The Cowboy and the Angel | ✓

Chapter Two

"Ride 'em, Cowboy!" whooped Terry as he leaned against the fence with the rest of the ranch hands, twirling an invisible lasso in the air in his excitement. "Yee-haw!"

"You got this, amigo!" yelled Leroy, leaning over the fence railing enthusiastically.

On the other side of the fence, a palomino mare bucked in a frenzy trying to dislodge Jason - also known as Cowboy by the ranchers - from her back. Red dirt was flying from under her hooves and swirled in the air, covering the clingy rider in its departure. Snorting, stomping, and kicking, the mare raced around the corral doing whatever was within her power to throw Jason off.

Hanging on with all his might, Jason held his ground. With every crow hop and kick the mare made, pain radiated through his legs and back. He had been doing this all day with the other green horses, and was plumb worn out. Sore as he was, he refused to get bucked off. He could feel the mare tiring and knew it wouldn't be long. There was no way he was going to lose his seat now, not when he was so close to getting her under control. But contrary to his plan, a series of sudden, violent bucks sent him flying whether he wanted to or not. He went one way while his Stetson went soaring the other.

A collective gasp arose from the row of onlookers. They looked at each other in surprised disbelief. As unlikely as it had been, Jason had been thrown.

Struggling to his feet, Jason rubbed his face. "Aw, shoot! Where'd my hat go? That was my favorite one," he grumbled, limping toward the now-still horse like a mud-smeared pig. "Have any of y'all seen it?"

The wranglers hooted at the dirt speckled, hatless Jason. Jeering at him, they joked amongst themselves without answering the question.

Leroy shook his head with a chuckle. "Cowboy, you get bucked off a caballo and the first thing you're worried about is your hat? You're loco, amigo."

Jason jammed his thumbs behind his belt buckle, and sent a glance heavenward. Running his fingers through his wavy, sweat-dampened hair, he gave a dry laugh. "Been loco all my life, seems to get worse with age. Now, did anyone see where my hat went?"

"It's over yonder," Terry, the thinnest ranch hand of the bunch, spoke up. He pointed at the mare, who pounded another stomp on the Stetson for good measure. "And just sayin' Cowboy, I don't think that horse likes you."

Jason sighed, moaning inwardly as he hobbled to the palomino. Whether she liked him, or not, he was getting his hat back. Bending down, he swiped his Stetson from under her hooves.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I need that," he muttered under his breath as he slapped his hat against his knee to clear away some dirt. Taking a glance at the smiling buckaroos, he hopped into the saddle. He tensed, preparing for a fight, but was sorely disappointed. All he got out of the mare was a snort. Walking her up to Leroy, Terry, and the others, he dismounted victoriously.

"Did ya have a nice trip?" Terry asked, spitting out sunflower seed hulls.

Jason chuckled. "Best one I ever did have! How 'bout y'all, did ya enjoy the show?"

Leroy nodded, answering for them all. "Sure did. Cowboy, you put on a right good one indeed."

Jason smiled, his teeth a flash of white on his grimy face. With a grimace, he swung his leg over the fence. Once successfully out of the corral, he looked up at the sky. If he was going to get cleaned up real good before making his way to the Harden's, he needed to get busy. Heading straight inside, he grabbed a towel and a fresh change of clothes, and walked out.

"Where are you goin', son?" his mother called from the kitchen where she was busy fixing their own supper.

"To the stream to get a bath," he answered shortly.