started to move. The other cattle trickling into line behind him. They walked shoulder-to-shoulder, like bovine soldiers, just as he’d said. The herd flowed into a moving ribbon of white and earthen brown. Bill and Sparrow led the pack, riding side by side. She seemed to breathe easier when she was alone with him, away from everyone else. He noted she rode with a little trepidation. It was likely she’d never spent much time on horseback before. Good thing Saul had given her Maggie, the most level-headed mare a man could ask for.
“Do you all do this every year?”
“Yep. And when it’s done, I look forward to the next and start planning for it.”
She looked around and took in the scenery. “I can understand the appeal. From what your brothers have said, it sounds like you’re a man with plans.”
“Not that Pa wants to hear any of them,” Bill answered. “He had a fit last summer right before we reached home. Couldn’t move or talk for a few months.”
“My goodness,” Sparrow said.
“Thought it might be the end of him right then and there. But he’s tougher than rawhide, as you’ve seen, and got back up on his feet and insisted we drive again this year. This life—the drives—it ain’t the future. Folks are buying land. Soon there won’t be open land, maybe there won’t even be cattlemen. If I’m being honest, this is likely the last drive we’ll ever do.”
“Is it?”
“Cattle travels by trains now, mostly. And folks are switching over to stockier breeds of cows that are easier to raise than longhorns. Things are changing. My mama says it’s progress. There’ll always be ranches, and folks’ll always eat beef, but life sure won’t be like this much longer.”
A hawk swooped overhead, and Bill pointed at it. Sparrow watched the bird fly off into the open sky that stretched on for miles and miles, a blanket of blue as far as the eye could see. He watched her as she took in everything around her, even the stomping cows trailing behind them. Finally, she spoke. “That’ll be a sad day, I suppose. The end of something simple and beautiful.”
“A man’s gotta keep moving.”
“Amen.”
“Speaking of moving,” he began. “Where will you go once you’ve caught up to the man you’re seeking? I’m guessing it’s a man. Correct me if I’m wrong.”
“He is.”
“He hurt you?”
“No,” she said. “He stole from from me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to get it back.”
“How?”
“I haven’t quite figured that out yet.”
“What will you do after you get it back?”
“After? I…don’t know, honestly.”
“Between not knowing how you’re going to get back your money, and what you’re going to do after, I have to say your plan might not be too well laid-out.”
“My plan also didn’t involve cattlemen.”
“Will you go home?”
“I don’t have a place I call home,” she answered. “I have places I’ve stayed at for a while.”
“Everyone needs a home,” Bill replied. “How do you know who you are if you don’t know where you can go back to?”
“That’s a good question.” She went silent for a bit and pondered his question before changing the subject. “It’ll be a sad day, I think. The end of the drives. It’s beautiful out here.”
“It is,” he agreed. “But there’s other beauty in the world. Sitting right next to me, in fact.”
Where had that come from? The words had come out of his mouth before he’d thought them through. Sparrow’s face changed completely. The troubled expression on her face relaxed.
“Why, Bill, are you flirting with me?”
“Depends. You got any rocks to throw at me?”
Even though she wore a lovely smile, he saw her curiosity. She’d surprised him so many ways over the few days since they’d met, it seemed he’d finally surprised her for a change. “As a matter of fact, I have left all my best rocks behind today.”
“Lucky me.”
“Was Theo your brother?”
Damn.
“Do you all do this every year?”
“Yep. And when it’s done, I look forward to the next and start planning for it.”
She looked around and took in the scenery. “I can understand the appeal. From what your brothers have said, it sounds like you’re a man with plans.”
“Not that Pa wants to hear any of them,” Bill answered. “He had a fit last summer right before we reached home. Couldn’t move or talk for a few months.”
“My goodness,” Sparrow said.
“Thought it might be the end of him right then and there. But he’s tougher than rawhide, as you’ve seen, and got back up on his feet and insisted we drive again this year. This life—the drives—it ain’t the future. Folks are buying land. Soon there won’t be open land, maybe there won’t even be cattlemen. If I’m being honest, this is likely the last drive we’ll ever do.”
“Is it?”
“Cattle travels by trains now, mostly. And folks are switching over to stockier breeds of cows that are easier to raise than longhorns. Things are changing. My mama says it’s progress. There’ll always be ranches, and folks’ll always eat beef, but life sure won’t be like this much longer.”
A hawk swooped overhead, and Bill pointed at it. Sparrow watched the bird fly off into the open sky that stretched on for miles and miles, a blanket of blue as far as the eye could see. He watched her as she took in everything around her, even the stomping cows trailing behind them. Finally, she spoke. “That’ll be a sad day, I suppose. The end of something simple and beautiful.”
“A man’s gotta keep moving.”
“Amen.”
“Speaking of moving,” he began. “Where will you go once you’ve caught up to the man you’re seeking? I’m guessing it’s a man. Correct me if I’m wrong.”
“He is.”
“He hurt you?”
“No,” she said. “He stole from from me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to get it back.”
“How?”
“I haven’t quite figured that out yet.”
“What will you do after you get it back?”
“After? I…don’t know, honestly.”
“Between not knowing how you’re going to get back your money, and what you’re going to do after, I have to say your plan might not be too well laid-out.”
“My plan also didn’t involve cattlemen.”
“Will you go home?”
“I don’t have a place I call home,” she answered. “I have places I’ve stayed at for a while.”
“Everyone needs a home,” Bill replied. “How do you know who you are if you don’t know where you can go back to?”
“That’s a good question.” She went silent for a bit and pondered his question before changing the subject. “It’ll be a sad day, I think. The end of the drives. It’s beautiful out here.”
“It is,” he agreed. “But there’s other beauty in the world. Sitting right next to me, in fact.”
Where had that come from? The words had come out of his mouth before he’d thought them through. Sparrow’s face changed completely. The troubled expression on her face relaxed.
“Why, Bill, are you flirting with me?”
“Depends. You got any rocks to throw at me?”
Even though she wore a lovely smile, he saw her curiosity. She’d surprised him so many ways over the few days since they’d met, it seemed he’d finally surprised her for a change. “As a matter of fact, I have left all my best rocks behind today.”
“Lucky me.”
“Was Theo your brother?”
Damn.
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