Page 6 of Jonathan

He could always call a mechanic to deal with the damage, but that would take even more time, and he had the knowledge to take care of the problem.

Jamming the hat back on, he took out a canteen and took a healthy swig of the cool water he carried around with him. Squinting against the mid-afternoon sun, he looked towards the group of men who were roping steers. To the east, another group were mending fences.

The end of summer meant deluges of rain that could turn into flooding. He never took chances when it comes to the weather, which was as unpredictable as a woman in her prime.

Rubbing a hand at the back of his neck, he sighed impatiently as he spied the bus carrying passengers on the regular tour of the orchards and ranch itself. It was a necessary part of the package, something he made sure to stay away from as much as possible.

Turning back to the tractor, he plucked out his tool and got to work.

*****

Curling her feet under her, she lifted her head to the clear blue of the sky and sniffed the flowers blooming next to her. A glass of wine was in her hand and her hunger was appeased by the delicious clam chowder and fruit salad she had ordered.

Her best friends were on the phone with her, plying her with questions. They were the only ones privy to where she had decided to take her trip.

“When you said you were going off the damn grid, we never expected you to follow through. Darling, that place is in the middle of blasted nowhere,” Salome complained out loud.

“And that’s exactly how I like it. I am going horseback riding tonight.”

“What about coyotes and I don’t know, other predators, like wolves and God! Things like snakes and bears?”

She chuckled at the shudder in Lauren’s voice. “You two are such townies.”

“Well excuse us! So are you. I understand that you just had to get away for a bit. And honey, your delightful mother has been burning up our phone lines, trying to find out where the hell you have disappeared to.”

“I have a feeling she does not believe it when we told her we don’t know,” Lauren added.

“Thanks for keeping it to yourselves.” Taking a sip of the wine, Kamilah stretched languidly and turned to watch the antics of a pair of squirrels as they scampered after each other up and down the tree.

“You’re completely welcome!” Salome snorted in disgust. “She started off with this speech of how she’s so concerned about you and wanted to make sure you were okay. But darling, I am concerned.”

“Why?”

“It’s not like you to just disappear. Are you taking that breakup with Brian harder than you said?”

It was her time to snort, and she did so with derision. “If you’re asking that, you don’t know me very well. I am over that jerk.”

“That’s what I told her,” Lauren declared, “we are hoping you find a nice country guy and bang his brains out.”

“I just might do that,” she told her friend with a laugh. She then proceeded to tell her friends about the place.

*****

The horse’s name was Belinda, and she was a beauty and had a glossy orange and red coloring that was very unusual.

She had requested one that was spirited, but not overly excitable. She had taken a nap and was feeling refreshed. She would not start working until tomorrow. Glancing at her watch, she saw to her surprise that it was almost 10.00 pm.

Donning the appropriate attire, she went around to the lean to and retrieved the horse who was waiting patiently.

She gave the horse its head and within minutes they were flying through wooded areas and open spaces. Hardly tugging on the reins, she enjoyed the feel of the breeze on her skin and the flash of images whizzing by.

She scaled fences with ease, laughing as the horse cleared the fences with relative ease.

She was so caught up in the ride that she did not realize she had wandered far from the path she had decided on. Tugging on the reins, she brought the animal to an abrupt stop at a lake that sounded loud in the stillness.

Sliding off the saddle, she dismounted and tied the reins around a sapling as she took in her surroundings. She had studied the map and instinct told her that she had wandered onto the private property of the huge McCarthy Ranch.

Fascinated, she walked towards the edge of the lake and just stood here watching the water flowed freely over the smooth stones.

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