Gone Country

Fourteen

When I woke and found that Harper wasn't lying next to me, I was a bit surprised.  I hadn't expected for her to leave, knowing that I would take her home.  But the shock and disappointment at seeing she had gone surprised me more. I had really want to see her when I woke up, her strawberry hair in a curled mess on my covers...

I sighed and rubbed my eyes while lying there.

I had her.  I had tasted her and had her all to myself.  I could move on now like I always had.  Right?  Then why did I feel this way?  Why did I want to call her up and ask if she made it home safe?  Why..why was it that I wanted more of her?  I beat my fist down onto the mattress and pressed myself up to take a shower.

I hadn't asked for any kind of commitment, no sweet words had been exchanged. Oh no, they were not sweet, but ragged and taught with the need of to animals.  It had been explosive to the point of insanity.

"Just get a grip on yourself you fool.  You had fun, she had fun, and that was that."  Talking to myself after the shower I headed to my small kitchen, if you could even call it that, and looked at the schedule I had lying on the counter.  There was nothing today, all my appointments the following day.  What was I going to do today?

I sat back in the arm chair in the corner of the room and smiled.  I knew exactly what I was doing today.  I was going to the Ranch.  There was something she could have me do there, right?

~

The trailers caring my horses showed up and I helped them back up to the barn.  Ivory and Cowboy were exhausted, and I knew that Rosa would be hungry after everything they did yesterday at the fair. They had all the kids ride them, and they had also helped pull and put things away.  It was a very good thing that I had let Jason Mitchell, the town Sheriff, use them being the only horses they could get in the county.  For it dubbed the pay back to be help on the Ranch.

Today I had to get a lot done with the cattle, and I waned to keep busy to avoid my mother.  That all knowing eye of hers eyeing my skull just made me shiver thinking about it.  I knew I couldn't avoid it forever, but I was going to try.

"Cowboy!"  Lucas came running in after his Stallion and steered clear of his rear, smart little boy.  I smiled when he came up and hugged the massive leg on him, cooing to him and promising him a ride later.  And for Lucas, the most I allowed at the moment was around the house and field.  I didn't need him running off with Cowboy and getting hurt.

"Do you want to help brush him off and everything Lucas?  We got a lot to do today, so if you can take care of your baby, I'll take the other too."

"Really?"  He beamed and stroked his neck.  I had been planning for a while to let Lucas tend his own horse, but being a mother, you can only hope for time to slow.  He was as tall as his Cowboys front legs, so I knew it was time.  It was the same time my father had let me.

"Yup.  I got a stool and everything for ya."  Beaming I turned and handed it to him.  "All yours."

"Oh wow! Thank you Mama!"  Cowboy was in his stall now and releasing his rains I let Lucas take over.  Cowboy was in complete ease when I left them, hearing Lucas mutter sweet things to his horse, and brought the other two in.  

Feeding them and brushing them down I made sure to check the clock.  It was a quarter to seven. We had been up and bustling about sense five thirty, so you could only imagine that I was running on caffeine.

"All right babe, lets go get brunch!"  I hollered over my shoulder.  I had filled the cart with everything we would need from the hot iron, to hay.

"Coming Ma!"  Lucas came running out of the barn covered in hay and dirt, his smile bigger then ever.

"Don't tell me that you did a belly scratch."

"How can you tell?"  He honestly didn't think I knew?  Whenever Cowboy wanted his stomach scratched he would kneel and lean over, and in the process of the scratch, swat you with his tail showing you how happy he was.

"Oh, I'm just all knowing."  Laughing together I fixed the base ball cap he had on his head, and dusted him off. "Now lets go eat.  I bet Jason, Guy and Luis are all at the house eating the bacon."

"That's my bacon!"  Lucas playfully screamed and ran to the house.  I walked behind him whipping my hands on the flannel I had stripped and eyed the cars in the drive.  I had the help I needed today and I was thankful, the head ache from lack of sleep already sinking in; but what made me stop in my tracks was the sleek rental that was parked behind them. 

~

"It's nice to meet you Caleb.  I'm Luis, and this is Guy, and Jason."  I shook his hand and nodded to the other two men I had already met.

"It's nice to meet you all as well."  I said with a smile, Peyton jumping on my hip. Her little brown curls framing her face.

"Will you be helping us out with the branding today?"  I rose a brow at the word.

"Branding?"  Guy nodded and jacked a piece of bacon that was on the turn around table.  Lilly, Harper's mother fussed at him and pushed him away, say that he had to wait for the woman herself to come eat. Ladies first.  I wanted to laugh, but re-framed from it, keeping my face stoic.

"Yeah, the cattle.  It'll be time to sell them soon, and the Jhonson's need to brand them to make sure they are theirs."  I nodded and held a little piece of scrambled egg to Peyton.  She was pulling on the hem of my shirt, but stopped when she saw it, opening her mouth and bouncing some more.

"Wow...she really likes you."  Looking over Luis and Jason were perching on a bench.  Luis eyeing the little one in my arms.

"Id hope so.  She had spent so much time with the man before coming to live with us!"  Lilly was waving around her arms in the kitchen and mumbling to herself.  Fluffed flour on her checks.  "And plus, who wouldn't like the man."  She leaned over the island in the kitchen and gave everyone a big wink.  I cleared my throat and looked away.

Oh coarse her mother would know what we had done..no wonder she had welcomed me with open arms this morning.

How I had thought to avoid any of that I did not know, but there it was.  Lilly laughing at my response I focused on Peyton, but realized after a few minutes that Luis was staring daggers in my direction.

I rose an eye brow at the sudden change of behavior, from friend to foe, but was cut short by the screech of the screen door and Lucas running in.

"My bacon!"  He screeched, out of breath.  "Ma said they were eating my bacon!"