Page 17 of Catch Me, Cowboy
Wyatt narrowed his eyes at her in a“really?”expression.
“Hey,” Shelby muttered, sounding only slightly less defensive than she felt, “I’m going to see him anyway in Marietta. It’s only for a few weeks.”
“Total immersion?”
Shelby blinked at him. She’d underestimated his understanding of the situation. “It seemed the best course of action. If I’m around him a lot, then it’ll desensitize things. Kind of like sacking out a green colt.”
“If you say so.”
Shelby shrugged as she pulled the reins over her borrowed horse’s head. “To be frank, I have no idea what the best course of action is or was, but Gramps needed help. Ty knows him and he knows the ranch. Gramps won’t be able to bully him or pull the boss card, both of which he’ll do with someone else.”
They started leading their horses to the gate, sandy dirt crunching beneath their boots, making it difficult to walk.
Finally, Wyatt said, “Well, having him there hasn’t hurt your roping none.” He gave her a sideways look. “Maybe because we both know that worry keeps you from psyching yourself out about roping.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
“You sound like you’re convincing yourself.”
“More like reminding myself.”
Wyatt gave her a long look and she could see he was on verge of saying something she didn’t want to hear. “You really think this is a good idea, Shelby? Because I don’t.”
“Well, aren’t you just a ray of sunshine?” She took her hat off and slapped it on her leg to shake off the arena dust, then put it back on her head.
“I’m a guy. And a realist.”
“It will work, Wyatt. Because I’m going to make it work.”
“More power to you, Shelby. And… good luck.”
“Thanks.” Although she would have felt better about Wyatt’s well wishes if they hadn’t been delivered on such a dark note.
*
Ty idly rubbedhis bad shoulder as he walked back to the camp trailer. After the “talk”, Les allowed Ty to take over the posthole diggers and they finished the fence braces in the tricky spots that Les couldn’t access with the tractor and auger. The creek meandered through the leased land in long lazy turns and the plan was to fence the north side, then tackle the south. The north side was the more challenging of the two, since that was where the willows flourished. If they got too close to the creek, the posts had no purchase. If they got too far away, Les was losing feed.
He walked into the trailer, wondered what to do about dinner. Granola bars or a trip to town to eat at the café? He was beat, didn’t feel like driving, but he was hungry. And pretty damned dirty. He’d gone knee deep in muck twice that day. Les had offered him use of the washing machine, but Ty hadn’t given an answer. He was on the ranch, but he wasn’t going to push things. He knew Shelby well enough to understand that even though she’d asked him onto the place, she had limits. And if he pushed, she was going to push back.
He had a narrow line to walk here.
His trailer was set up next to the old homestead house on the west side of the barn, where he could shower in a place larger than a postage stamp—no, the camp trailer’s shower was actually smaller than that. Les used the building to store grain and excess tack and to doctor young animals. The shower had pretty good water pressure and, even though the air in the unheated bathroom was cold, the water was hot.Thank you fifty-year-old gas water heater. Ty stripped down, leaving his clothes on a beat-up old chair, then stepped under the spray, lifting his chin to let the water hit his upper chest and loosen the tight muscles there. If he felt this bad after digging holes, then riding was going to beat the shit out of him.
Wouldn’t be the first time.
Hopefully wouldn’t be the last.
Ty finally grabbed the soap when the water started to cool. By the time he’d lathered up and rinsed off he was dealing with frigid. He’d time things better tomorrow.
He shoved his damp skin into his clean jeans and shrugged into his shirt. He rarely missed a nightly session with his free weights, but today he’d done enough exercise; all he wanted was a beer and food. And maybe some heat ointment. Damn, but he was sore. Apparently therapy and weights hadn’t prepared him for the reality of trying to outwork an old man.
Les had definitely challenged him, but as the day wore on, Ty had begun to see why Shelby was concerned about her grandfather. Les stopped what he was doing at least twice to grab hold of a post and stand stock still, as if waiting for a spell to pass. The second time Ty asked if he was dizzy.
Les had simply frowned at him and said, “Straightened up too fast.”
Good answer, except he hadn’t been bent over. And then there was the matter of him admitting he needed help. That never would have happened back in the day, which made Ty glad that Shelby had swallowed her pride and asked him to hire on. Les honestly did need help now, but once the fence was built, there wasn’t much to be done on the place over the winter, except for feeding and catching up on the mechanic-ing. Les could handle that and, who knew, maybe come spring, if the circuit didn’t go well—
What the fuck?
