Chapter 20 Name it love

Jodi shook her head. 'Stevie is going to kill me for this'. 'You don't know that', Kate said looking at the cow in front of her. 'Well, she didn't eat yesterday and I already saw she wasn't feeling well. But I thought it would be ok in the end.' She sighed as her hands were resting on her hips. 'And now I have to tell her, without making her mad'.

'What do you have to tell me?' Stevie had overheard the girls and was very curious what Jodi had done this time. De blonde curled girl turned around with an innocent look, following with an 'I'm so sorry' stare. 'Spill it!'. Kate stood behind Jodi and looked at Stevie, wondering how Stevie would react, she got a stare from Stevie instead. 'Well, it's one of the pregnant cows. She wasn't all right yesterday, but I though it didn't mean much, so I didn't reported it. But it seems it got worse during the night.' She almost didn't have the courage to look Stevie in the eye, but when she hardly saw Stevie's expression change she gave her boss a questioning look. 'Well, let me see ..' Stevie walked past Jodi and opened the gate to get near the cow. 'She looks dehydrated and her stomach seem to have changed its shape', she concluded after trying to feel the cow's paunch. 'Well, someone has to call Dave.'

'Aren't you mad?' Jodi asked totally flabbergasted by Stevie's relaxed attitude. 'Well, we all make mistakes some times, just don't do it twice.' Kate didn't bother her friends conversation, cause she saw a chance to talk to Dave. 'Shall I call Dave?' She asked hopeful. 'That would be good, Kate', Stevie said when she walked away.

'What happened to our Stevie, that's not our Stevie?' Jodi said in general, like she even expected the cow to give her an answer. 'I don't know, maybe she had a good night of sleep. But uh ... I'm going to call Dave'. All pleased Kate seemed to march away like she was part of an orchestra, leaving Jodi leaning to the fencing wondering what was going on.

Not much later Kate got back with a huge smile on her face. 'You know Kate, the fact that you kissed him doesn't mean a thing.' Jodi said looking at a certain Kate. 'He likes me, I just know it'. She hardly could suppress the squealing in her voice. Jodi looked annoyed. 'It takes more than just liking!' Kate gave her a quick irritated look, but she knew her friend didn't really mean it. After Jodi had broken up with Luke, she had been a pain in the ass on a very regular basis. Mostly when the subject was love.

Stevie was in the kitchen talking on the phone with Tess. 'So you don't know what's exactly wrong?' Tess asked, when Stevie had just told her the cow story. 'No, but Dave is on his way, so we will know more soon'. All of a sudden she felt a hand slip around her waist and a kiss on her cheek. 'Hello gorgeous', Alex whispered. It resulted immediately in a curious question of Tess. 'Is there someone with you?' Stevie hardly had heard it, when she had felt Alex' presence and it gave her a shiver down her spine. She smiled at him. 'Stevie? Are you still there?' 'Uhm yeah, I am'.

Alex saw Stevie turn her attention to the phone call again and her face got serious: 'who's on the phone?' 'Who is there?' He could hear Tess'comment and got his answer. 'Uhm nobody'. Stevie felt like she got caught doing something inappropriate. 'Nobody?' Alex said over expressing his lips, but hardly giving any sound to it. Before Tess could reply, Stevie already mumbled Alex his name.

'What's Alex doing there? If my brother-in-law is bothering you, just kick him off the property', Tess said teasing. 'Uh he', every single word of Tess made Stevie more nervous, and the gazing look of Alex didn't helped either, '... he's going to fix the windmill, yeah that's it!' Stevie sounded relieved. 'I'm gonna do what?' He took over the phone. 'Hey sis, don't you have to bugger my lil'bro?' On the other side of the line Tess rolled her eyes. 'Like you are buggering Stevie, hey'. 'I'm not!' Alex just looked amused at Stevie, who wanted the phone back. 'You're gonna fix the windmill, are you? Good to hear you're making yourself useful'. He ignored her comment. 'Tess, Stevie's going to call you back later. She has some important things to do. Say hi to my little brother. Bye'. click

'Alex!' Stevie looked a bit mad at him. 'Hey she's family, she'll understand. And I am right, you have more important things to do than gossip on the phone.' She still gave him an annoyed stare. 'Like what?' 'Like giving me a kiss!' He looked amused and defiant at her. 'Nah! YOU are the one that has more important things to do.' 'Like what, fixing the windmill?' He laughed about, considering that was just a joke. 'Yeah, like fixing the windmill.' Stevie smirked, knowing she had him just where she wanted him. 'Oh no', Alex shook his head, 'forget it, I've got work to do at Killarney!' 'Yeah, and that's why you here.'

Women, in the end they were always more clever than him. 'And what do I get in return, baby?' 'Baby? Oh is that the way you gonna call me, skip it Alex, or you won't get a thing!'

Dave had investigated the cow and Kate had almost climbed on the fence to see every little detail. 'Is she going to be all right?' Jodi got annoyed with Kate's overacting and joyful behavior. Dave looked up, while gathering his stuff. 'I hope so, it seems the calf has changed position. That's not going to be an easy delivery. She really starts to get eating and drinking again. It seems the confinement won't be far away.' 'Oeh, interesting!' Kate said immediately, which resulted in a grin on Dave's face and a poke of Jodi. 'Howwww interesting, Dave', she repeated Kate in a cynical way.

Dave got a bright idea when he closed the fence. 'I think it's best that someone stays near during the night.' 'Not me', Jodi said quickly. 'We can', Kate sounded excited. 'No we can't'. Jodi gave Kate a 'see he's not interested' look, but the little one ignored it and asked why. 'Cause uh ... well cause cows get very nervous having a vet around during the night. I can tell yah, I still have a scar on my leg from one of Cahill cows.'

Of course there was no truth in Dave's line, but he saw some disappointment appear on Kate's face. 'And besides that, you have a date with me'. 'A date with me?' Kate asked all excited and confused at the same time. 'Yes, I promised to show you the photos of the vet congress.' 'You did?', she mumbled to herself. 'You take pictures of a vet congress, gosh!' Jodi felt compassion with Dave's pathetic state.

Just a few minutes later Jodi had left and Kate couldn't help but ask. 'You have pictures of the congress?' 'No, of course not. But when we can't watch the cow, some one else got to do it. And I'm gonna tell Stevie the good news myself.'

Alex had just fixed the windmill and Stevie had keeping him company. 'Done! What would you do without me!' 'Fix it myself!' 'Gosh Steves you're in a perky mood today'.

She just smiled at him, and he couldn't get his eyes of her, when Dave entered the scene. 'Oy, Stevie, I have to tell you some bad news. Someone has to stay with the cow during the night. And it's gonna be you!' She had looked at him quickly, but she decided Alex was way more interesting to watch so she turned her attention to him again. 'See ...' Dave started his vet talk but didn't got any reply from the two, who seemed to have their own moment. 'So, you have to let the cow jump ten times before she can drink ... hello, earth to ... ?'

'Yes, the cow have to jump ten times, are you sure it's not eleven times?', Alex said amused. Dave gave him an annoyed look that didn't reached his mate cause his eyes had focused on the one in front of him again. 'So, I don't have to tell you, you have to keep her company ... in case she, I mean the cow starts to give birth'. 'Fine by me', Alex just said. Dave looked vexed at the two who just kept staring at each other, and decided to leave.

'How annoying ...' he mumbled, but his mates seemed to be very wily today. 'We love you to Dave!'

At least they needed to spend a night together, and that maybe could be the final push, Dave thought.