Cowboy Country (26 page)

Besides the strawberry rhubarb preserves, they were going to out up the raspberries and blackberries that had been in the freezer since they were picked. It had been a bumper crop and they had more berries than they knew what to do with.

“Hi honey, how’ve you been? Long time no see.” Lena searched her face as if trying to gauge her mood.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” She bit back her ire about Sterling.

“I’m sorry. I know he’s being a pill. I’m hoping this round up will show him he’s got all the parts necessary to be happy.”

“Me too! I’m not sure if he thinks I’ll be turned off by him or see him as less of a man or what. From what I hear from the boys, his shoulder is doing really well, just gets achy when it gets cold. As for his eye, it will just take him some time to get used to the vision changes. I know because I spoke with the doctor to see if it was fully healed. He said Sterling was doing great.”

“He’s doing fine physically. It’s all mental with him. He’s so used to being the oldest and in charge, he’s afraid he won’t measure up any longer. I’m more inclined than ever to believe this is all about him, and not about you.”

“That’s all well and good, but I’m starting to get damn fed up waiting on him to figure things out.”

“I know. You heard about the fight he and Virgil had. Virgil is more upset about it than Sterling. Sterling is actually proud that Virgil stood up to him. I guess an ass-plant is good for the soul,” Lena said.

Regina laughed out loud. “In that case maybe I’ll try it myself.”

“I’m surprise you waited this long.” Lena snorted.

“It’s Sterling, remember. He can’t be pushed.”

“There’s a difference between pushing and being down right obstinate. It’s not like you’re trying to trap him. As far as he’s concerned you’re already married to him. The problem is there are a few things he’s in the dark about,” Lena stated, raising her brow a smidge and trying no to laugh.

“Ya-think?” What would it take to have all the stars align and peace to reign?

“I know you didn’t tell him for his own good, but it’s time he met his daughter.”

“Please Lena, not you, too?”

“At least I’m honest. I selfishly want my granddaughter to know her family and realize she’s a part this crazy bunch.”

“Are you kidding, this is the only family she knows and she wouldn’t have it any other way. When she finds out she’s related to everyone she’s going to go nuts.”

“I, for one, can’t wait.”

Lena turned on the radio filling the room with sounds of country music. The CMT station was playing the top twenty countdown tunes, when the radio broadcaster interrupted the latest George Strait song to announce a storm front rolling in, bringing with it a chance of snow.

“Lovely. I hope they’re wrong. The boys are going to need every day possible to get things ready for the Spring Fling. Can you believe that Silver is old enough to participate in her first mutton bustin’ competition this year? Do you think she’ll do okay?” Lena asked.

It was what Lena wasn’t saying that scared her. Would the front blow in before the boys got back tonight?

“With Virgil as a coach, she’ll have the sheep eating out of her hands.”

She was worried too. She knew the cold would bother Sterling. He had enough on his mind without adding a snowstorm to the equation.

They worked through the afternoon, both constantly looking at the clock and gazing out the kitchen window as the sky grew dark. The storm was blowing in faster than the weatherman suggested.

About three in the afternoon Regina couldn’t stand it any longer. “I’m going to drive out to the west field. Think I’ll take the truck with the horse trailer just in case?”

“Let me turn off this oven and I’ll go with you. I don’t like the look of those clouds. They look ready to dump a load of snow.” Lena removed her apron.

Regina and Lena washed up, grabbed their jackets, made a thermos of coffee and one of hot chocolate. They rounded up some blankets and loaded up the truck. Regina backed up the truck to the smaller horse trailer and hooked up. They were off in a matter of minutes, kicking up dust and anxious to beat the weather front.

Neither spoke, but she felt Lena’s anxiety because she was there as well.

****

Silver loved riding horses with Virgil. He knew so much about them and taught her everything from how to saddle a horse to how to tend them. And even though she couldn’t reach yet, she knew the process. And he let her help him with all the animals. She was getting almost as good as he was.

Virgil opened the gate and started driving the sheep into it.

Soon she’d get to practice riding them. Maybe if her daddy saw how good she was, he’d come home.

She saw something out of the corner of her eye then heard a noise. It sounded like a quack, but very high pitched.

Baby ducks?

The pond wasn’t far. That’s probably where they were. She’d go check it out, maybe by the time she got back Virgil would be ready to help her ride.

Riding off in the direction of the sounds, she cantered as fast as Spike’s stubby little legs could move. Someday soon, she’d be ready for a big-girl horse then Darcy promised to start teaching her to barrel race.

The excitement had her squeezing her knees urging Spike to go faster.

“Giddy up.”

CHAPTER 3

They were about a quarter mile past the pond when Sterling heard what sounded like a bawling calf, but with a much higher pitch. He listened, turned his head trying to gauge the direction. The problem was between all the hills and rock formations and his partial hearing loss, sounds were bouncing in all directions.

He whistled for Rocket. “Come here boy. Listen. You hear that? Where is it?” The sounds continued to echo. He couldn’t locate the noise. Rocket’s ears rotated forward. He barked and shot after the sound.

He whistled to Dane signaling that he was following his dog.

Rocket would likely round up the calf and be headed back his way before he caught up to him. His dog was the best tool on a round up. Rocket worked the animals.

More than likely the calf would scramble to get away from Rocket and his ear-piercing bark and run back to its mama. He trotted his way toward the barks, recalling the unlimited mental videos of this land. Past round-ups, camping trips, but mostly picnics with Regina, swimming, and making love to her. This was their spot. His pants grew tight with thoughts of Regina’s soft body. He’d have to find a way to apologize, something big, because he’d screwed up worse than ever.

He had been so lost in thought that by the time he realized Rocket’s bark was nearby he looked up at a darkening of the sky. Not a good sign.

“Help!”

“What the hell?” It sounded like a kid. There were no kids around here. He had to be losing his mind.

“Help me, please!”

There was no missing the urgency of the words, nor the frantic tone. Only now did he also hear growls responding to Rocket’s bark. He wheeled his horse around and broke for the pond.

He leaned forward as he galloped closer to Rocket’s barks. As the pond came into view he spied a small child standing on top of the rock outcropping. The place where he and Regina liked to lay in the sun after swimming.

Rocket scrambled up the rocks toward the child. Except that there were the two wolves between him and the kid. She was backing up, almost to the edge of the rocks. One misstep and she’d be in the water. He sure hoped she could swim.

“Hey kid. Stay there. I’m coming.” Sterling took in the lay of the land to form a plan fast.

“Rocket, get’em.”

Rocket leaped on one of the wolves.

Sterling dismounted, threw his jacket over his saddle so he could maneuver the rocks better. As he moved closer he unbuttoned his cuffs rolling up his sleeves. He moved closer gauging the best path to take to get to the kid while taking in the position of the child as well. The little girl held a baby duck in her hands. She had long snow white hair, hanging down her back in long ringlets.

“Okay, listen honey, you stay where you are. Rocket here is going to keep the wolves busy while I come get you.”

“Hurry, I’m scared.”

What the hell was a kid doing out here alone?

Before he reached the base of the rocks, the child took another step back as the second wolf advanced on her. She lost her balance, here arms wind-milled, she and the duckling pitched into the pond backwards.

“Shit.” He couldn’t do this on his own, so he grabbed his rifle from the scabbard, unlocked the safety and shot in the air, over the wolves, to call Dane. He dropped the gun, kicked off his boots, and took a running dive into the water.

The kid bobbed up and down, arms flailing, and gulping water. Every time she surfaced, she’d cough, then suck water and sink.

He reached her after she went under the fourth time. She threw her arms around his neck in a death grip and proceeded to choke the stuffing out of him. “Settle down sweetie, I gotcha, don’t fight, you’re safe. By the time he got to shore, Dane was there, he fired a shot over the wolves heads, scaring them away.

Sterling crawled out of the water, his shoulder burning from over-exertion. He collapsed on his back gasping for air, the little girl still clinging to him.

Dane raced to his side.

“Grab my jacket and put it around her.” Sterling pointed at his horse.

“Silver, what the hell you doing out here alone?” Dane said squatting down to talk to the child.

“Umm—Dane—you swared. You owe me a dollar.”

Dane chuckled and pulled the little girl into a hug as if she meant something to him. Then he picked her up and kissed her cheek while he carried her to Sterling’s horse. He grabbed the jacket and wrapped her tight. 

He marveled at the easy conversation between his brother and the child and wondered who she was.

“What are you doing out here swimming?” Dane rubbed her trying to dry her off.

“I wasn’t swimming. I was looking for baby ducks.”

“Who’s supposed to be watching you?”

“I was with Virgil, but he was busy putting the sheep in the pen. I heard some baby ducks quacking. I just wanted to pet them.”

“You and your animals, you’re as bad as Virgil. You know the rules on this ranch. You never walk away from the adults watching you.”

“But it wasn’t that far.”

“Still, you know better. Your Ma’s gonna have a fit.” Dane looked around. “Are you on foot?” he asked.

“No, I was on Spike, but he musta runned off when the wolves started growling.”

Dane came closer, squatted down and said, “This is my brother, Sterling. I want you to stay with him while I go find Spike. You behave and mind him.” He smiled and winked at the kid.

Dane jumped on the back of his horse and took off. No sooner than he was out of sight, Sterling felt the first snowflake land on his face.

The wind picked up, send the sporadic flakes sideways.

“Ah shit, not that.”

“Uh-oh—you swared. You owe me a dollar, too.” She held her hand out, palm up.

“Oh really—”

“Yup, that’s the rule. You swear in front of me you owe me a dollar, Momma said so.”

“Did she now?” Sterling swiped the water from his face, his heart still racing.

The little girl nodded and stared at him. Her teeth began to chatter.

He was damn cold himself. The water had been freezing, only now was the shock of the situation was wearing off and the cold pierced his clothes, making his shoulder scream in agony.

“We gotta get someplace warm and dry before the snow gets worse.”

Still holding the little girl wrapped in his jacket, he stood up and headed for his horse. He placed her in the saddle, then swung up behind her pulling her onto his lap, bundling his jacket more tightly around her. He’d barely settled when Dane returned holding the reins of God knows what. It looked like it was supposed to be a pony, but the hair on its mane stuck out six inches in every direction, like a punk rocker pony.

“Spike! You found him,” the kid said.

“What the hell is that?” Sterling laughed.

“That’s my pony Spike and you owe me another dollar.”

Dane pulled up close grinning at him. “Watch out for her. She’s more dangerous than Gram playing poker.”

He knew what that meant. Gram was the most innocent person he knew and a card sharp from the get-go.

“The kid’s soaked and so am I. No way will we last the three hours it would take us to get home. I’m taking her to the nearest line shack to start a fire. You head back. By now someone should be bringing the trailer, but we can’t take the chances in case they aren’t. I’ll bring her back when the weather clears. Is the shack still stocked?”

“Sure is.”

“Don’t forget to call her folks and tell them she’s okay. I’ll bring her back tomorrow.”

What the hell was Dane smiling about? He looked like a damn fool. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing.” He chuckled then added, “Guess the kids got more balls then I gave him credit for.”

“What the hell are you blathering about?” he asked.

“Not a thing,” Dane responded then turned his horse pulling the pony along, laughter echoing between the rocks as he rode away.

“That’ll be another dollar, please.” She held her palm out.

“At the rate kid you’re going to be rich.”

She just smiled at him and snuggled closer, not the least bit scared of him or his patch. The whole time they rode toward the shack he tried to unravel Dane’s cryptic comments.

****

“What do you means she’s with Sterling?” Regina had her hands firmly planted on her hips, trying to maintain her composure, while her insides felt as if they were going to disintegrate.

Dane led his horse and Silver’s pony onto the trailer. Virgil’s horse was already loaded.

“Dane Bronco you get your butt back here and tell me where my daughter is right this instant.”

Virgil held the trailer door, fear in his eyes, as he too waited to hear what had happened.