Skylar's Outlaw

“I tend to revert to my old selfish ways every now and then, especially when I want something.”

“So what changed your mind?”

“Gran. You know those talks where you think she’s on your side, and it’s like, oh great, she understands, but then you start to see how narrow-minded and wrong you really are?”

“Yep. I’ve had a few of those conversations with her myself.”

“I just wanted to ease your mind about Gran and the situation. I’m really happy about the baby, and I don’t understand why you won’t listen to any of Brenda Sue’s pointers on the topic.”

Cait clicked off with an expletive that burned Sky’s ears. On the way down the stairs, she called Maddie and apologized. Of course, there was no need to do so, as Maddie had already forgiven her.

Children’s voices could be heard in the background and Sky was delighted her sister was as happy as happy could be.

“Kira wants to play with Georgie. Can we set up a playdate?”

“Sure. I’ll call you as soon as I know what my day is going to be like.”

As Sky reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard rain pelting the windows. Oh, no. The weather affected Kira more than anything, but she had seemed fine this morning.

Sky hurriedly made her way to the kitchen, to find her daughter still yakking with Gran. But that didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t in pain.

Don’t ask! Don’t ask!

Kira glanced up with a childish smile that melted Sky’s heart. Her baby turned up her palms. “Oatmeal all gone, Mommy. Now can I play with Georgie?”

“Aunt Maddie will call.” Sky scooped her out of the chair. “Time to get you dressed.” She’d been planning to ask Gran to do that, but now she wanted to check Kira’s joints.

Upstairs, she removed Kira’s princess pj’s, finding her right knee still red and slightly swollen. After dressing her in jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers, Sky gave her some liquid Tylenol. As Kira bounced down the stairs, Sky wondered if that might have been a waste. Kira didn’t seem to be in pain, but on a day like this she couldn’t be sure.

In the parlor, she brushed her daughter’s hair into pigtails. Looking at Kira’s pixie face, Sky thought her baby had to be the cutest on the planet—the way every mother felt.

“Precious, Mommy’s going to work and you’re staying with Gran and Etta, okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

She kissed her nose. “You be good.”

“I be good.” Kira twisted her hands. “Is Georgie coming?”

Goodness gracious, the kid had a memory like an elephant. When the two had first met, Georgie had taken an instant dislike to Kira because Maddie was holding her. Once he realized Kira had a mother and wasn’t trying to steal his, they became good friends.

“I’ll call Aunt Maddie a little later.”

“Where’s my precious baby?” Gran called as she entered the room.

“I’m here,” Kira shouted.

Sky walked to Gran as Kira opened her case of Barbies. “Call me if you feel something is wrong. I’ll have my cell with me at all times.”

Her grandmother pushed her toward the door. “Go, and stop worrying.”

Sky grabbed a lightweight windbreaker on her way out. Flipping the hood over her head, she made a dash for the barn. She almost made it before Solomon blocked her path. The half-Brahman bull’s mother had died, and Cait and Maddie had raised him on a bottle.

He was now a huge pet—and a pest. Sky worried about Kira being around him, but Georgie loved him and led the bull around like a dog. Since Georgie was Kira’s hero, she followed him everywhere. It was almost impossible to keep her from doing things Georgie did. Solomon was a lovable creature, though, and hard to resist.

Rain peppered Sky’s face as she grabbed his halter. “Come on. I’ll feed you.”

Cooper and Rufus were in the barn, and they stilled as she entered with Solomon trailing behind her.

She tossed back her hood. “Morning.”

Rufus removed his hat and scratched his thinning gray hair. “Girl, this ain’t a day for you to be out.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “Now, Ru, that sounds just like my dad.”

“Maybe he had a point.”

“I don’t think so. I run this ranch now and I will be involved in every aspect of it.”

“Mmm.” Ru mulled that over. Cooper was in the background, straightening bridles on the wall. In keeping with his infuriating habit, he didn’t look her way. “We were going to change the oil in the tractors and baling equipment, so we’d be ready for harvesting season.”

“That’s a good idea.” She glanced outside at the rain making puddles in the dirt. “Don’t know how long this is going to last, so let’s get started.”

Cooper glanced up, his eyes narrowed beneath the brim of his hat. “Do you even know how to change oil?”

She bit her lip. “Yes, I do.” Being on her own, she’d learned to do a lot of things, including changing the oil in her car. It was much cheaper. And she’d seen Cait changing the oil in the tractors, so she knew she could do it.

Solomon, tired of waiting, butted her. Not hard, just enough to let her know he was still hungry.

“Okay.” She took his halter. “I’ll feed you.”

“I’ve already fed him,” Cooper said in an icy voice.

His tone irritated her. Well, everything about him irritated her. “He’s still hungry.”

“He’s always hungry.” The statement was just as frigid as his first response.

“I’ll give him a little something to appease him.”

“Suit yourself. You’re the boss.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “I’m glad we’ve settled that.”

She waited for a retort, but none came. With a frown deep enough to hold water, he strolled to the door that led to the lean-to equipment shed.

She stuck out her tongue at his back. Damn. She couldn’t help it.

Shaking his head, Ru followed Cooper. She reached for a galvanized bucket and went into the supply room for sweet feed. Solomon followed her to the trough under the overhang of the barn, and she dumped the feed into it.