The Cowboy's Promise (UNDER HEAVY REVISION)

Chores...... Ugh

We spend the night in the tree house, Thalia and I. Our only visitor is Red, who says he was looking for me. In the morning, we see the storm's calmed and head back to the house. Thalia says she has to go home and leaves in her truck Andrew leaves not long after. Elliot tosses a pair of gloves to me. I noticed a purple spot just below his collar and smirk. He looks off though. I step inside as he yells through the door.

"Have to throw hay today. Get breakfast from Mom and come on," he orders me. He must've been up late last night.

I grab the sleeve of his jacket, making him follow me. "Come on. We're getting coffee."

He sighs but follows me into the house. Mama sets plates of pancakes, bacon, and eggs in front of both of us. I fix the coffee. Mama looks at El cautiously when I start eating. He only looks at the food than pushes it away. In twenty years I've never seen Elliot reject food. I reach over and feel his forehead. He's burning up. I tell Mama and try to get him to eat. All he does is take a sip of coffee.

"Son, are you feeling alright?" she asks worriedly.

"Yeah, Mom. Just tired," El answers.

"Well, just to be safe let me take your temperature." She pulls out the thermometer and sticks it in Elliot's mouth. He sighs but obeys anyway. I know he's not feeling good. He's not eating and going with things without a fight. The thermometer beeps and Mama shakes her head. "101. You must have a cold. Go on up to bed."

"Mom," he protests. "I'm fine. Just let me go work."

"Now, Elliot Chance, we're not arguing. Your siblings and dad can manage just fine alone."

El looks at me, clearly wanting me to take his side. I shake my head and tell him to go to his room. He glares at me before disappearing. I walk outside with my coffee. Red comes stomping around the barn. Well, trying to in over a foot of snow.

"Damn snow. Bunch of bullshit, I say," he mutters under his breath. "Elliot Chance, where are you?"

"Chill, abominable snowman. El's got a cold. Mom stuck him under bed rest. Probably won't be out today or tomorrow morning," I tell him. He grunts and looks annoyed for a second.

"Hmm. Well, I guess you're with me. Saddle Grenade or Huckleberry and follow me."

I nod and saddle Huckleberry. I would ride Grenade, but Berry's younger and stockier, making him perfect for plowing through snow. He pushes through with me to catch up to Witchcraft, Red's paint. She has a strange marking on her face, making it look like her skull. We push up the hill to the cow pasture, where Faith's waiting with Wartime, her paint mare. She grins and waves at us.

"Kay, where's Footloose and Thor?" she asks as she moves to open the gate. The twins call each other Thor and Loki. Nobody in the family knows how it happened. We just roll with it now.

"Sick," I tell her. "Mama won't let him leave the house. Brought Sam, though."

Sam rides up on his mustang Zeus. He tips his hat at Faith. She waves back.

"What are we doing again?" I ask.

"Moving the cows closer home," Red and Sam say in unison. Sam blushes. I love the kid. Just out of high school, he's young and awkward. Faith and I nod at them.

"Let's start with the group back in the hills. They'll push the guys right here forward," Sam suggests.

Red and I grin and pat him on the back as we ride by. Sam heads off with Red on one side while Faith and I go the other way to herd the cows. Wartime gets playful and bucks a few times in the snow. Faith reprimands the paint sharply. She just shakes her mane out. We ride up the hill and down the valley before we spot the first heifer. Across the field are Witchcraft and Zeus. Witchcraft, my brother's black paint mare, sticks out against the pure snow. Zeus, a white mustang, blends in. I groan when Holmes, our collie dog, runs out. The damn thing looks like a wolf. And that's not good when you live in the mountains.