Merry & Wild (The Wilds of Montana #0.5)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

JOY

“ H oly shit, it’s cold outside,” I declare as John shuts the door of his cabin behind us. “What did the thermometer say out there?”

“Ten below zero,” he replies as he hangs our gloves on a rack by the fire, and sets our boots near it, as well. “It’s not as cold as it could be, but it’s pretty chilly. I’ll stoke the fire some more.”

I don’t feel shy at all about grabbing the quilt off the back of his couch and wrapping it around me as I huddle in the corner of the sofa.

“I was fine on the way out there,” I say, willing my teeth to stop chattering. “But on the way back, it was a different story.”

“It got considerably colder in the hour or so we were out in the barn,” he agrees, and once the fire is roaring once more, he walks over and joins me on the couch. “You’re curled up in a tight ball over there. Come over here with me. I’ll warm you up.”

Without hesitation, I scramble over and slide onto John’s lap, letting him cover us both with the quilt, and we stare into the fire for a long time, not saying anything at all. It’s nice to just listen to the crackle of the flames, the sound of John’s breathing, and the wind as it batters the cabin as I snuggle in against him. He must have grown after high school because he’s much taller than I remember him being, and I have to admit, that feels nice when he’s holding me.

“This is nice,” John says, echoing my own thoughts as his hand runs up and down my arm. “You know, I don’t remember if you have any siblings.”

“Nope, just me. And you have Melissa.”

“That’s right.”

“She’s quite a bit younger than you.”

He nods and kisses the top of my head, and I feel it all the way to my thawing toes.

“Mom had a hard time getting pregnant with me ,” he says. “And when no other babies came along in the few years after I was born, she and Dad assumed that they were done. Then, when I was about ten, surprise! Here comes Missy.”

“A happy surprise.”

“Definitely,” he confirms. “I wanted a brother, but hey, you take what you can get. She’s a hard worker and loves the farm a lot. I don’t know if she’ll stay here after she finishes school, or if she’ll move on and go to college. I suspect college is the answer for her.”

“But it wasn’t for you.”

“Nah.” He kisses my head again. “I love this ranch. It’s in my blood, and it’s who I am. I enjoy it. I’ll show you all of it sometime soon, not just the barn.”

“I’d like that.” In fact, just the thought of seeing all of John’s family’s land makes me excited. I loved being in the barn with the animals. “So, your family sells cattle?”

“Beef cattle,” he confirms. “I’m glad we’re getting this bitter cold out of the way now, and not in February, when calving season starts.”

“Is that hard?” I ask him. “Calving season?”

“It’s nonstop work for about a month, being out with the cows as they’re calving, making sure everything goes as it should. Sometimes, it’s so cold I have to bring the newborns into my truck and turn on the heat so they don’t freeze to death.”

“Oh, my God, that’s awful.”

“It’s Mother Nature,” he says, and I look up to see him smiling humorlessly. “And sometimes, she’s a bitch. Once they’re all born, we have to patrol regularly and make sure none of the calves have gotten lost or wandered away from their mamas. They cry like crazy, and then we have to gather them up and find their moms.”

“It’s a lot of work,” I decide, having a new respect for the man that I’ve admired for so long. “How many head of cattle do you own?”

“A few hundred,” he says. “Every year, we take the cows that are full grown—so about a year and a half old—to be sold for beef. And then, more babies are born.”

“It’s a circle,” I add with a soft smile. “I like that. And your beef is amazing.”

“You’ve had it?”

“Of course. Several restaurants in town feature it, and sometimes it’s in the grocery store. I always buy it if it’s there. I have to support local businesses, you know.”

He smiles down at me and kisses my forehead. “We should sleep. It’s late.”

“Can we sleep here?” I ask him. “By the fire?”

“Sweetheart, we can sleep wherever you want, as long as it’s warm and I have you in my arms.”

I grin and burrow my face into his neck, ready to drift off to sleep.