sunrise to sunset (ryan yellowstone).

a cowboy could dream, right?

Ryan remembered when his ma' made soup. It was always an end of the week kind of deal before she would head out to the store for a supply run.

Nothing was spared when it came to her pulling out her big pot from beneath the cupboard and hoisting it onto the stove top. As long as it wasn't rotting, it would go in the pot and in honesty nothing ever made it to that point as there wasn't always a lot to spare. 

Her combinations were always interesting. Tomato soup with peas and chicken noodle made with something he definitely knew was never chicken. Even after all those years, he never really figured it out. Ryan just knew one thing, any time his ma' made soup it never tasted bad, in fact he always ended up licking his bowl clean.

He hadn't felt that small bit of comfort that his ma's soup brought him until he found himself lifting the chipped bowl from the bunkhouse to his lips to make sure he wasn't missing a single drop.

"Hey, dipshit, we got bread for that," Colby laughed as he watched his best friend practically make out with his bowl. The longer he looked the more fearful he got as he actually more so resembled a dog pushing his food dish across the kitchen the floor.

"Or we could leave you alone with it for 5 minutes behind the barn." Jake laughed as he adjusted his glasses on his nose and lifted his own spoon to his mouth.

"5 minutes?!" Lloyd hollowed and clapped his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "This one ain't gonna last 30 seconds before he's done."

Colby almost fell backwards off the bench as he tried to contain his laughter aimed at Ryan's expense. He had tears in his eyes as he tried to wipe them away with the back of his hand. If hadn't of sat up when he did, he would have missed when Teeter snagged one of the buns from his plate.

"Hey!?" Colby called out as he tried to grab it back from her outstretched hand.

"Ah, com' on baby, you can hav' it when ya sit on mama's lap."

She patted her knee and wiggled her eye brows at the man before taking a bite out of her pilfered spoils.

Colby threw his head back in annoyance and tried to find the last bit of patience he had for this woman. "Does anyone know what the hell she is saying?"

Llyod chuckled lowly again as he turned back to watch Ryan continuing to lick his bowl clean. He didn't seem to have a care in the world as he checked his dish over to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

When he deemed his bowl was done he stood to see what else he could get from the bottom of the pot. Nothing wrong with the drags. He flipped the spoon in his hand as he starting to drag it loudly against the side.

"Yea, that motha' fucka' is an angel sent fro' above." Teeter whistled as she relented and gave Colby back his share, but not before talking a second bite.

"Yeah, angel is right," Lloyd agreed as he finished his bowl and stood to take it back inside the bunkhouse for washing.

"We best pay our respects when he comes out next."

"She," Jimmy piped up as he savoured his bowl. His arm slung lazily around it as if he was afraid someone might take it from him.

The spoons stopped on the table as they looked over to his slouched figure. Even Ryan who had his hanging off his tongue.

Jimmy held his head in his hand as he ate. He was dead tired and the verge of falling asleep at the table. He wanted to get through his soup and get his shower before doing so because as soon as he crawled into bed he was going to eat his extra buns and sleep like the dead with a full belly.

"Ow," he moaned as Jake smacked him with his spoon to get his attention.

"What do you mean she?" Colby asked.