Page 48 of All I Need

I climb in and he shuts the door before getting into the driver’s seat.

“So tell me about these cows.”

He glances at me quickly before returning his eyes to the windshield. “What do you want to know?”

I shrug. “Whatever I need to know.”

“You don’t like surprises?”

“Well, the last surprise I received was walking in on my fiancé screwing my best friend so no, surprises aren’t really my thing.”

I watch as his jaw hardens and his eyes narrow. It’s almost fascinating to see how strong of a reaction he seems to have at the mention of Gary. “Yeah, well, after meeting him, I’m not even sure what you saw in him in the first place.”

“Me either,” I mutter. “Anyway, he’s not a factor or worth mentioning anymore. Tonight I’m meeting my first real life cow.”

“You’ve never seen a cow before?”

“Not in real life, no. I mean, I’ve passed farms on the highway and seen them in fields but I’ve never been up close and personal with one,” I tell him. The words are barely out of my mouth before a thought pops in to my head. “Wait a minute—just how up close and personal are we going to get today?”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly how pregnant are these cows? Do you have to you know,” I move my arm forward and then spread out my fingers, “like get in there?”

He flips his blinker then slows down to turn down a gravel road. “Uh, yes. I do. Thing is, these cows are unique. They don’t speak so they can’t tell me how they’re feeling.”

The pickup lumbers along slowly, the road a bit bumpy. “You little shit. I know that. I mean, what are we, uh, checking?”

“You’ll see.”

I grab the door handle when he hits a particularly big dip in the road. We’re bouncing all over the road, which makes me a little worried because it looks like the road is getting a bit narrower. “Oh no, I told you I don’t like surprises.”

“No, you said you didn’t like the last surprise you received. I can promise you that’s a surprise you’d never receive from me.”

When my grip tightens on the door he reaches over and grabs my other hand. “What’s wrong?”

“The road,” I squeak out as I bounce a little in my seat.

“I drive these roads every day, Ellie. No need to be worried.” His hand slides down to grip mine and he squeezes once. “You can trust me,” he says, the words coming out strong and sure.

My breath stalls in my chest and I instinctually squeeze his hand in return. “I…”

“It’s okay. I understand trust isn’t something you easily give. Not anymore. But you need to know that you can trust me. When you’re ready to give it, I mean. And not just with the wild roads I’m taking you on,” he jokes.

I let his words settle in and relax back into the seat. Wild roads. I wonder if there’s more meaning to that than he’s letting on.

Moments later we’re pulling into a driveway. What stands before me is one of the most beautiful farmsteads I’ve ever seen. Not that I’ve seen very many. Okay, I’ve never seen one aside from on the cover of a magazine at the grocery store. But, that doesn’t take away from the incredible beauty that’s before me.

Walker parks the pickup next to a huge red and gray barn. The house coordinates with the barn but not in a cheesy way. It’s dark gray with black trim and a deep red door. The landscaping around the home is lush and full and looks like it takes a crazy amount of work. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with a place like this.

“It’s gorgeous, right?”

I take a deep breath of the… well, not really fresh air since there’s a strong hint of what I believe is cow poo in the air but regardless it’s still somehow refreshing.

“It is. I can’t imagine how much work it would be to keep up with a home like this.”

“Agree.”

“Oh it’s not so bad.” I spin around at the sound of the feminine voice behind us. When Walker was talking about Mr. and Mrs. Sanders, I assumed they were an older couple—maybe in their sixties. The woman before me is less than half that in age. My guess is she’s in her late twenties. She’s girl next door pretty with strawberry blonde hair in wild curls around her head and light green eyes. Her cut off shorts showcase her long legs and I smile when my eyes drift to her feet to find a pair of boots, similar to the ones I’m wearing right now, on her feet.

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