Breaking Jacob (2nd in Breaking Series)

Chapter Four

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"Time to head on back I guess," Jacob said as he wiped his face.

Every hand had worked all day getting one hundred head of the cattle moved from the north pasture to the west pasture and his entire body was hurting. He looked over the group of ranch hands. Elizabeth had already gone back to the house a few hours earlier to feed the babies, but Sally had stuck it out.

Jacob was proud of her and worried about her at the same time. She was hardworking but too headstrong for her own good and she always acted like she had a chip on her shoulder.

"I'm going to help break that new stallion Frank found tomorrow." Sally announced as she brought her horse alongside his.

Jacob looked at Frank, who had come back to the ranch for a job once he knew that Elizabeth would be running it, and Frank grinned sheepishly, "I told her it was dangerous," he offered.

"I'm not scared," Sally said, sitting up straight in the saddle.

Jacob shook his head, "No, Sally. That is too dangerous for a thirteen year old girl."

"Three more years and I'll be a grown woman!" Sally exclaimed. "Then you won't be able to tell me what to do anymore!"

"I don't tell you what to do now, Sally. But I'm not going to let you do something that will more than likely end with you being seriously hurt or killed," Jacob said patiently. He had learned that getting angry with Sally often only made things worse.

"You're not my pa, Jacob," Sally spat.

"Hey!" Thomas scolded, "That man loves you and he's just trying to look out for you. I'll break that damn stallion and if I catch your little ass even trying to get on it, I'll whoop you myself."

Immature embarrassment and indignation appeared on Sally's face and she glared at Jacob, "Are you going to let him talk to me like that?" Jacob shrugged, "You want to be treated as an adult. Deal with it yourself."

Thomas was chuckling when Sally turned to him, "You will not speak to me like that, Thomas! You work for my sister in law and I will see to it that she fires you if you ever disrespect me like that again."

"Go ahead and give it a try, Sally. Liz and I happen to be friends. Besides you like me too much to ever make me leave."

Sally let out a screech that made her sound exactly like the angry child that she was and she kicked her horse in the sides and took off toward home, "What the hell is her problem?" Thomas demanded as he pulled off his hat and scratched at his thick blond hair.

"I don't know," Jacob replied tiredly. "She is stubborn, headstrong and determined to grow up."

"She needs her ass whooped," Thomas countered.

Jacob chuckled but shook his head, "Pa never whooped us kids. He didn't approve of it."

"Yeah, well, your pa never knew the thirteen year old Sally either. He probably would have changed his opinion."

"Probably," Jacob agreed.

Thomas stuck his hat back on his head, "Well I'm gonna get going to town. Tomorrow's my day off and I'm gonna sow some wild oats." he said with a wink.

Jacob nodded and Thomas galloped quickly away. Jacob felt a moment of jealousy toward Thomas. Jacob had never had the choice of sowing wild oats. At the age when most young men are setting off to run wild, have adventures and live crazy he had suddenly found himself alone with two young girls and a struggling farm.