To the Maun and Back

Chapter:4

The cows were done in the first pasture by the time all of the help was there. Bella was sitting on her horse while J.B and Sage Kimzey were pushing the wean calve cows back out to pasture. These were the first round heifer cows that just had their first one this year.

I closed the trap on the chute and stepped back. I caught the glance of an angry cow coming towards me. She nearly had my hide as I sat on top of the chute. They all looked concerned but all I could do was laugh at it.

Call me crazy but I've been around cattle way too much to know what a first time mom is going to do. "You alright?" Chase asked. "Never better. I knew one was going to pull a stunt like that. Didn't expect to be up here though." I said.

"Need a hand down?" He asked. "Nope I can get down." I said before jumping down landing on my feet. Just about that time another cow broke from the group. This time the chute was empty so I ducked in it and slammed the door closed.

"Gonna get your fingers if you don't be careful." Shane said. "Done that before." I said. "How about someone stays up here keeping the gatemen safe while their sorting." Chase said. First one to ride up was J.B.

He sat there while I tried to get the lever to open the gate up. "Um I think it's stuck." I said after trying more than once. "Climb through the top." Chase said. "Yeah I'd like to see you crawl through that tiny space that I can't even fit my head through." I told him.

"Open the front." J.B told him. So Chase opened the front gate and let me out. I then opened the back allowing the next one in. Then closed it. It was like that all morning. Tagging ears, branding, dodging angry mother cows. Nothing beats this life.

At lunch we all went up to the house and grabbed a bite to eat before going back. I haltered the last horse and led him out. Then stuck him in the pen with the weanlings. I jumped up onto the fence and whistled.

One more week of this and we're done. The horse immediately started cutting the heifers and young bulls apart. I opened the gate for the heifers sticking them in a separate pen from the young bulls. "When was there a cutting horse?" Sage asked.

"Since I got this place." I said. Two of them snickered. For the rest of the day the horse cut the weanling into whichever gender side it was. All I did was tag. Once that was done they helped move panels and the chute.

I went back through the young bulls ready to see if they'll buck. The whole lot was noisy. Between the cattle bawling and the gates rattling I couldn't hear anything. The word finally got around that the bulls were going to be tested for bucking.

They were lined up ready to be shot in the chute. I tightened the strap on the hind flank and one for the girth. Then turned it loose in the ring. I named them off of their trial run.

There was this one smokey gray one that got real air and spun fast. Name for him? Spin Cycle. I put that down along with his ear number. The next was a red Brahman looking bull. He didn't do that well not getting high enough off the ground and tripping every time he spun.

Castre and slaughter or breeding for him. After a few more we had to call it quits. The sun was already sinking and almost gone. Tomorrow I'll send in the order for new tags for the bucking bulls once their all done.

First thing was showering after the hot days. While I fixed something to eat for the guys they all got cleaned up. "Can I help?" Bella asked. "Sure. Can you go into the pantry and get me a stack of paper plates?" I asked her.

She darted to the pantry and brought me the bag of plates. I got a stack out and asked her to take them back. J.B came in just as she came back out. "The horses are bedded with fresh water." He said.

"Thanks. Supper should be done in a few minutes." I said. "Come on Bella let's go get cleaned up." He said as Bella went up to him.

I laid in bed thinking of what life would look like if Jared and I were still married and had a child. But to my dismay he didn't want to sleep with me or want anything to do with me.

I let tears fall from my eyes. My door opened then closed the bed shook a little. Then more. I rolled over. "Is it ok if I sleep with you?" Bella. "Is your dad still up?" I asked her. "I don't know where he went." She said. "He may be outside talking. Why don't you stay in here until he's done." I told her.

She crawled up onto the bed and underneath the covers right up against me. I rolled over facing her. She was asleep in no time. I dozed off soon after her.

J.B

I got off the phone and went back in to the room. I felt the bed not finding Bella. I definitely panicked. I checked both bathrooms no luck. She wasn't in one of the other rooms or the living room. I lastly had to check and see if she was in Chesney's room.

I opened the door quietly and walked over to the bed. I could see her dark head of hair against a set of tanned arms. I didn't want to wake either of them so I went to bed. Bella has never crawled into bed with a stranger.

Especially a woman.