by Merri Hiatt
“Call 911! I’m bleedin’ to death here.”
Amanda surveyed the damage. “It’s just a flesh wound. I’ll get some bandages.”
“I need a doctor.”
“You’ll be fine. Drink your beer.”
Amanda saw the boys in the hallway. “If you’re goin’ to shoot someone, learn to do it right. You can’t even kill somebody decent. Such a piece of shit. Go on, get out of here if you want to go. Good riddance if you ask me. I don’t ever want to see your sorry asses again. Worst two days of my life was when I had you kids.”
Jacob and Jeremy ran out the front door without looking back. They went to the park near their home and hid in the bushes.
“Did you kill Dad?”
“No. I missed and hit him in the knee.”
“You think she meant what she said about the worst day of her life bein’ when you and me was born?”
“I think she’s had a lot of bad days in her life. I don’t know how she could pick just two.”
They sat in silence for several minutes.
“Do you have a plan?”
“Of course I do.”
“Good.” Jeremy sighed and relaxed. “I don’t got a plan.”
“You don’t need one. I’ll take care of you. You never have to worry about that. You’re my brother, my only family. We’ll be together forever.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
He’d made a promise to Jeremy that day. A promise he was about to break. He threw back the blankets, grabbed his backpack and left the barracks. He needed air, space. Sometimes it seemed like the entire world was on his shoulders and he couldn’t breathe from the crushing weight.
The ranch was lit every hundred yards or so, making it easy to walk the pathways at any time of day or night.
Jacob found himself near the cow paddock within five minutes. He dropped his backpack and climbed onto the fence, straddling it like he imagined cowboys used to do in the old days. He looked up at the sky. It was so dark, or maybe it was that the stars were so bright. They were endless.
He lowered himself from the wooden structure, wrapped the wool blanket around his shoulders and hunkered down by the fencepost and his backpack.
He couldn’t have been asleep more than half an hour when he felt something tugging on his arm. Jacob jumped when a tongue aimed at his face came through the space in the fence. It was a calf. Jacob looked around to find the mother. She did not appear amused by her baby’s playful antics.
“It came to me,” Jacob tried to explain, then stopped. “I’m explaining to a cow.”
The creak and squeak of the paddock lock being removed and the gate swinging open captured his attention. Jacob squinted. The light that was so prevalent everywhere else seemed to be absent here. He could barely make out the shape of two tall men.
“Hurry up. Put it in the water,” a whispered voice said.
“All of it?”
“Yes, all of it.”
The first person looked around the area. “Someone’s coming. Hurry up!”
“Got it.”
The door swung closed and the lock clanked shut. They disappeared into the night as quickly as they had arrived.
The sound of running feet came from the left, then stopped by the gate. “I know I saw someone down here,” Red Atkins said.
“Could’a been a cow walking around,” Bart Wilson said.
“It wasn’t a cow.”
“Well, if someone was here, they’re not here now.”
“Count ‘em.”
“They’re all there. It’s the middle of the night.”
“Count ‘em. I’m gonna look around.”
“Spend half the night countin’ cows, for what? I wouldn’t mind counting sheep.” Bart laughed at his own joke. “Did ya hear that, Red? ‘Course he didn’t hear that. He never hears the good ones.”
Chapter Twelve
Jacob quietly pulled his backpack over one shoulder, then headed down the path toward the stables, the blanket tucked under one arm. He kept careful watch for the two intruders, as well as Red.
Beyond the stables, he saw shadowed images of trees lined in perfect rows. He headed for them, hoping to find a hiding place until daylight. When he was surrounded by the smell of apples, he tossed his backpack against the base of one of the trees and sat down.
“I saw you.” A figure approached from the left.
Jacob was on his feet in an instant. “I don’t want no trouble.”
“You got it anyway.” Another figure approached, this time from the right.
Jacob’s hand slipped into his pocket. They’d be sorry they messed with him, that was for sure.
“You’re working the ranch, right? One of those city people turned cowboy for a week.”
“Something like that.”
“We’re sick of your kind. You come here, play around with our livelihood, then head back to the big city. We’re the ones who end up paying the price.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s free labor for the Double Y. Other ranchers have to pay their hired hands. You might as well be taking food right out of my family’s mouth.”
“We didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
“Prove it.”
“How?”
“Don’t tell anyone about what we did.”
“What did you do?”
“You’re a quick study. Already denying what you saw. That’s good. I’m warning you, if you tell anyone, we’ll be back. It’d be a shame if that pregnant lady lost her baby.”
“You stay away from Purity. Stay away from all of us.”
“You do as you’re told and we will. You open your mouth, I don’t guarantee nothin’.”
“I won’t say anything. I won’t even be around to say anything.”
“Can’t hack the country life?”
“It ain’t that.”
“What is it then?”
“None of your damn business.”
“Son, you’ve got an attitude problem.”
“I’m not your son. Are all those cows gonna die?”
“What’s it to you, you’re leaving, remember?”
“I remember. You better remember what you said and stay away from the city folks.”
“We will.”
“We promise,” the other man said.
Jacob could almost see his smirk. Neither one of these men were to be trusted, of that he was sure.
“We’ll be watching you.” The two men headed north into the orchard. They were out of Jacob’s vision within thirty yards.
Jacob sat back down, his back against a tree so no one could sneak up behind him.
They’d harm Purity, he was sure of it.
“Damn it!”
Jacob stood up, tossed his backpack over his shoulder and headed back to the barracks. He couldn’t leave now, not when his family and friends were in danger.
“Just my luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“And just what are you doing out in the middle of the night?” Red asked, sidling up beside him.
Jacob jumped. He had been lost in thought and didn’t hear Red approach. “Goin’ for a walk. Is that a crime?”
“Depends on where you’re walkin’ and what you’re doin’ besides walkin’. You been by the cow paddock tonight?”
“Yeah, I was there.”
“What were you doin’?”
“Watching the cows.”
“In the middle of the night?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Red appeared satisfied with his answers and relaxed his stance. “It’s hard gettin’ used to country sounds. Nature can be damn loud.”
“How long you been working at the Double Y?” Jacob expertly steered the conversation in a new direction.
“Let’s see… twelve years. Seems like a long time, don’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“It went by in a flash. They say time speeds up when you get older. I don’t k
now if that’s true, but I can tell you that you become more focused and have more things you want to do. You don’t get more time, though.”
“Sometimes you have too much time.”
“Yeah.” Red shook his head. “Sometimes it can seem that way, especially when you’re going through a hard time. I’ve seen plenty of those.”
“Like what?”
“You want a list? The drought ten years ago comes to mind. Everything ‘round here dried up to dust. Ground turned hard as stone. Almost shut the town down completely.”
“What’d you do?”
“Waited. Oh, we dug irrigation ditches and the like, but nothing worked. Loans were due and tempers were short. We weathered it together, though. Times were different back then. Neighbors didn’t shy away from helpin’ one another. If you needed somethin’, they’d lend it to you. When you was done, you gave it back. Not like today.”
“What changed?”
“It became less about caring for the land and the animals and more about makin’ money. That seems to be the way of change, though. The focus shifts from what’s important to what you can put in your coffers.”
“How long did you have to wait?”
“Three years.”
“How did you stand it?”
“Didn’t have much of a choice, really. The Peterman’s are good people and no one wanted to leave them high and dry. They couldn’t pay us nothin’, but most of the hands stayed on. A few left.
The fed us and housed us. Beyond that, we didn’t have a dime between us. Those were hard times. There was laughter, too, and singin’ ‘round the fire pit. We did that most nights.”
“Why didn’t you leave after the first year? That’s long enough to try when things are going from bad to worse.”
“You don’t leave the people you love. You stand side-by-side and become stronger together. I’m sure you feel that way about your family.”
Jacob was silent.
“Touch a nerve?”
“Ain’t got nothin’ to say.”
Bart headed down the path toward them. “One hundred and nine, just like there should be. I told you there weren’t none missin’.”
“What’s your name?” Red asked.
“Jacob.”
“Jacob, this here’s Bart. I’m Red.”
“Good to meet you.”
“I think Jacob was the man I saw near the paddock.”
“Was you down there?” Bart asked.
Jacob nodded his head.
“Next time you go gallivantin’ all across creation, stay away from the paddocks. I got better things to do than spend half my night countin’ cows. I’m headed back to my quarters to count sheep. That, I don’t mind doin’.”
Red chuckled.
Bart smiled as he headed back up the path. He’d gotten to use his joke after all.
“C’mon, I’ll walk you back to the ranch hand quarters,” Red said.
“I know my way.”
Red looked dubious, but said no more. As he watched Jacob following in Bart’s footsteps, he realized the height was all wrong for the man he saw. It wasn’t Jacob he saw by the cow paddock. So who was it? And why?
Chapter Thirteen
It was four a.m. when Red came to wake the city slickers. He never told anyone he enjoyed ringing the traditional triangular dinner bell, especially when he knew how much they’d come to hate the sound.
He didn’t begrudge them their little vacation, but working the ranch for a couple weeks wasn’t the same as living it day in and day out. When it was time to leave, they’d boast that they knew what it was like to do a hard day’s work. They had no way of knowing what they experienced was just one easy slice of country life.
“Daylight’s burnin’. You got ten minutes to get down to the fire pit.” Red rang the bell for another minute, then went to wake Jacob. Word traveled fast about his rogue decision to stay in the old barracks. He gained favor in his eyes from that decision, not that he’d ever let him see that.
“Make him stop ringing that thing!” Courtney held her hands over her ears as she opened her eyes. It’s still night time. The rooster isn’t even up yet.”
“Complain while you’re getting dressed, we don’t have much time,” Brad said, placing his feet on the floor and shaking his head to help clear the sleep from his brain.
Diego jumped down from the end of the bed, ready to go for a walk.
“Not now, D. I promise we’ll go for a walk when I get back.”
The look of disappointment he received was palpable.
Court and Brad met up with Alex, Purity and Bobby in the hallway.
“Where’s Meg?” Purity asked. “I’m firing her as our vacation planner.”
“It’s only the first day. In a week, you’ll be waking up before the bell ever rings,” Alex said, placing an arm around her shoulders.
“This was your idea, of course you’re excited. I need sleep.”
“You can go back to bed, if you need to.”
“Oh no she can’t,” Courtney said. “All for one and one for all. Nobody gets special treatment.”
“But she’s pregnant,” Bobby said.
“There should be a limited number of times that excuse can be used.”
“And what number should that be?” Alex asked.
“For this vacation, I’d say once a day, maybe twice.”
“Very generous of you,” Purity said. “When you’re pregnant, I’ll remind you of this conversation.”
“Is everyone ready?” Meg asked as she and Jeremy joined the group.
“Why are you so chipper?” Court asked.
“It’s a beautiful day, we’re on vacation and we’re about to have an adventure!”
“How can you tell it’s a beautiful day? The sun isn’t even up yet.”
“Come on, Eeyore, we’re wastin’ daylight.”
“I think it’s burnin’ daylight and you didn’t answer my question.”
“Should we go see if Jacob is ready?” Bobby asked.
“Let’s head for the fire pit. If he’s not there, we can come back up and get him,” Meg said.
They all made their way down the path toward the fire pit in silence, taking deep breaths of air into their lungs and trying to focus on the experience rather than how warm they had been back in their beds.
Jacob was sitting around a roaring fire as they approached.
“You beat us,” Bobby said.
“Did you sleep okay, honey?” Meg asked.
“It was fine.”
“Did you see the rat again?” Purity asked.
“Yeah. You feelin’ okay?”
“Just tired, but who isn’t?”
“It gets better,” Frank said. “It don’t seem like it will, but it will. I know you’re cold and hungry and tired. Think about how the horses feel right now. How about the cows and chickens? They feel the same as you. You got a choice. They don’t. If they’re goin’ to eat, we need to feed ‘em. If they’re goin’ to drink, we need to provide water for ‘em.
The minute we took them in as ours, we made a commitment to put their care first. We’re second. And that’s how it is, plain and simple. So don’t waste my time by complainin’. I don’t want to hear it.”
“After all the mornin’ chores, you can go back to the ranch hand quarters and have breakfast,” Emma said.
“How will we know when that is?” Jeremy asked.
“We’ll tell you,” Red said. “We’re goin’ to split you into groups. Some will head down to the stables, others to the cow paddock, some to the chicken coop and so on. Each group will have a leader. There’s me, I’m Red. That’s Bart over there.”
Bart nodded his head.
“Next to him is Cal, Jake, Ronda, Bamma, Jessica, String, Sam, Miles, TJ and Joe Bob.”
“I didn’t know there were girl ranch hands,” Jeremy said.
“What do you think I am?” Emma asked.
Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. “Guess I never really th
ought about it.”
“The Double Y is a great place to think.”
“Any questions?” Frank asked. No one spoke. “You’ll all get a chance to work in the different areas, so don’t worry if you don’t get your favorite one right off.”
The ranch hands began picking the teams from among the group. Those without a team joined one of the already formed teams until they were all heading in different directions.
“See you later, Mom,” Jeremy said with a large grin. “I’m goin’ egg pickin’!”
Jacob and Bobby had been paired together and were heading toward the stables, much to Jacob’s displeasure. He had hoped to be teamed up with anyone except his family.
Emma had taken Purity and Meg by the arm and asked, “How’d you gals like to learn how to churn butter?”
Meg was delighted by the idea. Purity would have rather gone with Jeremy. The kitchen was not her favorite room in the house, as the moldy items in her refrigerator could attest.
An hour and a half later, the ranch was bathed in the glow of morning sunlight as they all found themselves at the dining room table back at the ranch hand quarters.
“It was so cool!” Jeremy declared. “I was scared at first. I mean, if I was a chicken, I wouldn’t want somebody stickin’ their hand up my butt. I’d peck at him ‘til their hand fell off.”
“Nice imagery,” Court said, passing a home-made buttered biscuit covered with strawberry jam to Jeremy.”
“Thanks.”
“I don’t know about you,” Brad said, “but it was totally worth it for this spread laid out before us. I thought we had a ton of food last night, but this is amazing.”
Scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, maple sausage, pancakes, biscuits, fresh-squeezed orange juice, coffee and cream cheese Danish pastries made from scratch covered the table.
“Since I’m eating for two and all, I guess I can have more bacon, right?” Purity said.
“I’m eating whatever I want,” Meg said. “We’re only here for two weeks.”
“I have a feeling we’ll be burning off all the calories,” Court said. “I overhead String telling TJ that we’ll be working three times a day for at least as long as we did this morning.”
“How much does a ranch hand get paid?” Jacob asked.
