“I love you!” I said. The internet guy looked a little disturbed but Deb laughed.
“She’s been without internet. Brenda’s not crazy, I don’t think,” Deb told him.
“Sorry, I’m just excited,” I added.
“Well, nice to meet you, Brenda. I usually don’t get greeted with hugs. I’m Tom,” he said. I shook his hand and told him that as soon as I loaded up a few more things, my computer and such, a few other clothing items and some more fresh food, I’d lead him to the ranch. I warned him it was a long drive but he seemed to already know that.
“Everything in Wyoming is a long drive,” he told me. Minutes later, I was ready to go and I hugged Deb and told her goodbye.
“Good luck with the cowboy,” she told me and winked suggestively. I couldn’t help but blush.
“Shut up. I’ll see you sometime next week,” I told her and then got in the old pickup I’d taken to town this time and bid Tom to follow. Internet! I was going to have internet. Thank the Lord, a bit of civilization. Now if I could only get Deb to deliver lattes to the ranch.
>>O<<
I drove fast back to the ranch, excited to get the internet hooked up. I made it back well before dinner and the internet guy was finished in time for me to offer him a steak. I was still in avoidance mode, so I grilled up a couple of steaks for myself and Tom and invited him to eat with me in the office. He told me he had a long ride back home, nearly four hours. He was grateful for the meal and thanked me before he left.
“No problem. I’m just glad to have internet,” I replied.
“Do you need help setting up anything else?” he asked.
“No, you’ve done enough. You should get home,” I assured him. I saw Tom off and then shut myself in the office and began to get everything set up. Within an hour, I had a wireless network up and running, my printer was functioning and I was surfing the web. Not as fast as back home, but then again I was down to rationing my cellular data because I’d cancelled my cable internet to help ends meet. This was nice.
But as I sat there, a thought began to creep into my head. I tried to dismiss it but I couldn’t. Where was Avery? I’d been avoiding him and the others but why hadn’t he come to see me. It was almost eight o’clock. Was he avoiding me too? Maybe he was just using me for sex. I sat back in the office chair, put two fingers to my temple and bent my thumb to fire the fake gun.
“Bang! Why don’t you overthink it a little more, Brenda?” I admonished myself. I was going to drive myself crazy. I decided to ignore the irrational thoughts and instead went back to surfing the net. My God, I had sex with a guy, a guy I didn’t even like all that much personally and now I was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. I needed to grow up.
I stayed up way too late and it was almost ten when I finally went to bed. I was tired. It had been a long day and after the trip to town and all the excitement over the internet, not to mention the vigorous activity of the previous night. I was asleep moments after I climbed into bed after stoking the wood stove but I was woken by a knock at the door what seemed like a few minutes later.
In reality, it was already time to get up. I shut my alarm off, just minutes before it was scheduled to go off and shuffled to the front door. I peeked out after opening it and found Avery standing there. “What are you doing?” I asked, irritated at being woken up early even if it was just a few minutes.
“C’mon, hurry and get ready. I’ve got plans for you. Meet you in the kitchen,” was all he said before he turned and walked away. I shook my head and glared after him.
“What?” I asked. Avery didn’t stop or turn.
“Just hurry up!” he told me as he walked towards the mess hall, hopping over a pile of cow dung as he went. I stared after Avery and then closed the door as a cold breeze blew up my sleep shirt. I went to the wood stove to warm up and then went about getting ready. I had to get up and make breakfast anyway. A half hour later, I entered the kitchen and found Avery frying bacon.
“What are you doing?” I asked. He turned to regard me.
“Cooking bacon,” he said stating the obvious.
“Yeah, I can see that. Why?” I prodded.
“You and I have plans,” he said as he turned back to his task.
“Do we?” I asked.
“Yep. Shredded potatoes are in the cooler. I’ll make the eggs when I’m done here,” Avery said. I stood there waiting for him to explain what this was all about but he didn’t. I gave up and went to get the potatoes. I did as ordered, frying up the shredded potatoes that Avery had apparently prepared because I certainly didn’t do it.
Avery finished up the bacon and put it in the oven to keep warm. He poured the bacon grease into a deep pot and set fire to the burner underneath. Then he pulled out a bowl of flour that he’d already spiced up with salt, pepper and herbs. Then he went to get a jug of milk. I watched as he went and when Avery returned, he caught me looking.
“Gravy. Everything’s better with country gravy,” he told me. I didn’t reply but continued to watch as he got the gravy going and then after a bit, he started cooking the eggs. The raft of hash browns was just about finished by the time Avery was done cooking his eggs and gravy. He pulled out the bacon and then began serving things up.
“Did you make coffee?” I wondered, almost forgetting about it myself.
“Duh!” Avery replied. I sneered at him and then went to fill an insulated serving pot from the big silver coffee maker. The boys, especially on weekends, drank coffee all day often taking thermoses with along with them when they were out on the range but I only had to make the first batch. After that, the rule was if you took that last of it, you made more. The men took that rule seriously I’d found out. Stan had told me over dinner one evening that fights had started when coffee wasn’t made.
I found most of the other men waiting for their breakfast as I brought the coffee out to the mess hall. Even on Sundays, the ranch rose early out of habit. Some of the men would tend to chores while others drove into McHenry to attend church a little later. Some would just enjoy the closest thing they got to a day off.
“Morning, Brenda,” Stan greeted me.
“Morning,” I replied.
“You need a ride into church?” he asked. Some of the men, despite their less than civilized existence, were serious about their religion.
“Thanks but I think Avery has plans for me,” I told him. I wasn’t particularly religious but I wasn’t opposed to attending church. I might go with Stan another time and I told him so.
“Offers open,” he told me as I poured him coffee. I thanked him and then I went around the room, pouring coffee and greeting the other men. I’d almost learned all their names. There was Albert, Fernando, Chase, Billy, Clancy, Julio, Miguel, um...Maybe I didn’t have them all memorized yet. Avery appeared with plates full of eggs, hash browns and bacon all smothered in the gravy he’d made from the bacon grease. I followed him back into the kitchen and we served up the rest.
“Tell the stragglers, they’re on their own and that Brenda wouldn’t mind it if they did the dished too,” Avery told Stan when we emerged again.
“You got plans for our cook?” Stan asked.
“Yep, we’re going for a ride,” Avery replied. I looked at him, then at Stan, who had a knowing smile under his bushy mustache, and then back at Avery.
“Ride? In your truck, right?” I asked worried that I was wrong. Stan leaned over and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.
“I think he means on a horse,” he said. Some of the groggy men laughed.
“Oh no. I don’t do horses. Their pretty and all but no,” I said but Avery already had that look on his face. The same one he did right before we had sex. “I don’t know how to ride,” I complained.
“One way to learn, little filly,” Avery said and then nodded towards the kitchen. “Go grab our lunch out of the cooler. I’ll get the horses,” he told me. I sighed and rolled my eyes before marching off dutifully. Avery explained to the men as
I went that he had thawed a few chickens, stuffed them and rubbed them with spices. Stan told him he knew the drill. He or one of the other men would toss them into the ovens and pull out dinner a while later. I found a box with food that I assumed was lunch, grabbed it and returned. Stan told me goodbye as I went to find Avery.
“See you later, if I don’t die,” I said as I left.
“Riding a horse is like falling off a log...rather...well, it’s easy,” Stan said revising his graphic comparison. I didn’t want to fall off of anything.
“Right,” I replied and left while a couple of the boys snickered at me. Avery rode up to the mess hall on a horse that was black as night. It was beautiful with a long, flowing mane and tail and an ornate black saddle decorated with silver. Behind Avery’s horse followed a chestnut colored horse with a blaze of white down its nose and matching white socks on its legs.
“This is Holly. She’s a gentle mare, perfect for a first-timer,” Avery assured me. I walked up as Avery dismounted and took the box from me. “Go ahead. She likes her nose rubbed and a good scratch behind the ears,” he told me.
I warily did as Avery suggested. Holly bent her head and seemed to enjoy my touch. She was gentle enough but still Holly was so big. “Are you sure about this?” I asked.
“It’s easy. Holly will happily carry you all day. She’s about as docile as a horse can get,” Avery told me as he loaded the saddlebags on his horse with the food he’d prepared.
“So how do I get on?” I asked.
“Well, hold on, little filly. First off, you’ll need to get a jacket,” he told me. Avery was wearing his duster. It was still very cool in the early morning. I nodded and went to my little house and returned with a jacket and I grabbed a ribbon for my hair, pulling it into a ponytail. “First off, those fancy boots you’re wearing, those are purpose made,” Avery told me.
I looked at my boots. They were brown leather with ornate stitching and a silver tip on the pointy toe. “What do you mean?” I wondered.
“That narrow toe makes it easy to get your boot in the stirrup. Yours are pointy while mine are more rounded but they work the same. My boots are more of a working boot. The slick bottom makes it easy to slide your boot into the stirrup too. The heel keeps your boot from sliding all the way through the stirrup, something you don’t want if you fall, and helps the rider get some leverage. The tall shaft protects your leg from getting hurt. The lack of laces means that if you do fall and your boot does get hung up, your foot can slide out of the boot so you don’t get dragged to South Dakota,” Avery explained.
“I had no idea. I thought cowboy boots were made like this for style,” I told him. Avery chuckled.
“Form follows function. Now don’t worry about falling. Holly will take care of you and we’ll take it easy. Now come around over here,” Avery told me. I joined him on Holly’s left side. Avery put his hands around my waist and I turned to see what he was about. “Grab that horn on the saddle,” he told me. I did as I returned my attention to Holly.
“Left boot goes in the stirrup,” he advised me. I looked at him. That was sort of awkward and backwards to me.
“My left foot?” I asked.
“Unless you want to see where you’ve been all day instead of where you’re going,” he told me. I shifted and did as he directed. “Now, pull yourself up with the horn and push with your left leg. Then swing your right leg over her back and sit in the saddle,” Avery said. I looked at him again.
“I’m going to hurt her,” I told him. Avery laughed that time.
“I doubt it. You’re nothing to a big mare like Holly. She’ll barely feel you. Go ahead, I’ll help you,” Avery said. While I was fearful of getting on Holly and riding, I liked this Avery. He was being sweet and patient with me.
“OK, don’t let me fall,” I told him. I turned back to Holly and readied myself. I worked out the process in my head and then I did as Avery had told me. It was a bit strange but Avery’s strong hands about my waist helped to lift me into the saddle. Suddenly, I was on Holly. “This is kind of cool,” I said as I put my right boot into the other stirrup.
“Yes, it is,” Avery said. I smiled down at him.
“Thank you. Now how do I drive this thing?” I asked him. Avery chuckled again and then gave me a crash course in horsemanship. He showed me the commands to get Holly moving and to get her to stop, how to turn her and get Holly to move faster or slower using the reins and my boots. He assured me she would barely feel it when I dug my heels into her flanks. He showed me how to use the saddle horn to steady myself instead of the reins.
“Good girl, Holly,” Avery said and the horse nodded at him. “She likes praise. Tell her she’s a good girl in a gentle voice and scratch her behind the ears and Holly will take you anywhere you want,” Avery added.
“Good girl, Holly,” I told the horse. Her ears perked up, she nodded and then nickered showing me she appreciated my praise.
“Now, this is Duke,” Avery told me as he went to his horse and fastened the leather straps on the saddlebags. “Duke’s a bit hot-blooded and always unpredictable. We’ve got an understanding, however, isn’t that right boy?” Avery said as much to me as Duke. The horse threw its head back and snorted.
“He’s pretty but I’ll stick with Holly,” I said. Avery nodded as he climbed into his own saddle.
“And you should. Duke would put you on the ground in a hot second,” Avery said and I could tell he was serious. “But he won’t hurt you otherwise. He just doesn’t like anybody but me on his back,” Avery assured me.
“Don’t worry, I won’t try to ride you, Duke,” I said to the horse and Duke turned to regard me and snorted again. He was pretty but a little frightening.
“Ready? Holly will follow me so you won’t have to do much if you don’t want,” Avery told me.
“I suppose,” I said. Avery pursed his lips and made a smooching sound.
“Hold on,” he warned as Duke began to walk and a moment later, Holly followed. I held on to the saddle horn for dear life but Holly took it easy on me. Other than the rocking of her gentle gait, riding Holly wasn’t much different than sitting in the saddle as she stood still. Duke, on the other hand, was much livelier. Avery had to keep his horse in check as Duke wasn’t satisfied with just walking. After a moment, however, Avery got Duke under control. All the while, Holly followed dutifully behind Duke never changing her pace.
We rode amongst the ranch buildings and then out onto the open range beyond, following a fence line. Once we were in the open, Avery warned me to hold on as he let Duke trot instead of walk and Holly followed right behind. Now I was really getting jostled as Holly bounced down the trail. “Don’t fight it, little filly. Relax and let your body move with the horse,” Avery called back to me.
“O-O-OK,” I replied and did as he said. It took a bit of experimentation but after a while, I figured it out.
“There you go. You’re doing well,” Avery told me.
“This is kind of fun. Where are we going?” I asked.
“A special place. Enjoy the ride and the scenery. We’ll be in the saddle for an hour or so. If you want to stop, just let me know,” Avery said. He was still being evasive about what this was all about but I let it go. If he wanted to keep me in the dark, that was fine. I had the feeling that he just wanted to surprise me and I liked the idea he put some effort into all of this.
We rode over the sage and grass covered plains as the sun climbed higher and the day grew warmer. Winter didn’t let go of Wyoming easily but it’s time was waning and spring was in full bloom. The land surprised me. What looked flat from a pickup on the highway was really a landscape of rolling hills and folded terrain. Avery spotted a herd of antelope at one point and we rode by herds of cattle that grazed on the open range. We flushed a flock of quail and scared a pair of ducks from a puddle that had formed in a small basin. Then, after an hour of riding through the surprising landscape, we found the special place Avery promised.
“Oh m
y!” I exclaimed as the red cliffs came into view. The craggy rock face wasn’t large or especially tall but it stood out like a beacon on the gray-green plains. But there was more to see. As we came closer, I realized a small lake sat at the base of the red cliffs and a collection of buildings that were losing the battle with gravity and the elements stood on the shores of the lake. “What is this place?” I asked as it all came into view.
“Vermillion Lake. This is the original homestead and the ranch’s namesake,” Avery explained as he slowed Duke and Holly followed suite.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. The cliffs reflected off the open water of the small lake and the far end of the lake was shallow and covered in cattails and grass. Cottonwood trees stood amongst the old buildings. A pair of Canada geese that walked along the far side of the lake began honking as we approached and ripples disturbed the otherwise placid lake where what I assumed were fish feeding on the surface. If Avery’s purpose was to impress me, he’d done well.
“I thought you’d like to get away from what most people think is the center of the Vermillion and see the real heart of the ranch,” Avery told me.
“It’s absolutely lovely. I had no idea,” I replied as we rode up to the lake and then followed its shoreline towards the old homestead.
“Most people don’t. The highways they build bypass a lot of the real beauty of Wyoming. You’ve got to get off the beaten path to find places like this out on the plains and most people are too busy to worry about such things. That’s fine by me,” Avery said. I could understand why Avery called this place special. A few minutes later, Avery called us to a stop. He dismounted and then came to help me off of Holly.
I was a bit stiff but no worse for the wear. I rubbed my mare’s nose and scratched behind the horses ears. Holly nickered in appreciation and then nuzzled my shoulder. Avery unfastened the saddle bags from Duke’s back, tossed them over his shoulder and tucked the rolled up blanket from the back of Duke’s saddle under his arm. Avery slapped his horse softly on the rump telling the horse he was free to go. Duke snorted and whinnied before trotting off a few yards to drink from the lake. Holly followed the big black horse.
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