SHOW ME

Chapter:19

"Riley!" I screamed as he picked me up heading towards the dirty water tank. "Don't you dare! I won't cook for you if you dunk me!" I hollered as I hung upside down by my waist. He slowed down before setting me down. We were right on the edge of the tank. "Better? I honestly couldn't do without your cooking punkin." He said. "Much and you say that every time You think your in trouble with me." I said. He kissed my cheek. "Only because I can't live without it anymore." He said.

I chuckled before shoving him in and taking off for my horse. "No fair! I didn't shove you in the tank!" He shouted as I mounted Ross and took off fro the house. He was soon on my heels on his horse soaking wet. I laughed into the wind as it picked up as the horse galloped over the open pasture. I looked back seeing Riley gaining on me.

Once at the fence I jumped the horse over the barbed wired top landing in the grass gracefully. I slowed the horse down to a walk letting him catch his breath. Riley had to stop quickly before the horse he was riding crashed into the fence. Once at the stable I dismounted and loosened the girth. Ross walked along side me as we walked down the isle of the stable. Once at the colt's stall I led him inside and took the saddle off along with the bridle.

The colt nickered as I exited. As I came out of the tack room I was caught in two arms. My back became soaked. "Now do you think its funny?" He asked. I laughed. "Oh so you really think this is funny!" I laughed even louder. "I'm just gonna have to fix that." He said. I was picked up faster than I could think.

"You asked for it." He said as I laughed even harder. Before I knew it I was soaking wet. "I hate to tell ya but you did start it punkin." Riley said. Oh so that's how he wants to play. I grabbed his hand and pulled him in with me. "Aw man! I just got dry!" He said. "But I love it when you join me." I told him.

"Punkin. you've got to stop hanging around me so much." He said. "My life would be too dull without you." I told him. "So would mine." He said pulling me to him. Water and denim don't mix. He kissed my cheek before helping me out of the tank. We walked up to the house and sat down on the porch. Today was a whole lot warmer than it has been in the previous days. I guess Texas weather has its own mind. 

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Spring of the next year

"We've got to get the cattle out of the path of the fire." Mr. Bradford yelled. All of the hands and people that could ride were standing by with a saddled horse. I was beside Riley who was the closest to his dad. "We'll break into teams to herd them up." He said before mounting his horse. All of us knew who our partners were. I was with Riley taking on the tail end of one of the cattle herds and picking up stragglers. "Remember. Try to stay away from the fire at all costs." Mr. Bradford said before letting us go. 

I chose my fastest horse and the one that could get into brush and out just a good. Once we got to the line there were a few caught in the blaze. "We can't save them." Riley told me. I knew better than that. We each had a bucket for water. "Where's the nearest tank?" I asked him. "Through the blaze but your not going." He said. "The second closest." "A mile away." He said.

I could see the tank on the other side of the blazing wall of fire. Great thing I chose Cal for this excursion. I backed him up before taking a running leap. He cleared the fire perfectly. "Becky!" I dunked the bucket into the water before dumping it in a line making way for the cattle to escape. I did that several times making the gap big enough to herd them out. 

I rejoined Riley as we pushed them farther from the blaze line. "That was stupid." He told me. "Saved several heads didn't I? I was taught to take risks to save animals and things of value."