Kathryn pulled back on Vaquero's reins, her eyes scanning the landscape before her. It truly was beautiful country. Hearing a small yip she looked down to see Raphael staring expectantly up at her. She reached down to pet the grey wolf.
"It's alright boy. If they don't accept you, they don't accept me and we move on. You'll forgive me though if I'm hoping we get to stay this time." Kathryn assured him.
Clucking at Vaquero, she squeezed her legs urging him on, hopefully, to a new and better life.
"Come on now Heath! Stay with him! You almost have him!" Nick hollered.
Jarrod chuckled. "That's what we were saying to you not five minutes ago…"
Nick whipped his head around to glare heatedly at his brother. "How 'bout you give him a try?! You'd probably be thrown in two seconds!"
Jarrod threw his hands up in surrender. "No offense meant Brother Nick."
Nick scoffed. "Ah hah…" He opened his mouth to protest further when a cry rent the air. Finding the source Nick burst out laughing.
Heath approached the fence, fire sparking from his eyes. "Not, a, word, Nick."
"Well, if Nick can't say anything I will. You, um, have a little something well… all over your face." Jarrod stated, holding out a towel to a beyond angry Heath. Heath swiped the towel irately and began scrubbing harshly, cleaning the horse dung from his face.
Jarrod sighed tiredly. "We need that horse broken. If not…"
"Yeah, yeah, we know. Well… I guess I'm up again." Nick stated, slapping his hat against his leg crossly.
"I figure you need a break, before you break something, namely your bones. So, how about this, I break that stallion of yours, you give me a job."
"Who the…" Nick roared, turning around and stopping dead at the woman seated on the paint stallion, an amused smile on her face, leaning forward on her elbows. Her oval face was framed by dark copper golden blonde wavy hair with a few actual curls. And her eyes, those almond shaped eyes… As blue as the sky on a sunny, cloudless day. But if you looked closely there were flecks of gold sprinkled, and there were hints of green like new grass and grey that resembled a pale blue.
Jarrod hid his smile as Nick stood there, his mouth hanging open. "Uh, Brother Nick, you're going to be eating flies soon if you don't close that trap of yours."
Nick snapped his mouth shut with a glare at Jarrod's amused smile.
Jarrod tilted his head. "You still haven't replied to the young lady's deal."
Turning his attention back to her he stuttered. "Oh, uh, na, na, no. A fragile, delicate thing like yourself you, you could get hurt."
The newcomer glared at him and with a determined look slowly dismounted and strode gracefully into the pen.
"Now, just wait a minute!" Nick yelled as he took a step forward, but stopped when she easily swung herself up on to the stallion's bareback. The horse began to rear and buck and neigh something fierce.
"She better hold on tight. That ain't a horse. It's a devil."
Kathryn clenched her fists in the stallion's hair, holding on tight. She had too. She wasn't going to let this chance slip on by.
Jarrod, Nick, and Heath leaned forward on their elbows, against the fence, watching as the woman held fast and stayed seated.
"Well, by my reckoning that little lady has stayed on that stallion longer than the both of you combined…"
"But she hasn't broken it yet Jarrod and THAT was the deal. Broken stallion equals job. NOT stay on longer than me and Heath here and get the job." Nick stated emphatically.
Heath hid his smile. He knew that look of determination. Nick had himself a new hand.
He just didn't know it yet.
Well, now he did.
The newcomer pulled back on the horse's mane and slowly trotted it over to stand in front of them. She dismounted and the stallion stayed put. She grabbed a length of rope and constructing a makeshift bridal slid it over the docile horse's head and handed the end to Nick who snatched it angrily from her hands.
"So, sir, is there a bed open for me in the bunkhouse?"
Nick ground his teeth together in frustration. "I'll find you one. After all, a deal's a deal. And I stick by my deals."
She beamed proudly and putting two fingers to her lips gave a shrill whistle. A cloud of dust arose from the hills as she knelt to one knee.
"Nick… is that a…"
"It sure is Pappy. It sure is… Now Miss…"
"Kathryn, Kathryn Quinn." She introduced herself, extending her hand for a handshake.
Nick didn't take it. "Miss Quinn, that… mutt is not allowed here."
Said mutt growled threateningly. "Raphael, silencio!" Kathryn admonished the grey wolf. When she returned her gaze to Nick he noticed her eyes had turned ice grey. "Sir, I thought we had a deal and I thought you stuck to your deals."
Nick growled. "Don't you DARE use my own words against me!"
"Sir… I've slept under the stars for most of my life. I can still do it. It still holds appeal to me. All I need is a job."
Nick looked to Jarrod who ducked his head to hide his smile and to Heath whose smile was evident as he gave his trademark slight nod of his head in approval.
Nick sighed heavily. "Fine. Work is at six. Be here for roll call. And uh… leave the canine behind."
Kathryn rubbed Raphael behind his ears as Jarrod, Nick, and Heath walked away.
"We found it boy. We found our home."
"Nicholas, are you alright? You haven't touched any of your food." Victoria observed.
"Wha? Oh, no, no, I'm alright." Nick replied, snapping his gaze up.
Audra smiled demurely. "I do believe there is something on Nick's mind."
"Not something, someone." Jarrod replied with a broad grin.
Victoria smiled broadly as well. "Oh, who? And do we know her?"
As Heath chuckled Nick huffed. "Now Mother…"
There was a sudden cry from outside. "Help! We need help out here!"
Everyone rose from the table and rushed from the room.
Kathryn combed her fingers through her hair, growling at its thickness, coarseness, and waviness. After that wild ride on that stallion, it was a mess. The only blessing was that her underlayer was straight hair, her curse was that it tended to frizz easily and it was SO resistant when she tried styling it.
She kept working at it until she heard a cry for help. She quickly put her hair up in a loose ponytail and ran.
"Ooo… it's… it's hurting real bad…"
"Stay still John. We sent someone for Doctor Merar. He should be here soon." Victoria soothed.
"Ma'am, may I?" Kathryn inquired, approaching the group surrounding the man who was holding his right arm, blood pouring through his fingers.
Victoria stood up and stepped back. Kathryn knelt down and examining the wound turned to Victoria and asked, "Can you get me a bowl of water and clean bandages? Also, I see you have golden rod and sunflower growing by your garden. Could you grab me a few stalks of each?"
Victoria nodded and headed toward the house.
"And just what do you think YOU'RE doing?!" Nick demanded.
Kathryn didn't look at him as she answered, "Putting something on the wound until the doctor arrives and can fix him up right."
At that moment Victoria came back. She knelt down placing everything in front of Kathryn. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Kathryn looked at Victoria and with a small smile and a nod told her, "Can you start unrolling those bandages?"
As Victoria began her task Kathryn took out her knife and started cutting up the golden rod stalks and placing them in the water. "You know, this isn't actually the worst wound I've ever seen. That one was in the side and bleeding at least twice as worse and this salve worked just fine until a doctor could be found."
Mixing the salve with her knife she spread it on the bandages like bread on butter and with an encouraging smile, gently wrapped it around the wound.
After tying it off she inquired, "How does it feel?"
John stared in shock at his arm. "It… it feels… why that feels mighty nice."
Kathryn smiled as she stood up and dusted off her hands. "I'm mighty pleased to hear that. Now, I figure you're a coffee drinking man but if I get you something for the pain, will you take it?"
John hesitantly nodded his head in acquiesce.
Kathryn looked to Victoria, "Could you direct me towards the kitchen. I need to boil some water."
Victoria opened her mouth to reply when Jarrod beat her to the punch. "This way Miss Kathryn."
Victoria and Audra his their smiles as Kathryn followed Jarrod, and Nick and Heath followed them both.
As Kathryn cut the stalks of the sunflowers and crushed the petals to put into the tea strainer Jarrod, Nick, and Heath stood around the kitchen, each with their arms and ankles crossed and leaning up against the wall.
"Tea? Men don't drink tea…" Nick growled.
Kathryn smiled. "It's my special tea though. I bet I'll have him asking for more."
Nick smiled. "A bet it is then. Since you just started here… half a week's pay sound fair enough?"
Kathryn shook her head. "I'm not a betting woman." Pouring a mug of the sunflower tea she walked back out the way they had come in.
Kathryn plucked a canteen from her saddlebag. She poured a small amount into the mug and using her finger, stirred it in.
Kneeling down in front of the ranch hand she offered him the coffee mug.
John sniffed the mug in his hands before cautiously taking a sip. He looked at her with surprise in his eyes before gulping the drink down.
Nick's eyes widened in surprise as Kathryn stood to her feet.
John looked sadly down at his empty mug. "Miss? When I go to the doctor he tells me to drink all my medicine up. Is… is this all there is?"
Nick's mouth dropped open in shock.
Kathryn bit her lip to hide her smile. "Sorry, there's none left."
John's mouth pouted.
Nick growled as he angrily dug out his wallet. Almost ripping it in his anger to open it he dug out a few bills and grabbing Kathryn's hand, slapped them into her palm. She looked at them in confusion. "Sir?"
"Half a week's pay."
"But I'm not a betting woman."
"Consider it as payment for services rendered." Jarrod soothed.
"The doc's here!" A shout rang out.
"And that's my cue to leave. If you'll excuse me, I have my campsite to set it up."
The doctor replaced the bandage and retied it.
"And what did you say she used?"
Victoria's look was one of contemplation. "I got her stalks of golden rod and sunflower. She used the golden rod for the salve."
"And she used the sunflower for the tea she gave to him." Heath supplied.
The doctor nodded his head. "He needs to be moved into the house so I can stitch this up but… she very possibly saved his life. He would have lost a lot of blood by the time I arrived."
Nick slapped his hat against his leg. "How about that…" He angrily stalked away.
"Nick! Nicholas! Where are you going?" Victoria called out after him.
"To see where that little minx is setting up her campsite."
"Campsite? Now wait a minute Nicholas Jonathon Barkley, you get back here right now and tell me who she is." Victoria ordered sternly.
Jarrod smiled. "She is the someone who was occupying Nick's thoughts at dinner mother. She also happens to be our new employee."
Victoria gave Nick a searching glance, her hands on her hips. "Is she now? And how did that happen?"
"She broke that stallion that was abusing Nick and Heath all afternoon." Jarrod informed her gleefully. With a venomous look at his brother's back, Nick huffed and turning on his heel, stalked off.
"We'll be back soon." Jarrod told Victoria, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Heath gave her one as well before they took off after Nick.
Kathryn snapped out her bed roll and grabbing her saddle bag placed it as a makeshift pillow. Standing back up, she tended to her campfire.
Raphael, who had been lounging in enjoyment, rolled to his haunches and snarled.
Kathryn grabbed her quiver and notching an arrow to her horsebow hid behind the tree where she had set out her bedroll.
Fingering the fletching she watched as Raphael stood to his paws and started barking at the darkness.
"Alright you d**n mutt, it's just me. Now quiet down before I do something I'll regret."
"And that'd be different from any other day how Brother Nick?"
"Shut up Jarrod."
Kathryn stepped out from behind the tree, still holding her bow and arrow to the string. "To what do I owe this unexpected surprise? I can't be fired already. I haven't even started work yet."
Nick's ashamed gaze was directed at the ground. "The doc, well, he said that, you, you possibly saved John's life. And, well, I was wondering… what did you put in that tea that made it so delicious?"
"Nick!"
"What?" Nick innocently asked Jarrod with an angelic look on his face.
Jarrod's expression was apologetic. "I'm sorry. He's incorrigible."
Kathryn waved it away. "It's quite alright. My secret ingredient is nothing more than a mixture of honey, peach and apple extract."
Nick kneeled down to examine her saddle bag. "If I didn't know any better, I would say this is a Barkley peach." He stated suspiciously, holding said peach.
Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Bought and paid for in Colorado. When I took a bite I knew where we would try our luck next, for anything that tasted that good had to come from soil rich with God's blessing."
Jarrod chuckled. "You're as sweet as your secret ingredient."
Kathryn smiled shyly.
"Say, I bet I could find you a bed in the bunkhouse. What do you say?" Nick asked.
Kathryn shook her head. "Thanks kindly for the offer but… I stick with Raph. And we sorely need the job."
"What is it with you and the lobo?" Heath inquired, nodding at the snarling wolf.
Kathryn placed her hand upon his head, instantly soothing him. "When I became an orphan it was in the dead of winter. I was on my own. Freezing, starving, and one day I come across one of my traps. In it there was a wolf. I think to myself, fur and meat. Then I hear this yipping. I follow it until I stumble across a den. There are many tracks around it and entering it and when I peered inside, there was this little mongrel huddled in there. Of course he growled and snarled when I first approached him but when I hid his mangled body in what was left of my coat well… he just, snuggled. He's been with me ever since. Ever since his wounds healed he's been my protector. And now we both have a family in each other."
Jarrod nodded his head in understanding. "Hence the name Raphael."
Kathryn cocked her head, an amused smile dancing across her features. "You know what it means?" She inquired.
Jarrod nodded his head in acknowledgment. "One of the many things college teaches you."
When silence reigned Nick cleared his throat. "Well, for those of us who didn't attend, what DOES Raphael mean mister one of the many things college teaches you?"
Jarrod rolled his eyes. "Hardy har har. And in answer to your question, Raphael means God has healed."
Kathryn almost yawned, but quickly quelled it. "If you men will excuse me, I've been traveling for some time and I'm plumb tired." Indicating Nick she informed him. "I'll see you at six."
Nick tipped his hat to her. "Six it is then."
As Raphael snuggled close to her side on the bedroll, Kathryn gazed up at the stars. "I know this seems silly Raph but… the stars seem brighter here."