The Island

by Alice Ward

“Thank you,” I replied. I tucked a strand of my long blonde hair behind my ears and gave Bradley and Dale each a stiff hug. Daddy and Renee joined Dale in the front row of padded folding chairs while Matt, Bradley, and I filed in behind them. I settled in to my seat with Bradley to my left and Matt to my right.

  “I can’t wait for the action to start. What’s up first?” Matt asked.

  “Steer roping, I think,” Bradley replied. He leaned into my ear and whispered, “To be honest, rodeos aren’t really my thing. But when Dad said you’d be here, I couldn’t resist.”

  You should have just stayed home.

  “Really? I love rodeos,” I told him. I leaned away and draped my arm across the back of Matt’s chair, hoping that Bradley would take the hint. I’d never showed the slightest bit of interest in him, but that never stopped him from pursuing me.

  The announcer walked across the dirt floor to the middle of the stadium. In a booming voice, he welcomed us and gave a stern reminder that flash photography wasn’t allowed during the show. A longhorn steer ran in to the arena and the rodeo officially began.

  I didn’t pay much attention to the action in front of us. I was too busy studying Daddy and Renee. In my opinion, they were sitting too close to each other. As the cowboys rounded up the steers, Daddy made horrible jokes and Renee laughed much too enthusiastically. I’d forgotten that James was roping until the announcer called his name. I tore my eyes away from Daddy and Renee and turned back to the show.

  James entered the arena on one of the biggest horses I’d ever seen. Seven was a beautiful leopard Appaloosa, with thick legs and solid hindquarters. James looked completely at home on his back as they raced towards the steer. James had the animal roped and tied in what the announcer said was record time.

  “I can’t believe you enjoy this,” Bradley told me. “Roping them to do vetting is one thing. Roping them for show just seems… barbaric.”

  “I think it’s hot,” Matt announced. The corner of his mouth curled up in a sly smile. “I wonder if there are any cowboys here that bat for my team…”

  “I’m sure there’s at least one,” Bradley told him. “But you could do better than a cowboy. Haven’t you heard that Willie Nelson song?”

  “Yes, but that song doesn’t get in to how sexy a man on a horse can be,” Matt answered with a smile, his eyebrows moving up and down.

  Bradley turned his nose up and looked back to the show. The steer roping ended and James was declared the winner. The next two hours passed in a blur as riders performed tricks, raced barrels, and bent poles. I didn’t pay attention to who won what. I was, again, too busy watching Daddy and Renee. Bradley tried to strike up conversations, but after hearing a string of “yeah”, “no”, and “uh huh”, he gave up and watched the rodeo in silence. Finally, it was time for the bull riding.

  As Renee had promised, the stadium was packed with people for the final event of the night. The first rider was thrown from a bucking black bull straight out of the gate.

  Renee turned around. “That’s Knightwind,” she explained. “He’s infamous for being impossible to ride. Only five people have ever held on the entire eight seconds. I hope James hasn’t drawn him.”

  Twenty minutes later, after eight more riders had had their turn, Renee’s fears were realized. Knightwind was driven into the chute and James crawled onto his back.

  “I’m sure he’ll be just fine,” Daddy assured Renee. He took her hand and I shot Matt an “I told you so” look.

  He put his arm around me and drew me close. “She’s scared. Maybe he’s just comforting her. We hold hands all the time and there’s nothing romantic going on between us.”

  I was going to argue, but the chute opened and pulled my attention back to James. The bull bucked and jumped, but he remained rooted to his saddle. I watched him move with the wild beast, conquering nature, and I got wet between my legs. The buzzer sounded, announcing that James had reached his eight second goal.

  “James Parker, ladies and gentlemen, only the sixth man to complete a ride on Knightwind,” the announcer said as James slid off the bull’s back. Two rodeo clowns hustled Knightwind back into the chute as we waited to hear James’s score.

  “Like I said, this is sexy,” Matt told me with a grin. He touched me gently on the chin and I realized that my mouth was open in awe. I shut it quickly and turned away, my face hot with embarrassment.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, our last rider of the night has been declared our winner. That’s first place in steer roping and bull riding for James Parker. Let’s give him a round of applause.”

  The crowd cheered; Renee, Daddy, and Dale gave a standing ovation. Matt and I joined them while Bradley remained sulking in his seat. James accepted his second trophy of the night, waved at the crowd, and ran out of the arena. The applause died down and we returned to our seats.

  “So, what are you doing after this?” Bradley asked hopefully. “Would you like to go get dinner, or a drink? Dad could ride home with Cole and Matt and we could take his truck.”

  I shook my head, thankful to have an out. “We’re meeting with James. We have ranch business to discuss.”

  Bradley looked like he’d just bitten in to something sour. “What does he have to do with the ranch?”

  “He’ll be working there, if Daddy gets his way,” I explained.

  “Fine, some other time then,” he said hopefully.

  “We’ll see… racing season is in full force. I’m going to be pretty busy.”

  Bradley frowned, but didn’t argue. We stayed in our seats for a few minutes, waiting for the crowd to disperse. Once the stadium was nearly empty, Daddy and Renee rose from their seats.

  “Dale, Bradley, I’m glad you guys could come tonight,” Daddy told them. “But if you’ll excuse us, we have some business to attend to.”

  “Will you be at poker Monday night?” Dale asked.

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Daddy assured him. They shook hands and we filed out of the box. Dale and Bradley set off for the main exit while the rest of us walked towards the backside of the stadium. Bradley didn’t bother saying goodbye.

  “James is probably loading Seven,” Renee explained. “I bet we’ll find him at his trailer.”

  We left the stadium through the back exit and made our way to the rows of trucks and trailers. Renee headed towards a beat up Ford attached to an impressive, nearly new horse trailer. We got there just as James was locking the trailer door.

  “Baby, I’m so proud of you,” Renee said as she wrapped her son in a hug. “I was so worried when I saw Knightwind in that chute. But you handled him like a champ.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” James said as she pulled away. A broad smile had replaced his surly disposition. “To be honest, I was a bit worried myself. But that was an adrenaline rush like no other.”

  “Very impressive,” Daddy told him. “I hope you don’t mind if the kids and I join you and your mom for dinner. I have an idea I’d like to discuss with you.”

  “The more the merrier,” James agreed. He looked me up and down again and I turned away as I felt my cheeks flush red again.

  “Mom, can I ride with you?” he continued. “I don’t want to try and squeeze the trailer into a parking lot.”

  “Of course sweetheart, that will give us time to catch up. Where would you like to go?”

  “There’s a great Mexican place nearby; does that sound okay to everyone else?”

  “Perfect!” Daddy agreed. “I know just the place you’re talking about. We’ll see you there in a few minutes.”

  Renee was parked near James, but Daddy had parked in the main lot with all of the other spectators. As we made our way back to the truck, I wondered how in the world I’d be able to eat anything with James Parker watching me.

  ***

  Dinner went surprisingly well that night. After two margaritas I felt much more at ease and I was able to relax and enjoy myself. James was high off of his wins and seemed to enjoy our company.

  When Da
ddy explained the extended trail rides he wanted to offer, James shocked everyone by quickly accepting the job. He was so excited about getting started, he decided to skip his next rodeo and get to work right away. Daddy promised to schedule the rides so that James could still make it to rodeos close to home, and James seemed grateful for the consideration. They agreed to ride out the possible trails first thing Monday morning.

  But when Monday rolled around, plans changed. Matt and I were already at the barn when James and Renee arrived. They were in James’s truck, with Seven in the trailer behind them.

  “Good morning,” Renee greeted us as she slid out of the passenger seat. James remained fixed behind the steering wheel. “Sorry we’re a little late. Seven didn’t want to load this morning, but it seemed silly for us to drive separately.”

  “No problem, I completely understand,” I told her. “We just fed everyone breakfast. If you want to pull up to the stables, you can unload Seven there. That’s where we keep the horses we ride on a regular basis,” I explained to James.

  “You can stay here, Mom. I’ve got this,” James said. He seemed to be in a bad mood, but I didn’t know why.

  “I’ll go up to the house and let Daddy know you’re here,” I told him. I turned to Matt. “Do you need anything while I’m up there?”

  “We’re out of coffee,” he told me. “I made the last pot this morning.”

  “I’ll grab another canister.”

  Renee grabbed a horse brush and started grooming Thunder. James pulled forward to the stables while Matt grabbed a brush of his own and started working on Clementine. I jumped in the ATV and drove to the main house.

  “Daddy, James is here,” I called out as I walked through the front door. I went to the kitchen to fetch the coffee and found him pacing the floors with his phone pressed to his ear. He held up his pointer finger, signaling me to wait.

  “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he promised whoever he was talking to. He ended the call and slid the phone into his shirt pocket.

  “What’s going on? Where are you going?” I asked.

  “That was Marshall. The back fence is down and we’ve got cattle moving in to the park. Huck is out sick today and the rest of the guys need some help.”

  “But James is here to ride out the trails,” I told him. “But maybe that’s a good thing. He brought his horse and we know he’s good with a rope. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind helping you.”

  Daddy shook his head. “I talked to him yesterday. He was having second thoughts about accepting the job because he didn’t want to get stuck doing this kind of grunt work. I promised I’d never need him for anything but the trail rides. And I’ve put the cart before the horse. We have an overnight group scheduled for this Saturday.”

  I sighed. “I wish you hadn’t done that. We have a ton of work to do before we’re ready for guests.”

  “I know… I hate to ask this Willow, but…”

  “I’ll go,” I told him, knowing it was the right thing to do. “Let me throw some stuff in a bag and then I’ll go tell everyone what’s going on. Matt and Renee can handle the horses today and tomorrow morning.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart. I’ve got to get to the pasture. Stay safe, pack your pistol, and take the satellite phone. Your cell won’t get reception on the mountain.”

  “Okay, Daddy. Don’t worry about me. Just take care of the cattle.”

  He gave me a hug, kissed the top of my head, and raced out of the house. I went to my bedroom, changed into well-worn jeans and a flannel button up, and pulled on my riding boots. I packed a duffle bag, grabbed the satellite phone from Daddy’s study, and filled a soft sided cooler with food, water, and ice packs. When I was sure I had everything we needed, I returned to the thoroughbred barn. James had unloaded Seven at the stables and rejoined Renee and Matt.

  “Is your dad on his way?” James asked. “I’d like to get started.”

  “He’s not coming,” I told him. “We’ve got a fence down and he has to go help the guys before we lose any cattle.”

  James clenched his jaw and I could tell that he was irritated.

  “Don’t worry, we’re still going. Matt, Renee, I need you to handle things for the rest of the day… tomorrow too, probably.”

  “You’re coming with me?” James asked. I couldn’t tell if he was more shocked or annoyed.

  “I grew up on this mountain and I’m the one who mapped the trails,” I explained, keeping my temper in check.

  If he’s going to have this attitude the whole time, I’m in for a long, miserable day.

  “Fine,” James replied, his jaw tight. “Let’s get started then.”

  “I think this is great!” Renee told us. “Willow knows the land better than anyone, and this will give the two of you a chance to get to know each other better.”

  James shot her a look that said he had no interest in getting to know me. I pretended not to notice.

  “I have the satellite phone if you need anything,” I told Matt.

  “I’m sure we’ll be fine,” he assured me.

  “I know you can handle it,” I said as I tossed him the coffee canister. “I’m going to saddle Mayhem and then we can get on the trail.”

  I left the barn and took the ATV to the stables without offering James a ride.

  If he’s going to act like that, he can walk.

  I walked to Mayhem’s stall and saw that he was already saddled. I made a mental note to thank Dallas and led my horse out of the barn.

  “That’s a nice animal,” James said. I looked up and saw that he was ten yards away. “I saddled Seven and stuck him in an empty stall. I hope that’s okay.”

  “That’s fine,” I told him as I filled my saddle bags. “Do you have room for some gear, or should I get a pack horse? I don’t have much, but it’s more than I can carry on my own.” I filled one saddle bag with the contents of the duffle bag as I spoke.

  “I’ve got plenty of room,” he told me. “Aside from a bottle of whiskey and a few extra pairs of socks, my bags are empty.”

  “Perfect, follow me.”

  I led him to the supply barn and we grabbed a tent, two sleeping bags, an axe, and a large pair of hedge trimmers. “Once we’ve decided on the exact trail, we can load chainsaws in the ATV and clear a proper path,” I explained. “But we may have to cut our way through a few areas today.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” he agreed as we walked back to the stables.

  James led Seven out of the stables. We packed our horses and set off for the mouth of the trail.

  “I don’t know if Daddy told you, but he has riders scheduled for Saturday.”

  “I know.”

  “Since we don’t have much time to get things ready, I think we should follow one of the existing trails and break off from there,” I continued. “I have a couple of ideas of where we can branch off.”

  “Whatever… you’re the boss.”

  We reached the trail and Mayhem took the lead. Seven didn’t seem to mind being the follow horse, but James was obviously irritated that I was in front.

  Fuck him. I know the land better than he does. Let him sit back there and sulk. I may have to work with him, but I don’t have to talk to him. What the fuck is his problem?

  James’s attitude made it much easier to ignore his sexiness. We rode in silence for a couple of hours until we reached the spot where I wanted to break away from the trail. I pulled gently on Mayhem’s reins and turned around in my saddle. Seven slowed to a stop and James shot me a questioning look.

  “There’s a nice level spot about eight miles up the mountain from here,” I told him. “I think it will make a good campsite. Do you want to break for lunch while we’re still on the main trail?”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  I reached down and retrieved an apple and a bottle of water from the cooler that hung around my saddle horn. “Fine, I can eat while we ride. Why don’t you go in front of me? I can call out directions as we move up the mountain.”<
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  James perked up at the suggestion and I let him move past me. “There are a few ledges, but this is mostly all uphill,” I told him. “We may have to zigzag a little around the steeper areas. Keep the path as straight as possible, and when we reach the old logging road, we’ll turn right.”

  “Got it,” he called back to me as Seven started climbing the mountain. James showed no interest in small talk and I tried to pretend that I was out for a solo, relaxing ride. Mayhem knew the mountain as well as I did and maneuvered the rocky terrain without any guidance from me. James paused several times to cut thorny vines and thin branches out of our way. I marked the larger obstacles with red tape so we’d know what to clear with the chain saw.

  We rode for another four hours, all of them silent. I was starving and wanted to get down and stretch my legs, but I didn’t want James to think that I couldn’t keep up with him. Finally, the path widened and we reached the old logging road. I gave Mayhem a gentle nudge with my heels and he moved up beside Seven. To my surprise, James looked over at me and smiled.

  “Hey… it was getting kind of lonely up here. Are we close to the area you’re thinking about?”

  I nodded. “We’ll follow the logging road for about a quarter of a mile, and then we’ll veer North. The spot I have in mind has a beautiful sandstone bluff behind it. I thought that would be good for the fire, help…”

  “Keep the wind from killing it or spreading it,” James finished for me. He cocked and eyebrow and gave me an amused grin.

  I widened my eyes in curiosity. “What?”

  James shook his head. “Nothing.”

  We rode for another ten minutes in oddly comfortable silence and then arrived at the clearing.

  We were on three acres of level land that backed up to a fifty foot sandstone bluff. James looked up at it and whistled.

  “I’d hate to fall from up there. Look at all of those jagged outcrops.”

  “I know… but the view from up there is incredible,” I said with a sigh.

  “I’d love to see it.”

  I shook my head. “Maybe some other time, we have too much to do today. What do you think we should do first, start a fire or pitch the tent?” I asked.