Two Sides of the Same Coin

by Jake Mactire

  “We’re stayin’ out at the ranch tonight, right, Maria?”

  “Right, Sandy!”

  “I mean, Jeff, if we’re cookin’ and gettin’ ready for a bunch of dudes tomorrow, I want to be there. Besides, someone’s gotta chaperone you and Mike, so ya don’t get into trouble.” José laughed at Sandy’s remark.

  Mike turned red, and I just answered, “I can handle trouble.”

  “See there Mike?” Sandy winked at him. “You’re gonna be in good hands.”

  “I got no doubt about that, Sandy.”

  “Jeff, for tomorrow I was thinkin’ you could make your cowboy spuds instead of baked potatoes. That little guy who wants to be a cowboy so bad, will love ’em. You ever tried Jeff’s cowboy spuds, Mike?”

  “Can’t say as I have.”

  “You are really missing out, mi amigo. They are very delicioso,” José added.

  “Okay, I can make ’em, especially as you’ll be there to peel the potatoes, Sandy.”

  “What are cowboy spuds, Jeff?” Maria asked.

  “Just some sliced potatoes, bacon, fried onions baked with some milk.”

  “That sounds really good. I can’t wait to try them.” Just then the band struck up “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” by Toby Keith. All five of us started singing. Sandy and José couldn’t sing a note, but that didn’t stop them. We were loud enough for the guy who was singing in the band to bring his microphone down to us. It was a really fun time.

  We stayed around another half an hour or so, planning tomorrow. We had some ideas to make the kids feel really happy, and hopefully something for the adults too. Mike, José, and I walked the girls out to Sandy’s truck and made sure they got in all right. José was parked right next to them, so he followed. Mike and I were walking back to my truck when a couple of shadows stepped out from a passageway between the buildings. It was the fat biker and a couple of his friends.

  He sneered at me and then said, “I told you I was gonna get you asshole.”

  “Like I said Porky, I’m quakin’ in my boots.” He laughed and flicked open a switchblade. Mike had moved to my side. “I got it, Mike. When I kicked the shit outta this trash earlier, I didn’t even break a sweat. It might be a bit more fun this time since Porky feels more like a man with that big, bad ol’ knife to hide behind.”

  “Okay, Jeff, just let me know if you need a hand.”

  “Thanks, buddy, but I won’t.” I said to the fat biker, “So hidin’ behind that makes you feel more like a man than a pig that just about got butchered earlier, eh Porky? Well, Porky, you just proved how stupid you are. I kicked your ass earlier, and you’re back for more, you stupid stinkin’ dumbfuck.” I’d been trying to get him mad and make him lose any caution he might’ve had. He was still a little drunk, that was obvious in the way that he moved.

  “Here piggy, piggy, piggy, soooey, here pig, pig, pig,” I hollered out at the biker. His face turned red with rage, and he charged with the knife held out in front. I moved forward real quick and raised my left forearm from the inside against the arm holding the knife. His arm went wide, and the knife flew out of his hand. With my right arm, I punched him in the solar plexus again as hard as I could. It knocked the wind out of him again. This time though, I followed through and raised my left knee real quick right into his balls. He let out a wheezy squeal and doubled over. I raised my left knee again and grabbed his head and slammed his face against my knee coming up. I felt his nose break. I pushed him back and just for good measure, punched him hard in his broken nose. He went down like a sack of potatoes. I looked at the other three bikers who were just standing there.

  “Next?” They looked at me and each other. Mike was standing next to me and cracking his knuckles.

  “We don’t got no beef with you, dude; it was all our friend.”

  “Why don’t you get him picked up then and head on outta here?” They moved forward, skirting Mike and me widely. They picked up their friend, who was out like a light, and half carried, half dragged him down the street.

  “You okay, Jeff?” Mike asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Wish he would have learned after the first time though.”

  “He didn’t seem too awfully bright though, so don’t surprise me none.”

  “Thanks for watchin’ my back there, buddy.”

  Mike grinned at me. “I like watchin’ your backside, Jeffy.”

  “You know what I meant!” I couldn’t help but laugh too.

  “Yeah, I do. And don’t worry. I am always gonna have your back.”

  “Thanks.” We walked over to the truck and headed back west to the ranch. The night was cold, the air clear, and the stars were close enough to touch. “Bring It on Home” by Little Big Town was on the radio. I had my right hand on the divider between the seats. Mike reached over and clasped it.

  “You don’t mind do ya, Jeffy?”

  “Not at all, buddy. It’s nice.”

  “One thing I will say, life with ya sure as hell ain’t borin’.”

  “Would ya rather it would be?”

  “Not at all, not at all.” We rode along in silence and finally reached the turn off to the ranch. I headed up the hill and parked in my usual space in the yard. The light in the bunkhouse was on, so José must’ve got there okay. I could see into the windows in the back of the house. The girls were in the kitchen. We jumped out of the truck. I walked around to the passenger side. I put my arms on Mike’s shoulders. We touched foreheads and leaned into each other.

  “I had a great time, Mike. Thanks for joinin’ me.”

  “Hey, Jeffy, should I consider this a date?”

  “Why don’t you just do that? So did you have a good time?”

  “Nicest first date I ever had.” I put one of my hands on the back of his neck and slid the other down the middle of his back. I pulled him into me for a kiss. He still tasted like beer. I explored his mouth with my tongue and rubbed the back of his head below the brim of his hat. Our arms and legs were all tangled up in a good way. His beard felt good on my lips, I knew tomorrow, we’d both have a bit of beard burn. The kiss seemed to last a long time. It was slow, sweet, and held a lot of promise. We pulled back and just looked at each other. The look was deep, soul searching, and filled with caring and promise.

  “Good night, buddy.”

  “Night, Jeffy, you have a good sleep and sweet dreams.”

  “You too, buddy.” We hugged again and then set off in different directions, him to the bunkhouse, and me to the house.

  Chapter Eight

  SATURDAY dawned clear and sunny. It was a bit cold, but with the sun out, it should take off the chill and make it shirtsleeve weather. It would be a good day for visitors. In the back we had a big wooden picnic table, and that would be a nice place for dinner. The ranch is at the foot of Lucky Jeff Bluff. Supposedly, I got named after it because Mom and Dad wanted me to always be lucky. I jumped up, threw the covers back, and pulled on a pair of socks, my jeans, which I’d left hangin’ over the bed post, and a T-shirt. I pushed the sleeves of my long handles up, and brushed my teeth. My hair was a mess, so I doused it with water, dried it with a towel, and combed it. I ran the comb through my beard, which was pretty short and better behaved than my hair. Since the girls were over, I thought I’d make myself presentable. I headed downstairs to the sound of laughter in the kitchen and the smell of coffee and bacon. Sandy was at the stove cooking bacon and eggs. Mike and Maria sat at the table drinking coffee. I had to laugh when I saw Mike. We were dressed exactly alike—jeans, black T-shirts, and white long handles with the sleeves pushed up. Only difference was he had his cowboy hat on. Mike was entertaining the girls with tales of our meeting the bikers outside One Eyed Jack’s. Sandy looked at my knuckles. I looked down and realized they were cut up. Porky’s teeth had done a job on them.

  “You should get a tetanus shot, Jeff. Maybe rabies too.” Everyone laughed.

  “I’m up to date on tetanus. That’s part of livin’
on a ranch. I’ll pass on the rabies though.”

  “Did you really keep callin’ him Porky?”

  “Yep, it just seemed to fit.”

  Mike grinned and added, “Porky felt all brave with his knife, but he was no match for Jeffy.” He gave me one of them looks that made me want to kiss him right in front of the girls. Instead I just smiled at him. He smiled back.

  “I’m glad you did that, Jeff.” Sandy smiled at me. “I got one big bruise where that bastard pinched me. Mike says you broke his nose?”

  “I reckon so. If nothing else, he’ll think twice before insultin’ a lady again.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that, Jeffy. He seemed awful stupid.” Mike laughed.

  I walked over to the cupboard and got a mug, then to the stove and poured myself some coffee. It was good, strong, and thick. Sandy looked at me.

  “Mike made the coffee. He figured he knows how you like it. Oh and by the way, he just told Maria and me that last night was your first date.” I looked over at Mike. He was red, but had a big smile on his face.

  “I reckon it was. So since it’s official that we’re datin’, get that pretty ass over here and give me a good mornin’ kiss.” Mike turned even redder, but came over and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth. I moved over to the table and sat next to him.

  “So how does everyone want their eggs?” Maria opted for scrambled, and Mike and I both wanted over easy. Sandy had made some biscuits too. She got those out of the oven. Within just a few minutes, we were all sitting down to a nice breakfast. Maria was the first to break the silence that had settled over us as we ate.

  “Thank you, Sandy, this is really good.”

  “Yeah, I appreciate it too, Sandy,” I added, and Mike nodded, then looked at me.

  “So what’s on the agenda today to get ready for the dudes?”

  “Well, buddy, I was hopin’ you could bring over maybe three or four of the horses and put ’em in the little corral in back. If ya could throw the tack on the back porch, too, that would be great. Get the gentle ones too. I’m sure little Harrison and his sister are gonna want to ride. I don’t know about the others, but it don’t look like they’ve ridden a lot. I got a bunch of steaks outta the freezer last night. I can coat those with spice rub. Sandy’s gonna help me make cowboy spuds, cowboy beans, and corn salad. I gotta taste for coleslaw, so let’s make some of that too.”

  “Do you mind if I go with Mike, Jeff? It’s been a while since I have been around horses, and I miss it.”

  “Of course not, Maria. Hey, buddy, one other thought, I noticed your buckle from the Methow Valley rodeo. It looks like you can rope, so why don’t you get a couple of steers also. We can treat the kids to a mini-rodeo, ropin’, steer ridin’, and we got that horse that Dad bought before… not too long ago. He ain’t broke yet, so we can do some bronc bustin’ for them too.”

  “No problem, Jeff, that’ll be easy.”

  Sandy was lookin’ at me. “You’re a good man, Jeff. Those kids are gonna have a vacation they’ll never forget.”

  “That’s the plan. Now let’s get movin’. We finished our breakfast pretty quick. Mike and Maria headed off to the barn and horses. I told Sandy to relax a bit, and I’d clean up. She grabbed a cup of coffee, put enough sugar and milk in it to choke a horse. I cleaned up the kitchen and washed the dishes. In no time it seemed Sandy and I had the steaks seasoned with cowboy rub, and we’d made a big bowl of corn salad and another of coleslaw. A big pot of beans was boiling with some salt pork. Sandy peeled the potatoes. She’d suggested cowboy spuds, so only fair she did the peeling. All that was left to do was to add some onions, chili powder, spices, and beer to the beans, finish the potatoes, and grill the steaks. Just as we were finishing, I heard Mike and Maria come in. Mike was talking.

  “You’re really good on a horse, Maria. Did you grow up on a ranch too?”

  “Yes, I did. I remember helping with roundup every year. I haven’t done it in years though. It was fun.” We’d been working several hours to get ready, but we figured we had time for a beer before the guests got here. We headed to the front porch and sat down on the chairs out there. We’d also dished some chips and dip, chips and salsa, and some bean dip for snacks. The afternoon sun was bright, and it had warmed up the day. The aspens on the hills were all golden, and the grass was dry and brown. It was a beautiful day. The four of us sat in companionable silence. José and Josh were off for the weekend in Wenatchee. Wayne’s trailer was dark too. He hadn’t stopped by this morning for breakfast. I hoped he was getting some well deserved rest. After the shooting earlier this week, he certainly deserved some time off. I hoped that whoever he was seeing was taking good care of him. I went in and put the potatoes in the oven and the seasonings and beer in the beans.

  When I got back out, we started talking about how to make the day real memorable for the kids. Maria volunteered to ride in the corral with Mike and me when we were doing the rodeo events. Her job would be to shoo away any animals that looked like they were going to step on us. Sandy volunteered to do some stake racing, and we thought it would be fun. I suggested she take the little girl, Lisa, with her. Right about two, our guests arrived. They came in two cars, the Sanders family was in one, and Jonathan drove by himself. As soon as Tom turned off the engine, Harrison and Lisa came running toward me screaming, “Uncle Jeff!”

  “Howdy there, little lady!” I tipped my hat to Lisa, who giggled and hugged my leg.

  “And howdy to you, buckaroo!” I stretched out my hand, and Harrison shook it seriously and then joined Lisa in hugging me. They next ran over to Sandy and gave her hugs too. I greeted the adults. They were really happy to be here. I introduced Mike and Maria around.

  Harrison immediately piped up, “Are you a real cowboy too, Mike?”

  He’d heard me call Harrison “buckaroo,” so he answered, “I sure am, buckaroo.”

  “That’s right, Harrison, he sure is. He’s my partner like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, or like Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp.” Harrison looked like he was in heaven.

  “And just for you, buckaroo, my buddy here and I are gonna put on a little rodeo. And if you want, you can ride a horse too.”

  Tom looked at me. “A rodeo, Jeff? Isn’t that a pretty big undertaking?”

  “Normally it is, but since both Mike and I compete, we practice once in a while. He and I are gonna do some header and heeler ropin’ steer ridin’ and wrestlin’, and bareback bronc ridin’. And Sandy was gonna show Lisa how to flag race. I can show Harrison, too, if that’s okay. We’ll both go pretty slow.”

  “As long as it’s no trouble,” Ann added.

  “None at all. Now let’s move in back. I got a cooler of beer and soda out there with a couple of hard lemonades for the ladies.”

  We headed through the ranch house, and I gave a mini tour. It had been Dad’s dream home. It was a log home, surrounded by a covered porch. You went in through a mudroom, which had closets and a bathroom off it. The living room and dining room were part of a great room kind of construction. Over the kitchen, dining room, and the three downstairs bedrooms was the upstairs which had a loft with a rail, and three more bedrooms, two with bathrooms in the rooms, and one with a bathroom right next to it. Opposite the loft was a high cathedral type ceiling with the river rock fireplace in the middle. The rest of the wall was pretty much glass with a nice view of Lucky Jeff Bluff behind it. The house was all done up in Western style; both Dad and I liked it and it seemed to fit.

  They all looked around, and Ann finally said, “This is a beautiful home, Jeff.” Everyone else nodded.

  “It’s a nice place to hang my hat at night. I like it.”

  Harrison piped up. “Did you shoot that deer over the fireplace?”

  “Nope, buckaroo, my dad did. And that’s an elk. They’re a lot bigger than deer. But Mike and I are goin’ huntin’ next month, and maybe we’ll get an elk. If we do, you want the skin? That is if it’s okay with your mom and dad?” I looked over at Tom and An
n.

  “If you don’t mind.” Tom looked at me.

  “I must have at least fifteen tanned deer and elk skins. No problem at all.” I looked at Mike.

  “Well, buddy, now we gotta shoot somethin’ so’s we don’t disappoint nobody.” I smiled at him and he grinned back.

  “We’ll get the job done, Jeffy.” Sandy snickered and Mike turned red. She began leading everyone out through the back door past the hot tub and into the backyard area. Mike clapped his hand on my shoulder and then gestured for me to go. Ann held back as did Jonathan.

  “How long have you two been together?” Ann asked. When we both looked at her, she quickly explained, “My younger brother is gay. Just watching you two, it’s obvious you’re together. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

  “Not at all, Ann, I been out since I was sixteen, so no issues for me. My buddy here on the other hand is just kinda venturin’ outta the closet.”

  “Jeff was lucky that his dad was acceptin’ of him. I wasn’t so lucky. My old man tried to beat it outta me until he just kicked me out. So it’s a bit harder for me to be open about who I am. Jeff is showin’ me, though, there’s nothin’ to be ashamed of.” Ann came forward and gave Mike a big hug.

  “Don’t let anybody tell you that you aren’t a good guy, Mike. When I look at the two of you, and at the friends you have, I think you must be a really special guy to have people like that around you. So how long have you been together?”

  “Uh…,” Mike kinda stuttered out, “We just had our first date last night. We both figured it’s best to get a good friendship goin’, and everythin’ else will fall into place.” Mike was beet red, but had a smile on his face.

  “I hope I didn’t betray you guys, but I told my sister and Bill and Helen and Walter about you two. Walter doesn’t believe me.”

  “Not from my point of view at all. What about you, Mike?”

  “It’s okay.” He looked a bit nervous, but smiled.

  “See, buddy, I told you that you was gonna bust that closet door down.” I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him against me for a second.