The Cowboy Comes Home by Barbara McMahon

Author:Barbara McMahon [McMahon, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbara McMahon
Published: 2022-05-28T00:00:00+00:00

The next several days followed like the first. Sara was too tired at night to do anything after dinner but fall into her new bed and sleep. Up again early the next morning, they’d do chores around Ethan’s place, head to Carson’s to drop off Bobby and then on to branding. When they finished at Fallons, the entire company moved to the Rocking W. Sara didn’t.

She was not going there as a hired hand from another ranch.

There was plenty to do at Ethan’s place. She spent two days clearing out the bunkhouse, burning all the debris. Then she listed all that needed to be done to make it habitable. She took stock of food supplies and made lists of necessities.

Each night she’d listen to Ethan talk to Bobby about the day. Sara knew Ethan was filling her in without making her have to ask.

Soon the branding at her dad’s place was finished and the next ranch was up.

Even Brie was drooping by the last afternoon. It had been a long three weeks, but almost all the calves on the neighboring ranches were branded and castrated.

“Still having that end-of-branding party?” Sara asked as she stopped in the only shade in miles to get a drink of icy lemonade available for the riders. Brie was standing there looking cool as could be, though tired.

“Not today and not tomorrow. Maybe Saturday. When I get home today, I’m soaking in a tub until the water turns to ice. Then sleeping until Saturday. I never knew my bones could ache so much.”

Sara laughed, drank the refreshing beverage and wiped her dirty face. “I like the part about sleeping for two days. But us working folks have to get up tomorrow and see what the boss man has in store.”

“How’s it going at Ethan’s?” Brie asked.

Sara shrugged. “Fine. Too early to tell, actually. We feed the stock morning and night and then we’ve pretty much been at one or the other branding sites. I guess any routine he wants will start tomorrow.”

Another two riders came up and Brie moved to the very fringe of the shade. “Any word from your dad?”

“Nope.”

Sara had hoped he’d at least call. She checked in with his doctor every few days. Her dad was apparently improving, but not as rapidly as he wanted.

“I can’t believe he hasn’t contacted you. Did you know Donny left?”

“What? He’s been on the ranch for years. Where did he go?”

“Word is he told your father either you return and take over or he’d leave. Your father made some pithy statement and Donny took off. I heard he went to see his daughter. Don’t know if he’s coming back.”

“Who’s running the ranch?”

“Nate Holt.”

Sara stared at her friend, almost unable to comprehend what she said. “That lazy cowboy? Dad must have rocks for brains. Nate is his most recent hire. All the other men have more experience on the Rocking W”

“Probably none of them wanted the job. Some cowboys like their lives, don’t want to be a manager, you know that.

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