Page 65 of Save A Horse
Being with Colt made everything more fun. I watched as he made sure everything was just right. He was so meticulous. It was one of the things I admired most about him.
“Let’s see if we can find any eggs.” I nodded, hoping I would find more than him.
We wandered around, checking all the spots. From experience, even if you have a nice box made with hay or straw in it for them to lie in, you will always have at least one that decides a random spot on the ground is a better place. Hunting eggs was almost like a treasure hunt.
“Got one!” I held it up to show Colt.
“Nice one! I don’t see any more lying around anywhere. Maybe the rest were smarter and actually lay in the boxes.”
“Let’s check.” We walked over to the boxes, and all but one of them had at least one egg inside.
As we gathered the eggs, we were careful not to crack them. A good thing about being on a ranch like this was being able to get some food like this without having to go to a store. I never did like going shopping, and even after moving away, I still only went when it was absolutely necessary.
I glanced over at Colt, who was still collecting eggs, being so careful and attentive as he placed each one in the basket he was holding. I loved these moments with Colt. They felt timeless. I wanted to bottle little moments like this up so I could go back to them later and relive them all over again. Eventually, we finished our egg hunt. Colt set the basket down and began counting the eggs.
“Twenty eggs, Daisy!”
“Do you all usually get that many?”
“Yeah, it’s usually around that many this time of year.”
“That’s a lot!”
Working with the chickens today was another way for us to bond. It had always been a strong one, and getting that back has been great. It has meant a lot to me that Colt and I could put the past behind us and be like this together. He was wonderful. We have been creating some more memories that I can look back on and hold near and dear to me.
As we walked back to the house, I wanted to reach over and take his hand, but I could see his dad in the barn and knew that wasn’t the best idea. However, I still smiled and felt grateful that I had someone so special in my life who would make saying goodbye so hard.
Chapter Forty-One
Colt
When we got back to the house, I took the eggs inside and sat them on the counter while Daisy waited on the porch. We still had a few chores left before calling it a day. My dad hadn’t been able to get around to tending to the garden yet, so he had mentioned it to me earlier. I was excited to get to do it, though. My mom always did this part, and after she passed, my dad wanted to keep it up.
Before Daisy came for the summer, my dad and I had planted vegetables. The garden was starting to get a bit overgrown and the weeds needed to be pulled so we could properly check on the plants.
“So, what’s next?”
“With how busy things have been, no one has tended the garden. Some weeds need pulled and then we can check on the vegetables we planted.”
“Want me to help?”
“Of course. I remember how much you used to talk aboutyour mom’s garden.”
“It was always a big one. I loved getting to eat fresh vegetables. Sometimes I would sneak a pepper or tomato from the garden and eat it before my mom got a chance to take it inside and wash it.”
“I did that, too, sometimes. They taste better when you grow them rather than buying them, don’t they?”
“Absolutely.”
I grabbed a bucket and Daisy followed behind me as we made our way to the garden. I gave her a pair of gloves I picked up from inside the house. I started pulling the weeds, reminding her how to do it. I was sure she probably didn’t need a reminder, but I gave her one anyway. It was basically an excuse for her to admire me. Once she started pulling the weeds herself, I admired how focused she was, her brow slightly furrowing as she concentrated on the task at hand.
“Colt, do you guys ever make salsa?”
“Yeah. Sometimes we do. Why do you ask?”
“My mom used to make the best. It was perfect for a summer day.”
“She always did cook the best.”
