Wrangled

by Natasha Stories

  I started to get up, but he pulled me back into his arms and wrapped me up tightly. “Where are you going?”

  “I need to clean up,” I said. Though none of the past few minutes’ activity was for my pleasure, my body didn’t know the difference. I was wet and sticky between my legs, and I wanted to wash my face, get a drink of water. Somehow I knew we were done, that there would be no orgasm for me tonight unless I decided to give myself one once I got home. Curiously, I was indifferent to that. At the moment, I just wanted to clean up and go home to my own bed.

  “Okay, but come back when you’re done,” he said. Did that mean he wanted to play with me some more, or that he’d be ready for another round? Either way, I wasn’t particularly interested. I’d learned what I needed to know. Jason was a selfish lover, and I’d had one of those already. I needed to think.

  Chapter 11

  Once in awhile, I’d think about when it all started to go wrong for me. I couldn’t dwell on it, ‘cause there was no use bein’ a crybaby. I’d lost a lot in the last year.

  All of the women on the ranch was in a flap about Annalee marryin’ that dude she worked for. Some of ‘em was for it, like Janet and sometimes one or two of the girls. Some, like Miss Charity, was dead-set agin it, but weddin’ plans was goin’ on anyways. It was gonna happen in the ranch house, in that big room where they used to hold parties before the boss took over the ranch. We was all invited, but I couldn’t see showin’ up myself. I still had feelin’s for Annalee, and I couldn’t hardly stand thinkin’ of her with another man. She was one thing I’d lost; the most important.

  Of course, losin’ Annalee meant losin’ her kids, too. I didn’t know how much I thought of those kids until they was gone. I missed little Tali wrappin’ her chubby arms around my neck and givin’ me a kiss on the cheek, then rubbin’ her face where my whiskers tickled her. I missed Al and his questions. I couldn’t smell strawberries without gettin’ a hard-on, ‘cause I missed holdin’ Annalee and smellin’ her hair.

  To top it off, my first rodeo season looked to be my last. After strugglin’ to place in the money all summer, I was gonna have to admit I just wasn’t good enough. It was me, not Abo. My ropin’ horse was good, everyone said. He could get outta the gate like greased lightnin’, and he knew what to do when he was out. But my time sucked. Part of it was my leg, that was still stiff sometimes, especially if it rained, like it had been doin’ the last couple of weeks. The rest was I just didn’t have the time to practice enough to make up for all those years I wasted as a kid.

  I’d nearly done lost my Uncle Hank, too, to the misunderstandin’ about Annalee. We still couldn’t talk about her without one or both of us gettin’ mad and stompin’ off. But, he stuck by me, I’ll have to say that. When he saw how miserable I was over Annalee gettin’ married, he told me there’d be another girl for me down the road. But, the truth was that if I stayed on the ranch, there wasn’t much chance I’d find me another girl. I couldn’t go after one of the girls there. Even though they wasn’t real sisters, it was too much like it for me. Probly for them, too. Anyway, all the ones that was old enough was livin’ in Rawlins, since Celeste and Annalee needed more help after Al’s accident and Ciara moved in with ‘em permanent.

  That just left Amber and Janey. Janey’d be eighteen soon, but Amber was still just seventeen, or near it. I didn’t even know why I was thinkin’ along them lines. They was too much like MY sisters to even think about it. Lovin’ Annalee had made her sisters mine. Even Celeste, that was prickly as a cactus.

  I wasn’t a quitter, though. I’d committed to seein’ out the end of the rodeo season, and I intended to do just that, ‘til the end of the good weather, anyway. Come next month, the nearby rodeos would all be done for the year. I couldn’t afford to chase ‘em down to Texas and New Mexico, so I’d be done, too. Best thing for me to do would be sell Abo, but I didn’t have the heart for it. I loved him like nothin’ and no one else but Annalee and Hank. So I needed to figure out somethin’ that would get me my own place and work off the ranch, or somethin’.

  Bein’ in charge of the breedin’ operation for the paints had got me a raise, so I wasn’t exactly poor, but it wasn’t exactly enough to be on my own with a horse to feed and transport, either. Seemed to me I needed some advice. Right after this next rodeo weekend, I planned to talk to Hank and the boss about my prospects.

  Friday night, I loaded up Abo and drove on down to Livermore, Colorado for the next day’s rodeo. It was a little podunk town, not even as big as Rawlins, and I’d have to place pretty high to even pay for the gas to get there and back. The last of the monsoon rains was pourin’ as I drove away from the ranch, hopin’ I’d drive out of the storm ‘cause Abo didn’t like thunder and lightnin’ and he was shiftin’ in the trailer enough to make it hard to pull straight. Sure enough, ‘long about Cheyenne, I drove out from under the cloud cover and stopped for some late supper at a truck stop outside of town. I planned to get on down to Livermore before I stopped for the night, though.

  I hadn’t been on the highway more’n half an hour when the storm caught up to us. This time we was gonna just have to ride it out, because it was travelin’ south, just like we was. I’d be turnin’ off the highway back to the west any minute, anyway, and Livermore was only fifteen more miles. That was the plan. But, dark as it was in the rain, I missed a turn somewhere and wound up comin’ up on the parkin’ lot for the North Poudre reservoir. I knew that was wrong, so I figured we was just gonna have to camp right here ‘til the sun come up and I could get my bearin’s.

  I pulled the rig around and went back to settle Abo down, pullin’ out the cot where I slept in the trailer with him when we was out overnight. Then I give him some grain and water, and settled down for the night, glad for the grub I’d had in Cheyenne. It was gonna be a while before I got breakfast in the mornin’.

  Next mornin’, we drove on back to where I made the wrong turn. I could see on the map where I’d turned right instead of left, so it was only another six or seven miles on into Livermore. We’d be there in plenty of time to get a good spot, though there was gonna be a good crowd.

  The annual rodeo was the high spot of the year for most of them little towns. Farmers and ranchers from miles around would come and bring their families for barbecue and entertainment, and the little boys would compete in Mutton Bustin’ events. I guess maybe sometimes girls competed, too; it was hard to say when they was all trussed up in paddin’ and a helmet. Their daddies would help ‘em onto the back of a sheep where they’d hang on for dear life while the sheep tried to run out from under ‘em. If they could stay on for six seconds, they’d get a score. This was the kind of stuff that I’d missed as a kid, since I didn’t have a real family until Uncle Hank took me in at sixteen. Once they was older than six, kids graduated to junior rodeo events and on to the real thing by the time they was sixteen or seventeen, sometimes.

  I pulled up at the rodeo arena less than half an hour after gettin’ up at North Poudre, saw to Abo and went lookin’ for the food tents. I was tuckin’ into a breakfast burrito fresh off the grill when a man I’d met on the circuit give me a holler.

  “Hey, Jim, how’s it goin’?” I answered.

  “Cody, my ropin’ horse come up lame. I might hafta withdraw,” he told me.

  “Tough break, dude.”

  “Yeah. But hey, I’ve got a proposition for you,” he continued.

  “What’s that?”

  “You pretty sure you can place first or second today? I figure that’s what it’ll take to pay for your trip,” he said, givin’ me a stare that said ‘you ain’t got a prayer’. That kinda ruffled my feathers, but he was right, and I couldn’t afford to get on my high horse with him. Rodeo’s almost like high school. There’s gangs of friends and if you don’t belong to one, you cain’t expect no help when you need it.

  “Naw, Jim. I’m just about to come out and admit I ain’t cut out for this. What’s your proposition?”

  “How about letti
n’ me ride Abo? I’ll split my winnin’s with you. It’s the points I’m after, anyway.”

  I thought fast. Jim was a top contender, so I had no doubt that there’d be winnin’s to split, but I never paid much attention to his rein technique.

  “Abo’s neck-reined, Jim. Are you used to that?” If he was a direct-rein rider, it wouldn’t work anyway. The horse and rider had to be one unit for ropin’ events, and Jim wouldn’t have time to learn how to signal Abo.

  “I’ve trained both ways,” Jim answered. “Let me take him for a trial run, and I’ll know if we can work together.”

  I was willin’, since it would mean takin’ home some money for a change if they could do it. But first, I’d have to judge whether Jim had the touch or not. There wasn’t nothin’ to do but get Abo out of the trailer and let him try. In a paddock off to the side of the arena, Jim put Abo through his paces. At first it looked like Abo was gonna live up to his name, but then Jim got the better of him and they was soon wheelin’ and gallopin’ with the best of ‘em.

  Jim rode up to me and said, “What’s his whole name, Cody?”

  “It’s White’s BB King, but his barn name is Abogado,” I said.

  “He’s a good horse, once he stops arguin’ with you. Is that why you call him Lawyer?”

  “Yep. What d’you think? Will you be able to make good time with him?” I had to know quick, so I could withdraw from the event and get my money back.

  “I think we’ll do fine. Say, if you ain’t cut out for this like you said, would you wanta sell him?”

  “Naw, he’s mine. But you just give me an idea. So, you wanta ride him today?”

  “Yeah, I would. No reason we both cain’t.”

  “Naw, I’m gonna withdraw. Can I leave him with you while I take care of it?”

  “Sure thing. Catch you later.”

  That idea bumped up agin the sides of my brain all day, while I watched Jim ride my horse to first place finishes in both tie-down ropin’ and steer-wrestlin’. Lucky I’d been trainin’ him to know the difference. Jim handed over five hundred in cash when he brung Abo back to the trailer at the end of the day.

  “Sure wish you’d let me buy him. You know, it ain’t his fault you ain’t placin’, Cody. He’s trained real good.” Jim’s friendly smile took the sting outta the words, ‘specially since I’d come to the same conclusion myself.

  “I know. But I cain’t give him up, we’ve got an understandin’.” I smiled a little as I remembered the boss askin’ me about that a few years back. Then I said to Jim, “But I’ve got an idea, and maybe you’d be interested. I’m in charge of the paint breedin’ operation at the Rockin’ W ranch outside of Rawlins. I’m gonna talk to the boss about lettin’ me train some of ‘em for ropin’ horses. That outta make ‘em bring more cash when they get sold. Give me a call in a coupla weeks, and I’ll let you know if we’ll have a trained paint like Abo for sale before next spring.”

  “Hey, I will!”

  I give him the phone number and he promised to call two weeks from tomorrow. That give me a little time to think on how I was gonna talk the boss into this plan. And what I should ask for in my pay for it.

  Drivin’ back to the ranch, alls I could think about was would the boss go for my idea? And would he let me keep the difference between what the horses would go for untrained and what I could sell a trained one for? Would it be enough to support Annalee and the kids? And could I stop her marryin’ that guy? I didn’t know the answers to any of that, but maybe Uncle Hank could help me with some of it. I couldn’t wait to get back to the ranch and talk to him.

  ~~~

  When I got back, it was late and I’d missed dinner, but I sweet-talked Janet into makin’ me a sandwich or somethin’ while I took care of Abo. When I got back to the kitchen, Uncle Hank was there, just as I’d hoped. Sometimes it come in handy to have my uncle courtin’ the cook. Janet had made me a big ol’ sandwich with home-baked bread and roast beef, some home-fried potato chips she’d whipped up, and a big glass of cold milk. It was perfect.

  “Uncle Hank, I’m glad you’re here,” I said, between bites. “I need to run somethin’ by you.”

  “Shoot, then,” he told me, sittin’ down at the table to pay attention, and wavin’ Janet over to sit with us. I didn’t particularly want to spread my idea all around, but if Hank knew, Janet was gonna know within hours anyway, so I didn’t mind.

  “The boss was right,” I told them. “I ain’t gonna be good enough at rodeoin’ to make a livin’. I’ve accepted that now. But one thing I am good at, and that’s trainin’ ropin’ horses.” I paused to see if Hank had anything to say about that, but he just watched me and waited for me to go on.

  “So, I’m thinkin’, maybe the boss would let me train some of his, and maybe they’d bring more money at the sale because of it. We could even make a big name for ‘em, have people comin’ to us to ask for ‘em, instead of waiting to take ‘em to auction. Do you think he’d let me share in the extra profits?”

  Asked a direct question, Uncle Hank didn’t have any choice but to answer and let me know what he was thinkin’ so far. “Might,” was all he said though. So I kept on goin’.

  “Do you think maybe half of the extra would be enough more that I could take a wife and support a family?” Hank’s face darkened, but then he kinda smiled. I hadn’t said Annalee, maybe he thought I’d give up on her.

  “Might could,” he answered.

  “Well, would you help me talk to the boss about it? If he said yes, I’d quit the rodeo right now and get started, before the weather stops us.”

  “I guess I could do that.”

  Next mornin’ I was out in the barn checkin’ over the brood mares when Uncle Hank called me to go on in the house with him so we could talk it over with the boss. We found Mr. Russ in his office, but as soon as we come in, he come around the desk and sat down with us in the conversation area.

  “Cody, I hear you have an interesting business proposition for me,” he said, smilin’. I figured he musta been tryin’ to put me at ease, but this meant so much to me, I couldn’t be easy until I knew whether it would all work.

  “Yessir,” I said nervously.

  “Now listen here, Cody. You’re a grown man, and if I like what I hear, you’ll be my business partner. It’s time to call me Russ. Fair enough?”

  My head was spinnin’. Business partner! I couldn’t hardly believe it. All I’d hoped for was another raise; this sounded promisin’.

  “Fair enough, sir. I mean R-Russ,” I stammered, blushin’.

  After I stuttered on his name, Russ smiled at me even bigger and said, “Well, let’s hear it! I can’t wait.”

  I took a deep breath to settle my nerves, then started in tellin’ him what had happened in Livermore, and the idea I’d had that if we could sell the paints trained, we could make more money on ‘em. By the time I was done, I’d relaxed enough to say, “I was hopin’ if it worked out, you’d see your way clear to maybe split the profit with me.”

  “I see. And what would you think was a fair split?” I didn’t know whether he was just gatherin’ facts, or whether he was already considerin’ this a good idea. I almost hated to ask for it, but I owed it to my future to say what I wanted.

  “I was thinkin’ fifty-fifty, Boss.”

  “Cody, if we’re going to be partners, would you be willing to let me teach you some things about business?” he said. Now I was nervous. Had I blown my chance by askin’ too much?

  “Sure, Bo—I mean Russ.” His answering smile calmed me down a little.

  “Okay. Is there anything pressing in the barn right now, or can you stay here with me to kick this around for a while?”

  “I reckon what I need to do can wait until after lunch,” I said, with a little more confidence now.

  “Good. Hank, I think Cody and I can handle it from here. Thanks for bringing his idea to my attention.”

  Hank, who hadn’t said a word the entire time, got up, shook the boss’s
hand, clapped me on the back and left, still without a word.

  I waited for the boss to speak first.

  “Cody, that’s a good idea you had there. But if you’re going to make a business of it, you need to learn a few things. I’ll stake you, and as long as you’re willing to follow my lead on your education, I’ll give you seventy-five percent of the profits until what I’ve had to lay out to get you started is paid back. After that, ninety percent. Your first lesson is this: don’t undervalue your contribution.”

  I’m pretty sure my mouth was hangin’ open at that. If I’d known what he meant by education, I might not have got it closed for the rest of the day. We started in on makin’ a business plan right that minute, after I’d jumped up and wrung his hand in a grateful shake.

  Russ’s idea was that we wouldn’t train just his paints; we’d advertise to train other people’s horses, too. I’d need some employees, and I’d have to train them first. I’d need a separate operation from the Rockin’ W, too. Russ said he’d call Annalee and have her start lookin’ for a property for him to buy, with a barn and a house at least. He’d rent me the property after I started makin’ 90% of the profit, and sell it to me for what he got it for eventually. But he let me know that not every investor would do all this. I was one of his ‘boys’, and got family treatment. It reminded me of how much I owed him, and I said so, but Russ didn’t want me to dwell on it.

  “When you’re a successful businessman,” he said, “remember what you needed when you were sixteen, and pay it forward. That’s all I ask.” I vowed right then that I’d do like he did, and make sure my ranch always had room for kids that needed a break. Meanwhile, I needed to start in makin’ sure Annalee didn’t marry anyone but me. I told Russ I planned to break her up with that fellow she was plannin’ on marryin’, and he said, “Go for it.” I hoped he’d keep it to hisself, though. I didn’t need no hassle with Hank.