by Ali Parker
“Wait,” I interrupted. “You want me to muck out all the stables today? Seriously?”
“Is that too much for you?” Ted asked, snidely. “Too tired after last night’s escapades?”
“It’s not that,” I said, through gritted teeth. “But those are the two dirtiest tasks on the farm. Can’t you or Luke do one of them?”
“Stop showing up late to breakfast and I might start assigning you better chores,” Ted said, loftily.
“Unbelievable,” I said, under my breath. But no one else challenged Ted. He was in charge of the farm now, and if that was the way that he wanted to run things, we would all abide by it.
“After Daddy and I are done with the cattle, we’ll head out and check the fences. That north fence still needs a little repair, so Luke, if you could join us there as soon as you’re done, that’d be great.” He looked up from his list. “Other than that, it’s business as usual. That means Mason, don’t forget that we need all the houseplants repotted this week, and Luke, the lawn needs another mow around the house. And if Mama needs any help with the spring blooming bulbs, we need to help out there too. Oh, and Mason, if you have some extra time, the bushes from the barn to the road need to be pruned back as well.”
“I think you guys are going to be finished with the fences long before I’m done,” I protested.
“And we have other tasks to work on as well,” Ted reminded me.
I stared at him in disbelief, though I knew that at the end of the day, it would all get done. If I didn’t get the bushes finished and Luke was done with all of his work, he’d give me a hand. Even Ted would give me a hand if I was falling behind. But he seemed to be purposefully assigning me the bulk of the tasks, maybe so that he could call me out when things didn’t get finished on time.
It wasn’t fair, but I couldn’t exactly call him out on it. Especially not without starting the argument that was still brewing under the surface. I glanced over at Mama, who was watching all of us carefully.
I let out a big breath. “Fine,” I said.
“All right, you lot, stop all the jawing and let’s get to work,” Daddy said, standing up and bringing his plate over to the sink. That was Mama’s task for the morning, same as always—do the dishes and keep the house. Lauralee would pop in to help her with lunch preparations now, but otherwise, it was life as usual at the Dawson farm.
I sighed and headed out to get to work. I was going to have to cut back on my nights out, I supposed, if that was the only way to get Ted off my back. The last thing I wanted was to be mucking out stables every single day for the rest of my life. But those nightly excursions were the only thing keeping every day from being exactly the same as the one before it.
Up early, out to work, chores around the farm all day, family dinner, and then off to bed.
But I supposed it was like Ted said. If you wanted an easy life, you shouldn’t have gone into farming. If you didn’t want monotony, you shouldn’t have gone into farming either.
I thought for a moment about Abi. She certainly broke up the monotony. Again, I started thinking of all the ways that I could help her out with the Brock farm. But Ted would have a fit if he found me working over there. I had plenty of work to keep me busy over here.
If only there were more hours in the day.
Chapter 10
Abi
I did what I could to clean up the cornfields, but things were still pretty dreadful looking by the time I was done. There was no way we were going to be able to turn a big enough profit to pay all the back-bills that had built up on the place. I knew the only other thing that we could do was to sell it, but I didn’t know how to break that to my grandparents. Even though I knew they would be better off in a nursing home, at this point, Nana wouldn’t understand why she needed to be there and Grampa was sure to fight for his freedom every step of the way.
Shaking my head, I decided that today was not the day to deal with it. I hadn’t slept all that well the night before, and I was already feeling exhausted, even though it was only early afternoon.
I headed over to Kinsey’s, figuring that the least I could do was pick up my check and do some in-town errands, like grocery shopping.
When I got to the bar, Kinsey was buzzing all over the place, looking into a bunch of boxes that had been delivered that morning. “New theme night,” he chirped when I walked in. “Fiesta Night!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at how excited he was about this. “At least fiesta night means you can discount some good beer. Or tequila,” I said. “Or have you decided to go with pumpkin beer again?”
“No, no,” Kinsey said distractedly. “It seems no one was really a fan of the pumpkin beer. I’m going to have to find some way to use it up, though. I was thinking that Marsha might be able to bake something with it. Alcoholic pumpkin bread, maybe.”
I shook my head and walked over to see what ‘Fiesta Night’ would really entail. Chips, salsa, a big box of sombreros… Typical stuff, but this was one theme night I could actually see people having some fun with. Unless Kinsey tried to play mariachi music the whole night.
“I just came by to see if you have my check ready for the past couple of weeks,” I said. “I have a few errands to run around town.”
“Yup, let me grab it for you,” Kinsey said.
While I waited, I looked through a few more of the boxes. “Maracas,” I muttered under my breath. Hopefully just for décor and not for actual use. But with Kinsey, who knew. Then, in another box, I found a bunch of kiddie pools. I frowned.
“What are these for?” I asked Kinsey, as he came back into the room.
Kinsey grinned. “Remember, the wet t-shirt contest! Everyone seemed really excited about that one, so I figured, why not combine the two most popular ideas into one night? Chips, guac, and sexy girls in see-through tops. If we don’t sell up a storm that night, this town is really for the dogs.”
I groaned. “I hope you’re not planning on me being one of the girls in the see-through tops, that’s all I can say,” I told him.
“Ashley said that she’d get involved,” Kinsey said. Ashley was the other waitress who was in here part-time while she went to school. “Who knows, maybe once you see how much fun they’re all having, you’ll decide you want to join in.”
Fat chance, I thought, but I could tell how excited he was to bring in all these customers, so I didn’t want to shoot the plan down. I needed the job, after all. Now more than before, if we couldn’t rely on our farm to save itself.
As though sensing the melancholy turn of my thoughts, Kinsey gave me a sharp look. “What’s the damage on your farm? Did Steven really mess things up for you?”
I sighed, “Things are pretty bad,” I admitted. “We got it all cleaned up, as much as we could, but he took out a good chunk of crops.”
“And Steven?”
“He’s all right,” I said. “The sheriff took him home, Jeff said. He was a little out-of-it, but they didn’t think he had a concussion, in the end. He was lucky.” And still, I couldn’t be angry with him. Angry at the situation, sure, but it wasn’t like Steven had purposefully tried to destroy the only crop we had that was yielding.
Kinsey was silent for a moment, “I saw Mason run out of here after you.”
I could feel a faint blush tinge my cheeks. “He wanted to make sure I was all right,” I told Kinsey. “He ended up driving me home. He could tell I was upset.”
“He’s a good guy,” Kinsey said, nodding his head.
“He thought I was married,” I remembered, cracking a smile. “My brother came in here last night and yelled at me, and Mason somehow got it in his head that Jeff was my husband.”
Kinsey laughed and shook his head. “I bet that was a disappointment to him. But you set him straight?”
“I didn’t sleep with him, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said, primly. The last thing I needed was to have Kinsey think that Mason had spent the night at my place. “He just dropped me off at home and then wen
t back to his own bed—alone.”
Kinsey held up both hands. “I wasn’t asking,” he said.
I shook my head. There were still so many things I wanted to know about Mason, though. And about his position there in town. “Has he dated anyone since Ella?” I asked.
Kinsey frowned at me. “Ella?” he asked, sounding confused. “Ella is David’s ex, not Mason’s. Ex-fiancé, in fact, although they weren’t engaged for long.”
I frowned as well. “I heard that Ella was pregnant with Mason Dawson’s baby, though. And from the way she was talking about it last night, you’d believe it, too.”
Kinsey scowled. “Ella’s a liar,” he said flatly. “Mason definitely never dated her.”
“They hooked up, at least,” I said. “Otherwise, why would Mason let people keep hinting that it was his baby?”
“I don’t know,” Kinsey said. “I wouldn’t expect Mason to hook up with the woman, but then again, things happen. Sometimes, we do things that we shouldn’t do.” He paused, “You can trust Mason, though. He’s from good stock.”
“What does he even do?” I asked. “I haven’t seen him around town, except when he’s been here at the bar.”
Kinsey looked surprised. “He works on his family ranch, of course. All the Dawson boys do. Or did, I guess. Now David’s gone off to Nashville to try singing with the big shots,” he laughed.
“So he knows a thing or two about farming?” I asked, wondering again if I could ask Mason for a little help. Not that I would be so bold. But his knowledge could be useful. Even if things hadn’t fallen into such disrepair, Grampa was getting up there in age, and farm technology had changed a lot since when he was younger. Maybe Mason would have some ideas for ways we could increase our profits.
Kinsey shrugged, though. “I’m not sure how much he knows about farming,” he said. “I know the Dawson’s do a little farming, but their main work is cattle and horses. Livestock.”
“Oh,” I said, feeling disappointment course through me. But it wouldn’t hurt to ask. I was tempted to ask Kinsey for his number, even, but I wasn’t sure if calling him would be too forward. Anyway, I knew that Mason came into Kinsey’s regularly for drinks. I could just ask him in person, the next time I saw him. It wasn’t as though there was anything we could do immediately anyway. It was time to harvest, not sow.
“You like him,” Kinsey said, giving me a keen look.
I gave him a startled look that quickly turned sheepish. I wanted to ask how he could tell, but figured it must be obvious. I shrugged, “He seems like a good guy, like you said,” I hedged.
“And damned attractive,” Kinsey added, a twinkle in his eye.
I laughed and shook my head. “He is pretty easy on the eyes,” I agreed. “But he’s not looking for a relationship. I’ve heard his reputation.”
“Maybe he doesn’t know what he’s missing out on,” Kinsey suggested. “If you played your cards right, kept him interested in you, who knows. He might realize a relationship is exactly what he wants. Especially now that the older Dawson boys are settling down.”
“Still, I’m not going to be around for much longer than the harvest,” I said, regretfully. Especially not if we had to sell the farm. “And besides, I wouldn’t know the first thing about keeping a man like Mason interested in me.”
Kinsey gave me an unimpressed look. “I have a granddaughter,” he said. “I’ve seen all those magazines. The headlines are all about how to keep men interested.”
I laughed again. “I don’t read those kinds of magazines,” I said.
“Well, maybe it’s time you start,” Kinsey said, his voice teasing. “But I’ll give you a little hint—you could start by agreeing to take part in the wet t-shirt contest tonight.”
I shook my head. “We’ve come full circle,” I said, amused. “But for the last time, I’m not interested. If that’s the kind of woman Mason is looking for, you can count me out.”
“Well, in any case, Lucy isn’t back yet. If you’re interested in another double-shift tonight, you’ve got it. I’m expecting that we’ll be busy.”
Jeff’s anger from the previous night flashed into my mind. There were things that I needed to get done around the farm. But on the other hand, if it was busy in there tonight, the tips could be just what I needed to bring the farm one step closer to solvency. I’d just make sure that I called home first, to let Jeff know. It was Sunday night anyway, I doubted he had any plans.
“I’d love the extra shift tonight,” I told Kinsey. “Thanks.”
“Good,” Kinsey said. “Come in a little early if you can so that we can set up the salsa bar. And wear a white t-shirt. Just in case.”
I snorted but didn’t fight him on it. “I can’t wait,” I told him.
Chapter 11
Mason
It was getting dark when I finally finished my day. Although that wasn’t saying much—the days were starting to get noticeably shorter than they’d been over the summer. Enough so that I was starting to feel just as stressed as Ted was about getting everything done. Fortunately, we wouldn’t have quite as much to do once we were in winter-mode. We just had to get there first.
I nodded with satisfaction at the bushes. They looked neat and trimmed in the fading sunlight. Not perfect, but it would have to do for now. I hadn’t gotten the chance to repot many of the plants that day, but hopefully Ted would leave my schedule a little more open the next day, once he saw how clean the stables were.
I doubted it, though.
I wandered towards the office, Max and Thor scrambling along at my heels. I bent down to throw a stick for them and watched them race off. Then, with a smile, I went inside.
When I entered the office, it was to find Lauralee in Ted’s lap, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. They didn’t seem to realize there was someone else there, and clearly, they’d been at it for a while, if their tousled hair was anything to go by. I rolled my eyes and cleared my throat, wanting to say something snarky about how busy they had been that day.
But I kept my tongue in check.
“Sorry to interrupt you, but I wanted to let you know I was done for the day.”
“Did you get everything done?” Ted asked, businesslike again as Lauralee slipped from his lap.
“Everything except the houseplants,” I told him. “But I’ll work on those later this week.”
Ted gave me a disapproving look, and I shook my head in disbelief. “It’s already dark,” I pointed out.
Ted looked sheepishly towards the window, as though he hadn’t realized how late it was already. “Right,” he said, waving his hands. “Head off for the day. But try to be back at a decent time if you’re going out tonight. I’ve asked the new hires to show up for training for the week ahead, and I need all hands on deck. We want to set a good example for them, too.”
“Unless they’re joining us for breakfast, they won’t have any idea what time I get back,” I said, dryly.
Ted gave me an unimpressed look. “It’s a small town,” he reminded me. “You’ve been out drinking with half the guys we’re hiring.”
I rolled my eyes, but with his tacit approval for me to go out that night, I didn’t want to risk upsetting him. “Think I’ll head out to Kinsey’s and see what the latest theme is,” I told them. “But I’ll try to be back early. Did you hear about Lucy and Tyler, by the way?”
“Yeah,” Lauralee said, shaking her head. “Tyler works for us, remember? He asked for time off a while ago, but he didn’t mention what for.” She frowned, “I think Lucy could do better, personally.”
She and I laughed. Tyler wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. “Lucy will probably end up working at Kinsey’s for the rest of her life,” I commented.
Ted cleared his throat, a frown on his face. “It’s not like there’s anything wrong with that, if that’s what she wants,” he said.
“Of course not,” Lauralee said, soothingly, while all I could do was roll my eyes. It wasn’
t like I was dissing the town, or Ted and Lauralee’s decision to stay there on the Dawson farm. But Lucy had always seemed to want something different.
Ted had changed since he’d started seeing Lauralee. Everything was like a personal offence against him all of a sudden. I didn’t know what his deal was, but I was sick of it.
Shrugging, I made to leave, but Ted called me back.
“Mason, what are you doing about all this crap with Ella?” he asked.
I stared at him. I’d expected to have to talk about this with my brother eventually, but I hadn’t expected to have to do it in front of Lauralee. I glanced at the woman, but her face was carefully neutral. I looked back at Ted. “I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I said, slowly.
“You don’t?” Ted asked, incredulously. “You’re lucky David’s not here to deal with your sorry ass. We don’t have time to deal with problems like these.”
“You don’t have to deal with this problem,” I insisted. “Whatever it is, it’s between Ella and I.”
Ted scowled at me. “I know you haven’t thought all of this through, with that thick head of yours, but if you have a child, you’re going to have to support it. You’re going to have responsibilities, some of which may take you away from your responsibilities here on the farm. So it is my problem to deal with.”
“Ella’s lying,” I said, shaking my head. “She isn’t pregnant at all, and she definitely isn’t pregnant with my child.”
“Did you sleep with her?” Ted asked.
“Yeah, but we were safe,” I told him, even though in the back of my mind, I still didn’t feel like I needed to justify myself to him.
“Accidents happen,” Ted said simply. “Has she shown you a negative pregnancy test?”
“No, but she hasn’t shown me a positive one either,” I snapped. “I’m telling you, she’s lying. You know her.”