New Ranch Hand: book 2 of the triple R series

Chapter:3

I've been working a week and I love it. I named my horse Dusty because of his color. Currently I'm out checking the herd. The day after I started the middle brother Colt left with his wife and two kids for the rodeo circuit.

It was easy so far. I circled the herd once and got a head count. The boss always wants a head count of the cattle. Then I went up to the barn office with the count. I told Maggie the count and went for my next job.

I put Dusty up and started stacking bales with Zach. "How many where there this morning?" He asked. "Five hundred and one." I told him setting a bale down. "And one?" "Might have been off by one or calving season has started."

"Buck will go out and check later when he hears the number." He told me. It was hot out. Zach had already taken his shirt off and I was thinking about it.

I was sweating through my shirt. Finally it came off. Good thing I work out daily. I could tell Zach was checking me out. Once we were done I wiped sweat on my shirt and we took a break.

"Might wanna put that back on before Buck catches you." "Definitely thinking about it." I said as I put it back on. He put his on. "Taking a break?" We looked up.

"Nope catching our breathe." Zach told his brother. I got up and went to my next job. Cleaning out stalls and water troughs. After Buck left the barn I got the wheelbarrow and pitchfork.

Again with no shirt. I stuck it in my back pocket and started to muck stalls. When I was halfway done I felt my shirt taken from my back pocket.

I stopped and turned. "Shirt back on." He continued walking down the isle. I stuck it back in my pocket and continued. It's hot in this barn and I can't get wet.

I finished the stalls and got a scrub brush. Once I was done with the troughs I filled them up and got a short drink. Jeans and a sports bra worked perfectly for me in the afternoon during the summer.

I stretched and put what I was using away. "Buck's coming." I put my shirt on quickly and acted like I was putting the brush up.

"How many heads did you count this morning?" Five hundred and one." I told him. "How do you get five hundred and one?" He asked. "Just by counting heads."

"Don't get smart alloc with me." He walked into the office after saying that. "Ooh someone might be fired before the day's over with." Zach said looking back at the office door then at me.

I shook my head. "Oh I think he was going to take the tractor to town to get it fixed." He added. "I'll take a look at it." I told him. He showed me the tractor.

"Colt was trying to fix it but couldn't figure out how." Zach told me. I lifted the hood and checked it out. "Would it hurt if I cleaned it?" I asked. "I don't think so." He said. I started pulling the engine apart and rinsing it.

"Your crazy." "Nope I worked at a JD dealership in Lubbock during high school." I told him. Once it was clean I reassembled it and tried it.

It started right up then choked. Zach was now sitting on the fence watching. He laughed when it choked. "Shut it or I will push you off that seat." I got up on the left front tire and looked in. "Hey. Got a welder?"

He looked at me weird. "Found the problem." I told him. "Ugh." I got down from my place and found the fast weld. Once the piece was fixed I started it up.

It ran better than before. "Now I do recommend a check up from a pro." I said. It was almost sun down.

Bucky's POV
"Um how do I put this? She fixed the tractor." "Doubt it." "Try it. She even drove it around the back." Zach told me. I shook my head and grabbed the keys from his hand.

I started it up and it ran like new. "Cleaned and fixed. She also told me that seeing a pro would be a good idea." He said smirking.

This girl was going to be the death of me. First she takes her shirt off when it's too hot showing off her well toned body and now she fixes the tractor like its nothing.

"Dude. Don't let her get to you. I know you don't want a relationship after the last..." I pinned him against the tractor. "Never talk about it. Understand?" He nodded and I let him go.

We went our separate ways to our own houses.

Ali's POV
I laid on Dusty's back as he grazed. Rusty was laying in the shade near the water trough. Dusty lifted his head and nickered. I looked in the direction he was. Buck was walking this way.

"I've got some rules for you." I looked back up at the starring sky. "You have to have a shirt on at all times." I roiled onto my stomach. "Why?" I asked.

"Because it's distracting and work needs to get done around here. Next rule, no fixing anything without my consent." I nodded. "I will ask next time to do anything like that." I told him.

He swallowed hard. Is he setting these rules because he thinks I'm trying to seduce him? I sat up on my horse and rolled my eyes. "Alright I'll try to follow the rules as best as I can." I told him.

He walked away like I upset him. I went into my house and got cleaned up and ate something. Today was just like any other.