a few minutes to get
there. When she did, everyone was gathered there, some leaning,
some sitting on the white board fence. Joel was nowhere to be
seen.
She glanced back at the house and saw a golf
cart heading toward them and smiled. She'd suggested he get one
last night, and it looked like he'd gotten right on it this
morning. That would at least help him get around faster. The R
& R Ranch was huge and the buildings spread out. Other than
riding a horse everywhere, a golf cart was the best solution. It
would also help if someone got hurt. They could bring them to the
aid station faster.
It was a four-seater, and Penny was in the
seat beside him clutching the bar as it moved over the uneven
ground, and she saw the back of Trish's blond head in the rumble
seat behind her. When he got closer, she saw Joel wasn't smiling,
everything about his body language said tense. He parked beside the
fence and got out, then walked over to them with Trish and Penny
lagging behind.
"Okay, folks," he said in a no-bullshit tone.
"Our first guests will be here in thirty minutes, so we need to
have a quick rundown of the schedule for the week."
"These people are friends of mine, but their
also paying guests, so keep that in mind when you're dealing with
them. If you have any problems, take it up with me, not them," he
continued then turned toward Trish who was standing beside him
holding a sheaf of papers.
He took them from her and thumbed one off then
handed the rest to Matt, who was on the end of the row. "Pass those
around, and keep them with you..." Joel told them, then looked down
at his copy.
"Today, I'm going to take them on a tour of
the ranch, so they can get their bearings, and we'll have a bonfire
tonight in the pasture back behind the bunkhouse, which all of you
should attend. In the morning, Rocky you start teaching them how to
ride. You have two days to make sure they're competent.
Matt, you get them Wednesday afternoon to
teach them how to rope. We'll be with them on the trail, so they
just need to know the basics. We're having a bonfire and cookout on
Wednesday night, then we all pull out early on Thursday morning for
the cattle drive.
We'll be moving fifty head to the back acreage
Thursday and Friday, then ride back to the ranch on Friday
afternoon. The cattle will be left in the fenced pasture on the
back acreage, then ya'll can drive them back this weekend or
Monday.
You'll need your bedrolls, and camping
equipment, and a couple of changes of clothes. Jarvis will drive
the chuck wagon and cook for us on the trail," he told them then
took a deep breath and looked directly at her. "Terri, I need you
to go with us, since this is our first drive. I have no idea what
we'll come across, and I want to be prepared, just in
case."
Shock jolted through her and Terri took a step
forward. "But I don't know how--" she started and he cut her
off.
"Rocky, Terri will take riding lessons with
the guests. Make damned sure she knows how to ride a horse by the
time we leave," he told the tall, thin strawberry blonde cow hand.
Rocky nodded and smiled at her. It was the first smile she'd ever
seen on the woman's face, and Terri wasn't sure she liked
it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Terri stumbled back to the first-aid station
and closed the door behind her. She was going on a cattle drive,
and she was just now learning to ride a horse. It didn't help that
she was scared as shit of the woman who was going to teach her to
ride. Rocky had probably learned to ride before she could walk.
She'd seen her on a horse, and the woman was amazing.
Although they'd eaten supper at the same table
almost every night since she'd arrived at the ranch last week, the
woman had never engaged her in conversation. Terri had tried to
draw her out, but all she got was a nod in return. Rocky didn't
seem to have the same problem with the cowboys. They talked the
same language, and she evidently felt comfortable with
them.
Terri was also intimidated about having to
improvise
there. When she did, everyone was gathered there, some leaning,
some sitting on the white board fence. Joel was nowhere to be
seen.
She glanced back at the house and saw a golf
cart heading toward them and smiled. She'd suggested he get one
last night, and it looked like he'd gotten right on it this
morning. That would at least help him get around faster. The R
& R Ranch was huge and the buildings spread out. Other than
riding a horse everywhere, a golf cart was the best solution. It
would also help if someone got hurt. They could bring them to the
aid station faster.
It was a four-seater, and Penny was in the
seat beside him clutching the bar as it moved over the uneven
ground, and she saw the back of Trish's blond head in the rumble
seat behind her. When he got closer, she saw Joel wasn't smiling,
everything about his body language said tense. He parked beside the
fence and got out, then walked over to them with Trish and Penny
lagging behind.
"Okay, folks," he said in a no-bullshit tone.
"Our first guests will be here in thirty minutes, so we need to
have a quick rundown of the schedule for the week."
"These people are friends of mine, but their
also paying guests, so keep that in mind when you're dealing with
them. If you have any problems, take it up with me, not them," he
continued then turned toward Trish who was standing beside him
holding a sheaf of papers.
He took them from her and thumbed one off then
handed the rest to Matt, who was on the end of the row. "Pass those
around, and keep them with you..." Joel told them, then looked down
at his copy.
"Today, I'm going to take them on a tour of
the ranch, so they can get their bearings, and we'll have a bonfire
tonight in the pasture back behind the bunkhouse, which all of you
should attend. In the morning, Rocky you start teaching them how to
ride. You have two days to make sure they're competent.
Matt, you get them Wednesday afternoon to
teach them how to rope. We'll be with them on the trail, so they
just need to know the basics. We're having a bonfire and cookout on
Wednesday night, then we all pull out early on Thursday morning for
the cattle drive.
We'll be moving fifty head to the back acreage
Thursday and Friday, then ride back to the ranch on Friday
afternoon. The cattle will be left in the fenced pasture on the
back acreage, then ya'll can drive them back this weekend or
Monday.
You'll need your bedrolls, and camping
equipment, and a couple of changes of clothes. Jarvis will drive
the chuck wagon and cook for us on the trail," he told them then
took a deep breath and looked directly at her. "Terri, I need you
to go with us, since this is our first drive. I have no idea what
we'll come across, and I want to be prepared, just in
case."
Shock jolted through her and Terri took a step
forward. "But I don't know how--" she started and he cut her
off.
"Rocky, Terri will take riding lessons with
the guests. Make damned sure she knows how to ride a horse by the
time we leave," he told the tall, thin strawberry blonde cow hand.
Rocky nodded and smiled at her. It was the first smile she'd ever
seen on the woman's face, and Terri wasn't sure she liked
it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Terri stumbled back to the first-aid station
and closed the door behind her. She was going on a cattle drive,
and she was just now learning to ride a horse. It didn't help that
she was scared as shit of the woman who was going to teach her to
ride. Rocky had probably learned to ride before she could walk.
She'd seen her on a horse, and the woman was amazing.
Although they'd eaten supper at the same table
almost every night since she'd arrived at the ranch last week, the
woman had never engaged her in conversation. Terri had tried to
draw her out, but all she got was a nod in return. Rocky didn't
seem to have the same problem with the cowboys. They talked the
same language, and she evidently felt comfortable with
them.
Terri was also intimidated about having to
improvise
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