The Rancher Meets His Match (7 page)

             
“So,” she said, “what’s wrong with it?”  Samuel answered her with a low growl. “It’s just an old piece of shit that’s seen better days.”
“Oh so your one of those guys,”
She laughed. “The kind of guy that gets in a bad mood when something doesn’t run right and you’re the one under the tractor,” she laughed again.  “My dad’s that way too, he gets mad if you don’t hold the light right even though it’s not really me moving the light, it’s just
that
he moved in front of it.”  Samuel went to sit up and hit his head on the tractor, and Hilary and Heath started laughing.  “Damn it all to hell” he said. He looked up at her and as much as he tried, could not contain his laughter.  “Girl, you’re in a world of trouble you better get.” He said laughing.  “As soon as I get out from under here, I’m gonna get you.” He rolled out from under the tractor and hopped up on his knees.  Hilary stopped laughing pushed away from the tractor, “time for me to go.” She said looking at Heath, who was watching the exchange between his daddy and this young woman.

             
She took off running and Samuel gave chase.  He got to the door of the shed and stopped out of breath.  “Girl, I’ll see you at supper!” he hollered.  Hilary looked back grinning and they busted out laughing again.  She enjoyed teasing Samuel.  He reminded her of her brothers.  She really missed her brothers, and wished she could see them.  But they were too far away, for now. 

             
Hilary had no idea
sh
e was being watched
.  Clinton stood in the hayloft of the barn looking down at her and watching her jovial playing with the ranch foreman.  He watched her walk back to the barn.
His eyes roved up and down her body.  He had become obsessed with her. He’d seen her and the boss here and there. His jealousy ran deep.
  “Looking for someone?” He called down to her from the stairway.  “Just going to get some hay for the horses,” she answered.  Walking up the stairs, Hilary was a little wary of the way Clinton looked at her.  “Hay, you say?”  
“Yep,”
She said walking to the back corner of the hayloft to retrieve a bale of hay.  She threw one down and went back for another.  “Let me help you with that.” He said.  “Thanks,” she looked at him a little odd and made a wide birth around him.  “These should be
enough,
” she said throwing down another bale as he did the same. 

She turned to leave and he caught her arm in a tight grip.  He pulled her so hard that she lost her balance and fell into his arms.  He laughed a low sneaky laugh as he tried to kiss her.  She turned her head just has his lips would have touched hers.  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing,” she said.  “But, you best get your hands off of me, now!” She was attempting to twist her wrist from his grasp.  She finally got free and he made another attempt to grab at her
but she got away from him.  “Awe, come on baby, you know you want this.  I see the way you flaunt yourself around here teasing us fellows.” He said.  She was about to start down the stairs when he grabbed her left hand and pulled her around.  This time she was ready for it.  She spun around and threw her right fist into his nose as hard as she could.  He stumbled backwards, and she ran down the stairs.  He chased after her and caught up with her at the bottom of the stairs.  He had her pinned up against the wall, but this time they were not alone.

             
Two big hands grabbed him and threw him down.  J.W. was on top of him before Hilary could blink.  He laid into him
,
one blow right after another.  “J.W. stop, you’re going to kill him.  Stop!” she screamed.  She finally managed to pull him off.  The damage was already done Clinton’s face was so messed up that she didn’t even recognize him.  Heath came running in to see what all of the ruckus was.  “Heath, go call an ambulance.” She said.  J.W. was looking at her with confusion.  He had lost control when he saw Clinton pinning her up against the wall.  He acted
without thinking.  He hadn’t
realized what he
was doing
.  “I’m sorry,” he said. 
“J.W 
you have to calm down, ok.  It’s going to be ok.  You were just protecting me but I’m ok.  You need to take a deep breath and calm down.” She put her hands on each side of his face and looked into his eyes.  “It’s ok.” She whispered.

             
Heath was back, he bent down to raise up Clinton’s head.  He brought back a first aid kit, and started cleaning up the gashes on Clintons face.  There wasn’t a single spot on his face that was not covered with blood.  He looked as if a wild animal had attacked him.  “Man he really done a bang up job, on you.” Heath said to Clinton never raising his voice above a whisper afraid that his boss would hear him.  Samuel told Hilary to take J.W. in the house and he went to work helping his son clean Clintons wounds.

             
The sirens of the ambulance rang out throughout the barn and Lisa came running out of the house.  “What’s wrong?  What happened? Is someone hurt?” she yelled.  She followed the paramedics into the barn where Heath was waving at them from the doorway.  The doors shut on the ambulance as it drove away. 

Sheriff James was still on the porch questioning Hilary and J.W. about the events that had
just
occurred.  Heath watched them from the barn then turned to his dad.  “I never seen anything like that before.”  Samuel shook his head in agreement.  “I’ve never seen J.W. get that angry before.  I think our boss just might have feelings for that little lady.” Samuel told his son.  “Come on let’s get back to work.”

The sheriff took down everything in his report.  He knew that it
in
defense
of another person
, and told them everything would be fine.  No one was going to jail unless, Hilary wanted to press charges on Clinton for assault and sexual harassment.  “No, she said, I think he’s seen the light.”  The Sheriff agreed and left it at that.  “Oh by the way, we may have a lead on the
rustling.  We’ve had reports of a guy hanging around town
,
drives an
eighteen-wheeler
with a cattle trailer.  Anyways, I’ve got my men watching him.”

             
“Hey Mama, I just wanted to call and see how you were doing.  I know it’s been a while.”  “Hilary Jo Shaw, I can’t believe you waited this long to call me.  Don’t you know I get lonesome here by myself.” Hilary groaned she knew she was fixing to get a guilt trip for not
calling sooner. 
“Yes ma’am, I know you do, when is Daddy coming home?” she asked trying to get out of the long lectures her mother loved to give. 
“Your daddy comes home in a couple of weeks.  He’s been doing this too long, I just wish he would retire and come work this farm.  Lord knows, you and I can’t keep everything up.  This place is falling apart just as fast as it can.”  She said.  “I know Mama, listen that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.  I’m thinking about staying on a little bit longer.  J.W. offered me a fulltime position as a horse trainer.  I really like it here Mama.  You and Daddy should come up and visit, when he gets home.”  “
What about your horses,
You know I can’t keep taking care of them, and your brother’s not going to keep it up much longer, either.”  “Well, see that’s the thing, I was sort of hoping you could bring them with you when you come for a visit.”Hilary prayed that her mother would give in.  She knew her parents could use a vacation, and she knew they would like it here.

             
The phone call was a long one and she never got her mother to agree to come.  She was supposed to meet Josey at the arena thirty minutes ago.  She ran outside.  Josey was riding Legend around in circles.  She was supposed to be on the little mare.  Hilary was still having a problem with him rearing up.  She watched at the fence while Josey rode the big barrel horse around the arena.  They were beautiful together.  You could see there was a real partnership between the two of them. 
It was like watching a dance they were so in harmony. 
Hilary found that she couldn’t take her eyes
off
them.  Josey fought to hold him back.  He was excited to run.  Hilary started her
stopwatch
as soon as they took off.  The pair never even knew she was there.  They rounded one barrel then the next.  They cleared the third barrel, Josey lay so low over Legends back they looked as if they were one.  When they crossed the line, Hilary stopped the watch 15 seconds flat.  She
did not have
those times with him yet. 

             
Josey rubbed Legends neck.  She smiled a great big grin.  It was the kind of smile that said she was in heaven, she rode him around the arena a few times to cool him off.  She stopped by Hilary when she saw her.  The grin told her everything.  They never even had to speak.  Hilary climbed over the fence, and pulled Josey off the horse then, wrapped her in a big hug.  “I haven’t seen riding like that in a long time.” She said. 

             
Josey and Hilary were growing closer every day.  Lisa was still around but they mostly just ignored her.  They often wondered why she was even there, but never talked about it.  “How about you cool him off and I’ll saddle up the mare and we’ll go for a ride.  Would you like that?” Hilary asked Josey.  “Great” she said. She climbed back on the horse and walked him around a few more times until his breathing had relaxed.  When Hilary returned with the
mare,
they opened the gate and rode out.  Hilary followed behind Josey, who knew all the trails.  They rode down to the creek and dismounted.  “This is where Dad and I used to come when we wanted to get away from everything.  We’d just pack us a tent and ride out.  We’d even do a
little cane pole fishing.”  Hilary’s eyes lit up, when a thought crossed her mind “how about a swim?”   They unsaddled the horses and tied their lead ropes to a branch. 

             
This was heaven, she thought.  The water was warm, and it felt good.  She hadn’t took the time to enjoy herself like this in a long time.  Josey was splashing water at her and she turned around to avoid the water in her face then
Josey
jumped her from behind dunking them both beneath the water.  They came up for air laughing.  Hilary splashed water in
Josey's
face then made a run for it.  She took off out of the creek and slammed right into a solid wall of muscle. “Dad, what are you doing here?” Josey squealed.  J.W. winked at Hilary before looking up at his daughter who was running toward them.  He slipped his arm across
Hilary’s
shoulder, put his other arm around his daughter,
and pulled her to him.  “Ya’ll didn’t expect to have all the fun without me did you?” he laughed.  “Lisa came running to me saying something about you riding off with Hilary and that you were going to get your neck broke or something.  So, I came looking for you.  I figured you might be trying to get away from her.” 

             
Josey frowned.  “She’s driving me crazy.  I wish she’d just leave already.  Nobody even wants her here.” She said.  “Well maybe you should ask her to leave.” J.W. said.  “I don’t want to hurt her feelings.”  They all sat down by the creek.  J.W. leaned back against a tree and Josey leaned against him.  Hilary wrapped her arms around her knees and looked at them.  They were so close.  She smiled when J.W. kissed the top of his daughters head.  She thought of her daddy and wished for him to be there.  She wanted him to come for a visit. “Have you thought about what I said?” J.W. asked.  She looked him in the eye. “About staying, yeah I think I’d like that.  But only if you can make room for a few more horses.” She winked at him and smiled. “I’m missing my babies.” She said, “
Especially
Pep, he’s my favorite.” J.W. shook his head “I think we can make room for a few more.” 

             
When Josey, fell asleep in her daddy’s arms, Hilary got up and got an old shirt out of her
saddlebags
.  She wrapped it around Josey’s shoulders to warm her.  It felt almost like they were a family.  Just the three of them, she found herself wishing that Josey was her daughter and most of all, that J.W. was her husband.  They weren’t, and Hilary had to stop dreaming. 

While Josey slept, they sat and talked a while about different things.  He told her how his daddy hung on to the ranch until his divorce to Lisa was final. He told her how his old man hated Lisa and refused to turn the ranch over to him as long as she was his wife.  Even though J.W. had been running the ranch for years, the old man, hung on just long enough. 
When, Lisa got tired of waiting around on him to inherit, she up and ran off. 
She tried to get everything she could.  She couldn’t get her hands on the ranch though.  His old man was proud of himself for that.  He died a week after the divorce finalized, but the old man had willed it to him. 

             
Hilary told him all about her brothers and the farm.  She told him how she came to work on a blueberry farm and how her mother feared horses.  They talked for hours.  They hadn’t even realized how fast time passed until Josey, woke up and mentioned the sky getting dark.  “Well, I guess we better go then.”  They saddled the horses and rode home.  Josey rode ahead of them while they talked.  He stopped once, made sure Josey didn’t notice, then he pulled Hilary to him and kissed her.