Page 97 of The Last Second Chance
Her response was succinct.
Smart ass.
22
Dig out began promptlyat six the next morning despite the fact that the snow was still briskly falling. Twenty-eight inches of white, fluffy flakes coated the pre-dawn world of Blue Moon.
Joey’s priority—after having Jax dig out a dog-friendly potty break area in the yard—was to clear a path with the Jeep to the stables so she could start the morning feeding.
Colby texted to say he and his little brother were on their way to the farm on snowmobiles. They’d start the dig out there with the ATVs. Jax would split his time between the two sights and they’d all meet back at Joey’s for breakfast at ten.
She climbed into the freezing cold passenger seat of Carter’s Jeep and hit the button on the garage door opener. The door rolled up to reveal a monstrous drift blocking their path.
“Ready?” Jax asked with a grin.
Joey gripped the handle on the dash. “Oh, yeah. Punch it.”
The Jeep lurched forward, sending plumes of snow over the hood as they charged out of the garage.
Joey hooted her approval while Jax expertly plowed a path down the hill toward the stables.
They pulled up to the front of the barn and eyed the five-foot drift that glistened in the headlights in front of the door. “Next time we’re putting up a snow fence,” Joey grumbled. She grabbed the shovel out of the backseat. “I’ll start on the drift,” she told Jax.
“I’ll clear in front of the building and come help with feeding,” he told her.
“Enjoy your nice warm vehicle,” Joey sighed and slipped out the passenger door. She’d dressed in layers, knowing how quickly shoveling got her temperature up. Plus, the furnace in the barn would keep the temperature close to fifty degrees so she’d be able to shuck the heavy Carhartt jacket in no time.
She tackled the drift efficiently, working to clear the snow away from the door and mounding it to prevent more drifts. Her body felt primed and ready for a challenge. Last night’s sexual acrobatics and the deepest sleep she could remember in recent history left her feeling energetic, almost cheerful.
Just as dawn began to break behind her, the shovel finally met the base of the door and she scooped the last foot out of the way.
The barn door swung open and, with the flip of a light switch, Joey was relieved to see the normalcy inside. The furnace had survived the night, which meant the pipes shouldn’t be frozen and her morning had just gotten a whole lot easier.
A couple of barn cats meandered out of their hidey-holes to greet her. She refilled their food dishes and checked their water before moving down the aisle to greet her horses.
Everyone was awake and ready for breakfast. She stopped in the office to shed her jacket and start the coffee. Water buckets were first. Joey started at the back of the stables and worked her way forward, emptying the heated buckets, cleaning them, and refilling them with warm water. Each bucket hung flat against the stall wall near a recessed outlet. The power kept the water at a warm enough temperature to prevent freezing, enticing the horses to drink.
Jax came in, stomping snow off his boots and sending the barn cats scurrying for cover. He sniffed the air and went straight for the coffee in the office. He reappeared and handed her his mug. She took a deep pull, wrinkling her nose at the sugarless brew.
“I’ll start haying at the back while you finish the water,” he said, taking his mug back.
“Sounds good,” Joey nodded, and watched him saunter toward the feed room. His jeans were worn and hung low on his hips. There were holes in the knee and one in the ass that offered a glimpse of dark purple underwear. One of the sleeves of his blue and white checked flannel jacket was torn and the gray Henley beneath it was cut tight over his chest. Two days of stubble at his jaw and bed-tousled hair given to curl at the ends gave him the look of a sleepy-eyed fallen angel.
What she wouldn’t give to get him back in her bed right now.
She shook herself, rolled her eyes at her schoolgirl fantasies. They had work to do. Livestock didn’t wait patiently for her to roll out of bed and skip down the aisle with feed. There was a schedule to be followed, order to be upheld. And maybe later she could sink her hands into Jax’s lightly curling hair and do all those unspeakable things she wanted to do.
She made quick work of the rest of the water buckets and took over the haying duties from Jax. With a parting kiss and another coffee refill, he headed out to blaze a trail between stables and farm.
Joey opened her music app on the computer in the office and piped soothing classical songs into the barn. The horses responded well to classical—and country—and she hoped to keep them mellow for as long as possible while confined to their stalls. The next two hours passed quickly while she mucked and hit the feed bins with a second breakfast of grain.
She swept the stable alley clean of straw and nodded her satisfaction at a job well done. Usually Colby and another part-time helper handled the morning feeding, and she’d forgotten how productive she felt with thirty mounts all happily fed and stalls cleaned.
It was time to head back to the house to check in on the dogs and get a breakfast of champions started. Her stomach growled in agreement. She closed up the stable door and hustled through the three inches of new snowfall back to the house.
Peering through the window, Joey found all three dogs curled up on the couch happily snoozing the morning away. The turning of the handle brought them all to the door barking and shedding and skittering for purchase.
“Okay, okay. Everybody outside before you get too excited and pee.” She looked sternly at Meatball. Waffles, understanding everything she said, scampered to the back door. She ushered them out and went into the kitchen to start breakfast. Bacon and cheddar waffles with a side of sausage links was what a morning like this called for. And coffee. Gallons of coffee.
