It Goes On - Book l

The Way a Cowboy Should

Two days in the saddle can have a toll on a man, but not a true cowboy like Bud Dutton. Simon admired him - how the man never complained, how he always had a quick wit about the different situations before him, how he never ceased to tell a joke when the time was right, and how honorable he was with anything he did. With dusk approaching, the group was becoming restless after being fueled by beans and coffee and in desperate desire of a shower and a warm bed to sleep in. 

Even with all of these desires arising on everyone's mind, nobody - even Baler - found the time to complain about it. "Baler?" Simon directed, getting his attention. "Go put that cow back in line." 

"Um... H-How do I do that?" 

"Ride up on her left flank and guide her back into the herd!" 

"O-Okay!" Baler nodded, nudging his horse into a lope as he kept his eye on the cow, using his horse to guide the cow back into the herd, looking back towards Simon with the hopes of approval, a big smile smearing across his face after realizing he had done something new. "I want to chase another one!" 

"That time will come, lad," Simon shouted. "Get back in formation!" 

Laughs. Genuine, happy laughs were exchanged between the men - and Teeter - as they herded the two-hundred head of cattle through the valley, eager to get them to Lick Creek to lay over for the night before making their way back to the ranch, each eager to return home to the loved ones waiting for them. With every dusk and dawn, Kiera never failed to slip into Simon's mind, the thought of her greeting him with a warm smile and yearning kiss followed by constant admiring of their children. It never bloody gets old, he thought. I can't wait for her to be my wife. 

After nightfall came, it was roughly eleven o'clock before the group got the cattle and horses settled in for the night, Simon settling under a nearby tree to shield him from the morning sun when it arose. Sitting with his back against the bark, he crossed his ankles as he scrolled through the photos of Kiera and his children on his phone, wishing he could be granted with a bar of service to send a quick I love you text message, grimacing as he didn't have the privilege he had wished for. 

"One day, you'll be glad to not have that little box beeping at you every twenty minutes." Bud chuckled, his saddle landing next to Simon before he slowly took a seat next to him. 

"You're still awake, old man?" Simon chuckled, watching Bud take a seat next to him before reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out two cigars. 

Bud reached one over to him, "I invite you sir to celebrate another drive." 

"I better not. Kiera would kill me-"

"Why'd you think I brought these cigars for a trip she wasn't on?" Bud chuckled. "Eva threatens to kill me every time she smells the smoke on me, but she don't. I quite like makin' her mad sometimes," He admitted while both of them chuckled. "She's cute when she's mad." 

"You and me both, sir. I quite like making your daughter mad sometimes," Simon admitted. "On minor things, though-"

"No need to explain," He chuckled. "I know what you mean. You still planning on that honeymoon you were telling me about?" 

Simon smirked, "Yeah. I just want to give her something extravagant - something she had never done before. I figured what better way to do it than for our honeymoon." 

"Well, you know Eva and I will be more than happy to watch the kids for you," Bud smiled, nudging Simon's elbow with his. "I quite envy you - I'd never been able to dress up in period clothing." 

"Me either, but her favorite show is Peaky Blinders and there's a sort of convention in Birmingham and I know she'd love to dress up in that time period. And, I meant to tell you but I never could get you away from earshot of her - there's a ship coming back to the states that sponsors the convention, so we'll be coming back to the states in that time period so to speak."