“That right? Well, where you headed, Bill?”
“Sundance Trail, sir.”
“What’s at Sundance Trail that you need to get there in the middle of the night?”
“Lookin’ for a job,” he mumbled in the direction of the window. He turned back around. “You know if they’re hiring?”
“Doubt it, but I know somebody who might be.”
Bill sat up straighter and waited for Mr. Patterson to continue. When he didn’t, he asked who it was.
“You ever hear of P-Bar Ranch?”
Bill shook his head. He hadn’t.
“It’s over the pass, in McCoy.”
He hadn’t heard of McCoy either, but if they were hiring, he didn’t care where it was.
“We’ll stay at my place tonight, and then tomorrow, I’ll take you up to the ranch. I was headed there anyway.”
“You were?” Bill asked. “Why?”
“It’s my brother’s place, and it’s gotten big enough that he needs a partner. I figure, if he needs a partner, he probably needs a few more cowboys, too.”
Bill wished they could go straight there tonight, but sleeping in a warm bed sounded mighty good right then.
“Thank you, Mr. Patterson.” Bill held out his hand to shake.
“Call me Clancy. And you’re welcome, Bill.”
3
“This place is incredible,” Tristan said when they drove through the gates of the Flying R Ranch. It was nestled in a valley between two sets of mountains; more predominantly, to the east, was Mount Crested Butte, which she could’ve guessed based on its formation.
Tristan pointed to a stream that followed the road and appeared to be frozen over. “What’s that?”
“Cement Creek. It divides the entire ranch in half. In the past, Ben’s family raised cattle on one side of the creek, and horses on the other. It’s gotten more complicated now that they’re heavier into rough stock.”
“How long has the ranch been in his family?”
“Four generations. Ben’s great-grandparents were the first of his family to move to Colorado. They bought this land. Their son, Ben’s grandfather, bought another ranch, closer to the butte, and developed the ski area, but this was his home.” Liv pointed as they drove past a sprawling ranch house.
“Ben’s parents, Bud and Ginny, live here now. Our place is over there.” She pointed north. “Ben’s brother Matt’s place is that way.” Liv pointed south. “And we passed the turnoff to Will’s place on our way in. His house is set a little farther back, so you can’t see it from the road.”
“It’s heavenly.”
“The first time Ben brought me here, I had a similar reaction. I always thought my place, over in Black Forest, was the most beautiful ranch I’d ever seen.”
“You had a ranch?”
“I inherited it from my parents. It’s where I raised my daughter Renie after my first husband died. Renie’s husband, Billy, bought it from me before they got married. You’ve met Billy, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I have. You know, I heard something about your daughter being married to him, but I thought I’d gotten the story mixed up.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because you don’t look old enough to have an adult daughter.”