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“In cow culture, females are accustomed to following the males. If I train a lead steer to follow me, the cows follow the steer. Makes my job a lot easier, even if it does wound my soul a little.”
Maisie’s expression was full of admiration, baffling Drew. She wasn’t sure she’d said anything to inspire it, unless maybe Maisie was planning to organize a bovine suffragette rally. Seemed plausible enough for a city girl.
The next thing Drew knew, she was picturing Maisie wearing a big purple sash across her chest. And nothing else. Just creamy skin and lots of curves.
“What?” Drew asked after several seconds of Maisie looking at her and not saying anything.
Shit. She hadn’t said any of that creamy skin stuff out loud, had she?
“I never thought I would say these words, but I’m finding ranch life fascinating. It’s amazing you have all of this information crammed into your head. How did you learn it?”
Drew shrugged. “You can’t grow up on a ranch and not learn everything.”
“Could I learn everything?”
Drew shrugged again. She knew the form of communication was on Maisie’s forbidden list, but it was her first language, and that wasn’t likely to change. “I could teach you, but why would you want to? You won’t be sticking around long enough for it to matter.”
They were silent after that, and Drew almost regretted saying it. It was the truth, but Maisie looked sad. It was almost like she felt as bad about the prospect of her leaving as Drew did, and Drew wasn’t sure what to make of that. It wasn’t like Maisie staying was in the cards for them. So why was it so hard for Drew to put the dream of it out of her head?
CHAPTERNINETEEN
It was nearlyeight o’clock at night, but there was still a hint of glow at the western edge of the prairie as Maisie stood outside the barn in a short sleeve shirt. Drew had just pulled up in the Gator, windows rolled down. She was wearing her cowboy hat, a first in a few weeks since cold weather and strong winds had pushed her toward a knitted beanie instead.
Maisie was glad to see the hat’s return. And also not. There was something about the sight of Drew in it, along with those jeans she always wore that conformed to her shape like they were part of her. The way her legs stretched as she climbed out of the driver’s seat. How she carried herself with the confidence of someone who could face anything the world threw at her head-on. All those little somethings added up and made it impossible for Maisie to write off the attraction she’d felt in Vegas as a one-time thing.
Not unless byone timeMaisie meantevery time I see her.
Was it Drew, or would other women have this effect on her, too? That was a question she didn’t bother trying to answer, partially because she didn’t know and partially because dealing with each new day as it came was about all Maisie could handle. But mostly because when Drew was around, the existence of anyone else was irrelevant.
Which was a problem.
“I can’t believe it was sixty-seven degrees today,” Maisie said, willing her eyes to look somewhere other than Drew—specifically her ass, but not looking at her at all was the safest strategy and one Maisie needed to get better about.
“Perfect calving weather,” Drew agreed, pausing to tilt her head from side to side so as to stretch out the muscles in her neck. Maisie knew they had to be aching and that her entire body must be exhausted. Drew had been up and working since before dawn, which came awfully early this time of year.
“You going to be able to get some sleep tonight?” Even though she knew it was a bad idea, Maisie put her hands on Drew’s shoulders and began to squeeze. She had to stand on her toes to get the angle right, pressing her thumbs in deep.
“Geezus. You’ve got strong hands.” It wasn’t a complaint. Drew bent her knees to make it easier for Maisie to reach. “As for sleep, I’m afraid this isn’t the best time of year for it, but I’m going to try. It’s a real blessing that Lee and Karen pulled into town today.”
Lee was a seasonal ranch hand who would show up in April and work until September at any ranch in the area that needed the help. He came with his own RV, plus a wife, who rumor had it was an amazing cook. Not that Cord didn’t do a fine job, but Karen’s meals were legendary, and Maisie could hardly wait to find out for herself.
“Remind me again how often you have to check the cows,” Maisie said, giving Drew’s shoulders a final squeeze before reluctantly pulling her hands away.
It had been explained to her that when the new calves were being born, things could go wrong quickly. The cows were left on their own while giving birth as much as possible, but they were monitored closely for any signs of distress in either the mamas or their newborns.
“Every two hours, ’round the clock.” Drew stretched her neck from side to side again, this time with a sigh of satisfaction. “Now that we have three of us to split the duties between, it means I’ll get six hours of sleep instead of four.”
It meant no such thing, considering Maisie had yet to see Drew head to her room when she was supposed to. The woman was running on coffee fumes.
“I told you before I could take a shift.”
“You don’t know what to look for or what to do if you find it,” Drew said it gently, clearly not wanting it to come across as insulting. “Besides, we’re nearly through. If I’ve added it up right, we’re down to the last forty-seven. Should be done by the end of the week.”
“Forty-seven’s a lot,” Maisie argued, even though she knew Drew wouldn’t listen. “And the end of the week is still another five nights of not enough sleep.”
“You know what, Maisie? I think you’re a lucky charm.” The way Drew said it made the butterflies in Maisie’s stomach swirl into action. “You might not believe me, but this calving season has gone smoother than I could’ve hoped. Nineteen yesterday, another twelve today. Even the weather is cooperating more than I thought it would.”
Drew did a little jig, and Maisie couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that the way you dance?”
