Cowboy Up: A Cowboy Gangster short story

Chapter 3

Entertained and distracted by the little boys, Kane didn't notice when Cochise wandered away. It took him a moment to realize he was no longer by his side and started searching for him. Kane spotted the Egyptian leaning on the fence of an adjacent corral in which a lone horse trotted around inside the enclosure.

Kane walked over. "You're missing Jules and Reuben's pony ride."

"I saw them." Cochise stared at the horse, a smoky-gray equine who kept its distance, staying to the opposite half of the corral. Although wary, the animal never took its eyes off Cochise, its ears perked forward, curving in at the tips. "And they'll be riding a lot before we leave, I'm sure."

"True." Kane rested his arms on the wooden fence and nodded at the horse. "He's an Arabian. Beautiful animals. Very elegant."

Cochise nodded. "I know," he murmured. "I grew up around them."

"You did?" Kane was intrigued. The Egyptian rarely spoke of his past directly. Whatever tidbit he gave up now and then, Kane filed away as another piece of the mysterious puzzle that was Cochise. "That must have been nice."

Stepping back from the fence, Cochise mumbled, "It wasn't." His stare held on the Arabian for a moment longer before he returned to the group at the other corral.

Kane looked at the horse. It had paused and now shuffled in place, blowing air through its nostrils. Its focus wasn't on Kane—but the retreating Egyptian.

Kane rejoined the others in time to witness their efforts to get Cochise in the saddle—to no avail. Even with Clint's aid, neither the men nor the boys could convince the Egyptian to take a ride around the corral. Kane wasn't surprised. He didn't expect to see Cochise on a horse at all during their stay at the ranch.

"But it's so much fun," Jules insisted. "Isn't it, Reuben?" Back on the ground again, the other little boy smiled and nodded.

Children were Cochise's weakness, yet he didn't budge on this matter. He scooped the boys into his arms. "I'll take your word for it."

"But you gotta ride a horse." Jules scrunched his little face and grinned. "You'd look so cool. Clint looked cool. Don't you wanna be cool like Clint?"

The guys standing around howled with laughter. Clint chuckled and arched his brow at the Egyptian.

Cochise chuffed and muttered to the little boys, "I'm already cooler than Clint."

That incited round of 'ooohh.'

Clint huffed. "Then get your ass in the saddle and prove it."

"That isn't necessary." The Egyptian's mouth quirked. "Everyone already knows it." He cast a threatening glare at the men standing around. "Right?"

Everyone took a step back, a jumble of affirmations tumbling out.

Clint shot them an equally intimidating stare. "What was that?"

The men stumbled over their words, struggling to no avail to appease both gangsters.

Axel and Kane exchanged a glance then broke into laughter, along with all the kids.

. . . .

When things settled down, both Luke and Noel took their turns riding around the corral. Jules and Reuben rode alongside them on the black pony. Reuben's fear of the horses had abated, though he still wasn't willing to ride solo.

Axel rested his arm across Noah's shoulder. "You're going to ride, too, aren't you?"

He didn't answer right away as he glanced at Chris. The young man smiled. "He's worried about trying to ride with his bad leg. I told him he could ride double with me."