A Modern Cowboy's Dream

Devotions

It's another day Doug is working by him self in the barn mixing fertilizers in the spreader after hooking it up to his old Ford tractor. He finishes and heads out into his pastures and freshly planted fields spending most all morning throwing fertilizer. Sasha accepts a delivery of more fertilizer and agrochemicals Doug uses throughout the season.  When headed back to the barn Doug looks down his driveway and sees a semi rolling down with a massive Massy Ferguson tractor on the trailer with an enclosed cab. Doug smiles at the sight knowing now his time in the field will be greatly reduced and he can hire a second tractor operator now if needed. Doug unfortunately had to get rid of his other Massy Ferguson due to mechanical problems. He parks next to the barn washing everything down. Sasha comes up "I don't know why you got another Massy the last one was a piece of shit." Doug says "that one was a lemon. If we could afford a John Deere I'd get one." The semi truck driver unstraps it and lowers the ramps giving Doug the keys. Doug climbs up and gets in the cab closing the door. He starts it up the massive diesel engine bucking and roaring to life. Doug grins and Sasha snaps a picture because it's one of the rare times he shows his teeth grinning. About that time Katya pulls in with Ana behind her with the Batson twins and Caroline. Doug raises his eyebrow seeing Michael and Katya the only ones in her truck but shakes it off. Everyone watches him back it off the semi trailer and he throttles it up to full speed driving around the barn before parking it. He shakes the drivers hand thanking him Sasha already having signed the delivery ticket. Caroline notices the fresh delivery of agrochemicals and fertilizers sitting in the barn and smirks scheming how she can make a bomb or fireworks. Doug greets the children then turns back into the barn hoping on his horse Duke and riding out into the pasture checking his cattle. The Batson boys walk up to their mother each giving her red roses. She smiles and hugs them "aww you're both so sweet to me." Katya walks up giving her a card wishing her happy birthday and Ana does too. She looks at Caroline "did you get your Auntie anything?" Caroline walks up giving her a gift certificate to the boutique in town where Sasha likes to go. Michael just gives her a gift certificate to the same place as well. Katya asks "what did Daddy get you?" Sasha sighs "I've yet to find out." She kisses everyone on the cheek then heads inside setting her gifts aside and putting the flowers in a vase. Suddenly Willie says "Doug has a girlfriend!" Little Doug says "shut up!" Sasha turns around putting her hands on her hips "oh really? What's her name?" Little Doug turns red and Sasha folds her arms and taps her foot. "Well are you going to talk?" Little Doug says "Valerie." Sasha says "aw isn't that a sweet name. When do I get to meet her?" Little Doug says "uh, I don't know yet." Sasha says "she better be a good girl to you. No little whore is going to hurt my baby." Little Doug says "she's not a whore!" Sasha says "she'd better not be." Caroline interjects "look at you all soft now lover boy! Kiss her yet?" Sasha turns around again interested to hear the answer. Little Doug says "yeah." Sasha says "and that's as far as you'll go with her." Little Doug says "Mama!" Caroline laughs hysterically and walks off little Doug glaring at her. Willie says "yeah you don't even play PlayStation anymore all you do is text her!" Caroline steps back downstairs "well come on knot head I'll play with you!" Willie rushes up to his room with Caroline. Michael and Katya head up there as well. Sasha scrunches her face faking anger "you'd rather kiss your girlfriend than Mommy!" Little Doug says "I'm not a little kid anymore." Sasha chuckles "oh I know baby." She sighs "I sure do know." She hugs him and kisses his cheek. Doug steps in the kitchen wiping the sweat from his head and plops down in the kitchen chair. Doug looks at his son "hanging with Mama? Or is she interrogating you?" Little Doug says "both." Sasha smirks and says "our little Dougie has a lady friend." Doug says "she hot?" Sasha scoffs "Lord you go nuts over Katya with Michael then you just ask our son if his girl is hot." Doug chuckles "I'll leave it to you to do the worrying." Little Doug shows his father a picture of the Brunette brown eyed girl. Doug smiles and high fives him "you've done well." Sasha says "I want to see!" Little Doug shows her and she smiles "she's pretty." Little Doug says "I'm going up stairs." Sasha says "ok baby." He heads upstairs steady texting. Sasha sighs "they're growing up so fast." Doug says "yeah and we're just getting old and rickety. Hell everything pops and cracks now in me." Sasha says "I know I feel that way some days too." Doug says "I'll be back." She sighs "ok." Doug heads outside and goes behind his barn cutting pink roses from the bush he planted awhile back. He heads inside with a large boquet of them using the gold necklace he got her to tie them together a cowboy hat pendant hanging from it. He heads into the kitchen seeing her leaned on the counter pouting. Doug hides his gift behind his back. "Darling you alright?" Sasha says "nobody wants to be around me on my birthday!" Doug says "darling it's been a busy day." Sasha says "I bet you forgot it was today since you obsess over your work!" Doug chuckles "then why did I grow these pink roses for you?" He gives them to her and she immediately softens up. "Aww!" She smells them and he waits for her to realize what's tied around them. She says "strange tie you used..." She gasps and says "Dougie!" She unties it "this is adorable how did you know?!" Doug smirks "I saw you pick it up at the boutique so I whispered to Scarlett to hold that for me and I would come back for it." Sasha grins and comes over grabbing Doug and kissing him. She holds onto him looking up into his tired green eyes and he hugs on her looking down into her ocean blue eyes. He yawns and she giggles but yawns as well. "Stop it you're making me yawn." Doug says "I may turn in early tonight its been a long day." Sasha says "I hear you." Doug sways with her in the kitchen and she lays her head on his chest listening to his heart still beating strong for her. Sasha looks up "tell me again how long you'll love me?" Doug half smiles "when I die and reach heaven I'll find a bench outside those pearly gates and wait for you, then we can walk through together to forever once you come." Sasha says "what if it's years or decades before I even come?" Doug holds up her chin gently "you were worth the wait before, I'll gladly wait for you again." He kisses her passionately like he used to when they were dating years ago. Meanwhile upstairs Caroline closes the app on her phone she used to bug her Aunt and Uncles phones to ease drop with. She looks at the other kids huddled around her listening. "If that isn't devotion I don't know what is." Katya wipes away her tears and Michael just stares at Katya with a million thoughts running in his mind. Little Doug goes back to his phone and Willie returns to his PlayStation Caroline joining him. Katya looks at Michael. "What?" Michael smiles "nothing, you're just beautiful."