“Brad,” Lilly said. “I'd like to know what job you aren't doing right now so I can do it?”
Brad didn't say anything back to her.
“Was that not enough like the military or something,” Lilly said. “I mean, it was sort of terse, but still not too disrespectful. I figured you'd be all over it—“
“That's enough, Lilly,” Brad said. “I don't need your mouth.”
Brad reared his horse up on its hind legs and galloped away. Lilly wondered what it was all about but then saw Sam watching from the distance with a worried look on her face. Lilly had never thought to think that she might upset Brad by sleeping with Sam. Although she hadn't thought about it before, now she did think about all the possible nights they might have spent together or all the times Brad could have watched Sam do the same thing she did last night with other people.
Lilly shook her head and tried to clear the thoughts. She didn't want to have to always think about the might bes, or the could bes, but now she had to. Once she slept with Sam, she crossed a line, one that she had only kind of been aware of, but she'd been aware of none the less. Now it was fair game for the other workers to keep a little closer track of her, because what if the boss lady was letting Lilly fuck off because they had been together? There was also the possibility that none of them knew, and that Brad was just an ass, but that wasn't what she'd read on Sam's face as she looked on from the distance.
The idea that Brad might be giving her a hard time because he knew that she and Sam had found something special together made Lilly furious. Who did he think he was anyway, to pass judgment on the decisions of two other adults. It just didn't put good feelings in her heart to know that Brad was the kind of person who looked down on others. But maybe he wasn't, Lilly thought, maybe it was all just a coincidence, and Brad didn't mean anything by it.
To blow off steam, Lilly threw herself into the work. Whenever a part of the herd broke away to make a break for freedom across the planes, there Lilly was, to bring them back to the herd. Whenever there was a place that the fence needed to be mended, there Lilly was, tying a piece of neon marking tape to the spot so that a cowhand could easily come back and identify it. The fence was only on the side of the run, the east side. The west side was open, and if Lilly wanted to, she could have taken off west and rode all the way to the coast, all the way until the land ended and nothing but water stretched out in front of her as far as the eye could see.
At the end of the run, they delivered the cattle to one of the bigger operations up north. Some of the cowhands had mixed feelings about this, not wanting to do any business with the larger operations at all, but not Lilly. She understood that the bigger monoliths of cow farming were now a part of their lives whether any of them liked it or not. Just like her parents had found out, some things were just too big not to affect smaller ranches, as if they were stars orbiting each other out in space. Places like the Rocking U Ranch, although bigger than her parents' place, were still small fish in the big ocean.
“I know that it's not a popular decision to cut the big operation in on the deal,” Sam said. “But there really isn't much other way around it. I save several thousand dollars by going through them. They have an exclusive deal with a slaughterhouse that buys every head of cattle from them without exception.”
All of the cowhands had their horses face inward toward the center of a small circle they formed.
“You didn't have to pay them anything, did you? God, I hope not,” Brad said. “Because these bigger farms, that's how it starts. They tax our profits a little bit the first time, and the second time, it's even more. Pretty soon they expect to be cut in, and when they aren't they start trouble for the smaller ranches.”
“I didn't pay them, or anything like that,” Sam said. “It was just business, and they cut me a deal on land rights in the future if I went through them. Simply put, they'll be making money off of the deal that just wouldn't have existed if I'd gone through someone else, or just done it myself. Not only that, it makes it a lot simpler to move all the cattle at once without the inspections of the herd.”
“Be that as it may,” Brad said. “I'm not so sure about this. There's something that doesn't feel right about doing business with the same people trying to run us off the plain. And I get that life isn't simple, and sometimes people have to make hard decisions, but at the same time, I don't know. You know what, I take it back. If you really think it's the best decision, then I'm with you all the way. I just hope that these bigger operations don't think that we need them, that we can't do it on our own.”
“I don't think they believe that,” Sam said. “But at the same time I completely understand your reservations, and I'm not trying to minimize them. In the future, we'll be able to go on better runs over their property, and use their connections without tax. You see, this time, around they really needed the money. Believe it or not, these bigger operations are just larger versions of us. The owner of this one was short on payroll money and was willing to do this even though I got the better end of the bargain because he was in a tight spot. Now, in the future, we don't have to stay so strictly to just one path. We'll be able to wander more. Not only that, but it shows that we do fit into the larger picture around here, that the places who think they are so much bigger than us can't just completely ignore what we do.”
Lilly was listening and thinking about her parents' ranch, about how her father had refused to work with the larger operations. Her mother had suggested that her father at least look into it, but he was a man set in his ways who didn't like new things or new ideas. So instead of trying to work out things with the bigger operations he'd just tried to ignore them, and that had been the worst things he could do. Before he knew it, the water rights to the surrounding land had been bought up from the other small operations, and the level of the water table was sinking. If her father had been more into paying attention to the larger picture he could have bought up the surrounding water rights years ago, but he just hadn't thought of it. That was the thing about smaller operations, sometimes they're thinking shrunk to no bigger than the size of the ranch, and that's when things really went wrong.
Because the world was so much bigger than little ranches, and none of it would wait for them to figure that out on their own. The ranching business was still just as sink or swim as it had ever been, except that now ranchers had to adjust their business to take into account that there were other forces in moving the tides besides the moon. Now there were other bodies with just as much pull, who could make their lives easier, or they could make it harder. Lilly just hoped that Sam had thought of all the implications of working with one of the bigger ranches before she'd jumped in.
“What do you think, Lilly,” Sam said. “Your parents' ranch was pulled under. Do you think that this is a good idea for the Rocking U Ranch?”
At first, Lilly didn't know what to say. But then she gathered herself to spring into the conversation.
“I think that there is potential for this to help us,” Lilly said. “Just as there is great potential for this to hurt us. We'll need to keep a close eye on how the other smaller ranches react to this. Maybe they don't need to know.”
Sam's horse took a step back as if mirroring Sam's epiphany via Lilly's words.
“That's a good point,” Sam said. “We should probably all keep this to ourselves. There isn't any reason we need to go and make the surrounding ranches hate us for what amounts to nearly no reason. We're ranchers just like the rest of them, except a little bigger. To be honest with all of you, we really needed this larger outfit to work with us, this time. If they hadn't, we'd be stuck up here for the next week waiting for some slaughterhouse representative to go over all of the head of cows and pick out all the ones they can say aren't quite up to their insane standards. That would have meant less money for all of us, and also less time to go back to the Rocking U Ranch and have a good time.”
The wind whirred dust between the standing horses with the cowhands from th
e Rocking U Ranch circled round atop them.
“A good time,” Brad said. “Oh, that's right! It is about time for our annual party. I'd forgotten about it because we'd gotten so busy moving cattle around. It would be nice to let loose for a little bit and not worry so much about the ins and outs of the cattle business.”
The other ranch hands agreed. Lilly wasn't sure what the annual party was, but it sounded like fun. All of the hands followed Sam's lead as she brought her horse up to a trot away from the bigger ranch they'd just dropped the herd off at. The other ranch's hands were corralling the herd, most of them throwing lassos that missed their marks and fell in the dust. Lilly watched the hands from the other side for a few seconds before turning her horse to follow the rest of the Rocking U Ranch gang.
She couldn't understand how the people who ran the ranch would hire hands who didn't know what they were doing. She'd heard stories of such incompetence before, and of course turned her nose up at the very idea, but she'd never seen it with her own eyes.
It made Lilly feel sick inside, like something precious to her was being pillaged. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the reason she felt that way was because that's exactly what was happening. Her way of life, ranching, was being taken over by bigger ranches owned by corporations back east. And even though everyone hated them, especially Sam, they were being forced to do business with them because of the special deals the rest of the industry had cut with the bigger ranches. To Lilly, it just didn't make any sense. As they rode out of the bigger ranch's boundaries, Lilly looked around at the landscape.
The fences weren't well kept, but instead had snarls of barbed wire about every thirtieth post. The plants inside of the pens weren't well groomed, meaning that thistles—which can kill cattle if they eat them—were left to grow unhindered. There were all sorts of little things that were wrong, but the big corporations back east didn't care. All they wanted was a to pay less money for cows, and all they cared about was how fast that could be done. There wasn't any thought given to, “What is this doing to the business of ranching?” And Lilly doubted that any of the people back east even knew enough about ranching to have a real opinion about it.
As they all rode back to the Rocking U Ranch Lilly could feel the somber mood which had fallen over the group. It wasn't one of being upset, or afraid, but just one of being misunderstood by the rest of the world. Lilly had felt it before at her parents' ranch, but it had been different, more bitter and full of resignation. The Rocking U Ranch hands didn't act like it was the end of their world, but instead like their world was changing around them and they didn't much like it. Which Lilly thought was fair, considering that was exactly what was happening.
Chapter 6
When they got back to the Rocking U Ranch to see the cattle pen nearly half empty, Lilly couldn't help but feel the feeling that came after completing a job well done. The other hands felt it too. There was much horseplay and goofing around until Sam finally told everyone to calm down and get their horses put away and taken care of. There was supposed to be a party that night, and Lilly was excited about it. She wondered what kind of parties happened at the Rocking U Ranch, and if there would be any special fireworks or anything.
When she'd worked at her parents' ranch, she'd heard that the Rocking U Ranch was the kind of place which wasn't afraid to let loose every once in a while. When she'd listened to the very distant reports of fireworks going off while working at her parents', she'd always been jealous that there was a place not far away that had more fun. It hadn't been made clear to here just how far away the Rocking U Ranch really way until the water rights crisis didn't affect them because they drew from a different water table altogether. Not that that had anything to do with the partying, but it was just a reflection of the general disconnect between the old and the new for Lilly.
“Lilly,” Brad said. “Help me drag these tables and kegs out.”
At first, Lilly wondered if Brad was serious about the kegs, but after following him into one of the nearby barns, she found that he wasn't kidding at all. The Rocking U Ranch had bought several kegs of cheap beer for the hands, and Lilly helped Brad haul them out of the barn, tap them, and set them up by the tables ready to be used. After that, they both fetched cups and a few other things that would make the part worth a damn. There were, of course, some spirits around, but neither Brad nor Lilly really wanted any of the hands getting that drunk, so they only brought a few bottles out.
“Now listen,” Brad said. “I know that we have this party every year after the big drive, and every year we have the best time we can, but I just want to make clear that this year we have to tone things down a little bit. I know it sounds lame, but I don't want the other ranches getting the idea that we are slacking, and all of us know that some of our neighbors hate the idea of all of us out here having fun while they're just starting their own big drives.”
“Maybe they should start earlier!” one of the older hands hollered good with a smile.
“Maybe,” Brad said. “But they haven't, and maybe they never will. Until then, we need to tone down what we do as far as our celebration, so no fireworks this year, and I don't want to see anyone getting completely plastered off of hard liquor. I realize that some of you really like to drink, but this is an occasion where I want all of us to take a little time to reflect that things are shifting around us, and we need to take that into account. The ranching business has changed, and we're changing with it. All right?”
Everyone shouted their agreement and then started drinking. Lilly looked around for Sam but didn't see her. Brad made his way over to her with an ornery look on his face.
“Anything you want to talk about since we're all being so reflective this party, instead of just getting super wasted and shooting off rockets? I miss the rockets already, I must admit,” Brad said. “I mean, I know that being new and all can be tough. And tougher still when you don't have anyone you can talk to. I just want you to know that you can talk to me, even if it's about something that you think you can't talk to me about. If that makes sense.”
Lilly was a bit taken aback by Brad's talkativeness.
“Have you been drinking, Brad? Not that I care at all, just wondering,” Lilly said. “And I guess the answer to your questions is that I'm still not so sure who I can trust around here. No offense or anything. It's just that I'm a woman, and often times when a woman says she's feeling things that every man does all the men around her jump down her throat and call her weak for it. I'm just not trying to have that happen is all. I hope you understand. Maybe in the future, we can chat about my innermost thoughts, and whatever else is going on inside my head.”
Brad nodded, and then took a long drink from his cup of beer.
“I completely get it,” Brad said. “I mean, if I were you, I'd be wary as well. There is just a lot that can go on in the ranching business that is political in nature, even though everyone here would curse and say they'd never be involved in anything like that. But we were all involved in it earlier today when we worked with that larger outfit. That was politics. That doesn't mean it was bad or wrong. I guess what I should have said, and then stopped talking, is that I understand what you're saying is all.”
As Brad talked, the sun set. The light it cast up into the sky was the same hue of rust and blood mixed together. It was a beautiful sight, and they both turned to watch. Lilly couldn't hep but feel closer to nature, and a little closer to Brad. Not that she suddenly trusted him by any means, but it was good to hear him say that he was there to listen to any problems she might be having. No one else had said anything like that to her during her time here, no one except for Sam.
“Hey, Lilly, could you come help me in the house?”
It was Sam. She'd walked up behind them while Brad had been finishing talking.
“Holy shit,” Sam said. “Look at that sunset! Isn't that something. I was hoping we'd get a decent one today. Yesterday's evening was decent, but nothing like that. It m
eans that the seasons are changing! No more super hot days. Or, at least, fewer hot days.”
“What do you need help with?” Brad asked. “Whatever it is, I can help as well.”
Both Lilly and Sam could tell that Brad wasn't trying to be intrusive, but genuinely helpful.
“It's all right, Brad,” Sam said. “I think Lilly can help me. It's just a few chairs to drag out so that some of the bigger ranch hands don't have to tire themselves standing all night.”
Brad grunted and nodded, moving back towards one of the kegs. The rest of the ranch hands seemed equally as focused on the booze, and Sam took Lilly by the hand and led her to the manager's cabin. When they made it through the door, it was like two teenagers left alone while their parents made a run to town for food and supplies. Neither Sam nor Lilly could keep their hands off the other, and each one loved it. Before long Lilly found herself on her knees while Sam lay on the couch, drinking deeply from the spring of Sam's sexual energy. They both loved running their hands through each other's hair, and it wasn't long until Lilly brought Sam over the precipice of climax. Sam moaned and made a face like she was seeing a new sun for the first time. It made Lilly feel good to know that she was capable of making Sam feel this way.
When it was over, they both held each other close for a few seconds, panting.
“I'll take care of you tonight,” Sam said. “But right now, we need to go tell the rest of the Rocking U Ranch about us. I know that it's a scary idea, but people are catching on. I heard a little bit of what Brad was saying to you, and although I don't think he knows right now, I do think that it's only a matter of time before he finds out. And then he might not like it so much that I kept a secret from him. Me and Brad have been working together a long time, Lilly, and he deserves to know. Just like the rest of the hands deserve to know. It's not like I'm showing you any kind of special treatment or anything like that.”
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