by Sable Hunter
“Aron…” Nathan touched his shoulder. “I knew something was wrong when you called me in Greeley, but this…?”
“No! I can’t talk about it. I can’t. Just get out of my head!”
The anguish on Aron’s face broke Nathan’s heart. “I wish I could.” The barriers he’d erected between them began to crumble as his brother’s fear poured forth like a flood. This was the turmoil he’d picked up on several times. Libby, on the other hand, seemed at peace. Nathan wasn’t surprised. His sister-in-law’s faith was great. “What can I do to help?”
“Nothing! I told you I can’t talk about it.” Aron held up an accusing finger. “And don’t you dare say it aloud. Don’t even think the words.”
“I’m so sorry.” Nathan steeled himself to contain his visions. He concentrated so hard that he thought his head would burst wide open.
“Yea, me too.” Aron began to unbutton his shirt, his fingers fumbling. Eventually, he just ripped the material open. “Just don’t say anything. To anybody. This topic is not up for discussion.”
“Please. I’m so…”
Slicing a hand through the air, Aron cut off what Nathan was about to say. “Just forget it. Try to be normal for once. All right?”
Pain lanced through Nathan’s chest at the harsh comment. “Do you think I want to be this way?”
Aron just shook his head. “Let’s just drop the subject.” The timbre of his voice returned to an even tone. “All right?”
“Yea.” He stood still as Aron dressed and left the cabin. Despite his promise to ‘be normal,’ there wasn’t a great deal Nathan could do to stop his brain from processing what he’d seen – Libby in the hospital, an IV drip line connected to her arm, Aron standing over her with his heart in his eyes. Suspecting these images came from his brother’s thoughts, Nathan didn’t think they were concrete future events. He believed, instead, they stemmed from Aron’s worst fears. If he were with Libby, he might receive a glimpse into her future – and then he might not. Unfortunately, there were no guarantees to how any of this worked. Nathan lived with his abilities every day and he could attest there was no rhyme or reason to any of it. In that light, he couldn’t fault Aron’s skepticism and that was why Nathan usually played his cards close to his chest. If he couldn’t be normal, he could at least pretend to be.
Nathan lingered, allowing his emotions to settle. He didn’t want to do or say anything else that would upset Aron. Libby was his life, and he could only imagine how afraid he felt at the thought of her illness. Nathan loved her too, they all did. He couldn’t turn off the worry or the questions. Did Cady know? Had they talked to her?
Cady possessed the power of healing. He’d seen her do it. He probably knew more about her unique abilities than anyone other than Joseph, yet he knew he didn’t understand what made her tick any more than he understood himself. Unassuming and private, Cady chose not to talk about herself too much. What he did know was that Cady was an empath. Before coming to Joseph’s aid, she’d healed many in South Louisiana of various maladies. When she began to treat Joseph, he’d been paralyzed from the waist down. Now, his brother was as fit and strong as any man. Once she became pregnant, however, healing others began to have an adverse effect on her health. Joseph begged her to stop – and so far, she’d gone along with his wishes. But…for Libby? He couldn’t imagine her not helping if she could. As soon as he acknowledged that thought…another occurred. There was no way Libby would allow Cady to put herself at risk. Nathan sighed, feeling like they were trapped in a vicious circle of circumstances and fate.
When he did emerge from the cabin a little while later, he found Aron smiling and joking with Isaac, so he pasted a smile on his face and joined the others around the campfire. After a hearty breakfast of eggs and steak, the brothers debated on what to do to entertain themselves.
“I thought I might go out and do a little arrowhead hunting.” He was always searching for more to add to his collection. Of course, it was illegal in Texas and most other states to pick up any kind of artifact on public land. Private land, especially one’s own property, was another thing altogether. Over the years, he’d amassed quite an array. The day his dad gave him his first arrowhead was burned into his memory. They were walking together next to the river when Sebastian McCoy stopped to pick up something from the dirt. The tiny point wasn’t even an inch long.
“They call these bird points. Feel of it.” He handed the perfectly made arrowhead to Nathan. “You’re holding history in your hand. Echoes of the past.”
Nathan took it, imagining how another young man about his age who lived centuries ago stood on this exact spot with a bow in his hand.
“You should start a collection. If you look, there’s plenty of those to be found around here. There’s folks out there who’d pay a pretty penny for these things.” He nudged his boot in the dirt, seeing if another lay close by. “I wouldn’t sell them though, they belong to this land just like you do.”
Nathan remembered what his father told him. He did start a collection, one he kept in an ever-expanding portfolio. After his accident, the arrowheads came to mean even more. When he would handle them, Nathan would receive an image of their maker or the one who’d used the arrowhead. These glimpses into the far past were one of the few things he valued about his unique abilities.
“Nah, Nathan, we need to do something as a family. How about another round of McCoy Games?” Isaac suggested. “You know – archery, knife throwing, skeet shooting. If I remember correctly, I won the last contest.”
“Oh, I don’t feel like competing,” Joseph muttered as he sipped his coffee. “I’d like to do something more lowkey. How about a little rock climbing? I think there’s some ropes in the closet.”
“I’d rather have all my teeth pulled,” Aron murmured as he stood to walk to the edge of the clearing, his eyes to the north. “No, I think we need to move those cattle today. I think we’re about to have some weather.”
“Is your arthritis acting up?” Noah asked with a smile.
“No, smartass.” Aron held up his phone. “I got a weather alert.” He waved his hand to indicate the valley surrounding them. “We can get them this far. We’ve used this area as a bedground before. We’ll rest here tonight with the herd, then head on home tomorrow.”
“Sounds good to me.” Jacob began to clean up from their meal.
“Let me help you.” Joseph jumped up to assist his brother.
“While you two finish up, we’ll get the horses.” Isaac motioned for Noah to come with him.
Nathan headed for the barn. “I’ll get some nuggets for Spot.”
In no time the brothers were ready to ride. Once they located the herd rounding them up wouldn’t be an automatic process. Cattle were like most other creatures, adverse to change. Old Spot would be their secret weapon.
As they made their way to the far reaches of Tebow land, the brothers kept their mounts two abreast where the path would allow. Nathan rode next to Joseph. “When are the Connelly brothers scheduled to arrive?”
“In four days.” He glanced at Nathan. “I thought we’d have a BBQ. They do love my brisket.”
“Who doesn’t? How long are they staying?”
“Just a couple of days. They don’t go off and leave their sister for too long at a time.”
“Why doesn’t she come with them?” Nathan asked with curiosity. “Is she in school?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Joseph pulled his collar up to warm his neck in the nippy air. “She doesn’t even live with them – not full time anyway. She has a place up in the mountains. They’re just protective of her. They want to be near if she needs them.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Nathan said as his eyes roved the horizon, searching for any sign of cattle. “They’re from New York originally. Is that right?”
“That’s right. They moved to Colorado about six years ago.” Joseph chuckled. “Said they grew tired of the rat race. Although Mad travels to the Big Apple several times a
month. They still have a lot of business interests up there.”
“Storm is an artist, isn’t he?”
“Yea, he’s a painter. Quite successful, I understand.”
“And they have a ranch? That’s a lot of responsibility,” Nathan observed, taking note that the others were getting a bit far ahead of them.
“No more so than we have. I’m sure they’ve hired a lot of help.” Seeing his younger brother urge his horse to go faster, Joseph did the same. “They can afford too. The Connelly’s are wealthy.”
“So are we,” Nathan countered, convinced he was right.
Joseph laughed. “Well, Daddy always said we were Texas rich. Rich in land and cattle, not necessarily money.”
“I’ve always felt rich,” Nathan mused. “But I guess that feeling comes more from being loved and cared for rather than the size of our bank account.”
Joseph smiled with approval. “Very wise, little brother. Very wise.”
Once they caught up with the others, Aron signaled for Nathan to join him at the front. “How many head are in this herd we’re moving? A couple of hundred?”
“Two hundred and twelve to be exact.”
“I’m impressed.” Aron smiled. “Where do you expect them to be?”
Nathan laughed. “Is this a test?”
“Not at all. I respect your opinion.”
His elder brother’s compliment took Nathan by surprise. “Well, I’m looking for them to be near Crystal Lake.” He named a small lake located about six miles northwest of where they were at the moment. “They prefer drinking from the still waters this time of year. To be on the safe side, however, I think we should split up to cover more territory and come at the lake from three different directions. That way, if we find some stragglers, we can drive them to a central location.”
“Good idea.” Aron held up his hand to call a halt. “Listen up. Nathan has something to say.”
In a moment, he’d repeated his idea and the brothers teamed up to carry on with their mission. Nathan and Noah ended up together. Even though Noah was the brother born just before him, the gap in their ages prevented them from being close while growing up. They got along fine now, but Nathan wished they were closer. Even though they saw each other most every day, their one-on-one time usually consisted of discussing ranch business in passing. Knowing this, he wasn’t surprised when Noah cleared his throat and began to speak. “The windmill’s working well now. Good job.”
“Thanks.” His tone made Nathan feel like an obedient sheep dog. “I aim to please.”
Noah chuckled. “Those girls really wanted to spend time with you.”
“Yea, they did.” Noah grinned, pleased at the turn the conversation was taking. “Obviously, they possess good taste in men.”
“Speaking of women. I guess you miss the buckle bunnies.”
“Ah, no. Those sweet ladies tend to be more trouble than their worth.”
Noah nodded. “I suspect you’re right. Are you seeing anybody special?”
“Nope.” He glanced at his brother. “Not that I have a lot of time to spare. Tebow keeps me busy.”
“Tebow keeps us all busy.”
“Yea.” There was no use debating on who was busier. “Taking care of the ranch is a big job. Not a one-man job.”
“No. But having the right man in charge makes all the difference.”
“Denver does an excellent job as ranch foreman.”
“Oh, he does – but…that’s not what I mean.”
Nathan felt a buzzing of energy between them – like Noah wanted to say something but was holding back. Not inclined to argue, he was grateful to see a movement off to one side. “Let me check this out, might be a stray.”
Taking off, he headed into the brush. In a few moments, a deer bounded across his path. “False alarm,” he muttered before turning around to rejoin his brother. “Whitetail.”
“I’m sure their number is growing out here. We haven’t hunted much in the last few years.”
“No. Everybody has so much going on. Other interests. Secondary careers. Kids.” Nathan didn’t point out that he was the exception. “Sometimes I can’t believe I have so many nieces and nephews.”
“Yea, six. And I’m sure there’ll be more. I just wish…”
The sadness in Noah’s voice did not go unnoticed by Nathan. He knew how much Skye loved children and what a travesty it was that she’d endured a forced hysterectomy while serving time for a murder she’d committed in self-defense – the man who’d killed her father and raped her. “I know. What happened to Skye was unthinkable.”
“Exactly. I can’t imagine how many times Native American women have been mishandled by the penal system. Making a decision to deprive them of motherhood! When I learned this was going on in our nation, I couldn’t believe it. And to know it happened to my Skye, to the woman I love.”
Noah didn’t have to say. Nathan knew it broke his heart. “You’ve got Blue, and you can adopt another baby.” As much as they loved their daughter, he knew nothing would take away the pain of the loss of her ability to bring a child into the world.
“Yea, we can. And we will.” He smiled at Nathan. “We’re already checking into the possibility.”
For about an hour and a half they continued on their path, making small talk, and bantering about nothing important. By and by, Nathan heard a low mooing sound. “Hold up, Noah.” Pulling on Buck’s reins, he stopped to listen.
“Yea, I heard it, they’re over that away.” Noah pointed to a hilly area a few hundred yards to the right.
“Let’s go.” As they rode, Nathan cupped his hands and let out a call only cowboys know how to make. “Sue! Come on!” Yes he knew they weren’t pigs, but Sue was the word his Daddy used, and Nathan would do the same. “Sue! Come on! Spot!” He had no idea if the old bell steer was anywhere near, but if he was he’d come running.
Sure enough, in a few minutes they heard it. The distant ringing of a bell. Old Spot was coming as hard as he could tear. As he moved toward them, other cattle would hear his excited mooing and fall in line. By the time the steer reached them, about thirty others had joined in the parade. Smiling, Nathan dug in the sack hanging on his saddle and rewarded them all with a nugget apiece. “All right, let’s go find the rest.”
Setting a course for Crystal Lake, Nathan and Noah played Pied Piper with the bell steer close behind them. Along the way they picked up another twenty or so, mostly pairs of cows and calves. By the time the turquoise blue lake came into view, they could see their brothers in the distance surrounded by a good portion of the herd. As they neared, Nathan began a count. Upon arrival, he announced that another fifty-two head needed to be located.
Aron made a circling motion with his hand. “Spread out, let’s find these animals.”
The McCoy brothers set to work. With the bell steer’s help, they soon rounded up the entire herd. Once the cattle were gathered and milling around the pond, they dismounted to rest and have a bite to eat. Jacob, resourceful as always, untied a bag of provisions from his saddle and handed out hearty BBQ sandwiches wrapped in brown paper.
“Oh, wow.” Isaac smiled with appreciation. “This is going to hit the spot.”
Finding a place to rest by the lake, they sat down on boulders worn smooth over the centuries. “Now, this is the life.” Noah took a deep breath of fresh air. “I didn’t expect to enjoy myself, but this is great.” He looked at Nathan. “I think I’m jealous of your lifestyle, bud. All of this open air and communing with nature has got to be good for the soul.”
“Yea, if you had one…” Joseph smirked at his brother.
Noah gave another of his famous middle finger salutes.
Nathan didn’t comment, he was still thinking about Libby. And Jessie. And hoping he wouldn’t experience any further revelations. This was exactly why he avoided these types of situations – why he chose to be the lone wolf of the family. Why he sought to spend the majority of his time out on the range rather than tend to
chores close to home. He loved his family, but sometimes he felt out of place. Knowing the unknowable didn’t always make for a bridge building opportunity, sometimes barriers were erected instead. The old ‘shoot the messenger’ adage sometimes rang true.
“If we get to the cabin before dark, I think I’ll hit the trout stream again,” Joseph murmured as he wiped a bit of BBQ sauce from his lips.
“I’m sure the otter will appreciate that.” Isaac snickered at the thought.
“No matter. I’m hungry for trout and I’m gonna try,” Joseph countered evenly.
“Sounds good to me.” Jacob held up another sandwich. “Anybody wants seconds?”
“Me,” Noah said as he threw a leafy twig at Nathan. “Hey, did you tell the guys about the girls at the stock tank?”
The question drew Aron’s attention. “What about the stock tank?”
Nathan shrugged. “Some girls from high school stopped by to see me, that’s all. They suggested a swim in the stock tank…”
“Get it right, bud. They suggested you join them in a skinny dip swim.”
“All right!” Isaac pumped the air. “Go get ‘em, Nathan.”
Nathan scoffed. “I didn’t get to go, Noah sent me on an errand.”
“Bummer.” Joseph wadded up the paper wrapper and tossed it up to catch. “That stock tank has seen more action over the years than Isaac’s bar.” He looked at Aron. “I seem to remember you and Libby favoring it as a rendezvous spot.”
“Damn right.” Aron sighed. “When I looked out that loft window in my studio and spotted Libby swimming in the stock tank. Well…” Aron smiled with mischief, shaking his head at the good memory. “Let’s just say I saw her in a whole new light.”
There were a few seconds of silence as they finished their meal. Joseph broke the silence. “Hey, I think we’d better hit the trail. Look at the sky.”
They all followed his lead and rose to their feet. “Yep, let’s get a move on.” Aron headed for his horse as a big bolt of lightning split a dark bank of clouds rising to the north. “Time’s a wasting.”
Nathan pulled his hat down over his eyes as he pulled himself in the saddle. A funny feeling in his gut told him the storm in the sky wasn’t the only one on the horizon.