Chadwick Ranch, Book 1: Winter Holiday Romance

by Bonnie Marlewski-Probert

  Each of the brothers said ‘yes’ and Crystal replied, “Then, let's ride,” and mounted up before leaving the well-lit, dry barn. She and the Chadwick brothers all knew that this would be the last time they would be dry for the next 10 hours. They all hoped that no heifers would give birth tonight, especially Carter, since it was he and Buck who were on calf-watch tonight.

  About 30 minutes into a very long night, Adam came across a heifer that had just given birth that evening. Her calf was still laying on the ground, which was now several inches deep in water and he could see it was shivering from the cold. “Damn!” he exclaimed. “I’ve got a calf down.”

  “Do you need help with it?” Crystal shouted to Adam from her position behind the herd.

  “No, I’ve got it.” Adam dismounted his horse, knowing that what had been a dry saddle was about to get very wet now that his backside was no longer in it. As he tried to quickly gather up the small calf, its mamma came over to intercede. In no uncertain terms, she let Adam know he was not welcome by head-butting him, sending him sailing backwards to the ground which was now several inches deep in cold standing water. He could feel the icy cocktail of cow manure, mud and cold rain water rushing down his back as it entered through the collar of his rain slicker. Unfortunately for him, when he flew backwards, his rain slicker got pushed out of the way so when he landed, his jeans came in direct contact with the ground, making a loud splash as he hit.

  Carter and Buck howled with laughter as they watched their brother bite the dust ― or in this case, the mud. “Nice work there, cowboy,” Buck said laughing.

  “Shut the hell up!” Adam growled, slowly getting back on his feet. By now the mamma cow had coaxed her calf to get up and was calmly following the herd into the new pasture.

  “Adam, are you okay?” Crystal shouted.

  “I’m fine,” he said, shaking his arms to get as much of the water off of him as possible before remounting his horse.

  “Then, let’s get back to work,” she yelled, “We’ve got a lot of heifers to move.”

  “Adam, that’s the funniest thing I’ve seen all year!” Carter was still laughing from the comfort of his dry saddle that was protected by the skirt of his rain slicker. They all knew that as long as they stayed mounted, their slicker and cowboy hat would keep them dry; however, if they had to dismount, they were guaranteed to have a wet ass for the rest of the night as the hard rain would be soaking their saddle while they were off their horse.

  “Go to hell you ass!” Adam retorted, mounting his horse and getting back to work. The only thing worse than landing your ass in a field that was several inches deep in water was sitting in a saddle that was now cold and rain-soaked.

  The crew slowly moved the 100-plus heifers and their calves toward the gate at the far end of the large field. The going was hard, the weather was miserable and the cows, which were just as miserable, were in no mood to cooperate. Carter continued to laugh at Adam every time they were close to each other.

  Two hours later, the last of the stragglers were heading for the gate. Without voicing it, every person in the crew knew that if nothing else went wrong, they could all be back in the ranch house drinking a beer or enjoying a hot cocoa in less than an hour.

  Adam’s voice broke the silence, “Hey Carter, aren’t you and Buck on calf-watch tonight?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I’m no veterinarian but that heifer sure looks like there are two front hooves sticking out of her back end. Looks like you and Buck are going to be spending the night birthin’ a calf and it couldn’t happen to two more deserving cowboys,” Adam laughed. “I’ll save you a beer or maybe I’ll have a hot cocoa with some whiskey instead. Can’t wait, it’s going to taste great going down. Oh wait, you and Buck are going to be stuck for hours out here dealing with that heifer.”

  “Carter looked to see if he could spot the heifer Adam was referring to, hoping he was pulling his leg but he wasn’t, “Oh hell!” Carter exclaimed. “Buck, have you got a rope?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “That heifer’s going to need some help delivering tonight,”

  “Crap! I’m coming!” Buck said, the disappointment obvious in his voice.

  Chapter 17, The Morning After

  Saturday, December Twenty-Ninth

  The next morning Mary and Katherine returned to the ranch just after 5:30 in the morning surprised to find Crystal and all four Chadwick brothers seated at the dining room table drinking coffee, looking like something the cat dragged in.

  “Looks like you all had a long night,” Mary said. “Are you ready for a big breakfast? You all look like you could use one.”

  “Absolutely,” was the chorus from the weary cowboys seated around the dining room table.

  “Good morning everybody,” Katherine said, noticing Crystal seated at the table. Katherine approached her with her hand extended, saying, “Hi, I'm Katherine Martin. I don't think we've met.”

  Crystal stood in her rubber boots and wet clothing, saying, “It's good to meet you, Katherine. I don't want to shake your hand, I'm filthy. You look like a shiny new penny and I don't want to get you dirty.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but I can wash my hands,” Katherine said, shaking Crystal's hand firmly.

  Crystal smiled, liking Katherine already. Carter was also impressed. “Mary, can I give you a hand in the kitchen? These folks look like they need a hot meal,” Katherine offered.

  “I never turn down help,” Mary admitted as the two women disappeared into the kitchen.

  Back in the kitchen, Katherine asked, “So does Crystal work on the ranch?”

  “Oh no, she’s a registered nurse who’s lived next door for her entire life. She's also a great cowgirl and a good neighbor. I'm guessing she heard the rain last night and decided to come over and offer to help. When the weather gets bad and Buck is here on his own, if Crystal's not working at the hospital, she often comes by to lend a hand.”

  “Wow, that’s the definition of a good neighbor! I don't know too many people who'd be willing to go out in a rainstorm late at night for their own livestock, let alone for somebody else's.” Both women chuckled.

  When Mary and Katherine returned to the dining room with platters of hot food, they were welcomed with hilarious laughter as the cow hands regaled themselves with stories from the night before.

  “I would pay good money to have seen Adam lying on his back in cow shit and mud with that mamma cow ready to kick his ass a second time!” Billy said, laughing.

  “It would be worth the money, I promise you because I saw it firsthand. The best part was when she head-butted him, taking him literally off the ground,” Carter interjected, still laughing.

  “That wasn't the best part. The best part was that after Adam got off his horse to help the calf, his saddle got soaked and he was coated with cold, rain-soaked cow shit from when its mamma head-butted him and sent him sailing. But the best part was, the calf got up on its own, looked around and followed its mamma and the rest of the herd. That left Adam standing there, dripping wet with a saddle that was now soaked. Few things in the world are worse than putting a wet ass in a wet saddle on a cold night, knowing you’re going to be stuck there for several more hours!”

  “On that, we can agree brother,” Adam said enjoying a laugh with his brothers and Crystal. Adam could tell everyone was having a good laugh at his expense and he didn’t mind it so much because he knew it was normal for cow hands to make jokes; however, he also knew that he had the winning hand in this game. “The funniest part of last night was finding that heifer with two feet sticking out of her backside just as we were getting ready to call it a night. Luckily, it wasn’t my turn to be on calving duty. Gee, I can’t remember now, whose turn was it?”

  Billy jumped into the joke and shouted, “Oh yeah, last night in the pouring rain, it was Buck and Carter’s turn! Seems to me you two just rolled in while the rest of us have been indoors in the warm ranch house for hours. How did it go you
midwives?”

  Katherine laughed as she set down platters of food, realizing that Carter had apparently shared her comment about them being midwives to cattle and now his brothers were in on the joke.

  “Very funny,” Buck said. “If you must know, we two seasoned midwives delivered a beautiful, bouncing baby bull calf. Mamma and baby were doing just fine when we left them just before the sun came up.”

  Katherine took a seat at the table to eat while Mary headed back into the kitchen to start doing the dishes. She enjoyed watching the friendly banter around the table. For the first time, she could see that the Chadwick brothers really did like each other.

  Once breakfast was done, Katherine announced, “It looks like the weather has cleared so I’m going to head back to San Antonio. Thanks everyone for your hospitality. Carter, could I speak with you before I leave?” she said, collecting her coat and briefcase.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Carter offered, easing his tired bones out of the dining room chair and helping Katherine on with her coat.

  “Drive safe,” Mary said.

  “Thanks again, Mary, for last night.” The two women shared a knowing smile between them.

  “You’re welcome. Anytime!” Mary said.

  As Carter and Katherine headed out the front door, he said, “Thanks for not bringing up anything about the books over breakfast.”

  “I’ll never divulge any client information. If, and when you’re ready to talk about the condition of the books with your brothers, you’ll do that. If you want me there to help explain things, I’d be happy to be there. Look, I know you must be tired, but I wanted to talk to you about something privately,” she said, looking back at the house to see if anyone might be listening. “Would you mind showing me the calf that you and Buck helped bring into the world before I go so we can talk?”

  “Sure, come with me,” Carter took her hand and together they walked down to the calving barn. After the heavy rains of the night before, the air was clear and crisp, the grass sparkling from the rain drops as the sun shone on them. The smell of winter filled their senses and the air was cold enough to see their breath.

  As they entered the large structure, a small brown, adorable head peeked out from a nearby stall. “Oh, she’s adorable!” Katherine exclaimed, hurrying down the barn aisle toward the stall.

  “Katherine, it’s a he,” Carter corrected her.

  “Well, he’s still adorable. That’s amazing that if you and Buck hadn’t been there last night, he probably wouldn’t be here now.” While Katherine was leaning over the stall half door, Carter’s hand was on her back, stroking it.

  “You’re probably right, we would have lost him and probably his mother as well. Most heifers can deliver on their own without any problem, but some of these first-time mothers need help and this one definitely needed a hand.”

  “I’m sorry for dragging you out here, you must be dead on your feet,” she said, looking up at him from the stall door and noticing how filthy and exhausted he looked. “I wanted to talk to you about something Mary said to me last night.”

  “What did she say?” he asked.

  “She said that her son Beau is being bullied at school because of his red hair, glasses, and the fact that he is geeky but most of all because he doesn’t have a daddy. She mentioned there is a father/son event coming up at the school and Beau is the only boy in his class that doesn’t have a daddy. I was wondering if maybe one of the Chadwick brothers could stand in?”

  Carter studied Katherine’s face as she shared her conversation with Mary. “That’s very kind of you to worry about Mary and her son,” Carter said sincerely.

  “I think we can both agree that the woman has been through hell and back. She’s the most remarkable woman I’ve ever met. After suffering all of that loss and the ocean of hard times that have followed, she continues to live her life with her head held high, and with an openness and dignity that I don’t know I would be able to do if I were in the same situation. She’s so remarkable, it was the least I could do. Speaking of what I could do, is there anything I can do for you before I head back to San Antonio?” she asked casually.

  “There is actually.”

  “Name it,” she said, eager to lend a hand after everyone had been so generous to her over the past 24 hours.

  “Would you allow me to kiss you? I’ve been dying to do that since the first time we met.”

  “I’d like that,” she whispered, standing up after petting the calf. Carter caressed her head in his hands and leaned in for a tender, soft kiss. His lips brushing against hers before settling in for a deep, long kiss. Katherine leaned back against the stall, enjoying the heat as it swept through her body.

  “Hmmm, you’re a very good kisser Carter.”

  “Thank you. It’s easier when you’re kissing someone as hot as you.” He gently pressed his body against hers as his kisses became more passionate. Katherine draped her arms around his neck, kissing him back with an equal measure of lust. Her breathing becoming fast, her moans of pleasure unmistakable. She could feel he was rock hard against her.

  “I’d better go before this gets out of hand,” she whispered, knowing how much she wanted him and knowing she had a long drive ahead of her to get back to San Antonio and a full day of appointments waiting for her when she got there.

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” Carter said, kissing her one final time before placing his hand in the small of her back and walking with her back up the driveway toward her car.

  “When are you free to work on the books?” she asked.

  “Since you drove all this way, next time, I’ll drive to San Antonio and I’ll even take you out to dinner afterwards if you’re interested. How’s next Wednesday for you?”

  “Thanks, I’m always up for a meal. I’ll check my calendar when I get back in town and text you. If there’s anything the Chadwicks can do for Beau, I’d consider it a personal favor.”

  “I’m sure we can figure something out. Drive safe and Happy New Year, by the way. I won’t see you again until next year and I’m looking forward to seeing you as soon as possible,” he said, leaning her against her car before taking her in his arms and kissing her so passionately that he was certain she would be thinking about their next meeting all the way back to San Antonio.

  “Happy New Year, is it next week yet?” she whispered before getting into her car and heading down the long driveway to begin the hour-plus drive back to San Antonio. In her rear view mirror, she could see Carter standing, watching her drive away.

  After finally getting in out of the weather and having breakfast with his brothers, Crystal and Katherine, Adam took a hot shower to warm up and to clean up before spending some time on his laptop adding to his journal, he wrote:

  We spent the night outside in a storm moving first-year heifers from the near pasture back out to another pasture. It was a miserable, wet, cold job that took us several hours to get done.

  I had a run-in with a new mother whose calf was laying in the standing water. I got off my horse to help him up when his momma decided I needed to go for a swim. God, that was cold, running down my back as I hit the ground. I thought my brothers were going to fall off their horses, they were laughing so hard. Karma caught up with Buck and Carter when it turned out one of the heifers we were moving was in the middle of giving birth and needed a hand. Luckily, Carter and Buck were on calving watch, so they got stuck out there until the sun started to come up.

  We’re all exhausted and looking to get some shut eye, at least a few hours’ worth, before starting the day. This is what life on a cattle ranch is like during calving season.

  I missed not getting to spend much time with Mary today. Busy working cattle and then Mary and Katherine went to her old apartment for the night.

  Chapter 18, Mary Moves In

  Monday, December Thirty-First

  Adam couldn’t wait for Mary to move in and since it was December 31st, her lease would expire the following day so today was the
day to make the move.

  All of the Chadwick brothers agreed to help with the move but not too surprisingly, Billy was a no-show. Adam, Carter and Buck with Bear’s help, managed to use their pickup trucks that afternoon to transport all of her boxed possessions and furniture from her old apartment to the in-law apartment on the ranch within four hours. It wasn’t so much that they were fast as it was that she didn’t have that many possessions to move.

  After all of her things had been moved in successfully, everyone knew the real work would begin… unpacking and transforming the in-law apartment into a home for her and Beau. But, it was also New Year’s Eve, which explained why Billy was a no absent.

  “Thank you all for your help today. I couldn’t have done it without you. I’m going to head over to the main house to start making dinner. I know you’re all hungry. It’ll be ready at 6 PM as usual,” Mary said.

  “I think I’m going to go take a shower and get cleaned up,” Carter said. “I’ll see you all at dinner.”

  “Bear and I are going to head down to make sure the cattle have been fed. We’ll see you at dinner,” Buck said. When everyone else had gone and Beau was sacked out on the couch, snuggled up under a blanket, exhausted from the big day, Adam headed into the kitchen to spend some time with Mary.

  “Can I give you a hand with anything?”

  “No thanks but I have an idea for later,” she smiled.

  “What’s that?”

  “Tonight is New Year’s Eve. If you’re not too exhausted from helping with the move, how about you and I herald in the New Year together in the new apartment?”

  “That’s a great idea! We’ll need some champagne, won’t we?”

  “Not necessary, I have boxed wine. Besides, neither of us are big drinkers anyway. I’d be happy with sweet tea, unless you really want some champagne?”