Free The McCree's Star Spangled 4th by J.C. Isabella Page B

wasn’t up
till seven to help Millie in the kitchen. “What are you
doing?”
    “ Time to feed the animals,”
he said, and in the dim light I saw him grab his hat off the
dresser and settle it on his head. “Go back to sleep.”
    “ Nope,” I was up now. I’d
only done this with him a couple times before, and I wanted to do
it again. “I’m coming with you.”
    He met me downstairs at the kitchen
door once I was dressed and we went out into the early Montana
morning. There was a little mist. The air was cool and sweet. The
smell of hay hung in the air, and I caught sight of Frances, the
owl, sitting on top of the stables. He looked settled for a nap.
His head was tucked down, eyes closed. Chase’s cousin Grant was
already up, loading one of the work trucks with feed. I put on the
gloves Chase gave me and grabbed a shovel, climbing up into the
truck bed. Chase came up beside me with his gloves and a shovel
too. Grant climbed behind the wheel and drove us out to the west
pasture where a few hundred cattle were kept. The rest of them were
either on the east pasture or up near a ridge and lake behind the
house. They had to rotate the heard so they didn’t overgraze and
deplete the land. It was a cattle ranch, and the McCree’s dealt in
beef. If anything, it was amazing
    Chase jumped out of the truck and
opened the gate to let Grant in the pasture, then shut it behind us
after we rolled in. He was back in the truck beside me, and the
cows swarmed behind the tailgate as Grant drove slowly across the
pasture. I shoveled the feed off the bed with Chase. We left it in
a long line for the cows. It was tiring, and my hands hurt even
though I was wearing gloves.
    I had a blast.
    No one ever thought the cheerleader
would be out with the cowboy. I was all for proving people wrong.
Mainly our parents. Everyone I’d met in Montana had been so
welcoming and kind. I had to pinch myself. I just couldn’t believe
it at first. I felt so lucky that I could call this place home
now.
    And I never wanted so see another pair
of pompoms for the rest of my life.
    After the truck bed was empty, Grant
drove back to get more feed for round two in another pasture. We
did this four times. Thankfully there were other workers on the
ranch in trucks helping.
    Once we’d finished, I was lounging in
the back with Chase, and didn’t want to move. Cheer practice and
some gymnastics did not prepare me for how hard it would be. I felt
out of shape. I was tired. It was a good tired though, and it
wasn’t even nine in the morning yet.
    We hopped out and cleaned up in the mud
room outside the kitchen. Millie greeted us inside with a steaming
hot plate of eggs and toast and juice. I ate almost as much as
Chase. Then it was back out with him to feed more
animals.
    It was a good start to the day. I
didn’t have a second to worry about the visitors who’d be arriving
in a few hours. This was exactly what I needed.

 
     
    Chase
     
    “ Briar?” I knocked on her
bedroom door and finished buttoning up my shirt. We’d gotten our
chores done early since we had guests coming. I hoped my mother
behaved herself, but no telling what she was going to say about
Briar living with me at the ranch now. She hadn’t brought up her
opinion since that morning when Grant called to tell me about the
cattle shot dead over my father’s grave. That was also the morning
I told her I loved Briar.
    Her silence hadn’t been a good
thing.
    I was just as nervous as Briar. It was
either going to go very good, or very bad.
    I had to prepare myself. It was
possible I’d have to tell my mom off. That she wouldn’t be welcome
on my ranch unless she learned to accept my relationship with
Briar.
    I hoped it didn’t come to
that.
    I knew my mom though, and if she wanted
to say something, she’d say it.
    “ It’s open,” Briar called
back.
    She was still in the bathroom. I
crossed the room to her dresser, wondering if I should change into
something more relaxed. I had on a blue