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Ranchin'

Rip cues and we canter behind him to get to work. The wind across my face was breath taking, the whole ride out to pasture was everything I remembered. Everything I missed. Matching Daisy's movements, I closed my eyes and for just a moment I truly let go. Of all my duties, doubts, and fears. 

Before long, we reached pasture 5 where the heard was. Our job today was to inspect this pasture, check pastures 7&8, and then decide where to move the cattle. 

"Okay Lloyd, Pip, Ryan you're with me. The rest go check out this fence and pasture. Check for clover, foxtail, and any holes. Any issues with the cows, separate them from the rest.  Don't fucking miss anything" yelled Rip

We continued our ride over to pasture 7, Rip and Lloyd continued to pasture 8. 

"Do you want fence or land?" I asked Ryan

"Hey early bird gets the worm, your choice" he replies with a smile

"Flip for it?" I ask

Ryan grabs a quarter from his pocket "heads I take the fence, tails I take the land" he says. 

I nod and he flicks the coin into the air, then flips it on top the top of his one hand and covers it with the other. We look at each other and wait for a second. Then he lifts his hand slowly toward me and I see heads. Before he can look, I smile and say "guess you get land, see you later" and take off in a trot. 

Checking the fences and being out in the pastures was how in some way, I connected to my mother. I was too young when she died, only 6. Barely old enough to remember her laugh, her voice. But old enough to remember the day she died, or at least pieces of it. Unlike my siblings who remember it all.   

As I check the fence, I keep an eye out on Ryan. Every so often we glance at each other at the same time. I convince myself that he's just keeping an eye on the boss' daughter, nothing more. I convince myself this is just a connection that I've made up in my head, why do I feel connected to someone I jut met? 

After the fence is checked with no issues found I return to Ryan who looks like he is just finishing up in the South-West corner. 

"All good?" I ask

He replies "yeah, all good" and we start to head back over to pasture 5 where we left the other boys. The ride back was quiet, it reminded me of our ride yesterday when Ryan thought I was trespassing. I felt bad about the situation so I decided to apologize to him. 

"Hey, i'm sorry about yesterday. I honestly didn't think anyone would be out riding so early. Then you offered to bring me to see my dad and well, I thought it would be a nice surprise for him" I said

"No harm, it was nice to see a smile on Mr.Dutton's face" he responded 

"Yeah, we don't see that too often" I laughed

"I've seen it more in the past 24 hours than I have in 4 years. Hell I think I even saw Rip smile." he replied with a laugh

"Oh no, you must have been dreaming" I replied with a giggle

"Or I had a stroke, it's possible... I do eat a lot of bacon" he laughs

I looked down as we crossed a creek, thinking of how much I had missed my family. Glad that I was missed aswell. 

As we enter the edge of a tree line, Ryan comes to a halt and motions me to be quiet. I peek around, worried about what he may have seen. A large buffalo and its calf are grazing. I smile as I admire their beauty for a few moments. I can feel I am being watched, so I turn my head slightly  towards Ryan. He quickly turns his head back to the buffalo. I can feel my cheeks redden and try to focus on the creatures in front of me.  We sit and watch them for a few moments longer before they continue on their way. 

As the buffalo did, we went on with our day.