Learnin' The Ropes

by Shanna Hatfield

  Arriving at the conclusion Lex Ryan wasn’t home, he pulled out his phone and turned around. A huge, furry animal stared at him from just a few feet away with a bunch of sharp teeth bared his direction.

  The crazy questions about liking animals started to make a lot more sense as he carefully backed up against the front door.

  Lesson Two

  Dog is Man’s Best Friend

  “A good feller needs a good dog.”

  If the shaggy beast eyeballing him was a dog, it was without a doubt the largest Ty had ever seen. He briefly wondered if it was some sort of mutated horse with a hair growth problem from the sheer size of it. However, the shape of its face and body made him think it was a canine.

  Not sure whether it was friendly or sizing him up for an afternoon snack, there was no way he could beat the thing back to his pickup. Guardedly raising his phone, he called Swede.

  “Swede, this is Ty Lewis. I’m standing on the front porch of the house and no one seems to be home.”

  “Welcome to the Rockin’ R Ranch, Tyler. Ya must ‘a made good time this mornin’,” Swede said. “Come on down to the barn. I’m workin’ inside the big double doors.”

  “I’d be happy to, but there is an animal here and I’m not sure it wants me to move.” Ty warily watched the four-legged monster as it took a step closer to him. Teeth no longer bared, the beast looked marginally less threatening.

  “Thet’s Baby.” Swede cackled. “Sit tight. I’ll be right there. She generally don’t bite. As long as she ain’t growlin’, ya ought ‘ta be fine.”

  “Thanks.” Ty slid his phone into his pocket. He took little comfort in the fact that the animal didn’t generally bite. Did that mean she did on occasion? Was he going to be an exception? The dog wasn’t making any noise. Not growling was definitely good.

  With unhurried movement, he dropped his hands to his sides and relaxed. He made a loose fist and slowly held it out for the animal to smell. If it was a dog, he knew from experience they liked to sniff a hand before they got too friendly.

  “Hey, Baby. Is that your name? Huh, girl?” Ty asked quietly, trying to keep his nervousness from reflecting in his voice. “Are you a dog, Baby? Is that what you are?”

  The animal abruptly lunged forward with what Ty could only describe as a smile on her face. She engulfed his hand with her big slobbery tongue and pressed against him until he had to slide his leg back to brace himself against her weight.

  “Well, ain’t thet somethin’,” Swede said as he came around the corner of the house and jumped onto the porch. “Baby don’t take to strangers. In fact, she’s purty protective of the house and Lex Jr. Git down, Baby. Be a good girl.”

  The dog grinned at Ty and sat back on her haunches, wagging her massive tail.

  “Ya must be Tyler. I’m Swede,” the older man said, sticking his hand out in greeting. Ty swiped his hand back and forth on his jeans to remove the dog slobbers before taking Swede’s gloved hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Swede, and please call me Ty,” he said, eying the dog. “Is that really a dog?”

  “Sure is. Baby’s a Kuvasz — a Hungarian dog bred to guard livestock. Baby weighs purt near a hundred and twenty-five pounds. She can take down a grown man if she’s of a mind to. Ol’ Lex brought her home when she was jes a lil’ bitty thing, so she’s protective of the family and the ranch. Looks like she decided ya’ll was part of the family. Thet hasn’t happened before.”

  “Oh,” was all Ty could think to say when the dog sidled up next to him, pushing against his leg again and whining. He patted her head and scratched behind her ears, earning himself a few good whacks from her tail.

  “Stay, Baby,” Swede ordered the dog. He walked Ty out to his pickup and climbed in the passenger door. “Let’s head over to the bunkhouse and git ya settled in. Boss doesn’t expect ya to start until tomorra’ so you can git the lay of the land today.”

  Ty drove a few hundred yards to the large ranch style house. Gathering up his suitcase and a duffle bag, he followed Swede in the door and was surprised the inside of the bunkhouse looked like a very nice home.

  The front door opened into a huge room that offered a gathering area with a big-screen television, a desk with a computer, several couches, and overstuffed chairs to the right. To the left was a well-appointed kitchen, complete with a long counter and barstools as well as a large dining table surrounded by eight chairs. A hallway began at the end of the great room and ran the length of the house.

  Six individual bedrooms and three bathrooms made up the rest of the house. Each bedroom was set up with a full-sized bed, a dresser, closet, and small desk with a chair. All linens and bedding were furnished.

  Swede went over the list of rules for living in the bunkhouse when they returned to the kitchen. “Yer expected to pick up after yerself, do yer own laundry and that means strippin’ down yer bed and washin’ the sheets and yer towels once a week. The laundry room’s right behind the kitchen. Ya’ll be expected to help with the cookin’ and cleaning of the bunkhouse until the boss finds a new housekeeper.”

  At Ty’s nod of agreement, Swede sized him up again. “No chewin’ in here and you better best not drag home a woman. That’ll get ya unemployed faster than ya can spit.”

  “Yes, sir.” Ty wanted to squirm under Swede’s intense gaze but held still.

  “One more thing, no pets are allowed, especially anythin’ that crawls of slithers. We once had a hand who kept a collection of snakes.” Swede visibly shuddered. “Is all that clear?”

  Ty nodded again.

  The older man waved a hand toward the living area. “All hands are welcome to use the computer, but if the boss finds out anyone browsed or downloaded anythin’ of a questionable nature, ya’ll find yer backside full of buckshot and yerself unemployed. There’s also no drinkin’ on the job. If ya want to do that, ya’ll have to take it into town. The Rockin’ R is dry,” Swede said, gazing at Ty to gauge his reaction to this news. “There is also no cussin’ or swearin’ in front of the boss.”

  “Not a problem,” Ty said. He’d never been much of a drinker. His mother cured him of cussing by the amount of soap he ingested as a kid when she’d shove a bar of it in his mouth any time he said a word she deemed inappropriate.

  “Good. Ya work Monday through Saturday and have Sunday off to do whatever ya like. The boss also gives paid holidays includin’ four days fer Thanksgiving. Bet you didn’t expect that?” Swede waggled a gnarled finger at Ty. “Ya git health insurance and start earnin’ vacation time after ninety days. From mid-February to October, we need every one here unless it’s an emergency, so don’t go plannin’ a summer get-away. The boss pays us every two weeks.”

  Vacation time? Health benefits? Had Ty missed that part of the interview conversation? He was so excited at the prospect of being employed, especially with a job that provided room and board, he didn’t dream there would be other benefits.

  “That sounds great,” he finally said, nodding his head at Swede.

  “The boss has some paperwork for ya to fill out. It’s on the desk in yer room. If ya have it ready in the mornin’ that would be great.” Swede moved toward the front door. “We take turns cookin’ breakfast and supper. As soon as the boss finds a new housekeeper, we’ll be off kitchen duty. Generally, we eat a sandwich or whatever fer lunch. There’s a list in the kitchen by the wall phone that shows who’s responsible for cookin’ duty each day. I think the boys added ya in the rotation for the comin’ week, so ya might want to check that out. We eat breakfast and supper at straight up six. If it’s yer turn to cook, ya can leave yer work an hour early to git the meal ready. The days ya cook, ya also do the dishes. Any questions?”

  “How many other people work here on the ranch?” Ty asked, curious as to how many people shared the bunkhouse.

  “There are seven of us, counting Lex Jr. The boss is gone today, but should be back tomorra’ so you can meet then. The rest of the guys, ya’ll meet tonight at supper. I live in th
e foreman’s house, but do all my eatin’ here.” Swede opened the door. “When ya git yer things settled, come on down to the barn and I’ll give ya a quick tour then take ya to the shop.”

  “Thanks, Swede. It won’t take me long.” Ty followed him out the door and back to his pickup.

  “Take your time, son. No hurry.” Swede thumped him on the shoulder then walked back to the barn.

  Ty carried another load of his belongings to his room and returned for the final boxes, wondering about the age of the ranch foreman as he put away his things. Swede moved like a man in good shape, maybe mid-forties, but his face said he was closer to his late-sixties by the lines and weathered skin.

  His meager belongings didn’t take long to unpack. Ty changed into a set of older clothes and pulled on the lace-up steel-toed boots he used to wear to work. He sent a quick text message to Beth letting her know all was well before strolling out the door toward the barn. Although he felt like whistling, he refrained, afraid it would bring Baby running his direction. He wasn’t sure he wanted to get too friendly with the dog yet.

  It was too bad Baby had other ideas.

  Not wanting to oversleep his first day on the job, Ty set his alarm for five and was up, showered, and dressed long before breakfast was ready.

  The four other residents of the house comprised the crew of the Rockin’ R Ranch. Two brothers in their mid-twenties, Cal and Keith Harvey, were identical twins except one had a mole on his right cheek. An older man named Gus Anders, and a young kid Swede introduced as Jimmy Clarkson rounded out the interesting bunch. They were a friendly lot without being nosy and Ty appreciated that fact. He liked his own space and after almost a year of being unemployed, he had gotten used to being alone and not having anyone to talk to other than Beth and Nate.

  Jimmy made a warm and filling breakfast, even if it wasn’t very flavorful. Ty followed the foreman out the door after they all set their dirty dishes in the sink. Swede gave each man his orders and they all seemed to know what to do.

  Flipping the lights on in the big shop, Ty marveled again at the well-equipped building. Stocked with a variety of quality tools, the shop featured two work bays big enough he could park two semi-trucks side by side and still have ample room.

  Plenty of counter space, a large workbench with two stools, a big sink for washing parts, and a bathroom along with a microwave and refrigerator made it Ty’s idea of a perfect set up. Big windows on each side of the shop would let in plenty of light, although this early in the morning, he needed the overhead lights on to see.

  From what Swede said, Lex Sr. had performed all the mechanic work for the farm. When he “took sick,” he tried to keep up, but was unable halfway through the season. Evidently, the crew barely limped through their final harvest. Before the spring farm work began, repairs were needed on nearly every piece of equipment. Swede said they were down to one running tractor although it appeared there were three of them parked outside.

  Most of the machines were completely unfamiliar to Ty, but he realized he’d know each one intimately before he was through with the repairs.

  In a filing cabinet located by an old rickety desk, he found just what he was looking for — owner’s manuals. Some of the farm equipment looked like the pieces had been around a while, but others were less than a decade old.

  After calculating an estimate for the cost of the equipment, Ty decided the Rockin’ R Ranch must turn a good profit. They’d have to be in the black to be able to afford not only the equipment but also the hired help and building maintenance.

  He was shocked to find out he would be paid $1,500 a month in addition to his room and board.

  Ty wondered if Lex Jr. was hard to work for and had a difficult time keeping employees or was just plain crazy. Either way, he planned to make the most of this deal and send all the money he could to Beth and Nate.

  He should be able to start saving funds right away since it didn’t appear there was much to spend his money on out here in the middle of nowhere. The only bills he had were his cell phone bill, fuel, and insurance for his truck and any personal groceries he wanted to keep in the shop. Thankfully, he’d paid off his truck before he lost his job or he would have been forced to give it up, too.

  His mom taught him early on to save money, pay cash when possible, and not rack up debt. Although he’d been tempted many times in the last several months to live off his credit card, he’d resisted and now he was glad. With a picture of all the things he could help buy for Beth and the baby dancing through his head, he smiled and took a seat on a stool at the workbench. Resigned to learning what he needed to do his job, he started reading about the tractors sitting outside.

  Silence engulfed him, so he tried tuning an old radio, but it didn’t have any reception. He made a mental note to grab the speakers for his phone when he took a lunch break. The shop was too quiet without a little noise.

  When Swede popped in at half-past nine, Ty felt ready to tackle whatever needed to be worked on first. Swede opened the big bay doors and drove in a tractor, gave Ty a pat on the back, and wished him luck.

  “The one thing I never learnt was mechanic stuff,” Swede said. “The other boys barely know which end of a screwdriver to use, so yer on yer own. Don’t forget to take a break at lunch. I’ll check on ya in a bit and let ya know when the boss is back.”

  Ty soon figured out what was wrong with the tractor and started working his way into the problem. Although he had never actually fixed a tractor, his varied experience with a broad variety of projects gave him a solid working knowledge. With the help of the owner’s manual, it didn’t take him long to figure out what was needed to complete the repair job.

  A thorough inspection of the shop revealed a lack of parts on hand to make the repairs. Since it was nearly noon, he shut off the lights, and closed the door. He ambled in the direction of the corral by the barn where a pickup and horse trailer were parked and all the hands were standing together.

  As he approached the group, the men watched a horse run around the corral. He counted cowboy hats and realized there was an extra one in the bunch. If this was the boss, the man was extremely slender and with a slight frame for a rancher. Ty guessed him to be close to six feet with the boots and hat, but his shoulders looked narrow and the big chore coat he had on hung loosely on his frame.

  “Thet’s a fine lookin’ stud ya brung home, boss. The mares are gonna be puttin’ on quite a show for him,” Swede said of the horse Lex had gone to Nevada to purchase. He turned to say something to one of the hands and noticed Ty standing behind the group. His hand flapped back and forth, motioning him to step forward. “Ty, come meet the boss.”

  Ty took a step forward as the boss turned around and greeted him with a dazzling smile that made his heart jump to his throat. Even with the hat on her head, swallowed up in the oversized coat, Ty became instantly aware his employer was a very beautiful woman with green eyes, smooth skin, and rosy lips.

  Caught off guard, he sucked in a gulp of air, but swiftly gathered his composure and stuck out his hand, “Nice to meet you. I’m Ty. Ty Lewis.”

  “We’re so glad to have you here, Ty. I hope everyone made you feel at home,” Lexi Ryan said as she shook the warm, strong hand of her newest employee. She should have asked for a photo along with his resume. She might not have hired the man if she’d known he was going to be so handsome.

  Ironically, the comments Swede just voiced about the stallion she brought home could definitely apply to the man standing in front of her. No doubt, the first trip he made into town would result in every single female for a fifty-mile radius finding some excuse to come out to the Rockin’ R Ranch to fawn over him. As it was, she was finding it hard to think of anything except the big, gorgeous man holding her hand captive with his.

  Ty forced himself to let go of the soft hand with the long fingers. The brief contact had sent sparks of electricity shooting up his arm.

  “Thank you for hiring me,” he said, trying not to stare at
the person Swede referred to as Lex Jr. What a ridiculous name for a woman, especially one with such an attractive face. For all her oversized chore coat revealed, she could have been shaped like a stick or a barrel. However, she was unusually tall.

  “Are you settling in okay? Do you need anything?” Lexi attempted to hide her perusal of their new mechanic by casting surreptitious glances his direction. The unusual shade of blue of his eyes left her wishing she could stare into them for hours. They put her mind of a deep summer sky on a still afternoon — brilliant, clear, and undeniably warm.

  “I just need some parts. How do we go about getting those?” Ty braced himself as Baby spied him and raced his direction. The dog slid to a stop before she plowed him over and raised her muddy paws to his chest, giving his chin a thorough licking before Swede and Lexi got her down and scolded her for her behavior.

  “Baby, that is not okay. Don’t jump on Ty. Naughty girl,” Lexi said, holding the dog’s big face in her hands and talking to her.

  To Ty’s amazement, the dog appeared properly scolded and hung her head. Amused, but also sympathetic to the dog, Ty reached over and pat her on the head, giving her ears a good scratch. She perked right up, and scooted over, leaning against him with a relieved sigh.

  Lexi looked at Swede with a raised eyebrow but didn’t say anything. The dog was part of the reason they lost the last two mechanics she’d hired. In addition to not liking the isolated location of the ranch, they both were terrified of the dog. Neither of them lasted more than a few days before they packed up and left.

  From what she’d seen, Ty made more headway this morning than either of them had together. The other two never made it past inspecting the shop. True, it was hard to work with a hundred-pound dog growling at your every move, but over the course of a few days they should have made some progress. At least Ty had made it as far as knowing he needed parts.