Read Till the Cows Come Home for Free Online Page A

they’re worth—no matter how charming they may be.
    I smiled again and tapped a pencil on my desk. “Sorry. No can do.”
    “Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He illuminated my office with his teeth. “Sorry I wasted your time.”
    “No problem. You were a pleasant interruption.”
    I watched very carefully as he left the room, then stood up and walked to the door just to make sure he got into his truck. No other reason. Honest.
    Queenie trotted over to him from her perch under a shade tree, and he knelt down and gave her a good rubbing. She seemed to think he was good news. While I studied his profile and demeanor appreciatively, an image of Abe and his new girlfriend’s hand slipping around his arm flashed through my mind. Abie? My stomach tightened. Why should Abe have all the fun?
    “What’s your name?” I called from the door.
    He stood. “Nick. Nick Hathaway.”
    “So, Nick Hathaway,” I said. “When can you start?”

Chapter Four
    The cows were meandering back into the barnyard, udders emptied and stomachs full, and Howie and Zach were cleaning up the parlor. I was watching Nick’s truck disappear down the lane, looking forward to seeing him again the next day, when another truck pulled in. Queenie spun around in circles and barked.
    Jethro, Belle, Jude, and Marianne spilled out of the Chevy Dually, Jethro’s four-door pickup. Queenie ran up to Belle, who graciously, if absently, leaned down to get her face licked.
    A shiver of fear raced up my spine.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Where’s Mallory?”
    Belle’s eyes were swollen and red-rimmed, and she shook her head, like she couldn’t speak.
    Jethro cleared his throat. “Threw us out on our ears. Said she couldn’t stand another minute of fussing.”
    “So she’s okay?”
    Jethro glanced at Belle, then said, “If you count not eating anything and having a fever of a hundred and three okay.”
    “Why isn’t she in the hospital?”
    “Because they wouldn’t know what to do with her. The doc said to treat the symptoms, you know, the bananas/rice/ applesauce/toast diet and all that, to help her stomach. Tylenol for her fever. And he said not to take her anywhere. It’s all we can do till they figure out what’s making her sick.”
    Belle made a sniffling noise and buried her face in Jethro’s shoulder. He put his arm around her for comfort, but looked just as miserable as she.
    “So what are you doing here?” I asked. “Zach’s okay. I’ve been watching him.”
    Jethro forced a smile. “Would you believe we just had to get another look at the birthday girl?”
    “No.”
    “Okay. How ’bout we want to see Zach’s new little fella?”
    “That’s more like it.” A good excuse to see Zach, anyway. “Zach’s in the barn.” I hooked my thumb over my shoulder. “He’s almost done, I think.”
    “Can we go in? I haven’t seen the parlor for a while. Anything different?”
    “Nothing’s changed. But you’re welcome to check it out.”
    The four of them filed into the parlor, Queenie leading and Marianne lagging behind, sulking about something, her lips pushed out in a pout. If I were generous, I would’ve thought she was worried about her nieces and nephews. In reality, she was probably afraid she’d get poop on her shoes. I followed her in, secretly hoping she’d step in something.
    Jethro and Belle stopped just inside the door to watch Zach. From all I could see, he was looking as healthy as he had been half an hour before.
    “Can you spare your hired help for a few minutes?” Jethro asked Howie. “We hear he has a new baby.”
    Howie looked up and sighed dramatically. “I guess he can go. It’s not every day a boy has a calf.”
    Zach grinned and hurried to put up his pitchfork. “C’mon, he’s out in the hutch.”
    “Take his milk,” Howie said, gesturing to the bucket of colostrum they’d just gotten.
    “Sure.” Zach picked up the bucket and scurried out of the barn, everyone hustling to follow. He