The Year of the Horse (Book two of the Almair Series) (Completed)

Chapter 35 (Edited)

Somebody cleared their throat behind us, while Colt and I were finishing up the last bit of the new chicken coop.

I didn't pay any heed to the clearing of the throat while I glanced at Colt, who was finishing hammering in the last nail. "Should we get the shingles done today, also, or should we wait?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We should get that done. What else do you have to do?" Colt asked, ignoring whomever was behind us, also.

"I think I broke a fence, so I'm gonna have to fix that up." I frowned, trying to think of what else that I had broken. "I think that is it. I saw that the window had been fixed."

"I thought I told you to stay in bed, Martha," a voice said behind us.

Finally, I turned around to see that Ms. Kathy was there as well as a smirking Matt. "You did," I replied. "However, I grew bored and was about to kill myself if I had stayed in the bed. That wouldn't be good."

Ms. Kathy frowned. "So you went against my order, and you are doing hard labor with the help of Colt." She glanced at him.

"I was the one that had got him to help me. He didn't want to, but I forced him to," I replied. "He was trying to get me back to bed, but I wouldn't listen to him."

"What do you have to say for yourself, Colt?" Ms. Kathy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Colt cleared his throat and glanced down. "What she said is true," he replied. He didn't meet her hard gaze, and I couldn't help but stare in awe at his behavior. Here was this 6'3 male, who was the second in command, being stared down by a common woman, who probably stood around 5'6.

I couldn't help but imagine my family and pack and how my mother could make a grown male stand down. A smile flickered across my face, because I couldn't help but think that Ms. Kathy and my mother would get along with each other quite well.

"Why are you smiling?" Ms. Kathy asked, turning her stand down look to me.

"'Cause you remind me of my mother," I replied. "And can I please not go back down to the basement and be bored? I don't know if I can control myself for another week."

"And what do you mean by that?" Matt asked, butting his fat head into the conversation.

I turned to look at him. "I don't know, maybe I would tear up the sheets or something. I've been quite good and did not do that."

"What do you suggest you do? Your wounds are still healing, and you still have stitches in," Ms. Kathy said.

"Act like I'm not injured and work," I replied. I shrugged my shoulder, not knowing what the problem would be about that. "I do want to work if I am going to stay here."

Ms. Kathy frowned. "You do want to work even though you are in pain?"

I shrugged. "I'm used to it," I replied. "So can I?"

Ms. Kathy studied me before nodding her head. "The barn needs fixing as well as the roof to both the barn and house. The fence needs to be fixed and to be painted. I'll make you a list of what I want you to do. Tomorrow you will meet the herd."

A grin appeared on my face, relief filling every inch of me because I didn't have to stay in bed. "Thank you," I said.

"Now, what are you waiting for? Get back to work. Matt and Colt will assist you." With that, she turned away and left a stunned looking Matt, watching her. "Also, you are in charge," she called over her shoulder before disappearing across the bend.

A grin appeared on my face, and I was glad that she didn't seem to have any problems with me staying out of bed.

I glanced at the two men before me. "Well, let's get to work." With that, I grabbed some supplies to fix the broken fence.

***

Saturday evening came quicker than I thought it would, and I was going to meet the herd. During the time that Colt and I had spent together, we had actually gotten closer. And, it was safe to say that I had a new friend as well as an ally.

Matt and I... were still at the same level of hating each other's guts. He had tried to go against with what his mother had said and not work with us. So, when it was time to paint, I had dumped a can of paint on him before telling him to work like that.

Let's just say... Ms. Kathy was a little pissed to see her son covered in paint. However, I think she had wanted to laugh.

"Martha," someone called out. There was a snapping sound in front of my face that had caused me to jump up, startled from my position of sitting on a fence, trying to gather up courage to go in.

I yelped in surprise and fell off of the fence that I had been on, landing on my back. "Ow," I muttered and looked up to see that it was Colt who had tried calling for me. "What is it, Colt?" I asked before I moved into a sitting position. I rubbed my back, grimacing. "Did you have to scare me like that?"

A smirk appeared on his face while he held out his hand, which I took gratefully. He helped me up and glanced down to see that I was in a dress. "Why are you in a dress?" he asked before he made sure that I didn't have any stains on it.

"To show that I was a female, since all of my hair is cut off," I replied, moving a hand through my hair that was starting to grow out.

Colt nodded his head. "Are you ready?"

I nodded my head and took a deep, shuddering breath. "As ever."

"So, let's get going."

With that, I followed Colt into the pasture, my nerves starting to act up, while I started to get nervous.

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A/N: Herd thing will be next chapter.

Rissa