Hunter nods. “Jake and I will be in the office when you’re ready.”
“Sounds good.”
With that, Hunter turns on his heel, and I move my focus back to Baize.
“Let’s go.” I walk the distance to her stall and get her ready for the night. “You did good today, girl,” I say, kissing the white patch on her forehead.
She gives me a happy neigh. She’s a beautiful grulla horse, with smoky tan-gray body hair and a black mane and tail.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
She responds by caressing my chest with her head.
Baize is nothing like the wild broncos I’m used to riding. She’s a gentle soul. The change of pace is nice.
I walk back to the ranch hand’s office set up with computers and chart out Baize’s progress and then I go over what I’ve charted for the rest of my chores to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything.
Every aspect of my job is documented. I can access the program through my phone when I’m out in the field if something important were to happen. We even have these super cool handheld radios for when we’re out of range to report on things or to call in for help in case of an emergency. Nothing falls between the cracks around here. Since Jake and Hunter are former dot-com kings, it’s no surprise their ranch is high tech.
My first three days on the job were dedicated to training. As a rodeo star, computers and software weren’t a big part of my day to day.
Once I’m done, I head to the change room for a quick shower and jump into clean clothes.
Then, I’m off to Jake and Hunter’s office.
I set foot outside the door, and my new best friend appears out of nowhere.
“Are you going to take a walk with me?”
Dutch barks in response.
I squat to give the large Rough Collie a good rub. He responds by licking my face.
Like most farmers, Jake and Hunter have a lot of dogs on their ranch. Most are too busy just being dogs and herding the Angus to bother with little ol’ me, but Dutch here is my boy.
“Come on, let’s go, Dutch. Don’t want to keep the bosses waiting.”
Things are moving real fast with my girl, but I wouldn’t dream of putting on the brakes. With the way I feel about her, I already know I’ll need my daily dosage of this woman. I want to make sure Jake and Hunter know where I’m coming from. I’d hate for them to think I’m disrespecting her by having my truck parked outside her house.
Jake rounds the corner as I approach. He waves me over.
I wave back. “I was heading your way.”
I amble towards him, Dutch keeping pace.
Jake stares down at his dog. “Go find another friend.”
Dutch waits for his pat, which I gladly give him, and he’s off.
Jake opens the door to his office and invites me in.
I remove my Stetson before stepping inside.
Jake does the same. “How was your day?”
“It was way too hot and way too busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I say.
“Another great one then?”
