Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 138(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Ten minutes later, I’m pulling onto the dirt driveway leading to Clay’s place. He lives closer to the edge of town and owns just enough acreage with a small house on the land to breed bison. Since Trey and I are doing so well, too damn well at times, we wanted to make sure we got more stock from Clay.
“Wow,” Genny breathes out. The landscape is different from Wyoming, but one thing stays the same: seeing the beauty in the animals always makes me stop in my tracks, and it seems that Genevieve is having the same reaction.
“It never gets old.” We’ve driven through countless roadways, watched wildlife along the way, but seeing the herd together is a lot like being back at home.
“It doesn’t. I have to say, Texas is pretty, but Wyoming is beautiful.” A couple of dogs take off from the house. Clay stands near the porch railing, more than likely whistling for them to come back, but they don’t listen. They never freaking do. He threatens to send them home with me often, knowing Sienna would have a soft spot for them, but after the bison are back in Wyoming, the Ellison ranch is closed for business in the pet department. Sienna took her dog, Champ. What she didn’t take was the rest of the wildlife that likes to make homes beneath the porch or nuisances that like to get into the trash, and I don’t want to mention all the other critters that like to make their home in the barn.
“I couldn’t agree more.” I park the truck near the pasture. With any luck, Genevieve will walk around while I talk to Clay to figure out the best hotel or bed and breakfast to stay in. That is if Clay doesn’t mind. It could go either way. We’re more business partners than friends. Still, I’d be willing to offer him some money for one more night.
“How old are the calves you’re picking up today?” I wince, worried about what she’s going to think about how this works when it comes to being a farmer.
“The male calves wean when they’re six months. The female calves take a bit longer; they like to stay with their mom.”
“Oh, is that normal?” There’s a wistfulness to her tone, and it’s clear she’s not been around farm animals. Not that I’m surprised. Sienna did let me know that while she grew up in a small town that’s a little bigger than Arrowleaf, they didn’t have a ranch of any kind. The only animals she had were pet dogs and cats. Her dad raised her solo, a lot like Ryland Johnson is with Case, except Ry has a family whose heart is made of gold. Genevieve had her dad and his parents to help raise her. They made it work, and Genny turned out more than alright. Clearly, they did something right.
“Yeah, it is. We’re taking about twenty of them, babies and their mommas.” I watch as the anxiousness leaves her body. Shit, I’m going to have to shield my woman during calving season. There’s no way she’ll be able to handle losing a baby. While most men would want their woman to get over it, I had my mom for more years than Sienna. She was soft where it counted—her husband, her kids, and her animals. Dad didn’t begrudge her. Instead, he’d come up to the house, take his hat off, and give her the news. She’d shed a few tears, and Dad would take her in his arms, holding her until she settled down. He did it time and time again. I know without a doubt I’ll be doing the same when it comes to Genevieve.
“That’s good.” Genny unbuckles her seatbelt, and I follow suit.
“It is. Come on. I’ll introduce you to Clay, and you can take a look around. He’s got more than bison. There are longhorns, goats, lambs, and who knows what else he’s added since the last time I came down here.” Clay makes the Johnson ranch look like amateur hour, though he’s usually in the breeding department before he sells them off to other ranchers all over the country. Lately, he’s been getting into thoroughbred horses, big time money. I also think he’s getting restless staying in one place for so long, but that’s just my theory.
We exit the truck; Genevieve is out her side of the vehicle before I can make my way around. Damn independent streak is shining brightly right about now, probably because she’s tired of sitting in the damn truck for as long as she has. I know her and Sienna’s job can be sedentary, and I also know that she stands a lot of the time when painting so she can rock back and forth to keep her attention on her task.