Page 18 of Starting Our Chance

Standing in the yard, I wished like hell that we had our old dog. Sarge was a critter that was born a cattle herding genius. But wishing wasn’t going to get me anywhere. I grabbed the broom and began slapping the cows about, trying in vain to move them away from the gardens.

It was futile. Their tails simply twitched or they stepped aside. Flashing their big dopey eyes, they considered me a nuisance rather than a force to be reckoned with. I might not have Sarge, but there is always Willow! Taking off, I ran full speed across the pasture to the real fence and whistled. I hoped like hell that my horse would come to my call like she used to. She did, and I was relieved to confirm that she still liked me. Trotting over to where I stood, Willow shook her mane and snorted hard in greeting.

“I’m sorry, Girl,” I told her as I patted her nose. “I don’t have treats for you but if you help me get these fucking cows back into the pasture, I’ll scrounge something up.”

I could have sworn horses could understand English. She whickered in reply and tossed her fine head in the air. Clambering over the actual fence—the one that was supposed to keep the cattle on the Johnson’s side—I rode Willow bareback down to the gate. I still couldn’t see the downed fencing, but I would have to worry about that later.

Except, if I herd the cattle through, they’ll just trot their asses out their original escape route again. Letting out an exasperated sigh, I took off back down the fencing line where I soon discovered the hole the cattle were using. We missed this rotten piece during that ride the other day. Thinking about the ride, my fingers involuntarily flew to my ear. I smiled, remembering the flower Duke had put there.

Once I was through, I set about to move the cows. Except it was an impossible job. It needed two people minimum, or at least a man and a dog to move the cattle. And these had to be the most stubborn, pigheaded cows in all of Georgia.

Two honks of a horn made me turn on the horse’s back. A bright blue pick-up was pulling into my family’s drive. Ah, shit, this day just keeps getting better and better. I gave a weak wave to my boss and kicked the horse over to her. Fear crinkled in my stomach. She’s going to be pissed and fire me.

Nikki was standing on the running board of her truck, hanging through the open window of the open door and laughing. “You played hooky to wrangle cattle? And I thought you were being a chicken-shit.”

“Nikki, it’s not what it looks like.” I held up a hand. Thankfully, my voice didn’t shake.

But she interrupted me. “It’s exactly what it looks like. Duke’s cows invaded your yard.” Nikki’s smile was infectious. I grinned a little, and she took that as encouragement to continue, “Look, if you’re serious about making a fresh start—like you so confidently told Sammy yesterday at church, you can’t live in fear of her or anyone else’s judgement in this town.”

My eyes narrowed, and I cocked my head to the side. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh!” Nikki’s mouth popped open in an O. “I take it you didn’t see the social media images of you floating around, then?”

“I deleted my Facebook account when I left the Big Apple, and I rarely use IG.”

“Well, let’s just say that I was certain your excuse for being late to work had to do with that instead of this actual crisis.” Nikki hooted as she gestured to the cows and broke into a fit of giggles. Catching her breath, she said, “I was coming over here to either yell at you or give you a much needed pep talk. But then I pulled up and—” She smacked her hand on her hips and wheezed out between laughs, “You’re in a bit of a pickle, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” I looked at the damaged garden and sighed. “But who is trashing me?” A tendril of fear snaked in my belly. What if it’s my old boss, stirring the pot?

“You told Sammy off yesterday in front of her husband, her friend,” Nikki jabbed a finger at her own chest, “and one of her husband’s close friends.” Nikki jerked a thumb in the general vicinity of Duke’s property.

I looked into those forget-me-not blue eyes and admitted something I had never spoken out loud before. “I was a bitch when I lived here before. I hurt people’s feelings—Sammy being one of them. The things on social media . . . maybe I should never have come back.”

Nikki jumped down from her truck and slammed the door. No wonder she needed running boards; the truck was jacked up for an average person, but Nikki was dwarfed by the blue Ford beast. Walking over to me, she patted my calf and asked, “So, why’d you come back?”

“Because home is where you can always feel safe,” I whispered, silently adding, And I needed safety and certainty after being used in a very disastrous theft.

“Amen, Sister!” Rubbing her palms together, Nikki got right down to business. “First, we round up these beasts. Then, we’ll discuss your shattered life before getting your ass to work. Deal?”

All I could do was nod. If my old boss from NY had caught me playing hooky, he would have fired me on the spot. Nikki merely nodded back before balancing on the balls of her feet to take in the scope of the task that lay before us.

“I tried to call Duke, but he’s not answering my calls.” I paused then added, “He told me he’d be out of town today.”

Those delicate little eyes turned up to me, and Nikki’s brow furrowed in question. “I didn’t know anything about him needing to leave town.”

“So, just exactly how close are you two?” The comment came out a bit more harshly than I intended.

A peel of laughter erupted from the little woman now standing at my horse’s flank. “Lord, Girly, that man never has, nor ever will look at me that way. I thought he was a monk until you came to town. He’s crazy about you—that much is certain. And don’t you worry about me getting all jealous or something.” Her eyes softened, and she looked away for a moment as she added, “My heart’s been given away and never coming back.”

Unsure how to react to that statement, I hesitated. But all too soon, Nikki snapped out of it. She swung her arms and laughed, “Now, do you have another horse? I’ve never cow-girled from a horse, but I can give it my best shot!”

“No horse,” I said, rather glad of that fact. If she wasn’t used to maneuvering cattle from horseback, I didn’t want to be the one to introduce her to the task. “How about an ATV instead?”

“Perfect!” The excitement rippling from my boss was abundant. Clearly, Nikki relished the idea of cattle herding. I pointed her in the direction of the barn, and she took off to grab the four-wheeler.

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