The Trio of Riders

"Are you sure that needs to be done?"

Tylee sits at the kitchen table and looks around at the mountains of papers scattered on it. On one end she has Ben's bottles, burp wraps, and toys. To her right Ben himself plays in his bouncer.

She looks at her phone both for the time and for texts from Dan. He had to make a fast trip to his parents house to help his dad fix a major water leak. The water to their house had to be cut off, so it was kind of an emergency. While Tylee and Ben could have gone and would have loved to they decided against it since Ben has been teething. Not to mention the work load that seems to never end.

Paperwork, bills, and spread sheets that need to be done and those are things only she or Dan can do.

Ben let's out a blood curdling scream bring her from her thoughts with a jolt. "Sweet boy, you ready to eat? I'm sorry, momma hasn't been paying you much attention has she?"

Picking him up she kisses his cheeks and flips the light switch off. She takes him up the stairs and to his cowboy decorated nursery to nurse him. While he nurses she gazes down at him and smiles. It doesn't seem possible that he is almost a year old! Oh how the time has flown.

When he is done he has fallen asleep so she places him in his crib and turns off the light. "Good night, sweet boy," she says as she closes the door and steps down the stairs.

Downstairs she flips the lights back on and checks her phone. Two missed calls from Dan. Quickly she settles on the couch and calls him back.

"Hey Fawn," his deep voice comes through the phone.

She smiles at his voice. "Hey, Teddy Bear. How's it going?"

"Uh, well that's why I called you. We've been having trouble so it will probably be another hour before I leave."

Her eyebrows voluntarily raise. "Oh, are you sure you want to drive home that late? It's already eight thirty now."

"Fawn, thanks for worrying, but I'll be fine. I'll drink me a cup of coffee before I leave."

She smiles. "Okay, tell me when you leave. I love you."

"I love you too. Kiss Ben good night for me and I'll see y'all in a little while."

They say their goodbyes and hang up. Tylee knows she won't sleep worth a flip until he gets home so she just settles back at the table and begins to fill out more paper work. Of course she needs something to keep her awake, so she puts music on through her phone. George Strait's The Breath You Take is the first one to come on.

Stopping her work she lets the words really sink in a pierce her heart. "Life's not the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away," she sings along just loud enough she can hear herself.
***

Dan sits up straightening his back from where he has been bent over trying to cut PVC pipe to repair the line. He looks over his shoulder and gives his dad, who is holding the other end of the pipe level and moving the spot light when Dan needs it, a tired smile. "You know, this isn't a good night project."

His dad laughs lightly and wipes sweat from his brow. "I know, and I'm sorry this took so long."

"Dad, don't worry about. We'll get the water back to the house in just a bit." With that he turns back to the work. Sure he is more than ready to see his wife and son, even if it has only been forty-eight hours since he left home, but this is something that has to get done regardless of anything else.

The pipe is cut and Dan holds it while his dad puts primer and glue on it. Then he slides it together and nods in satisfaction. "I think that will hold for the next ten years anyway."

"Thank you, son." They shakes hands, then hug.

It doesn't take long before everything is cleaned up and Dan is sending Tylee a text saying that he is on his way home. He turns the radio up and sings along to keep himself awake.

In Amarillo he stops and gets a chocolate milkshake for the last stretch home. A couple of times he drinks it too fast and gives himself a brain freeze. Just as he passes under the Hearts Bond archway he tosses the empty cup in the back seat.

He glances at the clock as he puts his pickup in park just outside the house. It turns five after midnight just as he looks at it. A sigh of happiness escapes him and he pushes the cab door open. He doesn't waste anytime getting to the door and pushing it open. Even though the kitchen lights are on he still moves around quietly. After hanging his hat up he moves into the main part of the house.

A smile instantly curls the edges of his lips up when he sees his wife sitting at the table. In that moment it doesn't matter that she should be sleeping, he is just happy to see her. "I'm home, Fawn," he says quietly.

In a moments notices they are in one another's embrace with smiling faces. Dan kisses her lips over and over again before pressing her close to him. Her content sigh makes him swell with thankfulness.

With her still in his arms he looks behind her to the paper covered table. His eyebrows knit together. "Fawn, what's all this?"

She pulls back slightly and sighs. "That is all the paperwork, and filing that needs to be done. I got a good start on it, but it is still a pretty daunting task."

"Mmmmm," he mumbles while breathing in her piney smell. "Well, what do you say we head to bed? I don't need anything from the pickup tonight and I don't think it will hurt for this to wait another night."

Leaning up she plants a kiss on his lips before nodding in agreement. "I couldn't agree more."

He sweeps her off her feet and into his arms. Her surprised face and arms around his neck makes him chuckle a little. "How has Ben's teeth been?"

"They aren't making their appearance just yet. It seems the frozen toys are his favorite now."

Thinking of his son sleeping he can't help peaking his head in the nursery door on their way by. "He's still as precious as the day he was born."

She doesn't say anything only smiles and snuggles closer to him. As they enter their room she flips on the closet light to ensure just enough light that they do not trip on anything lying around. The house cleaning has fallen behind with everything else that is going on.

It doesn't take but a minute for them to get ready to slide into bed. Since the light switch is on her side she once again turns it off before pulling the covers back and sliding as far into bed as she can. His warm strong arms wrap around her torso and draw her to his side. Snuggling in close she whispers, "I love you."

"I love you, my fawn." He runs his hands through her long hair. "I know it is late and you're tired, but you think we could talk about something real fast?"

She rubs her hand up and down his bare back and breathes in the piney sweaty scent that only he has. "Of course," she pauses, "I just don't think that I can stay awake if you keep doing that."

He chuckled deeply. "In that case I'll stop." He kisses her softly before rolling on to his back and staring at the ceiling. His hands rest folded behind his head. "I've been thinking about how much work has been piling up around here lately."

She can hear the heaviness in his voice. "True," she says while propping herself on her elbow.

"Well I think it's about time we do something about it. I don't mean get up earlier or down size." It is his turn to prop himself up. With one hand resting on her hip and his eyes locked on hers he says, "I mean I think it's time to hire someone."

There is a long moment when neither says anything. Tylee rolls back to lay on her back. "Are you really sure that needs to be done? I mean we have Brandon and with Ben getting older it will make things easier."

Placing a kiss on her cheek Dan lets a twinkle of mischievous hang in eyes. "Yes, Fawn, everything you said is true, but at some point I would like to have more little munchkins with you."

"You really think the ranch has room for more of mini you's?"

He raises his eyebrows. "Mini me's? I don't think those are the ones we have to worry about. It's the mini you's!"