Read The Lonely Cowboy (Trace Atkins Family) for Free Online

out.”
    “Tell him to come in to see me and we’ll talk about it.”
    “Thanks,” Mr. Atkins.
    “Just call me Trace, Clint.”
    Thank you, Clint.  I’ll go see him after work this afternoon and he can come in tomorrow, if that’d be all right.”
    “That’ll be f ine, Clint.”
    * * *
    The   sun was barely over the horizon the next morning when someone knocked at the back door of the big house.  Sarah was in the kitchen and answered the door.  “Well, hello. Clint.  Come on in.  Would you like some coffee?”
    “No, ma’am Miss Sarah.  I spoke with Mr. Atkins yesterday about someone to stay on his ranch and he told me to have him come in to talk.  This here’s my nephew, Rance Williams.  He’s my sister Mary’s son.”
    The young man had removed his hat and was nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other.  Without meeting Sarah’s eyes, he mumbled something. 
    “I’m pleased to meet you, Rance.  Come on in and I’ll let Trace know you’re here.  He’s trying to make sense of the books and will be glad for a break.”
    “Maybe I can help him figure them out, Miss Sarah.”
    Sarah left the room and returned, followed by Trace.  “Good morning Clint.  How are you this morning?”
    Clint made the introductions and the young man said an almost inaudible, “Howdy.”
    They talked for a while and Trace stood and extended his hand.  “I think you’ll do fine Rance.  When would you like to go see what you’re getting yourself into?”
    Rance said, “As soon as possible, sir.”
    “Let’s do it tomorrow.  Clint, can you ride along?  You need to see it too.  It’s part of the Bar S now.  Let’s get started about sunup.”
    “Trace, Miss Sarah said you might need some help with the ranch books.  I’m available any time.  Most of the entries are mine.”
    “That sounds good, Clint.  Let’s do that when we get back.”
    “See you tomorrow morning,” Trace said.
    “Sarah, did you meet Rance Williams?”
    “I did.”
    “I think he might be the answer to someone living on my…our other ranch.  He seems like a nice young man.  Pretty shy though.”
    ”I noticed that.  What are we going to pay him?”
    “We didn’t talk about that.  You have any suggestions?”
    “We pay the hands here $35 and found.  (Note from the author: “Found” is room and board.) I think he should get more than that.  We have accounts at all of the stores in Cimmaron.  We could just add his expenses to it.”
    “He’s married and they’re expecting a baby.  Do you think $45 would be OK?”
    “You might even want to say $50.  He’s going to have to make decisions out there that the cowboys here don’t have to make,” Sarah said.
    “Good idea.  I knew I married you for something other than your beauty and body.
    “Speaking of which…”
    They retired to the bedroom and closed the door.  Anyone trying to spy would have heard moans, sighs and the occasional giggle coming from the room.
    * * *
    Trace, Clint and Rance set out for Trace’s Rocking A ranch before sunup the next morning.  They rode cross country at a trot, without any conversation. 
    When they arrived and took care of their horses, they went to the well house and filled their canteens with some cool water.  Trace told them about the burning of the old house and rebuilding of the stone building in which they were now standing.
    Rance said, “This is really nice.  Were you living here before you married Miss Sarah?”
    “Yeah.   While I was rebuilding, I lived in the barn.  A lot of people from the church helped me.  I gathered all of the stone.
    The well has good water.  We own two sections.  Our land buts up to the Nueces River so we have plenty of water.  At the last count, I had about 100 head of cattle so it’s not overgrazed. It’s good land.  That’s probably why Jess Clayton wants it.”
    “Rance, what do you think?  Could you live here?”
    “Yes sir, we sure could.”
    “Here’s