Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
“I do it so that that boy, as you call him, can get some roping time in because I’m a damn good brother. And I’ve been practicing this month, so I think I can beat him.”
Everyone laughed.
“Blayze will want to be there, Ty. You know how upset he was last time y’all did it without him,” Lincoln stated.
“Where is he?” Tanner asked.
Brock smiled and shook his head slowly. “He’s with Mom and Dad. He spent the night there last night. Said he missed spending time with them, but I think he just wanted to be away from us since he got into trouble.”
I placed my hand over my chest. “Oh, he is so sweet. I find it hard to believe he would ever get into trouble.”
“Ha!” Lincoln said as she reached for Brock to help her out of the chair. “He was called to the principal’s office at school last week.”
“Why?” Kaylee and I asked at the same time.
Brock laughed, and Lincoln hit him as she answered. “It’s not funny, Brock.”
“It’s kind of funny,” Brock stated. “He was called in for telling his teacher he didn’t think she picked very good books to read during reading hour.”
“Then,” Lincoln added as she gave Brock a side eye, “he proceeded to hand her the books he felt she should be reading.”
“Oh. No,” Ty said. “I hope he didn’t find Tanner’s collection of old naughty magazines.”
“My collection? Dude, those were yours and Brock’s! Beck and I begged y’all to share those with us,” Tanner said.
Lincoln chuckled and shook her head. “No, thank goodness it wasn’t that. But now I’m gonna have to make Stella search your old rooms before he does find them. He gave her books on roping and raising cattle, and the best one of all was raising a calf for beef. That one made two little girls in the classroom burst into tears, which made Blayze tell them it was okay. Then he proceeded to ask where they thought their hamburgers and steaks came from. One of the little girl’s mother called us to let us know her daughter now refuses to eat anything made from a cow.”
I covered my mouth to keep from laughing. Ty, Tanner, and Kaylee all laughed out loud, and Brock did his best not to.
“Y’all think it’s funny,” Lincoln said, then pointed at Kaylee. “Your time is coming. Just wait.”
Ty reached over and rubbed Kaylee’s stomach. The way he looked at her made me swoon.
Then Tanner took my hand, and I went from swooning caused by one Shaw brother to full-on heart palpitations from the Shaw brother I loved so dearly.
“Come on, let’s go rope some cows,” Tanner said, guiding me to the door.
“Yes!” Ty said as Lincoln asked Brock if he could just carry her. She was, of course, kidding. Although, I had a feeling if he offered to do it, she would take him up on it.
An hour later and everyone was at the corral. Even my father had showed up, which surprised me. I rushed over to give him a hug and stopped when I saw the smile on his face. He seemed lighter on his feet, a spark in his eye that made my heart feel happy.
“Dad, you have a look about you,” I said.
He laughed and kissed me on the cheek. “It’s the fresh mountain air here. Does a soul good.”
“The mountain air, huh?” Stella countered. “That pep in your step wouldn’t have anything to do with the rumor going around town that you had lunch with a lady yesterday.”
I spun back around to look at my father. “Dad, is it true?! Did you go on a date?”
He held up his hands and laughed. “Don’t get all excited.”
“Was it a date?” Stella asked. “Betty Lou told me she saw you and Molly Walker having lunch together. I was just teasing, but do tell!”
“Yes, Uncle Frank, do tell!” Kaylee added.
“Goodness, there’s no getting away with anything in this town, is there?” my father said as he smiled and then looked at me. “I was going to talk to you about it. It was just a friendly lunch, but I do like Molly. She’s…nice.”
“Nice?” every woman said at the same time.
“Yes. Nice.”
“Frank, have I not taught you anything yet about these women?” Ty Senior asked.
“Oh hush, Ty,” Stella said, then motioned for my father to keep talking. “Tell us more, Frank.”
My father blushed, and I was hit right in the middle of my chest with a happiness I hadn’t realized I could experience.
“Daddy,” I said softly as I took his hands in mine. “You don’t have to talk to me about dating anyone.”
He nodded. “I know, but I wanted to let you know first. Guess I better move faster than the gossip chain next time.” He shot a quick look at Stella who pretended not to hear him.