by Unknown
“Well I’ll be! Ms. Lizbeth you can ride a horse. How did a fancy city girl like you learn to ride?” P.H. asked.
“Summer camp! But I don’t know how fancy I am P.H. I’m just a kid from Brooklyn, but I want to hear about you. Tell me about your family’s beautiful ranch, and please, call me Lizbeth.”
“Well Lizbeth, my father Pollard Hickman and my mother Sicily Jayroe Coates were herding cattle West to Guadalupe, New Mexico, when they stopped at a lake about a mile and a half outside of what today is the City of Big Lake, Texas. My mama told my daddy that they had ‘found the promised land’”, P.H. said with a laugh and a clap of his hands, “and they settled this here 30,000-acre ranch among the flat lands and hilly terrain of West Texas. It’s been in the family all these years.”
“Your mother must have been quite a lady, P.H. What does P.H. stand for by the way?” Lizbeth asked.
“Pollard Hickman, Junior, or P.H. for short ma’am,” he said with a tip of his white Resistol, and a modest gentlemen’s bow. “Yes, my maw was an impressive woman, she had strong features but as sweet and tough as the day was long. A lot like my sister Mavis. She’d love you like there was no tomorrow, but she put the fear of God in you too. My maw and paw had twelve children, it takes a lot of hands to run a ranch this size, I suppose they thought they’d breed their own cow hands and farmers,” P.H. said with a grin that reminded her of Buck. Could they be related Lizbeth wondered, but was too polite to ask.
P.H. continued saying, “You’ll like this, my oldest sister, Dee Coates Pedrick was a writer too.”
“Really?” Lizbeth asked with interest.
“Um-hm, she wrote about how much our mother loved this land and the history of the Coates ranch—settled in 1880.”
“You don’t say!” Exclaimed Lizbeth, trying out her Western idioms.
“Sho-nuff, it’s in the record books as 1880.”
“Tell me about your herd of cattle,” Lizbeth said.
“Well, my daddy and I ran lots of sheep and different kinds of cattle but the natural predators, wolves and the like, put us out of the sheep business. Then my brother-in-law J.A. Queen, started building a registered Hereford herd, and in 1957 when I took over the ranch I bought the Hereford herd from J.A. and we’ve been a Hereford ranch ever since.”
“So what’s so special about the Hereford brand of cattle?” Lizbeth asked with interest as she feverishly took notes in a small notebook with a video camera on a tripod recording P.H. as he talked, hammer swinging as he gestured. Deck screws and cuss words falling out of his mouth at will.
Lizbeth forgot all about Buck and was thoroughly enjoying the company of P.H. She felt as though she were at her grandfather’s knee as P.H. recounted the family history.
Her imaginary grandfather that is, who was perfect in every way, not her drunken real grandfather that was always a little too friendly toward her friends when he was in his cups.
Lizbeth allowed herself to feel a part of the Coates Ranch’s long history. Partly because it brings her closer to the story, but mostly because she was longing for something that she never had—a sense of family where the adults were in charge and the children were loved and cared for, not the other way around, the way that it was for her growing up.
P.H. responded by saying, “Let’s ride.” The pair climb onto their horses and trotted across the vast open space, laughing and talking all the while until they came upon twenty or so head of cattle. Those regal, auburn and white specimens grazing in the pasture are enormous and spectacular Lizbeth thought.
“This is a good place to eat lunch, let’s get down wind of the herd under that tree over yonder and sit a spell,” P.H. suggested.
“Sounds good to me,” Lizbeth answered, as they dismounted and walked the horses over to the tree, where they grazed while Lizbeth and P.H. had a picnic lunch.
The pair feasted on fried chicken, cut fresh vegetables, and homemade rolls, then washed it down with spring water, Lizbeth felt like a kid again, and was grateful that she didn’t have to eat beef in the presence of their kin grazing in the field.
She watched the large, wrinkled and calloused hands of the elder cowboy, but marveled at how lively and limber he was. It must come from a life of constant motion, bending, squatting, reaching, lifting, walking and riding that has kept his joints and ligaments loose and with a full range of motion at his age. She could see that he’s broken a few fingers and that perhaps he moves slower than he used to, but Lizbeth sent a silent prayer up to the universe that she could be this full of life and vigor when she reached his age.
P.H. continued to educate Lizbeth on the Hereford cattle, “Herefordshire, one of England’s historic counties, is where several types of cattle were bred together to create the modern Hereford, a specimen of animal with the characteristics of hardiness, early maturity, good fertility and could sustain the swift and efficient conversion of grass into read meat. Herefords were first introduced in Ireland in 1775 where they perfected the breeding process to give us the superior breed that we have today. These cattle are the perfect specimen for today’s sustainable herd management practices that ranches like ours practice today.” P.H. said, there was a distinct twinkle in his eye as he talked about his craft.
“Why do you raise Irish Herefords instead of cattle from the original source in Herefordshire?” Lizbeth asked.
“Ha! I’m glad you asked.” P.H. said with excitement. “You can’t get a better animal more sustainable meat production.”
Looking out over the herd of beautiful animals Lizbeth had a hard time thinking of them as meat.
P.H. began to innumerate all of the positive qualities of the Hereford cow. “Why they’re more docile, have a shorter gestation period, saving time and money, they can thrive in heat, drought, or nearly any conditions if you’re vigilant about caring for them, they have a lower mortality rate, I’m telling you, if you’re going to be a rancher, this is the cattle to do it with,” P.H. said with excitement.
P.H. packed up their lunch gear and he spent the rest of the afternoon showing Lizbeth how to mend fences and talking more about his family history. It was late in the evening when they arrived at the big house and the smell of grilled beef wafted in the air.
A warn out Lady received hugs and rubs from equally as tired, hard working men, women and children at the ranch. It felt like a Saturday afternoon barbeque to Lizbeth, but at the Coates Ranch it was a regular Monday night dinner. Lizbeth tried to enjoy herself, but she couldn’t help scanning the crowd of people inside the house and outside near the barbeque pit for any signs of the handsome cowboy Buck.
Lizbeth sat down at the table and began talking to a young woman seated to her left. She’s a Coates cousin and a veterinarian at the ranch. Lizbeth was fascinated with her passion for the animals and the ranch way of life. Lizbeth’s head was deep into her notepad as she busily jotted down details when a voice invaded her thoughts.
“How was your first day on the ranch Harvard?” Buck said as he sat down across the table from Lizbeth.
“My day was great Young-Buck, how was your day?” Lizbeth said with the feisty sarcasm of a New Yorker. Being call Young-Buck at his age and by a woman garnered some giggles from the Coates clan. They seemed to like the playful banter between Buck and their guest.
Dinner was a raucous event filled with stories and laughter around a table that sat upwards of thirty people. Lizbeth felt like a Dane in King Hrothgar’s mead-hall, but without the evil Grendel plotting an attack, only boisterous men and women enjoying the night. Lizbeth helped the women clear the evenings leftovers and dishes until Buck walked up behind her and whispered, “Ms. Elizabeth would you go walking with me tonight?”
Lizbeth laughed, at his antiquated pickup line, then said, “I’ll meet you on the back porch when I’ve finished my chores.” She then walked away from Buck, with a little extra wiggle in her hips. Buck blushed as he watched her leave, then went out to the porch to wait on his date.
Lizbeth volun
teered to help out in the kitchen, for research she said, but really it was to make Buck wait, and wait he did. “You sure know how to make a man wait Elizabeth, I hope this walk is worth the trouble,” Buck said in a low and deliberate voice.
Lizbeth, stopped in her tracks and turned walk back into the house without saying a word. Lady was close on her heels.
“Woe, woe, woe. don’t get angry, I was just kidding with you,” he said to Lizbeth, while pulling her back gently by the arm until she fell into his embrace where he held her close as he looked down into her upturned face. “It was only a few hours ago that you were holding on to me for life.” Lizbeth blushed but remained silent, holding his gaze. “Oh, so now you’re the strong silent type? You could have fooled me, the way that you talked my ear off yesterday.” With that Lizbeth lost it, she couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer until she and Buck were giggling like teenagers on the Coates’ back porch. “Let’s go walking, he said as he took her hand and they walked out of the manicured garden and onto the wild range. Lady and Buck’s dog, Scout playing chase as they ran ahead.
“Have you ever seen a sky this beautiful before Lizbeth?”
“So you knew that my name is Lizbeth all this time and you continually called me Elizabeth?” She asked.
“Yup,” Buck replied.
“You are a stinker”, Lizbeth said as she kicked dust at Buck.
“Hey, you keep that up and I’ll take you over my knee.” Buck warned.
“I’d like to see you try,” Lizbeth said, hands on hips and brimming with confidence.
“Okay, you asked for it,” Buck said as he charged at Lizbeth trying to catch her. Lizbeth danced around Buck with ease, ducking or jumping every time that he reached to grab for her, screaming and laughing for joy. They played at this game like children until Buck said, “Okay I give up. Your cat-like reflexes are no match for me woman.”
“I’m a triathlete,” Lizbeth said proudly. Then she took Buck’s hand and they walked in silence neither of them knowing what to say. Buck and Lizbeth continued like this for two-weeks. The entire ranch was a buzz with sideways looks, smirks and grins but no one, not even Mavis spoke of it directly and the Coates clan continued with life as usual.
“Thank you P.H. for allowing me to stay here at the ranch. I’m sorry that I didn’t have a chance to meet your son Steven since he’s the official owner of the ranch now, but maybe he’ll agree to a telephone interview. Thank you again for your hospitality and for the interview. Everyone has been so kind to me that I hate to leave.” Lizbeth said with tears in her eyes.
“So stay darling,” P.H. said as he held Lizbeth hands in his. She could feel the roughness of a life spent doing the hard work of cattle ranching and began to cry.
“Woe darlin’ I didn’t mean to make you cry. You know you are welcome to come back anytime. Don’t even call just show up at the door.” Buck said softly.
“Okay,” Lizbeth said through the choke of tears. “I’m sorry that I’m being so silly, it’s just that I really will miss you all.” Mavis came up and gave Lizbeth a hug, followed by a couple dozen other folks that she had come to know and love.
On the way to the airport she and Buck mostly rode in awkward conversation followed by what seemed like unending silence until Buck said, “Lizbeth I need to tell you something and I want you to give me a chance to explain before you get angry.”
“Okay, this can’t be good.” Lizbeth said as she turned in her seat to face Buck.
“Lizbeth, I’m Steven Coates, but let me explain,” Buck said. “I don’t want to sound like I’m anything special, but a lot of women have come to the Coates ranch pretending to be someone or something that their not. It turns out what they really hoped is that they would become Mrs. Steven Coates. I’m not opposed to marriage, in fact I’m ready to settle down, but it’s hard to meet someone who likes me because of the person I am and not what she thinks I can offer her. I wanted a chance to get to know a beautiful woman as just a regular guy and not the owner of a thirty acre successful cattle ranch. Can you forgive me for not telling you?”
“Are you finished pouring your heart out cowboy, because I already knew you were Steven Coates. I’ve known from the first interview with P.H. that he was your father. The two of you have some of the same facial expressions.”
“You mean that you knew I had a big secret all along and you let me burn with guilt that I couldn’t be straight with you about who I was?”
“You’re a good poker player, Ms. Lizbeth,” Buck said as he laughed and shook his head about being outsmarted by Lizbeth. Lizbeth sat in silence, smiling proudly at how clever she had been.
Lizbeth held hands then said goodbye at the airport curb. “I’m going to miss you Harvard.”
“I’ll miss you too cowboy,” Lizbeth said as she walked away and entered the airport to fly back to her lonely life. Even Lady looked sad to be going home.
*****
Over the next month, Lizbeth’s first article was released and as she suspected, Clay invited her out for a congratulatory celebration. When they arrived at the restaurant, Lizbeth began to feel more upbeat than she had been since returning home from Texas.
Most days she was too busy to miss Buck and the other from the ranch, but especially Buck, but always at night, just before drifting off to sleep his face would appear and that lonely sad feeling would engulf Lizbeth like a wave.
“Listen, I have to tell you that you look stunning in that dress Lizbeth. It looks like you’ve put on a little muscle down at the ranch. It looks good on you,” Clay said, lifting his glass of red wine to Lizbeth as if to say cheers to you. Lizbeth raised her glass of Pellegrino and lime in response.
Before going to Texas, Lizbeth would have given her right arm to be at dinner with Clay, but now she was bored out of her mind listening to Clay drone on about nothing and everything, only none of it was what she wanted to hear.
Lizbeth thought to herself, “How could I have been so nuts about this guy? He’s prettier than I am. He’s analyzed, sized-up and calculated the net worth of nearly everyone that’s walked past our table in the last thirty minutes. Is that all that he thinks about? Money, status, looks?” Lizbeth asked herself.
She listened to Clay for another half-hour until finally he became just as bored with her as she was of him and decided to call it an evening. “I’ll walk you to the door”, Clay said as he closed the car door after Lizbeth exited. As Lizbeth put her key in the door, Clay began to rub the small of her back saying, “This doesn’t have to be goodnight, I could come in for a while.”
“No, thanks, I’m really tired Clay but thanks for a nice evening,” Lizbeth said as she closed the door. Leaving Clay on the other side of it. “Did he just try to make a move on me after that horrible dinner, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Lizbeth said to Lady. “My love life sucks Lady.” Lizbeth cried.
*****
Tap, tap, tap, tap on the keyboard was all that could be heard. Lizbeth was in the zone writing about West Texas cowboys, thinking about the Coates Ranch, and Buck.
Buzz, buzz, buzz, the sound of Lizbeth’s mobile vibrating on her desk broke her concentration. “This is Lizbeth,” she answered.
“I sure do miss you, Harvard!” Said the voice on the other end of the line.
“Buck, I mean Steven is that you?”
“Yes it’s me, how are you, Lizbeth? How’s Lady? I sure do miss y’all,” Buck said.
“I miss you too Buck, and I can’t get used to calling you, Steven.”
“Good because I kind of got used to hearing you say Buck,” he replied.
“Listen, Lizbeth, I’ve been thinking, you can work from anywhere can’t you?”
“Yeah, why do you ask?” Lizbeth asked, praying for the answer that she wanted to hear. “Ask me to come back Buck, ask me,” Lizbeth silently begged him.
“Well, I can’t work anywhere, my work is here on the ranch in Texas,” Buck said.
“Don’t change the subject you dope,
” Lizbeth shouted in her head.
“Since I can’t work just any old place I decided to take some time off and come visit you, Lizbeth.”
“Really?” “Woof-woof, woof-woof,” Lady barked. “Quiet Lady,” Lizbeth said impatiently.
“Lady probably smells that little something I just had delivered to your house.”
“To my house, how do you even know where I live?”
“You’re not the only one who knows how to do research Harvard,” Buck said with sarcasm. “Go to your front door and see what I sent you Lizbeth.”
Being careful not to show the excitement in her voice, Lizbeth said, “Okay I’ll check the door now, but what is it, I hate surprises,” she said as she opened the front door.
“I sent you me!” Said, Buck as he swept Lizbeth up in his arms saying, “I think we owe it to ourselves to try to make this work Harvard, what do you say we give it a try?”
“Sounds good to me cowboy!”
THE END
Another bonus story is on the next page.
Bonus Story 4 of 10
Hearts on Fire
“Ding, ding, ding, ding,” the ear piercing sound of the community bell sends the Johannsen family of eight fleeing toward the cold December night to safety. One-by-one, as they awake and breathe in deeply, they choke on the blackened air, thick with burning Quercus rubra—Northern Red Oak.
Others in the community may be fumbling in the dark with lanterns trying to locate the direction of the trouble and cause for the alarm, but not the Johannsens. Their coughing, heaving bodies know the bell tolls for them.
“What sort of trouble is it?” asks Heir Abrahams. Standing in the cold in his nightshirt and overcoat he looks like the image of Charles Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Past. It was hard to believe that he even had to ask the question to ascertain the trouble. Though given his age and dulled senses, and out of respect for his position as Elder Community Leader which is like a pastor among the Amish people of Lancaster County Pennsylvania, Fons stops to respond.