A Cowboy's Promise

Chapter Six

It was seven in the morning as I stood as the fence, bottle feeding baby cows along with a few other guys who got stuck with this job. I enjoyed it. I loved working with animals. Especially the baby cows. 

I looked up at the sound of a truck engine. I watched as the truck moved toward the gate on the other side of the fence, backing the trailer door up to the gate. The taillights lit red as it came to stop. 

Arlen jumped out of the truck as Dad got out of the passenger seat. 

So that's who he took with him to pick up the cattle today. 

Arlen walked toward the back of the trailer. He peeled off his jacket, leaving him in an unbuttoned red flannel over a white tank top. He wore a backwards baseball cap instead of his regular Stetson. 

I watched as he stepped up and swung a leg over the top of the fence, then the other, then he jumped down. He pulled open the gate. He then opened the back of the trailer, keeping himself behind the door so he wouldn't get trampled when the cattle ran into the field. 

"Hey," a voice to my right made me tear my eyes away from Arlen. 

"Oh, Dad, uh-" I cleared my throat. "Hey. What's up?"

"I got a job for ya, honey." Dad leaned against the fence next to me as I pulled the bottle from the baby cow at patted his head. 

"What is it?" I asked. 

"I want you to go with Arlen to Montana to pick up a few horses for me. I got doctor's appointments to get to," he said. "I won't be able to make it. I trust your judgement and Leroy knows you."

"Mr. Leroy's farm? That's where we're going?" I asked. 

"Yeah, so get to packing. You'll be gone until Tuesday." Dad patted my shoulder. "Be safe."

"I will." I nodded my head. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?" He looked over at me. "You'll be fine here by yourself?"

He nodded his head. "I'm alright, Pumpkin." 

^^^

I tossed my bag in the backseat before climbing into the passenger. I shut the door behind me before sitting forward and pulling my hair into a ponytail. I sat there for twenty minutes before deciding to Bluetooth my phone to the radio and turn on some music. I sat there for another ten before Arlen finally got in the truck, slamming the door aggressively behind him.

"You doin' okay over there, Cowboy?" I asked. "You're looking a little mad."

"Had to change a tire on the trailer," he replied, starting the truck and glancing in the side-view mirror. He set one hand on the wheel and let his other rest of his thigh as his elbow was propped on the windowsill. 

"Are we good to go?" I asked, swiping through the songs until I found one I wanted to listen to.

He ran his hand over his jaw. "Yeah."

"Okay, grumpy, well, it's a long drive, so lose the attitude, 'kay?" 

Arlen reached out, turning the radio up before bringing his hand back to the wheel as we came to the end of the driveway. 

"So," I began, looking over at him, "how'd you get roped into this?"

"Mr. Davis said he trusted me to get this done," Arlen answered, eyes on the road as I watched the speedometer number rise and rise until it was well over the speed limit and landed steady at sixty.

I looked back at the road. "You always drive like a maniac?"

"What?" 

"You're going thirty over the limit," I stated. "You always drive like a maniac or just when you're pissed off at a trailer tire?"