A Lasso is Not a Dating Tool - Part 1

[toady2moo]

It started off as a simple job: go into the lower parts of the Guadalupe mountains to search for any stray cattle that had escaped earlier in the year and bring them down before the snow started to fall. Jared was head cowboy and had led this expedition for the past six years. He knew the areas that the cattle liked to hide when the weather got cooler and, over the years, the other cowpunchers had learned to trust him. They left the ranch before sun-up and it would take them the better part of two days to bring any remaining cattle down. By all counts there were still close a dozen head unaccounted for. The six men had left with a plan in mind. Jared would take two cowpunchers with him and go towards the small clearing that the cattle grazed the previous year and the other three men would go further north to drive anything they found back south towards the Morgan ranch.

Jared came to live at the ranch when he was eight. His parents had become ill and they were unable to look after themselves let alone a child, so his father sent him to live with his sister and her husband. He had lived there, with his uncle, Jeffrey Morgan, ever since. Although Jared was family, he did his fair share of the work and had done so since he was a teenager. He started by helping the housekeeper with work around the house and garden and, when he became old enough to show he could handle a horse and work the cattle, he became a cowpuncher and had worked his way through the ranks like any other man. Over the years, he had gone on many a drive, taking the cattle across state to market, bringing new stock back, and rounding up wild horses for the bronc buster to break in. Just because he was the rancher’s kin didn’t mean he got treated any better than anyone else. Jared’s hard work and ambition helped him gain respect from the other workers, and when he turned twenty five he was given the position of head cowboy, a role which he took seriously.

It had already taken nearly half the day to reach the mountains where they had split into two groups. It would take at least another hour or two to reach the clearing where they had decided to set up camp for the night. Along the way, the three of them found two mavericks - unbranded calves - and took them along, driving them up the hill towards the clearing. When they finally reached the clearing they found another two head and pushed the two calves into the small herd.

“The boss’ll be happy. Pretty sure they got through the fences,” Joey stated. At seventeen, he was young but had more experience than quite a few of the other cowpunchers on the ranch. He often talked about how his Pa had him in the saddle before he could walk, and he knew the movement of cattle better than some of the men twice his age.

“They look the part. We lost a few between calving and marking time,” Jared replied. They had set up a small fire to keep them warm and cooked supper. “Who’s taking first shift?”

“I will,” Joey replied.

“Guess I’m left with the middle shift,” Aaron, the other cowpuncher said.

“We’ll push them slowly towards the ranch. We should meet Chad and what they’ve herded along the way.” Jared finished his coffee. “Better get some more firewood boys, she’s gonna be a cold one tonight.”

Most of the night passed without incident and Aaron soon woke Jared to take over the watch. When Aaron curled up in his bedroll, Jared added more wood to the fire, and he sat looking into the swirling flames and listening to the crackle as the wood was consumed by the flames. Just before first light Jared felt the need to answer nature’s call, and after a quick check on the men and the cattle, he left the clearing to find somewhere not too close to squat. With his business done, he started walking back towards the clearing to wash his hands when his foot caught something, almost causing him to trip. It didn’t feel like a tree root.

Reaching down, his hand hit something, and it felt a lot like a boot. He couldn’t quite see as it was still dark but he was sure he had found a body. He continued to feel up the upper leg, then body, and neck, until he felt the person’s face: a man, given the stubble. Leaning closer, Jared held a hand close to the man’s face to check to see if he was breathing-it sadly was common for men to die out here in the wilderness. He was holding his own breath when he felt it. A breath. It was faint but present; the man was still alive. “Joey! Aaron!” Jared called out, and pulled the man towards him. The two men stumbled through the trees, calling out to locate Jared. By the time they found Jared, he had the comatose man over his shoulder. Joey led him back to the clearing while Aaron added more wood to the fire. “I need blankets. He’s cold as an icicle.” Jared laid the man down close to the fire, taking the blanket that Joey handed him.

“He’s one lucky feller, but what’s a man doin’ out here alone?”

“Check for a bag where I found him No one in their right mind would come out here without at least a gun,” Jared said, and wrapped the man in the blanket as Joey went back into the forest to try and see if the man had left anything.

“What we gonna do with him boss?” Aaron asked, putting on his thick wool coat and handing Jared the extra blanket he had brought along.

“When it gets light enough I’m taking him back to the ranch. The two of you should be fine with those few cattle.”

Joey returned carrying a small bag. “Found this boss. Doesn’t feel like much - not even a bedroll.”

Jared took the bag and found in it a gun, a pair of spurs, a horse’s leather bridle, and what looked like some jerky, but nothing more. This man was either running from something or he was left with little. It was not Jared’s place to judge, and he just wanted to get this man-whoever he was-back to the ranch. As it got lighter, Jared saddled his horse and hastily ate something. Checking on the man, he found him still unconscious, but the blankets were working, and he was starting to shiver. Lifting the man up, Jared placed the man so his belly was over the shoulders of the horse. “I’ll meet you back at the ranch tonight.”

“God speed boss!”

Taking the reins, Jared put his foot in the stirrup and swung himself up and into the saddle before he turned the horse around and started down the mountain. As much as he wanted to gallop the eighteen or so miles back to the ranch, he was worried that he’d either wear out his horse or cause harm to the man slumped over the horse’s shoulders. He rode carefully down the mountain through the mass of trees, and once out in the open, he stopped to check how the man was doing. He was still breathing and his skin was warming from the blanket and from the morning’s daylight but he was still unconscious. Getting back into the saddle, Jared continued towards the ranch at a canter, with one hand holding the reins while the other rested on the man’s back to try and keep him steady. After a few miles, he slowed the horse to a walk. It would take longer to get back but he knew that the horse was carrying over three hundred pounds and would wear out quicker than if it was just him in the saddle. With short bursts of cantering and longer periods of walking they made good time, but it was close to four hours by the time Jared saw the ranch in the distance. Spurring the horse into a canter again, he closed the distance until he was through the entrance of the ranch and pulled his horse up in front of the house.

Anita, the Mexican housekeeper, walked out of the large homestead. “Señor Jared-”

“Anita, I have a very sick man here. Boil some water and bring me as many blankets as you can find.” Jared cut Anita off, and pulled the man down from where he was slumped over the horse.

“Si.” Anita followed Jared into the house and went into the kitchen to start boiling the water. She knew Jared had more experience in this field, he had helped care for his parents before their death.

Jared was carrying the man up the hall to the guest bedroom when his uncle Jeff called out from behind him. “I saw you’re back early. Are you alright Jared?”

“I’m fine. But I found a man near death on our straggler ride.” Jared put the man down on the bed. “I couldn’t leave him there to die.”

Jeff walked into the room and saw the man lying on the bed, still wrapped in the blanket. “Looks like you found him in time.”

“The boys are bringing the stragglers down, they should be back by nightfall,” Jared added, as he removed the blanket from around the man. He stripped the man’s boots and dirty outer clothing off just as Anita came in with a pile of blankets. “Thank you Anita. I’ll need some warm water, soap, a cloth and that spare razor.”

Anita nodded and disappeared from the room again as Jared continued to remove the man’s dirty clothing, until only his underclothes remained. When Anita returned, Jared took the bowl of water and started to wash away the caked on dirt. With a gentle touch, he started on the hands, noting the rough calluses that meant a life of hard work. There were also faint scars on the arms and chest.

“I know you’re not awake and I don’t know if you can hear me but I’m washing all this dirt off you so you don’t make a big mess of this bed. I don’t think Anita would be too happy if I got this bed covered in who-knows-what,” Jared said, dipping the cloth into the water again and wringing the excess water out of it. “You’re at Morgan Ranch, you’re safe, and we’ll look after you until you’re feeling better and ready to go back to wherever it is you were going.” As Jared worked up the man’s arms, he could feel the warmth starting to creep back down. This man was very lucky; if Jared hadn’t found him he’d have frozen to death under a tree. When he started on the man’s feet, Jared could see blister upon blister, and it was obvious to him that this man had walked constantly for days, if not weeks, without a break. He probably collapsed under that tree from exhaustion. After washing off the dirt, Jared covered the man with a few blankets and left the room. He had done all he could and only time would tell if the man would regain consciousness or not.

Jared walked out to the elaborate sitting room and sat down on the chair across from his uncle.

“How is he?” Jeff asked.

“He still hasn’t woken.”

“You took a risk bringing him here.”

“I couldn’t leave him there to die. You taught me to always help someone in need.”

“I just hope you haven’t brought an outlaw into the house-it’s the last thing we need here.”

“We found his war bag and all he had was some gear, jerky and a gun with no bullets. I don’t think an outlaw would allow himself to run out of ammunition, no matter where he was.”

“You have a point there, but if he shows any signs of violence he’s out!” Jeff said sternly.
The last thing he wanted was someone dangerous under his roof.

“I’ll take responsibility for him, Jeff.”

Jeff nodded. “While you were busy dealing with our new visitor, Mark came over and took your horse to the livery. You might want to go out and thank him.”

“I will do that right now,” Jared stood up and left the house to go thank Mark, the stable hand.

Jared found Mark giving hay to the horses in the livery. Mark was the same age as Joey and the two young men were both friends and hard workers. They acted like men twice their age and had become members of the extended family.

“Mark.”

“Yes, Sir?” Mark replied, turning around from where he was brushing down Jared’s gelding.

“Thank you for bringing my horse in. How is he doing?”

“He’s covered in sweat and foam and looks worn out, but he’ll be fine. How is the man you brought back?”

“I think he will pull through, but he was close to death when I found him this morning.”

“He’s one very lucky man!”

“He is.”

Jared talked with Mark for a bit longer before he walked back to the house. He wanted to be there when the man woke up in case he turned violent, since waking up in a strange house with very little clothes on would scare anyone.

Taking a book, Jared sat down in a chair in the corner of the guest room. He had heard a soft groan when he walked in and that was a good sign, as it meant that the man was warming up and might wake up soon. Part-way though the book, he heard a sound and looked up. Jared could see movement, so he got up and walked over to the bed.

“Hey, it’s all right, you’re safe,” Jared said softly as he walked closer, to let the man know that someone was in the room with him. The man was awake and looking up at him, and his eyes were wide with shock and fear.

“My name is Jared. I found you nearly dead in the Guadalupe Mountains, and I’ve brought you back to my uncle’s ranch. You’re safe here.”

The man just looked at him. “Hablas español? ” Jared asked, but still received no response. “You don’t have to talk to me, and I’m not going to ask who or what you were running from but you can stay here as long as you need. Our housekeeper, Anita, is washing your clothes, and they’ll be ready tomorrow. Do you feel like something to eat? I can get you a bowl of beef broth if you want.”

The man relaxed a bit and the wild look in his eyes disappeared. Swallowing, he nodded.

Jared smiled. “I’ll go get you a bowl of broth and some water.” He left the room and walked to the kitchen where Jeff was sitting with a cup of coffee. “He’s just woken up but he’s not talking yet,” he said as he got a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with some of the beef broth that Anita had on the stove.

“Keep an eye on him Jared.”

“I will. I’ll even sleep on the floor if it makes you feel any safer.”

“I’d sleep a lot better if you did.”

Jared smiled at his uncle and picked up the bowl of broth which he had placed onto a tray. He walked back to the bedroom and put it on the nightstand. “I can get you a chamber pot if you feel the need.”

In Jared’s absence, the man had move some of the pillows so he was sitting up, and had moved the tray that Jared had put on the nightstand over onto his lap. Jared watched as the man slowly ate the broth, seeing his shoulders relax bit by bit as Anita’s broth warmed him from the inside out.

Jared brought in a chamber pot, a few books as well as a piece of paper and a pencil and placed them on to the nightstand in case the man wanted to communicate. He left the man to finish his broth and went outside. While in the guest bedroom, he had heard the distant sound of cattle and knew that the men were riding back with the few head they had found in the mountains. The gates were already open and Jared watched as the cattle got closer. Chad and the other two cowpunchers had found another five head in the mountains, so there were another nine head. They would brand the calves and send off to market when spring came around.

Jeff had come out to see what the men had brought back and was a bit surprised to find that there was so many hiding out in the mountains. He knew that they were his cattle as he was the only one in the area with Herefords. Once the cattle were in the yards, the men took their horses to the stable where Mark settled the horses back in while the men went to the cookhouse for a hearty meal. Jared and Jeff ate in the cookhouse, and listened to the men talk and laugh. Late fall and winter were quiet times on the ranch. The older cattle were moved to graze on better areas of the ranch and the men usually spent their time breaking in a new horse or repairing their gear. Some men even made their own gear, knowing that when spring came they would be too busy working to worry about their gear or new horses.

As the afternoon turned into evening, Jared excused himself and went inside the house to check on the stranger, who he found to be asleep again. This wasn’t any surprise as it would take a few days to feel better and probably a week before he would be well enough to move on. What did surprise Jared was that he had written something on a piece of paper he had left on the nightstand.

The broth needs more salt

Jared chuckled softly and took the empty bowl back out to the kitchen. As was the usual practice, another cook had been hired to feed the workers in the cookhouse. Anita usually cooked for just Jeff, Jared, herself and any guests in the house as well as doing the housework. She didn’t mind it when the men ate in the cookhouse, and instead used her time to clean the dishes and work out meals for the next day. “Your broth needs more salt,” Jared said, and showed Anita the note.

Unlike a lot of Mexican women employed on ranches throughout Texas, Anita was able to read and write. Her mother had worked as the housekeeper at the ranch before Jared came to live there, and she had passed the job to her daughter before retiring to town. Jared and Anita had pretty much grown up together although Jared was a few years older he still saw the young woman as a friend and equal, not a servant.

Anita laughed and took the note. “Señor should cook his own broth.” She saw something at the bottom of the note. “He also says to call him Jesse.”



It was now nearing ten years since Jensen first left Louisiana. Despite the fact that he was born at the end of the Civil War and slavery was a thing of the past, his father still hated having to pay workers and treat them as humans; the self-proclaimed ‘son of the South’ felt somewhat cheated that he had to now pay what use to be free labor. So when his son had said he wanted to take the property into a different direction, to diversify in case their sugar market went bad; Alan Ackles was not impressed This would always be a sugar plantation, and the younger man started to feel the brunt of his father’s wrath when he suggested changing things.

One night after getting a flogging from his drunken father, Jensen packed up a small bag and took his Colt revolver from the box under his bed. That night while everyone was asleep he left and got as far west as he could. He didn’t know where he was going: he just wanted to get away from his father and his controlling grip. He took odd jobs wherever he could, and worked on ranches or in towns for a few months before moving on when his services were no longer required. As a result, he had learned more skills in the past ten years than he had in the twenty years on the family’s plantation. He could work cattle, butcher a steer or deer, break in wild horses, not to mention the fact he was a very good shot with both revolver and rifle.

When Jensen opened his eyes and saw the stark white of a ceiling above him, it came a shock. He tried to move but discovered he was in his underwear, on a comfortable bed under a number of thick blankets. Jensen realized that someone had found him in the middle of nowhere and had brought him back what sounded to be a ranch. He was thankful but at the same time was worried; he was a stranger in these parts, and he did not know if his father’s reach extended this far. If it were to be discovered who he was, he would be have to go back to Louisiana and spend the rest of his life as a slave to his father.

When the man who had saved him said his name was Jared, when he talked and said he was safe, when he didn’t want to know what he was running from, Jensen was relieved that no one here cared who he was. The offer of food, of beef broth, after a week of nothing but jerky and whatever water he could find, was a blessing-but the broth needed a bit more salt. He saw the paper and pencil on the nightstand and wrote on it, ‘Broth needs more salt.’ Right down the bottom in tiny letters he wrote ‘Jesse’, he had gone by the alias Jesse since he had left Louisiana.



Jared set up his bedroll on the far side of the spare room where Jesse, the man he had saved that morning, was sleeping. He had moved the chamber pot near the bed just in case. There was a pit toilet outside of the house but it was a bit of a walk, especially in the middle of the night. Jared had also put out a jug of water, along with some of the morning’s bread, and he kept a lamp burning low so the room was not pitch black inside the room. He had brought in a razor, soap, and a bowl of water in case the man wanted to shave. Lying back on his temporary bed, Jared closed his eyes and started to drift off to sleep, knowing he would wake if there was any sound.

Jared, as usual, woke up with the sun. He yawned as he sat up, and looked over at the bed to see that Jesse had sat himself up using the pillows for support and was reading one of the books he had left there yesterday. “Morning,” Jared said.

Jesse just nodded in response.

“It’s still early. Anita won’t have breakfast ready for at least another half an hour. I’ve got to do a few chores but I’ll be back soon,” Jared said. He got out from under the blankets and pulled his jeans on. “If you think you can walk, the outhouse is down the hall to the right and the door at the end. See you soon.” He put a shirt on and left the room.

Jared went outside to do his morning chores, which included milking the cow, feeding the chickens, collecting the eggs, and bringing a pail of water to the kitchen for Anita to heat. Anita was already in the kitchen. She had put wood into the stove and was currently cutting the slab of bacon into strips ready to fry for breakfast.

“Good morning Anita.”

“Good morning. I took Señor Jesse’s clothes into the room.”

“Did he say anything to you?”

Anita shook her head.

“I guess he’s not ready yet.” Jared filled the large pot on the stove with water and sat down on one of the chairs. “Unless he’s unable to talk.”

While talking with Jared, Anita made a pot of coffee and started frying the bacon. She decided to scramble some eggs for Jesse, since it would be easy for him to eat, and she added an extra pinch of salt to his portion. When Jeff walked into the kitchen, Jared handed him a mug of coffee and the three of them sat at the wooden table in the large kitchen and continued talking. Over the next few days, Jared was hoping to take one of the wagons out to collect enough firewood to last them a month or two at least. A few miles away near the edge of the ranch there was a small group of old trees, and during a storm a few had fallen over. Over the summer they had cut it into manageable sizes but it still needed to be brought back and split.

The breakfast was just about ready, and Jared was about to excuse himself to go and see if Jesse was hungry when Jeff turned his head and looked over Jared’s shoulder towards the hallway. Jesse had shaved away his beard and looked like a completely different man.

“Señor Jesse, would you like some coffee and scrambled eggs?” Anita asked.

Jesse just smiled, nodded, and sat down at the kitchen table where Anita put a cup of coffee in front of him. He sipped at the coffee and when she put the plate of eggs and toast onto the table he started eating, taking it slowly. He knew his stomach might not be able to handle the food, having not had a suitable meal for weeks.

“I was planning on heading out to start the first load of firewood once I’ve finished breakfast,” Jared said as he started to eat. “Jesse, are you feeling up to a wagon ride?”

Jesse looked up from his food, surprised to be asked if he wanted to take part in work. He thought that, now that he was up on his feet, he’d be taken to the nearest town and told to move on. Still not trusting his voice, he nodded and smiled. Over the years he had gotten so use to Jesse he often forgot his real name.

“I have a spare pair of socks and boots you can borrow. When you have finished your breakfast, I’ll go and get the wagon ready. Take your time, we don’t want you to get sick from eating too fast.” Jared said, and ate some more of his breakfast. He would have to get some of his older and smaller boots and socks for Jesse to borrow, as well as a coat or at least a thicker shirt for the man to wear. There was something about Jesse that drew his attention. He was not sure if Jesse was a mute or if he was not talking for a reason, but, whatever the reason, Jared would not push. If the man could talk he would do in his own time.

After finishing breakfast Jared took Jesse to his room and left the man to try on the old boots and also socks. “I’ll meet you out at the livery, you can’t miss it.” He said, putting a coat onto the bed before heading out to get the cart ready.

Jensen looked at collection of boots and socks, finding a pair of each that would fit him, and put the coat over his worn shirt. Jared had shown more than enough kindness to him. Putting on the borrowed footwear, he took a deep breath and walked out of the house. Finding the livery was easy enough, and as he got closer he could see Jared and a young man doing up the girth buckles of the harnesses on a pair of large horses. He kept his distance until the men had finished.

“Jesse.” Jared smiled as he saw the other man walking towards them. “I’ve just got to fill the water skins and we’ll be on our way. Do you know anything about controlling a team?”

Jensen nodded, double checking that all the buckles, harnesses and reins were done up securely and wouldn’t cause discomfort to the horses, with the reins in his hand Jensen moved back to the step and got up onto the wagon. Once Jared had taken his seat he snapped the reins and clicked his tongue to get the horses moving.

“Once we get out the front gate turn left and follow the track, the fallen trees are a few miles away,” Jared said, and sat as comfortably as one could on a hard, wooden wagon seat.

They rode along in silence, and the only sounds were the jingling of the horses’ harnesses and the odd rickety sound of the wagon’s wheels. Jensen was deep in thought, remembering the long, tiring trek across central Texas. He had run out of money and had ended up having to sell the horse he had received from one of his jobs, as well as most of his gear to pay for food in order to survive. Soon all he had left was a bridle and his spurs. Once he got west of the Pecos River, he had sold his only bedroll for some bullets and jerky at some small store in a nameless town. It had seemed like Texas would be the death of him, and he had been living off whatever water he could find and one small strip of jerky a day. He had been crossing the last big mountain range between him and Mexico when the cold finally got to him. He had shivered every night trying to get some sleep but more often than not the shivering had woken him up. Only a few nights ago, he sat down against a tree, shivering uncontrollably, and had closed his eyes. This had been the end. In closing his eyes, he had known that he would go to sleep and not wake up.

Jensen was snapped out of his reminiscing when Jared nudged him on the shoulder.
“We’re here. I know you’re still feeling under the weather, but just keep an eye on the horses and I’ll move the wood onto the wagon.” Stopping the team Jensen pulled the break lever and gave Jared a nod to let him know it was safe to get off.

“Thanks Jesse.” Jared also handed over the rifle. “Keep a look out. You never know what’s out here.”

Jensen nodded and checked the rifle: there was one in the barrel and no doubt it was fully loaded. He sat at the front of the wagon, and his eyes always looked around them as Jared proceeded to load the back of the wagon with rounds of wood. Roughly three quarters of the way through, Jensen whistled softly, getting Jared’s attention he pointed out over the horses to a stag grazing about a hundred yards away. Jensen grinned, got down off the wagon and, not knowing how the horses would react, he went about ten yards to the side, before he lined up the rifle and squeezed the trigger. The stag fell to the ground as the bullet hit its mark.

“Good shot!” Jared said. “Get on and we’ll go get him.”

Jensen got up on the wagon as Jared took the reins and started the team towards the stag. Between the two of them they got it up onto a bare spot on the wagon. It meant that Jared wouldn’t be able to put much more wood in there, but at least they had dinner and probably meals for the next few days.

Jared decided that they had enough timber for this trip and started back to the ranch. The stag took up quite a lot of room and getting it back and butchered was higher priority than a few more pieces of wood.



It took Jensen well over a week to completely recover from the effects from the night where he almost froze to death, and he hadn’t realized that the lack of both food and decent sleep had caused damage to his body that he had to recover from as well. Wanting to earn his keep he started small: helping Jeff’s nephew, Jared, move loads of firewood from elsewhere on the ranch back to the homestead, and other chores around the homestead, including collecting eggs from the chickens and milking the house cow.

When he had first arrived there was an air of danger around him: the man found near death in the mountains with only a few possessions. Jeffrey Morgan, the owner of the ranch, had lived all of his life in western Texas and knew that a man out in the wild in late November was running or hiding from something. But he soon discovered that Jesse was just a drifting cowboy who hadn’t realized how cold it got in these parts. Although Jesse rarely talked, that did not affect his ability to work and he had soon shown his worth and had earned a place on the ranch - over winter at least.

As his health improved, he started tougher jobs and, in the past week, he had started breaking in a wild colt. Despite a few buck-offs, Jensen never lost his temper, and a within a few days the colt accepted having a rider on his back. He rode the colt around the yards a few times before taking it out to a larger area. He expected the colt to try and bolt now that it was free from the confines of the yards but it behaved itself and did everything that was asked of it.

The final test for the colt, which came as a surprise to all but Jensen involved controlling the horse while it was at speed. A small crowd had gathered including the cowpunchers - Mark, Joey, Aaron, and Chad, as well as Jared. Even Jeff had stopped what he was doing to see what was going on, as even Jeff’s best bronc buster would never ride a freshly broken horse out in the open without someone nearby, just in case things got out of control.

Knowing he had to prove himself, Jensen trotted the horse about a quarter mile away from the livery and whispered softly to the colt, “Just don’t buck me off boy,” before nudging its side with the tips of his spurs. The colt snorted and started galloping towards the livery. With the reins short and leaning forward, Jensen listened to the wind rush past his ears as the livery got closer and closer, and as he got near the group he pulled the reins. The colt responded, slowed down, and halted just yards from where they were all standing. Hiding a smirk, Jensen rubbed the colt’s neck and as the men murmured between themselves he turned the horse towards the livery. He put it into one of the pens and took off the saddle and the rest of the gear.

That evening, over supper, he was the focus of discussion; he had shown that he knew how to handle a horse and even Jeff was impressed, which according to the rest of the cowpunchers was quite an achievement. He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. Impressing a ranch owner was no big deal to him. After eating in the cookhouse, Jensen walked over to the farmhouse and sat down on one of the chairs at the edge of the porch, looking out at the stars and listening to the sounds of the night. He enjoyed these quiet times, and for a few hours he didn’t have any worries or cares.

“Hey,” Jared said, as he sat down on a chair next to him.

“Apollo,” Jensen said softly.

“Hmm?”

“The colt. I’m calling him Apollo.”

Only two weeks before, Jared had discovered that Jensen wasn’t a mute when he heard him singing softly while milking the cow one morning. So far Jared was the only one he’d talk to Jared was the closest thing to a friend that he had here and it had been years since Jensen had thought of anyone as a friend. But no matter how close he got to Jared, he knew that he couldn’t tell the man his real name or let him know of his past.

They sat in silence for a while longer, both lost in their own thoughts, before Jared got up from his chair.

“Good night Jesse, sleep well,” he said, and rested his hand for a moment on Jensen’s shoulder before walking back into the homestead. Jensen smiled. Every evening that the two of them sat out on the porch Jared would rest a hand on his shoulder as he said good night, and just this small gesture made him feel like he was truly welcomed here. He got up out of the chair and walked the hundred yards to the bunk house where he was now living with the cowpunchers and the cook, and stripped down to his under clothes before he climbed into his bed.

Christmas would be here in a few weeks, so by candlelight he wrote a letter to his mother, and in the morning he would ride into the nearest town and send it off. He missed his mother and hoped that she was going alright despite her husband’s temper.

Dearest Ma,

I write to wish you a Merry and safe Christmas. I am on a ranch in West Texas, I lost my way a month ago and almost froze to death in the mountains but I was lucky, a cowboy found me and brought me back to their ranch where I’ve spent the last month.

It is nice here Ma, the rancher’s nephew who found me is probably the kindest head cowboy I’ve met in quite a few years, he not only saved my life and took me - a stranger, into his house and he is letting me use his old gear until I can afford my own, money ran low and I had to sell everything except my bridle and spurs just to buy food to survive.

You know I can’t come home, that father would kill me if I did, but know that I think about you every day and miss you. I am taking a risk but, if you write, address the letter to J. Asher, Morgan Ranch, Plateau, Texas. Just please don’t let father know where I am, I no longer use Ackles because I know how far his reaches go.

Your son,

Jensen

He took an envelope and addressed it to his Aunt Sophie, she would pass the letter on to his mother during her weekly visit and there would be no worry that his father could find out and track him down. In the morning, he would find Jared and ask for directions for the nearest town, Plateau, which sat on the railway line. All he knew was that it was south of the ranch.

The next morning, when Jared found out that Jesse wanted to go into town, he said he’d show the way. He wanted to go into town anyway to purchase some goods and check for any mail. They saddled up their horses and started on their way. Jared knew not to ask any questions and that if Jesse wanted to tell him something, he would do so in his own time. When they arrived in the small town, Jensen saw about a dozen buildings, including the usual saloon, sheriff’s office, general store and post office. While Jared went to the general store, Jensen went across the road to the post office and sent his letter on its way, and while he was there he asked for the mail for Morgan Ranch saying he was a new worker. Since the post master wouldn’t accept his word, Jensen went and waited outside.

“Did you get the mail?” Jared asked.

Jensen shook his head. “He wouldn’t give it to me.”

Jared looked at the post office. “Come with me,” he said, and walked into the building with Jensen close behind him.

“Good morning Jared.”

“Good morning Luke. Is there any mail for the ranch?”

Luke nodded. “That man behind you tried to get it, said he worked for you.”

“Yes. Jesse works on the ranch, when he comes in again he’s got full permission to collect the mail on my behalf.”

“Sorry Sir,” Luke said to Jensen as he handed the mail to Jared.

“It’s okay,” Jensen said softly, smiling the best he could.

“I’m sorry about that, Jesse.” Jared apologized once they were outside the post office. “Is there anything you need while we’re here?”

Jensen shook his head. “I’m saving up.”

“Let’s get back to the ranch,” Jared said, smiling as they untied the horses from the rail. “Will you be staying here for Christmas?” he asked as they rode out of town.

“I’ve got nowhere to go,” Jensen said honestly.

“A few of the men have family within a day’s ride so they’ll be heading home next week for a few weeks over Christmas, There’s not that much work on the ranch over the winter so we let them go and spend some time with their families without feeling like they’re missing out.”

“That’s very kind.”

Jared shrugged. “Jeff might look like a hardened rancher but he’s really a nice guy, and I’m not saying that just because he’s my uncle. He’s always shown a kind heart to those who need it. A few of the younger men at the ranch were orphaned in their early teens, and instead of getting sent to a home Jeff took them in, taught them some skills and they’ve developed into good young cowboys.” Jared chuckled softly. “He’s only ever fired three people in all the years I’ve lived here: George and Noel were arrested for fighting in town and Eddie was a drunk who rarely worked and abused everyone. You know you can stay here as long as you want to Jesse. He’s seen that you know what you’re doing and he always appreciates a hard worker.”

Jensen smiled. It felt good knowing that he wasn’t going to be thrown out in the cold over winter. Maybe once spring came he’d think about moving on. Unless he found a reason to stay.