Cowgirl Up

by Ali Spooner

  “When did you make the connection?”

  She chuckled. “Melissa and I were going to watch a movie after we had finished the hay in my first week here. When I walked into the den I saw pictures of Mitch and Tessa I had taken hanging on the wall and I passed out in shock.”

  “I bet that was a shock to your system.”

  “Neither Melissa or I had made the connection until that night.”

  “Thank you for sharing that with me. I promise I won’t tell anyone else what happened, but I really hope you don’t blame yourself for what happened.”

  “I did for a long time,” she admitted.

  “What is happening with you now?”

  “I don’t know. Mary Leah and the doctor think I may have post-traumatic stress. I don’t understand why it is coming out now, but I’ve been having nightmares and losing sleep.”

  “I hope therapy will work quickly for you, Coal,” he said, blushing.

  “Thanks, Gene, I hope so too.”

  They had checked the remainder of the fence line and found no further breaches. “You ready to throw some hay?” she asked.

  “Sooner we start, the sooner we finish. Are you going to feel like practicing some tonight after dinner?”

  “I think that could be arranged. I know Shadow is ready for some exercise.”

  “Let’s give them a short run then,” Gene said and urged his horse into a gallop as they raced across the open field.

  †

  Melissa had just driven up with lunch when Coal and Gene arrived at the hayfields. “Well you two sure have perfect timing today,” she teased.

  “Gene smelled food,” Coal answered and Gene laughed.

  “You know I can smell it from a mile away.”

  “Tend to your horses and join us. I’ll fix your plates,” Melissa said.

  Coal and Gene tied their reins on tree branches and then unsaddled their horses in the shade. “Should we let them loose to graze?” he asked.

  “Might as well. We’re going to be here a while,” she answered and took Shadow’s bridle and hung it on the limb.

  They walked over to the group resting in the shade, enjoying lunch. Melissa brought plates and drinks and then sat with the group. “You know, I can drive the truck to allow two to load and two to stack,” she said.

  “That would speed things up some. Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?” Stan asked.

  “Not at all, you guys are cooking dinner, so I’m free for the afternoon.”

  “You have a deal then,” he said with a grin.

  “Let me finish lunch, and I’ll get going with the baler to get a head start on you. Roy can drive the rake. That way you can finish cutting the next field,” Harley said.

  “Sounds like a plan in motion,” Stan said as he dusted off his clothes and walked back to the mower.

  Gene and Coal dove into the stack of sandwiches on their plates, eager to get back to work. “You two need to slow down and chew,” Harley said as he walked to the baler. “Give me a good half hour head start.”

  “Yes, boss,” they said in unison and slowed down to enjoy their food.

  Melissa shook her head as she grinned at the pair. “I swear you are two peas in a pod.”

  “Yeah, but I’m the better looking one,” Coal said as she punched Gene’s shoulder.

  “I guess that leaves me the strong one,” he said, flexing his arms, making the rest of the crew laugh.

  “I hope you can still do that when we get done today,” Melissa said.

  “I’ll be ready to throw some rope after supper,” Gene said.

  “Are you two practicing tonight?” she asked.

  “Yeah, at least for a little while,” she said. “I’m sure Stan will want to get an early start tomorrow to beat the heat, so we won’t be long.”

  “Well, the reservations are all set for Dallas, and I went ahead and booked rooms for Austin too,” Melissa said. “So don’t disappoint me.”

  “We’re going to do our best, boss,” Coal promised.

  “I have no doubt of that,” Melissa said. “Do you need more to drink?”

  “No, I’m good, thanks,” she said as she handed her the empty plate and cup.

  Coal watched as Harley drove down the second row of raked hay, the baler dropping the sixty-pound bales about every thirty seconds. She was about to ask if they were ready to go when for the second time that day they heard the hawk’s cry and looked up to see his body streaking to the ground a hundred yards behind Harley, then taking flight with a large rattlesnake dangling from his talons. She looked over at Gene. “Our guardian angel has arrived.”

  “I’m glad he got that one. I’d hate to pick up a bale with a snake curled up inside it,” he said.

  “I hear that. We better keep our eyes open, though, for the rest of the family.”

  “Damn straight, Coal,” he said. He stood and offered her a hand to pull her to her feet. “Let’s roll.”

  They both looked at Melissa. “Ready, boss?” They pulled her up from the ground.

  Tom and Lucas jumped on the back of the truck ready to stack the bales that she and Gene would toss onto the bed of the truck while Melissa drove.

  The truck started to roll slowly forward and Coal lifted the first bale onto the truck bed, Gene following close behind her from the opposite side of the truck. As they reached the end of the first rows, Melissa turned the truck down the next rows and Gene took advantage of the short break to pull off his work shirt leaving him wearing a white tank top undershirt.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Coal said and unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it to Gene, who rushed to the window of the truck and pitched them inside.

  “Is everything all right?” Melissa asked.

  “Yes, ma’am, just stripping down a bit,” Gene answered with a cute grin.

  “Don’t you two forget to take a break and get some fluids back into y’all.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Gene repeated and turned to collect the first bale on his side of the truck.

  Halfway through the next row they had the truck filled to capacity. Lucas jumped down and walked to the cab of the truck followed by Tom. “You two catch something cool to drink and some shade and we’ll get this up to the loft,” Lucas said.

  “You’ll get no arguments from me,” Coal said.

  “The coolers are filled with water, tea, and lemonade,” Melissa said. “Drink plenty; you two are soaked to the bone.”

  “Yes, boss,” Coal, said as she tipped her hat. She and Gene walked toward the shade.

  “What can I buy you to drink?” Gene asked.

  “I think I’ll have some lemonade,” she answered.

  “Me too,” he answered with a boyish grin.

  She sat on top of one of the coolers and enjoyed the respite of the shade as she turned to look at Harley. They were making good time on this field and, with some luck they would finish it today and be ready to work on the next in the morning. Her eyes moved over two fields and Stan was barely visible through a cloud of dust as he cut the next field. “I bet he’s eaten plenty of dust today,” she said to Gene, nodding toward Stan.

  “Yeah, it’s been crazy dry this summer. Worse than last year I think.”

  “I agree, hotter too,” Coal said as she took off her straw work hat and wiped her brow.

  Gene looked at her with concern. “Do you need to take a break from loading to stack a while?”

  “Heck no,” she answered. “I’d much rather be moving around on the ground.”

  “I hear ya,” Gene said. “Looks like we are about to get some company.”

  Harley and Roy had also decided to take a break and were walking toward them for a cool drink. “Hey, boss, what would you like to drink?”

  “That lemonade looks good,” he answered.

  “Me too, please,” Roy said.

  She poured two more glasses of lemonade and refilled Gene’s and her own before sitting down with them.

  Harley took a long drink and sighed.
“Damn, that hits the spot. You two doing okay in this heat?”

  “Yes, sir, I think we are good for now,” she answered.

  “One more load and Stan says we will be done for the day. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m ready for a nice juicy steak.”

  “You’re singing my tune, boss.” Gene grinned. “I feel like I could eat a whole steer about now.”

  “Melissa’s got chocolate chip cookies in the basket if you need a snack,” he told Gene.

  Gene did not need a second invitation to respond and quickly moved to the picnic basket. Coal watched him as he opened it like a kid at Christmas. She saw bananas in the basket too. “Hey, bring me a couple of those bananas, please.”

  “Smart woman,” Harley said.

  “I can’t do too much sugar in this heat and my muscles need the potassium.”

  “You two want anything?” Gene asked before closing the basket.

  “No, I’m good,” Harley said.

  “I’ll take a banana,” Roy said with a grin to Coal.

  Thirty minutes later they could see the dust the truck stirred up as Melissa drove back toward them. “I guess break time is over,” Harley said. “Pace yourselves and don’t overdo it,” he said. He and Roy walked back to the tractors.

  When Melissa, Lucas, and Tom returned, Coal poured them drinks.

  “Y’all doing okay?” Melissa asked. She looked at the army green tank top Coal was wearing and could see the dried salt stains forming. She looked at the banana peels at Coal’s feet and smiled.

  “Yes’m, we’re good,” she answered.

  “Harley said one more load today and we were done for the day,” Gene said.

  “That’s good. This sun is brutal and all I’m doing is driving,” Melissa said.

  “A nice cool shower is going to feel good tonight,” Lucas chimed in.

  “I’ll second that,” Gene said.

  “Let’s do it then, so we can all get cleaned up,” she said.

  They resumed loading the bales and had made it to the end of a row when she felt a stinging on her left side, like a wasp had stung her. She didn’t think anything more of it until Gene cried out.

  “Coal, what’s wrong,” he said, pointing down at her side with panic in his eyes.

  Melissa heard him cry out, and slammed on the brakes, tossing Lucas and Tom into the stack of bales and flew from the cab of the truck.

  Coal cocked her head at Gene whose face was rapidly turning white as the color drained from it, and then looked down at her side. There was a growing red stain on her shirt and a shard of metal poking through.

  Melissa stopped in her tracks and stared as Coal gently lifted her shirt to find a piece of shrapnel had finally worked its way out of her body. She guessed the strain of lifting the bales onto the bed of the truck had finally forced it out of her body. She placed the tip of a gloved finger in her mouth, and pulled off the leather glove, spitting it to the ground before painfully pulling the inch long metal shard from between her ribs. Melissa turned back for the medical kit in the truck.

  “Oh, dear God,” she heard Gene cry out, and turned in time to see him crumple to the ground.

  Lucas and Tom jumped down from the bed of the truck and Lucas rushed to her side as Tom checked on Gene.

  “What happened?” Lucas asked.

  “I had one piece of shrapnel left inside me and it decided to make an appearance today,” she calmly explained to him as Melissa approached.

  “That’s been inside you for three years?” Lucas asked incredulously as he looked at the metal shard she was still holding.

  “Yeah, they couldn’t find it at the time.”

  “You’re damned lucky it didn’t puncture a lung or go to your heart,” Melissa said as she pressed sterile pads against the wound to stop the bleeding.

  “I’ll be all right, boss,” Coal said. “I’m not too sure about Gene though.”

  Harley saw the truck stop and the flurry of activity so he shut off the baler and drove for the truck. He surveyed the scene—Gene flat out on the ground and Melissa tending to Coal— trying to understand what was going on.

  “What happened?” he asked, skidding to a halt after running over to them.

  She looked up at him. “My last shrapnel shard made its appearance today,” she said. She opened her palm to show him the wicked-looking metal.

  “I’ve heard of that happening,” he said calmly. “Are you okay? Do we need to take you for stitches?”

  Melissa lifted the blood-soaked bandage to inspect the wound. “It looks like a fairly clean slice, but I’d feel better if you had it looked at.”

  “I’ve had much worse,” she said.

  Melissa glanced at the long scars down Coal’s side and knew she was being honest. “Maybe you have, but I’m taking you to town to get it checked out,” she commanded. “Lucas, get the truck for me, please.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said and took off running across the field.

  “How’s Gene?” she asked.

  Melissa turned to look toward Gene who was now in a sitting position. “He looks fine. I think he just passed out when he saw the blood on his hero,” she teased with a grin.

  She started to chuckle and then grimaced with pain. “Dear God, please don’t make me laugh.”

  “Sorry,” Melissa said as she took out clean gauze pads and held them next to the wound while Harley placed several strips of tape across it tightly to keep the pressure firm. “Hold onto that and let’s get you to town,” she said as Lucas arrived with the truck.

  Gene had finally made it back onto his feet and he walked shakily over to Coal. “Are you all right?” he asked, the color yet to return to his face.

  “Yeah, I’m okay, Gene. How are you?”

  “Feeling stupid for passing out at the sight of blood,” he said with shame.

  “There is nothing wrong with that, son,” Harley said with a pat on his back. “Especially when it’s something you weren’t expecting.”

  “I still feel like an idiot,” Gene said, hanging his head. “Do you need help with her?” he asked Melissa.

  She didn’t, but she looked at Harley who nodded.

  “Sure, Gene, will you sit in back with her and make sure she doesn’t take her hand off that bandage?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, and opened the door for Coal.

  “He wouldn’t be any good to us the rest of the day anyhow, worrying about her,” Harley told Melissa. “We’ll finish out this load and head for the barn. I’ll let Stan know what’s going on. You take care of her and let us know if you need anything.”

  “Thanks, Harley,” Melissa said and walked to the driver’s side as Gene slipped in beside Coal.

  “Let’s get her done, boys,” Harley barked, and the crew snapped to attention as he went to the driver’s side of the truck.

  †

  “Do you want me to call Mary Leah?” Melissa asked as she carefully drove across the rough pasture.

  Coal didn’t hesitate to answer her. “No, it’s nothing serious and I don’t want her to worry.”

  “Fine, but you take the rap tonight when she flies off the handle that we didn’t call her.”

  She grinned. “I will, I promise.”

  “Will you look at that?” Gene said as he looked out the side window.

  Shadow was trotting beside the truck, his sensitive nostrils flaring from the scent of blood. “Stop at the barn if you would and I’ll put him in a stall so he doesn’t follow us to town,” Gene said.

  “He probably would too,” Melissa said. “He loves you too,” she said with a wink to Coal in the rearview mirror.

  †

  When the truck reached the hard road, Melissa picked up speed and within ten minutes, they arrived at the small walk-in clinic. Gene jumped out of the truck and rushed around to open her door and help Coal from the truck.

  Melissa opened the clinic door to usher them inside and then went to the triage nurse to explain what had happened. The nu
rse took Coal directly to an exam room and left Melissa and a pacing Gene in the waiting room.

  “Let’s see what we have here,” she said as she helped her to sit on the exam table. She lifted Coal’s shirt over her head to inspect her for other injuries. “My name is Terry, Ms. Bryan, and I will get you cleaned up for the doctor’s examination.”

  “Nice to meet you, Terry,” she said.

  Terry pulled the tape off Coal’s skin as gently as she could and removed the gauze to look at the wound. “You said this was done by a piece of shrapnel?”

  “Yeah,” she said as she held out her hand. “My last souvenir from Afghanistan.” Terry took the metal shard in her gloved hand.

  “This looks wicked,” she said as she turned the shard in her hand.

  “They used everything metal they could salvage for shrapnel in their bomb making,” she said. “The doctors told me they got all of it out, but a later exam revealed a piece still floating around inside.”

  “How long ago was this?”

  “A little over three years,” she answered.

  “You’re lucky this didn’t puncture a lung or pierce your heart.”

  “That’s twice in the last hour I’ve heard that,” she said with a grin.

  The exam room door opened and a young male doctor walked into the room. “I’m Dr. Thomas,” he said. “What do we have here, Terry?” he asked, looking at the shrapnel in the nurse’s hand.

  “Shrapnel leftover from Afghanistan,” she answered.

  “It finally worked its way out today while I was loading hay,” Coal said.

  “Have you had a tetanus shot recently?” he asked as he cleaned the wound with Betadine.

  “Three years ago,” she answered.

  “That’s good, but I want to give you a fresh one. That’s one wicked piece of metal. A good clean exit though.”

  “Will she need stitches?” Terry asked.

  “No, I think some surgical glue would work better,” he answered. “Less of a scar too,” he said with a warm smile to her. “Are these from the rest of the shrapnel?” he said, examining the other scars on her side.