Straddling the Fence (11 page)

You should get out now while you still have a chance
,
the logical side of her brain said, while her heart wanted to ignore the
warning.

They tugged on light jackets and climbed into his truck for
a short ride that ended at the spot where they’d delivered the calf. He helped
her down from his jacked-up four-wheel drive, holding her hand as he led her
inside the dark barn to an older-model tractor with equal amounts faded red
paint and rust, no cab, and a hay spear mounted on the front.

“Climb on while I open the doors,” he said.

Dust motes danced in the beams of sunshine spilling through
the interior of the barn when he pushed the big doors apart. Her nose twitched
at the musty smell of hay and damp earth. This was his world, she thought, as
he strolled back to her, so confident in who he was and where he wanted to be.
At home and comfortable in his skin. She could admit to being a bit jealous of
that swagger, if not continuously turned on by it too.

He placed one foot on the tractor’s low step and swung a
long leg over the seat, snugging her back against his body once he settled in.
His long thighs bracketed hers as he cranked the engine and started working
pedals and levers that intimidated the crap out of Bellamy. Meanwhile, she just
tried to make herself smaller to stay out of his way.

“Put your hands on the steering wheel.”

Panic rose briefly. “You’re not making me drive this thing?”

“Not yet, but you can point us out of the barn. Then once I
get a roll of hay loaded, you can steer us into the pasture while I do the
rest.”

Fascinated by how second-nature this was for him, she
watched him deftly maneuver the double-pronged spear into a round roll of hay,
then back the tractor out from under the broad overhang of the barn. Once they
were moving forward again, he placed her hands on the steering wheel. They
bounced across a cattle gap keeping the cows inside the pasture without the
necessity of another gate. He handled the pedals, pointing toward an empty hay
ring out in the field. Once they reached it, he patiently showed her which
levers to push or pull and together, they got the hay dropped into the circle
before backing the tractor into a small copse of trees and killing the engine.
As soon as they were out of the way, the animals began to mosey over for
breakfast.

Morning dew turned the spider webs between the rows of
barbwire white and droopy, like wet lace hung to dry on a clothesline. Combined
with the sunlight, it gilded the grass and scattered diamonds across fence
posts, wire and tree limbs. Accentuated the slope and swell of the land around
them. The air was so still she could hear the cows crunching the hay between
their teeth. Sitting there in the beautiful quiet was cathartic in a sense, the
way your mind emptied to instead soak up the peacefulness and wonder of nature.
The farmers and ranchers she met always seemed to have a calmness about them
she sometimes envied, and she wondered if it was because they were able to
enjoy mornings like this so often.

Bellamy counted six calves trailing closely behind their
mothers. Judging by the size of the herd, Eli and his brothers still had at
least another fifteen births to weather. Maybe they’d get lucky and not lose
any, but it was unlikely. Sooner or later, one would be lost to the elements, a
random stillbirth, some bovine health issue or hungry coyotes. Sad, but true
nonetheless, and all a part of raising animals.

About fifty yards from where they sat, the big Hereford bull
stood sentry over his harem and offspring, keeping a watchful eye on Bellamy
and Eli. He was long and made of solid muscle covering thick bone, well over
half the size of the tractor. Despite his particular breed being known for
having a good temperament, there was no doubt in Bellamy’s mind that if
crossed, he’d defend his ground the only way he knew how—with brute force.
Eli’s bull was polled, meaning he didn’t have horns and his descendants
wouldn’t either, but with that kind of size and power, he didn’t need them. It
still amazed her how an animal that heavy could jump and twist as quick and
agilely as they did inside a rodeo arena.

Eli turned her so she was sitting sideways on his lap,
resting his chin on her shoulder when she looped an arm around his neck. “I
sometimes wonder if I’m not crazy for taking this on, what with all the demands
farming will make on us once springtime rolls around.”

Well, someone’s mind wasn’t so quiet. “What made you want to
try it in the first place?”

His sigh warmed her neck. “My brothers seem to know who they
are and where they want to be. They’re both really good at things. Fritz is the
farm king. For him, it comes as natural as breathin’. Sage has a talent for
specifics—numbers and drawing stuff, things like that.”

Something clicked in Bellamy’s brain. “Sage draws?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe. He drew the plans for my house.
Anytime we need to build anything, he’s got it sketched out, in ridiculous
detail, in less than a day. I’m thirty. The oldest but the least focused of the
three of us. It was high-time I got my shit together and started acting like a
grownup.”

“You’ve never given me the impression that you were
scattered.”

“That’s because when you’re around, I’m not.”

Her heart did a funny backflip before wedging itself firmly
in her throat. Humbled and grateful that he’d chosen to share this side of
himself, she pressed her mouth to his temple until she recovered enough to
speak. “You’re going to be good at this, Eli. You already are. You know why I
think that?”

He shook his head.

“Because you care. You want to succeed, but it’s not solely
about the profits for you. It’s about doing things right, learning and growing
with the process. You understand and accept the responsibility and the
seriousness of the endeavor. Not everyone does. I’ve admired you for it from
the very beginning.”

His arms tightened around her waist. “Thanks, Bell.”

“Where’s Clover?”

He grabbed her hand and pointed with it. “There, nursin’ her
momma.”

She could see the subtle difference in size now, when
compared to some of the calves born more recently. Clover looked to be about
twenty pounds heavier than the day of her birth, which meant she was on par
with the amount of weight she should be gaining daily. By this time next year,
she’d weigh almost as much as her mother. In one ear hung a bright yellow tag
with black numbers, another thing Eli was doing right.

“She reminds me of you,” he said.

That sparked a laugh. “Klutzy and gluttonous?”

“Hardly.” He laced his fingers through hers, meeting her
gaze. “A little unsure of herself maybe, but smart, curious and beautiful.”

“The fuck are you thinkin’, bro?”

Eli ignored Fritz’s question because really, it was
rhetorical anyway, and gently coaxed the gelding out of the trailer. He kept a
hand wrapped tight around the lead rope in case the horse spooked over his new
surroundings, which, given his brother’s agitated demeanor, might happen.

“I was fully on board with buying the cattle, but horses?
Hell no.”

“Will you relax? Jesus, I’m not keeping him. This is
temporary until I help Tucker finish a barn and replace a few fence posts, then
he has a new home.”

“Thank Christ ’cause I know shit-all about horses,” Fritz
said. “Where did he come from?”

“Old man Herman Fuller.”

“Your neighbor? He’s ninety if he’s a day. What business
would he have with a horse?”

Eli tied the lead rope off to a post and grabbed a bucket
from the trailer to refill it with fresh water, since most of it sloshed out on
the ride over. “He didn’t. His niece bought it for her teenage daughter, not
taking into consideration how much it costs to actually care for a horse or how
much time has to be taken up with them on a regular basis. When the daughter
grew bored and negligent, as teenagers are apt to do, Herman’s niece dumped it
off on him and hasn’t been back since.”

“I suppose he was happy to be rid of him then.”

“Yep. Even sold all the tack for a minimal amount. It’s in
the back of my truck.” Eli sat the bucket of water down in front of the gelding
and walked back to his truck for more supplies.

“Tucker wants a horse?”

“Tuck’s always wanted horses. He was just waiting until he
finished remodeling his place.”

Fritz walked over to pat the gelding on his neck, grimacing
at the smell. “Damn, he’s ripe. He could use a good scrubbin’.”

“And worming, and his hooves trimmed I’m sure. Tucker can
tackle all those things. But I
am
going to brush him, see if I can work
some of those knots out of his mane and tail. Maybe get rid of a layer of dirt
at least.”

“Does he have a name?”

“General, according to Herman.” The horse’s ears didn’t so
much as twitch at the word.

“I hate it too, buddy,” Fritz said to the horse. “But then,
you’re not mine to name.”

Eli was slow and gentle with the brush, letting the paint
get used to the feel of it and the extra attention. “I think Soldier suits him
better, but we’ll see what Tuck thinks.”

“This little rescue operation wouldn’t have anything to do
with Bellamy, would it?” Fritz asked, leaning back against one of the corral
panels, stretching his arms along the top.

“It has everything to do with Bellamy.” No use lying about
it. “She spotted him in the pasture behind the house Saturday afternoon. When I
called him over and she got a good look at his condition, the heartbreak on her
face was tough to take.”

“So, you’re doing this more for her than the horse.”

“Well, both I reckon. I’m doing it
for
the horse
because
of her. She has this way of making me more aware of the things around me. Fully
awake. I feel…grounded when I’m with her. Like I have an actual purpose, as
dumb as that sounds.” Wincing, Eli glanced at his brother. “I’m totally fucked,
ain’t I?”

Fritz grinned. “I’d put money on it. Buy hey, who am I to
talk? I bought out the entire home goods section of a store for Kai. I still
have nightmares about that day.”

“Here’s the thing, though,” Eli said. “I don’t want her to
know about the horse.”

“Why not?”

“I’m afraid she’ll think I’m trying to fix everything for
her, like I fixed her gate and mailbox post.”

“You kinda are in a way.”

“Maybe. Probably, but I need to tread carefully with
Bellamy. There’s a lot more going on beneath the surface that she tries to keep
hidden. She reminds me of a wild deer sometimes. Move too quick and she’ll
spook.”

“What’s going on with her?”

“Well, there’s the house she’s living in, for starters. The
place is huge and ancient and a strong gust of wind shy of fallin’ down around
her ears. It’s sittin’ on eighty acres of land she’ll likely never need or use.
But she’s attached to it because of all the great memories she has of her
grandparents and the summers she spent there with ’em. Her relationship with
her parents is lukewarm at best. And I know taking over her uncle’s business
had to be tough. I mean, this is the Deep South. She’s going to face sexism and
skepticism as a female large-animal vet, no matter how well she knows her
stuff. She’ll have to prove herself a hundred times over before being truly
accepted around here and that fuckin’ sucks.” He stopped brushing the horse,
shaking his head in aggravation. “I wish I could fix all of that for her, but I
can’t.”

“And even if you could fix it, it wouldn’t be the same as
her working it out for herself. I know because Kai went through a lot of those
same things when she moved back. As hard as it is to sit on your hands, you
have to let them find their own way. Otherwise it won’t work. They’ll never be
satisfied and happy.”

Eli tossed the brush aside and pulled the metal comb from
his back pocket to start working on the knots in the gelding’s mane. “The worst
part of it is, Bellamy never wanted to come to Serenity in the first place. At
least not permanently. She lost out on her dream job at some big horse farm up
in Alpharetta.”

“You’re thinking she might leave if given the chance at
something better?”

“Just as sure as I know Soldier here wishes he still had his
nuts.”

God, it hurt to even think about her leaving. He was in too
deep already.

“Sucks when they leave you, too,” Fritz said, and he would
know.

When Kai left for college in Athens after high school, Fritz
was a miserable wreck for well over a year afterward. Eli had lost count of the
number of times he’d pried a bottle out of his brother’s hand or patched up his
busted face after a fight. Even when he told Eli he was fine, he wasn’t fine.
Lucky for Fritz, she came home, single and ready to make things right between
them again. His brother would’ve been a fool to turn down a second chance.

“Speaking of my beloved,” Fritz said. “I was given strict
instructions to remind you about supper tomorrow night at our house. We’re
supposed to be makin’ plans for Mom’s surprise birthday party, remember?”

“I haven’t forgotten the upcoming birthday, although the
planning part did slip my mind. Not sure Ruby’s gonna be all that happy about
us makin’ a big deal out of her sixtieth.”

“With Kai at the helm of this shindig, she’ll love it.
We
might not, considering Kai wants to have the party here in the big barn.”

Eli stopped working on the knots to stare slack-jawed at
Fritz. “You serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

“Good God, do you know how much shit there is inside that
barn? Why here?”

“Because if we try to do it at one of the barns behind Mom
and Dad’s house, we won’t be able to keep it a secret. Ruby and Joe never come
over here.”

“Then let’s rent someplace. I don’t mind paying.”

Fritz shook his head. “Just try arguing with Kai, see how
far you get. She’s already ordered half the decorations and reserved the rest.
I’ve seen pictures of what she wants it to look like and I have to admit, it’ll
be nice. In fact, this is probably where we’ll hold the wedding too, so
cleaning it up now will save us a whole helluva lot of time and aggravation
later on.”

“Fine. We’ll get the fucker cleaned up.” Checking his
agitation, Eli went back to combing horsehair. “Have y’all set a date for the
big day yet?”

“Early March, since we’ll have to get corn in the ground
soon after.”

“Be here before you know it.”

“She’s already decided on a dress. Grace’s mom is making it
for her, along with Grace’s bridesmaid dress. We’re wearing jeans and boots—both
new, of course—with vests and ties.”

“I’m cool with that. Sounds like she’s planning on keeping
it small and low-key.”

“Her mother ain’t likin’ it much, but Kai’s digging her
heels in. Mitch is probably over the moon about all the money she’s savin’ him,
though.”

Eli moved to the knots in the gelding’s long tail, standing
to the side just to be safe. He’d been kicked and stepped on by cows before and
it wasn’t fun. That made him wonder if Bellamy had ever been physically hurt in
the line of duty. Surely she had, working with animals as much as she did. He’d
have to ask next time he saw her, which couldn’t get here soon enough. Maybe
he’d inspect her body for scars, inch by smokin’-hot inch.

“How much longer do you think you’ll be here?” Fritz asked,
interrupting his dirty thoughts.

“An hour maybe,” Eli said. “I’m gonna leave him in the
corral for today, then turn him loose in the pasture with the cows until I can
help Tucker fix his fence tomorrow. Why?”

“We got an order for twenty-five rolls of hay. I need you to
help me load, then pull one of the lowboys.”

“Where to?”

“Dawson.”

So an hour’s drive there, an hour to unload and bullshit
with the buyer, then an hour back. The afternoon was shot to hell, but at sixty
dollars a roll plus delivery charges, he wasn’t going to complain…much.

“What’s Sage doing?” Eli asked.

“Damned if I know. Said he had to make a trip to Athens. He
left thirty minutes ago.”

“I’ll remember that the next time he’s expecting a draw on
our hay profits.”

Fritz headed for his truck, tossing over his shoulder, “I’ll
meet you at the hay barn in an hour.”