were always competing, bringing out the best and the worst in each other.”
“Sounds like they loved each other very much,” Mrs. Redmond said. Jed nodded.
“They did.” He sighed and looked around the kitchen. “There was an awful lot of love around here. I miss having children running around. When the kids were little, before my brothers and sister moved away, there’d be kids all over the place. Especially at my dad’s house, where we grew up. Good Lord, we had a big family. Emily had a few miscarriages. We only had the two.”
Mrs. Redmond brought the coffeepot over and filled his cup, and Jed nodded his thanks. She was about to ask him about his wife but figured she had passed away, and she didn’t want to make another blunder.
Jed Rawlins stared out the kitchen door. “She had cancer. Took her quick. Hard to believe. Emily was a sturdy woman.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Rawlins,” she said.
Jed drank his coffee. “Well, enough of this. I’m going to see where Jack is. Maybe I’ll take a drive up to the ridge and see how Tess is faring with the branding. Would you like to come along? I’m sure Jack would love to see it.”
Later in the day, Mrs. Redmond decided to take lunch to the men. Jed tried to explain it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. They drove the Jeep up the dusty road as far as it would take them.
“It’s just up a ways,” Jed said. “We can walk the rest.”
Mrs. Redmond looked over the landscape as Jack and Jed hauled out the baskets full of lunch for the ranch hands. “It is magnificent here. I can see why you and Miss Rawlins love it.”
The grassland stretched for miles on the sloping ridge with the cattle dotting the landscape. The men had fires going, heating the hot branding irons.
“Does it hurt them?” Jack asked as they walked up the ridge.
“Not really. They have tough hides. But we need to put our mark on them, son. They roam all over, and even though it’s the twenty-first century, there are still cattle rustlers out there. This is our only way of proving the cattle belong to the Double R,” he said, and the boy nodded in understanding.
Jack and his mother set up the baskets and thermoses. She looked up to see Tess riding close by. She barked her orders to a couple of men who nodded and took off, chasing down a few strays. She put her hand up to shield her eyes from the warm midday sun and watched as the two men roped and tied a calf, leading it to the branding fire.
They watched for a while until Jed let out a short whistle. Tess quickly turned their way and waved. She tossed the iron into the fire and motioned to the men.
Like bees to honey, they were at Mrs. Redmond’s side in a heartbeat. Laughing, she passed out the sandwiches and coffee. Tess stood back and carefully watched Stan and Luke, the two culprits from dinner. Both men took off their hats as they took the sandwiches.
“Thank you, ma’am,” they said solemnly.
“You’re welcome,” she said and leaned in. “Her bark is worse than her bite, correct?”
Both men blushed and chuckled nervously. “Nope. She bites hard.”
The three laughed heartily; she saw Tess frown, knowing she was the subject of conversation. Tess glared at the two laughing men, who made a beeline for a shady spot.
“Something to eat, Miss Rawlins?”
“No, thanks. I just ate the cinnamon rolls. I will take the coffee, though.” She took off her dusty hat. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve and looked up into the sun.
“Looks like we have a few new men.” Jed motioned to the three new hires.
“Yes, Chuck found them. They’ll do fine. One’s a young man like Jack here,” Tess said.
Jack’s eyes lit up. “He’s a cowboy?”
“Yep. Maybe we’ll get you two together and Manny can help you. Whattaya say?”
“Sounds fine to me. I’d like to earn my keep here,” Jack said.
“If it’s okay with your mom, then it’s all settled.” Tess wiped her brow once again. “Warm for late April,
“Sounds like they loved each other very much,” Mrs. Redmond said. Jed nodded.
“They did.” He sighed and looked around the kitchen. “There was an awful lot of love around here. I miss having children running around. When the kids were little, before my brothers and sister moved away, there’d be kids all over the place. Especially at my dad’s house, where we grew up. Good Lord, we had a big family. Emily had a few miscarriages. We only had the two.”
Mrs. Redmond brought the coffeepot over and filled his cup, and Jed nodded his thanks. She was about to ask him about his wife but figured she had passed away, and she didn’t want to make another blunder.
Jed Rawlins stared out the kitchen door. “She had cancer. Took her quick. Hard to believe. Emily was a sturdy woman.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Rawlins,” she said.
Jed drank his coffee. “Well, enough of this. I’m going to see where Jack is. Maybe I’ll take a drive up to the ridge and see how Tess is faring with the branding. Would you like to come along? I’m sure Jack would love to see it.”
Later in the day, Mrs. Redmond decided to take lunch to the men. Jed tried to explain it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. They drove the Jeep up the dusty road as far as it would take them.
“It’s just up a ways,” Jed said. “We can walk the rest.”
Mrs. Redmond looked over the landscape as Jack and Jed hauled out the baskets full of lunch for the ranch hands. “It is magnificent here. I can see why you and Miss Rawlins love it.”
The grassland stretched for miles on the sloping ridge with the cattle dotting the landscape. The men had fires going, heating the hot branding irons.
“Does it hurt them?” Jack asked as they walked up the ridge.
“Not really. They have tough hides. But we need to put our mark on them, son. They roam all over, and even though it’s the twenty-first century, there are still cattle rustlers out there. This is our only way of proving the cattle belong to the Double R,” he said, and the boy nodded in understanding.
Jack and his mother set up the baskets and thermoses. She looked up to see Tess riding close by. She barked her orders to a couple of men who nodded and took off, chasing down a few strays. She put her hand up to shield her eyes from the warm midday sun and watched as the two men roped and tied a calf, leading it to the branding fire.
They watched for a while until Jed let out a short whistle. Tess quickly turned their way and waved. She tossed the iron into the fire and motioned to the men.
Like bees to honey, they were at Mrs. Redmond’s side in a heartbeat. Laughing, she passed out the sandwiches and coffee. Tess stood back and carefully watched Stan and Luke, the two culprits from dinner. Both men took off their hats as they took the sandwiches.
“Thank you, ma’am,” they said solemnly.
“You’re welcome,” she said and leaned in. “Her bark is worse than her bite, correct?”
Both men blushed and chuckled nervously. “Nope. She bites hard.”
The three laughed heartily; she saw Tess frown, knowing she was the subject of conversation. Tess glared at the two laughing men, who made a beeline for a shady spot.
“Something to eat, Miss Rawlins?”
“No, thanks. I just ate the cinnamon rolls. I will take the coffee, though.” She took off her dusty hat. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve and looked up into the sun.
“Looks like we have a few new men.” Jed motioned to the three new hires.
“Yes, Chuck found them. They’ll do fine. One’s a young man like Jack here,” Tess said.
Jack’s eyes lit up. “He’s a cowboy?”
“Yep. Maybe we’ll get you two together and Manny can help you. Whattaya say?”
“Sounds fine to me. I’d like to earn my keep here,” Jack said.
“If it’s okay with your mom, then it’s all settled.” Tess wiped her brow once again. “Warm for late April,
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