh.
I left and lived my life, our times visiting home never aligned, and he got married. I had Eric. I still wonder what the hell happened all those years he was away in Los Angeles, him galivanting around with A-listers, married to that disrespectful, gold-digging bitch…
“Well, what have we got over there, Jolie?” Luis asks.
Though I’ve been staring at the screen, I wasn’t really reading it, I never really saw anything. When my eyes adjust and it comes nice and clear, I know it’s a good day indeed. “Well, Mr. Mendez, get those cluckers ready. You got another calf on the way.”
With a box of three hens in the back of my Land Rover, I start the ignition when my cell bleeps.
MOLLY
DASH APPROVED OPERATION SANTA. I TEXTED MONICA DANE, AND SHE SAID WE COULD LOOK AT THE DRAFT HORSES TODAY! I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR, THOUGH. CAN YOU HELP?
Nice to hear my crabby brother isn’t standing in the way of change. When Molly told me about all her ideas for the dude ranch business, I was duly impressed. But I did worry Dash would be a sourpuss. He hates change. He hates people.
Operation Santa—getting a snow sleigh and draft horses to bring in winter business rather than lose money with an offseason—is a great idea. If not to bring more money to the ranch, then selfishly because I’d love a sleigh ride.
ME
OF COURSE! DO YOU WANT ME TO GO WITH YOU?
MOLLY
THINGS ARE STILL FRESH HERE. IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF DASH GOES WITH YOU FOR THIS ONE.
She’s probably right. It’ll go down better that way. I know my brother. One look at those horses and he’ll never change his mind about Operation Santa.
ME
COOL. I HAVE A FEW HOURS THIS AFTERNOON.
MOLLY
