already poisoned his cattle and tore up parts of the fence," remarked David, the younger of the two cattle hands.
"And that didn't work. So you need to figure something out. I'm sick of dealing with this young prick who thinks he is a better rancher than I am," Lance snorted.
David looked at his coworker, Taylor, with a grin and looked back at Lance. "Don't worry, boss. We'll take care of it."
Taylor and David rode to the top of the hill that adjoined their land and Jake's land. After tying up their horses, they set up camp to take watch on Jake's ranch. From where they sat, they could see the house, stables, and the barn through the woods.
"Who's the girl that's been at the ranch lately? Do you know her?" Taylor asked David as they watched from afar.
"Never seen her around here before. Maybe she's a cousin or something," David answered. Shortly after, they watched Jake kiss the girl and then stride out of the stables. Both men looked at each other, their minds beginning to explore a new plan.
---oOo---
Jake met Jim by the edge of one of their pastures. Jim walked him over to the surrounding fence where it looked like it was ripped from the ground.
"You don't think it was animals, do you?" Jim asked, looking at Jake with concern.
"I don't know any animals that could tear up a fence like that." Jake picked up one of the posts to check for teeth marks and checked the surrounding dirt for footprints. "These look like boot prints over here," he said pointing out two large boot impressions in the ground around one of the ripped up stakes. "You really think Lance is going to all this trouble?"
"For some reason, I don't think that old man is the cause of all of this. I bet he's contracted out his dirty work to those scumbags who work for him. That kid David was in an out of juvenile hall since he was ten. I don't know much about Taylor except I've seen them out drinking together at the bar in town." Jake glanced around the area to see any other signs of foul play.
"So what are we gonna do about this, Jake?"
Jake stared silently at the woods for a moment before turning back to him. "I think they are just trying to scare us. Let's keep an eye on everything. These fences needed fixing in the first place so maybe they just jump-started the work. Tell the other boys to keep an eye out. I don't think they will do anything violent, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."
"Sure thing, boss," Jim replied, picking up some tools to mend the fence. "So, Jake, how is everything going with you and Miss Lilly? She seems like a real sweet girl."
Jake looked up at him like he was crazy for noticing the relationship developing between Lilly and himself. Then realized he probably hadn't been too shy about wanting to spend the past few weeks with her. "She is. You're right. I don't know Jim. I guess it's been such a long time since a female has been around the ranch... well, besides Sylvia."
"That's true. It just seems like she has takin' a liking to you," Jim hinted. He had worked for Jake for years and hadn't ever seen him as happy until Lilly appeared.
Jake paused and looked at Jim. He knew what he was doing but knew better than to bring his personal life into his work. "Jim I see where you are going with this. Yes I do care about her very much, but we have work to do. Get some guys to come on out and help us fix this fence before the sun goes down tonight. I really don't want to lose any of our cattle over this incident."
Jake spent the next three hours mending the fence with his hands, wondering about what Jim said earlier. Maybe Lilly really did have the same feelings for him. But could she handle living out here on the ranch and not having the closeness of a city? He didn't want to take that opportunity away from her but he definitely didn't want to lose her either. Once the fence was in working order, he explained the situation with Lance to his other workers and left for the house.
---oOo---
Once Lilly finished
"And that didn't work. So you need to figure something out. I'm sick of dealing with this young prick who thinks he is a better rancher than I am," Lance snorted.
David looked at his coworker, Taylor, with a grin and looked back at Lance. "Don't worry, boss. We'll take care of it."
Taylor and David rode to the top of the hill that adjoined their land and Jake's land. After tying up their horses, they set up camp to take watch on Jake's ranch. From where they sat, they could see the house, stables, and the barn through the woods.
"Who's the girl that's been at the ranch lately? Do you know her?" Taylor asked David as they watched from afar.
"Never seen her around here before. Maybe she's a cousin or something," David answered. Shortly after, they watched Jake kiss the girl and then stride out of the stables. Both men looked at each other, their minds beginning to explore a new plan.
---oOo---
Jake met Jim by the edge of one of their pastures. Jim walked him over to the surrounding fence where it looked like it was ripped from the ground.
"You don't think it was animals, do you?" Jim asked, looking at Jake with concern.
"I don't know any animals that could tear up a fence like that." Jake picked up one of the posts to check for teeth marks and checked the surrounding dirt for footprints. "These look like boot prints over here," he said pointing out two large boot impressions in the ground around one of the ripped up stakes. "You really think Lance is going to all this trouble?"
"For some reason, I don't think that old man is the cause of all of this. I bet he's contracted out his dirty work to those scumbags who work for him. That kid David was in an out of juvenile hall since he was ten. I don't know much about Taylor except I've seen them out drinking together at the bar in town." Jake glanced around the area to see any other signs of foul play.
"So what are we gonna do about this, Jake?"
Jake stared silently at the woods for a moment before turning back to him. "I think they are just trying to scare us. Let's keep an eye on everything. These fences needed fixing in the first place so maybe they just jump-started the work. Tell the other boys to keep an eye out. I don't think they will do anything violent, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."
"Sure thing, boss," Jim replied, picking up some tools to mend the fence. "So, Jake, how is everything going with you and Miss Lilly? She seems like a real sweet girl."
Jake looked up at him like he was crazy for noticing the relationship developing between Lilly and himself. Then realized he probably hadn't been too shy about wanting to spend the past few weeks with her. "She is. You're right. I don't know Jim. I guess it's been such a long time since a female has been around the ranch... well, besides Sylvia."
"That's true. It just seems like she has takin' a liking to you," Jim hinted. He had worked for Jake for years and hadn't ever seen him as happy until Lilly appeared.
Jake paused and looked at Jim. He knew what he was doing but knew better than to bring his personal life into his work. "Jim I see where you are going with this. Yes I do care about her very much, but we have work to do. Get some guys to come on out and help us fix this fence before the sun goes down tonight. I really don't want to lose any of our cattle over this incident."
Jake spent the next three hours mending the fence with his hands, wondering about what Jim said earlier. Maybe Lilly really did have the same feelings for him. But could she handle living out here on the ranch and not having the closeness of a city? He didn't want to take that opportunity away from her but he definitely didn't want to lose her either. Once the fence was in working order, he explained the situation with Lance to his other workers and left for the house.
---oOo---
Once Lilly finished
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