Brett flopped onto the bed beside her conspiratorially, trying to be a little silly, "You're never alone, Mace," he was on his stomach, and folded his arms under his cheek and looked at her, "All you have to do is say something and you know I'd be right there."
Maisey stared into his green eyes, "I hate that you have given up so much to help me."
Brett smiled and leaned up on his elbows, "I hate that you think that is a bad thing," He held her eyes, "Not everyone is like that asshat you were married to. The night I found you was a changing point for you, for me, for Ned, for the ranch. We've taken as much as we've given. Ned would have worked himself to death if it wasn't for you. I would still be dodging Addie and Anna would still be trying to find a way to get Lucas to see her as more than Andy's kid sister, the garden and house would be empty and Lizzy's dream would still be in an envelope in a drawer hidden somewhere." He leaned over and rested his forehead on hers, ignoring the tears that were slowly leaking from her eyes, "I would give you everything I have, including my life, if I could take away the pain and suffering you've had to go through."
Her hand had come up and was caressing his cheek absently, he wondered if she even knew she was doing it. Her touch was like electricity but Brett held still, their foreheads still touched, their eyes still connected. There was a battle going on inside her, the clouds of uncertainty warring. Finally Brett moved and brushed his lips on her forehead before rolling off the bed and moving under the covers. Surprised by the suddenness of the action, Maisey didn't argue or push back when he put his arm under her and pulled her to him: she rested her cheek on his bare chest, the fingers of her hand splayed on his muscles as his arm wrapped around her possessively. "Sleep, Miss Maisey," he whispered, "I've got you and I'll always have you."
"It's too much to ask." Maisey told him.
"You're not asking," he turned his head awkwardly to look at her, "I'm telling you, I will always be here no matter what: whether you feel broken forever or if you bounce out of bed 100% tomorrow, whether here next to you or down the hall. I'll be your best friend and I'll be here for you through it all."
Something inside her ached to believe him. He stroked her hair until she fell asleep and only then did he let himself nod back to sleep.
He woke before she did and smiled because she was still pressed tightly to his side and using him as a pillow. It was still dark out and he knew he was only awake out of habit. He could hear Henry snoring outside the bedroom door: they'd worked hard to train him not to lay on the bed or in the room, unless there was danger he would wait to be invited into the room. Brett thought about the past 24 hours. It could have gone very wrong. The plan could have backfired. The stress could have upset her more. He was grateful that instead of more of the same uncontrolled emotion that Maisey was comfortable enough with him to talk with rational thoughts again. He still worried that it could change again.
He wondered about Tony, his cousin usually came by or called after the rodeos but he hadn't tonight. He wondered if it had been because he was worried about disrupting the changes with Maisey or if something had happened. He fumbled around for his cell phone before realizing it would be in his own room still because he hadn't brought it with him when he'd come to get her. Not willing to disturb Maisey he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
An incident pressure on his bare leg woke him when the sun was coming in the window, Henry whimpered, his wet nose pushed against Brett's leg. with a glance at the still sleeping Maisey, Brett realized he was going to have to get up to let the dog out. He added a doggy door to the list of things he needed to do.
Now that he was up, Brett yawned, he'd better get dressed and call Tony.
"Morning cousin," Tony said, it sounded like he was in the stock pens, "How are things at the Bogs?"
"Better," Brett pulled eggs out of the fridge, "How's Calgary?"
"Not in Calgary," Tony told him, "You haven't looked outside yet."
Brett went to the window and grinned, "What time did you get in? and why does it sound like you're in a stockyard?"
"Look out your other window, cuz." The line went dead.
Confused, Brett went to his front door and found a livestock trailer blocking the driveway. He grabbed his boots and strode up to the truck as Tony came around from the far side. The two men shook hands, "Do I want to know?" Brett asked.
"Weeeell," Tony grinned, "I figured if I'm going to stick around and make a nuisance of myself I'd better come bearing gifts. So I brought a truck full of livestock...well two trucks if you count the horses that will be delivered next week."
Brett raised his eyebrow at his cousin, "Sticking around?"
Tony grinned, "Decided that last week, I'm getting too old for the rodeo, it's time to put on my big boy panties and become a member of society." He laid his hands on Brett's shoulders, "So the decision is yours: either I deliver these animals to your land and I help you out, or I go up to..." he never got to finish, Brett put him into a headlock and mocked punching him, to two men dissolved into laughter.
"Did you tell my foreman and not me?" Brett asked as Travis headed their way.
"I might have told him you were on board," Tony shook hands with Travis, "You got a spot?"
Travis scowled at them both, "More notice that we were getting thirty steers would have been nice, but yes, we've got a temporary holding area." He glared at Brett, "We're going to need some help getting something more permanent up."
"Didn't even know they were coming," Brett raised his hands in defense, "The old shyster told you more than he told me, I just found out." At that Travis glared at Tony.
"Tell the driver to head down to the next gate, we'll meet them there." Tony went to climb in the cab, "So if you just found out, I don't suppose he told you why he is bringing us thirty rodeo steers and saddle broncs?" Brett cursed.
The two men climbed into the truck and drove across the property to meet the trailer. It was immediately obvious to Brett that the old barn would not be a permanent solution but Travis had done everything he could under what was obviously short notice. "I'll make some calls," Brett said, "how secure is it?"
"I give it three, maybe four days. I mean we can turn them loose on the land but they are rodeo animals I don't know how temperamental they are."
Brett swore when his phone rang: he'd forgotten about Maisey. "Sorry," he picked up, "I'll be there in a minute."
Maisey interrupted, "I was calling to tell you Addie's here to make lunch so she's going to help me today. Do what you need to do for the ranch." She had hung up before he could respond, likely because she knew he would have argued and insisted on coming to check on her at least.
Knowing Addie was there made Brett feel better about helping Travis and Tony and he decided to give Maisey the space she was asking for. Travis opened the gate for the truck to back in. Even Tony was skeptical of the structure. While they fin-angled parking the truck Brett called the feedlot. "Hey Lucas, I need you guys to source me some materials, apparently I need an immediate pen for steers."
"Pen?"
"Yup," Brett watched the tailgate swing open, "30 of the orneriest steers known in the area. Tony is unloading them right now, he just forgot to tell me: we've got a temporary space but I don't think it'll last long now that I've seen it, we need to get something sturdy built and fast."
"Let me go see what we've got and I'll call you back." They hung up.
Brett grabbed a napkin and pen out of the truck and did a quick sketch up, checking with Travis and Tony on a few points. He could always call the contractors and tell them to start with a barn if he needed to, but he was hopeful that Lucas and the feedlot crew could help them figure out something else first so they could start on the other structures as planned and then go on with a proper barn. "...permits to build," he came out of his thoughts to hear Tony and Travis talking, "the rodeo is running out of places to raise and house animals, most of the local cowboys are so focused on beef cattle and keeping their places afloat that raising and keeping broncs and steers isn't a priority. There's a few good places, but with the right crew and a bit of land it would be another thing the Bogs could become involved with and known for."
Brett put his hand on his cousin's shoulder, "While I am sure I would have been on board if you'd talked to me, I wish you'd have talked to me before you turned up," Tony had the decency to look apologetic. "We don't have the infrastructure in place right now to take that sort of thing on, I don't know anything about steer or bronc training."
"Well, that was part of the arrangement," Tony grinned, "The Rodeo Association has guys and animals, they're willing to put up some of the cash to help with facilities, they just needed someone willing to work with them."
"And you volunteered the Bogs?" Brett asked wryly, already knowing the answer.
"You won't have to deal with it at all," Tony promised, "I'll oversee everything, it'll be like a completely separate ranching operation, but it will bring in an income and be self sufficient." He waited for Brett's response, "Come on 'cuz, I know you've got a lot on the books right now, but think about it: the Frank's boys and the Bogs could become a family name for beef and for rodeo."
Brett mulled it over, "What do you think, Travis, that hundred acres at West Ridge would have good road access, water, it wasn't looking good for crop land." Tony grinned and hugged his cousin: Brett was grinning back. "Alright Tony, but it's all you, I've got enough with the projects that we're currently dealing with and Maisey, Travis and the current crew here can't be helping either."
"I'll call the Rodeo Association," Tony promised, "They'll have guys here to handle the animals, we can sort out the rest," he was grinning, "Thanks for being a good sport about it."
Brett picked up his phone, "Hey Lucas, what'd you find?"
"If you're doing a barn you'll need a lot more than we can handle short notice, but looks like there's supplies here that you could do an open pen." He looked at the notes and sketch he'd thrown together, "We've got a the tools, concrete and rebar for forms. Jonas says that he can get a crew together for Tuesday if you can get the area you want to use cleared. Should be able to be fully done an open pen in two weeks."
"Alright," Brett told him, "Let's make it happen, Tony will have it ready for Tuesday morning."
"Sounds good, Jonas told me the calls to make if you gave the go ahead, so I'll get on that right now."
"Thanks Lucas." Tony thumped his cousin on the should excitedly. "You've got today and tomorrow to clear a spot over there, so I wouldn't be celebrating," Brett laughed, "You've got work to do." He watch Tony's face fall and laughed. "That was worth it." he grinned, "Travis can handle the ranch for one more day and Addie's helping Maisey today apparently so I can come up with the tiller, but we'll have to measure it out and stake it so when they turn up Tuesday the crew can get setting forms and rebar, it'll just be an open pen but it's what we can do until we can get drawings and permits for a structure." Tony was grinning again, "I suppose you'll want an arena too?"
"Can't really training rodeo animals without out." Brett was calculating mentally, it was going to be a lot of capital up front, but if Tony was right, it could pay off quickly with the right people and the right marketing. "The guys coming up to work it will need to bring up trailers and gear."
"We'll designate that 100 acres for anything you need it for," Brett told him, "Pens, arena, housing, feed storage, trailers, whatever, just make sure whoever is coming knows it's going to be rustic for a while." Mentally he was making a list for the contractor: housing and at least 2 barns were going to be needed pretty much immediately in that area, and they'd have to run electrical and water lines if there weren't any already. "Alright, let's get to work."
Two pick ups and trailers pulled in next to the livestock trailer, "Speak of the devils," Tony grinned, "That's the rodeo hands that will supervise the steers." The two drivers climbed out of their vehicles, "Jacques you already know and the other fellow is Sam." Tony introduced, "Guys this is my cousin Brett, he owns the spread, and his foreman Travis. This is a temporary holding for the animals but Brett and I are going to get started clearing for an open pen and then we'll work on other structures."
Jacques extended a hand, "'Ver iz ze beautiful Maisey?"
"She's not feeling very good today," Brett shook the man's hand, "You probably won't see much of her for a few weeks."
The Frenchman nodded, "Tell her zat I wish 'er vell and look forward to seeing 'er again when she iz better."
Sam had inspected the pens, "These guys look well enough here, I'll give you guys a hand will clearing and whatever else needs doing," he shook Brett's hand, "I'm not overly fond of staring uselessly at steers ass ends when there's work to do."
"I like that one," Travis grinned, "if you run out of work for him, I'm sure we can find chores for him to help with."