Chapter 3
Regina II
Regina decided to saddle up Rocinante and ride to see what being a wrangler actually meant. She got him ready to ride out at 8 AM and it took her about thirty minutes to arrive where all the action was. It looked like absolute chaos to her. Regina spotted the red-jacketed woman. She waited for a seeming calm in the storm, then called out to her, "Miss Swan, a word?" Regina waved her arm to be clear.
Emma turned her horse and headed for Regina a ways away from the actual wrangling. The blonde pulled Chief up alongside Rocinante and Regina, close enough to hear each other clearly. "Mornin' boss. What's up?" Emma asked, the fog coming out with every breath on this crisp fall morning.
Regina leaned toward her, "I'd like to learn about all of this," the brunette gestured to the mass of moving cattle, "if you don't mind."
Emma raised her eyebrows and smirked. Regina responded with a challenging brow raise of her own, "What?"
"Nothing, you keep surprising me is all. Can I ask what makes you want to learn the ways of the cowgirl?" Emma looked at Regina curiously.
"What can I say? Your charm has me interested," Regina responded.
Emma smiled brighter, "Well, all right. Stay behind me and keep your distance. Always have Chief and me between you two and the herd alright?" Regina nodded. "Got any questions?"
"Yes, why are you moving them?" the brunette asked.
Emma looked at the cattle and the other wranglers. Regina figured the men were more than capable of handling the herd while she borrowed Emma, as they had been without a hand up until now. Regina followed Emma's gaze: Jefferson on Hermes, Robin on Ares, and Killian on Redwing. Each pair was positioned at various points around the herd. Emma answered, "Well, it's simple. Move the cattle from this grazing area to another so we can give this one a rest and let it regrow. Plus, the cow manure will fertilize the soil. It's called rotational grazing so they don't kill a pasture from overgrazing it. It takes a couple of hours depending on the size of the herd."
"Hmm," Regina hummed thoughtfully, "That makes sense." Emma was still looking at her. Regina explained, "I wish I had asked Daniel about his work, but never did. I guess I always thought there would be time later."
Emma nodded, "I bet he was a great rancher. He made a good set up here." They looked around the land. The blonde added gently, "I do have to say, though, it's been neglected."
"Oh, how so?" Regina asked, puzzled. She had always hired decent people with plenty of experience.
"Well, they let certain things go, such as the fences," Emma said.
Regina pursed her lips, feeling short-changed. Then she looked at her new hand, "Luckily, I have you to remedy those problems."
"Lucky you do," she said confidently, "I'm great at what I do." Regina found this intriguing. She was confident in her job and knowledge. Moreover, she was a hard worker and from all accounts, a fantastic mother. She liked that in a person. "Any more questions?"
Regina narrowed her eyes at the herd and asked, "Why are there tags on the cows? To keep track of them?"
"Good question and good guess," Emma said. "Ear tags are essential for animal identification. So, the ear tag is their personal ID. They make it possible for us to identify and keep accurate records about each calf, heifer, steer, cow, and bull. The number system allows us to make records of body temperature, health and medication history, and even the composition of each cow's milk if you're milking them. We track their feeding times to their tag which prevents overfeeding," Emma paused for a moment, watching the herd.
She continued, "For some, the standard plastic ear tag has gone high tech too, automatically syncing information like the body temperature and daily movements. These ones right here are the old fashioned ones, just a simple plastic tag with a number on it, pierced in their ear exactly like an earring for a human, only permanent. When you stop and think about it, animal identification has been around for a really long time. It's vital to a ranch's success." Emma passed Regina a notebook with some of the records from this morning.
"I see," Regina said. She found all of this fascinating, Emma had given her a lot to think about.
"This is very organized. I'm impressed," she said. Regina was unaware her workers kept these kinds of records. She flipped back a few pages, to before Emma started, and there was a stark difference in the care and attention to the details. Emma was much more thorough in her documentation. Regina sighed. "If only my team would work as hard as you do, we'd be even more successful," she lamented.
"Whoa," Jefferson called out to Hermes, "Hey, Emma, Hermes and I need your help. This one is giving us trouble," he indicated a stubborn cow, "and for some reason, she's not tagged." He redirected his attention to Regina, "Howdy, Ms. Mills, glad to see you here. How are you this mornin'?" he drawled, tipping his hat.
"Fine, Jefferson. Glad to be here, I'll be observing today. Miss Swan," Regina nodded to the woman, "go about your business. I'll stay back," Regina stated.
Emma gave a quick nod, and she and Jefferson rode off to wrangle the uncooperative cow. Jefferson threw a rope and pulled her down gently. Regina watched as Emma slid off Chief. Emma called out that she had to check the cow for any brands or tags that might indicate she didn't belong to the Morningstar. "Most of the stock blend together, without the tags they are impossible to keep track of. Some of them have unique identifying features like a certain pattern or scar that might have been noted in their records. But those are not often," she explained while she finished checking the cow.
"I am pretty certain she belongs to us, but we will verify when we get back. This will be a temporary tag until we know her proper number," Emma said as she tagged her with a new number and made note of the missing tag in the records. Jefferson let the cow off the rope. Then Regina observed the two wranglers guide the cow slowly back to the herd.
"Alright," Emma called out, "let's get 'em moved gents. Ms. Mills will be observing from my 7 o'clock." All of the men nodded, Robin was positioned at the far side front, Killian at the far side rear, then Jefferson at the near side front and Emma at the near side rear, with Regina staying behind Emma and farther away.
Emma continued to call out explanations as they wrangled: the group were moving the cattle slowly so as to not spook them; each wrangler mostly stayed in their quadrant acting as walls to keep the herd moving in the desired direction; the cheekier cows that tried to break from the herd needed to be anticipated so each wrangler had to keep a close eye on their line and ride up before the cow broke out.
It was methodical and fun Regina noticed, but hard, patient work. These were big animals that needed proper attention and Regina imagined could get out of hand easily. Emma added, "Moving the herd takes a while because the active fields are large enough to host the 250 head comfortably for quite some time before we need to rotate. So it will take a few hours to get them out of this field and into the next one."
Regina watched from the distant position for about an hour before she slowly rode up to Emma's left, "I can see why these things take a couple of hours. Keep up the good work."
Emma smiled and tipped her hat. "Any time you want to learn some more, all you have to do is ask."
"Thank you. If I do, you know who I'll come to," Regina smiled back. "See you later, Miss Swan."
"See you later, Ms. Mills," Emma said. Regina didn't see the blonde watching her ride away as she still kept an eye on the herd.
Regina rode toward the overlook, her favorite spot to look at the mountains. She rolled out a blanket and removed a small bundle of fruit, nuts, cheese, and crackers from her pack. Regina enjoyed the view as she let Rocinante graze on the grass nearby. It was a beautiful crystal clear day, though a bit windy. Wyoming was always windy with its wide open plains.
After relaxing there for about a half an hour she packed up her stuff and headed back toward the stables. It took her an hour to get back as she enjoyed a slow canter using the skills Emma taught her to check out the compromises in the fence. She thought about how the new hand had quite a bit of responsibility to handle all on her own.
Regina dismounted Rocinante at the stables, and walked him to his stall. She removed the saddle and other tack so she could brush him. She fed him an apple afterward which he greedily accepted. She patted him and kissed him, "Good boy."
Regina walked back toward the entrance where the others were returning with their horses. Emma led Chief, toward his stall. "Hay, Ms. Mills," Emma joked. "Didn't expect to see you here. I thought you would have been back at the house."
Regina rolled her eyes in good humor at the bad pun, "We went for a small picnic at the overlook, the spot on the outer portions of the ranch."
"Best view of the mountains, if I remember correctly," Emma said.
"That is correct. On our way back, I noticed some of the faults in the fence line. It seems I've taken to the skills you've been teaching," Regina observed.
Regina watched as Emma worked through settling Chief in, "Hmm, yes I've finished the assessments for the horse fields and the cattle fields, so I will be starting on the repairs tomorrow after sun up, once we've spread the hay," Emma assured.
The blonde continued, "It will be a long process, I will be doing them piecemeal starting with the field we just moved the cattle to. Next will be the active horse field. The good news is none of the damages are completely worn through just yet." Emma began grooming Chief, and Regina saw her brow furrow then green eyes met hers. "Wait," the blonde began, Regina lifted her brows curiously, "so you do picnics on your own?" Emma asked.
Regina let out a little laugh, "Not on my own, Rocinante was with me."
Emma laughed, "Fair enough." Regina tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in appreciation as Emma bent over to retrieve a treat for Chief. Those jeans…, Regina thought.
"Yes, sometimes I picnic on my own," Regina expanded on the topic to redirect her attention, "It gives me time to relax and clear my head."
"Sounds nice," Emma responded as she presented Chief the treat.
"What are you going to do after this?" Regina inquired curiously.
Emma looked over at her, "Well, once they finish up with the horses Jefferson, Killian, and Robin will be heading out for their other day jobs. Then I have to run to Beckton's to pick up some more hay. I haven't checked the semis to see how they're working though so I'll have to see about that and which one will be best suited for the task."
"They can tell you," Regina offered. "They do the maintenance on the semis on the premises. Gentleman," Regina turned and called for them. They poked their heads out of the stalls. Killian was to Regina's right with Redwing, and Robin and Jefferson were across the thoroughfare with Hermes and Ares.
Regina looked at the men, "What are the conditions of the semis? Miss Swan is going to pick up some hay." Regina turned her head as Emma latched Chief's stall and joined Regina at her left.
Jefferson answered, "They're all in good condition, Ms. Mills."
"Just had a little tune-up for each of them for the upcoming auction," Robin added.
"I'd use the Dodge, Swan. Much more comfortable inside," Killian provided.
"Will do, thanks, gents," Emma said with a nod. The men all went back into their stalls to finish with the horses.
"I never looked at the individual costs, just the bottom line, and made sure we were in the black. I took the previous ranch hand's word for everything. But I'd like to know the specifics. So, how much hay will you be getting and how much does it cost?" Regina asked.
Emma answered Regina easily, "It's expensive nowadays, not like it used to be. A lot of droughts in recent years due to climate change so the hay is harder to grow. It's two-hundred-five dollars per ton. I'm loading up about twenty-five tons so that's 5,125 dollars. Since it's fall, we'll be hauling in eight trucks a day for the next ten days so we have enough for winter. We feed two and a half bales a day, so a single semi's worth lasts about a week. It's a lot, but keeps the animals fed."
"What are we looking at for the cost in total for the next ten days? I trust you found a good deal?" Regina asked. She was slightly stunned by how much it cost.
"I did. It's good hay. Good quality for our cattle, donkeys, and horses to eat. It'll cost—hold on," Emma pulled out her phone to do the calculations. Emma spoke as she typed, "Eight trucks a day at 5,125 dollars each so 41,000 dollars per day for ten days. That's 410,000 dollars total, solely for the hay."
Regina's eyes widened, mouth fell open, and brows shot up, "Good grief. That's a lot of money just for hay." She shook her head, shocked.
"Yep. It's expensive to run a ranch this size. And you gotta account for all the other expenses, the gas in the trucks, maintenance, insurance, labor costs, stuff like that," Emma said matter of fact. "But we've got the auction coming up and that should offset the costs so far and set us up for the rest of the year. Auctions are the most important event. And you've got a lot of steers to sell off."
Regina wanted to know more. "I'd like a spreadsheet on costs with their breakdowns. I've always had the basics, but I want to see where the money is going, to and from. Will you do that for me?" Regina asked.
"Sure, no problem. I'll have that for you by the end of the ten days. As well as estimates on how much we'll make at the auction," Emma stated.
"I'd also like to attend the auction with you. I might as well learn about that, too," added Regina.
"We can make that work. Well, I gotta go if I'm gonna make it there and back before dark. Good night," Emma said.
"Have a safe trip. Oh, Miss Swan, will you please drop by later and let me know that you and the hay have made it back," Regina asked.
Emma tipped her hat, "Sure thing." The blonde walked past Regina, and exited the stables.
Robin and Killian were still there, mucking out some of the stalls from the other horses who were out roaming. Regina approached them, "I have another question, gentlemen. How is Miss Swan performing so far?"
Robin took the opportunity to make his exit telling her he needed to get to his other day job and left Killian to answer her. Killian tilted his hat up and rested on his pitchfork, "She's doing alright."
"Alright? Could you be more specific?" Regina inquired.
"She's done a lot in a little time. She works hard and is settling in quick. I think she's good enough for the job," Killian stated, Regina noticed a bite to his tone.
"Hard to miss the tone, Mr. Jones. Care to explain that?" she asked him politely.
He took off his hat and breathed a heavy sigh. He seemed to be contemplating what to say. "Ma'am," he began, "I've been working here for five years. The first year was with Daniel, God rest his soul. I just thought you would have considered me as a candidate for the position instead of hiring someone you didn't know," Killian said simply.
Regina sighed and made sure Jefferson and Robin had made their exits so that no one was within earshot. "Mr. Jones, you have been a valuable asset to the operations here. I appreciate that. As for the promotion, I have my reasons for hiring Miss Swan, and I don't owe you an explanation." He looked offended but didn't say anything. She considered the year he worked for Daniel and stood a little taller, "I know I haven't given you a raise in quite some time. As such, for your hard work and dedication, we'll remedy that. Does this sound fair?"
Killian's face brightened considerably. "Fair enough. That'll do just fine. Thank you, Ms. Mills," he slipped off his work glove and extended his hand toward hers. They shook. He was an old-fashioned type of man who took handshakes as a deal struck in good faith, she was happy enough to honor this.
"Good. You'll see that reflected on your next paycheck. Have a good day," Regina turned on her heel and left for her house. Her attention was drawn to Emma pulling out of the ranch in one of the semis. Regina noted the blonde had selected the Dodge as Killian suggested. Her final thought was, how on earth could Emma drive that large beast of a vehicle?
Regina went inside and took a quick shower to wash off the day. Then she caught up on some emails, did some chores, and finally sat down to dive into a novel she'd been wanting to read. After nightfall, there was a knock at the door. Regina went to answer it.
Emma stood there, "Good evening, Ms. Mills. I'm just here to tell you that the hay is here, no hiccups."
"Ah, yes, well done. Thank you for letting me know." Regina said. Emma stood there rocking on her boots peering into the place.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Regina asked.
"Yeah, I wanted to ask you. Would you want me to teach you how to ride Western style in addition to English style? I think you'll find it more comfortable, especially on your knees and back," Emma offered.
Regina remembered the comment Emma made the other morning, but hadn't properly considered it. The idea intrigued her. She was always open to learning new things. "I'm glad you mentioned it, I would like to learn. How does tomorrow sound?"
"Great!" Emma's face lit up like she hadn't expected Regina to agree. Regina found she enjoyed surprising the blonde. "Sounds good to me, sometime in the afternoon? Say 2 PM?" Emma asked.
"Yes, that works well," Regina said. "I'll see you then, have a good evening."
"Yeah, you too. Good night," Emma said, backing away and heading off. Regina stared at her back for a minute, her blonde ponytail prominent underneath her cowboy hat, then she closed the door. Emma walked with such confidence, Regina observed.
Regina made dinner then tucked in for the night to read the book. She felt excitement at the prospect of learning to ride like a proper rancher. Regina knew it would take getting used to, but she was up for the challenge. She turned off her light, took her night meds, and fell asleep.
Regina woke up the next morning a little later than intended. She had a few calls and meetings to tend to, but for the most part, it was a light day. She went through her calls and meetings, had lunch from her meal preps, and looked at the clock. It was 1:15 PM. Regina went upstairs to put on appropriate clothing for riding, including her new boots.
Regina left the house and walked over toward the stables. The horses were neighing and she heard some of them unburden themselves in their stalls. The smell of a stable brought back memories of her childhood, the best parts of it anyway. Freedom to ride and jump obstacles in showings and dressage competitions, even winning several against steep competition. She played polo on occasion while growing up and at Berkley, and she missed that. Whenever she would travel to England, she would play, though she was rusty.
Regina entered the stables to find Emma already saddling the horses. Rocinante was saddled with the western type of saddle and headstall. Something she knew he wasn't used to, though he seemed not to mind the less constrictive structure of the headstall.
"Good afternoon, Miss Swan. I'm concerned with Rocinante not being used to the new setup," she eyed the minimal straps to his head and disconnected reins, the bulky, heavier saddle.
"He'll be fine. The important thing is his bond with you. He trusts you," she was finishing the straps on Chief.
"So, where do we begin?" asked Regina.
"Okay, so here are the basics. I'm sure you're aware of the differences between English and Western styles, correct?" said Emma.
"I just know the equipment looks vastly different, and we wear different boots. English is more for sports and showings," she said. "I never bothered to learn Western."
"Why not?" Emma asked with a curious expression on her face.
Regina explained how her mother forced her to learn English riding and competed, how she played polo and never bothered to learn otherwise. That Daniel would come to see her polo matches and dressage competitions.
"Ah, well, you'll find there's a much more relaxed sense of riding Western style. The saddle is heavier, more confining, and easier for beginner riders, not saying you're a beginner by any means of the word, I'm just saying it's easier to handle. Let me show you the differences in the headstalls," she said pointing to the leather straps attached to the Rocinante's head. "This is just a simple curb strap or curb bit headstall, very simple, notice there's no throat latch. Most importantly, the reins are separate." She showed how they were disconnected.
"What if I drop one?" Regina inquired about this flaw.
"No worries on that, I tie mine off at the top so they don't fully fall off like this," she tied it off in a loose knot at the very ends of the reins. They loosely fell down the sides. "Notice the stirrups aren't your typical English irons. They're much lower, allowing for a straighter leg and a little bend in the knee. Whereas the English, your legs are bent at nearly a 45-degree angle, not exactly comfortable in my opinion but it allows you for greater clearance of the horse when jumping and moving."
"I'm just used to it at this point," stated Regina as she eyed the longer stirrups. How could she clear the horse once it jumped? she wondered.
"Another few things to note, we have different terms for riding. There's the walk, jog, and lope. The English equivalents are the walk, trot, and canter. Following me so far?" asked Emma. Her green eyes locked on Regina's brown ones. The sunlight hit at the right spot to where they looked gorgeous and really complimented her skin and hair. She was certainly the most beautiful ranch hand she's ever had, Regina thought.
"Yes, of course I'm following. You are very thorough."
"Here, hop on him," Emma said. Regina grabbed the horn of the saddle and lifted herself up onto the saddle. She immediately noticed it was much more confining and secure to the horse. "Here's the reins, now what you want to do is hold them in one hand, preferably your left." She guided her hands and maneuvered them into position. Despite being a ranch hand working outdoors all day with her hands, Emma had surprisingly soft hands. Regina liked the feel of them. She didn't mind the contact. She felt something in her stomach though she didn't know what it was.
"Now, the thumb goes on top, and some prefer to put their index finger in between for greater control," Emma continued to touch her hands. "Here, always keep the reins centered on the neck. I know this is different from what you're used to, holding the reins in both hands to control the horse from the mouth is more constrictive. He'll love you more after this type of riding. Trust me."
"Will he get used to it?" asked Regina.
"Oh yeah, horses are smart, he'll know where you want him to go. They're highly intuitive, as I'm sure you well know," she said. She fed him a slice of an apple which he gladly accepted. "He's a good horse. Probably the best one here."
"He is. I've had him for a while now. We're bonded," said Regina, patting him on the neck.
"I noticed you keep him braided all the time. Any reason why?" asked Emma. "I mean, you're not in competitions anymore, are you?"
Regina just fingered one of the braided mane strands, "I'm just used to seeing him this way. I think it's clean and pretty for him."
"He sure does look pretty," said Emma chuckling. "Handsome boy, yeah." She addressed the horse, feeding him another slice. She led the horse and Regina outside the stables. "All right, I'm gonna get on Chief, and we'll head out. I got something to show you."
"Show me?" said Regina curiously.
"Yeah, just something minor. Don't worry about it." Emma led Chief out and climbed on him with ease. "This way."
They headed away from the pasture where the cattle were currently grazing toward the right rear of the stables. Regina found the seat to be very confining compared to the English saddle. "Is this supposed to be so confined? I feel like I'm sitting in a car seat. Though it is more comfortable with the padding."
"Yeah, it is more confining, it's safer, too," she said as she led the way to an open grazing area. "How do your legs feel?"
Regina wasn't used to the longer extension of her legs dangling down. "I can get used to it so long as I don't have to do any dressage in this way, or polo, because it would be impossible."
Emma laughed. "No, you can't. You can try, but it won't end well. Horses and the rider need to be agile for that type of riding. Let's try a little jog now, ready?"
Regina nodded and said, "Yes, that's equivalent to the trot?"
"Yes, ma'am. Let's go, come on Chief!' she clicked her mouth and kicked him just a little bit and he began to jog a bit.
Regina followed suit and Rocinante followed Emma and Chief. They rode this way for about 10 minutes. "Getting the hang of it yet, with the reins in one hand, saddle and stirrups?" said Emma.
Regina found it to be not a challenge, just different. It wasn't harder, she did find her legs and rear more comfortable. "It is strange not to hold the reins in both hands, but everything else seems to be more than fine. I don't have to stand up as much. I can sit in the saddle more, which is easier on my legs."
"Yeah, told ya. It's easier," she said. "Now, let's go for the lope, or the canter as you would call it." She clicked her heels again and Chief went into a full lope.
Regina followed suit and caught up with her as Rocinante was a faster, more agile horse than the beast of Chief. "I'm starting to get used to this though I have a strong desire to get up more but I really can't as my legs are already nearly extended."
Emma looked over at her, "You'll get used to it. Don't you worry." She looked over at an upcoming hill. "Just over that hill, I have the thing to show you."
"I don't like surprises," said Regina.
"It's not a surprise. Just want to show you what I used to do sometimes for fun and extra money. Not exactly dressage but it's the western equivalent of equestrian sport," said Emma.
They went up the hill and stopped at the top. Regina looked down to see three 55-gallon barrels set up in a triangle at the bottom. Emma smiled. "Barrel racing. Here, you stay here and I'll show you what I can do." She urged Chief forward down the small hill toward the barrels.
She started at one end and quickly got Chief into a lope and raced toward the other end at the other barrel, made a loop around it quickly, and raced to the third and made another loop. Then she went back to the first and made a few more loops to show off how easily she could handle Chief. She did variations of this for a few runs, then stopped. "Come on down!" She slightly raised her voice for Regina to hear.
Regina walked her horse down toward Emma and stopped to talk with her about what she just saw. "That was impressive."
"Yeah, it's pretty fun once you learn how to do it," said Emma. "But it takes a lot of skill and practice, and a well broken in horse. Robin told me Chief used to do barrel racing so, naturally, I chose him to show you."
"Why did you want to show me this?" said Regina. "I'm not under the impression this is a common skill in the basics of western style riding."
"It's common. Just wanted to show you there are western style sports, too. And how cool Chief is," she smiled.
"So, who invented this sport?" inquired Regina.
Emma leaned forward in her saddle toward Regina and held onto the horn. "Well, it all started with some cowgirls in a place called Parrish, Florida. In the 1930s when Faye Blackstone, a trick rider, from Parrish, was afraid of being replaced and she started showing her horsemanship skills with barrels. She began the barrel racing event with a couple of other cowgirls in 1950. Then it just took off from there."
"This whole sport was invented by women?" This flabbergasted Regina.
"Yep, women can invent stuff, too," Emma chuckled. Was there a tease in that, she wondered.
"I didn't mean it that way. Of course, I know that. Just I thought a bored cowboy would have done that," she said in response. "Such a simple, yet entertaining sport, I see."
"Yeah, setting up doesn't take much," said Emma looking at the barrels.
"Could you explain to me why you rode for certain barrels in the way that you did," she asked.
"Of course. The barrel pattern is fairly simple; there are three barrels set up in a triangular pattern and each rider must turn each barrel in a cloverleaf pattern as fast as they can. Riders may choose to run a pattern that requires one right-hand turn and two left-hand turns," said Emma.
"I see. Well, where can we see these events? I think I'd like to see one of them professionally done," said Regina. "Any near here?"
Emma leaned back as she raised an eyebrow. "You just saw a former professional do it, but I get what you mean. You want to see the competition. Yeah, sure, there are rodeos around here."
"Oh, my apologies. I didn't mean for it to come across that way," said Regina.
Emma waived her hand in dismissal. "No worries. I know what you meant." She smiled at her. "Let's ride around some more and take them to the stream down yonder for some water."
"Lead the way," said Regina. After a few minutes, "So, how did you get into barrel racing?"
"Just seemed like fun, and I got good enough at it to compete. Some extra cash on the circuit," she said.
"I can imagine the excitement. I can't wait to see a competition," said Regina. Something new involving horses always excited her.
They arrived at the stream, got off their mounts and led them to the water so they could drink. Emma leaned up against a tree and sat down against it. Regina looked at her.
"You're going to get your pants dirty," she said.
Emma shrugged. "They always get dirty. Come on, sit down. Let the horses graze a bit and we can enjoy this lovely day."
Regina hesitated, but she sat down on the grassy patch next to her, leaning back on the tree, as well.
"See, this is nice, isn't it?" said Emma.
Regina looked at the horses and the puffy clouds in the sky. "How long are we going to sit here for?"
"Got someplace to be?" said Emma.
"Not in particular," said Regina.
"Just let's give the horses a fifteen-minute break, and then we'll head out again," she said. Emma stared at the clouds too. "Look at that one. It looks like an elephant and that one looks like a wolf."
"What are you talking about?" said Regina. She was perplexed.
"The clouds. The shapes. They look like objects or animals or people sometimes. What? You've never done cloud gazing like that before?" asked Emma incredulously.
"Cloud gazing? I've never done it," said Regina.
"Looking at the clouds is an excellent way to observe nature, relieve stress, and free your imagination to see shapes in the clouds, notice your surroundings, and get grounded," explained Emma, "It can be fun and relaxing to recognize shapes in the sky like animals, people, and objects. Henry and I do it a lot when we go to the park or picnics in the summer time."
"Ah, I see," Regina squinted and could see what she was saying. "Yes, they do look like an elephant and wolf. And that one looks like a woman."
"Nice catch. See how relaxing this is," said Emma.
Regina did feel relaxed, even though she knew her jeans were dirty now, but she didn't mind after a few minutes. That's what washing machines were for anyhow. After fifteen minutes, Emma got up and extended her hand to Regina. "Time to go." Regina took her hand, got up, and dusted herself off. They walked over to their horses and climbed back on. They rode the half hour back to the stables and led the horses back into their stalls.
"How was the western style for you today?" asked Emma.
"It was surprisingly more comfortable than I originally thought," said Regina.
"Good. We're one step closer to getting you to be a proper cowgirl," she winked and smirked. Regina found that slightly endearing.
"Indeed," she removed the saddle and padding.
They worked on their horses until they were cleaned up, brushed, and watered.
Emma decided to feed the rest of the horses and water them, so Regina left her to it and went back home to shower and change for her therapy appointment with Dr. Archie Hopper.
She parked outside his office and went inside.
"Welcome, Regina. I hope you are doing well," he greeted.
"I'm doing as well as I can be," she said. She sat down in her usual spot on the couch and got comfortable.
"So, tell me, what's been going on since our last session? Anything in particular you want to talk about?"
"Not much, other than I'm learning more about ranching from my new ranch hand," she said.
"Oh, that's interesting. You've never expressed a desire to do that before," he said. "What prompted this change?"
Regina pondered on this for a minute. "I guess I needed…something different. I'm finally learning about my ranch and how it works. My ranch hand is quite good."
"Ah, excellent. What makes them so good?" he asked.
"She's knowledgeable, passionate, experienced, and charming," said Regina. "She has an adorable son, too."
"Sounds like you found the perfect replacement for the previous ranch hand," said Archie. "So, would you like to discuss your nightmares? Are they still ongoing or are the medications helping with that?"
Regina frowned. "I do not wish to discuss Daniel, my mother, or sister, or my nightmares. But yes, the medications are helping with my sleep and night terrors. Lately, I haven't had any at all, come to think of it."
"I didn't mean to bring them up, it's just usually we do discuss them in our sessions," he said.
"I know, apologies for biting your head off regarding that. I just don't want to today," she said sincerely. She felt bad that she snapped at him for no reason. What made her do that?
He made a note in his notebook and looked back up at her. "So, let's discuss the newfound interest in ranching then, and your new ranch hand. Do you get along well?"
Regina rubbed her hands together. "Yes, we do. Very well in fact. She's everything I could ask for in an employee. She puts the others to shame."
"How so?"
"She's dedicated, hardworking, juggles being a single parent with the responsibilities of an entire ranch, handles with grace the other workers who can be quite difficult at times. They're roughneck men, you know the type. She's just great," she said with a smile tugging at her mouth.
Archie furrowed his eyebrows. "Seems like you've spent a lot of time with her. Have you?"
Regina told him about the boot shopping, fence repairs, wrangling session, and western-style horseback riding lessons. His eyes shot up several times and especially at the last bit and this puzzled Regina. "She gave you, an expert at riding, lessons?"
"Western style, there's a difference between the two," she said.
"And did any other ranch hands ever offer? Would you even have taken them up on the offer of riding lessons?" he inquired.
Regina stared at him. "Of course not."
"Then why her?" he asked.
Regina didn't know why. She just stared at him then threw something out there, "My curiosity finally piqued, and she offered, so I accepted the opportunity to learn something new."
"Then you went cloud gazing beneath a tree," he said.
"Yes, it was harmless enough. I trust she wouldn't take me to some remote spot to murder me," she barked with a laugh. "Why are you so interested in what we did?"
"Just that you're opening up to a new person. This is a good step, Regina," he said. "Your grief regarding Daniel left you very closed off. She's helping you out of that it seems. And you said the word trust. You trust her with your safety."
Regina thought about this after the session while she headed to Granny's for dinner with Kathryn. She did feel more content than usual and she let Emma take the reins so to speak, she thought. She never really did that. Something about her presence and affect had a noticeable impact on her. She wasn't sure what it was, but she could feel the difference, now that Archie pointed it out. \
Kathryn was calmly waiting for her at Granny's Diner. She stood up and embraced Regina with a wide smile. "Regina, so good to see you. It's been a month since I've seen your face."
They sat down in the booth. "You talk to me every day," Regina chuckled.
"That's not the same as being with you in person," she said. "So, how was the horseback riding lesson today?"
"It was interesting," and Regina recounted the day's events to Kathryn, who grew more and more interested by the second. "So, I think I may prefer Western style now," she finished.
Kathryn sat back and just observed Regina for a few moments too long.
"What?" Regina asked her, now puzzled by her best friend's expression and silence.
"Well, now I know why you've been in a happier mood," she finally said.
"And why is that? That I'm finally learning about the ranching business that I own," said Regina.
She leaned forward and said, "I think we have a Mal problem here, but in a much better way."
Regina's mouth fell open. What on earth was she talking about, she thought. "Mal? What does she have to do with any of what I just told you?"
"Sometimes these things just go right over your head," she said, chuckling. "And God, I love you for it."
"Either go on and explain what you are talking about, or we table this discussion," said Regina.
Kathryn raised her hands in defense, "I didn't mean to offend, I'm just saying that you kinda had the same thing with Mal back in college."
"What? Mal and I were complicated. This has nothing to do with learning how to ride a horse or barrel racing or anything I did today," said Regina who was now getting positively frustrated with her best friend.
"Okay, look. I think you might admire one another, totally innocent, of course. Does that make sense?" she said.
Regina stared at her. "But Mal?"
"Nevermind. Forget I said that," she said quickly, waving her hand as if to swat away a fly. "I just think you like this ranch hand a lot more than any other worker you've ever had, and I think that it's making you happier."
Regina thought on this for a second. "I am fond of her, certainly admire her work ethic and determination."
"See, you like her as a person. I think all the others you don't care for as people," said Kathryn.
"Of course, I like people. What an awful thing to say."
Kathryn had an expression of serious doubt etched on her face, "Seriously, Regina."
Regina shifted in her seat. "Okay, fine. I'm not particularly fond of many people, so count yourself lucky."
"Oh, I do, because you're such a wonderful person, and I wouldn't trade you for the world," said Kathryn with such sincerity, "Now, this Miss Swan is getting to see you for who you are, too."
"I suppose that's true. I am more open with her," said Regina.
"Just don't shut down like you sometimes do, just go with the flow. Maybe she'll actually become your friend," she said.
"It's nice to be friends with an employee," said Regina. She could count on one hand how many actual friends she had in her life. The vast swath of acquaintances numbered in the thousands with her family's company, her company, and her charity work forcing her to meet and interact with many people. However, close friends were few and far between. Maybe Emma could, over time, become a friend as well.