Page 12 of The Earl's Wrangler
Sawyer pulled into a diagonal parking space in front of The General’s Mercantile.He looked at the sign more than once, trying to parse it.“It’s a play on words.The store was started by a general a long time ago.”
“Got it.”He followed Sawyer inside, wondering if he’d stepped back in time about sixty years.The merchandise seemed current, but the building was a time warp, with old-fashioned shelves and pictures on the walls that must have been there for decades.
Randall picked up a few pairs of jeans, trying to figure out his size.Sawyer pulled them out of his hands, put them back, and passed him a different pair.“Cowboys wear these,” he muttered.
“So I’m a cowboy now?”
Sawyer’s gaze held his for a few seconds.Randall wasn’t sure if he was sizing him up, trying to figure out if he was joking, or about ready to cut him to ribbons.“Not yet.But maybe someday.”He turned away, and Randall checked out the jeans.He held them up to himself, and damned if they didn’t seem to be the right size.
“How’d you do that?”
“Cowboys know jeans.”Again, very little response.
Randall got a second pair and continued through the store.Sawyer tossed a couple shirts his way.They were heavy… and plaid, which wasn’t his thing.But when he went to put them back, he got almost a growl, so he held on to them.
“Boots,” Sawyer said and led him over.He showed Randall the selection and thankfully let him pick out his own.Apparently they were all acceptable.Finally, with a mountain of stuff in his hands, Sawyer led him to the hats and crossed his arms.Apparently this was some sort of test, because there was no indication of any kind.There were white hats, buff ones, darker brown, and even black.He knew he was going to look like a cowboy ghost if he picked the white one, but the buff ones looked nice, so he picked one up and checked it in the mirror.It didn’t look bad, but it wasn’t right.He put it back and gently lifted another.This hat had a dark leather band, and when he put it on, there might have been a hint of a smile from Sawyer.
“Can I help you?”a kid asked as he hurried up.“You need to get the right size.”
“This one seems to fit,” Randall said, but the kid shook his head.“All right.”
The kid took the hat when he offered it and put it back.Then he hurried away and returned with a hat box.“That’s Peter.His family has run this store for generations.”
Peter set down the box and pulled out the hat.“Try this one.”He smiled eagerly, and Randall put the hat on his head.“It sits a little lower, so it isn’t going to fly off when you ride or in the wind.”He seemed pleased, and the hat felt good.
“Thank you, Peter,” Randall said.
“You must be one of Alan and George’s friends.”He flashed a toothy grin.“If you want me to take your stuff, I can put it at the counter.”When Randall nodded, he hurried away, like it was impossible for him to sit still.Then he was back.“Can I help you with anything else?”he asked with another grin.
“No.Thank you.I think I’ll just look around.”
Peter nodded briskly before turning to Sawyer.“I heard you guys got some new colts.Will you be training them?Can I come see them?”
“Yes.Come on out whenever your mama says you can.I’ll be training them in a few weeks, and you can help on Sundays if your mama says it’s okay.”
“Thanks, Mr.Sawyer,” he said, hurrying away with all that energy going in every direction.
“I take it he likes horses,” Randall said.
Sawyer hummed and began looking through the store.Randall got the idea there was a story there, but he didn’t figure that Sawyer was going to tell him what it was.Sawyer’s phone rang, and he answered it, then humphed once before saying thanks and hanging up.“Alan let my father drive away.He seemed okay.”
“That’s good.At least he’ll be gone,” Randall said, but all he got in response was a look cold enough to freeze water in July.“Okay….”He excused himself and continued looking through the store, picking up a few things he needed as well as some snacks.One of the things he craved was crisps, and they had a whole section of salty snacks.He got a few small bags of the kinds he thought he’d like and then took everything to the counter, where Peter rang him up.Randall put it all on his card.Peter bagged everything except the boots and hat, and then took care of Sawyer.
“Thanks for your help,” Randall told Peter before they left the store.They stowed their purchases in the truck.“You hungry?”Some amazing scents drifted across the road, making his stomach rumble.Sawyer shrugged.“You have to smell that.”
Sawyer nodded, and Randall headed across the road to the weirdest amalgamation of a building he had ever seen.The sign out front read simply Roy’s.He couldn’t figure out if it was a bar or a restaurant and maybe a hotel.Turned out it was all three, and the spicy, smoky scents coming from the dining room pulled him right in.
The inside was as rustic as the outside, with scarred tables and floors that had probably seen just about everything.“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Why?”Randall asked.
Sawyer tilted his head to the side.“Those men over there are the hands at one of the other ranches.There’s an old rivalry and bad feelings because they wanted to get their hands on some of the land that is now part of the ranch.It’s a long story.Tank and Collin know the whole of it.I only heard some of the gossip, but I got enough of it to know that their boss is still pretty pissed, and I don’t want any trouble.”
“So you aren’t going to eat here?”Randall asked.“No way.We’ll keep to ourselves, and they can do the same.”He was hungry and sat down at one of the tables a good distance from the others.
“What can I getcha?”a server asked as she slid plastic-coated menus in front of them.She leaned closer, her strong perfume nearly making Randall sneeze.“Looks like you two got the natives restless.”
“Maybe we should go.”
