“No!” Adrian exclaimed over Joey’s laughter. “I…that is not an issue.”
Joey started sucking in air. His face was red with amusement.
“Don’t pay any attention to Joey,” Steve said nonchalantly. “You’re tired. You’ve been on the range for days with little sleep. It has happened to all of us at least once.”
Joey cracked up again. “Not me.”
“That’s because you haven’t been with a woman in years. You probably walk around with permanent blue balls,” Steve shot out.
The insult didn’t faze Joey. He chuckled.
“That is not the problem,” Adrian said sternly. “We’re taking things slow.”
Steve frowned. “Why? You like her. She likes you.”
Joey shook his head.
Adrian rolled his eyes. “Steve, the woman has been through a lot tonight. The last thing she needs right now is me pawing at her. Faith needs her rest.”
“All right,” Steve said in defeat.
Chapter 19
A week later, the wolves had been killed, but not before causing more havoc. The pack had gone back to the Rodriguez Ranch, but Jose and his men were ready for them. They shot three of the wolves, sending the rest running for their lives. The Matthews brothers had caught two in the traps that they had set. The ones that were left tore up the locals’ trash cans and scratched up their cars. The game warden set up traps in town that caught the rest. They were euthanized. They were too dangerous to keep alive.
It was ten days before the Lone Wolf Ranch’s annual BBQ. Aunt Bea was excited. Faith was starting to look forward to it as well.
Faith and Adrian were in the stables. He was teaching her more about horses and how to take care of them. She found the lesson interesting. He had asked her if she wanted to go for a ride before dinner. She had happily accepted and asked if she could ride Lily again.
Adrian saddled the horses up, and they were off. Adrian was riding an Arabian stallion named Blaze. He got the horse when he was young, and broke him himself. Blaze was Adrian’s favorite horse on the ranch.
They stopped to look at the horizon.
“I was wondering,” Adrian said as he sat on his horse. “How would you like our first date to be at a cattle auction?”
Faith laughed before she could think. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I mean, we won’t be alone on the trip, but we’ll be able to have a nice private dinner.”
“The trip?”
“Every year, a few of the ranch hands and I drive out to Corsicana Livestock Auction. Sometimes we buy some steers, sometimes we don’t. It’s about a three-and-a-half-hour drive. We usually ride out on Friday, check into a hotel, and attend the auction on Saturday. We come home on Sunday. So, how about it?”
Faith didn’t know what to say. The truth was that she didn’t see them spending their first date with a bunch of smelly cows. She had hoped for a nice quiet dinner and a movie. However, this was what Adrian did for a living, and this was his way of showing her what he was all about. “I…I have to say that sounds…unorthodox, but I’m willing to give it a try.”
“Good,” he said with a big grin.
“What time do you want to leave Friday?” she asked.
“I would love to leave in the morning so we can get settled in and look around. There’s also a fair two miles up the road from the auction. We’ll stop there, too.”
Faith liked the idea about going to a fair. “There’s only one problem. I have to work on Friday.”
“Can’t you get the day off?”
“I just started that job. I mean Dr. Brent is a nice man, but I think it would be presumptuous to ask for a day off with only two days’ notice. Not even two days, today is Wednesday.”
“Just ask him,” Adrian said simply. “It’s just one day and doesn’t the dentist office close at one on Fridays?”
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I’ll ask.”
“Good. Dr. Brent is a good guy,” Adrian said. “We better get back before it gets dark. You wanna race?” he asked with a grin.
Faith smiled. “I don’t feel comfortable enough to race just yet. Can I have a rain check?”
“Absolutely,” he said with a grin.
****
Dr. Brent had been happy to let Faith have Friday off. He had told her to enjoy the fair and the auction. Faith rode in Adrian’s truck to Corsicana. Steve followed in his truck. Isaiah and Ray trailed behind in the stock trailer.
They got to Corsicana at eleven o’clock. Since Faith decided to go last minute, they couldn’t get a room for her. Isaiah and Ray told Adrian that they would share a room so she could have one to herself. The hotel room had all the basics; a bed, a TV, a bathroom, and a mini-fridge. All Faith cared about was that it was neat and clean.
They all had lunch at a local diner filled with out-of-town ranchers and farmers. Faith thought the food was subpar, but she didn’t say anything. The men seemed not to notice. Then, they went down to the auction. The auction allowed potential buyers to survey the stock that was up for sale. It was a little crowded, but not bad.
Adrian left Faith with Ray for a few minutes to go with Isaiah to check out some bull calves. Ray and Faith stood in front of a medium-sized steer. Ray was explaining to Faith what to look for in a good steer.
“This one has a strong coat, but it’s a little scrawny for its age,” Ray said as he made a note on the auction list.
“Whatever he is telling you little lady don’t you believe a word of it,” a man said with a smile that was nothing but teeth.
Ray laughed. “Wes Johnson, how the hell are ya?”
The men gave each other a hearty handshake as they laughed.
“Great,” Wes said enthusiastically. “Ray, is this your girlfriend?” he asked as he leered at Faith. The man was tall and slim. He wore a cowboy hat bigger than Sheriff Langford’s. His mustache was dark with sprinkles of white. He had on a black dress shirt and dark blue jeans.
“No. She’s a friend. Wes, this is Faith Roberts,” Ray said. “Faith, Wes Johnson owns a large spread outside of Dallas.”
“The biggest spread within two hundred miles actually,” Wes bragged. “Over four thousand acres and seven hundred head of cattle. It’s nice to meet you, sweetheart. My goodness, you are a pretty little filly. I like your hat.”
Faith was speechless for a moment. She wasn’t sure how to take what he said. Did he just compare her to a horse? Was that supposed to be a compliment? “Um, thank you, Mr. Johnson.”
“Call me, Wes, sweetheart,” he said as he leered at Faith. It was like he was trying to undress her with his beady eyes.
“All right, Wes,” she said, trying not to sound nervous.
“If you want to learn about cattle, honey, you should sit with me tomorrow,” he oozed. “I can teach you everything you need to know.”
“Easy, Wes,” Ray said in a teasing, yet, serious sounding tone. “The lady has already been claimed – by one of the Matthews boys.”
“Oh no,” Wes said with a mischievous grin. “Sweetie, don‘t tell me you’re one of Steve Matthews’s chickadees.”
“I’m not,” Faith answered quickly with a hint of surprise. She knew Steve had a reputation with the ladies, but she didn’t know it spanned over a hundred miles outside of Elliot.
“Good,” he said with a hint of relief. “Ray, you still work for that no good SOB, Steve?”
Ray let out a scoffed laugh. “I do, and he’s a great guy.”
“I’m telling you, man,” Wes began. “Come back our way. I’ll make you the foreman. More pay and more freedom. I’m looking for someone I can trust to run the place while I attend to other things and,” Wes stopped to give Faith the once-over, “enjoy the finer things in life,” he completed as he looked at her. Wes looked at Ray again. “Ray, you’re the only one I could trust with my place. You’re the most experienced hand in the business.”
“I can’t do it, Wes,” Ray said. “I appreciate the o
ffer, though.”
“You’ll make double what you make now, guaranteed,” Wes said. “You’ll have your own cabin on the property.”
“I thought I smelled cheap cologne,” Steve said as he, Adrian, and Isaiah approached them.
Wes laughed. “Steve, how are ya?”
“I was doing fine until I saw you,” Steve said with a smirk.
They both laughed as they shook hands.
Wes turned his attention to Adrian and Isaiah. “Adrian, Isaiah, how ya doin’?”
“Good,” Isaiah said as he shook Wes’s hand.
Adrian and Wes shook hands. “Wes, you wouldn’t be trying to pouch Ray from us again, would you?” Adrian asked.
Wes laughed. “Come on, Adrian. You can’t blame a man for trying.”
“I guess not,” Adrian said.
“I heard you boys had trouble with some wolf-hybrid type of animals,” Wes said.
“More like a cross-breed,” Steve said. “A mix of coyote and wolf.”
“You heard about it your way?” Isaiah asked.
“Yeah. You know how word travels fast in ranching,” Wes said. “Anything to do with cattle I hear about it. Heard you got them all.”
“Well, the neighboring ranch got a couple, and the game warden got the rest,” Adrian said.
Wes chuckled. “You’ve always been modest, Adrian. It was nice seeing you boys, but I have to check out a bull calf I got my eye on.”
“It wouldn’t be number 204, would it?” Adrian asked.
“Yes, it is,” Wes answered.
“He’s ours,” Steve said with a smirk.
Wes laughed. “We’ll see. Faith, it was very nice meeting you. I hope to see you tomorrow.”
Adrian immediately put his arm around Faith’s shoulders. “Later, Wes,” Adrian said.
Wes chuckled as he walked away.
Chapter 20
Adrian took Faith to a country-western bar for a dinner date. This bar was different than Drew’s Bar in Elliot. The floors were hardwood; they looked like they had been spit-shined. The atmosphere wasn’t as friendly as Drew’s place, but people were polite. Country music played on the jukebox.
A waitress brought Adrian a T-Bone, a baked potato, and mixed vegetables. Faith had ordered a fried chicken sandwich and a side salad. The waitress told them to holler if they needed anything else and left them.
“So, what did you think about today?” Adrian asked.
“I enjoyed the drive here. Beautiful scenery. I was a little confused about the cattle, though. Ray tried to teach me how to look for a good steer. I understood what he was saying, but I don’t think I’ll ever be a good cattle buyer,” she said softly. Faith sipped her soda. “Truth is, they all look the same to me.”
Adrian smiled as he cut into his steak. “Trust me, they’re not. It takes time to notice differences in steers. Don’t be discouraged. If I work with you – you’ll be a rancher who can buy, herd, and brand cattle in no time.”
Faith chuckled. She couldn’t see herself doing any of that. She was just a woman trying to survive and hoping that the man across the table could be the one.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you,” Adrian said.
“What is it?”
“How did you get the name ‘Faith?’” Adrian asked. “I like it, but it is a name that has meaning.”
She smiled. “When my mom was in labor with me, the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck. My parents were afraid I was going to die. My grandmother was in the room, and she had told them that they had to have faith that I would make it. Since I’m sitting in front of you, I made it. My mother remembered what my grandma said, and she named me Faith.”
“So,” he began, “the hit and run incident wasn’t the first possible life-ending experience you’ve had, right?”
“No,” she said quietly. “When I was eighteen, I was a clerk in a convenient store. A guy walked in and stuck up the place. I gave him the money from the register, but he put the gun in my face anyway and pulled the trigger. The gun jammed. Once that was discovered, the two customers that were in there with me tackled him to the ground.”
“Jesus,” Adrian mumbled. “I take it he went prison.”
“Yeah,” Faith said. “He got five years. When I was twenty-one, I was working at a bar as a bartender. Three guys walked in and started shooting the place up. The manager, three waitresses, and thirteen customers were killed. I survived.” Faith looked up at Adrian.
Shock and awe was written all over his face. “How did you survive?”
“I ducked behind the bar. They shot up the bar, of course. I got a few cuts on my arm from the glass, but other than that, I came out unscathed. I don’t know if they didn’t know I was back there or they didn’t think it was worth the effort to shoot me.”
“Why did they do it?” Adrian asked with furrowed brows.
“The owner of the bar ratted out a friend of theirs for selling drugs in his neighborhood to kids,” Faith said. “The attack on the bar was a message. An intimidation tactic the cops called it. They were trying to get the owner to change his statement.”
Adrian blew out. “Did they catch the guys who shot up the bar?”
“Yes. Since they killed all those people, they were sentenced to life in prison,” Faith said.
“Any other life and death stories I need to know about?” he asked with concern.
“Well, you know about the car accident and the wolves,” Faith said. “That’s about it.”
“You have been through a lot in one lifetime,” Adrian said and took a bite of his steak.
“Yeah, but I’ve survived. I guess someone out there likes me,” Faith said with a weak smile. She wanted to change the subject. She didn’t want to think about her uncanny luck right now. “Did you see anything you like at the auction to buy tomorrow?”
Adrian shook his head as he swallowed his food. “Absolutely, they got a good stock this year. It’s a good thing because we slaughtered about seventy head of cattle this week. Half of the meat is going to be used for the annual BBQ. However, the amount I would like to buy, I’ll have to get delivered. The stock trailer can’t carry them all.”
“Is getting them delivered a bad thing?”
“Not really. It’s just an extra expense,” he said. “What I really want is that bull calf Isaiah showed Steve and me. One of the bulls we got now is getting old. I suspect we will have to put it out to pasture in about two years maybe three. By that time, the bull calf will be…up for the job.”
Faith couldn’t help but smile. “I see. When do you guys…let the cattle mate?”
“Between April and June,” Adrian said. “It’s a cycle. The heifers who are expecting in June will drop the calf by March or April. Rinse and repeat.”
“I see. How many do you have now? Three hundred?” Faith asked.
“Three hundred and twenty to be exact,” Adrian said. “We want to get it back up to three-fifty. Joey, Steve, and I would love to expand the herd, but we don’t have the land to do it.” He shrugged. “One of these days, I hope.”
“I’m sure something will happen so you can do it,” Faith said with an easy smile.
An hour later, Adrian took Faith to the county fair. They rode rides and ate cotton candy. They were having a wonderful time. Faith felt like a kid again. Adrian wanted to go to the stalls and barns to look at this year’s livestock.
Adrian was talking to a guy who was selling chickens. Faith walked over to a guy in the corner who had puppies. The pups were black and white. They walked, ran, jumped, and played with each other in the wood bordered pen.
“Border collie pups, ma’am,” the man said proudly. “Purebred. I got the papers. Their momma is a sturdy one. Second liter.”
“They’re beautiful,” Faith said with a smile as she watched the puppies play.
“You like dogs, little lady?”
“I love dogs. We had a Cocker Spaniel when my brother and I were little. When we were teenagers,
my dad bought us two Labs. They weren’t purebreds, but they were good dogs. It drove my mom crazy because they shed all over the house, but that’s what dogs do. Before I came to Texas, I was living with my brother. He had a German Shepard. I miss that dog,” she said the last sentence in a low tone.
“You don’t have a dog, now?”
“No, I only moved to Texas a few weeks ago. I just got settled,” Faith said.
“Well, step on in the pen. Have a good look at them.”
Faith lifted her leg over the wood barricade and got in. Three dogs immediately came to her and started sniffing her feet. She knelt down and petted them. One rolled over on his back so Faith could rub it. It was male. Faith obliged it. The other puppy started licking her boots, and then licked its lips and smacked its mouth. The third one was jumping up at her. The temporary floor was clean in the pen, so she sat down. She started playing with the puppies.
“If you don’t mind me askin’, what kind of place do you live in? Do you have land?”
“Yes, but it’s not mine,” Faith said as she picked up one of the puppies. “I live in a one-bedroom home on a ranch.”
“Cattle ranch?”
“Yes.”
“You know, border collies are working dogs, herders,” he said. “Sounds like you live in a place where one of these pups would be happy at.”
Could she get a dog, right now? There weren’t any other dogs on the ranch. How would Aunt Bea and Adrian feel about it? She thought.
“I don’t know how my landlords would feel about it,” Faith said quietly.
One of the puppies barked twice and climbed on her leg.
“Hell, if they’re ranchers, they’ll probably love it. Help them on the land. How many cattle?”
“A little over three hundred,” she said.
“Then you should get two or three,” a man said as he approached them. It was Wes Johnson. “Hey, Al. How are ya?”
“Fine, Wes, fine,” Al said.
“Are you trying to sell my friend a dog?” Wes asked with his big teeth filled grin.
“I am. She’s thinking about it. I can tell.”
The Rancher Page 9