Page 11 of Her Cowboy Baby Daddy
Spence shoved the odd thought out of his head. He and Hayley walked around the corner of the barn, past the half-finished pipe corral. Once they rounded the corner, he could see that a series of corrals had been laid out, plus an area that looked to be a loading chute.
“Big plans?”
“Dad had big plans. They slowed down when he got ill, then eventually ground to a halt. I haven’t decided what to do, yet. I mean, the corrals aren’t that far along, so maybe I should sell the pipe and continue to depend on the old wooden corrals. They work.”
He’d seen the corrals driving in. They were the only part of the Lone Tree Ranch that had a shabby look to them.
“How many cows are you running?”
“Around a hundred. I cut back after Dad passed away.”
“That’s still quite a few.”
“It keeps me busy,” she said in a noncommittal way, then pointed at the greenhouse, a prefab building that looked to be perhaps twelve feet wide and sixteen or eighteen feet long. Good sized. Made of some kind of plastic panels set in metal.
“Did you order this online?”
“I did.” She opened the door and stood back so that Spence could step inside. “A crew came and set it up for me. Next year I’m hoping to get an early start on my plants, and once I get the building anchored down, I’ll plant some of my tomatoes in here and hopefully have enough to sell at the farmer’s market toward the end of summer.”
“You’re not anchored?”
Anchors were a must on small buildings in the windy country in which they lived.
“I’ve got the cables. Vince was going to set the anchors for me.” She didn’t mention the part about him no longer being around to do that. She’d set her own anchors—that evening, if things worked out. She might have to consult YouTube, but she’d get the job done.
“Vince?”
“My ranch guy. He’s heading off to law school soon.” Like yesterday.
“Summer law school?”
“His internship starts early.”
Spence pushed his hat back. “Your ranch hand is a law student.”
“He wasn’t until a few days ago. Now he is.”
“So you need help around the place.”
“No. I have two high school kids set to start work as soon as school lets out, and I’m pretty certain I’ll get someone permanent nailed down by the end of the summer. Until then, the kids and I can handle stuff.” She pushed her hands into her back pockets. “Enough about me.”
“You want to know why I’m here.”
“You don’t appear to have found another dog.”
“I have not.”
Hayler pushed the back of her wrist over her forehead. “You want some lemonade or iced tea?”
“Sure.”
Hayley’s house reflected the same homey, yet whimsical, vibe as the rest of the property. The old cupboards were a cheery yellow, and the walls a pale aqua, giving the room a light feeling that Spence appreciated. He took a seat at the oak table, after indicating that he’d like iced tea instead of lemonade, and managed to stop his fingers from tapping out a nervous rhythm on top of the envelope he’d set on the table in front of him.
He had this. But when Hayley sat opposite him and planted her elbows on the table, obviously waiting for him to launch into the reason he’d come, he found himself at something of a loss.
Finally, he said, “Do you remember the drought of 2004?”
“I was ten, maybe? I remember issues with water, but other than that...” She made a gesture. “Why?”
