ℙ𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝔸 𝔻𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝔾𝕚𝕣𝕝 - 𝕂𝕒𝕪𝕔𝕖 𝔻𝕦𝕥𝕥𝕠𝕟

ℂℍ𝔸ℙ𝕋𝔼ℝ 4

**slight TW bc of controlling-ness and slight restraint**

The start of the week was not easy for anyone. Jane was sent to do the dirty work no one wanted to do every morning, which she would practically have done before the rest of us were even up. The girl wouldn't sleep until she proved to Rip, she was more than a lost cause.

A couple times, she had woken me up when venturing out and I'd just watch her from afar to see what she'd be up to. She'd haul ass to finish her the grimy stuff like shoveling shit or making fertilizer, then move on to saddling up the horses needed to herd, or getting the corrals ready for breaking.

She had serious grit, and it was quite impressive for her size. She started to put on some weight now that she was eating good and the daily work was good exercise, but she was still practically skin and bone.

Her injuries were healing up nicely but every now and then she'd have to take a break to massage her shoulder or leg. She never did this around anyone else, only when she thought no one was watching.

When the chores were complete and up to standard, she would sneak into the barn and take a horse only fit with a bridle and rein. She go beyond where I could see her but she was never gone long.

By now everyone else would be waking up, and Jane would need to hurry back before the other got to the stalls. Like clockwork, she would skirt her horse back into the stable and be fully dismounted by the time the men were coming out. I discovered she was picking various flowers and plants to bring back.

Whatever herbs she was picking she would mix into the horse feed with some additional nutritional treats chopped in as well. She would muddle it all together and feed it to the horses, she'd use the same herb mixture to rub onto the cows utters or drained cyst that had puncture wounds that easily get infected.

Somehow, they would be healed within a few days, we had fewer clogging issues with our cows, and the horses ran like they had all the power in the world. She got away with this for a few days but Rip finally caught up to her, and he wasn't fond of her taking a horse when no one's around.

I tried to tell him I've been keeping an eye on her without being so transparent in my light-stalking her, but he didn't care. This was one of many things we had been disagreeing on.

Rip and I went blow-for-blow in the pin after bickering over just about anything and everything. After I came to the conclusion that this was all I had, this ranch was the only way I could see my family together again, I wanted to step it up.

My father was giving me the opportunity to take things over. I had been playing cowboy long enough, and if I was going to prove to be able to run this place right, I had to actually start showing him I wanted it. Rip didn't like this very much; and I didn't care so much to cater to his hurt feelings.

After a long and nasty fight, I came out on top and took place as head wrangler. Jane watched the entire thing, the sour look on her face didn't make me appreciate my win as much as I wanted to.

I found her cleaning in the barn after the fight. She notices me from the corner of her eye but doesn't look up. I can see from how aggressively she's stabbing the pitchfork into the soiled hay that she's agitated.

I step into the stall with her and lean against the wall, my legs can barely hold me up, I basically crumble to the ground.

"You okay?" I ask with a wince as I hold my ribs.

She gives me a glowering look and with a roll of her eyes she leaves the stall. I remove my hat and set it on my knee, leaning my head back against the wall gives me some extra relief from the pain.