fall for him all over again.
That thought should have sent her speeding down the mountain as fast as the red sports car she’d rented could take her. But she had told him she would stay until the strike was settled and she’d already broken enough of her promises to him. She wasn’t going to add another, especially after he’d been so nice about everything that had happened between them.
When he rejoined her in the wide barn aisle, he handed her the lighter pails with small amounts of grain starter in them and picked up the heavier buckets with the formula she had finished mixing. “Are you ready for your first lesson in the fine art of feeding calves?”
She nodded. “I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
Other than the pony she’d ridden at the grocery store grand opening when she was in kindergarten, she’d never been around an animal larger than a cat or a dog and she was definitely feeling a little intimidated. Did calves have a tendency to bite? She didn’t remember hearing of anyone suffering a cow bite. But that didn’t mean anything. She knew absolutely nothing about livestock. And other than Blake, she didn’t know anyone else who did.
That was another reason that she’d gotten cold feet about their marriage. She’d not only feared quitting her job and finding herself feeling as displaced and resentful as her mother, she would have also been living on this ranch with animals large enough to squash her like a bug.
The first time she’d ever seen those animals in action had been in Las Vegas when she met Blake and he’d invited her to watch him ride in the rodeo events. After returning to Seattle and remembering what the huge animals were capable of doing and the injuries their actions caused, she’d known for certain that ranch life wasn’t for her. Yet, here she was doing the very thing that she’d feared—interacting with the beasts.
But when they reached the stall where the calves were, Karly couldn’t help but smile. The two bucket babies immediately started bawling and pushing at the gate as she and Blake approached, as if they knew their breakfast had arrived.
“They’re so cute!” she said, looking over the top board at the black calves. They seemed too little to do much damage. “Do they bite?”
Blake laughed as he set the two buckets of milk on a bale of hay outside of the stall, then took the pails of grain starter from her. “Cattle would have to have upper front teeth before they could do that.”
“They don’t have teeth?” she asked, doubtfully. She thought most all animals needed teeth to eat.
He shook his head. “They only have bottom incisors and a tough, thickly padded top gum, so it’s highly unlikely that one could bite you and cause an injury. And even if they tried it, which they aren’t prone to do, it would be more of a pinch than a bite.”
“That’s good to know,” she said when he opened the stall door.
“I’ll take care of feeding them the grain starter and then we’ll give them the milk together,” he said, entering the enclosure.
He was immediately accosted by the calves and she was amazed at how quickly the pair finished off the grain in the pails Blake held. “You were right about them being enthusiastic eaters,” she said, laughing. They reminded her of two rather large, clumsy puppies.
When he walked out of the stall to get the buckets of calf formula, he chuckled. “Just wait until they see these. They’ll be like sharks in a feeding frenzy.”
Karly opened the door to the stall for him and cautiously followed him inside. The calves nudged up against her as they looked for the buckets Blake held. One of them even took two of her fingers in its mouth and started sucking.
“Oh, my.” The calf hadn’t hurt her and she laughed as she pulled back her hand. “They really are in a feeding frenzy.”
Grinning, he nodded. “Just wait.”
He showed her how to hold the bucket and she immediately understood what he meant.
That thought should have sent her speeding down the mountain as fast as the red sports car she’d rented could take her. But she had told him she would stay until the strike was settled and she’d already broken enough of her promises to him. She wasn’t going to add another, especially after he’d been so nice about everything that had happened between them.
When he rejoined her in the wide barn aisle, he handed her the lighter pails with small amounts of grain starter in them and picked up the heavier buckets with the formula she had finished mixing. “Are you ready for your first lesson in the fine art of feeding calves?”
She nodded. “I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
Other than the pony she’d ridden at the grocery store grand opening when she was in kindergarten, she’d never been around an animal larger than a cat or a dog and she was definitely feeling a little intimidated. Did calves have a tendency to bite? She didn’t remember hearing of anyone suffering a cow bite. But that didn’t mean anything. She knew absolutely nothing about livestock. And other than Blake, she didn’t know anyone else who did.
That was another reason that she’d gotten cold feet about their marriage. She’d not only feared quitting her job and finding herself feeling as displaced and resentful as her mother, she would have also been living on this ranch with animals large enough to squash her like a bug.
The first time she’d ever seen those animals in action had been in Las Vegas when she met Blake and he’d invited her to watch him ride in the rodeo events. After returning to Seattle and remembering what the huge animals were capable of doing and the injuries their actions caused, she’d known for certain that ranch life wasn’t for her. Yet, here she was doing the very thing that she’d feared—interacting with the beasts.
But when they reached the stall where the calves were, Karly couldn’t help but smile. The two bucket babies immediately started bawling and pushing at the gate as she and Blake approached, as if they knew their breakfast had arrived.
“They’re so cute!” she said, looking over the top board at the black calves. They seemed too little to do much damage. “Do they bite?”
Blake laughed as he set the two buckets of milk on a bale of hay outside of the stall, then took the pails of grain starter from her. “Cattle would have to have upper front teeth before they could do that.”
“They don’t have teeth?” she asked, doubtfully. She thought most all animals needed teeth to eat.
He shook his head. “They only have bottom incisors and a tough, thickly padded top gum, so it’s highly unlikely that one could bite you and cause an injury. And even if they tried it, which they aren’t prone to do, it would be more of a pinch than a bite.”
“That’s good to know,” she said when he opened the stall door.
“I’ll take care of feeding them the grain starter and then we’ll give them the milk together,” he said, entering the enclosure.
He was immediately accosted by the calves and she was amazed at how quickly the pair finished off the grain in the pails Blake held. “You were right about them being enthusiastic eaters,” she said, laughing. They reminded her of two rather large, clumsy puppies.
When he walked out of the stall to get the buckets of calf formula, he chuckled. “Just wait until they see these. They’ll be like sharks in a feeding frenzy.”
Karly opened the door to the stall for him and cautiously followed him inside. The calves nudged up against her as they looked for the buckets Blake held. One of them even took two of her fingers in its mouth and started sucking.
“Oh, my.” The calf hadn’t hurt her and she laughed as she pulled back her hand. “They really are in a feeding frenzy.”
Grinning, he nodded. “Just wait.”
He showed her how to hold the bucket and she immediately understood what he meant.
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