Chapter 2

I turned off the paved road, through the timber arch that said, 'Long Ranch, ' and onto the gravel that was the extended driveway leading to the house beyond the low-rise ridge. At this point you'd think the house had been built there so the ridge would block the view of the road, and perhaps to block any road noise that might carry that far. You'd be only partially right, though I loved the ridge because it made the house seem that it was well-beyond the boundaries of civilization.

Cheryl straightened. She lifted the bill of the green cap embroidered with the words, 'That's MS. BITCH to you!' She looked over her shoulder, then turned her glare at me. "You're shittin' me! You live here? This place is a thousand miles from civilization!"

I love it when people tell me I'm right, especially when they put it so eloquently.

I was sure her eyes were wide in disbelief, but I couldn't tell because she'd fetched her sunglasses while putting the hair bleach in her suitcase. "Why couldn't you live in town like you did in Phoenix?"

"I'll show you when we get to the house. It's just over the rise."

The sullen anger returned for the first time since I'd bought her the cap and hair bleach. "It's so you and your boyfriends can run around naked, isn't it?"

"It does have the advantage of total privacy."

She slumped in the seat. "Welcome to Brokeback Mountain the Sequel."

I stopped at the crest of the rise as the electrically-operated gate closed behind us. Mouth agape, Cheryl unbuckled her seat belt, grasped the top of the windshield, and rose to her feet. To the east, in front of us, the ground dropped away into a grassy valley with the house and barns on the near side. Beyond the stream that cut across the verdant land a lush forest climbed up the western foothills of the Rockies. A few patches of white still gleamed on the mountains beyond.

I climbed out of the car and went to the other side. Cheryl never moved. I put my left arm around her shoulders and pointed back toward Grand Junction with my right hand. "Back the way we came, Colorado National Monument." My hand moved in a clockwise circle. "Mountains, and over thataway the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. More mountains and valleys. To the south Mesa Verde National Park and the cliff dwellings. The Four Corners Area and some spectacular slot canyons. Plains and Desert. Farther to the southwest we have Grand Canyon National Park. Glen Canyon and Escalante National Monument. Behind us, Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. More desert and the Great Salt Lake. Beyond Colorado National Monument are Flaming Gorge and Dinosaur National Monument. And here..." I hugged her. "And here in the middle of all that, paradise. For a nature photographer you couldn't ask for a more ideal location."

The awe in her voice would seem amusing to anyone not standing there and looking at the beauty before us. In context it was entirely natural. I often felt awed myself. "How much of this is yours?"

I pointed to and described the boundaries. "That's a hundred eighty acres, more or less."

"Must have cost you a fortune," she mumbled.

She was talking to herself instead of me, but I replied, "I lucked out and stole it for a million and a half."

The scenery was more than enough to slow the penetration of any spoken words, but eventually she heard what I'd said and turned to look at me. "Stole it? For over a million bucks?"

"Yeah. I got a large break because I did the previous owner a huge favor. Two weeks ago I turned down an offer for six million. He'd started at four and was prepared to go higher, but I convinced him that I'd no sooner sell this ranch than I'd sell ... well, you."

Awe and disbelief warred in her voice. It was a tie. "Nature photographers make that much money?"

I shrugged. "Well, I photograph more than just nature, actually. National Geographic and the advertising companies do pay reasonably well for my quality of output, but this is also a working ranch. I learned a little about raising horses before Dad had his accident and had to sell our ranch and we moved to Dallas. I raise horses, too."

"You do? Mom never said anything about that." Translation: I believe you, but how come I never heard about it?

"Honey, the only one who knows what this place is really like and all the things I actually do is Uncle Junior. Tom, Debbie, Mandy, and Jack haven't been out here to see for themselves. Debbie and Jack never even came to see me in Phoenix. The others listen to what Mandy assumes it's like. They've never learned that ninety percent of what she says is bullshit from between her ears, even though they've all been on the receiving end of her innuendo, rumors, speculation, and outright lies."

I pointed. "Those are the horse barns right..." I suddenly recognized a truck parked by a barn and released her shoulders.

"Let's go. We might be in time for something you've never seen before."

"What?" she asked as I raced around the car.

"Buena Vista is having her foal. You might get to see the birth of a horse."

She dropped into her seat and wrinkled her nose. "Eeew! Isn't that gross?"

I started the engine and threw the car into gear. "It's part of life. You'll have a similar experience some day," I said as we raced off down the hill.

She gave me a sullen sideways glare. "I don't plan on having any horses."

"You might think you're having one if you pop a kid as big as Uncle Jack. He weighed almost eleven pounds when he was born."

There was a brief pause while she pictured a baby that large. She squirmed in her seat. "Eeew! A Caesarian section sounds better."

I shrugged. "The scar would be much worse than your dark spots."

"Eeew!"

Charlie "Doc" Branson was leaving the barn as we roared into the parking area. He waved to let me know that everything was okay and dropped his medical bag. The leather case looked far older than Doc's sixty-odd years.

"No cause for alarm," he said as I braked. His eyes flickered across the front of Cheryl's cap and he grinned before continuing. "She was a pretty big filly, like I told you she'd be, but mother and daughter are doing fine. Wasn't any problem. Diego called me just in case, was all."

"I wasn't worried about that because they were in your semi-capable hands. I was hurrying because my niece here hasn't seen a mare foaling before, even though she's from Texas. Cheryl Kuczynski, extraordinary niece, this is Doc Branson, mediocre veterinarian."

Cheryl actually smiled when she greeted him. Maybe it was because Doc had that kind of personality that made everyone his best friend the moment they met. Maybe it was because she was grateful she didn't have to watch something gross.

Doc removed his battered hat. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen the top of his head, but it had possessed more and darker hair whenever it was. He bowed. "Well, I'm truly honored to meet you, Miss Cheryl. Until this very moment I didn't know Randy's family had anyone good looking in it. I was afraid they all looked like him. Now, normally I'd take offense and correct his 'mediocre' comment, but one look at you and I see that I truly am mediocre in your extra-ordinary presence."

Her smile widened, and she located where she'd stored her manners for safekeeping. "Thank you."

I put one hand beside the left corner of my mouth, as if blocking my words from him. "Doc mostly works with cattle. He's spent years saving up bullshit to dispense. Watch out for him. He's old, but he's dangerous."

Then I reached for the door handle and said, "Little filly, eh?"

Doc pulled the door open. "Yeah. Chestnut brown like her dam, but with a white blaze on her forehead like her sire, except more dainty and feminine. Like your lovely niece. Cuter'n a new puppy like her, too. You just go on in 'n' look. I'll escort this other beauty. Let me get that door for you, ma'am."

I waited and went in with the other two. I introduced Cheryl to Diego Hernandez, my foreman, and Jake Matson, who was in charge of the barns. "Don't let Diego's size fool you," I said as he led us to Buena Vista and her foal. "He may not be much bigger than a prairie dog, but he could pick up any horse in here if he had to."

Doc nudged Cheryl. "And this varmint says I'm the one full of bullshit?"

Cheryl giggled. Then she saw the foal. It was love at first sight, now that the gross stuff was over with.

Doc restrained her. "Slowly. Don't make her mother nervous or frightened for her young'un. Let me introduce you to Buena Vista first."

I let Doc take over and watched with Diego, who eventually said, "She's just like my two whenever they see a foal. Maria says it's their mother instinct at work."

I nodded and said in a low voice, "I'm glad to see Cheryl inherited it, though it seems to have skipped a generation for her."

Diego chuckled. I'd told him about Mandy.

Cheryl stroked the damp white blaze on the little filly's forehead and crooned to her in a soft voice. She pulled back as the foal struggled to her feet and decided to see what Mom had to offer for her first meal. She leaned against Doc as he hugged her. "What's her name?" she asked.

Doc turned his head to me. "The girl's definitely smarter'n you are, varmint. She's already worrying about a name. I suppose you ain't given it a thought?"

I laughed. "Don't be senile, you old geezer. Well, I guess it's too late for that. Anyhow, I've already thought of the perfect name for her: Cheryl's Blaze."

When we eventually reached the house I still hadn't heard another snide remark or observed one more angry glare. I gave her the code to the door and had her unlock it to reinforce the number in her head. Electronic locks, backed up with batteries while the ranch was on an automatic backup generator system, were more practicable than key locks on the ranch, especially with my travel schedule and the occasional turnover in ranch hands.

She froze inside the door. "What the... ! I didn't expect a log cabin to look like this on the inside!"

I pushed her forward enough for me to enter and put her suitcases on the floor. "Log cabins aren't usually two-story plus partially-finished attic, either. Log construction is practicable here. It's also that much more wall insulation."