Just a Positive Pregnancy Test - London Casey Page 0,59
gasped and pointed.
Next I saw Cliff.
He worked at the ranch with Crosby. Or for Crosby. Or something.
I wasn’t sure what their arrangement was.
Ever since Cliff showed up, things seemed to be better with the ranch.
“Hey there,” Cliff called out, tipping his hat at me.
“Cliff.”
He jogged my way. “Look at you.”
I cupped my stomach. “Look at me.”
“I haven’t been able to formally congratulate you. I think it’s wonderful.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure,” Cliff said. “Fingers crossed Olivia is having a boy too. More hands around the ranch here.”
“Are you implying that if these babies were girls, they wouldn’t be able to work on the ranch?”
Cliff took his hat off as his cheeks turned red. “You know, damn me for saying it that way. My apologies.”
“I’m kidding, Cliff,” I said. “But… you know any of us Justa women could work circles around the guys, right?”
“That I believe with all my heart,” Cliff said.
“What’s with the goats?” I asked.
“Friend of mine got in touch. Someone he knew had quite a few and was looking to get rid of them. Couldn’t see myself not taking some. Cute little things. Pain in the ass sometimes. I know Lucy has been itching to get up here and see them. They’re playful as anything.”
“Oh, I’m sure Lucy will be in her glory,” I said.
“Yeah, except you have to watch for that one,” Crosby said as he showed up and handed me a glass of lemonade.
He pointed with the glass in his other hand to a small black goat with a white stripe on its head.
“That one?” I asked.
“Damn thing attacks me,” Crosby said.
Cliff laughed. “It’s true. He doesn’t bother me though.”
“That one hates me,” Crosby said. Then he yelled to the goat, “And I saved your little ass!”
The goat let out a bleeee sound and walked off.
“See?” Crosby asked.
“I think he just told you to fuck off,” I said.
Cliff snorted. “I’ll let you two keep talking. Good to see you, Mila. You look radiant.”
“Thanks, Cliff,” I said.
Before I could say anything to Crosby, his phone started to ring.
He silenced it.
A second later… it rang again.
“Sorry,” he said with a nervous laugh.
After rejecting the call again, his phone started to ring right away.
“Wow,” I said. “Someone is looking for you.”
“Yeah.”
“Do I want to know?”
“Trust me, Mila, you don’t,” he said.
“Is that why you’ve been distant?”
“I’m not distant.”
“Crosby…”
“I’m busy here. Getting goats and stuff.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with everything happening?”
“Like what?”
“Me being pregnant. Olivia being pregnant.”
“Oh, you’re back to that again?” Crosby asked. “If I wanted to have a baby, I would. I’m good. I like being an uncle.”
“Okay. Just checking. As annoying as you are, I kind of miss you when you’re not around.”
“You’re going to regret admitting that,” Crosby said.
“I know.”
His phone started to ring again.
“Shit,” he whispered.
“Here, let me answer it,” I said. “That’ll piss off whoever she is.”
I reached as a joke and Crosby jumped through the air to get away.
“Don’t touch my phone, Mila!” Crosby yelled.
My eyes grew wide.
“Sorry,” he said. “I meant… just…”
Oh, I had a lot of questions for Crosby.
Lucky for him, they were pushed away.
Because here came Edith… with Thomas right behind her.
“You are not riding a damn horse, Edith!” Thomas cried out.
Edith was so bold.
She waved two middle fingers at her husband like she was thirty years younger.
And she walked right up to Crosby and smiled. “Here I am.”
“I can see that,” Crosby said. “I thought we were going to talk this through. Calmly.”
“Tell his old ass to calm down!” Edith yelled, pointing at Thomas.
“Crosby, you better not let her get up on a horse,” Thomas said.
“Wait,” I said. “Who is at the restaurant right now?” I asked.