Starting Point - Elle Aycart Page 0,48
outburst, she didn’t want to part with him. She knew she would have to, eventually, but she wasn’t ready yet. It was unclear when it had happened, but she was already in way over her head. She was totally in love with the unreasonable prick.
The roads had grown progressively smaller and rougher the farther she drove into the mountains. She wasn’t sure how she got there, but she arrived at Marc’s farm. She’d been aiming for NoName’s Main Street, and more specifically a watering hole where she could drown her sorrows and her anger at Alec, but Marc’s place would have to do.
“Hi,” she said as Marc came out to see who’d driven in. She plastered a big smile on her face and tried to pull off the perky act. “I’m here to visit Elastigirl.”
By the looks of Marc, the act didn’t fly. Kudos to him though; he just nodded.
“Great.” She turned to the barn, then turned back to Marc. Better safe than sorry. “Could you please not call Alec and tell him I’m here?”
He nodded again. For once she appreciated that Alec’s crew were not the chatty kind.
Elastigirl and Fiona were out of the birthing pen and mingling with the rest of the cows. The calf seemed to run to her mom now and then for reassurance, but for the most part she was having a ball. Megan stretched out her hand, but they all ignored her, even Elastigirl.
“You’ll have better luck with these.” Marc was walking towards her, apple and knife in hand. He cut the fruit in quarters and gave one piece to Megan. “They love apples and pears. They won’t turn down veggies, but my cows love fruit.”
He was right. Once the first apple was gone, Marc produced another from the pocket of his overalls. They stood in silence, feeding the cows and then just watching them.
“So, what did the asshole do?” Marc finally asked.
She let out a soft laugh. “Long story.”
He didn’t insist. “In my experience, he’ll come to his senses. You can always try punching him to speed up the process. I’ve done that a couple of times,” he said, massaging his jaw. “Still hurts, but he’ll never put a finger on you, so you have the advantage.”
She smiled at him but said nothing.
“I’m alone today,” he continued. “Would you like to help out? Dealing with livestock is a great way to clear your mind.”
Why not? She might as well do something productive while she was moping. One thing had to be settled first. “Which barn do you keep the bugs in? I’m not putting a foot in there.”
“Stick to this barn and the next one over. Now,” he said, “get your gear from that corner. You can water the cows first. Same for the pigs. Think you can handle it?”
“I think so.”
“Good. I’ll go do my shit in the creepy-crawly section. I’ll come to pick you up when I’m done and we’ll go to the greenhouse. We have some replanting to do.”
She gave him a military salute—well, her version—and went in search of rubber boots.
After an hour she was sweaty, muddy, and rather tired of maneuvering around large animals. On the plus side, she hadn’t thought about Alec or her wretched luck even once.
“You done?” Marc asked, walking up to her. She nodded. “How did they behave?”
“I’m sure they didn’t appreciate me as much as they appreciate having you around.” She’d accidentally dumped water several times, and the fresh straw had gone all over the place. The pigs… too fast and too interested in running circles around her. She’d noticed a chicken coop at the far end, but Marc hadn’t mentioned it, so she’d steered clear. The hens had been very quiet to begin with. Now, though, they seemed worked up. No way was she going in there to get eggs or whatever the daily routine was.
“They’re happier once the snow melts and they can forage outside. We have to milk Fiona; she produces more milk than Elastigirl can drink.”
“Never done that,” Megan admitted.
“There’s a first time for everything.” He brought in a stool. Fiona, not happy at being tied in a milking stanchion, stamped and lowed. He talked to her in a soothing voice until she was calm enough to milk. After a few draws, he said, “Your turn now.”
It didn’t go as smoothly as it had for Marc, but she managed it, and soon the milk was coming steadily. “This is fun. Any more cows to milk?”
He laughed. “No, we don’t