Page 23 of Head Above Water

“With his father. They’re figuring how many head to sell.” She stepped back, and Hazard hurried inside and to the office.Mr. Hazard sat in his chair, looking tired. Bryce turned from where he stood.

“So, we’re in agreement?” Mr. Maverick asked.

“Yeah. This is what we need to do. I’ll call in the morning to make arrangements and get the contracts.” He sounded completely defeated.

“Bryce,” Hazard said. “There’s something I have to show you.”

“Can it wait?” Bryce asked with no energy whatsoever.

“No. It can’t. This is really important,” he said. “I’ll meet you in the yard in five minutes.” Without thinking, he kissed Bryce right there and then shook Mr. Maverick’s hand just because he was so excited. “You got to see this. Now.” He hurried out of the office, passing a very confused Mrs. Maverick, who looked at him like he was crazy.

Hazard got Mystic in from the paddock and saddled her. It took longer than five minutes, but he took both horses to the yard and was waiting when Bryce joined him, his expression hard. “What is all this about?”

“Just get on and come with me.” Hazard mounted Custer and waited for Bryce to mount Mystic before taking off once more. He didn’t urge Custer to full speed this time, but he set a comfortable pace for the horse, and Bryce easily kept up with him.

“Is something wrong?” Bryce growled from next to him.

“Just trust me. Okay?” He urged Custer faster because he was getting damned impatient too. Still, he kept smiling to himself.

“Why did you bring me here?” Bryce asked when they reached the edge of the trees. This time, Hazard dismounted and led Custer between the trees, closer to the center. The cool air greeted him a second time, and Hazard waited. “What is it?”

All Hazard did was point. “That.” He knew the second Bryce turned and saw the old water hole sparkling in the sun.

Bryce gasped. “What the fuck?” he asked as they approached the edge of the sparkling pool of water that nearly filled the hole they’d dug. “How did this happen?”

“Well… I don’t know. Either we dug down far enough that the water found the old way to the surface… or maybe the pump just needed a little priming and that rain the other day sort of completed the connection. I’m not sure. But the water is coming out. Look, it’s even started the old creek running again.” It was little more than a trickle, but water ran out of the hole and along the old streambed that ran east. It hadn’t run in years, and now a stream about a foot wide extended for a few hundred feet, a small, sparkling ribbon in the sun.

“This is unbelievable,” Bryce said. “You fucking did it.” He turned his head upward and let an old-fashioned cowboy whoop that sailed over the land. They left the horses near where the stream started so they could drink and rest in the shade. Then they hiked along the side of the old streambed. Hazard bent down every now and then to remove old brush and obstacles from the stream, clearing the way for the water to flow once again. After about fifteen minutes, they reached the point where the leading edge of the water inched along the parched ground, wetting it and blazing a trail that had been dry for years. “Look at what you did.” Bryce grinned and encased him in a hug, lifting Hazard off the ground before kissing the breath out of him.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You sure as hell did. This is going to bring this entire section of the ranch back to life. A whole new source of water. Do you know what that means?”

“You won’t have to sell?”

“No, I won’t. We can move some of the herd over here. They can drink directly from the stream.” Bryce did some butt-wiggling dance of joy that sent heat running through him. Hazard took Bryce’s hand, tugging him back toward the shade. “Where are we going?” Bryce asked.

“To a place where you can show your appreciation.”

“So that’s how it is.” He looked toward the stand of trees and then took off. Hazard did the same, laughing as he chased him, watching Bryce as they passed into the shade. They nearly tumbled into the water before they came to a stop. “That’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” Bryce said without turning away from him.

Hazard swallowed hard, and Bryce kissed him, holding him tightly. “I’m not beautiful, and I never will be.”

Bryce kissed him again. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so don’t argue.” Hazard didn’t have a chance as Bryce took his lips in a searing kiss. He groaned into the sensation as Hazard cupped Bryce’s firm ass, heat rising from inside him by the second.

A sizzling sound captured his attention, and Hazard pulled back. “What the hell?” he asked as he turned toward the water.

A flurry of bubbles broke the surface from the deepest part of the pool, boiling the water for a few seconds, sending tiny waves against the side. After maybe a minute, they subsided, and the pool grew quiet once more.

“Look,” Hazard said as he stood near the horses, clearing debris from the old channel. “The water is running faster.” He grinned as the tiny creek deepened, the spring releasing more water. As he watched, the stream nearly doubled in depth and width in the matter of a few minutes. The current was getting stronger. “I guess the spring was just getting itself started.”

“Do you think it will continue to increase?” Bryce asked.

“I have no idea. But even if it doesn’t, this will be hundreds of gallons an hour. More than we need for the cattle.”

Bryce grinned from ear to ear. “I can’t wait to tell my dad. I know he’s been worried sick about selling, and it’s affecting his health. He hasn’t been eating much and….” The worry in Bryce’s voice was almost palpable. “I don’t want to lose him, but he keeps getting weaker, and he sleeps more and more. Every treatment makes him tired for longer, and I don’t know how much more of all this he can take.” Hazard held Bryce to comfort him. “Willard being a total shit isn’t helping either.”

“Well, you can’t control your brother, and you have to give your mom and dad props for standing firm with him. This ranch is important to them.” The water in the pond gurgled once again, sending a ton of air bubbling to the surface before settling down once more to a smoother flow.

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