by Kim McMahill
Niki couldn’t understand her grandfather’s obsession with mules. The animals were surefooted, strong and resilient, but had an uncomfortable gait and seemed much more unpredictable than a regular horse. Niki admitted her grandfather’s mules were hardy and got the job done, but next to her regal palomino they just weren’t all that pretty.
She pulled Storm up and brought the pack horse to a halt. As she waited for her grandfather and his pack mule to catch up she noticed how small, old and weathered he looked. Niki wasn’t sure if Deuce had gotten into her head or if her grandfather really had aged considerably since last summer. She smiled as he approached, not wanting him to see the concern in her eyes.
“That horse can still out-walk anything on four legs, so you’ll have to keep him checked up if you don’t want to lose Sally and Bess.”
“Aren’t they about ready for retirement, Papa?”
“They have as many years left as me.”
“That many, huh?”
Niki and her grandfather laughed as they made their way toward the grazing sheep. The sound of his laughter was so familiar and as robust as ever. His hearty chortle made her feel a bit better and she silently cursed Deuce for making her doubt her judgment where her grandfather was concerned.
The Border Collies, Gracie and Stella, raced ahead, methodically easing the sheep into a tighter group. Niki loved watching the dogs work. The collies were so good at their job the sheep didn’t seem to even realize they were being herded as the dogs slowly began moving the group forward.
“Have you ever thought about raising Border Collies and training them?” Niki asked. “I’ve never seen dogs work better than Gracie and Stella, so you really must know what you’re doing.”
“You know, I probably should bring a pup or two along with me next summer. The best way to train new dogs is to have them work with old pros like Gracie and Stella. That’s how I trained these two. They’re from the same litter. I think that’s another reason they work so well together.”
Niki had hoped to give him an idea of something he could do which he’d enjoy and be good at other than being out in the mountains alone all summer, but apparently his mind hadn’t gone there and, if it weren’t for Deuce, hers never would have either. She let the subject drop and allowed the tranquility of the mountains to engulf her like a warm embrace. Niki never felt compelled to fill the silent spaces when she was out with her grandfather and it always amazed her how easy it was to fall back into their companionable routine—enjoying conversation when they wanted to and finding equal comfort in silence.
The hot late-summer sun beat down as they rode further from the ranch and the U.S. soldiers. They followed at a leisurely pace as the dogs gently pushed the sheep ahead of the horses. Niki loved the heat, but was glad she had invested in a new straw cowboy hat since her complexion was so fair. She burned easily, especially in the high elevations. She had been embarrassed to pull it out in front of Deuce, but with him riding in the opposite direction nothing stood between her and avoiding sunburn.
He probably would’ve thought the hat’s newness verified she was indeed a dude, but she refused to be one of those people who bought a used hat just to make people think she was an old hand. If she couldn’t break her own hat in, then maybe she was a dude. It annoyed her that she cared what Deuce thought or that she was thinking about him at all, so Niki forced all images of the head-strong cowboy out of her mind and focused on the birds singing in the trees.
She glanced at her grandfather and noticed his hat had seen a lot of mountain miles. The sides were curled upward and sweat stained the once brightly colored band. At one time the felt hat must have been beige colored, but now it looked grayish-brown. It had a more rounded shape than a traditional cowboy hat and complimented his leather vest and the black bandana he wore around his neck. He was at home in the mountains and she feared he would never be content anywhere else.
“We’ll reach the area where Deuce wants us to graze the sheep by early evening, so we should have plenty of time to set up our new home for the next month before supper,” Bernie stated.
“Sounds good. I’m absolutely starving since the boss wouldn’t let me stop for lunch. His loss though. Now you and I get all the cookies I made.”
“You’re too hard on that boy. He’s just been looking out for you ever since you were knee-high to Sally here. I’ll never forget the time he thought he lost you when you two were out fishing. He ran back to the ranch as fast as he could on the verge of tears, though he was too stubborn even then to actually shed one. To this day, I’ve never seen him so upset.”
“I’d found a real good fishing hole and I didn’t think he’d even notice I was gone, much less be worried.”
“Well, he was. He thought Bob would be mad, but that old man has always had a lot of faith in you. He calmed Deuce down and assured him you were just fine and you knew exactly where you were. The three of us rode back to the creek and found you sitting on a rock a couple hundred yards upstream, totally focused on fishing. When we hollered out, you pulled a stringer of fish from the creek and had the biggest grin on your face I’d ever seen. You looked so proud that we didn’t have the heart to tell you we thought you were lost or that Deuce had been worried sick. If you’d have teased the boy over it, he’d have been so embarrassed and probably would’ve denied it anyway.”
“He may have cared once, but I don’t think he does anymore by the way he’s always snapping at me, making snide comments about people who live in cities, and treating me as if I’m a helpless pain in his rump.”
Bernie had a lot of time to think while following his sheep. He had always hoped Deuce would marry Niki someday, so she would have someone after he died, but he was starting to doubt that would ever happen. He didn’t understand what had gone wrong and there really hadn’t been any other women in Deuce’s life that he ever saw. The two were so close when they were younger that Bernie had always assumed Niki would one day have the Blackburns as family. Deuce was a kind-hearted, hard-working man and Bernie knew he would look out for his granddaughter and they could build a good life together if he wasn’t so darn stubborn.
“What are you thinking about?” Niki asked.
He doubted it would be a good idea to be honest with her. His granddaughter was so independent and proud that if she knew he wanted a man to take care of her, she wouldn’t be happy. He didn’t actually believe Niki needed a man to provide for her, but he hated to think of her all alone someday. She had so much love to give and he hoped she could share her life with someone special. Niki deserved the stability she never had as a child.
“I was just thinking about how happy I am to have you here with me for a whole month, especially since you brought a double-batch of cookies. No one makes better chocolate chip cookies than my girl.”
Niki laughed and nudged Storm into a stronger pace, giving a jerk to the lead rope, and bringing her drowsy pack horse out of its walking slumber. She was anxious to get the new camp erected, find something to eat and start enjoying all the activities she missed while living away from her grandfather.
Despite the hunger making her stomach rumble, she was already having a wonderful time and reveling in the solitude of the stunning scenery. Niki knew she should be content with her job and life, but she only felt true happiness while with her grandfather and removed from all the people and traffic of her day-to-day grind. She feared the opportunities to spend time with him in these mountains were running out, even without Deuce’s not-so-subtle reminder. It was impossible to guess how many of these idyllic times they had left, so she wanted to make the most of this one, in case it was their last.
As they continued to climb higher into the mountains, thoughts of all the troubles back home soon faded. It was a little difficult to deny the possibility of a conflict on home soil after hearing rumblings of foreign soldiers amassing on the border with Canada and seeing U.S. military at a tower which had seemed abandoned for the last decade. But if trouble came, there was
no reason to think it would touch her and her grandfather in this remote paradise.
CHAPTER SIX
Niki slept until the sun warmed the tent and her sleeping bag heated to an uncomfortably hot temperature. By the time they had reached the campsite, cut new ridgepoles, set up the tent, unloaded their belongings, tended the sheep, horses and dogs, and ate dinner the night before, she had all but collapsed onto her cot. She hadn’t heard her grandfather rise, but she had no doubt he was out counting sheep to make sure they hadn’t lost any along the way.
Outside, she stretched and looked around at the spectacular scenery surrounding her temporary home. Sheep grazed in the meadow cradled by tall pines, the dogs dozed nearby and the horses and mules seemed completely at peace as they leisurely nibbled at grasses and swatted at flies with their tails. The only sounds to be heard were the faint gurgling of the nearby creek and bees buzzing around purple wildflowers, yellow Arrowleaf Balsam Root, Indian Paintbrush and tiny white flowers so delicate and pure they looked like fresh snowflakes.
Here, it was easy to forget that the rest of the world was on the brink of a major crisis and Bob and other area ranchers had gone to Washington D.C. looking for answers, seeking help, fearing for their families’ safety. She hoped Bob would be back home soon with good news and everything would be returned to normal by the time she left the mountains, but until then, she would enjoy her isolated world where there were no deadlines, schedules, financial catastrophes or a pending war.
Niki grabbed the old blackened and dented aluminum coffee pot, spare water jug and cosmetic case, though it contained no cosmetics, and headed for the creek. She filled the pot and jug with cold water before starting her sponge bath. The first splash of icy water on her face woke her up completely, making her feel alive and alert.
After getting ready for the day, she made her way back to camp, fully loaded down with drinking and dishwashing water. It had been a year since she last camped out, but she hadn’t forgotten a thing. Niki quickly built a fire and hung the coffee pot and dish water over the flames. She rooted through her grandfather’s supplies and those she had brought with her, and decided the coffee cake she had baked before leaving Denver would do well for the first morning, even though it was nearly noon.
She had just retrieved her sketch pad from the tent when she heard her grandfather’s mule approaching. When Sally and Bess were separated, they made no effort to hide their discontent and when reunited, they were just as vocal. The two old mules were so close Niki feared if one died the other wouldn’t be far behind. She hoped her grandfather would retire before that happened since he loved the animals nearly as much as they loved each other.
“I knew if I stayed away long enough you’d get a fire built and the coffee on,” he said as he dismounted the mule and started loosening the cinch.
“It makes me so happy to be here with you.” Niki stood and kissed him on the cheek.
“I was starting to worry you’d never wake up,” he joked as he grabbed a piece of coffee cake. “I expected you to be up at the crack of dawn, fishing pole in hand, making a sneak on those cagey little brookies or at least creating one of those beautiful pictures you always draw.”
“I planned on going fishing early this morning, but by the time I finally crawled out of my sleeping bag, the prime time was well past. Yesterday was such a long day and I was so exhausted that I guess it’ll have to be an early evening outing instead. But, I’m ready to get to work now. Did we make it here with all the sheep?”
“Looks as if about a half a dozen ewes dropped off along the way. I thought I’d take a mule and Gracie and backtrack after lunch and see if we can round them up. You can come with us if you want or you can stay here, relax and try to catch us some trout for dinner.”
“Fresh brook trout for dinner sounds great, but what if I don’t catch any?”
“You’ll get my famous salt pork, beans and cornbread.”
Niki smiled, but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure if he was joking or if he actually thought his beans were good and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I’ll just catch fish if it kills me, she thought as she sipped her coffee and smiled at him over the rim of her cup.
After lunch Niki watched her grandfather ride off on Sally, with Gracie trotting happily alongside. She could see why he was so reluctant to give up this lifestyle. All summer he lived in one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen with only amiable sheep, loyal dogs and wildlife for companions. He did as he pleased and was treated well by the Blackburns. In the winter he lived at the ranch and spent his time repairing tack and tents and doing whatever odd jobs he could scrounge up, though the Blackburns didn’t really expect him to do anything. While she, on the other hand, lived on the sixth floor of a building in a tiny apartment, commuted for forty-five minutes through bumper-to-bumper traffic to and from work, and had a demanding boss and a group of petty coworkers who would gladly stab her in the back and steal her ideas to get ahead, with the exception of Kate.
She pushed her coworkers out of her head, put out the fire and tidied camp. It seemed as though it always took her about a week to put her job behind her and truly relax, but she was determined to forget it all sooner this year and make the most of her extended vacation. The thought of spending an entire month in the mountains was exhilarating, but the circumstances which created the extended opportunity kept nagging at her mind and she hoped for a speedy and peaceful resolution.
Niki believed the best fishing was early morning and just before dusk, so she had plenty of time to explore before catching dinner. She made her way to Storm and checked his hobbles. He could run nearly as fast with them on, but since the rest of the horses and mules couldn’t keep up, he generally didn’t go too far, so she didn’t have the heart to cross-hobble him.
She pulled a carrot out of her pocket and was rewarded with a head rub along her arm before he yanked the vegetable out of her hand. She checked the water buckets they had brought up for the animals the night before, so they wouldn’t have to hobble down to the creek for water, and found those were still full.
Satisfied the animals were okay, Niki continued to explore the area to familiarize herself with the new campsite. As she wandered, she caught enough grasshoppers to use for bait later in the day when she started fishing, a task not nearly as easy as it sounded. When the old mayonnaise jar was full of mad hoppers, bumping against the glass, she poked several small holes in the top to give the insects enough air to stay alive, and then placed them in the shade for later.
After she had taken care of the bait issue, she climbed the rise behind the meadow, giving her a good view of the sheep and camp. Niki sat down with her sketch pad and watched the forest. A doe and fawn wandered out and grazed alongside the sheep. Stella’s ears pricked and the dog watched the deer, but didn’t move from her post. Before long the deer moved on and the dog laid her head back down on the grass and slept in the warm afternoon sun.
Niki sat on the rise and sketched. Her drawings were a world away from her graphic design work, but so far sketching scenery and wildlife had only been a hobby while marketing and advertising paid the bills. Her job consumed so much of her time that she seldom worked on her sketches except during the weeks she spent in the mountains with her grandfather each summer. To her, drawing was, and always had been, pure therapy and something she looked forward to all year long.
Growing up, she spent the school year in a modest apartment in Chicago with her mom and her mom’s lifelong, but much older friend, Doris. Both women worked at a factory. Niki hadn’t liked Chicago, but knowing she would spend the summer in Wyoming with her grandfather had kept her from rebelling. Thinking back to how hard her mother had worked to save enough money for airfare each summer made her feel guilty. At the time she hadn’t realized what a hardship it must have been and hoped her mother hadn’t realize how unhappy she was when not with her grandfather.
When her mother died in a car accident during her senior year in high sc
hool, Doris had supported her so she could graduate with her class and had helped her apply for scholarships, enabling her to go to college. She had no doubt the Blackburns would have taken her in, but she had been too proud to let them or her grandfather know how marginal her situation had become. When not at the ranch or at college, she always went back to Doris, having no place else to go. She exchanged Christmas cards with the older woman, but as Niki looked out over the scenery in front of her, she realized that wasn’t enough—she owed Doris more. She would fly her mother’s best friend to Wyoming as soon as she could save up the money and let her experience the beauty and serenity in person.
Niki continued to think about the past as she sketched, but as usual, avoided contemplating the future. The mountains brought her peace and the thought of giving a little of that feeling to the woman who had sacrificed so much for someone else’s child made her anxious to run the idea by her grandfather. He would offer to help even though he had so little, but she wanted to do this for Doris on her own.
She sketched the mountains, the meadow, the sheep and the horses grazing in the background. When she finally set her charcoal pencil down, the sun had started its journey toward the horizon, signifying it was time to try her luck at fishing.
Niki stowed her sketches and made her way back to camp. She was surprised her grandfather hadn’t returned, but if the sheep had wandered in the opposite direction or had scattered it would be a time consuming project to gather and herd them to the new camp. She struggled to push the worry down as she grabbed her pole and tackle box and headed for the crystal clear water of the shallow creek.
For the first thirty minutes she didn’t get a single bite and started to fear her first real meal at camp might be beans after all. Niki spied a large downed tree upstream, which created a deeper pool and was shaded by overhanging willows. The stream would have been perfect for fly fishing, but she’d never been able to master the cast, so would have to make do with her current method.
