Unforgiven

Chapter 16

"Alright Jimmy let's get these horses out and saddled" I sigh opening up my horses stall first and leading her out. I hooked her up to the rig and got her saddle all situated for the cattle drive today.

"Alright Jimmy can you finish the rest of these?" I asked unhooking May and leading her back into her stall for when I was ready.

"Yeah I guess so" He answered back as I walked out of the barn. I started to head over to where Gator was hanging out grits and coffee for all the wranglers this morning.

"Hey Gator" I smiled snagging two cups of coffee.

"Hello Jessie, excited for your ride today?" Gator asked scooping up grits and filling a bowl with them.

"I mean I do this shit everyday so what's not to look forward to" I smirked and eyed the corrals looking for a certain someone.

"What does the day bring us" I wondered out loud coming up behind John from where he was leaning on the fence. I handed him and coffee and he nodded his head in thanks.

"No telling Jessie, but I know this is the best it will be" He grunted gazing out along the mountain line.

"Well I guess it's all down hill from here then" i joked slightly not sure what John meant by what he said.

"Let's get to work" He finally said after a moment of silence.

"Yes sir"
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Moving cattle was probably my least favorite job on the ranch. There's just a lot going on at all times between all the wranglers set on all sides of the herd and John flying the helicopter over to keep cattle distracted. Or maybe it's because i've done it 2,000 times in over a decade since i've been here.

"Jess you got stragglers in the timber" Johns voice sounds through my earpiece. I looked around to see if there was any possible person that would help in his situation since the wranglers are fucking lazy.

"Jimmy got stragglers in the trees come with me" I called out to the closest idiot to me.

"Uh" He stuttered slightly swaying on his horse.

"I ain't asking your fucking permission Jimmy i'm telling you now let's go" I pushed my feet into Mays side getting her into a slight canter flowing into the woods.

"Cmon Jimmy keep up" I groaned but just as I said that Jimmys horse rears up kicking him off the back.

"Jesus Christ are you kidding me Jimmy" I smack my forehead.

"Lloyd please help shit for brains with his horse" Lloyd nodded and rode over roping Jimmys horse and bringing it over to him.

"I don't think i'm cut out for this" Jimmy sighs taking the rope off his horse and grabbing the reins.

"Nobody is Jimmy it's cut into you" I reply cutting the kid some slack.

"Where's Kayce today John, i didn't see him at all this morning" After the events from a week ago i've tried to avoid Kayce everywhere I go. Even in the bunkhouse I make it a point to fall asleep before he gets back from nightly chores. I cant help but wonder where he is from time to time.

"Something came up with Monica so he's back at Brokenrock this morning" John radioed back.

Oh.

"Okay well hopefully he's back soon being down a hand never ends well" Not really my best try not to seem jealous sentence but we're working on it.

After a few hours we finally got all the cattle back to the corrals to start to be loaded into trailers.

"Lloyd let's start moving these red tag heifers into the trailers" I call out from my spot on the fence. He nods in a agreement and starts to round them up. In the round pen to the left Johns stallion that Kayce gave him starts bucking like wild. I can only imagine what pain he's going through right now with his cancer. Finally he gets it to calm down and heads into ten with it and I follow.