“Rough day?” I asked as I came out onto the back porch and sat down next to Shane on the steps. He had showered and scrubbed after getting home from work, but I could still smell the oil on his skin and in his hair. It saturated the body and was impossible to wash away. My daddy said only time and distance got the smell of crude out of man’s skin.
“No rougher than most,” Shane said as I looped my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder. “How about yours?”
“Same old same old,” I said with a sigh. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just sitting and thinking,” he said. It was nearing dusk and fall was in the air. I shivered a little and Shane put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Well, I was talking to Uncle Seth today.”
I glanced up at him. “And?”
“And he is thinking about retiring.”
“Really? To do what?”
“He says him and Aunt Wilma have been talking about moving to the mountains. Colorado or Montana maybe.”
“Wow. Why?”
Shane shrugged with his eyes. “He says he’s had his fill of Texas dust and the stink of cow shit on his boots. He thinks he’d like a change of pace.”
“How about that. What about their place?” I turned to gaze into his eyes. He was smiling. I knew at that moment something was up.
“Well, he would like for us to take it over.”
My mouth fell open. Seth had always bragged that the only way he’d leave Texas was in a pine box. “You mean take over his ranch? His cattle? Just buy him out lock, stock, and barrel?”
“Everything,” Seth said with a nod. “He’s showed me the books. It’s a working ranch, makes a nice profit every year. He’s willing to give us a good price if we want to buy it.”
“Wow,” I said again. “Can we afford it.”
“I’ve crunched the numbers and with what we’ve saved and my GI bill, yes, I think we can.”
“Is that what you want?” I asked. “Will you be happy being a small-time cattle rancher for the rest of your days?”
“If you’re with me,” Shane said. “I think that sounds…”
“Amazing?”
“Yeah. Amazing.”
I put my arms around his waist and leaned into him. “Can I ask you one question?”
He rested his cheek on the top of my head. “Just one?”
“Yes, just one.”
“Shoot.”
“How would you feel about having a little cowhand to help out on the ranch in about eight months?” I gazed up into his eyes. There were tears in his eyes. He gave a little chuckle and smiled.
“I think t
hat would be…”
“Amazing,” I said.