Cowgirl Up ✔️

Chapter Fifty-Seven

I awoke to a gentle glow of sunlight seeping through my curtains.
Almost instantaneously, memories of last night bombarded my brain, immediately managing to ruin the peace I originally felt upon opening my eyes.
My heart ached, knowing the way things had been left.
But the question was, how was I going to fix it?
All of a sudden I became acutely aware of the noise going on outside the safe confines of my bedroom walls.
Machinery rumbled and roared, some of it sounding distinctly like chainsaws.
Voices called out to one another.
Appliances and utensils banged, clanged and clattered from the direction of the kitchen.
The farm has started its day.
Even though it's Sunday, the technical 'lazy day'.
Blayze's words about having to work today due to storm damage rang in my head.
Shit!
Here I am having a sleep in and everybody else is working!
I threw my covers back and swung my legs out of bed.
Big mistake.
With that quick movement came a nauseous churning in my belly that sent my throat burning and my vision wobbly.
My stomach heaved.
Having little choice but to get moving unless I wanted to vomit all over my carpet, I propelled myself to my feet, clamped a hand over my mouth and bolted for my door.
Two steps from my door, my bare foot sank into a cold patch of drenched carpet.
Aaaaaaaaaaargh!
I resisted the urge to scream as I yanked my door open, already having a bad feeling as to what that wet carpet was...

Some ten minutes later I walked gingerly back into my bedroom.
Unfortunately, as soon as I stepped in, the putrid smell of dog poo reached my nose, making me want to hurt all over again.
My brain flashed back to me stepping into something wet when I was trying to leave the room.
Caution now in check, I flipped my light switch so I could check the floor.
A couple of steps into the room, was a wet patch on the carpet.
Lovely.
Zuke's second ever wee inside, the first being in the dining room a week ago.
Oh maybe it's his third seeing as he did a wee at Blayze's yesterday...
But that doesn't explain the smell.
Wearily, I cast my eyes around the room.
A few feet from the bed, thankfully not in the path I'd taken to escape the room and chunder, was the culprit of the stench.
Argh!
Luckily I didn't step in that.
I headed back to the bathroom to get some toilet paper.
Once i removed the mess I was going to need some more cleaning products though.

The kitchen was empty when I finally got to enter it.
Breakfast was far from my mind as a second round of nausea flooded my body.
Two steps into the kitchen, Zuke clutched in my arms, I ran for the opposite archway and practically skidded out of the house and onto the brickwork path.
I set Zuke onto the ground in just enough time to turn to the garden and chunder once again.
I guess I've just got to pray that there's nobody in the farm yard that can see me.
This morning sickness can bugger off any time now...

Needing a drink to rinse my mouth but give my throat back some hydration, I left Zuke outside to be a dog for a while and let myself back into the house.
"Glad some of us can afford a Sunday sleep in."
I lifted my gaze from the tiles of the kitchen to see Grandpa stood in the opposite doorway.
With a headache niggling at me and my throat dry, plus my heart stinging with the ache of knowing things are a mess and I need to fix them, I wasn't really in the mood for the digs.
But I didn't have a witty comeback.
When's my real Grandpa going to come back?
Feeling my heart sink further, knowing I was letting my family down, I crossed to the kitchen sink and grabbed a glass to fill with water, not trusting myself to be able to swallow anything else just yet.
"Blayze, Troy, Heath and Shayne are cuttin trees that came down in that bloody storm and Lukas, Alex and Jake are on other damage control."
I turned from the sink, glass of water in hand and leaned backward against the bench, facing Grandpa.
"Is there anything I can do?"
Yes I know he's pissed I'm up late.
But I may as well at least try and keep the peace.
Even if he's not exactly trying to...
If Blayze is tackling downed trees I won't be talking to him too soon anyway.
Plus I'd have to find the courage to.
He was bloody mad last night.
And I'm not exactly in the mood to face his wrath this morning.
Really I just want to crawl back into bed and start the day over.
"Bailey! I thought you were staying in Angle Vale again last night?"
I turned my gaze toward the second archway to where my Mum was now stood just inside the kitchen, a pile of tea towels and oven mit's in her hands.
"Oh."
A frown creased her brow when she looked closely at my face.
Great.
I look as bad as I feel do I?
"Why don't you go relax?"
Mum jerked her head at the archway.
"There's too much to do."
I denied.
Mum shook her head.
"The boys are all handling outside. Mum, Bridey and I are just making sure there'll be ample food for everyone."
Surely there's something I should be doing though.
Before this pregnancy came about there was always a job for me to participate in.
Grandpa hustled back into the kitchen.
"You worked out what you're doin about that Roo yet?"
My heart skipped a beat.
Joey was out in the runway, where somebody had placed an old dog kennel and a bed in it for him for shelter while I was at Angle Vale.
I haven't even been out there to see him yet.
My heart clenched with guilt.
Unfortunately I'd mentioned possibly handing Joey over to an organisation fit for rehoming native wildlife, seeing as he was coming along in leaps and bounds every single day.
Now apparently Grandpa wasn't going to let me forget it.
"Dad."
Mum hissed, a frown back on her brow.
"I..."
I felt my throat thicken.
"I have a contact."
I felt tears prick at the back's of my eyes.
"She s-said h-he can go th-this week."
I stammered, remembering the conversation I'd had with the lady the night Blayze had driven to Angle Vale with me on my test drive.
Right now, that seemed like forever ago.
Realistically it was only a few days.
"Baby you don't have to rush."
Mum set the clean kitchen materials onto the counter and crossed the room to wrap me into a hug.
"Then do it this week."
Grandpa urged, completely contradicting Mum's words.
"The longer ya leave it the harder it'll get."
He turned on his heel and left the kitchen once again.
"Don't mind him."
Mum soothed as a few hot tears splashed onto my cheeks.