The Rancher's Daughter by Pamela Ladner

everyone ate breakfast that they all joined J.W. in his office to figure up their earnings from the rodeo.  After everyone was paid for their part and Heath was paid back the loan he’d made, there was enough to cover the mortgage and catch up. 
                  As happy as she was, she knew that soon they would have to come up with a way to pay the next note and she was completely out of ideas.  She didn’t want to disappoint everyone though.  She let them all celebrate and they drank a toast, to their success. 
                  J.W and Josey, took the check to the bank that morning.  J.W said he wanted to personally, hand the money over to that weasel banker himself, just to see the look on his face.  Heath tagged along saying he had to see about some things in town.  They dropped him off at the feed store where he insisted he needed to go and went on to the bank. 
                  The bank was in walking distance from the feed store.  There was a mechanic shop in between, where Heaths grandfather had once been the owner.  At the back of the mechanic, shop was a front-end alignment shop owned by his uncle.  He hadn’t seen him in years and decided to walk on over there after he was through at the feed and seed. 
                  The old man was nearing eighty and to Heaths surprise was at work under an old clunker.  He worked alone, got up every day in spite of his age and made it to work at the same time every morning.
                  “Hey old man, remember me?” Heath said.  The old man was down in the pit and peaked his head up to see who it was.  “Well now, I don’t know you look a little familiar, but I can’t say.”  The old man laughed at his own joke, climbed the steps out of the pit, and shook his nephews’ hand.  Heath noticed the fragile body of the man looked like it would crumble if the wind so much as blew.  Still his grip had not weakened his handshake.  The old man looked weak but he was strong as ever.  “How you been, Uncle? It’s been a long time.”  “I’d say you sorry cuss .  You been gone so long, I barely recognized you.  It wouldn’t have hurt you none to bring your sorry tail to town once in a while.  The least you could do was show your face at Christmas.” 
                  Heath felt a little ashamed of the way he’d left town without so much as a visit in ten years.  He lowered his head and apologized to his favorite Uncle.  The old man slapped his back and told him to forget about it.  They sat on an old truck seat that his uncle used as a bench.  He remembered his grandfather had one in his shop many years ago and he wondered if it was the same one.  They sat and talked for a while, until he saw Josey’s truck pull up in front of the feed store.  He hugged his Uncle and thanked him for the talk then told him goodbye. 
                  The old man watched his great nephew take his long legged frame outside and head toward the Chisholm’s.  He shook his head knowing all about Heath’s past with the Chisholm girl.  He’d often wondered if she was the reason Heath left.  After their long talk today, he now knew it. 
                  Josey slid to the middle and let Heath drive.  She was too distracted and didn’t want to have a wreck.  The banker reminded her that while this payment might catch her up, as soon as she was late again, they would be taking her family’s ranch. 
                  That weighed heavily on her mind and she knew it was bothering her father as well.  He’d expected to have the last word with the banker when he shocked him with those words.  J.W shut his mouth and clamped his jaw shut.  She could hear him grinding his teeth.  It was all he could do not to punch the banker right in his nose. She noticed, his knuckles turn white and realized, he was struggling to control his temper.  He was not the young man