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Me: I’ll be there in an hour.
It takes less than that for me to dress in old jeans and old sneakers, along with aNashconcert T-shirt, and drive Remington’s Suburban out to the ranch.
At first, I hated this huge SUV.It’sginormous.Parking it is a bitch, even with all the cameras and sensors on it.
But there was a day during the week when another storm blew through, making the roads icy, and I felt completely safe in the big vehicle with the kids.Much safer than I would have felt in either the loaner or evenmycar.
I hate to admit that Grumpy was right, but he was.This is the safer choice if I’m going to be driving his children around, and I won’t argue about it again.
Even though I like arguing with Remington.It’s just so…easy.And, if I’m being honest with myself, it’s sexy.Remington Wild is maybe the sexiest man I’ve ever met, and I guess that means that I like broody men because I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen him smile.Of course, he always aims them at the kids.I don’t know what I’d do if he ever smiled directly atme.Probably strip naked and beg, which isn’t exactly normal for me.
He makes me feel things that are purely unprofessional.
Millie’s waiting for me when I pull up in front of the main farmhouse, and she grins when I get out of the car.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she says as she wraps her arms around me and gives me a hug.“You can watch us brand and castrate the calves.”
“I’m not branding or castratinganything,” I stress.“I’m not a cowboy.You can’t make me do it.Maybe I’ll just go back home.”
“Don’t worry, city girl,” she says with a laugh.“You don’t have to.I want to show you around the ranch a little, and you can just watch what we do when everyone else gets here.All the families from the neighboring ranches come to help each other out.”
“Even the Lexington family?”
That makes her stop in her tracks, and she narrows her eyes at me.“No.They’re not included.Don’t say that name on this ranch.I’m pretty easygoing about it, but if my dad or brothers hear it, they might become homicidal.”
“Wow, that’s some rivalry y’all have going there.”
“You have no idea.Anyway, everyone’s already out getting set up for later.Neighbors will start arriving within the hour.If you’d like, you’re welcome to hang out with my mom and some of the other women in the food tent.”
“That’s not sexist at all.”
That makes Millie laugh again.“I know, right?But people have to eat, and there’s always some good food that’s prepared in that tent.However, if you want to watch the branding, you’re welcome to do that, too.”
“Let’s see how it goes,” I reply.“I don’t know if I want to watch baby animals be tortured.”
“It’s not torture.”Millie’s voice is calm and patient as she leads me to the Jeep, and we hop in.“They need to be branded so we know who’s who in case a fence fails.They need vaccinations so they don’t get sick, and the boys have to be castrated.It just is what it is, and they’ll be fine.”
“Says the girl who grew up on a cattle ranch.”
Millie grins and drives right on the fields, no roads, as she takes me on a tour of the place.
“We won’t be able to cover everything in an hour,” she says.“There’s a lot of land here.But I’ll show you my favorite spot, where I took that picture this morning.By the way, I love your T-shirt.Nash is my favorite band.Were you lucky enough to see them in concert?”
“I—” I sigh and then just nod.“Yeah, I have.”
“That’sawesome.”
It only takes about ten minutes before Millie stops and cuts the engine of the Jeep.My stomach is a little jittery from all the bumps and being jostled around, but when I see the mountains, I feel my jaw drop.
“Holy shit, Mill.”
“I know.”Her voice is hushed as we simply stand here and take it all in.
The mountains seem to be layered, one behind the next, reaching up into the sky with jagged peaks that still have plenty of snow on them.
“Does the snow ever melt all the way up there?”I wonder.
“By July, most of the snow will be gone,” she replies.“And then in September, it’ll be back.”
