by Parker, Ali
Resting my elbows on my desk, I put my head in my hands. This mess just kept getting bigger and bigger. It was like being in quicksand and struggling to get out, only to sink deeper. What was I going to do? The Taylor’s had always had it in for this ranch since they’d arrived, but this was much worse. I didn’t put it past them to burn down the place, especially considering their criminal history. They would do it without even thinking. So now I had the anxiety of dealing with that fire as well as the fire in my heart.
17
Dylan
I was feeling good that Helen was at least talking to me again. But the situation that brought us together was not a good thing at all. Nothing brought people together better than a crisis, and we were in one for sure. I took Andy’s word for it that he would do something like burn down this ranch. He was a mean son of a bitch—you could see it all over his face. So, I was taking his threats very seriously. I was going to prepare the ranch as if I knew for a fact that they were going to set fire to it, because that is the kind of preparation one needed when dealing with the Taylor’s. The younger generation didn’t seem to be good people, and I could only imagine what kind of parents they’d had in order to turn out so foul.
“Now, I’ve shown you where all the watch posts are. These are the schedules and where you should be posted during what hours. If for some reason you can’t do your scheduled shift you come to me directly and I will make sure that it is covered. I don’t want any miscommunications inadvertently leaving a hole. This is very serious as you know. We have our routine for the irrigation line and when to water. The irrigation lines are on timers, but if you are watering with the hose around the ranch it is also your obligation to see that the timer went off and the irrigation on the rest of the ranch is working. Is that understood?” I said, addressing the group of six men in front of me, including Marshall and Eddie.
“Yes,” they all said in unison.
“Alright, let’s get to it,” I said. We all set out walking around the ranch, doing our work of setting up for the regular work plus fire prevention. The night before was a hard night because we only had Marshall, Eddie, myself and one other ranch hand helping out. But we had managed to dampen everything with the hose, and to take night watch alternating between us. It worked out fine. Today we were able to spend time on getting a better routine going with more manpower.
We spent the entire morning working on this, then some of the men went home to rest because they would be on the night shift later that night. It was all working out as I had planned, though I felt horrible for my role in inviting this trouble. So, I was the one paying for the salaries for these men. I had insisted and wouldn’t let Helen pay for anything. This was my mess and I was going to be responsible for it.
I walked over to the water pump, ready to wash the sun and sweat off of my head. The pump was a modern one, like the one that Tanner had wanted us to install at the ranch. All I had to do was turn the knob and the water came out, I didn’t have to actually pump anything. I took off my hat and pushed my head underneath the cold running water. It felt good after being in the heat all day. Turning the water off, I whipped my head up and water went everywhere from my hair. I locked eyes with Helen, who was looking at me from across the barnyard. She looked startled when I saw her, and quickly turned her back to me. It seemed as though she was embarrassed that she’d been caught watching me. I liked that she was watching me and only wished she would give in to her desires. It was torture being around her without being able to touch her. The night before I had been so anxious about a potential fire that it wasn’t as hard to get through the night without her. My mind was focused on protecting her, not taking her to my bed. But it didn’t escape my attention that she was sleeping in her bed so near, yet so far away from me.
I walked over to the picnic area where a jug of water and some iced tea were set up. I poured myself a glass of sweet iced tea and thought about the way Abi would make her sweet tea. I wondered what my family was doing out on the ranch today.
“Dylan,” Helen said. I turned to her with a big smile.
“Yes ma’am,” I said.
“I spoke to my friend that owns Mickey’s. She said you could go there in an hour and be there for 3 to 4 hours if you like. You could do that around this time every day until Sunday. She’s there doing inventory and accounting, so you could get in,” she said.
“Really? That’s great news!” I got so excited that I hugged her, picking her up off her feet and swinging her around. She laughed.
“Alright, alright. Put me down,” she said.
“Sorry. I got carried away.”
“Just go there and ask for Imogene. She’s my friend,” she said.
“Thanks. I’m gonna go take a shower and change then.”
“That’s a good idea,” she teased me.
“Unless you want to join me?” I whispered to her.
She grabbed a dishtowel from the back pocket of her jeans and threw it at me as she walked away.
I liked this little light flirtation we were having, even if she was against being with me.
After I showered and dressed, I was on my way to Mickey’s in the early afternoon. I was excited to get on that bull. It had been a long time since I’d ridden a bucking bronco. This, of course, was a mechanical device and couldn’t come close to the real thing, but it would still be fun. A part of me wished that my brothers were here with me.
I pulled into the parking lot of Mickey’s. There was one old dusty red Mustang, about a ‘67 I thought. Next to it was a brand new pick-up truck.
Walking in the main door the smell of beer, hay, and vomit hit me pretty hard. It was a purely awful smell and one that seemed very harsh in the light of day. It was something easily overlooked when you were out to have fun and already smelled of beer yourself.
“Can I help you?” a man said, looking up from a long table with receipts all around him.
“I’m here to see Imogene,” I said.
He pointed to a side office that I hadn’t even noticed was there. I guess the door was usually kept closed and locked during business hours, a smart decision.
“Imogene, there’s a cowboy out here for you,” the man shouted.
I walked toward the office and a woman with bright red hair and glasses came out.
“Hi, I’m Dylan. Helen said she spoke to you about me practicing on that bull you have here,” I said.
“Well, look at you. Aren’t you a peach,” she said.
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said, tipping my hat.
“And polite too. Helen is one lucky woman,” she muttered.
“I’m sorry?”
“Nothing,” she said. “So, you want to practice on my bull?”
“Yes ma’am. If you don’t mind,” I said.
“Go on back. Hardy is already over there. He’s the operator and he’ll show you what’s what,” she said.
“Thank you, ma’am. Have a nice day,” I said.
I turned to walk away and I swear I heard her mutter, “Look at that cute ass,” followed by a groan.
My face turned as red as a tomato and I realized that Helen was right about being paranoid. This particular woman seemed to think something was going on between us. Then I remembered that I had seen her before. When I first came to Mickey’s and sat in the lot she was in the red Mustang. I told her then that I was working at the Larson Dude Ranch. That interaction must be what had made Helen feel like I was being talked about in town. Suddenly, I felt really guilty about discounting Helen’s concerns. I should have had more compassion for what she was talking about, instead of being an ass about it.
“Hardy, sir?” I said to the gentleman in the dirty brown straw hat. I recognized him as the rodeo operator from the other night.
“That’s me, son. I hear you earned yourself some practice time through Imogene’s good graces.”
“Yes sir, if you don’t mind. I don’t want to put you out of your routine or anything,” I said.
“No son, it’s not a problem at all. In fact, you’re helping me out today because I did some calibrations on the thing and I need to test it out with a rider, going through all the levels.”
“Then I’m your man, sir,” I said, hopping into the ring.
“Get on,” he said.
I grabbed the saddle horn and jumped on the mechanical bull, straddling it. I affixed myself, tightening my knees and pressing them hard against the leather. I pushed my right hand under the rope strap and pulled it tight. I raised my left hand in the air, feeling and testing my balance. Then I yanked it back in the air, signaling I was ready.
“This is the low setting,” he said.
The bull slowly rocked back and forth, spun, and bucked. It was a light ride and exactly what I needed to get my bearings. It felt good. I kept my eye on the rope strap. Looking up would make you dizzy. I knew this from riding bucking broncos.
I stayed on a whole minute before the operator stopped.
“Just need to check the levels,” he said, coming into the ring. He knelt down behind the bull pushing a lever back and forth.
“Now we’ll do a medium speed,” he said.
“I’m ready,” I replied.
He went back to his station and pushed the lever sitting on the table in front of him. It was violent this time. Three seconds in, I flew off and hit the air-cushioned ground.
“Seems like it’s got a good kick,” he laughed.
I got up, feeling frustrated. “Yeah, geez I’m rusty,” I said.
“Nice to meet you, rusty,” he joked.
His teasing would have been funny if I wasn’t so pissed that I couldn’t stay on.
“Again,” I said.
I hopped back on and went at it again and again. I went through all the settings, falling off each and every one of them. I couldn’t stay on for more than four to five seconds. Eight seconds was the standard in rodeo, and would probably be more like ten or more for this mechanical bull competition with Andy Taylor.
“Again!” I shouted, after picking myself and my dignity off the floor again. I was determined.
18
Helen
"Thank you for coming to the Larson Dude Ranch. Don’t forget to tell all your friends about us. We’d love to have them,” I said to the parting guests with a big smile on my face. This was part of the marketing after all. You wanted to leave the guests with a pleasant departure experience.
“We sure will. We had so much fun. This is a really special place,” the guest said.
“Thank you. I really appreciate that.” I shook their hands and then watched as they made their way toward their vehicle in the parking lot.
“Did you have a good time?” I said to the next guests that were walking toward me wheeling their suitcases toward their vehicle. It was a young couple about thirty years old. They seemed very happy, and in love. They had only been married a year.
“Oh yes. We had so much fun. Thank you for the experience. My Instagram page is absolutely loving all the photos,” the woman said.
“Well, don’t forget to tag us so that we can see all the great pictures you took,” I said.
“I did. Can we get a photo with you? You’re the owner, right?”
“Yes ma’am, Helen Larson and you absolutely can. Hey Eddie, can you take our picture!” I shouted to Eddie who was walking nearby.
“Yes ma’am,” he said coming over.
I was still getting used to all the social media aspects of running the ranch. It wasn’t my favorite part, but it was necessary for all businesses now, like it or not.
“Alright everyone, say cheese,” Eddie said, as I lined up with the couple and he took the shot.
“Thank you so much,” the woman said. Her husband wheeled their luggage to the car and Eddie stepped in to help. It was at this point that the woman took me aside to whisper something that kind of stunned me.
“Just between you and I—the reason my Instagram is so popular all of a sudden is because of that one ranch hand. Where is he? Oh, there he is,” she pointed across toward Dylan.
“Ah,” I said.
“He’s a cutie. All my friends have been posting in the comments, wondering who he is and if he’s single,” she laughed. “You should put him on the brochure.” With a wink, she laughed and then headed toward her husband.
“Thanks,” I said, confused, then shook my head and laughed, turning my attention to another group.
“Thank you for coming to the Larson Dude Ranch. I hope you had a wonderful time,” I said to the next group coming my way. They were a family of three, with an eleven-year-old. I had a brief conversation with them about their stay and any feedback they had. It was mostly positive which I was grateful for.
They were the last guests checking out that day. I turned from the parking lot after watching the last car get safely off my land and felt relieved. It was always a weight off my shoulders when the last guests left and I could get a little much needed break. The last few days had been nonstop. We had a full house, and it had been a while since every single bungalow had been filled. I used to have a lot more workers involved before the downturn in business, but now I took more on myself. Between having to keep the fire watch staffed and cover the work of the employees I’d laid off due to budget constraints, I was exhausted!
I knew that a nice hot bath with Epsom salts would be needed to take care of my sore limbs when I was finally done with the routine of work I had ahead of me.
As I walked back toward the bungalows, Dylan caught my eye. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, just a cowboy hat, and rugged jeans and boots as he worked in the sun. He was lifting some items and putting them in the back of a pickup truck. I found I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. The sweat was glistening on his skin which brought to mind the last time that he was on top of me—pounding me. I quickly shook the image from my mind, but it didn’t stop me from walking over to him. What the woman had said about the photos of him on her social media pages made me only want him more. Perhaps that was petty but it was true.
“Those the last guests?” Dylan said, as he stopped working for a moment. His gorgeous eyes were squinting at me in the sunlight. He bent over to grab a jug of water and drank from it. Then he took off his cowboy hat and poured some water on his dirty blonde hair which ran down his bare chest and back. My mouth practically fell open. I wondered if he had done such a thing while that woman was here and if she had captured it on video. The thought made me jealous for a second.
“Yes those were the last of the guests, but that doesn’t mean the work is over. I’ve got to go clean those bungalows and do the laundry and—”
“Want me to help you in the bungalows?” he asked with a grin. I knew what he meant. He wanted private time in a bungalow with me.
“No thanks. I’m sure I can manage,” I said.
“Because you’re afraid of what might happen?” he whispered.
I cleared my throat and gave him a look, ignoring the question.
“How are things looking out here?”
“Everything is going good here, a lot of good hard work. Exactly what I need to keep my mind off of certain things,” he looked at me up and down, not even trying to hide the fact that his eyes landed on my breasts. I put my hands on my hips and he finally pulled his gaze from my chest and back to my eyes.
“I think you probably need some rest, Dylan. You’ve been non-stop here. Working on the ranch, overseeing the fire watch, not to mention going to the bar to practice on that bull.”
“It’s done wonders. Are you really not going to come out tonight and watch?”
“I really don’t think I should,” I said, thinking about the last time I had gone to Mickey’s with my husband. I really didn’t want to step foot in there again and have all those memories come flooding back.
“I wish you would. I’m doing it for you, for the ranch,” he said.
I crossed my arms. “Now don’t you pretend that you aren’t also doing this for your own ego, Dylan Dawson
. You started a fight with that Taylor brother, and this is what happened,” I said. “You want to put him in his place and that’s the real reason you have been practicing on that bull like crazy.”
“True,” he grinned. “But that doesn’t mean that those Taylor’s haven’t been after you and this ranch for some time. That’s what it’s really all about. I’m going to tell him the stakes tonight.” He looked around the ranch with a far-off look like he really was invested in this place and had a sense of pride in it. Admiration for him beamed inside of me.
“The thousand dollars? You really don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do Helen. It’s a necessary part of the deal. It’s the only way he’ll accept the bet to leave this place alone and to leave you alone. It’s gotta be a good sum of money.”
I sighed, “I don’t like it.”
“Well, I’m doing it anyway and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
A part of me knew that he was right and it made me feel guilty. Maybe I should be there for him. He had done a lot for me and I should repay it by supporting him. But I really didn’t want to have a face to face beef with members of the Taylor family. They had enough of a problem with me already.
“But wait, it’s not only that. I really wish you would come—for me. It would be good to see your face out there, you know, to give me courage,” the grin fell from his face and he looked at me with all seriousness.
It was touching to hear him say that. But that was bordering on affection and having feelings for each other, something that I kept denying to myself.
I smiled, “You’ll do fine. I’ve got to get back to work.” I walked toward the bungalows to get started on cleaning up for the day. As I walked away, I heard him let out a little groan. My entire backside grew hot, knowing that he was staring at me.
Every time I entered a bungalow, I opened the curtains and threw open the window to air out the room. But this time I did it partly because I knew it would give me a good view of Dylan at work around the ranch. I found myself standing in the window and staring at him. Minutes would go by before I realized what I was doing. Watching him made my heart skip a beat, he really was one of the most attractive men I had ever seen. But in the back of my mind, I kept thinking it was wrong. He is younger than me. I cannot do this. Then I would get back to work.
