“I’m just being still for a minute, that’s all. Appreciating nature. God’s the best painter, ya know.”
“Oh, that’s a good one,” Angie laughed. “Not the part about God, but I don’t think Dad’ll like you bein’ still. C’mon, let’s go. We only have a few heifers that seem to be in trouble. One is ready but I can see a nose instead of feet. If we can get her into the chute, maybe I can turn the little bugger around before he’s born.”
He rarely shared his inner thoughts or argued because what was the use? There was always work to be done. Nathan turned his horse to follow Angie towards a group of cattle where his father sat patiently. With a smirk and giggle she called out over her shoulder. “Do you have a date with Carli?”
“She might come by later. I’m taking her to lunch.”
“Well, better get your work done then.”
Nathan clenched his jaw and reined his horse to follow. Life was much easier if he did what Angie said, as well as his father, his mother, even the rest of his younger siblings. Even though he was the oldest it seemed everyone else was in charge but him. “Let’s get Nathan to do it,” seemed to be their solution to everything. Today was no different than any other day, but he seemed to be more agitated than usual. He shook the troubled thoughts from his mind. No use in wishing for what would never be. A moment of peace to enjoy the coming day was not on the schedule.
Prodding her horse gently with a spur, his sister took off ahead of him. Always full of energy and ready and able to lead, Angie could surely take over the ranch one day. Nathan felt certain of that. He thought about this a lot. As the oldest of five kids, it was expected that he’d be the next generation of cowmen to oversee the Rafter O into the future. If they all assumed he’d take over, maybe it was time he did. Truthfully, he was best at avoiding confrontation, particularly with his father. Blessed are the peacemakers, his grandpa Olsen had always said. Sometimes knowing when to remain silent proved more the man than jumping into the fray.
Trotting his horse to catch up, he filled the gap between his father and sister. They successfully drove four little heifers into the pens at Olsen Ranch headquarters.
Nathan made quick work of running the heifer into the snake and then chute. Angie gloved up and worked her arm into the cow in an effort to push the calf’s nose back and find his front feet before he smothered. After a few minutes, the mother gave a grunt and a push, and a newborn calf spilled out.
“It’s a she and she’s beautiful.” Angie wiped the mucus from a shiny, wet nose and pulled the newborn out from behind her momma. They opened the chute and placed the calf in front of the mother’s nose. She got a good whiff and began licking the slick, wet hair of her new baby. Silently they all backed away and climbed out of the pen.
By the time they assessed the other heifers, filled the water tub, unsaddled, and put tack back in its place, it was midmorning. Nathan longed for that second cup of coffee which had been interrupted earlier.
He went into the barn where his father and sister, Angie, stood, heads together, laughing about something. They always had shared a special bond. The laughter stopped when they noticed him, which happened often and made him feel like a third wheel.
Mr. Olsen’s expression changed to a more serious one when he turned to look at his son. “You have a date in the middle of a workday?”
Nathan and Angie exchanged glances, but she did not speak. She shrugged her shoulders and half-grinned.
“We’re almost done here, Dad. Besides it’s just lunch. We’ll run into Dixon real quick. I won’t be gone long.”
“You know that running a ranch is a 24/7 job.” Skip Olsen gave his oldest son a menacing stare.
Nathan braced himself for the lecture that was sure to come, but instead his father added, “Say hello to Carli for me.”
“Yes, sir.” Even though Nathan was well past his irresponsible, adolescent days, his father still had the power to make him feel like an eighth grader.
He loved his parents and his family. He really did. They were kind, hardworking people. Salt of the earth. And his dad was never harsh or unkind with any of his five children. But the patriarch of the Olsen family wanted things done his way and could get downright ornery about it. His father had taught each of them well—how to respect the earth, the livestock, and people, but it was like an act of Congress if Nathan had other plans. Maybe he wanted to do things a little different than they’d been done before. On some days he felt like a stranger. He yearned for another life. Any kind of life except the one he had.
As he emerged from the tack barn, Carli’s truck bumped across the cattle guard into Rafter O headquarters and pulled to a stop. She gave a wave in his direction. No matter what, she always looked pretty to him. Whether she was spic ’n’ span shiny and joining his family for dinner, or dirty and sweaty when she pitched in on working cattle. The honey-colored hair that spilled over her shoulders, and those hazel eyes that haunted his dreams. He lifted his arm in greeting and gave her a wide smile.
She’d had a tough year, her first one in Texas as the new owner of the Wild Cow Ranch. The whole town was taken aback when she appeared out of nowhere, from Georgia, and the Last Will was read that named her the rightful heir of the Wild Cow Ranch after her grandpa, Ward Kimball, had died.
She’d been through a lot since moving to Texas. Even a disastrous
