Page 20 of Due North
“Sounds good to me. Text me later and let me know what Dawn and Heaven say?” she asked as we walked toward the exit of the riding ring.
I paused and grabbed my phone. “I would, but I don’t even have your number. We always use the walkies. Here, put it in my phone.”
We swapped phones, and we were typing our numbers in when I noticed movement by the door. When I looked up, there was no one there. It was probably one of the farm dogs. She handed me my phone back, and I slipped it into my pocket.
“Great, I’ll text you in the morning and let you know what was decided. Thanks, Tobi. Your offer to help is very much appreciated.”
We took a step toward the door, but she slipped on a pile of sand.
“Tobi!” I yelled, grabbing her just before she hit the concrete. I pulled her tight to me until she got her feet under her again. “Are you okay?” I asked. “I don’t want to let you go until you’re steady.”
“I’m good,” she said, and my arms fell away from her and back to my side.
I caught a flash of motion and turned my head to see a flash of red hair. What was Cece doing here?
“Sorry about that,” she said, shaking out her leg. “I didn’t notice the sand on the concrete.
I held the door, and she walked back into the morning sunshine. I glanced around the area but didn’t see Cece’s redhead anywhere. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
She brushed her hand at me. “I’m a cowgirl. I’m used to falling.”
We walked up the path toward the barn, and I nodded, praying my leg didn’t give out in front of her. I could feel it getting weaker and weaker and was afraid I wouldn’t get back to the barn without sitting for a minute. Unfortunately, there was no place to sit other than the hard-packed dirt.
The buzz of the walkie on my belt pulled me to a stop. “Tex?” Chet, one of our other ranch hands, asked. I grabbed it off my belt and pushed the button. “Hey, Chet, what’s up?”
“Are you done in the ring?”
“I’m just heading back to the barn with Tobi.”
“Cool, I need your help. One of the horses is sick. Blaze said to send Tobi over to help them with the fences. Can she do that?”
“Have him saddle a horse for me, and I’ll head right over.”
“She’s available. Saddle a horse for her to take to Bison Ridge. We’re on our way.”
I released the button and sighed heavily. So much for time to sit down and give my leg a rest. It would be hours before that happened now. Such was the life of a cowboy.
I slammed the pan down on the stove and threw in the tomato sauce, a bunch splashing out onto the stove just to tick me off. I swiped at it with a paper towel and flicked the burner on with precision before I dumped in chopped tomatoes and beans.
“They want dinner. I’ll give them dinner,” I muttered, yanking open the door of the fridge in the kitchen to grab the celery. “Why did I even bother to go out there?”
I ran the celery under the water and then made fast work with my knife of chopping it into minuscule pieces. Maybe too minuscule, but who cares? Not me! I tossed the celery in the pot and wiped my hands on my apron before I stirred it with the flick of my wrist. “Good enough,” I hissed, turning and running right into a body.
“Oaf,” I said, grabbing their shoulders instinctively to keep us both from falling. I looked up into a surprised face and grimaced. “Amity, did I hurt you?” I asked, checking her over.
“Of course not, dear, but I had to come see what all the fuss was about in here.”
“Nothing,” I said. “Everything is fine.”
I whipped back around on my heel, grabbed the milk from the fridge, tossed the jug down on the table, and then reached for the butter as her hand came down on mine. “Cecelia, what on earth is going on with you? I can tell you’re upset.”
My shoulders slumped, and she released the door so that I could close it. I leaned against the fridge and crossed my arms over my chest. “I decided to take Tex some coffee at the riding arena this morning. Chet told me he was meeting with Tobi.” I hated how much hurt rode on those words when I spoke them.
“And?” she asked on a raised brow.
I waved my hand in the air. “They were supposed to be talking about business. Ha!” I exclaimed, shaking my head with my gaze on the ceiling. “Let’s just say the only business they were conducting was private.”
Amity’s lips turned up, and she gave the pot on the stove a stir. “I’m amused by the way you call him Tex when you’re mad and Caleb when you’re not.”
