Jamie spotted Leland and waved his straw hat in the air, a greeting and a welcome all at once. Joyous. Full of life. And a far cry from the young man who’d come through the gate to the ranch looking for a job, pale and practically shoeless.
Leland was a firm believer in work as a cure, the right work for the right person. He also knew that sometimes work could and should easily take second place. Or third. Or last.
Leaving off the rest of his ride, Leland trotted to the bank of the river, and urged Travelle across the creek. She went forward willingly, snuffling at the water that came up to her knees. Going through the rushing water, she trotted up the far bank when she reached it, splashing water as she went. Jamie laughed, jumping back, making a show of protesting, though they both knew damp clothes would dry in a heartbeat up here.
Pulling Travelle up, Leland settled her with pats to her neck, and took off his hat to wipe the faint sweat from his brow. Then he put his hat back on and leaned down, one arm on the saddle horn, one hand resting on his thigh.
“Not going on the star walk, Jamie?” he asked. “It’s a fun hike, an easy hike.”
“It sounded like it would be,” he said, ducking his head but looking up at Leland from beneath the brim of his straw hat.
Leland’s breath caught in his throat. Sweet, that’s what Jamie was, sweet. He’d probably always been that way, but life had dealt him a rough hand and threatened to take away that sweetness. And now, here on the ranch, with its soft, warm breezes, the sweetness was strengthening into something stronger, something that could last, no matter what life threw at him.
This was how it always happened to Leland. His life would go on, as it should, as he’d planned, and then it would happen. The poetry in his soul, the poetry that he kept squashed, would creep up, swirling around like ribbons of pleasure and softness and sweetness. Cowboy poetry, he called it, full of lonesome cries along the ridge from coyotes calling to the moon, and whippoorwills down by the banks of the creek, sleepily wishing each other goodnight as the sun went down. It filled him, almost taking over as he looked at Jamie.
He sat back in the saddle because that was not how it was supposed to go. Except part of him, deep inside, wished he was brave enough to ask Jamie out on a moonlit night, and find some cowboy poetry and read it out loud to him. What would Jamie’s response be? Would he laugh and walk away? Or, abashed, would he shrug and not know quite what to say? What young man wanted poetry from another man?
“Well,” Leland said, cleaning his throat, gathering up Travelle’s reins, signaling her to walk. “I better finish up my rounds.”
“You ever take anyone with you?” Jamie asked, a bright eagerness in his face as he looked up at Leland. “On those rounds of yours?”
For a moment Leland hesitated, pulling on Travelle’s reins as he looked down at Jamie. Nobody had ever asked him that before. Maybe everyone thought it would be presumptuous, and maybe most guests just liked to watch him ride. But he had been asked now. By Jamie, right out loud and brave as anything.
What he should have done was say no, a definite no. But what he did was nod slowly, pushing back the brim of his hat with a finger.
“Travelle’s a bit more sprightly than Gwen,” he said in warning, looking Jamie up and down as though judging him for his ability, and not, as was actually the truth, for the simple pleasure of looking at him. “You ever had lessons?”
“No,” Jamie said, and his face fell, shoulders slumping.
Jamie was about to turn away and head back to the main part of the ranch, and Leland could imagine him taking a lonely shower and being glum as he went to bed. Only he didn’t want that. He wanted Jamie’s smiles and his joy, radiating off him like a little kid. He wanted Jamie wide eyed with wonder and happiness. He wanted all these things and pushed aside any hesitation he had as he reached out his hand.
“We’ll get you set up with lessons as soon as we can,” Leland said. “In the meantime, I’ll give you another taste of riding. Take my hand and put your foot in the stirrup. I’ll pull you up.”
As he’d done the first day they met, Leland slipped his booted foot from Travelle’s stirrup, and reached down, clasping Jamie’s hand, sliding it up to his elbow, a forearm grip that was sure and strong. When Jamie got his boot in the stirrup and hopped on his other, Leland hauled him up behind him, where Jamie settled on the saddle blanket, his arms slipping around Leland’s waist.
Leland squeezed his hand as he looked back at Jamie to make sure he was okay, and smiled, feeling it spill out of him, all unexpected and unaccounted for, but spilling everywhere, like rays of the sun after a storm. The smile he received in return came back at him, just like that, Jamie’s eyes wide with pleasure and surprise, all at once.
“You ready?” Leland asked him. “She moves a bit fast, but it’ll be fun, you’ll see.”
When Jamie nodded, Leland clucked to Travelle, and eagerly she trotted and then smoothed into a canter. For such a mixed breed of a horse, no breed really, she had a canter like silk, and could go on that way for a good long while. She would have made a terrific Pony Express horse, but here on the ranch, nobody would ever ride her that hard, and she could go on forever.
Jamie clung to Leland, pressing his body tight, making Leland’s skin warm where he pressed. Jamie was trembling with excitement, peering out from behind Leland’s arm to see where they were going. His dark hair flew about his ears, and Leland could just about feel him smiling as they cantered up the low ridge to the top where the land spread out in the long shadows as the sun started to set.
Leland didn’t head Travelle down into the valley, as it was a little steep for two on a horse, let alone an inexperienced rider, but instead went up the ridge, following the riding path. And there, at the top, they met up with the stargazing hikers, all ten of them, decked out with protective gear like they were heading for pure wilderness, rather than a hike in the soft darkness that would take them no further than a mile or so from civilization.
“Hello, folks,” Leland said, pulling Travelle to a stop. She trotted and chuffed, but obeyed, like she always did, though he knew she wanted to keep running. “Jamie and I thought we’d catch up and see how it’s going.”
“We got an early start,” said Quint, and Brody, alongside him, nodded in agreement. They both eyed the two of them together on Travelle’s back, but, being very tactful employees, didn’t say anything.
Quint was Leland’s trail boss, but unless there was a trail ride going, he usually helped with various tours and guided folks around when they needed it. He was as handsome as all get out, with jet black hair and blazing blue eyes, and he was smart and tough. Leland appreciated him when the ranch had hired him last season, and each day that passed, he’d never regretted giving Quint the thumbs up, along with Bill’s stamp of approval.
“Some of these folks wanted some ghost stories, so we’re going to build a fire near the rocks at the base of the western ridge and tell them before we stargaze.” Quint looked out over the ridge and then at his small group.
Leland nodded his approval without saying anything. That area was sparse for grass and trees, and a really nice location for stargazing, as the mountains made a delightful contrast in the night sky. Plus, Quint knew fire safety as well as anyone on the ranch.
Leland looked at the ten folks who were in this little band and considered the kind of folks they were, the kind who would remove themselves from what they were familiar with, game to try something new. Maybe someone else might have thought their outing was lame, but if they were city dwellers, which he expected some of them were, he thought it was mighty brave of them to try it, try the ranch, and breathe fresh air, and see the beauty of purple mountains majesty, all for themselves.
“Well, have a good time, folks, and let Quint here know if you need anything, though, I expect he’s got you all set. Enjoy!”
