Three Years Later

“Can I ride my own horse today, Pa?” Jack asked from behind Roan as Roan stood on the porch. “I can manage.”

Roan looked over his shoulder, glancing at his son. Over the past two years, Jack had taken a keen interest in the horses on the ranch, pushing and pushing for Roan to let him have a colt of his own.

Roan promised when Jack turned ten, he’d be old enough to have his own mount. But at nine years old, Jack clearly thought he was close enough.

“You know what I told you,” Roan said. “You and your sister can ride with me and your ma.”

“But I’m nearly ten years old now,” Jack said. “I can handle my own horse. Shoot, I could handle one with Belinda.”

Roan snorted softly to himself. The last thing he’d do is let Jack lead a horse with Belinda hanging onto the back. The two were close, but they bickered like siblings most of the time. And if Belinda was riding with Jack, then little Mary would likely want to ride with them, too.

At three years old, his niece was one of the biggest personalities Roan had ever met. Mary seemed to have the same outlook on life that Sarah did, but she had Della’s attitude. She was a sweet girl who wanted to please those around her, but only to an extent.

Any time the little three year old thought something wasn’t fair, she wasn’t afraid to speak up on behalf of those she felt were being shorted. She was a natural born leader, and Roan imagined she’d really make something of herself someday.

Belinda, too, was growing more independent by the day. Though she didn’t have the same love for the ranch that her brother did, Roan was raising her to handle herself as well as any man. By the time she was grown, she’d know not only how to ride a mustang,  but she’d be able to handle a gun, too.

“We’ll see after breakfast,” Roan said. “Is your uncle done making those pancakes?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to come in and give me a hand,” Bram called from inside the house. “Come on, Roan! You’re not going to hold back like you always do and take the credit when you come inside. The ladies thought that we were making breakfast, so we need to make breakfast!”

“Roan, you heard him!” Della called from where she and Sarah were standing out in the yard. “I was wondering why you were out on the porch drinking your coffee when you should be in that house with Bram!”

Roan laughed and took another drink of his coffee. “I’m doing what I do best. Supervising.”

“I think Bram could use more supervision in the kitchen than we could use out in the yard,” Sarah said with a chuckle of her own. Mary sat in the grass next to the basket, handing both Sarah and her aunt Della the clothespins as the two women hung the wash out on the line.

“I want pancakes!” she cried, and both women laughed once again.

“I’m trying to make that happen,” Della told her niece. “But your uncle is out here drinking coffee when he should be inside with the pancakes. I’m not sure what to expect when we get back inside.”

“I’m not sure if I should be offended or flattered,” Bram said as he appeared in the doorway, a mixing bowl in his hand. “On the one hand, they’re right. You need to get in here and give me a hand with this. On the other hand, however, I kind of want to prove I can make pancakes on my own now.”

Bram gave both the women a look, and the sisters laughed as they went back to their wash. There had been a lot of talk of Bram’s cooking skills while he and Roan had been out on the trail, and Bram had bragged enough that both women wanted to taste his cooking.

He’d tried to backtrack, explaining that they had lower standards out on the trail when it was just a bunch of men who were doing the cooking, but neither of the sisters would be deterred once they got it into their heads that he was to make them something.

Roan hadn’t done much to help the situation. Instead, he’d laughed and agreed that Bram was the best cook the gang had, leaving off the fact that it had been Teague who had done most of the cooking.

Roan headed into the kitchen, offering his own tips here and there as Bram went back to mixing the batter.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since Shaw passed,” Bram said after a moment of silence. “You were wise to have him moved here to the ranch.”

Roan nodded, clearing his throat. He’d not expected to feel emotional about it. Two years before, both he and Bram had traveled back to Texas to retrieve Shaw’s body. Though there had been tension in the relationship between Roan and Shaw, especially at the end, Roan still felt that it had been the right thing to do to bring Shaw to the ranch for his final resting place.

They’d buried him out under an old oak tree near the back of the property, far from the outlaws who had attacked the barn with Amos.

And that morning, they were going to all go to the grave and leave flowers. Shaw might not have meant to bring the group together, but thanks to him, they were now one large family. Roan had been glad to protect his children from Shaw before, but there was now a part of him that saw Shaw as something of a grandfather to his children.

“It’ll be good to go out and see him today,” Roan said, and Bram nodded, cooking the pancakes on the griddle. He served a heaping plate that he put in the middle of the table, both men changing the subject as the front door opened and the women came back inside.

“Jack says you’re letting him ride his own horse today?” Della asked Roan as she came inside.

Jack looked sheepish, clearly knowing that he’d twisted Roan’s words when speaking to his mother, but Roan just smiled and shook his head.

“I don’t know, what do you think?” Roan asked Della instead. “I think he could handle it.”

“You do?” Jack asked in surprise.

“Sure he can,” Bram said with a laugh, and Della gave her brother-in-law a look.

“Hold on there, he’s still a just a boy,” Della said.

“And when I was his age, I was doing a lot more than just riding a horse,” Bram told her.

“He’s got a point there,” Roan agreed.

“Alright, alright, it sounds to me like you both have your minds made up already. Who am I to stand in the way?” she asked with her hands raised in surrender.

“Can I ride with him?” Belinda asked.

“No, you’re riding with me,” Della said before the conversation could go further. The group laughed as Belinda folded her arms across her chest and stuck out her lower lip in a pout.

“It’s okay, sis,” Jack said, “just give it a bit, and you’ll be able to ride on your own, too.”

The breakfast was filled with teasing and laughter as the women complimented Bram on his pancakes, but it was clear that he’d overcooked them at least by a few minutes.

“I suppose when that’s the only option, it’s good,” Sarah said, still teasing her husband as they left the house once the dishes were done.

The saddled horses waited in the yard, and Jack was proud to climb into the saddle of his own mount, and Roan took the chance to walk right up behind Della, lifting her up into the saddle of her horse. She chuckled when he lifted her before he picked up Belinda and put her on the back of the horse with her mother.

“Jack, you slow down!” Della called as Jack turned his mount out into the open field and let the animal have its head. “Roan! He’s going to break his neck.”

“He’s alright,” Roan said with a laugh. “He’ll learn if he falls off that ground comes up pretty quick.”

“I’d rather he didn’t fall off!” Della cried. She looked nervous, but there was an underlying amusement that laced her tone, telling Roan that she might be worried, but she wasn’t as worried as she was letting on.

“How do you think he’s going to learn?” Bram asked as he gave Della a wink.

Della gave her sister a look, asking for help. Sarah just shook her head and laughed. “I’m so glad that I had a little girl.”

“Girls can ride, too,” Belinda cried, bringing another laugh from the adults.

Roan shook his head and fell into step next to his wife. Their horses were close enough that Roan’s knee would brush against Della’s, thrilling him as much now as it used to when they were courting.

“Your mother’s one of the best riders I know,” Roan told his daughter, and he winked at Della when she looked up and met his gaze.

“Don’t flatter me,” she said.

“I don’t have to,” he replied with a laugh. “You prove yourself every time you’re in the saddle.”

“Come on, Ma! Let’s catch Jack!” Belinda cried. She waved her little arms as she shouted for Della to race.

At first, it looked like Della was going to keep their horse at a walk. But then, she surprised both Belinda and Roan both by sending the horse forward. Belinda squealed as she gripped Della’s waist, and they quickly closed the distance between them and Jack.

Belinda’s screaming quickly drew Jack’s attention, and the moment he saw his mother and sister catching up, he turned in the saddle and tried to urge his own horse faster. He stayed close to the animal’s neck, riding him just as Roan had shown him more than once.

Roan’s chest clenched with pride as he saw his son moving in the saddle as though it was second nature for him to do so. He’d clearly paid attention to the riding lessons, and he was taking them each to heart. It was just a matter of practice now, and that’s what he was getting riding through the field with his mother right on his heels.

“It’s a race now!” Sarah cried, sending her own horse forward, laughing when Bram joined in.

Roan sat in his saddle, watching the rest of the group have fun with each other. That warm feeling spread through his chest, reminding him that this was his family now. They had been through Hell on earth, but they’d come out on top. Though they had to fight tooth and nail for all that they had, Roan was proud to say that they’d come out on top.

At last, he sent his horse forward, galloping across the field and heading for the rest of his family as fast as he’d push his horse with them so close. Jack was still in the lead, and Roan’s chest swelled with pride.

He could hardly believe that they had built this life with their own two hands. Shaw would be so proud if he could be there to see it, then Roan paused.

Shaw is here to see this. He’s buried just up the path here, and we’re going to spend the day with him. He might not have been my father, but he’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a pa. Bram’s right, it was smart to bring him out here to the ranch. 

He’s at peace, with his family. It might be a family he never knew he had, but it’s his family all the same. 

THE END