First Rodeo by Judith Hennessey

Author:Judith Hennessey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SparkPress
Published: 2016-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

First-Time Heifer

JAKE’S EMOTIONS RAN WITH HIM, on the verge of being out of control, as he sat on the big, high-powered stud. It was the most horse he’d ever been on, and he made the Bar Lazy J Guest Ranch in a record forty-five minutes, a six-mile trek. He could have taken one of the snowmobiles from the Bear Track, but the road was packed solid and he was desperate for the peace a long, hard ride brought.

In his saddlebag he carried three more letters to Kate, all penned in the faint glow of a crystal oil lamp. Jake had finally got the generator fired up at the Bear Track, but was careful to use it only when necessary. The propane tank was already almost empty. And judging from his boss’s track record, it wasn’t likely to be filled again, at least not while he was wintering there. It was cold, dark, and depressing. He made do with the wood stove for heat and oil lamps for light.

But there was no substitute for Kate. Jake missed her so badly his heart ached. He felt empty without her. He was so sorry he had hurt her, sorry that he had destroyed her trust in him. He spent many sleepless nights thinking about that night at the Bear Track, and Kate in the red dress. She was so beautiful, perfection. And he was a coward. It was that simple. He was convinced Kate would eventually leave him, so he took the opportunity to push her away. Now Kate was on a ranch somewhere in Colorado. Stella told Cecil that Kate was “very disappointed.” Jake figured she was more than likely mad as hell to boot. The anger Jake could handle, but not the disappointment, and not talking to her was driving him crazy.

The Bar Lazy J was the closest ranch with winter residents. Ned, the caretaker, went to Jackson Hole on a regular basis and was willing to take and pick up Jake’s mail at the post office. But Jake had to do the pony express to the Bar Lazy J to retrieve the parcels. It was only Thursday, yet it was Jake’s second trip. He hoped these additional letters would bring Kate around, give him another chance, let him prove how much she meant to him, how desperately he loved her. The thought of losing her coiled around him like a boa constrictor, squeezing tighter with each passing day.

Jake tied his horse to the hitching post, his boots echoing a repetitive, hollow thud as he started to climb the plank stairs to the front door. Ned walked out to greet him.

“How goes it, top hand?”

“Oh, all right, I suppose.” Jake was out of chew, which made him even more tense and anxious.

“Got a little something for you.” Ned reached into his down jacket and produced a can of Copenhagen.

“Well, I’ll be!”

Jake ran his thumbnail around the lid, shaking like an alcoholic who needs a drink. He popped off the top, pinched out a large wad, and stuffed it between his lower lip and gum.

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