Yesterday afternoon and especially last night had been one big ass disaster after another. I swear it was as if we had each broken a mirror this week or something. First, the damn holding pen for the cows had been left open, letting some of the big bastards escape before we could get the gate shut. No one ever said ranching was easy, but Lord, cut a guy some slack. Having cows on the loose is never a good thing when you’ve already rounded them up. They get antsy and take off. For big ass animals they can move pretty fast when motivated.

After some of the ranch hands went back out to round up the cows -again - my brother Abe, who also happens to be the ranch’s veterinarian - was kicked in the shin by a calf. He cursed up a storm but seemed to be all right. My sister Phoebe was tossed off her horse when he tried to jump a fence that was a little taller than his jump. The horse cut his front leg. I think Phoebe was more upset about her horse - Jester - being hurt than she was that she could have been hurt by not paying better attention to what she was doing.

Then to top off the shittastic day, Danny - the youngest of the Cannon spawn - was almost killed by some damn city slicker who probably doesn't know her ass from a hole in the wall. I know things happen when they do for a reason and all, but I think last night took ten years off my life. After Phoebe’s brilliant dismount Ma took her back to the holding pens to help Abe and Pa with the cattle. That meant someone needed to play look out, so I went. I needed the space to cool down as it was. But then… that was when I saw the heart stopping, cataclysmic event of the day.

I watched - utterly helplessly - from my vantage point up on the hill as the boys rode the ATVs across the pasture trying to herd the cows back towards the big pen. It was the only way to separate the calves from the larger herd. They needed shots and to be castrated, which was a smooth operation most days. But the moment I saw that truck coming up the road it all changed. I saw my youngest brother, Danny, heading straight for it. The driver didn't slow until the bull darted across the road. That caused the vehicle to swerve to the road side, tipping the trailer. There was no way to stop any of it. My heart stopped when I saw Danny come up the small hill only to be faced with the now unmoving vehicle and trailer. The kid had no choice but to jump off and allow the ATV to slam into the trailer. He hit the ground and seeing him hit the ground broke my paralysis.

I reacted as quickly as I could. I scrambled back to my truck, threw it in gear and hauled ass back down the road. When I came upon the scene the woman was standing with Danny. I couldn’t see much of her; the lights made everything blurry as the darkness of night started to take over. With everything going on the woman seemed to be out of it, until her dog caught her attention. I seemed to be the only one that was pissed off at her reaction to the whole thing. Maybe it was me overreacting. I didn’t think so at the time.

It was a few hours and a few regretful words later that I started to calm down and replay it all in my head.. Danny was fine. He had a few scrapes and new bruises, but he’d be fine. Doc gave him some meds for muscle pains and then went to check on the woman. I'd been so mad I hadn't even asked her name. I don't think she volunteered it, either. That dog of hers was fine after all. Bad tempered, but then, so was his owner. He had a couple of cuts that Abe stitched up, but was healthy otherwise.

The pissy woman, though, she wasn't as happy with Doc as everyone else had been. She had a broken wrist, a twisted knee and a helluva bruise on her chin. She'd be feeling that for a few days. I wanted to feel sorry for her, but I showed my ass last night. And don't think that didn't go unnoticed. I may be a grown man, and own my own house, trucks and livestock, as well as half the family ranch, but my mama laid into me like a Baptist preacher giving a sermon to his congregation of sinners. Nothing sucks more than having your mama swearing up a storm at you, which she only does when she is pissed to the tenth degree. Granted, it's funny to anyone that's not you.

When she finally turned me loose, I walked out of the kitchen and onto the back deck to find both Danny and Jon in stitches. Phoebe was scowling. Dad looked disappointed. He looked at them and shook his head. I sighed and moved to sit on the stairs leading off into the back of the property. I knew my actions stemmed from the inner battle I fought every day. Not all women were bad or reckless with others lives. I react like most people do. Fear turns to anger, so I unleashed it.

“Son, I expect you to apologize to Miss Larson in the morning. I get that you were upset, but nothing that happened was her fault. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it looks as though she came out of this with the worst damage. I mean it, boy. You better fix this. You're not too big for me to skin ya hide,” Dad’s words twanged through me. Before I could tell him I'd already planned on doing that, he’d stood and headed back inside.

Everyone was silent until Jon spoke. “Bubba, come on, I'll help you get set up for in the morning. Four AM will be here before you know it.”

“Thanks. Abe has his stuff in order already. I need to move the trailers to the back of the pen,” I said.

“The paddocks are ready for the horses. Pheebs and I did that while Ma told ya off,” Danny offered, ever so helpfully.

“Kid, I might still kill you,” I muttered, standing. “Let's go Jon. I need to check on Abbie and shower before bed.”

“She’s asleep, I just checked on her when we got back. She's out like a light. I'm on Abbie duty tonight, so don't you worry about her,” I moved to hug Phoebe and kissed her head. “Thanks, Pheebs. Love you, Kid.”

“Love you too, now go before Ma starts ranting again,” she said before erupting into giggles and walking back inside.

“I'm never living this down, huh?” I asked, glancing at Jon as we moved to walk across the yard to the trucks and the barn.

“Dude, you made Ma lose her cool. She's not done that since Kath- Well since you got custody of Abbie. It was entertaining and sad at the same time.”

“I watched him hit her. She didn't react fast enough. Why is a damn city slicker ‘round here anyway? She's gonna get in the way, man,” I griped as I tugged the truck door open.

“You're an ass. No one anticipates a cow to dart across the road - if they don't know to expect it, that is. Not to mention Danny was driving that ATV full out. He knows better, but like the rest of us, he did what he wanted. It left him no reaction time. Thank God he had the sense to put on his overalls and a helmet,” Jon said, his voice full of the same emotions I was feeling.

“Yeah, let's get this done. I'm tired and I need to go check on Abbie. No matter what Pheebs said. I need to see my girl,” I tiredly said the last words and climbed into the truck. They already had both trailers hooked up, so all we had to do was drive them out, unhook one of the trucks and head back home. Tomorrow would be a new day and hopefully, an uneventful one.

“Come on, princess. Can you go back to sleep for Daddy,” I said softly as I held Abbie against my chest. She’d had a bottle with oatmeal already, but for some reason she was still fussy. The plan was to let her sleep in her car seat, which would be in the truck until we got the cows sorted. By then it would be time to eat again. We were all ready to take a break.

“She’s as stubborn as you were at that age.” I looked up to see my dad smirking at me. I fought to not roll my eyes.

“Sure she is. It runs in the family,” I grinned.

“Possibly, but don’t tell your mother that.” He moved over to kiss Abbie’s cheek and grabbed his hat. “Your Ma will drive the truck out to the site. Maybe she’ll fall asleep during the ride. Come on, we’re wastin’ daylight,” Dad said as he patted my shoulder. When he walked out of the kitchen he raised his deep voice and let out a booming, “Saddle up” before he headed out the front door himself.

I chuckled as Abbie hiccuped and curled her face into me. “I see Grandpa gets your attention, yet you pay me no mind. I get it. Grandpa is louder than Daddy. And meaner.” I whispered the last words, grinning as I turned to head for the front door.

“Hey! Let me take her,” Phoebe said as she moved back into the door. I shifted away and darted out the door.

“Get your own kid, this one is mine.”

“You can't take her on the horse, ya know,” she snarked.

“Oh no? Watch me,” I said as I walked over to the truck where Ma was waiting. “I need her harness carrier.”

“I thought you might. Here, let me help you get it on,” Ma said, all the time smiling up at me. Abbie seemed to settle when she was put into her carrier and could still lay against my chest. This would give me a little more time with her. The ride out to the corrals would be gentle so she would enjoy it. It seemed some days I only saw her when she was asleep. The life of a rancher is on the go, full speed ahead. I get that, but I don't want to miss any of her important moments. Abbie was only ten and a half months old. She had time still, but as a dad I worried.

When I met Abbie’s mother, I thought I'd found the one. That one person you're meant to be with. We met at a charity event in Cheyenne and hit it off. Little did I know then that Kathy Jo Schultz would be the biggest mistake of my life. The one and only good thing that came from our two years together, was Abbie. I’d had to fight for Abbie, though. Kathy Jo was a different person after she got pregnant. And the day after she had Abbie, her true colors rose. I caught her on the phone with someone trying to find a way to “get rid of this thing” - as in our child - so she could get away from this “hick town”. I lost my mind at her words. I watched her like a hawk and the moment she struck I was there. She decided that she was tired of getting up and taking care of our child. I walked in the door just in time to stop her from drowning our two month old.

Enough was enough. I had her arrested - which was easy to do since she confessed to it - and by the court's ruling after her trial, which moved fast, I was awarded sole custody of my child. The battle wounds are still there. People who have no respect for others - as Kathy Jo did - make a devil awaken inside me. It's one of the reasons I showed my ass yesterday. I think. I hope so anyway. I felt like an ass after I yelled at the obviously distraught female. Now I was more than an ass. I would do my groveling later. Right now we had cattle to deal with. It would take all of my concentration, as well as the family and our hands working as a team to get it done safely.