Page 69 of Brett and Rowdy
“Yeah, but we don’t let him ride fence. That’s hard. Did I hear y’all maligning me?” His Maddie came out, the smell of baby powder, hairspray, and strawberries just right.
“Hey, baby girl.”
“Morning, Daddy. Morning, Pappy. Morning, Frank. Rick. Morning, Brett. Morning, Miss Rose.”
Rose cheered. “You look so good, mija. I’ve missed you.”
There was a flutter of activity, Maddie getting hugs and kisses and adoration from everyone.
“Now I’ll have you know,” Madison said as she sat down next to Dad. “I am ready to work. I got my boots on and everything.”
“Yeah, but are they your work boots or them fancy Luccheses?”
“Nope. My pink Ariat ropers.” She giggled. “They are horse, goat, cattle, and llama shit resistant.”
“Oh, good deal.” That was Frank. “I need you to come look at that new Beefmaster bull I ordered in like you asked.”
“Excellent. I can’t wait!”
Rowdy blinked. “You ordered a bull?”
“Uh-huh. With my graduation money from Memaw and Papaw. I bought a bull with a solid line and a breeding pair of yaks.”
“Yaks?”
“Yep.” She sounded so proud of herself. “You want to come out, Brett?”
“You’re welcome to, man, or you can wander out here with me. Maybe take a drive in the four-wheeler?” He didn’t want Brett to be uncomfortable, and honestly, he wanted to spend some time, really show off his space.
Maybe prove that there was a place outside of South Carolina.
“I’ll come out with you, Rowdy. Maybe see your stuff tomorrow, Madison?”
“Sure! I’m happy to show off whenever.”
Hoo yeah. He loved that Brett wanted him right back.
“Cool. After breakfast, we’ll go take a wander. Maybe just grab some sandwiches. Or we could grab some hot dogs and grill out for lunch.”
“I love that.”
“So what are you gonna do today, Pappy?” Maddie asked, “Since Daddy’s gonna be lazy.”
Dad snorted. “You’re here to work, girl. I’m actually pondering about running down to see some horses.”
“Oh, you have to come out and meet my girl. You didn’t get to meet her before everybody got her settled.”
“Yeah, I saw you brought your dog,” Eduardo muttered around a mouthful of food. “She trained to a whistle?”
Maddie blew a raspberry. “I don’t know if yours sounds just like mine do, but she does a pretty good job. I’ve been trying, Uncle Ed, I promise.”
“You’re good with the critters. I mean, you’ll do fine. We’ll introduce her to the pack. See if she likes them or she just decides she wants to be a house dog.”
Everybody got to talking about the German Shepherds and the border collies and the hound dog and the horses, and Rowdy just let the sounds pour over him, because nobody was saying anything he needed to hear. This was just the sound of everyday ranch life—cowboys, dishes, the slow swish of a dog’s tail on the floor.
Brett stood and took his plate, and he heard Rose chuckle and thank him.
“I like him, osito.”
