Cowgirls Don't Cry

Ch 5

Chapter 5

Lynn

        The next week went by fast. I saw daddy once or twice, but he didn't like me seeing him like that, so I spent most of my time on the ranch. I would wake up early to help Kip with morning chores, not that he ever let me do anything that he actually needed help on. I'd spend my morning turning out the horses, and mucking stalls and be finished by 8am and wait till noon or later when he finished tending the cows. It was hard work bringing the cows round, requiring 2 people at the very least. I kept offering to help him, I knew how to cut, but he always said he had it under control. I was in the pasture petting Snows muzzle when I hear a horse approaching fast, too fast. I looked up preparing to jump out of the way and see Kip pulling Fisher to a stop just feet from me.

"Phone!" he yells, gesturing for me to toss him my phone. I look at him stunned for a second, he has a cut running from his forehead to cheek, "Phone!"

I reach into my pocket and toss him my phone, he winces a little as he catches it. His clothes ae covered in mud and grass, he was thrown. I listen to him talking to whoever he was on the phone with. He tells them some of the cows got spooked and broke through the pasture, yes, the barbed wire fence, yes, they might be hurt. He needed help, and asked whoever was on the other end to saddle up and help. I started running to the barn. I grab my saddle and am out by the pasture by the time kips hanging up the phone. I put the saddle over the fence and give a whistle at Hazel, she looks up from across the pasture where she was munching on some grass. She looks at me a second before going back to eating. Frustrated I whistle again, louder this time, and holding up the saddle a little when she looks my way. When she sees it her ears perk up, and she trots over to me. I look over at kip who is slowly dismounting Fisher.

"Where are you going, Lynn?" he asks, holding his side as he walks towards me.

"I'm helping you," I reach up to Hazel and slide he bridle over her muzzle quickly pulling her so I can get her saddle one, "and don't you dare try and tell me no! You are hurt and I know how to cut. Just cause I've been gone doesn't mean I've forgotten to ride" I punctuate this by tightening the last strap on my saddle and turning to look at him, my hands on my hips, determined to do this. Kip loos like he's going to fight me, he wants to fight me, but as he takes a step towards me, he winces again. I doubt he can even get back on fisher, let alone ride.

"Fine," he says, giving in. "I'll get the quad and fallow you out there" he walks towards the shed behind the barn, a minute later I hear the quad start up.

I mount Hazel and start out to the west pasture, kip staying a distance from me as to not spook Hazel. When we get to the pasture I see the cows spread out, a dozen or so in the Barnett's fields. They never had livestock, just hay and horses, so most of their 52 acers are open with few fences making it harder to keep them in. granted 52 acers was nothing compared to our 200 acers, but it was still difficult. I'm trying to figure out how to handle this when a rider comes in through the hole in the fence ushering 4 cows with him. Kip opens the gate to the next pasture and the mystery rider gets them in easily. I start helping him round up the ones still on our property, before moving to the ones. I keep sneaking glances at this mysterious rider, whom Kip keeps calling him Colt, so I guess he wasn't really a mystery, I just hadn't formally met him yet. An hour and a half later have the cows all into the enclosed pasture. It isn't where they should be, but given the day's events we figured it was fine to leave them there for now. I dismounted Hazel, leaving her with Colts horse, a beautiful blonde filly I overheard him calling Jesse, and join the boys over by the broken fence. The damage is bad, not horrible, but still bad.

"I have some wire left in the shed, but I'm pretty sure I broke a rib when fish tossed me, so I have no clue when I can fix it," kip is saying, holding his side obviously in pain.

"I can do it," I say, but they ignore me.

"I can help you, I'm pretty packed this week but maybe after work I can help you patch it" Colt says. His back is to me, I still haven't gotten a good look at him. He looks like he's Kips age, probably one of his rodeo buddies.

"I can do it," I said again, a little louder this time, yet they still kept ignoring me. Frustrated I grabbed the ball cap off my head and hit Kip's back. He shot up, flinching a little. I felt bad for hurting him, but I was still angry he was ignoring me.

"God damit, Kip! Did that fall break your ears too, or are you really ignoring me?" he tried to speak but I kept going, "I may live in the city now, but I still know how to do stuff! I spent a better part of my life helping my father before you got here, and if I remember correctly I was the one who taught you how my daddy liked his fences done, so I think I can handle fixing this one." I was pissed. I had been home a week, and Kip kept treatin' me like a Yankee who didn't know how to do a thing on a farm. I stood there, nostrils flared, hands on my hips, waitin' for a fight when someone starts laughing. Kip and I both turn and look at Colt, who is now doubled over, laughing hysterically. He looks up at us still laughing and I get my first look at him. He's tall even doubled over he's taller than me. His dark blond hair is kept short but the ends are just long enough to curl around the edge of his Braves ball cap, which is shading his green eyes. He smiles at me, this perfect smile that shows off his perfect white teeth and dimples. Hes handsome, and based off the look in his eyes when he catches me staring, he knows he is.

"What are you laughing at, Colt?" Kip finally asks him, breaking the stare between us.

"Her," Colt says, gesturing at me with his muscular arm. "She's like a little fire-cracker, snappin' at you like that!" he laughs again, than turns towards me. "All right sweetheart, you wanna help fix the fence, you can. Just let me just check on the cows, then we can get started."

"oh, you don't have to, we can call the vet to look at them," I say, smiling at him.

"Um, Lynn," Kip says, coming up beside me, "He is the vet."

"What?" I look from him, to a now smiling Colt.

"Colt Clement," he holds his hand out to me, "Howdy, Neighbor."