Cowgirl Up ✔️

Chapter Fifty

I couldn't help but smile as I let Joey into the runway Grandpa had secured alongside the house.
"There you go cuteness."
He looked at me one last time, then turned and bounded away, leaping over the log sleeper's that separated the path from the overgrown lawn.
He now stood tall enough that his chin was above my knee height and his ear's quite literally reached just over halfway up my thigh.
It wouldn't be much longer before a ten meter by four meter laneway wasn't going to be enough room for the energetic little critter.
Realistically I knew that I was going to have to start to think wisely.
I'm six and a half week's pregnant.
I'm not going to be able to chase an energetic Joey around as the month's start to fly by.
Plus, even if I do love him, there's nothing wrong with him.
We could have taken him to some vegetation and left him there, safely away from the road and he may have survived.
But how the hell do you go about weaning a wild animal back into the wild from it's stint in captivity?
I'd have to do some research and ask some question's.
I felt the now trademark stinging behind my eyes and lifted my right arm to wipe my tear's with the back of my hand.
Bloody hell I'm getting emotional about just thinking of letting Joey go.
I guess I won't take on a career training horse's.
I'll grow too attached to them and won't want to sell them or let them back to their owner's.
How Blayze does it is beyond me.
Mentally I shook my head.
Blayze does it because he's Blayze and does what he need's to do.
He train's and retrain's horse's for the purpose in helping them in their life.
Taking a deep breath, I headed for the house to locate some breakfast.
I was sick once early this morning.
Not too enjoyable after yesterday's round of no morning sickness, but if it stayed at once I'd deal.

"Hey sweetie."
Grandma greeted me with a warm smile when I stepped into the kitchen.
"Hey Gramma."
I smiled back.
I'd only been in hospital two morning's and missed seeing my Grandma's friendly face, but it had felt like a hell of a lot longer than that.
"Whatcha up to?"
Grandma asked, arranging ingredient's on the bench that looked suspiciously like something yummy you'd have for snack time or dessert.
"On the hunt for some breakfast."
I explained.
As if on cue, my stomach growled.
She nodded toward the stool's behind the bench.
"Take a seat and I'll fetch you something."
I shot her a smile.
"It's okay, you're busy."
Though I'd much prefer something made by Grandma.
She makes everything delicious.
"Nonsense. Take a seat."
She insisted.
On the inside, I did a victory dance.
There was a fun, happy sparkle in Grandma's pretty green eyes.
"What's my Granddaughter and Great Grandbaby feeling like for breakfast?"
"Ummm..."
I took a moment to try to tune into my taste bud's.
It seemed to do the trick yesterday when I'd had lunch with Blayze.
The imaginary taste of fresh pancake's with blueberries melted through them tingled over my tongue.
I offered Grandma my best innocent smile.
"Would pancake's be too much of a push?"
Maybe she'd be feeling sorry for me because I spent a few days in hospital...
A pair of warm, strong hand's landed gently on my shoulder's, giving a friendly squeeze.
"Not for my darling Granddaughter and her baby who's only made her be sick once today."
I couldn't help but smile.
"Morning Grandpa."
He leaned in to place a slightly prickly kiss on my cheek.
"Morning Darlin."
I squirmed, lifting my shoulder to rub my cheek.
"Pa you need to shave!"
I chastized.
Grandma and Grandpa both laughed.
"I take that to mean Isaiah's offering to make you his pancake's."
Grandma told me, smiling.
Grandpa doesn't spend anywhere near as much time in the kitchen as Grandma, having spent most of his life out on the land but there are a few signature dishes he does know his way around.
Pancake's is one of them.
I cupped my hand's together and placed them under my chin, giving my grandparent's my best pleading face.
"Pancakes with blueberries?"
Grandma nodded.
"There are blueberries."
"Oh okay!"
Grandpa pretended to be reluctant about it.
I grinned happily, while my taste bud's waited eagerly.
Grandpa set about finding any ingredient's he needed, occasionally asking Grandma where she'd hidden or if she'd stolen a particular thing.
"Yes dear, I have the vanilla essence."
Grandma rolled her eyes, but her smile was loving.
The love my grandparent's share, was one I dreamed to experience.
They'd been together since Grandma was eighteen and to this day, they worship one another.
I couldn't recall a single night that they'd spent apart due to anger.
Though, I have only been around for seventeen year's and they've had thirty seven year's together, meaning they've had twenty year's I wasn't even alive for.
Only these day's did I think back and realise that there is actually an eight year age difference between them and if Grandma was eighteen when they got together, Grandpa was twenty six.
No wonder they haven't kicked up a stink about learning about Blayze and I's...activities.
They're highly religious and I know they'd much prefer I was married before I even thought of having children.
However, in this day and age that's not always the case.
Their own daughter, A.K.A my mother was direct proof of that.
Even Uncle Lukas and Aunty Bridey were only engaged when Talon was conceived and born.
"Blueberry pancakes comin right up!"
Grandpa declared, his 'space' on the bench claimed, which meant he'd actually taken over a good portion of where Grandma had set up to work.
However she didn't complain, just occupied herself with what she could do while Grandpa fixed my breakfast.
"I must be lucky if you're available at this time of day to make me a special brekky."
I smiled at Grandpa and nodded to Grandma who lifted the kettle pointedly to me, asking if I wanted a cuppa.
Grandpa shrugged.
"Well Lukas and Blayze are set to make me some good money at the sheep sales."
"The sheep sales are on today?"
I asked, surprised.
Damn it!
I'd forgotten all about it.
"Yep."
Grandpa nodded.
"Lukas, Troy and Alex mustered in the chosen ones for us yesterday and I recruited Lukas and Blayze to go to the sale coz there's a good chance that between those two we'll bring home some decent cash."
Grandma rolled her eyes.
"Or get a call from the police."
Grandpa nodded.
"That too."
I looked between them, confused.
"What?"
Grandpa rolled his eyes.
"It wouldn't be the first time those two found themselves in a fist fight at a sale."
He began to mix a bunch of ingredient's in a bowl, with a vigour I'd almost forgotten he was capable of.
I stared at him, shocked.
"And you let them go there together?"
Grandma crossed the kitchen and extended a gently steaming mug to me.
"It doesn't happen every time. But it has happened."
"Thank you."
I cupped my hand's around it and drew it to my lip's to take a cautious sip.
As usual, the tea was made to perfection, the right balance of creamy, sweet and herbal.
Grandpa took the pancake mixture which was scattered with bluish-purple dots, over to the stove and sprayed a pan to pre heat it before he put the first pancake batter in.