Word count - 3113
Javier finds a job as a ranch hand, and finds himself crushing on none other than the rancher's daughter.
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Javier Escuella, a young man at the age of twenty one, had been looking for a job upon arriving from Mexico, three months ago. The issue was, not many people hired a "greaser" like him. At least that's what most of them said.
It was that, or they had already filled their positions.
He was left on his own debating whether or not it was a good idea that he had come here in the first place. He was forced to steal food and money to keep himself alive and was becoming no better than he was in Mexico where bounties had been placed on his head. It was stressful. He wanted to do better, in a sense, and start a life away from crime in the land of the free.
Javier found himself riding west of Valentine with a tip off on a job working on a ranch. Not something he would have preferred, but it would earn some money in his pocket without taking it out of others.
The ranch had finally come into view after a long day on the road and his hopes were not high. There were only a few ranch hands out working as the sun blazed overhead, the summer heat leaving them dripping with sweat. They didn't pay much mind to Javier as he passed by to the large house sitting in the middle of the ranch. The windows were open to allow airflow, the door standing wide open.
He climbed from his horse just as a voice emerged from the house. "You make sure to get that delivery from Strawberry tonight, it can only be held for so long." Said a gruff voice of a man, looking back inside the house as he came though the door. Javier had been halfway up the stairs when he noticed the young man. "Who are you?"
Javier cleared his throat. "Javier Escuella, I heard you were needing a ranch hand. I came for the job." The man stepped closer on the porch, eyes judging him fiercely. "Why should I give you a job?"
This man was giving Javier the same treatment as the others. "I'll work."
"That's not good enough," Replied the man dismissively, setting forth past the other.
"I haven't had a job in three whole months, I'll do anything you ask. Doesn't matter what." Javier said shortly, determined.
He stopped in his tracks, considering for what felt like forever. "I'll tell you what." He turned on heel to face Javier, "If you get the fence finished over next to the barn before nightfall you will have a job and a place to stay. If you don't, you'll get off my ranch and not waste any more of my time."
Javier gazed at the unfinished fence. Had he ever built one before? No. Will he try? Yes. "You got a deal." The man gave him quite a judgemental look. "Go on, then."
They parted ways and Javier started piecing together the fence like a puzzle. It took only a few minutes to understand what he needed to do and it was quite easy, but he was not used to lifting such heavy beams for so long. As the sun lowered and the fence filled in more his body began to ache, arms and legs straining with each movement he made.
He ended up throwing off his shirt. The summer heat left him in a thick layer of sweat, heaving, as he managed to hoist the last beam into place through his exhaustion, the sun touching down over the distant land.
That man definitely knew what he was doing when he asked Javier to finish this. The young man was almost scrawny, he most certainly thought he could not do it.
Javier held himself up against the fence, catching his breath, when a cackle sounded behind him. "Ha ha ha! The boy did it! He sure showed you!" He looked around to see an older man with a big grey beard slapping the Rancher's arm in hysterics.
