On the Fence

Chapter 42

"Get the gate, Taylor!" Brant's voice shouted out over the small herd of cattle being driven toward base camp. I walked as quickly as I could without scaring the oncoming cattle over to the corral gate to open it wide for the next group of cattle Brant, and another had rounded up.

It was the third day of rounding up strays up in the mountains, and each morning the men would leave early in the morning after their breakfast and return sometime in the late afternoon with another group of cattle they had roped and herded towards camp. The evenings were filled with cards in the mess hall tent, time around the fire, and recently the hired guys had been drinking and laughing around the fire.

Each day was the same for me. Get up before the sun and start a huge breakfast for the men, feed them and see them off, then clean up and prepare a huge dinner for them that evening. I would open the corral when it was needed and do other smaller tasks as needed around camp. I would also prepare lunch for any men around that time.

"On the left, Mark!" Brant shouted to his partner. Mark rode around, blocking the left side as Brant's high-pitched whistle echoed off the mountainsides, driving the cattle into the corral. Brant and Mark followed the cattle in, and I shut the gate behind them. The inner gate was opened, and the cattle were driven into the much larger back corral, where the rest of the cattle that had been gathered were.

"Alright, Taylor," Brant said, signaling me to open the outer gate to let him and Mark out after the inner was secured. I swung it wide, and both rode to the hitching post nearby. I shut the gate and turned to watch them dismount.

I was about to walk over to Brant when the sounds of approaching horses caused us all to turn and look at the trailhead. In the distance, I saw a cowboy hat slowly rising above the hill, then slowly a face, followed by a horse's ears, and gradually you could see more and more of him.

"Jeff..." the whisper escaped me, my breath catching, my eyes darting to the next in line, my heart pounding at the thought of seeing Aiden.

Each rider slowly rose from the trail into my sight, and with each one, my eyes would turn to the next, still looking for him, until Jeff rode right up to me, cutting off my view.

"He's not here, Taylor," Jeff quietly said, seeing my hopeful searching. A sigh of disappointment escaped me, and my eyes fell to the ground. Hoping was dangerous, and once again, I felt the painful sting of bitter disappointment. "He got held up at the ranch with something," Jeff finished. My face shot up to look at Jeff as he dismounted with a creak of his leather saddle. Did that mean that Aiden was back at Thunderbird?

"Which ranch, Jeff?" I quietly asked. He opened his mouth to answer as he walked up close to me, but he turned to his name being called before he could.

"Jeff!" Brant shouted in a friendly manner, smiling as he walked over to shake Jeff's hand. "I wondered if you guys would be coming up to do the same thing we are." The smile Brant held for Jeff was wide and genuine.

"We're getting a late start, but our estimation is we only have about 100 head to round up, so it shouldn't take us too long. We will use the West corrals and campsite if they're open?"

"They are," Brant smiled at Jeff.

"Let us know if you guys need any help. I doubt it would get back to Zeke. We spotted a good group of yours about a mile west of Cushing's Creek," Brant said, pointing.

"We will keep our distance out of respect for your boss, but any of you are welcome at our camp," Jeff finished, pointedly looking at me. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face, and I stepped forward and hugged Jeff. He hugged me back affectionately and rubbed my back. He smiled down at me and then released me from the hug to reach out for the reins to his horse.