Heart of Clay

  The “crew,” as Bobbi liked to refer to all the people who converged on the ranch, was in high spirits.

  The women spent the morning inside preparing food for the big lunch they would serve outside at noon. The men worked hard, and played harder, as they joked and teased each other. Several friends and neighbors joined Steve’s regular ranch hands in working the cattle.

  Big Jim and Ralph showed up, mostly for the fun, declaring they were too old to help. They seemed content to sit on the fence and provide a running commentary for anyone who cared to listen.

  When the bell rang for lunch, it was a welcome break. Hamburgers, potato salad, green salad, watermelon slices, fried chicken, deviled eggs, chips and dip, baked beans, corn on the cob, and sliced tomatoes filled one huge table. Another table held pies, cakes, and a big platter of brownies. The men gulped down iced tea and lemonade along with pitchers of cool water.

  Once they finished the meal, the women looked at the tables and shook their heads. A tornado sweeping through couldn’t have wreaked any more havoc. Piles of dirty dishes covered the tables and trash overflowed from the can they’d set up in the yard. Callan and Jenna started carting dishes inside to wash while the other women packed in what was left of the food.

  “Have you ever seen such a ravenous pack of wolves?” Callan asked Jenna as they placed dishes in the dishwasher.

  “Yes,” Jenna said with a laugh. “The last time we did this.”

  After cleaning up the tables and washing the dishes, the younger women wandered out to the chute and pens where the men worked.

  Jenna and Callan climbed up on the fence of the pen where the calves milled around, picking out the ones they thought had the best markings. From there, they could watch most of the action taking place in the holding pen and squeeze chute, where the majority of the work happened.

  Josh and Clay were in the holding pen, separating the cows one at a time and running them up to the chute. The girls waved at them and called encouragement. Callan glanced down and happened to notice the three puppies had followed them. They rolled in the dirt, chewing and pawing at each other, so she decided they were fine. Suddenly, one of the pups let out an ear-piercing howl as a sibling bit down hard on her ear.

  The puppy’s yip set the cattle in the holding pen into a frenzy of motion.

  Josh vaulted over the fence and got out of the way. He looked over at Clay and yelled, “Get out! Now!” as a panicked cow charged into Clay, knocking him off his feet and into the fence. When Clay hit the ground with a thud, the hooves of a storming sea of cattle trampled him mercilessly.