Dad and Colton were on dish duty, and I spent the evening moving around some cattle in preparation for the harvest. We didn’t raise them for milk or beef but for sustainability of the farmland. After a fall harvest of the corn, the cows were experts at clean-up duty, grazing on the leftover corn kernels and plants. It not only helped the soil but the cows as well.

As I drove the fence, keeping the cows away from the creek that ran along the back and west side of the property, I noticed a break in the wire. Aesthetically, we ran a wood fence along the parameter of the fields and property, but we kept a wire fence a few feet inside that line. It was double protection for the animals—keeping them in and predators out.

I usually took care of fixes like this in the daylight. The setting sun made it difficult to see clearly to tie the barbed wire, but it had to be done.

There was a small spool of wire in the back of the UTV, and I ran it from one post to the other, making sure it was taut. This was a smooth cord, and I’d have to clip off and tie portions to create barbs.

Carrie, the cow who loved to test my patience the most, moved toward the newly attached wire, lifted her back leg, and kicked. That asshole repeated the movement three more times—with what I’d swear was a smug grin—until the twist finally popped free.

“Dammit, Carrie! Do you want foxes or coyotes coming after you? Can you please not be a jerk today?”

The cow walked off, head held high in the air, and that’s when I saw the fencing was about to split open. And that’s also when I did the stupidest thing ever. I’d left my gloves in the truck, but that was an afterthought as lunged forward, and I grab the released barbed wire, rolling around my arm and wrist to force the fencing back together. By the time I was done and my adrenaline waned, I finally felt what I’d done to myself.

Along my arm, a deep cut was sliced into my skin. I was going to need to bandage it up as soon as possible. The blood dripped down my hand as I carried the wires to the back of the vehicle, and though I never had issues with blood before, I started feeling woozy.

“Shit,” I mumbled as my vision blurred while I tossed the bundle into the open bed of the UTV. “Freaking Carrie.” The cow meandered close by again, her white head a contrast to her brown body. It was the only way I could pick her out from the blackness closing in. It was as if the cow got some sick enjoyment out of seeing me lose it.

I stumbled over to the passenger side, where we stored a first aid kit under the seat. I rooted in the box for some of the large bandages but came up empty. What we had in stock was something that could cover nothing more than a splinter.

Thinking quickly, I wrapped my arm in gauze, ignoring how the blood immediately seeped through the white cloth. I continued wrapping until the spool ran empty, then used the medical tape to secure the top and bottom.

I bent forward and lifted my arm in the air, doing my best to decrease the blood flow to the area and restore it to my head. Closing my eyes, I tried to take my mind off the throbbing sensation.

I could hear the mooing in the background as if Carrie now felt some sort of regret for her actions, but then again, she was more likely mooing in victory. She hated whenever we moved them over to a new field, and she was the ringleader for the six of them. Whenever they were moved, the herd acted out for about two weeks before settling again. All of them, except Carrie. She had it out for me all the time, even though I was the one who fed her most days.

Opening my eyes, I sighed as my vision returned. Leaving my left arm in the air, I scooted over to the driver seat. I held onto the top of the vehicle, as I started the ignition. Knowing I’d have to patch the broken wire in the morning, I prayed nothing would breach the barrier during the night, or that Carrie would break more wires loose. It was too late in the evening to send any of the ranch hands out there. The sun had been setting when I first arrived; now, twilight gave way to a navy abyss.

The dirt path led me toward the main barn, but I turned off just before I reached the wooden structure, heading to my house instead.

I didn’t think twice about my outside lights being on, my mind solely focused on my arm and getting it cleaned up as soon as possible. Fear of a tetanus shot pumped adrenaline into my blood as I scooted out of the UTV and rushed toward my door.

Most days, it was unlocked, since we knew who was coming and going on the property. What surprised me was finding Owen sitting on my couch, reading one of my travel books.

I stood just inside the house with my arm lifted high in the air when our gazes collided. His smile fell from his face as he took me in. I could imagine how pale my skin had turned, and by the way he frowned, I was certain I didn’t look as alive as I had earlier today.

“Aspen? What happened?” he asked, rushing over to me, his hands cupping my cheeks in a way I’d have to think over later. It was almost caring. “Who did this to you?” He was staring at my arm still hovering above my head as if a tether in the sky was holding it up.

“No one,” I whispered. “Just a demonic cow and some barbed wire.”

“Fuck, should we go to the hospital? Is it bad?”

“I’m… I’m not sure, but I need to get it clean. Shit, I’m getting woozy again.”

My body started swaying, and I closed my eyes, only to feel myself lifted in the air. I could tell by the smell of the sunscreen I applied every morning that he carried me into the tight bathroom. There was barely enough room for one person, let alone two.

My bottom hit the toilet seat cover, and Owen lowered my arm to rest along the edge of the vanity. I leaned my head back against the wall, hearing the cabinets under the sink slam closed, and then a gentle hand ran through my hair.

“Stay with me, okay? Where’s your first aid kit?”

“In the upper cabinet, next to the sink.”

“Okay. I’m going to help get you cleaned up, and we’ll see if we need to go to the ER.”

I winced at that thought. The closest ER was an hour away. That was the downfall of owning a rural farm. Accidents happened, and unless it was during business hours, there usually wasn’t anyone close by to treat farmers.

He pulled his hand away, and I pouted, missing his touch.

“All right, pretty girl, let’s see what a mess this demonic cow caused, shall we?”

As he began tugging at the medical tape, I explained how the cow hated me, and his chuckle was like a numbing salve. I focused on it instead of the throbbing in my arm.

With the tape free, he held my arm up to unravel the gauze. I cracked open my eyes and immediately closed them when I noticed red painting across all the white material like I was the freaking Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.

“Damn, cricket,” he mumbled, and I felt his fingers trace around the skin. It heated under his touch, and luckily not from infection, but from my reaction to him. “This is pretty deep. I think we need to go to the ER.”

“Too far away,” I whispered. “I’ll be fine. Just put a couple of bandages on it.”

“It’s going to leave a nasty scar if I do that. Is there a farm medic I can call?”

There was, but he was out of town, expecting a grandchild at any moment.

“Not really.”

“What does that even mean, cricket? Look, I’m going to call your dad.”

“No!” I jolted and immediately regretted it. If my dad thought I couldn’t handle the farm, he’d take on my hours, which would defeat the purpose of his retirement. And Mom would throw a fit. “Please don’t. Just… wrap it up, and I’ll grab some liquid stitches at the pharmacy tomorrow.”

“Pretty sure it will be too late by then.”

Silence grew around us. The only sounds were my deep panting to keep from passing out and Owen’s steady breaths.

I heard shuffling, then I felt his hand caress the side of my head. For someone who used to torment me, he sure was attentive.

“Sit tight, cricket. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I make no promises.” I smiled and opened my glassy eyes to watch him smile in return.

I tried my best to stay awake by listening to Owen’s soft murmurs in the other room. I wasn’t sure who he was speaking with, but he wasn’t gone long.

“All right. First, we’re going to work on stopping the bleeding, which seems to have slowed a lot. Then I’ll start cleaning it, okay?”

“Yeah,” I replied, licking my lips nervously. “I’m usually not so bad with blood. Guess it’s different when it’s my own.”

Chuckling, he confessed he was the same way. “You were smart to keep it above your heart. I think we’ll get this stopped quickly. I’m going to wrap it up again and apply some pressure. Do you want something to hold on to while I do that?”

“Your balls,” I joked through gritted teeth as he wrapped clean gauze around my arm.

I felt every tug and pinch as he tightened it around the wound, doing his best to stop the bleeding.