“We’re the perfect candidates for the job this morning,” Chili said. “We’re here right now, and you’ve got time to show us what to do before you hit the road to the ranch and hop on a horse.”
“That’s right. By the time you make a few calls and find one of them there applicants who could start at a minute’s notice it could very well be noon, and then you’d have no time to show them anything. It could be a mess.”
“A real mess,” Chili agreed. “So, you can trust us two to watch the store for you, keep our hands off the flower arrangin’ and take money for anything anyone wants to buy off the walls or counters. How does that sound?”
She laughed. “Y’all are really serious?”
“Sure we are,” Drewbaker assured her. “You go spend time with your son and Tucker. And the rest of them kids at the ranch. You don’t worry about a thing. We’ll keep the doors open till Camy gets here and everything will be just fine.”
She asked herself if she was just plain crazy. But no, these two sweethearts were competent men who, she was realizing, had hearts of gold.
“Then I accept your offer. I’ll pay—”
“You’ll do no such thing,” Chili got out first, with Drewbaker saying something similar.
“We’re doing this because we care and the good Lord saw fit to have us walk in here right when you needed us.”
“Thank you, you two are sweethearts.” She gave them each a hug then got busy showing them what they needed to know.
She’d run upstairs before opening that morning and had surveyed the apartment more thoroughly than she had the first day. She’d been intent then on staying at the ranch, but today she took in everything. It would work. With elbow grease and dust bunny attacking, she and Abe could be here by the following weekend. Abe could have a home of his own once more.
By noon she was heading back out to the ranch. Tucker had called as she was about to head out the door with a smile and a wave to Drewbaker and Chili.
“We’re on,” he said, his voice deep and excited against her ear. “We’re having a roundup.”
Suzie couldn’t get to the ranch fast enough. This was about Abe, but in her heart of hearts she knew that something between her and Tucker had shifted. And the anticipation of exploring what and where that could lead had her pressing the gas pedal and driving hard for the ranch.
* * *
By midafternoon they were nearing the valley where the large herd waited for them. Tucker had explained that they were driving the small herd of cattle that was ahead of them from the pastures near the ranch house to join a larger herd over the rise. Then they would drive the two herds through the pass and over to fresh grazing lands. Then they would take the cattle in the pastures there and load them in cattle trailers bound for sale.
He explained some of the ins and outs of the cattle business as they rode beside each other, filling time, she knew, but it was interesting. She could tell that he loved the ranch and the ranching aspects of it.
“Can I ask you why, if you love this so much, you are sheriff instead of being more deeply involved in some aspect of the ranch? I know it’s personal, and you don’t have to tell me, but I’m curious.”
“I hadn’t planned on being a law enforcement officer. I’d planned on a career in the marines. But I got talked into running by my family. They knew it would help me to feel like I was making a difference. And it has. I needed that after what happened with Gordon.”
She’d thought as much. “You’re good with the boys, too. And you give back in that way.”
He smiled at her, and her insides felt as if she’d just gone airborne over a speed bump.
“Thanks. I know I love this. And I’m glad you’ve come along.”
“Thanks again for getting it together.”
They reached the top of the hill. And below them was an enormous valley. Cattle were everywhere.
Tucker reined in his horse, and she did the same, bringing Cupcake to a standstill beside him.
“Wow. Unbelievable.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.”
“It certainly is.”
He pointed across the expanse to where Abe and the other teens were on the far edge of the cattle, riding back and forth, waving their ropes and moving the cattle forward. “Abe’s holding his own. Look at him go after that stray that’s running the wrong direction.”
From this distance they couldn’t see the boys’ faces; she recognized individuals more from their mannerisms and body size. She had picked Abe out instantly. But so had Tucker. It touched her deeply that he was close enough to her son that he could do that from this distance.
“Oh, Tucker, he is having a blast.”
“He’s out there learning from some of the best. I’m glad we did this a week early, because it enabled Wes and Joseph to join in before they head back to Huntsville on Sunday. Wes is a cowboy of cowboys. He can’t be outridden or out-roped. Abe is hanging close to him.
“You ready to ride down there and get involved?”
“I think so.”
“Sure you are,” he said with a wink. “I’m going to make a cowgirl out of you yet.”
He laughed and nudged his horse into a lope. Cupcake followed—and, ready or not, Suzie rode!
It was amazing as they rode down the hill toward the cattle. She felt free with the wind flowing across her skin. She was very grateful for the day she’d spent riding the fence on Cupcake looking for the donkey escape route. At least she didn’t feel as though she was going to topple off the horse and land in the dirt.
Tucker had explained earlier that she was to crowd the cattle so that they would leave the grass they were eating and move along with the others. Once moving, it was fairly easy to keep them going, but every so often one would lag behind or break for freedom. That was when she would have to work with Cupcake to get between the heifer and wherever it was she was trying to escape to.
That was the tricky part.
But for now, she was quite proud of the fact that she was pushing the cattle along almost as if she’d been born to do this. Of course, there was no telling how many roundups ole Cupcake had been involved in. The truth was that Suzie could probably drop the reins, and the horse would have gone on doing exactly what it was doing.
Even so, Suzie felt exhilarated with the ride.
Dust and mooing, mingled with the usual whoops and hoots of the boys, was the music of the day over the range. The sun lifted high and hot in the Texas sky—fitting for such an adventure, Suzie decided, though the beads of perspiration and grime weren’t the most endearing aspects of the day.
No, there was no getting around the fact that a roundup was a hot job.
But Suzie found herself smiling most of the way. Smiling so much that her teeth kept drying out and her lips kept getting stuck. Not exactly glamorous, but Suzie could see now there was a reason cowboys were cowboys. There was definitely something about the process that drew a certain type of person.
She was startled to find that she was that sort of person. Of course, when her backside started aching it dawned on her that she might not be able to move the next day. Suddenly a cow broke and ran straight toward her, jolting her out of her daydreaming. Cupcake instantly tried to jump in front of the renegade, and Suzie nearly fell out of the saddle. Grabbing the saddle horn, she regained her balance. Then, determined to do her job, she tugged on the reins, wheeled Cupcake around, and they loped after the calf. The old horse knew exactly what she was doing. They rounded in front of the cow and, to Suzie’s pride, the animal turned back. “We did it!” she exclaimed, patting Cupcake’s neck as they fell back into the lineup.
She caught Tucker smiling at her. She gave him a thumbs-up.
“You’re a natural,” he called.
“I love it!” Anticipation for the rest of the d
ay filled her. Now Suzie knew exactly why the boys whooped and yelled “Yee-haw!”
The cattle were mooing and plodding along the streambed that went down the center of the ravine. It made for the perfect containment passage as they moved to the other side of the ranch.
“There’s Nana,” Suzie said, spying her in the valley.
Tucker grinned. She was cooking on her big barbecue pit, which she always pulled to the area behind her old truck. It was her version of a chuck wagon. “Nana married my grandfather and started driving her truck-wagon out to the roundups to feed the cowboys long before Dad had been born. It’s a tradition.”
“That’s so wonderful. They must have been perfect for each other.”
He looked at Suzie, she was so beautiful. “They were.”
By the time they arrived, she had the sausage links hot and sizzling on the grill, and the tortillas warm and ready for a feast of sausage wraps followed by peach cobbler. The kids ate as if they hadn’t seen food in a week, and even Suzie ate like a cowhand.
“How are you holding up?” he asked, moving to stand beside her.
She was standing real still as she ate, and he figured it might be because it hurt too bad to sit.
“Well, there are parts of my anatomy that I no longer feel, they’ve gone numb. And then there are other parts that are screaming in pain with every move I make.”
He chuckled. “Thought that was why you were standing so stiffly.”
“Yup. If I hadn’t had such a great morning, I would kick you with my boot—but it would hurt too bad. And I have had the time of my life.”
Her eyes were twinkling, and if he’d had a camera he’d have taken her picture.
“I’m sorry about the soreness. Riding does take some getting used to by greenhorns.”
“Greenhorns! That’s an understatement. And believe me, I have no idea how I’m going to climb back up into that saddle.”
“Tucker will help you out,” Nana called. “Don’t you worry. I’ve got some great liniment I’ll give you tonight that will help. Tucker, do you think the rain is going to hold off?”
He’d been studying the storm clouds and he could see his dad, Morgan and Chet, their top hand, over by the horses studying them, too. He wanted this experience to keep being positive. Rain added a whole different aspect to a roundup.
They especially didn’t need the rain on the leg of the trip that was coming up. He could hear the river roaring up ahead as the stream turned and fed into the river that cut through Sunrise Ranch. The cattle would travel a short distance along the flowing river, but then an arm of the ravine would fork and the cattle would walk up an embankment and into the next section of the ranch.
The river flowed pretty good on a wet day, and since they’d had heavy rains upriver two days before, it would be rushing through this narrow, curved section and bottleneck farther downriver into some dangerous rapids.
Suzie was doing a good job riding beside nine-year-old Sammy at the moment. “Y’all stay on the left side of the cattle until we make it to the fork. You know the rules, Sammy,” he called, and the kid gave him a nod. Sammy had learned to respect the river’s power and Tucker knew he’d follow the rules.
Abe burst from the brush chasing a runaway heifer back into the herd. Then he pulled up beside them.
“That one gave me some trouble but I got it. This is great.” He grinned. Tucker hadn’t seen a smile from the kid in over a week.
“You’re making a top hand, that’s for certain,” Tucker assured him. “Just stay away from the embankment.”
The river was growing louder.
“I’ll be back.” Tucker rode up ahead through the cattle and toward where his dad, Morgan and Chet were taking the outer positions beside the herd. Each would take the position at the opening as they came to it, waving the cattle off from the water and in the right direction. Then he’d move forward as the next man and his section moved through. Tucker was the last.
Behind him, he heard a shout and saw Abe take off after another runaway. Sammy went to help. Up front, the first of the cattle had reached the river. Everything was going well as the last cattle began feeding through. Tucker took Chet’s place on the flat rock that was buffeted by the river as it raced past. Now he could see the water was higher than they’d realized and building small rapids, even this far upstream. He glanced back at Suzie just as she had Cupcake block a calf from making a run for it. The move took her to the very back of the herd, where there were no animals between her and the river.
He was about to yell for her to move up when the heifer Abe and Sammy had followed into the woods came blasting from the trees as if its tail was on fire. Cupcake jumped but held her ground. Suzie, in her excitement to cut the calf off, jabbed the horse too hard with the heels of her boots. Cupcake did what she was asked and bolted after the calf. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Suzie came too close to the rock edge. Tucker urged his horse just as the calf twisted around and bolted straight into Cupcake.
Tucker watched, helpless, as the poor horse danced sideways then reared when the frightened calf rammed it.
Eyes wide, Suzie tried to hold on as Cupcake pawed the air. Though the horse found its balance it was too late for Suzie as she pitched backward out of the saddle and into the river below.
Chapter Sixteen
Tucker yelled to draw everyone’s attention as Suzie hit the water and went under, then reappeared flailing in the swift current. The current dragged her under almost instantly. Tucker was already reaching for his rope before she hit the water—his heart stopping but his mind reacting.
Urging his horse forward, he charged down the bank along the uneven edge of the river. Praying for Suzie to reappear again, he knew he was her best shot as she came up fighting downstream. “Yah!” he shouted, urging his horse to increase speed as he started his rope spinning above his head. Suzie was fighting, but he had to get her before she rounded the curve. This throw mattered more than any other he’d ever made, he knew, as he sent the loop after her.
The rope sailed through the air—his prayers flying with it that God would direct its path.
It landed over her and she grasped it. Then he had his horse sit back on its heels and begin backing up, pulling her from the water.
“You got her,” Sammy yelled.
When she was almost to shore, Tucker wrapped the rope around the horn and threw himself from the saddle. Letting one hand slip down the length of the line, he raced into the water, pulling her the rest of the way ashore.
His heart pounded as he hauled her from the water and into his arms. Terror gripped him, now that it was done, and he clung to her. She clutched him as he kissed the top of her head.
“You’re okay now. You’re safe,” he said, caressing her hair, trying to soothe her nerves, unable to hold her tight enough.
“Thank you,” she gasped. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put Cupcake in that position. You told me. I just got excited.” She was rambling, looking up at him.
Tucker shook his head. “It’s okay, Suzie. It wasn’t your fault. You’re safe, and that’s all that matters.”
He’d almost lost her before he’d had the opportunity to tell her he loved her.
“You saved me,” she whispered, the sweetest expression on her face.
“I wasn’t about to lose you. I love you, Suzie. I couldn’t lose you.” He kissed her long and hard, not caring who saw—not thinking about who was around. His only thought was he had the woman he loved in his arms and she was safe.
“Mom!” Abe yelled, racing up on his horse, bringing everything around them back into focus. Everyone was rallying around them.
“I’m okay. Tucker pulled me out,” she said, though it was obvious what had happened. But Abe didn’t seem interested in that. His face contorted in anger.
“Hey, son, hold on,” Tucker said, stepping in.
“I’m not your son!” Abe exclaimed. Then he spun his horse and took off riding as fast as he could go.
“Abe,” Suzie cried, her hand coming to her mouth.
“I’ll get him.” Anger, alarm and empathy forged together for the kid. Looking at the ashen expression on Suzie’s face, he moved to his horse, swung into the saddle and went after Abe. “Take care of her,” he called to his dad as he rode past.
“You need help?”
He shot his dad a look over his shoulder. “No, we’ll meet you at the cabin.” And he buckled down low and rode like the wind.
Abe needed a showdown. And he wanted it with Tucker.
And Tucker understood it, and was prepared to take whatever the kid needed to throw at him.
But one thing the kid needed to know was that his mother didn’t deserve what he’d just thrown at her.
The threatening rain clouds that had hovered over the day had darkened ominously and the wind had picked up. Tucker rode hard, following the path through the trees that Abe had taken.
A storm wouldn’t be good for the roundup. They’d planned on camping at the cabin halfway to their destination. But would they make it before the storm hit? He glanced at the sky, then back at the trail. His dad would handle it.
He had to find Abe. He had to get to the root of this...finally.
When he topped the ridge he spotted the boy riding his horse across the open pasture at a crazy speed. The danger of the horse hitting a hole and breaking its leg, or falling and rolling on Abe, was high.
Yelling wouldn’t do any good, since he suspected that even if Abe could hear him, he wouldn’t listen.
Tucker prayed again that Abe would make it to the trees and be forced to slow down again. At the speed they were going, it didn’t take long to cross the meadow.
Her Unlikely Cowboy Page 14