Chapter 5

“Mornin’, Hollywood.”

Jake yawned in the fluorescent light of the bunkhouse; the dawn’s early light hadn’t even arrived yet as he finished buttoning up his shirt. “S’up, Darryl,” he grumbled. “We got coffee yet?” Jake hadn’t slept well, his brain turning last night’s events over and over.

“Naw, Jimmy is slackin’ again. Jimmy! I told you to be ready at 5:00 o’clock, what’s the matter with you?”

“I set my alarm, I’m awake,” Jimmy whined, still in his boxers.

“Yeah, you set your alarm, but me ‘n Hollywood is dressed and ready for coffee. You’re holdin’ up the whole damn ranch, son!”

“Lemme get my pants on,” Jimmy whined.

“Fuck that. Make it naked, I don’t care, just make it right fuckin’ now!” Darryl playfully kicked the new kid in the ass as he walked by, muttering. “Goddamn greenhorns gettin’ greener every year, ain’t they?”

“Yeah,” agreed Jake. “What you got goin’ today? Horse ride?”

“Yeah, Chisholm Trail ride at ten, so gettin’ all the shit together for that. Then afternoon ropin’ lessons. What about you?”

“Gotta mend the fence up on Cripple Creek. Earl said part of it washed out. I’m takin’ The Donk.” That was what they called their little four-wheel-drive all-terrain work vehicle.

“You get all the good jobs,” quipped Darryl sarcastically.

“Beats shoveling shit like Jimmy over there.”

“Yeah, well, have fun. Jimmy, hurry the fuck up with that coffee!”

It was getting close to 9:30 in the morning and Jake was about half-done with the fence repair in the upper pasture when Marcy Gilroy, the owner’s wife, called him on the radio.

“Jake Jake Jake, you out there, son?”

It took him about a minute to where he could walk over to The Donk, but Marcy had called him three more times. “I gotcha Marcy, go for Jake.”

“Jake, we need you to take the Chisholm Trail ride. Darryl fell in the barn and dislocated his shoulder. Can you get back here quick-like?”

That’s at ten, he remembered as he looked at his watch. Thirty minutes from now. “Marcy. Yeah, just barely, can someone saddle up Sailor for me? Then I’ll be good.” Sailor was the ranch’s horse, but nobody would ride him except for Jake and he considered that to be his horse. He began packing his gear.

“Howdy, folks!” Jake addressed the guest riders as they and their horses more or less formed a horseshoe around Calvin. “Sorry I’m late, our trail boss had a little mishap this morning’ so I’ll be helpin’ out. Calvin has everyone fixed up?” He looked over at Calvin, who nodded his head. Jake liked Calvin; affable, he was competent, hard-working, and never had a bad word to say about anyone. Most folks were surprised to find that this young African American man grew up on the streets of Detroit because he was such an expert horseman, definitely the best on the ranch.

“We’re all set,” Calvin replied. “I got the lead if you take the rear.”

“You got it, boss. Folks, it’s important to remember our big rule: stay on the trail. Any questions?”

“Yeah, I got a question! Weren’t you on that TV show way back? Somethin’ about Montana Skies?”

Some of the other riders murmured to each other, smiling and nodding their heads as recognition set in. Jake looked at the asker and realized it was that knucklehead, Chad, Jamie’s fiancé. He looked ridiculous in his white New Balance runners, his red collared Polo shirt, cargo shorts, and some kind of 1950’s narrow-brim hat that hipsters wore to try to look cool. How the hell did that asshole land such a stunningly beautiful woman like her? Jake wondered; he could never could figure women out, and this was just another glaring example.

“Yes, I was, thank you for noticin’, any questions concerning the ride today?” Jake had changed tasks in such a hurry that he hadn’t really looked at his riders until just now. He saw Jamie next to Chad and his heart skipped a beat, remembering the previous night. She looked the part of an experienced rider; a good hat, sensible long-sleeved shirt, denim pants, and nice-looking boots. But it was her smile that got to him, that big grin of hers that favored her right side just a bit and gave her such cute dimples on both cheeks.

Chad piped up again. “And weren’t you also plunging shit in our bathroom yesterday?” Jamie leaned over and hit Chad on the forearm, and it wasn’t a love tap but he continued on. “I’m just sayin’, you’ve come a long way, huh?”

Jake pulled out his Marlin 1895 rifle (chambered in 45/70), a typical cowboy’s lever-action gun, and checked that it was loaded. “I’ve never had to use this rifle on over a thousand rides, but today might just be the first.” All the riders laughed, save one, as he put it back in the scabbard.

Calvin whistled and hollered “Ya!” and the sixteen riders began their trek up the Chisholm Trail toward their destination, lunch on the banks of Snowshed Creek.

The horses, gentle older fellas and mares, traveled this route nearly every day in the warm months. They knew the way without much assistance or guidance from their riders. The trail was wide enough in parts for them all to ride side-by-side, but the animals mostly kept to single file. While Calvin rode point, Jake adjusted his speed so he could talk to the various riders for a few minutes each. And with Chad’s information dump, most wanted to ask about his well-being and how they just loved him in Montana Skies, and boy, they’d sure just love to see him do another series, or hey, what about a movie!

Jamie noticed that Jake took all the questions in stride, never hesitating to give out details and whatnot about his acting career. But she could tell it weighed on him. All the personality she saw in him last night faded away when he talked of his past life. Hell, anyone could see that it bothers him if they just looked at him for a few moments; leave him alone! she wanted to shout.

Chad, meanwhile, droned on to Jamie about how hard the show-biz industry was. But she only half-listened as he spoke of his good friend, who was a producer for Warner Brothers, and the stories he told. Chad had so many good friends she didn’t bother to keep track of them all, and she actually began to wonder how many of them really existed. But she nodded appropriately and gave out “uh-huh’s” when it was required. She really wanted to apologize to Jake for Chad making a scene, but she knew it wouldn’t bode well for her if she did it in front of Chad.

Finally, she thought as Jake slowed his horse and they caught up to him, she being closest to him as Chad moved up alongside them.

“How you folks doin’, enjoyin’ the mornin’?” Jake asked pleasantly. He wasn’t about to let that dumbass spoil his morning, especially when riding next to Jamie.

“We’re all good, it’s so lovely here! The mountains are just majestic! Look at the snow! And–” Jamie gushed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Chad interrupted. “We’re good, and the shitter seems to be working fine today. Thanks for asking.”