Cowboy Take Me Away

Chapter 18

"I'm playing poker. What are you doing here?" I asked, getting up from the table. "Don't think I didn't see you peek at my cards, Colby," I snapped, glancing back quickly.

"How?!" Colby called.

The long look from Avery at my brother also didn't escape my notice.

"Can someone point me to an empty bunk?" Kayce asked.

"Back left on top," Lloyd replied.

I followed Kayce back toward the bunks. "What are you doing?" I repeated quietly when we were further away from everyone else.

"Monica left me," he mumbled.

"What? Why?" I was just a little bit too loud.

"She made me tell her about how her brother died," he replied quietly.

"How is that just now coming up?"

"Let it go. I'm back, and I'm going to work for Dad. Cowboys stay in the bunkhouse," he said, taking his hat off and throwing it on the bed.

A chorus of "Don't put your hat on the bed!" erupted from the other side of the room.

"I don't believe in that shit!" Kayce snapped back.

"No one told me that was an option!" I heard Jimmy mumble.

"It's not!" Lloyd replied.

"Are you going to be sociable or are you going to bed?" I asked, turning back to my brother.

"Bed."

"Well, when you're less grumpy, we'll talk more." I walked back to the table and sat down in Ryan's lap. "I just want to watch for a bit. I'm not ready to go home," I said quietly.

"That's fine." Ryan wrapped an arm around my waist, and rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Don't help him," Colby teased.

"You're just jealous," I said, sticking my tongue out.

I sat there for about an hour before I decided to go back to my cabin. I kissed Ryan before getting up. "Do you want me to go with you?" he asked, making sure I was steady.

"No, I'm okay. I'll have the dogs with me."

"Let me know you make it back okay."

I left the bunkhouse and walked over to the kennels. I let my border collies out, and we set off for my cabin. We were about half way there when one of the dogs stopped and growled. I looked around straining to see in the dark.

"Hello?" I called.

No response.

Both dogs were growling. I hushed them, and immediately put them both on a heel - one on each side of me.

That's when I saw her in the distance. The white dress stood out in the dark, and long blond hair blowing in the breeze. I froze, watching the young woman in the distance. I got the impression she was looking for something or someone.

"You see them too?" I nearly jumped out of my skin when my father's voice broke through the darkness.

"Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed. I looked quickly between my father, and the woman in white, to see if she was still there.

He came to stand beside me, and we looked out into the darkness. I strained my eyes, but she was gone. "Your mother used to see things on the ranch at night," my father said, once I turned back to face him.

"What kind of things?" I asked.

"Lots of spirits wandering the field. She said the clothing went all the way back to the 1800s. She even saw Indians on horseback running through the fields," he explained.