Redemption

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“Colt!”

Colt inwardly groaned at the voice of Sherman coming toward his office. He was knee deep in books and lists; the last thing he needed was Sherman sending him on some silly errand.

Be respectful, Colt. You need to keep this job.

“Colt, I need you to do something for me,” Sherman appeared in the doorway.

Colt plastered a completely sarcastic but passably genuine smile on his face. “Sure thing.”

Of all the cowboys around that Sherman claimed he didn’t need, one would think that he could find one of them to do things for him.

“I need you to ride out to that west side of the south pasture. The fence is broken over there and if one of our Herefords gets over there into Abe Jonas’ land, there’ll be trouble,” Sherman told him.

Colt nodded, closing one of the books in front of him. “Sure. I can get to these when I get back,” he said.

Sherman nodded and left. Colt gritted his teeth and slammed his hat on his head. It wasn’t good for a man to be ordered around like a dog. Part of him wanted to punch the man in the face, but the other, stronger part of him knew that he needed his job now more than ever.

He left the bunkhouse and went to the barn to gather the tools he would need and his horse.

Colt twisted the wire tight around the nail with the pliers in his hands and then hammered it to the fencepost. After tugging on the wire to test its stability, he was satisfied with the job he’d done. He walked back to his horse and shoved the tools into his saddlebag.

“Ready to get back to the ranch, ol’ boy?” he asked his horse, rubbing the animal’s neck.

He put his foot in the stirrup and mounted. It was a pretty day, but he wouldn’t want to be out here for long. The heat was beginning to return for today, causing little beads of sweat to form on his forehead. Colt looked up to see a rider out a little ways in the distance, and immediately recognized the way the rider sat in the saddle.

With a little clicking sound, he got Hidalgo moving at a fast walk. He rode up to the rider and moved to ride beside him.

“You get the fences checked, Doc?” he asked.

The man nodded. “I was just about to check this last stretch, but it looks like you beat me to it.”

Colt sighed. “Yeah, Sherman sent be out to fix it. I told him you were out checking fences a few days ago, but I guess he forgot.”

“Pshh,” Doc Dawson shook his head. “I doubt that. The man works you like a dog. I’m just waiting for you to get your fill of it.”

“Well, I need this job. Especially with Granny with me,” Colt said.

Doc looked over at Colt. “How’s she making out?”

Colt shrugged. “This morning she had it in her head to go gold mining.”

Doc leaned his head back and laughed. “Gold mining? I hope you talked her out of it.”

Colt chuckled along with him and nodded. “I managed it somehow. She ain’t about to let it go, though. I’m beginning to see how Ma and Pop couldn’t handle her anymore.”

“She seems to listen to you, though,” Doc said.

Clint looked over at him. Doc was about a year older than he was, but they had become friends over the past few years after Doc was hired. Colt knew he could trust the man with his troubles with his grandmother.