California Cowboys

Chapter 4

Cora sat with her arms folded across her chest and glared out the front window. She refused to speak to Jacob and he seemed to be okay with that. He hadn't so much as tried to apologize. This only infuriated her more. She couldn't wait to get to the farm. At least Bill would be there and she loved him.

It took another hour but they had finally left the city limits. She was amazed at just how beautiful Sacramento was. It was January but only about sixty-five degrees. Much of the vegetation was still lush and green. The only thing that showed signs of winter were the trees. They had golden leaves that were threatening to fall with one hard gust.

What she was really enjoying though was the smell of the ocean. It was something she had never experienced before and she didn't realize just how intoxicating it would be. The mixture of salt and the dense air was enough to put her to sleep.

They drove for another hour before finally pulling up to a large gate. Jacob jumped out of the car and unhooked the gate. He yanked it back as it scraped loudly across rocks and dirt. Cora would've offered to pull the truck through but she was still upset with him. She let him drive it forward, hope out again, close the gate, and drive down the semi-paved road.

Cora was amazed at just how big their ranch was. It was acres upon acres of land. She couldn't spot a single cow but figured they were in the barn.

They pulled up to the house and sitting on the porch was Bill. He smiled brightly and got out of his chair. Cora furrowed her brow with worry as he slowly made his way to the truck.

She couldn't help but break her vow of silence. "What's wrong with your dad?"

"We got a new horse about six months ago and he tried to break her in. The horse kicked him off and he hurt his back really bad."

"Will he be okay?"

Jacob shrugged. "He didn't break anything. Just two bruised ribs and a pulled muscle. The doctor gave him medication and told him to take it easy for a while."

Cora opened the door and decided to meet him halfway. She rushed forward, putting her own pain aside, and gave him a gentle but excited hug. He returned the gesture, patting her back affectionately.

Neither of them got to say a word before Jacob was sighing with irritation. He put all of her suitcases down with much more force than necessary.

"Careful!" exclaimed Cora. "My equipment is in the larger bag."

"Jacob Rafael Ortega!" bellowed Bill. "You better start behaving and act like I raised you right. Take her bags in and show her where she'll be staying. I'll start taking dinner out."

Bill walked over and dug his finger in Jacob's chest. The gesture was almost comical because Jacob was a good foot taller than his father.

"And if I hear you grumble one more complaint I'm going to take away that damn truck for good! Do I make myself clear?"

Jacob nodded, his face becoming cold and emotionless. He strapped one suit case to his shoulder and picked up the two largest ones in his arms. Cora took her carry on and the other suit cases. It was going to be a struggle but she didn't want Jacob to get yelled at anymore. All the fighting was enough for one day.

Cora walked into the house and immediately wrinkled her nose. The smell of dust was so overwhelming that she had to drop the suit case and rub her nose so she didn't sneeze. It was painfully obvious that the house was lacking a woman's touch. Hopefully she could contribute in that way. Her and Annie were in charge of cleaning and they did a pretty good job. This house definitely needed more than just a good job.