When Single Riders Come Together (COMPLETED)

Chapter 10

A/N Due to starting my other two books that y'all happily wanted published this book will be updated every Monday instead of every day. Thanks!

Dan wakes up and follows the great smells to the kitchen.

"Morning Fawn." He whispers as he slips his arms around her from behind.

"Morning Teddy Bear."

"What's for breakfast since you have already started."

"Eggs and sausage." She answers with a chuckle.

"Sounds good. I see it's still snowing out there." He comments gazing out the window at the white ground.

"Yeah, you know what that means?" She turns around in his arms with a smile.

"I have no idea what that means."

"That means that you and me get to go feed in the sled. We have to take hay too since it is about three foot already." She tells him her smile never wavering.

"You're not serious. You really think it's already three feet?" This being his first winter in the area he had no idea it snowed that much. Let alone that quickly.

"Yeah, when I let Daisy out this morning it was about two and a half already. It fell pretty hard and fast last night." She tells him.

"So does that mean I'm not getting home today?"

"You can ride or take the sled, but we are pretty much vehicle less right now. The roads out here aren't very good in snow." She explains while stirring the eggs.

"Okay. Do we need to check the heifers too?"

"Yeah, we can take a horse when we go over there." She fixes herself a plate before handing him one.

After they get done eating they feed the horses, except for Perk and Glory, Tylee already fed them. When the team is hitched Tylee directs them to the wood shed where she and Dan unload the wood they gathered the evening before. With the sled empty they load sacks of feed on top of hay they pitched from the loft.

"South bound!" Tylee declares taking the reins. Dan chuckles and climbs on the bench beside her with Daisy in the back on the top of the feed. Tylee and Dan holler since they don't have the siren or pickup horn. The cattle are eager to meet the sled. Once all the cattle in that pasture are waiting Tylee guides Perk and Glory while Dan sits on the back of the sled and strings the feed out. When all of the feed is distributed for that pasture Dan climbs back on the bench beside her and they pick the pace up.

"Are we feeding ever body today?" Dan inquires as they clear a small space for the cattle to drink out of at a water trough.

"Not today. If it keeps up we will have to feed them all." She tells him.

"That shortens the day a little."

After feeding all the cattle for the day except the heifers they stop by the house and Tylee saddles Willow Wind. She rides beside the team while Dan puts in some practice. When they get to the heifer pasture they call them up, as they have done with the others. Thirteen of the fifteen trot up to the sled with bulging bellies. After a few minutes the remaining to walk up with small black calves trailing them.

"Tylee, you see how that one calf looks sick?" Dan asks as she takes the reins so he can pour out the feed.

"No, which one?" They get out and Dan points out the calf that was indeed sick.

"The other one doesn't look very good either. I'll rope the calves and we can put them in the sled, the cows will follow easily. I'll keep back the feed we need and then catch up with you after I feed." She tells him her plan.