Jacob Tucker was never as glad as he was now when he caught sight of the main house. He had ridden ahead to make sure everything was ready. He left his foreman, Ed Rawlings, to finish bringing in the herd of Mustangs. He had been on the trail for the past six weeks and was ready for a hot bath and a decent meal.
Right now, he would take the hot bath. He smelled like horse, smoke, and sweat. Pulling up in front of the barn, he dismounted with a fluid ease born from years in the saddle.
“Hey boss, didn’t expect you back for another two days,” Jake said, coming out of the barn. “I’ll take Roam if you like.”
“Thanks Jake, appreciate it. Hell, it’s good to be back,” Jacob said as he moved towards the huge ranch house.
“Jacob, welcome back. We weren’t expecting you for another couple of days
