Finally Home to Yellowstone: Yellowstone Ranch Series

11

I packed my bag over my shoulder and made my way to the bunkhouse. I could hear the music and hollering a ways away.

I pushed open the door and made my way in.

"Hey, it's cowboy!" Ryan teased.

They were all gather around the table, playing cards and drinking beer, their normal habitat.

I walked all the way in. They all saw my duffle. The laughing and talking stopped.

"Everything okay?" Jimmy asked quietly.

I walked over to an empty top bunk and threw my duffle on it. I took my hat off and put it on the rack. Then I opened the fridge and grabbed a beer. I pulled up a chair and sat down beside him.

My beer opened and foam oozed out,"You know, Jimmy," I took a long drink, everyone still silent,
"I've never been better."

Everyone smiled and some chuckled. They started dealing out another game of poker and I joined in this time.

*****

Being the only girl in the bunkhouse was strange at first. But I realized soon it was just like the army but a little better. The beds were more comfortable and the company was consistent. Never dying or quitting. And these men didn't try to look at me when I changed or showered, even though I didn't mind if they did because I was so used to the army where all the men were as horned up as a dog in heat. I was the only girl those men saw other than towel heads with chlamydia.

The best part, was that my nightmares respected my space. I still had them and they were still terrible but I never woke up holding a gun to the door or screaming and yelling for back up. But I had other problems.

One night they all went out to the bar but I stayed back. I had a splitting headache. I laid down in bed and slept. Actually rested for once.

But I heard a door open and I felt someone grabbed my shoulder.

It was a quiet night. And hot. It was always hot. One of my private sat by the stone wall, keeping watch so Jake and I could rest. I stared at the white embassy building, with occasionally spots of black and brown were bombs were thrown at it. And soon I drifted off.

Then I heard shuffling. And talking. And I felt a bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face. Then yelling. Then I felt someone grabbed my shoulder. I jumped, afraid it was Jake, and something had happened. I was half right. Something had happened but it wasn't Jake grabbing me.

A man in black robes straddled my waist, waving a knife at me.

I grabbed my pistol down by my leg and pulled it up to his face.

Suddenly it wasn't his face. It was Jimmy. I think it's Jimmy.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hey!" I heard someone else yell.

Then more shuffling,"Don't try to take it from her, you'll make it worse." It was Lloyd. Maybe. It just sounded like him. Could've been anyone.

I stared at the person in front of me.

"Hey," the person looked calm,"Mary, it's Jimmy. It's me. And you're home." He spoke softly.

I blinked a couple times. Jimmy's face came into my vision. My finger fell off of the trigger.

"Good," He nodded when he saw it,"It's okay. It's me. It's okay." He stood off to the side and put his hand on top of the gun, slowly lowering it. I let him.

Then he grabbed it from me slowly and handed it to Lloyd who was behind him.

I huffed a short breath out. "I-Im so-" I stuttered and reached for him.

He leaned over and wrapped his arms around me like I wanted,"No, no, no it's okay. It was my fault. I knew better than to wake you like that."

I put my forehead to his chest.

He rubbed my back slowly until I calmed down. When I looked up everyone was doing their own thing. If they were phased by what happened, they weren't showing it for my sake.

I let go of Jimmy and sighed,"How was the bar?" I asked.

He chuckled,"I was waking you up to tell you that Colby got hit on by some crazy chick with pink hair."

*****

Maybe a month had gone by and I only spoke with my father a few times. And it was always about cattle or the ranch. Never anything personal.

Every day was hard and I liked it. It was mostly just fixing fence for a long time. But Rip was even harder on me. I'm assuming per my fathers request. But the hardest was not falling for him. He was tough on me and sometimes just harsh but I knew it was for my own good. I just couldn't get over how he worked. He looked so damn good working.

He was confident and tough. He knew what he was doing and did everything so well. I loved watching him work with the cattle no matter what it was. He loved those cows. But I also loved watching him get onto the other wranglers. I loved seeing him get pissed at them. He cuss them and it would make my heart skip beats. I sound crazy, but that's what everything was. Crazy.

Everyone was heading down to the rodeo one night. I showered with my good shampoo and curled my dark hair and put on a little make up. Then I picked out my best wrangler jeans. They had a small hole by one of the back pockets but I didn't mind. I ran the belt through the loops of my jeans and secured it with my 1st place healer roping buckle. I put on a burnt orange and turquoise pearl snap with a denim jacket over it. I slipped on my ostrich boots and put on my straw hat instead of my dirty tan one.

We all piled up in a few trucks then took off.

"Rip say he was coming later?" Lloyd asked from the back seat.

Ryan shrugged,"He said he would but you know how he is."

I mentally rolled my eyes. I was going to the rodeo to pick out a good cowboy for that night but of course Rip would come out tonight. The one night he actually goes out.