We urge both horses into a slow trot, taking off towards the east. I look out towards the horizon; the sun hasn’t begun to come up just yet.
Looking at my best friend, I wonder whether to bring up his daughter that I met on Saturday before Mabel ushered her away from me.
Surely,he’d tell me if he became a dad, wouldn’t he?
“So…” I start and Colter looks at me as he slows Dash back into a walk. I follow suit with Storm.
“I ran into Ellie on Saturday, she seems great.” I smile at him.
Colter looks at me with a blank expression on his face.
“Yeah, she is,” he muster’s out.
Damn, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything so soon.
“Well, congrats,” I reply.
Colter doesn’t answer, looking as sheepish as I did over the weekend.
What’s that all about?
Kicking Dash into a slow run, I again urge Storm to keep up with him. It doesn’t take long before the herd of cattle come into view in the field.
Wow, they certainly have doubled in size since I was last here.
“Right, Mav', we need to move them over further west,” Colter starts with his instruction.
“Gotcha! A lot of cattle for two of us, no?” I ask, concerned with the lack of manpower. Colter shakes his head, still with the look on his face.
“Don’t panic, Jimmy’s on his way and we have two more along for the ride,” Colter says before heading towards the herd.
That name sends a shiver down my spine.
The reason I disappeared.
The reason it all went to shit.
Fuck.
I take in a deep breath and try to calm the burning anger that’s now forming in my chest.
Jimmy Jones was what we called trailer trash from the outskirts of Springfield.
He was in mine and Colter’s grade at school, not overly smart from what I remember. I’ve no idea why Colter would offer him employment; I remember his deep dislike for the guy. I however, felt sorry for him, up until that day.
Shaking my head, trying to push my emotions back into check, I click my tongue and Storm walks down towards the herd. I will not mess this up for Colter. I don’t know the history there nor is it my place to get involved.
Colter is now my boss, and this land is not my own.
Reaching Colter, I hear a horse’s footsteps galloping towards us. I look up from under my hat and see Jimmy coming towards us. His hat has loosepieces of straw in, and I see the hole in his shirt from here. He’s aged, as we all have but from looking at his appearance, nothing’s changed for him in that department.
Riding closer to us, I watch him staring at me, shock written on his face. I gather Colter hasn’t told his employee about me coming back.
“Well as I live and breathe. Maverick Bennett,” Jimmy says to me, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Jimmy.” I nod to him, my scowl struggling to stay contained. Before Jimmy can say anything else to me, Colter starts to speak.
“Right lads, herd needs to move out two fields across.”
