AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I am fascinated by all of this horse stuff. I’m kind of feeling like I’d missed out as a kid.
“What’s next?” I ask from the sidelines when the farrier puts Picasso’s hoof back on the ground.
The old man smiles as Picasso noses his side. “I’ll get their shoes on. I need to step out to the truck for the next part.”
I nod. “I’m going to stop watching you like a hawk then and make myself useful.”
“I don’t mind. Ms. Ness said this was not your normal thing. That you were new to large animals.”
“I’ve only ever had a dog, and that was as a kid. This is all just…a lot to keep straight in my head.” I chuckle.
“You’ll get there, don’t worry.” He smiles as he walks out.
I move to the outside of the barn and walk into the chicken run that Ness’s uncle and dad built for us a few weekends ago. We’d gotten a few more hens from her mom’s flock, so the extra room became necessary. And bonus, inside the run they’ll be safe from predators. I open the door that’s at the bottom of the barn wall, and they hurried out, clucking, screaming at me for taking so long.
“Forgive me, ladies, I was side-tracked. Here, have some ugly ass worms.”
Their treat consists of a small container of mealworms. I open it and shake some of them out onto the ground before leaving them to it. They have water and food in the tray, so they’ll be content for the day.
“Dean, my boy, how are we doing this morning?”
I look up and find Ness’s dad coming my way. “Morning. I didn’t know you were coming this way. Ness went to the grocery store; she’ll be back soon.”
“I’m just here to drop off something her mama sent. Now, I’m going to tell you this, man to man. You’re going to have to say no sometimes. It’s not easy but necessary. She’s like her mama. No animal left behind is her favorite saying.”
“We have plenty of land here.” I walk around to the other end of the barn, with him following along.
“You’d think so, but let me tell you, we have roughly four hundred and twenty acres between my ranch and my brothers. We have places to put more horses and cows when we find an animal in need. You do need a certain amount of space for each animal.”
“So far we only have two big animals and a handful of small animals.”
“The magic words being ‘so far.’” He chuckles. “Trust me, if you keep letting her get animals, you’ll outgrow this place in no time.”
“I have six acres where the house and barn are. But that isn’t all the land we have.”
“Oh?”
I pull the back barn door open to let the goats out into their small pasture. “Yeah, I don’t know if Ness has ever mentioned it, but the area back here,” I wave my hand out to the fully overgrown lands that sit between me and my neighbors three miles away on the left and a couple miles up the road to the right, “up to that treeline is also mine. Well, to be fair, the acreage to the right, I have a few payments left to make to the bank before it’s fully mine.”
“Well, okay then. I think you might be all right for a while.” We chuckle together.
“I think so, too. If I need to, I can buy more. It won’t be the first time. Again, whatever she wants, she will get.” Period.
Epilogue
Vanessa
I wasn’t sure how I would handle actually being a part of the farming community after leaving the job I’d loved and coveted for the last seven years at the college.
I’d made the choice initially to do this over a year ago. There was just too much going on, and none of it was a benefit to me or my mental health. If I’d wanted to be in a politically challenging position, I’d have gone in a different direction with my life plans.
Dean and I had discussed it over and over again. He’s supported me the whole time.
It hadn’t been an easy choice, but it was the right choice for me. I was even let out of my contract early. This meant that for the last few months, I’ve been able to work around the house, have dinner ready when Dean comes in from work, and of course, make sure I’m able to give him a few surprises along the way.
I can’t tell you the thrill I get meeting him at the top of the stairs, in my birthday suit, with three fingers of whiskey in a tumbler and his tie around my neck.
I know what I’m getting into when he stalks me, waiting until I run to get what he wants. The man is one sexy-ass sex fiend. I’m here for it, let me tell you. And he probably won’t admit it, but it’s just the right kind of stress relief after a long week.
