New Ranch Hand: book 2 of the triple R series

Chapter:8

A month later

It was fall time and my birthday was right around the corner. I rode Dusty out on the beautiful September day. God's beauty was amazing. Especially during the fall and winter.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon after church. Now every time I look into Buck's eyes he looks hurt or betrayed. I'm turning twenty three this year so yeah.

I rode up to the ridge and saw Buck sitting there on his horse. I led Dusty back down and tied him close to the trail. I walked back up to the top.

I stumbled as I was almost to the top. When I made it to the top I saw Buck looking at me. "It's too beautiful to stay away from." I said as I approached. He sighed. I sat down on the ledge looking down with my feet on some rocks below.

I heard gravel crunch behind me. "I use to sit on the ledge watching the ranch and thinking one day it will be mine. When I reached my teen years I realized that I'd need my family's support to help me."

"Um can I tell you something no one else knows?" I asked. "Why?" "I feel like I can trust you." I replied. He looked at me with that look in his eyes and nodded. "Go ahead." He told me.

"If your wondering. I'm an orphan. I don't know my last name at all, never have. Those people that were here the other day were my supposed to be 'foster parents.' I never moved houses or towns going from home to home as foster care is supposed to work."

He looked at me. "That's just weird. Usually you move homes." I nodded. "They had low paying jobs and yet had enough money to hire maids, own a mansion, have expensive cars and clothes."

"How?" "I don't know. That's what I'm still trying to figure out. Everyday at the same time they'd come to my job and visit me. My previous bosses told me to tell them they had to stop coming to my work or else they'd fire me. They never listened to a word I said at all."

"So you just lived in a giant house with no one besides the maids?" I nodded. "Before I was sixteen they would take me to rodeos on the ERA circuit." "Colt's been wanting to get on that circuit since he started."

"Yeah. I barrel raced and rode bulls. It wasn't fun for me anymore. I don't know what it was but it wasn't fun like it should have been. So I loaded the truck back up and this was after I turned sixteen. I told them I might come back in a few years and left with the truck and trailer leaving them behind.

"It was the best decision I ever made. I got an after school job at John Deere fixing tractors and cleaning them. I'd park equipment that was for sale and my boss always made sure everything was spotless. He put me in charge of cleaning the tractors and lawnmowers plus attachments so they'd be clean when purchased."

"So that's where you know how to fix tractors. How do you know ow to fix trucks?" He asked. "I worked at a ford dealership in Lubbock where I went to college and lived for my life."

"So how exactly did you get all the way to Marshal?" He asked. "Just drove until I felt like I was far enough away. I found a house, rented it for about a week and got a job after finding a help wanted poster in the feed store while trying to find my dog a collar for his tags. That pretty much sums my life up."

Bucky's POV
"Wow. I didn't think you'd have it that rough." No wonder she is a hard worker. She learned that trait from the maids that basically raised her. "Yeah. No one thinks I had that rough of a life."

And she rodeoed? That would also explain the killer body. She just spilled her life story to me. "Hey can I tell you something that I've been trying to forget?" I asked her. She scooted closer to me. "Yeah."

Here goes nothing. "After Colt got married to his wife Hedli, I started dating this one girl. She was so beautiful and was so kind to me. We dated until the twins were born then I decided I wanted to marry her. So I did what any man would do. I bought a ring in her size and proposed to her.

"She told me no then broke up with me telling me that she didn't want a serious relationship."

Ali's POV
I scooted closer listening to what he was saying. That's why he looked so hurt when he was looking at me. I laid my head on his shoulder. "Rejection isn't fun." I said.

"No it's not." He told me. I lifted my head to look at him. "Whatever happens up here stays up here." He said. I nodded. He looked down at me. "Promise not to tell them I told you?" "Promise not to tell them I told you about my past?"

We both agreed not to tell anyone about what we said. He got up then helped me up. "Come on let's go my way." "Let me get my horse real quick." I hurried down the slope and got Dusty.

I rode back up meeting Buck. We rode down the other side. I followed him all the way. It led out to his house. "This is the reason I chose to have a house here. It's easier to get away from the family and I've got privacy." He told me.

This is nice. "You can take the trail back to your house too. I'll show you that one later." It was close to sun down. "I'll see you tomorrow?" "Of course I've got to give you your tasks."