A Modern Cowboy's Dream

Another Fine Day

It's an early morning as Doug sips on his coffee looking out the window still dark outside as the lone lamp illuminates the barn doors outside. Sasha comes into the kitchen and finds him looking out the window. She sees his dirty black cowboy hat on the counter and she grunts in slight irritation. Doug turns smirking at her knowing why she made her grunt and removes the hat before she can take it. Sasha says "you know damn well not to put your dirty hats on my counter tops." Doug says "in my house?" Sasha folds her arms and Doug says "God woman relax, I'm not starting the morning with a fight." Sasha says "then don't ask for it." She smirks to her self and walks over kissing him. Doug asks "what's today?" Sasha says "Saturday." Doug nods "everyday is the same for me. Hard to keep track anymore." Sasha says "it's what you wanted isn't it?" Doug says "I didn't say there was anything wrong with it dearest." He walks over and kisses her before sitting down at the kitchen table. She asks "have you eaten?" Doug says "not yet." She asks "what do you want?" He simply shrugs and Sasha shrugs back "alright then the usual." He smirks as he watches her turn around and go about making breakfast. She's the most beautiful woman in the world and the Mother of his children. She's thicker now and her hips are wider than when Doug first met her but the hourglass shape she has managed to maintain over time. Even if she didn't have the hourglass shape Doug wouldn't care. Doug himself is obviously heavier than he was back then as well. His face is slightly more rounded now but his square head and overall size standing at 6 foot 3 inches shows the Irish blood that's a part of him. With his black cowboy hat he has worn for over 20 years the locals call him a wanna be John Wayne with the way he walks, talks, and runs his farming business. Sasha often tells said neighbors if they keep calling him that he will begin to believe them. His voice and tone have gotten deeper and rougher over time with a bit of a scraggly sound due to his years of smoking cigars off and on. Sasha sounds scraggly when she talks as well even though she stopped smoking all together a few years ago. Doug and Sasha still face off over what some would call petty things as well as serious matters occasionally, but to them that's a part of married life. Doug and Sasha hear the howl of a coyote and the cattle begin making noise. Doug gets up and walks over to the closest flinging the door open and removes the Mosin he keeps in there ready for times such as this moment. Sasha watches him as he slings the rifle over his shoulder and walks outside seeing a young and inexperienced coyote circling an Angus cow and her Calf. Doug lays prone on the porch aiming at the predator taking his time aiming as he must readjust with every step the coyote takes. Before he can get his shot off the coyote leaps for the calf only to be met by the bone crushing kick of the mother Angus cow. Doug can hear bones snap as the coyote howls in pain. Doug stands up carrying the old Russian war weapon and walks over to the coyote still moving yet keeping his distance from the angry Angus cow. Instead of a shot to protect his cattle he takes aim for a mercy kill as the animal still whimpers in pain. Behind Doug's back Sasha and now his three children watch from the window. From the Davila household Michael and Caroline watch from the front porch having heard the commotion. He raises the rifle aiming and with a crack of the old Russian war horse the whimpering stops. Doug looks up to see an older and gray colored coyote return to the woods with the rest of the pack now scattering. Doug shoulders the rifle and heads for the barn to get a shovel to dig another grave. Doug is soon met in his barn by his sons Sasha having sent them out to dig the grave for him. Doug hands them each a shovel and Willie says "I saw an older coyote in the distance." Doug says "and a much wiser one, never attack a baby calf, let alone any baby period near it's Mother or suffer death. Inexperience will get you killed without following guidance from somebody wiser, you boys remember that." Willie says "I know Mama will kill for us." Doug laughs and says "I have never heard a truer statement in my life. You kids are her precious children if you get hurt out here it's always my fault." He sighs and says "alright you boys get to it." He sends them on their way. He watches them walk noticing they're walking in sync with one another. William whom he named after his beloved Vietnam Veteran Grandfather has a keen interest in history especially military. His other son Doug the III is more interested in Agriculture in general. He knows his two sons will eventually take over the business and is unsure of how Katya will be involved although she will be given her equal share as well, but not until his death or until Sasha forces her hand in their old age to turn it over to them. Even then Doug intends to be in the background as long as he's alive and Sasha knows she will never be able to force Doug to retire completely. If she did he would be inside all the time irritating her. He looks in the mirror he keeps in the barn and examines the scar on his cheek, a reminder of when he shot down the Golden Eagle back in the war but flew through the shrapnel. The scar on his upper chest shows where shrapnel hit and broke his collar bone rendering him grounded for life. Doug hears footsteps along the wooden floor and turns seeing none other than Ana. "Well good morning Dragon Lady." She smirks and shakes her head "good morning." Doug turns around and leans up against his work bench "what can I do for you?" Ana says "nothing at the moment, I just heard the gun shot." Doug nods "yes I shot another coyote. You kill one three take it's place it seems." She looks at him and says "you look tired." Doug chuckles "I've been tired for well over 30 years even before I knew any of you." Ana says "you also seem to get saltier with each passing year as well." Doug says "oh you and Sasha have been discussing me haven't y'all?" Ana says "we're just concerned, you seem like you still have something to prove when you've accomplished so much already." Doug says "a man who stops dreaming and fighting to make the best of his life and the lives of his loved ones is no longer a man, and when he is no longer a man he is nothing." Ana is a bit taken aback and then says "that sounds like something my Father or Alex would say." Doug smirks and says "because it is our truth. It is the essence of every good man in God's creation. It's a truth I will teach my sons and Michael, so help me God. Yes I'm tired, I became weary early on after I lost my Father when I was only nine, but I was only given one option and that is to press forward. It's the only option my Mother gave me, it was the only option Alex gave me when we fought out there with bullets   whizzing past. Yes, I'm quite exhausted but I'll be damned if I had it any other way." Ana says "like I said we're just worried about you." Doug sighs "you women are very good at that." Ana says "you men are very good at being the hardest headed beings that walk this Earth." Doug smirks "so we've reached an understanding of sorts. All in all, I'm perfectly fine. No need to worry. Won't do you any good anyway. So you may pass the message along to Mother Russia." Ana pulls out her phone and puts it on speaker. Doug says "that's just wrong you had that one the entire time." Sasha can be heard laughing and says "come inside and eat breakfast you stubborn ass of a man." Doug says "as you wish my love." Doug grins and says to Ana "my Grandfather had a favorite saying about life in general." Ana says "which was?" Doug says "if you stop, you flop." She half smiles and Doug says "I can tell it's going to be another fine day."