After another day of resting considing of me lying on my makeshift bed Grayson finally had had enough of my complaining.
"Enough already. Since your fever's gone you can't hurt yourself but I still don't want you wandering off." Grayson told me and I grinned at him sitting as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "But since I've had to put up with your complaining for the past day I think now's a good time to get your help."
"Of course. I mean you did take care of me while I wasn't well." I agreed and he chuckled making me blink my eyes at him. "Now you're making fun of me."
"'Course not, Mia. Now how do you feel about mucking out the stables?" Grayson asked and I nodded so fast he blinked back at me. "Huh I thought you'd be complainin' 'cause It's a dirty job." He added and I just shrugged knowing that Thunder would keep me company the whole time. "Well alright if you're sure. Come on I'll show you where I keep the shovels and brooms."
After I pulled my boots on I followed Grayson outside and after he handed me a shovel and a broom he led me back to the stable where Thunder waited for me. "Now I want you to sweep out each of the stalls and then fill them with fresh hay." Grayson explained a little surprised when I immediately walked into the closest stall and he tilted his head to one side as I started working. "I'll be back later to check on you but be careful alright? You don't need anymore injuries." Grayson added as he walked away and I just grinned at Thunder while I continued to clean.
Standing in the stables a few hours later I sighed wiping sweat from my forehead before I set the shovel down beside a haybale. "There all done. I just hope Grayson appreciates all the hard work I did." I muttered and Thunder neighed as I sat on the haybale. When I yawned I stretched my arms not realizing how tired I was until I caught myself when I nearly fell forward.
"Maybe I'll just take a quick nap. I did finishing mucking out all of the stalls." I mumbled. wandering into one of the empty stables before I sat against the wall. "Not the most comfortable but it'll do for now. Too tired to go back to the house right now." I mumbled closing my eyes and in a few minutes I began to drift off not knowing that Grayson was on his way back.
Once he reached his ranch Grayson tugged on Xerxes' reins climbing off his horse's back before he led Xerxes towards the stable. "Wonder if Mia finished mucking out the stables. For someone who claims not to know the first thinking about living on the frontier she's doing better than I thought." He said entering the stable and after he took Xerxes' saddle he set it down tunring around when he heard a sound.
Someone must have snuck in. If they've hurt Mia they'll regret it.
Keeping quiet Grayson started to head for one of the empty stalls curious as to why someone would check their first. Though as he turned the corner bracing himself for a fight he blinked relaxing once he found Mia sound asleep aagainst the wall. "Girl, you gave me a scare." He muttered and she sighed, turning over onto her side so that she was facing away from Grayson. Noting how clean the stalls were he smiled to himself as he slowly approached her kneeling once he reached her side.
Reaching out he touched her shoulder but she didn't react and he chuckled, seeing the dust and dirt caked on her pants and shirt. "Must have spent hours cleaning this place out but why'd you sleep in here? You could have just gone back inside." He muttered brushing her hair back over one shoulder.
Shaking his head with a chuckle Grayson left the stable returning a few minutes later with a bucket of water to find me awake and stratching at my hair. "Ugh so much dust. Maybe I should take a bath." I complained trying to brush it out until I saw Grayson out of the corner of my eye with a smirk on his face. My mind registered that he had something in his hands and then I was gasping as he dunked a bucket of water straight over my head. Spluttering I narrowed my eyes at him trying to get my wet hair out of my face as Grayson set down the empty bucket, fixing me with a grin as I wiped my eyes.
"That wasn't funny!" I shouted at him and he just shrugged enjoying the moment until I grabbed the bucket and he stared at me as I walked to the back of Thunder's stall. When I dunked the bucket into the water trough he blinked and as I started to head his way he slowly backed away.
"N...now hold on there, Missy. You needed a bath and I thought..." Grayson started still backing away until he bumped into Thunder who snorted at him, knocking his hat to the floor. Giving Grayson a smile Thunder waited as Grayson turned back in time to have the entire bucket of cold water dunked onto his head. "Hey!" He yelled, pulling the bucket off his head and I giggled at how well I'd managed to soak him.
"Not so funny when it happens to you is it? You've been working so hard I thought you might like a bath too." I teased as he glared at me, water dripping down his hair to pool on the floor and as I stared at him he headed towards me his arms at his sides. "Uhh...it was a joke. You can take a joke can't you?" I asked suddenly not to confidant until he backed me into Thunder's stall and Thunder snorted as Grayson stared down at me with one raised eyebrow.
"Maybe." Grayson finally answered with a shrug and I relaxed until he pushed me backwards and I landed with a cry in the water trough. "But only if the joke's on you." He said laughing as I sat there drenched and coughing in the trough. Shocked it still only took a few seconds and then Grayson saw a quick smile cross my lips before I reached out, grabbing his arms before I pulled him into the water as well.
"Now who's laughing, Harlan?" I giggled when he pushed himself up onto his knees soaked through and coughing. "Looks like it's me now huh?" Grayson didn't answer right away staring at me and then with a tiny smile he leaned close enough to kiss me his lips warm despite how soaked through we both were. Taken by complete shock I didn't react at first until he started to pull back and I buried my hands in his hair kissing him back.
