Since it was going be an early morning Gator set out dinner around for the guests at five o'clock. When he fed a large number of people in a casual setting he kept things simple, this time it was his old standard barbeque. Brisket, chicken, ribs, along with coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans were soon filling the stomachs that would be spending the next few days empty.
Travis ate with the Duttons leaving Anicka with her fellow members of the bunkhouse. She preferred this to eating in the "big house" as she called it. These people were her friends, they had stood by her, but she didn't know what to do about Ryan. Travis was here, Travis was openly claiming her, making it clear that she was his. She didn't know how she felt about it, so she left it for the moment.
After dinner he and Rip came back to the corrals, overseeing the preparations. Horses would be saddled in the morning, but they wanted to make sure the guests had someplace to bed down. Some slept in their trailers on beds of straw and didn't mind, others desired a place to sleep they felt was more
Travis found her and took her hand. "C'mon," he said, "I'm sleeping in the miner's cabin tonight so we can have a little more privacy." He didn't wait for her response, but lifted her onto the ATV, then got on and roared up to the small but comfortable cabin that was a ways from the barn.
He locked the door behind them. "Let's take a shower," he said, "there won't be time in the morning, we're going to be up before dawn." He began to remove his clothes, so she did the same. Travis could be like a whirlwind, it was easier to let herself be carried along with it than fight it.
The shower was just big enough for two people. She stepped under the steaming water, enjoying the way the water felt, then Travis's hands found her. He was soaping her down, pouring shampoo on her hair and she had to admit she liked the way his hands felt as they moved over her body. He lathered her hair and then cupped her breasts in his hands, sliding his way down until he gently slid his fingers inside her.
Convinced she was ready for him, he pushed himself inside her, gentle at first then growing more insistent. She braced herself against the wall, allowing herself to respond and move with him. You fucker, she thought, what is it you do to me anyway?
He held her more tightly, then climaxed, resting against her. Out of the blue he said, "We better finish before the water gets cold," almost spoiling the mood until she remembered cold showers in the bunkhouse. She nodded her agreement.
It felt good to sleep in his arms in a real bed, instead of Ryan's cramped bunk. As she drifted off to sleep she wondered what would be waiting for her in Texas. She wondered why he was taking her in—Travis had lots of women, she'd seen them crowd around him. Was she a charity, a favor that he was doing her? Did he really want her to live with him? What did he want from her anyway? Travis was a confirmed bachelor, and she didn't really see him changing his ways.
She barely heard the alarm go off when Travis shook her awake. "Come on," he said, "I'm going to check on our horses then I'll see you at breakfast. Wear layers, stuff you can take off when it gets warm, but it's going to be cold at night. Remember, you'll be wearing the same clothes for three days, so make sure you're comfortable."
He drove her to the bunkhouse, and she got dressed, remembering his advice. The morning was cold, and the nights would be colder, but it warmed up during the day, it might even be sunny.
She avoided Ryan's eyes, she was sure he thought she had betrayed him, and he was probably right. How could she explain her attraction to Travis when she didn't even understand it herself? Travis was cocky and arrogant, but at the same time he seemed to know how to treat her. Ryan acted as though the cure to getting over her trauma was to hook up with him when she didn't want to be tied to anyone. Travis appeared to understand how she felt.
The crew ate the generous breakfast Gator provided, then left the bunkhouse and mounted their horses. She pulled her mare from the stall and led her out into the darkness of the early morning then swung up in the saddle and waited with the rest of the crew.
Travis came riding up to her, "You," he said, "Come with me. I want you to observe what I do and follow me. By the time we get back you'll have improved your skills. You're going to be learning skills today that will help you in the future."
She looked at the bunkhouse crew and shrugged her shoulders then rode off with him. She could hear Laramie saying, "I don't like the way he bosses her around. She does a good job, and she's had a lot of practice." Teeter just shrugged her shoulders.
She found herself with the Duttons, and some friends of theirs. Beth was sitting on her horse looking haughty, looking like she was doing them a favor even being there. She didn't know what the attraction was between her and Rip. There were times she didn't like him, but he was a good ranch manager and knew his stuff. He and Travis seemed to be friends, and she didn't understand that either, except both seemed to be natural leaders.
Beth epitomized the spoiled, entitled city girl. She could ride well enough, but she didn't seem to respect her surroundings. When they pulled up to enjoy the sight of the sun coming up, Beth acted like they were wasting her time. Her father chided her, gently, about not appreciating the beauty that was around her, but Beth seemed indifferent.
Anicka wanted to say something, but Travis put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Okay, she thought, you want to be a bitch, Beth, then be a bitch. I just wish you were doing it somewhere else and not with us.
Anick knew that the Yellowstone was one of the biggest ranches in the state, but she had no idea what that actually meant. The ranch seemed to go on forever and they still hadn't spotted any cows. She wondered if all of this would be for nothing when one of the party spotted a small group of steers went after them.
As they rode on, more of the cattle could be seen and people were splitting off from the main group to go after them. Travis tilted his head to the side, signally that she should follow him, and they took off to hunt for cattle on their own.
Travis pulled up and stopped, "What do cattle need?" he quizzed her, and she replied, "Grass, water, and shelter."
"Good," he replied, "Now I'm going to teach you how to find them." He seemed to follow a path that only he could see and soon they came on a group of cows with their calves. She watched as he approached them at an angle and carefully flushed them out of the thicket where they had been hiding.
He gestured to her with his hand, and she followed him, staying on the cattle. There would be more, and the trick was to keep guiding the ones they'd found while looking for others. Travis was good at this, and she couldn't help but admire his skill.
The area they were working was wide, and they ran into others and began to work together. She loved to watch cowboys work and had to remember that she needed to be working, too. They found a large group grazing in a clearing and pushed the ones they found in with them.
"The more we find today the easier it will be tomorrow," Travis told her, "It's always nice to get home earlier than later." She definitely agreed with that.
Whether it was luck, or the skill of the cowhands, the majority of the cattle had been rounded up by late afternoon. The found a meadow with grass and water and surrounded by hills so it would be easy to keep them confined overnight.
Someone lit a fire and kept adding to it until it was at least six feet in height. It would provide warmth until it burned down, and was appreciated by the hands who would have no more than their jackets to keep them warm. "Cold backs," Travis had told her, but they'd each brought a blanket, Travis wanted to make sure he kept her warm.
The hands sat around talking, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Fatigue overcame the desire to stay awake and many were reluctant to leave the comfort of the fire and the heat it would generate until it died out.
"Come with me," said Travis and took her hand. He led to a spot away from the rest where he'd used their blankets to make a bed on top of some fragrant ferns. He pulled back one of the blankets and she crawled in and lay on her side, exhausted.
"Now, I didn't bring you here so you could go to sleep, at least not right away," he spoke softly in her ear, "Unless you really are too tired."
"Never," she responded and he rolled her onto her stomach and pulled down her jeans.
His hands moved over her ass and thighs, then slid under her jacket and found her breasts. His touch was arousing her and now it didn't' seem to matter that she was tired. She could hear him unfasten his belt and his jeans and soon he was inside her.
Their coupling was brief, but they needed to sleep. There'd be no more nooky until they got back. She was both a little self-conscious and a little giddy at the thought of what they were doing so close to the wranglers. She slept better than she thought she would, and they both woke up as the sun rose.
Horses were being untied from the picket line and saddled. Bridles jingled and horses whickered as everyone got ready to hunt the last of the cattle and drive them to the holding pens. Maybe a few of the wranglers hadn't slept so well but everyone was in a good mood since their task was almost finished. The thought of a hot meal and a shower and change of clothes overcame the lack of sleep and for the most part everyone was in a good mood.
The Dutton family followed the main herd and Travis followed with them. All that was left now was to drive them to holding pens where they would remain until the next day when the branding was to take place.
There was applause as they came down the hill and into the valley. The cattle were put into the holding pens and they rode their mounts into the corral, feeling like they'd done their job and earned it.
And there was food, a lot of it. The wranglers hadn't eaten in over two days and they started salivating as soon as they could smell the spread Gator had set up. First the tack had to be removed from their horses but after they were taken care of, everyone headed to where the tables of food awaited them.
Anicka removed the saddle and bridle her mare had been wearing for two days. First she fed and watered her, then took her saddle and bridle to the tack room. She was hungry but what she wanted most was to take a shower and put on clean clothes, then she'd eat.
A band was playing, John Dutton certainly did things with style. She was looking forward to dancing with Travis, but he'd be surrounded by people, he always was. He took every opportunity to work in business, but though she didn't like it she didn't blame him. Travis was a self-made man and she admired that.
Someone was wandering around on the edges of the crowd. He was doing his best to fit in with the guests and not stand out. He wasn't going to let her get away, though in this crowd it would be hard to carry out his plan. He'd only escaped jail because she had disappeared, but he wasn't going to forgive her for getting him arrested. He stayed in Montana only because he had business to take care of, business with her.