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limited running water.
Eva added the bacon to the frying pan while Colt scrambled the eggs in a mixing
bowl beside her.
    “What’s the plan for today?” asked Colt.
    “I have to tend to Bessie and Ruby this afternoon.”
Eva didn’t mention her plans to hook up with Wade at some point. She decided
her extracurricular activities were best kept from the meddling brothers.
    “I heard they’re paying a hundred dollars cash in a
pig wrangling competition this morning,” said North. He kept sneaking peeks at
her, and she wondered if he knew what she was thinking.
    “Knock yourself out,” said Colton, setting the bowl
aside. He poked his head over Eva’s shoulder, using her as a shield from the
bacon grease.
    She tried to side-step, but he kept her in place.
“Colt, everyone knows you don’t fry bacon in the nude.”
    “Hey, I have my drawers on. Hurry up so I can cook
the eggs.” They only had one hot plate, so breakfast would take longer than it
did at home—and wouldn’t be nearly as good as her mother’s.
    North set some sliced bread on the table and poured
three glasses of orange juice. “Mrs. Ford sure thought of everything,” he said.
“I still think we’ll need more money. The food won’t last all week.”
    They all sat down to breakfast once the eggs were
scrambled. Colt and North reached across her plate like they did at home, not
worrying about their manners. Eva was famished, not having eaten properly
yesterday.
    “If you want to roll in the mud with the pigs for
cash, that’s your prerogative,” said Colt.
    “You just know I’d kick your ass.”
    The brothers stared at each other between eating,
some silent competition building up between them. They may be men, but they
were really overgrown boys.
    After dressing for the day, they all head out
together. The crowds were already building around the different event paddocks.
It was exciting, the energy snapping in the air. She’d always wanted to see a
rodeo in Chester, but her father was never interested in anything to do with
the city. He was more than busy with his cattle operation at home to care about
anything else.
    They approached the sign up desk for the pig
wrangling, and she was surprised to see both brothers fight for the pen to sign
up. She shook her head and went to find a good vantage point along the wooden
slat fence surrounding the pen. It looked like half a dozen other cowboys had
signed up along with North and Colton.
    After nearly an hour of waiting, the announcer
introduced himself and explained the rules of the game. She kept her eyes on
the twins, ready to cheer them on. There wasn’t a free spot along the fence.
Eva leaned over, her heart racing when the starting gun went off. Although they
didn’t have pigs at home, she’d seen North and Colton do well corralling loose
chicken and cattle.
    The mud began to fly almost immediately. Colt rushed
over and handed her his Stetson, followed by North. “You’re both on the clock,”
she shouted. The other men were already in the melee, diving into the slop in
an attempt to grab one of the slippery pigs. When North stumbled in the mud,
skidding along his stomach, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Only his eyes
were free from the sticky brown coating. Colt managed to grab a pig, but before
he could carry it to the pen, it slithered out of his arms. The crowd was in an
uproar, shouting and hollering the entire time. It was light-hearted fun, not
serious business like the horse and bull riding.
    The winner was the oldest cowboy, surprising
everyone. The buzzer sounded and the competition was over for the day. As the
crowd dispersed, the twins approached her spot at the fence. They were covered
head to toe in brown mud—their exposed skin, hair, and clothing.
    “You two are a sight. I wish ma could see you.”
    “We didn’t win,” said Colt like a sulking child.
    She couldn’t help but giggle.
    He narrowed his eyes, reaching up under her
shoulders to pull her into the