Fortunately I have a hot, dry buddy to warm my bones, who I see is just pullin’ in to camp. When I can be sure it’s him, I holster my sidearm.
“Hey, compadre!”
“I’d have shot you if I hadn’t recognized Boot’s blaze in the firelight.”
“I’d a’ shot back, young lady.”
“Good thing you can’t hit the side of a barn, Michael.”
“Hey, just ‘cause I’m swish don’t mean I can’t hit the bulls eye. In fact, it means I get more practice.”
“At what?”
“Hitting my target.” Michael flips his wrist and his bangs. What a partner. Well, one of us needs to be ultra-feminine, might as well be Michael, he’s a natural. He may be gay, but it don’t make him any less of a top hand. He’s all cowboy at work.
After seeing to his horse, Michael saunters over to the fire and gets a good look at my cold, sorry, bruised up person. “What the hell happened to you? You look like a tree fell on you and knocked you in the creek. You’re shivering.
“I’ll start a fire and heat the stew You go get those wet clothes off, find some blankets and wrap up.”
During a celebration of life with a shot of medicinal pain killer, I tell Michael what took place with the shooters and Wolf, the amazing life saver.
Michael informs me, “I ran into three cows and a bull just over that last ridge and run them in. Must have been the bunch you lost.”
“Did you hear the commotion?”
“Not a sound.”
“You were likely singin’ one a them off tune cowboy songs and missed it all.”
“Off tune?”
I laugh and say, “Yep.” Actually Michael is the lead singer in a hoppin’ cowboy band. Way good singer.
“Back to my story. Wolf is big, good looking and does a first class job of painting a pony. Tight little ass on him too.”
“Oh sweetie, that means he’s gotta be married. What man can paint a pony up real pretty and not have been caught by a woman?”
“Is everyone I know a smartass?”
“Pretty much, girlfriend. Have yourself some stew.”
After a bowl or three of stew, and a few more medically indicated shots, we curl into our bedrolls. We are heated by the coals. I am mostly dry and starting to warm up some. We snuggle up in our fire warmed lean-to for the duration.
5 Mañana