“When I have time.”
She lifts her eyes to me and pins me with a glare. “You expect me to wander around in your shirt forever?”
I shrug.
“First you brand my leg, then you force me to wear a shirt with your name on it.” She sucks her tongue against her top teeth. “Careful cowboy, people might start to talk.”
One. Two. Three.
Her chuckle follows me as I retreat.
I keep a tight hold on the reins as I watch Ralph, his eyes round as he observes, huffing and blowing into the ground. Sal is off to the side, his horse nervously side stepping as he picks up on his rider’s energy while Chase is on the other.
We’ve got to get it right, put the pressure on where needed, but reading Ralph right now tells me he’s ready to charge. We’ve done this song and dance and while the stubborn bull doesn’t like me much, I’d like to believe there is some sort of respect there.
It’s a hundred yards to the solitary paddock. I’ve driven cattle nearly two hundred miles before, back in the high days of the ranch, moving one bull shouldn’t be an issue.
Or so I say.
“Come on Ralph,” I call to him, “Back.”
The dry dirt puffs up on a cloud as he lets out an irritated huff of air from his large nostrils. I step forward on Honey, my American paint horse, who I’ve had since I was twenty-one. She’s as feisty as Ralph and responds to his aggression with her own huff, her hoof pawing at the dry earth.
We gain about twenty yards, the open gate beckoning. Chase applies pressure to the left, but that right remains open, Sal too fucking scared to do what is needed. He only has a job because I respect the fuck out of his father, but this kid isn’t willing to put in the work.
The ranch is no place for fear.
Adjusting my position, I fill the gap.
“Got an audience, boss,” Chase calls over. Elena ambles over in that thigh length shirt, a pair of my boots on her feet several sizes too big, and another bottle of my fucking whiskey. How the fuck did she get into my office!?
“I think I’m in love.” Chase is practically drooling when I look over to him, his eyes devouring her where she stands at the fence line.To make it worse, she lifts her hand and gives him a little finger wave, fluttering those long lashes at him.
“For fuck's sake,” I grumble, “Back to fucking work!”
He flinches at my tone and has the audacity to look sheepish, returning his attention to the matter at hand. It wouldn’t be so bad if there currently wasn’t a two thousand seven-hundred-pound bull wanting to kill us.
“Sal,” I snap at the young apprentice, “Either push back or get the fuck out of the paddock.”
Off to the side, I feel Elena’s eyes watching, her casual curiosity nudging me to get this done and done right.
My father would tell me that showing off is what gets cowboys killed, but that’s not what killed him. That was the lack of accessible healthcare, thanks to fucked up systems and not enough money to cover insurance and quality medical care.
The anger is a living thing under my skin. Because it all circles back. Back to her family and her name, back to the choices made that left so many people fighting for their lives.
Perhaps I should have let her die as a fuck you to the powers before her. After all, we are the sins of our fathers.
“Back,” My voice booms across the paddock andout of the corner of my eye, I see her flinch. Ralph steps back, huffs and turns so I’m quick to apply the pressure, driving him from behind as Sal and Chase come in at the sides. When he’s safely through the threshold, I jump from Honey and secure the gate, locking him in his solitary paddock.
There’s plenty of space for him to roam, a building he can use for shelter and enough grass to keep him healthy and fed.
I turn back to the guys, my finger pointing in Sal’s direction, “You got some learning to do, boy, if you want to keep your position on my ranch.”
He dips his head, and I cut my eyes to Chase.
I don’t have to say a word, but his hands go up, an apology and surrender, or as good as.
Elena wanders toward the fence of the paddock where Ralph is, sparing me only a glance.
