Post by Wyatt Parker on Jan 9, 2011 13:10:11 GMT 2
Word Count: 969
Status: Complete
Lyrics: Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects
Wyatt thought back on the ranch. It was always in his mind and why not, it was his livlihood and he revolved his whole life around it. He loved the horses the most and the cattle were a way of holding everything together. Without it he didn't know what he'd do. He had no intention of working for anyone else but himself. Call it pride or whatever you will but having someone else manage your life was just not the way Wyatt wanted to go. He was as independent as hell and didn't want anything to change that. Of course he had enough room for Lily in there, who directed him and that was the one time he wouldn't be totally independent. He depended on her and she depended on him. They could balance each other out and hell, they'd clash at times but there was always a way to solve the problem.
Thinking about the cattle Wyatt knew that it was long overdue to bring the cattle in. Usually they'd have been in by now, before Christmas, but this year they were suffering a few setbacks and Wyatt had to sort out all the details. Who was going to go, how long it was going to take, and who to sell a good few heads of cattle to. His cattle stock would be depleted but they had had plenty of births over the seasons before and those calves would grow up and soon enough his herd would be back. Then there was the problem of going or not. It would only be for a week or so, depending on if there were any complications or not, but in that amount of time anything could happen with Lily. Katy would be all alone with her mother and if anything happened, Katy would have to be the one to dial the ambulance. Wyatt would stay and hire someone to help around the ranch. It would be tough without the more experienced ranch hands but it would be good for someone else to get more experience in the meanwhile, as well as another few cowboys going with the ranch hands to retrieve the cattle. All round it was a good time for young men to show what they had and Wyatt would just have to stay behind. That was that. There would be other drives, and he wouldn't mind not having to abandon his bed for a rough night on the freezing Arizona snow.Let me know that I've done wrong
When I've known this all along
I go around a time or two
Just to waste my time with you
Tell me all that you've thrown away
Find out games you don't wanna play
You are the only one that needs to know
I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret
(Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)
My dirty little secret
As for Flyer, Wyatt could gather that the stallion would make good progress once Lily was able to stay with him for long hours in that ring and tame him. It wasn't always pleasant to see a horse give in at the hand of a human but if done willingly, the process could be one that you could never experience again in a lifetime. The two had a bond and Wyatt was depending on that to tame the Nokota. The other Nokota, the mare Desert Dancer, was not quite as mean-spirited as the stallion. She had a quieter nature and Wyatt was not quite sure what the outcome would be in their little foal. It might become quite well-balanced and a good addition to the ranch but that all depended on Flyer's progress. Wyatt had already spoken to Raine about her Nokota carrying a foal and she had been quite keen on the project. But that was still a long way away.
Wyatt was watching his wife, only able to see her nose and mouth peeping out from beneath the stetson. It was far too large and Lily had taken it in her stride, smiling and laughing out from beneath the hat. She couldn't see him but Wyatt was grinning from ear to ear. When had he ever thought he'd be standing her with the love of his life and smiling like this again?
A pretty big problem at that.
Wyatt returned the humour and once she had taken off the hat, he returned it to the rack where he had found it. Lily seemed to find what she wanted with ease and leaned on Wyatt to reach out for a hat that wasn't quite within her reach. She looked at him with those big doe eyes of hers and asked if he could reach it. Lily smoothed over his shirt where she had been leaning on him to try reach that hat.
Sure thing.
Wyatt himself needed to reach up a little to get that hat from one of the top shelves but he caught the end of the hat and took it down. When he looked back Lily was crouching alongside their daughter and Katy was wearing a pink hat. Katy was obviously enjoying this and she was smiling, giggling and holding onto her mothers arms whilst attempting to look up at the hat.
"A real one?"
She asked, enthralled with the news. Katy then grabbed a hold of her hat and looked up at her father, looking for his approval. He smiled back at her and nodded.
A real cowgirl, darlin'.
She looked back at Lily and swung from side to side, getting a little bit shy at the attention but still smiling from ear to ear. Wyatt set the hat down on Lily's head, covering up the handkerchief and smiling as he looked down at her.
Nice fit. Whatya think, Katy? Your mom also a rea cowgirl?
Katy studied the hat and then spoke up.
"Don't they gots a pink one?"
Wyatt laughed aloud and shook his head, looking from mother to child.
I don't think so.
"Sorry mommy, they don't gots pink but you still looks like a real cowgirl to me."
Katy beamed, in her element standing there with her mother crouching alongside her and her father standing watching over them.