4. No Harm No Fowl

Chapter 4

No Harm No Fowl

O akleigh lined up three travel mugs on the counter that morning while she waited for the cowboy coffee to begin to bubble. When the rich brew was ready to pour, she lifted the heavy percolator off the stove and tipped it, leaving just enough room for cream and sugar.

Leaning her palms on the marble countertop, she took in the brief moment of quiet, savoring the gentle crackling of the roaring fireplace. It wasn’t long before the silence began to press in, feeling nearly oppressive to her naturally extroverted personality. The familiar sound of paws scratching at the back door was a welcomed distraction. Oakleigh went to the wall of windows that overlooked the pasture and pulled open the sliding door that led to the balcony. Their hefty golden retriever hurtled through the door, nearly pushing Oakleigh to the ground.

“Aw, Dozer-dog,” she mused, stooping down and running her hands across his soft, furry ears. “You miss your Momma, don’t you.” He snuck a sloppy, wet lick to her face, which brought laughter bubbling out of her. “Me too, boy. She’ll be home any day now.”

Setting his bowl on the counter, she tugged open the fridge. There was a tub marked with Dozer Only in bold black marker. Pulling open the container, she retrieved a large piece of chuck roast. She cracked an egg and topped off the dish with a side of kale. The moment she set the bowl on the ground, the large dog devoured his meal, not even missing the crumb of meat that slung haphazardly onto the floor. At Maeve’s orders, Dozer was officially the most well-fed member of the family — especially that week.

Taking a seat at the kitchen island, she took a long drink from her mug. She was doing fine managing the ranch in Maeve’s absence, far better than ever before, but she was missing their morning coffee chats. She couldn’t help but wonder if the dynamic would change now that Dallas was a part of the household.

Oakleigh perked up as she heard the heavy clunk of work boots on the hardwood stairs. She met Crew and Sawyer on the bottom step and handed them each their steel travel mug and a protein bar.

Crew put his free hand on her waist and pulled her close. She took in a deep breath of his scent, reminiscent of woodshavings and oiled leather. He leaned in and gave her a peck on the lips before taking a long swig of the near boiling hot coffee.

“Coffee’s good,” he said with a wink. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think Maeve made it. ”

She couldn’t help but offer him an eye roll, knowing he was just telling her what she wanted to hear. Everyone knew that Maeve made the best coffee at Callaway Ranch.

Turning her attention to Sawyer, she tapped her fingers impatiently on the railing while waiting for him to take his first sip.

“And yours?” Oakleigh finally asked, hoping for once that the fussy cowboy wouldn’t be complicated. His order was simple — black coffee. Every great once in a while, he loved to keep Oakleigh on her toes and request a dash of cream.

Much to her relief, he tipped his mug back and gave her a thumbs up.

Oakleigh’s satisfaction was short-lived as Sawyer grimaced at the protein bar. “No breakfast again?”

“If you want breakfast, you’ve got two hands,” Oakleigh huffed, crossing her arms defiantly. “You can’t expect me to do everything around here.”

In a rare moment, Sawyer acquiesced. Unwrapping the bar, he took a bite without so much as a snide remark. The two still often struggled to find common ground, but Sawyer had finally begun to acknowledge her efforts around the ranch. In Oakleigh’s estimation, it was a day late and a dollar short, but she wouldn’t hold it against him.

“What’s on the agenda?” Crew asked. “I suppose we’re picking up chickens today?”

“And—” Oakleigh added, chewing on her pinky nail with a slight wince as she broke the news. “Possibly baby goats? ”

When the words reached Sawyer, he had the disadvantage of having just taken a large gulp from his mug. The coffee nearly sprayed out of his mouth as he choked out his response. “Possibly meaning?”

She glanced at the ceiling, avoiding meeting his eyes.

“We’re getting baby goats.”

“And Mom knows about this?”Sawyer demanded.

Oakleigh’s voice raised as she pointed a sharp finger at herself. “I made the executive decision.” Despite her blustery performance, she feigned confidence she had yet to acquire. “And I think Maeve will be thrilled about my initiative.”

Even Crew looked unconvinced as his lips pressed into a thin line, exchanging a silent glance with Sawyer.

“You’re dead,” Sawyer announced.

“Oh, you’re so dramatic.” Oakleigh’s tone went high as she waved away their concern. “My followers voted for baby animals, and they’re going to get baby animals. It’ll be great, you’ll see.”

“Everything you do is great,” Crew reinforced her as always, pulling her close once again.

She quickly became lost again in his steel blue eyes that glimmered with attraction whenever he looked her way.

“You two make me sick,” Sawyer cringed, shaking his head as he went out the front door with a loud slam that shuddered the walls.

“Someone’s got to tighten those hinges,” she winced. While the floors were being replaced due to water damage from the stormy season, Oakleigh had talked Maeve into a rustic, hand-crafted front door — that slammed obnoxiously with the slightest whisper. No matter the circumstances, it made everyone sound as though they were making a furious exit.

“Add it to the list,” Crew shrugged. “And speaking of — we better head out if I’m going to be back in time to help with fences.” Going through the entryway, he pulled his cowboy hat off the hook.

“Now what am I going to wear?” Oakleigh pouted, putting her hands on her hips.

“How bout’ get your own,” Crew replied, flashing his white grin before stepping outside and closing the door behind them.

Crew steered the ranch truck across the bridge into town while firmly clasping Oakleigh’s hand. Her fingers tangled with his while she soaked up every minute spent with her cute cowboy . With her new responsibilities at the ranch, it seemed like they hardly saw each other anymore.

Noticing the dwindling tourists on the sidewalk enjoying the quaint country town, she couldn’t help but consider what a shame it was that they wouldn’t let her post anymore. While they couldn’t ban her entirely, the ordeal had ended in a fiery debate at the town hall. Maeve had graciously gone out on a limb to stand firm in Oakleigh’s defense. Her argument that the local businesses benefited from the increased tourism was quickly shot down. The disruption that the crowds of young people brought in their wake had finally driven the locals to their breaking point, and no amount of rationality would sway them.

To keep the peace, Oakleigh conceded to post less.

Crew pulled the truck into a parking spot in front of Murphy’s Cattle and Feed, and came around to open her door.

“You coming with me?”

Although she desperately wanted to, she felt the nagging obligation to Ruth’s Coffee Shop. She sighed, slamming the truck door a little harder than she had intended.

“I have to check on the shop.”

“You go on ahead,” he teased. “I’ll take care of all the cute furry little baby animals all by myself.”

“Oh really now?” she quipped, attempting to give him a sharp elbow.

He dodged and whipped her around, holding her tight as he planted a kiss on her lips.

“Nice try, love, ” he bantered with a playful smirk. “Bring me a latte.”

She lingered for a moment, enjoying being in his strong arms — that is, until she felt the eyes of onlookers gawking at their shameless public display of affection. Their privacy was the cost of keeping their relationship public and sharing every moment of their lives with her insatiable followers on social media .

Turning the corner on Main Street, her eyes landed on the long line of customers still wrapped around the building. She was quickly reminded that being an influencer wasn’t entirely an inconvenience.

“Hey, it’s Oakleigh!” A young woman near the end of the line pulled her phone out and tapped record.

Oakleigh dipped her sunglasses and beckoned for her. The girl’s eyes lit up with excitement, joining her side to pose for a selfie. Oakleigh put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze, offering a kind word.

“You’re my favorite influencer,” a young teenage boy gushed. “I watch you like every day.”

A familiar, gristly voice came from behind them, interrupting the pleasant moment entirely with his mocking tone. It was none other than one of Oakleigh’s most demanding customers.

“Oakleigh, you’re like my favorite,” Amos snickered. “Move this along.”

“All right, Amos,” Oakleigh replied calmly. “Can I buy you a coffee today?” Since their last fiery altercation, she and Amos had a fragile detente that involved frequent offers of free coffee and the occasional warm cinnamon roll.

“Well, well.” His voice crackled with a sharp chuckle. “Don’t mind if I do.”

She pushed open the door of the shop, which gave a loud jingle. She could’ve sworn that Maeve had picked out an even louder chime for the new door as a constant reminder that she had won the battle of the bell.

Audrey stood behind the counter, and Oakleigh couldn’t help but notice that the barista seemed a little more frazzled than usual that day. She had wisps of hair flying free from her tight ponytail, and her bright smile seemed forced and fragile.

Oakleigh’s presence drew an immediate flurry of attention from those in the shop, and she simply didn’t have the time that morning to inquire about Audrey’s emotional health. There were more selfies to pose for than she could count, taking only a moment to fling an order over her shoulder. “Audrey, I need a latte and an iced coffee to go.”

“Oakleigh, I was wondering —” Audrey stammered.

“Oh, one more thing,” Oakleigh interrupted. “Amos’ coffee is on the house today.”

When the crowd of fans and followers were finally satisfied, she was relieved to see that her coffees were waiting for her on the counter.

Audrey spoke up again, this time with a little more backbone. “Are you going to pick up a shift soon?”

“Audrey,” Oakleigh replied, venturing to offer a word of encouragement. After all, she was the boss, and it was what Maeve would do. “I know you’re busy, but you wanted this position,” she consoled with an empathetic tone that even rang false in her own ears. Tilting her head to the side, she squeezed Audrey’s shoulder. “With Maeve gone and the competition coming up, I’m going to need you to buckle down and handle this.”

It just wasn’t Oakleigh’s day as the grumbling voice of their cantankerous neighbor interrupted her peace.

“You Callaways think you’re the only competition in town,” Sam snarked. “Well, you just wait and see.”

Rarely did Sam and Amos come to the coffee shop at the same time since the two crabby old men couldn’t bear to be under the same roof.

Without another word, Oakleigh picked up her drinks and gave Audrey a double thumbs up, backing her way out the door.

“You’ve got this, girl!”

The loud jingle drowned out any of Audrey’s protests as Oakleigh retraced her steps down Main Street.

When she finally arrived back at the feed store, Crew had just finished loading the animals into the truck bed. Four crates were packed in tightly, each with an adorable baby goat inside.

“Awww!” she swooned. “They look like puppies.”

“If you thought the goats were cute,” Crew said, his eyes twinkling as he drew her attention to a cardboard box emitting a cacophony of sharp chirps.

Oakleigh popped open the lid and gasped as her eyes connected with the hoard of little yellow chicks. She practically squealed as she shoved the drinks into Crew’s hands before nabbing a squeaking puffball and drawing it to her cheek.

“They’ re so soft!”

Crew chuckled. “They won’t stay that way for long, you know,” he reminded. “Murphy thinks you’re absolutely nuts for ordering baby animals right before winter.”

“They’ll be fine,” she insisted, dashing away his concern.

“Well,” Crew began. “He was so thrilled with the sale that he threw in a rooster.”

“Let me see!” she gasped.

He opened one of the crates to reveal a bright orange and black bird with frantic wisps of feathers just above his eyes. Its familiar blank expression reminded her of someone.

“Audrey, is that you?” she smirked.

“Mean,” Crew snorted, nudging her with his elbow. “Is that what you’re going to name him?”

“No,” Oakleigh replied, giving him a conspiratorial glance. “Well — maybe.”

“Why don’t you take a vote,” he suggested. “See what the followers say.”

“I think that’s a fantastic idea,” she beamed, giving him a grateful peck on the lips.

Before the ranch truck rumbled across the bridge, Oakleigh remembered to check in at the new church building. After all the hard work it took to finish, they were finally in the home stretch. The steeple was in place, and they were simply waiting on a few last-minute details.

“Hey, love,” Oakleigh chimed. “Let’s post an update.” Although she had explicitly promised to stop drawing attention to the town, Oakleigh also had an obligation to her followers. They had enthusiastically raised nearly every dime for the church project, she rationalized — plus, she desperately needed content. With all that in mind, she snapped a quick selfie with her handsome blonde cowboy beside her. The rustic white church with beautiful black trim made the most beautiful, charming backdrop that pushed all hesitation from her mind.

She typed out the caption —

See you in two weeks.

With a tap of her finger, it posted.

“You think two weeks, huh?” Crew asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “You sure about that?”

Oakleigh shrugged.

“If it takes a bit longer, I’ll just post an update.”

By the time they returned to the ranch house and unpacked the animals, Oakleigh was exhausted. The sun had just begun to dip below the distant mountain range, and she still had one last task to accomplish before she could finally unwind.

How did Maeve do all of this by herself?

She went through the entryway and pulled her boots on one last time. When she opened the front door, a blast of chilly air hit her cheeks. She would have given anything for Crew’s hat that evening as the wind whipped through her ponytail.

Oakleigh tread carefully across the uneven driveway, still marred with tire marks left during the chaotic rainy season. She looked at her palms, where the fading scars on her fingers were a lingering reminder that she hadn’t spoken to her younger sister in almost a year. Maeve had encouraged her to be intentional to pray for a mended relationship with Paisley. She often tried to lift her hurt to the Lord, but sometimes, it made her dwell on how hopelessly fractured it felt. The lack of closure caused her to wrestle with her own guilt, not to mention her mother’s oppressive influence that had contributed to the conflict.

The last thing she needed that day was to allow the negative feelings to ruin her entire evening. She forced the harsh memories from her mind, focusing now on crossing her final responsibilities of the day off her lengthy list of duties.

Pulling the radio off her belt, she brought it to her lips. “Sawyer, what’s your location?”

A loud hiss of static was heard before Sawyer’s obnoxious snark came through the speaker. “We’re busy.”

Oakleigh rolled her eyes. “It’s ranch business only .”

“No live streaming?” he asked, his tone gave the impression that he was in a rare mood to be reasonable.

“No live streaming, no posts,” she vowed, even though there were no promises when it came to her social media.

“East Pasture,” he drawled. “ Fixin’ a fence.”

She saddled up her favorite horse, the dapple gray mare. Stepping into the stirrups, she settled in and gently tugged the reins toward the open pasture.

“Come on, girl,” she said, giving her a pat. Bringing her horse to a gallop, she made her way to the East Pasture. Her ponytail even felt cold as it whipped across her neck in the crisp breeze. The fiery orange leaves peppering the ground signaled that autumn was quickly coming to a close and winter would be right on its heels.

Sawyer and the boys came into view.

She slowed her horse to a trot, mindful to avoid spooking the cattle grazing on the tall grass.

Fixing a fence was an understatement as she laid eyes on a tangled mess of frayed wire and fence posts uprooted from the ground and cracked in two.

The ranch hands hardly acknowledged her, each engrossed in their task. Colton steadied the fence posts while Wade drove them into the ground with loud, rhythmic clangs. Sawyer knelt with his knee soaked in the mud, using pliers to twist the wires until they were as taut as one of his guitar strings.

“Oh, I’ve seen this movie,” Oakleigh remarked, snapping her finger as she pulled her leg over the saddle. “The raptors are loose?”

Sawyer wouldn’t even offer her the courtesy of a fake chuckle, answering her question with a grumble. “Bear.”

“We’ve never had a bear cross our fences before,” she said, her brow furrowing with concern. “Have we?”

Sawyer let his pliers clank to the ground. “This cold snap is making them desperate for food,” he replied. “Means we’ll have to keep an eye on the cattle.”

It was no secret that her questions were quickly digging under Sawyer’s last nerve. Maeve reminded her often that she deserved respect, and she was determined to hold his feet to the fire. “Is that where Crew’s at?” Oakleigh inquired.

“Loverboy,” Wade snickered, elbowing Colton.

“He’s prepping the pen for the new bull,” Sawyer informed.

“That reminds me,” Oakleigh recalled, snapping her finger again. She couldn’t help but enjoy seeing dismay cross Sawyer’s face as he realized she was about to add to his endless list of responsibilities. “I need you to build an enclosure soon so my animals don’t freeze.”

“Should have thought of that,” Sawyer replied with a grunt, giving the fence wire one last twist. Hoisting himself to his feet, he put his hands on his lower back, stretching his stiff muscles. “Would hate to see your new rooster turned into a nugget.”

“Actually —“ Oakleigh raised a finger as her mind wandered briefly, pondering that Nugget would be a fantastic name for the funky little fowl. “Never mind.” She wouldn’t dare give Sawyer the satisfaction. “Don’t let that happen,” she ordered. “I love that thing.”

He let out an exasperated sigh but also offered her a nod. “We’ll get around to it, I promise. ”

Although the two rarely had a civil conversation, she knew when Sawyer made a promise, he meant it. She placed her foot in the stirrup and prepared to throw her leg over the saddle.

“And Oakleigh,” Sawyer boomed, catching her attention. “Don’t come out this way again without a rifle, you hear?”

“What do you mean?” She felt her brow furrow as she quickly softened her expression. One thing she could not afford was wrinkles . “You want me to carry a gun?”

“You heard me,” he lectured.

“No way,” she hurled back. Crew had made sure she was proficient enough to avoid hurting herself in case of an emergency, but that was it. Even the thought of carrying a rifle set her nerves on edge. “That’s a no from me, Sawyer,” she announced, firmly doubling down. “I’m a lover, not a killer.”

“Fine, be a grizzly snack,” he shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“You need a break, Sawyer,” she replied with a deep eye roll. “All work and no play is making you unbearably dramatic.”

Tugging the reins, she clicked her tongue against her cheek and gestured to Sawyer with a cursory wave. She was counting down the days until Maeve would be home again. Her list of chores would be lighter, and things would finally return to normal. The family just didn’t feel complete without her.

Oakleigh couldn’t help but feel happy for her, though. She was confident if she had planned the honeymoon as expertly as she thought she had, Maeve wasn’t missing anything at all — except for maybe the smooth, bold taste of cowboy coffee.