------*~*Buried Jewels*~*~------
-----***Part Five*** -------
------Cowboy and The Lady-----
CHAPTER IX
Sitting at the oak desk; her father and mother had brought back with them while her father had been stationed in Hawaii. Julie sat in the chair leaning over, making out a check for Greg’s wages and the added raise. “You are going to get a hump in your back sitting like that.” Greg commented. Julie turned around looking at him. “Funny you should say that, Dad always said it, too.
“It’s true, you will.” He laughed. “I’ll be just fine.” she grinned. Handing him the check. “How about we go check on Goblin Mountain’s Little Gobby Wind Dancer?” He offered. I think that is a great idea; LadyShira and her growing babies can come along with us, they need to get accustomed to being around livestock.” Julie said. It had been six weeks since the mother German shepherd and her pups had shown up on her back patio doorstep.
They had made themselves at home and had grown accustomed to coming into the kitchen early in the morning and at night just before bedtime, getting to know one another. It was bonding as well as play time with Julie. Greg had built the mother a doghouse and three others for the growing pups, he had also built a large pen for them, when Julie needed to be gone. She had become quite protective of her new family and they seemed to be likewise with their new surrogate mother.
“Have you decided what You are going to name the pups, pretty soon they will be needing a name to identify with.” Greg said. “I think I will name the little girl, Shianie pronounced She-On-ee and one of the males, Saigon and you can name the other male.” She said. Greg laughed, thinking about a name. “Hmm, what to name that little bugger.” Greg watched him. The pup also seeming to be his favorite, Julie had observed. Whenever Greg was at the house, he was wrestling, playing with the pup. He decided on Max. “Well, Max it is , then.” Julie smiled.
Although, he didn’t question the unusual name for the other male pup, he didn’t have to ask why she had named the other shepherd after a former South East Asian City, he knew why. Perhaps it serving as a reminder her brother had not came home, yet.
Sad enough; there was the possibility, Mike Tracy would never come back home. Though Greg didn’t have the heart to say any different to Julie, he couldn’t stand to see the look of hurt in her eyes every time she looked at her brother’s portrait.
They reached the barn, when he heard the whinny of the filly. How she had grown strong and beautiful since that night she came into the world, they weren’t certain she was going to make it. Abigail standing nearby in protective guard duty of her daughter.
“I cannot get over what a beautiful Sorrel color she is with that flaxen mane and tail in such dramatic contrast. She is a real beauty.” Julie commented. The mare’s eyes and ears alert to visitors; her nostrils flaring, snorting when she saw LadyShira and her pups. “Easy now, girl it’s alright, you are going to have to get used to each other.” Greg talked to the mare.
But the mare wasn’t an attentive, willing pupil, as she lunged for LadyShira and her pups. “Whoah! Back, back!” Greg yelled, throwing up his arms. LadyShira was not too pleased with the mare’s reception of she and her pups, as she began barking wildly to beat the band.
Julie reached down, petting the shepherd, picking up her pup that was closest in the path to the mare’s hooves. When the mare’s left flank shot out, kicking in midair, hitting Julie on the right side of her leg. The German shepherd leaped at the mare in protectiveness of Julie and it meant war was on.
Greg was finally able to calm the mare, taking the dogs, leaving the barn. He feared with the mare excited the filly would get hurt. Julie had limped over to the corral, sitting up on the top railing with the pup she had named Saigon; still in her arms. “Julie, are you alright!?” Greg asked. It was the first time he had called her by her name. “Yes, I am ok” She grimaced. “ I had to get little bit, here out of the way, or he would have been stepped on.” She replied.
Let me take a look at your leg.” He said. “Little bit” stays underneath your feet at all times, I’ve been noticing that, I think he believes you are his mother.“ He said, trying to take her mind off the excruciating pain he knew she must be feeling.
“What’s the verdict, are you going to have to shoot me or just put me out to pasture?” She asked half laughing. He slid the pant leg of her trousers back down reached for her, picking her up off the corral’s rail and carried her toward the house with the pup still in her arms and the mother dog in pursuit and the other two pups wobbling behind her.
“Please don’t tell me, it’s broken.” She said. “No, I don’t believe it’s broken, but you are going to have one nasty bruise.” He told her. Julie tried to hold back a giggle, she felt like a little girl, no one had carried her since her father carried her putting her to bed when had fallen asleep sitting on his lap with him reading to her when she was about seven years old and another time when Michael had picked up her swinging her around then throwing her into the water at their swimming hole.
The nice thing about older brothers, they can almost accidentally drown you not even realizing it. She no longer could hold it back, when they had nearly reached the patio door, The laughter erupted . She had Greg laughing, when he nearly dropped her going through the door with LadyShira and her babies on his heels.
“This is going to sting.” He warned as he rubbed alcohol on her badly bruised leg. “It cannot hurt much worse then it already does.” She stated. The shepherd was sitting close beside Julie when
Greg gentle as he could possibly be; rubbed the alcohol on her leg. LadyShira decided she had smelled enough, of such a strange odor, walking out of the kitchen, going back outside on the patio to wait. Her pups followed suit with the exception of the little male that constantly stayed at Julie’s feet. Greg looking down, noticed. ‘Would you look at him, he’s laying at your other foot.” Julie laughed. “I think I’ve got a buddy.” She said. “I think you do, too.” he replied.
Greg picked the pup up and handed him to Julie. Covering her face in puppy kisses. She smiled. “I think I’ll keep him, looking down at the black silver and tan ball of fluffy fur with the cutest little face. “I believe he has stolen my heart.” She smiled at Greg.
Greg looked at her thinking to himself, she had his from the first moment she said hello. He didn’t know what he was going to do about that, not yet but she had enough on her plate without being concerned about other things.
“If you think you will be alright, I better get back to work, I need to get the rest of the hay in from the front pasture, it looks like rain and we may have an early Fall, with the chill in the air this morning.” He said. “We’ll be fine.” She said thanking him. “Stay off your leg for a little while, is there any thing I can get you?” He asked. She nodded, indicating that she would fine. He smiled then left.
CHAPTER X
Noon day, Julie’s Uncle Sam stopped by, realization dawning when he took one good look at her severely swollen leg. She had, had a mishap with one of the horses. He offered to bring her some dinner from town, but Julie had said there was more then enough to fix himself and her some lunch right there. “You may as well fix enough for Greg, too, he’s been eating here rather then going into town every day.” She said. Julie had become quite fond of the farm foreman.
“Do you think that is wise, Julie?” Sam asked his only niece who seemed more like a daughter to him. He and his late wife; Meredith had Tommy a little late in life, he had wanted to see the world, vacationing in Austria this time of the year with his old college friends. Tom didn‘t stick around in Virginia for very long after he graduated.
“Who, what Greg?” Julie asked him. “Greg is a very nice person, Sam. “ He is responsible, very dependable, a hard worker and I believe I could truly count on him if the need should ever arise.” She finished.
Sam was thoughtful. Greg Williamson had to be at least fifteen years older then Julie. Not good in his opinion. Sam had rustled up some soup, salad and a sandwich, knowing or at least believing, women love their salads.
“Isn’t there a food tray or two around here some place?” Sam asked from the kitchen. While Julie sat on the sofa in the family room/den. “It’s in the pantry Sam, top drawer.” Julie answered. He brought in the tray of food, sitting it down on her lap, going back into the kitchen for his tray.
They talked while they ate. Julie knew how much he loved football, reaching for the remote, she turned the television on. Sam laughed. They finished their lunch when Greg knocked on the door. Sam got up, opening the door, inviting him in. It left no unanswered questions in Greg’s mind, he was simply hired help around here as far as Sam Tracy was concerned.
“Greg, there is dinner for you on the stove.” Julie said. “Thank You, M’am, but I’ll be going in to town here in a few minutes, I wanted to stop in to see if You were needing any thing, and thinking about running out to Charlie’s uncle’s house afterward.” Greg said.
Julie realized they were supposed to have went to see Alpha Amburgey today, she had forgotten all about it, after she had hurt her leg. She didn’t believe for one minute Greg was going out there without her. No, it was his way of reminding her what they were supposed to be doing.
“Why don’t you wait, about going out there and have some dinner here, rather then going all the way into town.” She offered. Giving him a look. The exchange between the two, it didn’t go unnoticed by her uncle, either. Sam got up, went back into the kitchen pouring himself another cup of coffee. Thinking what in the world did his niece see in that old rawhide run rough-shod cowboy, he couldn’t figure that one out when she could be dating an attorney or a doctor somewhere. But he guessed he didn’t have any room to talk, he was an old crusty sea dog himself., it was a funny thing; the heart.
He walked back into the family room, bent down kissing his niece on the forehead. “I’ll be going, I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow, spend the day with you, then I am going to be putting out to sea for a while, I’ll be back in about six months.” He said.
Julie was surprised. “I thought that You weren’t going to until next year?” Julie asked him. “You know me, I change my mind like the weather.” He laughed. Julie was sad that her uncle would be leaving and gone for so long. “Why gone that long, Sam?” She looked up at him. “Well, I’m getting older, Julie, I’ll sail around down to the Caribbean, avoid the cold Winter months here that way. I am betting we’ll have an early Winter here, it’s awfully cool right now for October.” He said. Greg had been noticing the cooler mornings, himself. “I am believing we will have an early Winter too.” He commented.
“Yeah, so I figure I best be moving on before the colder weather hits, you’ve got my number don’t you in case you need to get in touch with me?” Sam asked her. He hated to leave, she was the only living family he had here now since Tommy was setting his sights on seeing the world. But now, believed after taking a closer look, from the way the cowboy looked at his niece, she would not run in to too much trouble that he couldn’t alleviate.
“I have your number, Uncle Sam.” Julie said hugging him. He thought he saw tears in her eyes for a second, must be his eyesight was getting bad. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, stay off your leg and get some rest, Greg make sure she gets some rest.” Sam said. A silent look passed between the two men for a brief moment. Yet it was enough for Greg to read the unspoken message in his eyes. He nodded his head at Sam. It was done, then. |
