Cowboys And Angels

Chapter 2

John leaned against the shack that he had been sleeping in, smoking a cigarette casually and inhaling the sweet tobacco into his lungs and feeling the nicotine fill his system with a small relaxation within his veins. Exhaling the smoke of his little escape he failed to see Bonnie approaching him until she stopped in front of him. He quickly put out the cigarette to be polite and turned his attention to her.

"Good morning Miss MacFarlane." He greeted, Bonnie rolled her eyes in an exasperated fashion, knowing no many how many times she urged him to call her Bonnie, that he wouldn't due to his chivalry.

"Morning Mister Marston, how are you?" She asked, resting her hands on her hips before reaching up and running a hand through the bangs that hung in her face.

"Getting better by the day." He replied and glanced to his bandages, he had been resting here some four days since he woke up. "Need any help? I'm not doing much." He offered.

"I can tell." Bonnie teased and grinned. "Actually... If you don't mind, we're short some herders. We need to drive the remainin' cattle here up to the pasture, ever done somethin' like that?" She asked.

"Actually yes, lead the way." John replied and Bonnie smiled in relief before walking John over to their horses.

Bonnie had been lending John a horse and he was wondering what he had done to deserve such kindness from her, but he mounted it anyway and followed his newest ally to the pen where the remaining cattle were circling in a slightly agitated fashion from all the men surrounding them.

"Ready Miss MacFarlane?" Amos called.

"Think you can handle the back?" Bonnie questioned John.

"Yes, ma'am." John replied almost playfully, deserving a well earned shifty eyed glance from Bonnie, did John really have a sense of humor?

Bonnie couldn't help cracking a smile and flashing it at John before making her way around to the front and signaling to Amos that she was ready. When the gate finally did open the cows rushed out to be free of their confines. John roughly kicked his ride's sides earning a quick jolt as he caught up to the herd. He whistled occasionally to keep the cattle in line with Bonnie but as he rode side to side, keeping them clustered was mostly easy enough.

Every few moments he would take a look at their surroundings. The open plains were calming and then turning his attention back to the herd and back to Bonnie... She was a good rider among everything else... Was there anything she wasn't good at..? Before he could begin to think of... Less desirable things he noticed a few cows beginning to straggle away, thankfully taking his mind off of unfaithful thoughts as he rounded them up back into the group.

Arriving at the bulk of the heard the herd seemed immediately at ease by being back together as a whole, there seemed to be some forty altogether. John was jealous of these people having such an easy life but he reminded himself that he would have this... One day he would have this.

"John?" Bonnie asked as she approached him on horse back, once again being pulled out of his own head he turned his copper gaze over to her. "You alright?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. I was just seeing what a nice life you got goin' here... It's definitely something I plan on having once I get my debts settled." He says simply.

"Really? I can't imagine you wantin' to be a farmer." Bonnie mused.

"I was working on goin' straight when all of my past wrongs came to haunt me... I have a piece of land out on Breecher's Hope, outside of Blackwater." He explained and Bonnie gawked at him.