The Cowboy Way

Chapter 1-Introductions

-Tris POV-

That's it. I'm finally packed and ready to go. After dropping that last box into the back of my pickup truck, I walk back to my dorm. Looking at my empty dorm room, I realize it looks barren, dull, lifeless when in fact so much of my life happened here.

Well, as they say, I'm burning daylight. I turn around and close the door. I had already gassed up my truck and bought snacks. All I need to do was turn in my room key and sign out. After doing that, I got in my truck and started it up. College might be over for now, but I wasn't ready to jump right into a job. Luckily I had saved enough money to be able to take the summer off.

My grandparents own a small ranch less than two hours away. They raise horses and cows. I plan on spending the summer with them. While I see them quite often, I haven't been to the ranch in years. I love it there.

My grandparents are getting up there in age and all of the work required to maintain the house and ranch is too much for them. I know that they have one ranch hand, but my grandpa recently broke his hip. He has been on bed rest which really puts too much of a load on my grandma. I just graduated with my bachelors in nursing. I figured that I can help them out over the summer by either taking care of my grandpa or just helping around the place.

Before I hit the road, I plug my phone in my truck radio and find the playlist I want. Hitting play, I put the truck in drive.

About an hour and a half later, I pull up to my grandparent's house. I don't see my grandma's car around, but don't worry about it. She knows I'd be here today. Last time we met up she gave me a house key so I know I can get in. As I jump out of the truck, a guy walks up to me. I guess he had been out near the barns since I didn't notice him when I pulled up.

As he gets closer, I start to appreciate the view. He is tall and lean, but very muscular. His wide shoulders taper down to much narrower hips. Dirty jeans hug his hips and hang down to his well-worn boots. He has dark brown hair under a dusty western hat. His long sleeve shirt is tucked in and has the sleeves rolled up showing his tanned skin. He has a chiseled jaw with a strong five o'clock shadow and about the most handsome face that I have ever seen. It isn't until he gets much closer to me that I realize how deep blue his eyes are.

He stops a couple of feet away from me and asks, "Can I help you?"

While I want to tell him all of the ways that he could help me, I shake off those thoughts and bring my mind out of the gutter. "Nope," I tell him.

He looks me up and down before saying, "Well Sally isn't here. So is there anything that I can help you with?"

"She told me she might be gone. I'll just wait for her in the house and check on Jack."

This gets the guy's attention. At my grandfather's name, he stands straighter. "Since I don't know you and Sally didn't mention anyone stopping by, I don't feel comfortable letting you into the house." He pauses and then adds, "I'm Four. I work for Jack and Sally."

"Oh, right. She mentioned you to me. Said that you were helping them out a bunch especially after the broken hip incident." As an afterthought I add, "I'm Tris and I don't need you to let me in. I have a key."

This makes Four really straighten up and a look of confusion crosses his face. "Um, well, okay. Are you sure there isn't anything I can help with?"

I smile and say, "Nope."

As I start walking toward the house I hear the bushes shake and then hear the fast padding of paws racing toward me. I hear Four yell, "Rusty, no!" as he runs to get in between me and the quickly approaching dog.

Rusty doesn't even slow down as he dodges around Four, straight up to me. He slides to a stop in front of me and jumps up, putting his paws on my waist. I quickly reach over and start scratching him behind his ear. I then tell him he is a good dog and push him off me. With a final pat on the head, I turn and continue to walk toward the house. I then hear Four ask, "How do you know that dog? And how does that dog like you? He hates everyone?"

I laugh and answer him while looking over my shoulder, "I've known him since he was a pup." With that I unlock the front door and walk into the house leaving a confused Four scratching his head while looking down at the dog. I laugh again and wonder why I didn't just tell him that Sally and Jack are my grandparents. Maybe because it's more fun this way.

-Four POV-

I see a pickup truck pull up in front of the house so I stop what I'm working on and head in that direction. As I attempt to dust myself off, I see a young woman get out of the truck. She doesn't look lost. In fact she seems calm and happy to be here. This place is off of the beaten path, but we still occasionally get lost people wondering where they are.

As I get closer, I see that she is short, but compact. I can tell that she has a lot of muscle hidden on her small frame. Her hair is light blond and hits about halfway down her back. She is wearing worn blue jeans, a sleeveless button up shirt, and sneakers. I'm surprised by how attractive she is and surprised again by the fact that this has been brought to the forefront of my mind. I don't usually pay attention to what women look like, but she just seems to draw my eyes to her.

Once I'm within a couple of feet of her I ask her, "Can I help you?"

She looks up at me and I see her clear, gray-blue eyes. "Nope," she answers.

I look her over again, trying to figure out if I have ever seen her before. I know that I would have remembered her so she hasn't been out here before. "Well Sally isn't here. So is there anything that I can help you with?" I probe again.

I'm surprised when she says, "She told me she might be gone. I'll just wait for her in the house and check on Jack." While all of the locals know Jack and know about his accident, she isn't a local. I'm not going to let just anyone into the house, even if she knows Jack's name. "Since I don't know you and Sally didn't mention anyone stopping by, I don't feel comfortable letting you into the house." I then realize that I haven't introduced myself so add, "I'm Four. I work for Jack and Sally."

She takes in this information then tells me, "Oh, right. She mentioned you to me. Said that you were helping them out a bunch especially after the broken hip incident." Then as an afterthought adds, "I'm Tris and I don't need you to let me in. I have a key."

Now I'm really confused. I have worked for Jack and Sally for 5 years. In that time I have never seen someone else with a key to their house. I would still really like to know what this woman is doing here. "Um, well, okay. Are you sure there isn't anything I can help with?"

She smiles and says, "Nope."

She then starts walking toward the house. After she has gone a couple of steps, the bushes shake I hear the sound of a quickly approaching dog. Great! Rusty! That dog can be extremely mean. The last thing I need is for him to run up and bite Tris. I yell, "Rusty, no!" and race to get in between Tris and Rusty.

Rusty doesn't even slow down as he dodges around me and runs straight up to Tris. I can't believe what I am now seeing. Rusty slides to a stop in front Tris and jumps up, putting his paws on her waist. She doesn't hesitate to reach over and start scratching him behind his ear. She then tells Rusty he is a good dog and pushes him off her. With a final pat on his head, she turns and continues to walk toward the house.

I can't hold it in anymore so I ask, "How do you know that dog? And how does that dog like you? He hates everyone?"

She laughs and tells me, "I've known him since he was a pup."

Rusty walks over to me and sits at my feet. We both watch Tris unlock the back door and go in the house. As she closes the door, I look at the dog and the dog looks at me. Who is this girl?