A Port Ranch Christmas (A Christmas Novella)

Chapter 7

DUSTIN

“Wasn’t entirely sure you were going to make it.”

Granger didn’t even turn his back to acknowledge me walking into the kitchen. He was busy filling up a thermos with coffee. I wasn’t trying to sneak up on him, but I was being quiet for the sake of the time. My heavy boots could probably wake the dead if I wasn’t careful. He heard me nonetheless, something tells me that this man heard a lot of what was going on, his heading surely not impacted by his age.

“I said I was going to head out there with you and I’m a man of my word.” I knew that I was nothing without the honesty in my words. Another life lesson that my dad had been preaching since I was just knee-high. He was a loving man, he didn’t hide his emotions like other businessmen that I worked with over the years, but he was strict and had really high expectations of my sister and me. Randi always got away with a lot more than I did, but being daddy’s little girl was her way out of most disagreements that they had.

My life didn’t come with that privilege. Growing up I never knew why my dad was always pushing trustworthiness and honesty, that wasn’t a lesson I would learn until a couple of years ago. It all made sense then. He wanted his children, especially his son, to be respected members of society and for our family name to be known for positives and rather negatives. I respected the hell out of him for his personal mission statement. I never really wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps when it came to his business, but I knew I did when it came to who he was personally.

Therefore when Granger set us this little challenge to see if I could hang with them for the day, I wasn’t going to back down or weasel my way out of it. I wasn’t trying to buy his life or acceptance, okay maybe I was just a little. But mainly, I wanted him to see me as a man of my word, somebody trustworthy, honest, and just a good person overall. Today was going to be hell, I’m sure they were going to have some tricks up their sleeves for me, but I could grin and bear it. I knew I had to, especially if this was going to be my future.

He grunts rather than replying back to my response to him. Ella was fluent in her dad’s non-verbal communication, but I was totally confused. Rather than push him even further, I grabbed a muffin from the breakfast bar and made my way to the mudroom where the coat Jace brought over last night was waiting for me.

“Are those the boots you’re going to wear? You know you’re going to get them full of shit, right?” Granger scowled as he looked down at my workboots. They weren’t boots meant for working on a ranch, but they would do for now.

“I didn’t have anything else. Jace’s boots were too small for me and he said Deacon wore the same size. These are steel-toed, in case you’re worried about that.”

“I ain’t worried about shit except for you crying tonight about your destroyed $400 boots.”

I tried to hold back my smirk, but it was almost impossible. He had the worst impression of me and I had no idea where it came from. “These are actually just Carhartt work boots, sir. I knew there was snow in the forecast and they were the only thing that would keep my feet warm if we went outside. I’m not too worried about them getting messed up, that’s what they were meant for after all.”

He grunted again and I was still unsure what it meant, but he slipped into his own boots and grabbed his coat off the rack, so I guess my answer was good enough. I followed Granger out to his large truck. It was already warm, thank God for the keyless remote start on this early winter morning. “Does it usually get this cold down here?”

“The last couple of winters have been colder than average, just happy the snow hasn’t started falling yet.”

“It is expected later this week though, huh?”

“Yep.”

“Do you have to do anything to prepare the cattle for that?”

“Yep.”

It was clear that he wasn’t going to give me much more than one-word answers while he drove. “Are you wanting me to shut up now?”

He looked over at me and I swore the corner of his mouth turned up ever so slightly in what could be considered a smirk in Granger’s world, “Yep.”

Point taken. I had no intention of poking the bull. He was probably annoyed enough that I was tagging along. It only took a few minutes to get to the main barn where the workhorses were kept. Granger pointed out the stall that housed the horse that I would be using today, Oak. Like his namesake, he was solid dark brown in color. Like any horse, he was large in size. Compared to come of the other horses, he was on the smaller side. Was that a dig at me? I don’t know. I wouldn’t take it too personally. It had been a while since I had been on horseback and I just wanted a horse that wasn’t going to kill me.

Granger disappeared into a back office where I assume he was doing whatever paperwork or boss shit he has to do to keep this cattle ranch running. Ella had told me that her dad and uncle were the heads of this side of the ranch since her grandpa had to retire many years ago. Her brothers owned the newer side of the ranch, but both still put in time down here, especially when they didn’t have a lot going on with their horse breeding business. One by one, the members of the family I met last night showed up and got going with their morning work. I exchanged friendly greetings with most of them, making a pretty good impression on the younger ones last night.

Porter, Mitch’s son, approached me after he was done saddling up his horse. “You need help with this guy?”

“That would probably be a good idea. I won’t pretend I know what I’m doing.”

He chuckled and grabbed the needed pieces from a wooden shelf between the rows of stalls. “Oak’s a good horse for a newbie. Dad said you weren’t totally new to horseriding though.”

“I’ve ridden horses but never worked on them. Plus they always had people that got the horses ready for us. Once I get up there I think I’ll be fine. Just promise me if I fall on my ass and make a fool of myself you won’t tell Ella.”

“No fucking chance of that, Dustin. Landon and I already discussed recording your day so Ella could replay it back anytime she needed a good laugh.”

“So what you’re telling me is that I don’t have an ally in you?”

“When it comes to making fun of your ass? Not a chance in hell, city boy. We’ve got your back with Granger though. Not a lot of guys would have the balls to come out here and try to impress him the way you are. It is probably a bit of an impossible mission to get his approval when it comes to his baby girl.”

“You think so?”

Porter shrugs, “I don’t know, there is a reason why she’s never brought anybody home and why none of us ever said anything about other boyfriends.”

“She never told her dad about her exes?”

He barked out a laugh as if that was the funniest thing I’ve ever said, “Nobody would dare be the person that told Granger that his sweet little girl got caught making out in the school parking lot. I sure as fuck didn’t have a death wish.”

“This conversation makes me feel so great about today,” I deadpanned.

Porter finished up with Oak and clapped me on the back, “Don’t worry, Dustin. I’m sure today will go just perfectly. What’s the worse thing that could happen?”

His words of encouragement did nothing to encourage me. I was about ready to change my mind when a door behind me slammed and Granger’s voice carried over everything else with a boom, “Enough shitting around, guys. We’ve got a fuck ton to do today and none of it includes girl talk.” He points over the Jace who just pulled up in front of the barn in his horse, “Jace, show our friend here where the shoots are, he’s going to help us check tags on the bulls.”

“Come on, Granger, you think that’s really a good idea for him?”

“I said what I said. Enough wasting time, let’s go.”

Jace gave me a sympathetic smile and turned his horse around. I mounted up on Oak, thankfully not making a fool of myself, and got him moving in the directions of Jace. The horseriding might be working in my favor, but I’m sure as fuck not ready for what else he has planned for me.