It had been snowing lightly for the past three days, fortunately there had been little accumulation so far. It was time to move cattle down to the lower pastures where the snow would be lighter and they'd be more sheltered from the winter weather.
Anicka had just removed a French toast casserole topped with blueberries from the oven, she wanted to send the cowboys off with a hot breakfast. She started pulling plates and silverware from the cupboard, along with the coffee mugs. The hands would be ready for their breakfast soon.
Rip walked in and said, "Got a cup for me?"
"Sure," she answered, "Have you eaten yet? I made one of their favorites and I have some bacon warming. "
He was about to say, "No, I already ate," but he got a whiff of the casserole that sat on the counter. "Well, I guess I could have a little, it smells really good." Beth may have be John Dutton's daughter, but she could burn water, it was a good thing they had Gator to do the cooking.
She poured him a cup of coffee and spooned some of the casserole onto a plate which she handed to him. "Find a seat, there's butter and syrup on the table. I'm going to pull the bacon out so have some of that too."
The cowboys sat down and began to eat. When Rip cleared his plate he said, "Okay, we're moving the cattle to winter pastures today. Ryan, how's Amy's riding coming along?"
"Well, she had a foundation, so she's improved. I've even been teaching her to rope, though she needs more practice with that. Are you going to have her come with us today, boss?
"Lloyd, can you look after her? I hate to have you play babysitter but if you can get her going on the basics, she might make a hand." Rip looked at Lloyd to see his reaction.
Fortunately, Lloyd liked her. "Sure, boss, I'll have her chasing cows, nothing to it if you're willing to make the effort."
"What about my chores, Rip? Those stalls won't clean themselves." Secretly she was thrilled at the thought of being with the cowboys, but she was conscientious about her work.r
"You can spend half the day with the hands, then the other half getting your work done. This is just to see how you do. You have to earn the right to ride with the cowboys. You show me that you can do it, and I'll make you into a hand. It's hard work, if it was easy everyone would do it."
Excited, she hurried through her breakfast and left her dishes in the sink. It wasn't her turn to wash them anyway. Ryan told her she'd need her long underwear since she wasn't used to the cold yet. She hated wearing hats, but she was grateful that her hat was warm. She put on a pair of warm gloves and followed Ryan outside.
He picked out a horse for her, a small bay with a white streak down his muzzle. "His name is Little Joe, He's real cowy and knows more about working cattle than you ever will. He's not young, but he's smart. If you're not sure what to do, he'll let you know. Someone will give a yell if you're not on the right track. We do a lot of yelling around her, so don't take it personally."
Lloyd was a big help, she did everything he told her and when she made a mistake he helped her correct it.
"Only way you'll learn," he told her, "Do it wrong, then learn to do it right. My pappy was part Shoshone, he had a saying, 'Slow to learn, slow to forget'. He was a good cowhand and when I grew up I wanted to be just like him."
She wished she were wearing chaps, but the long underwear helped. Ryan hadn't thought about them, but if she were allowed to go out with them a second time, she'd be sure to ask.
They came back to the bunkhouse around lunchtime to warm up and grab some lunch. She made a fresh pot of coffee, but the hands took care of feeding themselves. She kept loaves of bread and deli meat in the fridge so they could make themselves nutritious sandwiches. She noticed that Rip did not eat with them but had gone back up to the house.
"His gal pal is home today, I'm surprised she even lets him go to work sometimes. She's real jealous, that one is, she has her claws hooked into him good and tight." Teeter had a wicked smile on her face.
"Surprised she doesn't make him wear a sign that says 'Property of Beth Dutton' ", Laramie added, and they laughed.
She was back to her peace and quiet in the afternoon as she cleaned the barn. It had been fun to be out with the hands, but the barn seemed like her own private world, and she liked it that way.
Kayce came in, brushing the snow off his jacket. "So, you get to stay inside where it's warm," he said and smiled.
"Well, I was out with the hands this morning, guess I'm going to be taught to be a hand. Ryan forgot to fit me with some chaps, though, and my legs got kind of cold, but it was fun. I know it's hard work but is okay to say that I enjoyed it? I've never done anything like this before."
"Well, it can be fun," Kayce hitched up his horse then pulled off the saddle. "Someone might tell you it's hell, someone else might tell you it's the best job in the world and neither one would be lying. Are you going out tomorrow?"
"Um, yes. Rip said he could tell how hard I was trying and that my riding would get better. He doesn't give out too many compliments."
Kayce laughed, "No, he doesn't, and when we were young he didn't hesitate to tell me he was better than I was and would always be. If he's being nice to you and doesn't yell too much, then he's thinking about making you a hand. How do you feel about that?"
"I don't think I'd mind, but it's a lot warmer in here." She gave him a little smile.
He laughed at that, "Just make sure that Ryan remembers to outfit you with some chaps. Say, is there any coffee in the bunkhouse?"
"Yeah, I put it in a thermos so it would get burned sitting on the burner. There's stuff for sandwiches, too, if you're hungry." She looked at him, hoping he would stay.
"Nah, coffee will be just fine, I need something to take the chill off. Congratulations of your first experience with the cows, and make sure to wear chaps next time." He walked out of the barn and her heart was in her eyes as she watched him.
She had chicken and dumplings simmering in the slow cooker when the cowboys returned. She'd cleaned the bunkhouse, and decided to wash the dishes, there would be more after dinner.
Ryan put his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. She felt a little embarrassed, but it seemed to be common knowledge now that she was his girl. She didn't know how she felt about that, but pining after a married man would do her no good. Ryan was attractive, kind, thoughtful, and he could make her laugh. Their lovemaking had been awkward at first, but she was growing used to him. She just hated sleeping in his small bunk, and their surreptitious lovemaking in the dark.
He encouraged her, too, when she was out with the cowboys. He'd see her make a mistake then help her correct it. He taught her how to wear spurs and use them correctly and she no longer saw it as being cruel to the horse. He called them "encouragers" and she understood why cowboys used them.
She'd never been a good rider but that hadn't kept her from enjoying it. Her skills had improved enough that she was no longer afraid to chase after a cow that was straying from the herd.
At night she'd receive claps on the back and words of encouragement, and it made her feel good. She was fitting in at last.
She had to remind herself why she was here. She enjoyed being the bunkhouse cook but that was not she was here for, she was here to find out what happened to her brother.
She decided to coax Ryan into taking her to town again. When he told her he didn't have the spare cash she told him, "I do." He didn't know about her safety deposit box with the cash that her mother and Ramon had given her, or the letters or copies of the texts he had sent. No matter how she grew to trust him she would never let him know.
They went to the same little hotel and deposited their things before heading to the steak house. At dinner she encouraged him to drink, but not drink too much, she needed him to talk. When he drank a couple of shots with his beer, she didn't discourage him as long as he could stand up and escort her around the dance floor.
When they got back to the hotel they made a roaring fire, big enough to warm the room. Ryan was starting to get amorous, but she was afraid that once they made love he'd fall asleep and she would lose the opportunity to ask him questions."
She cuddled up to him as they sat in front of the fire, then took her chance. "Ryan, is there any chance that there's proof that my brother was at the ranch. Like papers he'd have had to fill out, or maybe they still have his check if he never picked it up. Or at least a check register with his name in it?"
"Huh?" this was not what Ryan had expected. A night of lovemaking, yes, and maybe breakfast in the morning before they took off, but not this.
"Why are you asking me this?" his head was muddled but he could think clearly enough.
"Because I've been here for almost three months and I'm no closer to learning what happened than I was when I first got here. He was my brother, I loved him, and I've always wondered what happened. When's the last time you had a loved one disappear into thin air? The Yellowstone is the last address I have for him, and you even said you had a Mexican kid there who disappeared after a week and never picked up his check," she wailed.
"Look, I don't keep track of the paperwork, neither does Rip. John Dutton, or Beth, write all the checks and the register is kept in his office in the house. I don't go in the house and even if I did how would I get into his office? His desk is kept locked and the front door has an alarm so there's no way you could get in without someone knowing."
She rested her chin on her hand. "I can pick just about any lock, but I can't get past a door alarm. Is there any other way into the house?"
"Are you telling me you'd break into the house and try to ransack his office? What is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong is I'm trying to find out what happened to my brother. You don't know what this had done to my family. I lost my father, then I lost my brother, he didn't even come to the funeral—how do you think that felt? I have to live with it every day." She was crying now and didn't try to stop it.
Oh wow, thought Ryan, what have I gotten myself into? I can't say that I'd feel any differently if it were me, but I work for this ranch and the Duttons. How can I help her when there's no way that I can. What if they…
The train station, what if, no I can't think that. We had a couple of rough guys who were working for us then, maybe they…
"Look, sweetheart," he said, "Maybe you should talk to Rip and tell him who you are and why you came. Rip might know or may have heard something."
"Or he might kick me off the ranch and then I'll never know. I promised Mom I'd try and find him. Benito was her favorite, but we all loved him. Ryan, I can't rest until I find out something, people just don't disappear."
Ryan could see she was winding up and he wanted to calm her down. "I'll see what I can do, but I may not be able to help. Just give me time, he's been gone a year, right?" She nodded her head. "Well, just be patient, give me a chance. There may be something I know that I don't know I know. Can we make love now, please?"