Bev's Five

Chapter Two Jason

Chapter Two Jason

The morning sun was already beating down on me. You could tell it was going to be another hot day. I was just finishing up cleaning out a new stall. I was getting ready for a new mare to come in. I won her in a poker game so her owner better hold up his end of the deal and deliver. He swears it's his best mare. She better be. My name is Jason Black and I run the Black Stables. It has been in my family for generations. My father passed a couple years ago so I took over. I own the ranch and stables but I prefer my time to be spent on more than shoveling s**t in the heat.

We have a riding school on the grounds that are run by a Mrs. Pringle. She also does trail tours that take you through a small forest, over some hills and down to the ocean where you can picnic while the horses cool down for the trip back. I would say she does pretty well. I always see people and groups coming in. She rents six of my horses, two mares and four stallions. This works great for me as her rent covers my stable costs so all I have to care for is the rest of the ranch.

It's a five bedroom farm house over three levels with a pool out back and a huge patio with a hot tub and a built in outdoor kitchen. I don't do much entertaining. I am a 32-year-old man who is glad to be single and certainly not your typical ladies' man. I'm good looking enough I would say. I have all my teeth, black hair I am about 6'3” with a tanned muscular build. I always keep my hair pulled back in a tight braid. My specialty goes as far as knowing how to make a mean steak. I get a good deal on my meat. My father was friends with the local butcher. They had a deal about his daughter coming out whenever she wanted to ride one of the mares. I still honor that deal. Beyond the steak I can't cook. I’m just not good in the kitchen what so ever. Thankfully I have an amazing chef or I would starve. Maria is also my housekeeper and I am very grateful for her. My father never thought it fit for boys to be in the kitchen. Our place was in the field and in the stables. We used to run a hay bailing business but over the years it had become too much for my father so he sold off his equipment and now I rent out the land. Works for me, with my inheritance and the rent from the stables and payment from the land I really don’t have to worry about anything.

One thing takes care of the other so I spend my time playing cards down at Butch's Deli. In the back, there's a set up for cards and horse races and old Butch even takes bets on college ball. I am a poker man and a scotch enthusiast. When I am done playing cards or have lost as much as I am willing to for that day I head down to the nearest dive bar in town and throw back a couple and shoot the s**t with some locals. I go home, pass out and get up to shovel some s**t, feed the horses, shower off the smell from the last 24hrs and head down to Butch's again.

Today is different though. Today I am waiting for this dead beat Ron to show up with his best mare. I am hoping his word is good. I don't need a horse that isn't up to my stables quality. I don't have time to break in a new one. Man, where is this guy?

I head up to the farmhouse to give him a call and grab a bite to eat. As I walk through the door the phone rings. I’m coming, I'm coming, Hello… yeah, this is Jason. Yeah, I could use the help, ok see you then. Mitch Wade was calling me, asking me to do him a favor. I haven't heard about him for some time. I know he and my father had some sort of past. I think they went to the same school when my dad was a senior and he was a freshman. I guess his son Sam got himself into some trouble and Mitch has now canceled the kid's trip to France.

Lucky little s**t. Must be nice for daddy to send you on a trip. Ahhh Mitch is a good man; he works hard and has a great life for himself. He used to play ball back in the day with my dad. They were quite the team but after high school, college was in his future while this ranch and stables were in my father's. I wonder what his son did that was so bad he's sending him to me. I laugh thinking about all the possible incidents as I looked up Ron's number. He said he was running late so I decided to take a shower and get dressed to meet with Mitch and his son Sam.

The water felt good on my skin, nice and cool. It was a hot day and my air conditioner had crapped out so I’m waiting for the repair guy to come out sometime this week. I have a very roomy shower with a rainfall head in the middle and a bench on one side with water jets coming out on the other side wall. When I have had a long day I like to stretch out on the bench and let the water just beat down and listen to it hit the floor. It is very calming. But today I don't have time to relax and fully take in my shower. I have to look presentable. I didn’t know if Mitch had heard any of the rumors swirling around town about some of my indiscretions.

I had gotten myself into some trouble when I came back from my last tour. Nothing my father's money couldn't take care of and everyone has a soft spot for a soldier. I guess I never really got back into the swing of things when I came back. After my father passed my mother went to live with my sister out in Florida. My brother had moved away right after college. s**t, we haven't talked in I don't even know how many years. They tried to help me and be there for me but I wasn't in any mood. I liked getting black out drunk and bedding any hunny that would have me. Only my father was willing to put up with me. I don’t think he really cared; he was just happy I was home again. He just hated when he would find me passed out in the stable naked with nothing but my boots on scaring all the horses.

I put on my best pair of jeans and a white muscle shirt with a light blue short sleeved plaid button up shirt. I braided my hair back and threw on my trusted old cowboy hat, plunged my feet into my boots and headed out to the stables. Mrs. P was there checking in on the horses, getting them ready for the day. She always had a smile on her face and was very courteous.

“Good Morning,” she said.

I greeted her with a tip of my hat “Morning.” I let her in on the news of having a new ranch hand and a new mare. She seemed excited for me. “Good news,” she said “you've been out here on your own for too long. You could use the help” as she smiled and walked away. I finished up on a few touches in the stall for the new mare. As I heard the truck coming up the way I looked up and it was Mitch and his son.

“Howdy Mitch”

“Good day Jason. This here is a nice ranch your father left you.”

“Thank, my father he was a hardworking man and took pride in his land.”

“That is for sure” Mitch replied.

“So what have you got for me today,” I asked.

“My son here Sam is looking to make some money this summer and to learn some good skills. I was hoping you might have some work he could do for you around here. Keep him busy and out of trouble if you know what I mean” Mitch said as he gave a laugh and patted his son's back.

“I hear ya. Yeah, I have lots of work around here that I could use some extra hands for. No problem with that and there's no trouble to get into out here” I tipped my hat with a hardy laugh.

Sam murmured under his breath “yeah there's nothing out here to get into…”

Mitch nicely reminded him to use his manners. I didn't mind, god only knew if I was him I'd be pissed too. Perfect timing, Ron was pulling up with his trailer.

“Well, Sam is it?” The boy nodded. “Here is what we're doing this summer. Here is a new mare and if she is as good as Ron here claims then our job is going to be easy.”

“Hey there Jason,” Ron called out.

“Here she is. Her name is Thunder and she’s a beaut.”

“Ok ok let's see her bring her out. Stand back boy she might be a kicker” I hollered out.

“Nah she's great” Ron boasts.

Ron jumps up and pulls the latch up to let the door drop open. All of a sudden the trailer starts rocking so hard Ron gets thrown off.

“Watch out kid I yell. f**k Ron get ahold of her.”

Ron jumps up and try's to reach for the reign as Thunder tries running out of the trailer. He missed of course.

“Kid, block her.” Sam jumps in front of her and she knocks him down and turns to start to run away and thank god Mitch gets ahold of her reign. I run over to help try calming her down. Finally, we manage to put her in the corral. She goes crazy and starts bucking and snorting.

I look at Ron. You said she was a great horse and knew a saddle and was calm around people. She's wild as hell. What am I supposed to do with her? I can't let anyone around her. Someone is gonna get hurt.”

“I swear she's never acted like this before” Ron stammers. “I wish I could stay but I have to get back” he calls as he's closing up his trailer and heading to his truck.

“Wait" I yell, "what am I going to do with her?”

“I'm sorry I gotta go” Ron yells out his window as he speeds away. f**k me. What a shady asshole. Last time I play cards with him I think to myself.

“Well, kid what do you think of her," I ask.

While Sam is getting to his feet he takes a look at me then at the horse. “She's beautiful but crazy.”

I let out a laugh “yeah she's crazy, shes a wild one. Shes what we call a Mustang. Have you ever ridden a horse?”

“Wait wait…" Mitch interrupts“you're not going to put him on her are you?" he asks.

I laugh. "No not right now but he's going to learn how to train her and yes he will be riding her by the end of the summer. Here's your summer job. You will feed her, groom her, teach her or you can shovel s**t and clean stalls and garbage clean up from the guests at Mrs. Pringle's riding school it's up to you. What will it be?”

Sam watches the horse. “Do you think she can be tamed he asks? “

“Anything can be tamed if you earn their trust kid.”

“Then I'll take Thunder he says.”

“Well then run down to the stables and I will meet you there I told him.”I looked over to Mitch.“You cool with this?”

“Yeah I trust you, just don't let him get hurt.”

“I can't promise that but Ill watch him. I give you my word.”

Mitch reaches his hand out and we shake.

“I have to head into the office so I'll be back later to pick Sam up.”

“No problem we will be here.”As he heads to his truck I call out to him,

“it was nice to see you say hi to Patricia for me.”

“Will do," he waves out his window and drives off. I turn around to head to the stables thinking f**k there goes my summer plans of drinking, gambling, and sleeping. Now I get to babysit. Not sure who was going to be more work the horse or the kid.