by S. Cook
“That’s weird,” I muttered.
Usually the mailman knocked once to let me know he was dropping off the mail on the front porch.
“Oh my god! What kind of a crap hole is this?” Anne’s voice screeched through the quiet Wyoming air.
My mouth dropped open.
I bolted to the living room.
Sure as hell, it was my best friend standing there at the front door.
“Anne?” I exclaimed.
There was a look of utter disgust on her face as she glanced around at the trainwreck that was my home.
“You traded an almost paid-off condo in the city to live in a shack?” she asked with an incredulous look.
I still couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Anne? What are you doing here?”
“I came to visit you! To see if you were still alive.”
“How did you even get here?” I asked, running over and grabbing her in a tight hug.
I’d forgotten how much I missed her.
“I went back to that old town and told them I needed to go visit the crazy lady who thinks she’s a farmer. They knew exactly which crazy lady I meant. But look at you, you’re practically a country girl now,” Anne said, eying me up and down.
“You are too funny.” I laughed and rolled my eyes. “I’m not a farmer by the way. The word is rancher.”
“I don’t see any kind of ranch. For one thing, I don’t see any animals. All I see is a lot of dirt, and grass, and some scary looking mountains. What exactly is it that you ‘ranch’ here in this God-forsaken place?” Anne asked, looking over the tops of her designer sunglasses.
“So far, it’s just me and two horses,” I admitted, purposely keeping any mention of Mustang out of the conversation.
“It sounds positively lovely,” she said sarcastically.
“Come on in,” I said, taking her arm. “I’ll make us some coffee.”
I could see the look of disapproval vanish slightly when she saw how the inside of the main house was renovated. I’d added a gas stove, and a few other ‘luxury’ items, as Mustang so gallantly called it. To him a dry towel was a luxury item.
“I didn't expect it to look like this,” Anne said. “You’ve done good.”
“Do you like it?”
“I do, actually. It looks so much better on the inside.”
“Thanks. There is still a lot of work to do here, but I’ll get to it.”
I made us each a cup of coffee and we sat down at the kitchen table.
“Are you ready to come back to Seattle yet?” Anne asked.
She was never one for polite conversation.
“I’m not coming back. I’ve figured out what I’m going to do with this place.”
“Sell it? Burn it? Auction it off to anyone who will pay ten dollars?”
“No, don’t be silly.” I playfully slapped her arm. “I’m going to open this ranch up to people who need a chance to get away, kind of like that vacation you and I took, but for people who could never afford that kind of getaway. You know, city kids, addicts, people like that. A place where they can heal.”
Anne looked skeptical.
“That’s a real nice idea, but how do you plan to keep this place open if you let only poor people come stay out here? I mean, you’ve got plenty of money. For now. But it’s going to run out eventually if you just invite any old person out here to stay for free.”
“I’ve got a few plans in mind. I’ll worry about the details later.”
“Ahh…yes, those darn nasty details.”
“So how are things in the city?” I asked.
“God, you sound just like the country folk now.”
I laughed and looked at her.
“I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too. Seattle isn’t the same without my best friend. I hate this damn ranch because of that.”
After dinner, we sat in the rocking chairs on the front porch and caught up on what had been happening. We talked and laughed until long after dark when we pulled our chairs closer to the fire that I built up.
Anne looked around nervously every time a coyote howled.
“I don’t see how this doesn’t drive you crazy,” Anne said, a little more admiration in her tone than before. “When it’s not busy being too quiet, it’s busy being too loud. There’s some scary sounding stuff out here, that’s for sure.”
“It’s amazing how fast you get used to it. I wouldn’t know what to do with traffic noise now. I don’t even have a truck, let alone drive anywhere.”
“How do you plan to do anything around this place without a truck?” Anne demanded.
“I’m getting one eventually. I just haven’t gotten around to it. I’ve been working on the house and just found out that I have a couple of horses.”
“Oh, goodie. More horses. Those things hate me, I tell you,” Anne joked. “Remember when I couldn’t even get the horse to walk in a straight line? All it had to do was follow the other horses and it couldn’t even do that. How did you not know about the horses?”
“I’ve had a few other things going on to keep me occupied.”
I decided not to elaborate about Mustang. Anne would be all over that in a heartbeat.
“What?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “You’ve been getting frisky here in the countryside?”
I shrugged, not saying a word and she laughed.
“Damn. It’s true what they say then.”
“What’s that?”
“The fresh air does do a person good.”
She chuckled, and we burst out in a fit of combined laughter.
As expected, Mustang suddenly appeared in the yard. When Anne caught sight of him, she almost jumped out of her chair.
“Holy fuck!” she yelled. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Anne, this is Mustang. He’s the caretaker,” I explained in an even voice.
Anne nodded, trying to find her voice after being scared half to death and said, “Hey. I’m Anne. Leah’s best friend from Seattle.”
“Hello,” he said politely.
He looked over at me with a questioning look.
“Anne popped in for a surprise visit,” I said, smiling back at him.
“Welcome to the ranch. I hope you enjoy your stay,” he said.
“Is he always this formal?” she whispered to me.
Mustang looked abnormally tense. Her unexpected visit must be freaking him out.
“Is everything okay, Mustang?”
“I heard a bit of shrieking and thought you were being attacked by raccoons or something,” he answered simply.
Anne’s eyes grew bigger.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you for your concern though.”
“Okay,” he said, looking uncomfortable. “You ladies have a good night. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Sure,” I said and watched as he headed toward the barn.
Anne looked at me with a suggestive smile and wiggled her eyebrows.
“What are you staring at?” I asked.
“What do you mean, what? Damn, that man is fine! I never pegged you as going for a tattooed guy, though. What would your mama say?”
Anne began laughing as she called me out.
“It doesn’t matter right now,” I began, trying my best to keep a straight face but knowing that I was busted.
Anne knew me too well to keep secrets from her. I finally broke out into fits of laughter, still refusing to acknowledge Anne’s insinuation.
“I guess he just makes me happy, and even Mama knows I could use some of that.”
“I know what else you could use, and I hope you’re getting that, too,” Anne mumbled, smiling slyly at me.
I slid my fingers across my mouth in a locked-up-tight gesture and looked away, sending Anne into even bigger fits of laughter.
“Where did he disappear to, anyway?” Anne asked. “I turned around to say something to him and he was already gone.”
“That’s what he does. I
t works the other way too. He just magically appears out of nowhere.”
“He sounds a bit scary if you ask me,” Anne said.
“It was at first, but then it didn't bother me anymore. Now it just makes me feel safe.”
“I can imagine. A man with big old biceps like that is sure to make you feel safe, and many other things as well.”
“Oh, stop. He’s not only muscles and tattoos.”
Anne raised her eyebrows at me.
“Like what?”
“You should see his abs. Oh my god. They’re perfect.”
“I am so jealous of you right now. I can’t find one good man in a big city like Seattle and you find one in the middle of Wyoming.”
“You should be jealous. My man can fix roofs and ride a horse.”
“Among other things.”
After the fire died down enough and we had gone inside to bed, Anne spoke up from the darkness.
“I’m really happy for you, Leah,” she said softly. “You deserve every bit of happiness you can grab. I’m proud of you for taking a chance on doing something different in life.”
“Thank you, Anne. You’re my oldest friend, and that means a lot to me,” I answered sleepily. “You know, when you get tired of city life, you can come out here. You could build a house beside me and find a good-looking cowboy to keep you warm during the winters.”
“You must be high or something. Do you think for a minute I’m going to use that outhouse of yours any more than I absolutely have to?”
My laughter mixed with Anne’s until we wore ourselves out.
“Don’t worry. By the next time you come out to visit, I hope to have a real bathroom installed inside.”
“Dream on,” she said with a laugh.
Chapter 17: Mustang
Leah’s best friend was a loud one.
The woman talked way too much. She was overly dramatic about everything and it wore me out to be around her for more than two minutes.
I glanced over at the two of them sitting under the tree, while I stood high up on the ladder, painting the side of the barn.
I couldn’t help wondering why those two were friends in the first place.
Then again, there are things about women that I’ll never understand.
I could hear everything that Anne was saying, about all the men she slept with, all the money she spent on designer clothing, and how she still couldn't believe that Leah sold her condo in the city for this dump.
Anne glanced over at me briefly, then said something to Leah in a lower tone, much softer than her usual headache-inducing shriek.
Now I knew they were talking about me, only I couldn't hear what they were saying. After I was done painting, I cleaned the brushes and packed everything away. I walked over to one of the water tanks and quickly washed my dirty hands.
“Yo! Mustang!”
I whirled around and tried to keep from automatically frowning at Anne. I’d been trying my best to be polite. I dried my hands off and walked to where they were sitting under the tree.
“Come sit with us,” Anne said.
“But I’ve still got to-”
“You can do it later,” she interrupted me with a dismissive wave. “We’re more important than that old barn.”
Now, I wasn’t an asshole, but I didn't like it when people interrupted me.
“You didn't let me finish talking,” I said quietly.
“Just come sit with us,” she whined.
“Why?”
“Because I want to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About you.”
I shot a brief glance at Leah, who gave me an encouraging smile, so I sat down on the blanket.
“So, Mustang. You don’t mind if I ask you a few questions, do you? Since Leah is my best friend and all?”
“You don’t strike me as the type to ask permission.”
Anne narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Leah. “I see you’ve been talking about me,” she said.
“Cut it out,” Leah muttered.
“Where are you from, Mustang?” Anne asked.
“The United States,” I answered, following my military training to not give out too much information.
She rolled her eyes at me.
“And your family?”
“They’re in Texas.”
“And how long have you been here?”
“A few years.”
“Are you honestly interrogating him right now?” Leah exclaimed incredulously. “What the hell?”
“I’m not interrogating him.”
“Actually, you are,” I pointed out. The women glanced at me in surprise, like they didn’t think I could speak for myself. “I was in the Army and I recognize when I’m being grilled.”
“See?” Leah mumbled.
“Whatever.” Anne rolled her eyes again and glanced back at me. “As Leah’s oldest and best friend, I have the right to know more about the man who’s trying to keep her here in the middle of nowhere.”
“I’m not keeping her here,” I said. “She’s a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. I didn’t have one thing to do with her buying this place.”
“That’s right,” Leah added.
“She might’ve bought the place on a whim but she’s sticking around because of you,” Anne replied. “If you weren’t here, she would’ve already been back in Seattle. You need to stop trying to convince her this is going to work out. She’s a city girl for fuck’s sake! She’s not a rancher, so the two of you need to stop playing house. She needs to come home.”
“Okay, that’s my cue to leave,” I said and stood up from the blanket. “I’ll let the two of you work this out.”
“Mustang, don’t go,” Leah said as she reached out her hand to me, but I stepped away.
“No, I think it’s better if I do. It was nice meeting you, Anne,” I said before walking off.
Leah called out to me.
I didn't look back.
“Mustang!”
I heard Leah panting behind me and I stopped walking. Turning around, I saw her leaning against a tree while trying to catch her breath. I didn't say anything, because at this stage, it would just be angry muttering.
“I’m sorry,” she panted again.
“Catch your breath first,” I told her.
She nodded and took a few deep breaths.
“I’m sorry about what Anne said to you.”
“She should be the one who apologizes, not you. You didn't do anything.”
“No, I shouldn't have let her speak to you like that,” she said. “I’m sorry for what she said. Anne is just...Anne. She didn’t mean any harm.”
“I don't like her very much.”
“Well, she knows that now.”
“How long is she still going to stay here?”
“She’s leaving tonight. She’s ready to go home anyway. This isn’t her idea of fun.”
“I didn't chase her away,” I said. “She’s your friend and if you want her to stay then she should.”
“You can come back to the house if you want, but if you don't, then it’s okay. I understand.”
“I have some stuff that I need to do anyway,” I said vaguely.
“Are you going to be okay?” she asked. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
“Never,” I said. “I couldn’t get mad at you.” I pulled her close and put my arms around her. “I’ll be fine,” I whispered honestly. “I just need some quiet after your friend’s loudness.”
“I get it.” She giggled into my shirt. “I could use a little peace and quiet too.”
Chapter 18: Leah
I missed Anne terribly, even though it had only been a week since Tina had taken her back to town to catch a bus for the airport. We parted on good terms with her promising to return as soon as an indoor bathroom was installed.
The rain that had poured for several days was testing the limits of my new roof. Thankfully, it had held up well and kept me nice and
dry. I passed the time stuck inside by thinking up plans for my new ranch.
Mustang had stopped by twice to check on me. He was still unable to come inside and wouldn’t let me come out in the rain, so we barely had time to talk.
When I wasn’t making plans for my new concept, Loving Arms Ranch, I was thinking of business contacts who might be willing to give donations to the business if I could get a non-profit status.
My last step before bed was to compile a list of professionals who might be willing to exchange work at the ranch for a week of room and board. I’d paid a lot of money to ride a horse for a week and there were probably plenty of other professionals who could use a working vacation.
By the fourth straight day of pouring rain, I began to worry about Mustang being outside. He hadn’t come by since an early morning visit a couple of days before, meaning he was either holed up somewhere in one of the caves or the terrain was impossible to cross because of the mud and water. I went to bed that night hoping the rain would let up by the next day.
Sometime during the night, I dreamed that I was being pulled in two different directions, one hand holding me firmly to the ground on the ranch, the other pulling me by my arm, leading me back to the city.
During this dream I heard my name shouted over and over by a muffled voice, calling out to me as if someone was searching for me in the dark.
The voice eventually grew louder, more frantic.
I heard my name through the fog of my sleep. When I opened my eyes and listened, I heard it again over the thunderous sound of roaring water.
A banging noise accompanied the shouts as Mustang called my name over and over, while furiously pounding on the wall.
I sat up as an object crashed through my window, sending the glass flying into my house.
Mustang thrust a lantern in through the hole he’d just made. It was only then that I could see the light reflecting off the water that had filled the main floor of my house and was creeping up the stairway to the loft.
“Oh my god! What is happening?” I yelled to him.
I gasped, frightened by what I saw. I looked to Mustang, who held out a hand and waved me towards him, his shouts sounding more and more desperate.
“Leah! Come on! Move! You have to get out of there, the whole house is off its supports. It’s going to get washed out to the river, and then it will be too late. We have to move now!”
