Page 85 of Midnight Surrounds Us

“Great. Thanks,” I told her, and I reached through the stall door to pat Blue’s shoulder. “Listen, buddy. I know this is weird. You were born at G&S, and this is a new barn, but you’re my number one guy. I couldn’t do this without you. You’re up for it, right? A new farm, new mares to suck up to.”

Blue chuffed his displeasure and went back to nosing through his hay.

The new barn had gone up in record time, thanks to the help of Bax, Brand, Aubrey’s cousin, Max, and some other local farmers and ranchers. Aubrey’s parents had even come out, and once her mama got over the shock of Aubrey dating a younger man, or any man at all, she warmed to me pretty quick. She was impressed by my parents, who’d surprisingly also come to see the new barn, and they’d already made friends.

Fall had arrived with its usual kaleidoscope of colors, and the nights were growing colder, but Blue and I were still living in the barn. He had a fancy, decked-out stall, and I had a tack room with a mattress on the dirty floor while I waited for my houseto be built. I shacked up with Aubrey some nights and stayed out here the rest. If I needed food or a shower, Bax and Athena had opened their house to me anytime. They’d offered me their couch, but I liked being out on the land. She and I needed to get to know each other.

“I think I’m gonna stay here again tonight. He’s depressed.”

I swore I could hear Aubrey roll her eyes.

I hated leaving Blue, but it was necessary when I wanted a little alone time with my woman. Her boys were both staying out at my dad’s place while they worked and learned the ropes. My mama liked having kids to feed and spoil again. I tried telling her twenty-three-year-olds weren’t kids, but she doted on them all the same. She even let them stay in my brother’s and my old bedrooms in the big house.

Mama had taken on the role of the twins’ granny pretty quick, and since Aubrey’s parents lived a few hours away, and their dad’s parents lived on the East Coast, Benji and Micah ate that shit up.

The things the boys did that drove Aubrey batty seemed to be the things my mama enjoyed about having them around. Although, she had someone on the payroll to clean up their dirty dishes and clothes. But my dad had already started turning them into cattlemen, and no self-respecting cowboy let other people pick up his shit. They’d learned quickly not to need a maid to follow after them with a broom and Lysol.

“If you think that’s best,” Aubrey said. “But then, I dunno what to do with this delivery that just arrived.”

“Delivery? What kinda delivery?”

“It’s from this boutique I found online that specializes in leather bras and corsets?—”

“I’m comin’ right now. Pun intended.”

Taunting me, she said, “But maybe I should just put it away for now. You’re busy.”

“Woman, did you not hear me? I’m leavin’ right now.”

In addition to Aubrey’s and my house, Brand had teams of guys on the property all summer, Monday through Friday every week, finishing Bax’s cabins, Abey and Devo’s house, and a house for his mama and youngest brother, Dixon. The dude was fast. He’d had all the permits ready to be submitted and the blueprints done before I’d even formally bought the farm. Aubrey was in the process of selling her house, so as soon as Brand and his crews finished building?—

“Bax! Watch out!”

Brand screamed at his brother, and I ran out of the barn and right into the problem on the west side of the building when I found Bax pinned between it, the metal fence gate, and my new bull.

Bax roared in pain and slid down the side of the barn as the animal trotted off in a huff.

I chased after him, yelling and threatening to turn him into steak, and herded him into a holding pen. Thankfully, Athena and I had finished fencing it off the day before. That goddamn bull was a menace. If all our bulls acted like this dick, then I’d made the wrong decision in choosing to cross Herefords with Red Angus. They were supposed to have docile temperaments!

My phone was still in my hand, and Aubrey’s voice coming through the speaker sounded worried. “Rye! Rye? What’s wrong?”

“Sorry, darlin’,” I said. “I’m gonna have to take a rain check. There’s a problem at the homestead. Bax just had a run-in with the new bull. Call you later.”

I hung up as Brand and I both rushed to Bax, whose ass had landed in a puddle of mud lovingly created by the two straight days of rain we’d just had. His face was drawn from the effort of holding back another wail, and his right leg didn’t look exactly straight anymore, but his voice was eerily calm.

Through clenched teeth, he said, “Think y’all may need to call an ambulance.”

“Can you move?” I asked.

“Nope. Pretty sure my leg’s broken. Heard the bone snap.”

Fuck.

Brand got on his phone, and I stayed with Bax. I tried my hardest to occupy his mind, but after two minutes of me reciting a list of did-you-knows about the benefits of cow and sheep shit as cover-crop fertilizer, he let loose his scream at me.

“Shut the fuck up, Rye! Jesus!”

“Sorry, man.”

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