Cowgirls Retreat

Megan pov My knuckles are white as I grip the steering wheel and try to guide my truck down the bumpy dirt road. I need a break from the world and before Wyatt died he told me his ranch had a secluded cabin. You could only get to it on foot or horseback. That is where I am determined to go and heal body and soul. I still can’t believe that he left half of this massive Montana ranch to me. We had met on tour in Iraq he was like my big brother. I never had a great family life I had no one before I had met him. My blue Dodge Ram lurched on another big dip in the road. Glancing in my mirrors I hoped my horses where ok in the trailer I was towing. I could see the big turn around up ahead relief flooded me. That’s as far as my truck could go. It would have been easier to drive to the ranch house and start there but I didn’t want anyone to know I was here. I would face his brother who owned the other half of the ranch when I had a chance to settle and come to grips with all that had happened in the past three months. Stopping I took a deep breath and got out. Opening the trailer I untied Zeb my beautiful buckskin dunn quarter horse gelding, crooning to him I led him out and tied him to the side. Going back for Jimbo my draft cross black and white paint gelding. I quickly saddled Zeb ignoring the persistent ache in my leg and left shoulder. Then I tossed a pack saddle on Jimbo and latched the packs on that held all we would need for at least a month. We set off on the narrow path that wound through the beautiful wooded mountains. Zoning out memories flooded my mind we had been on our way to a small village as a regular check Wyatt was driving I was shot gun and Dean and Ted where in the back. We had been laughing at something Ted had said he was always the one to keep us all entertained. Out of nowhere everything just exploded. All I remember was the ringing in my ears the burning heat and then all was black. I had woke up in a hospital in Germany two weeks later. Dean told me that Wyatt had died instantly, Ted had died here at the hospital from his injuries, and he had only had a few cuts and burns. I had been out cause I hit my head so hard he said I had been in surgery to remove shrapnel from my hip and shoulder. My left side was burnt pretty bad but was healing. I had been medically discharged since I would always have a slight limp. Dean had hugged me and gone back to work. I envied him I had no clue what I would do when they sent me back to the states, I had no home no family and the only thing I had ever been great at was being part of the team in the army. The only thing waiting on me was my horses that I boarded on a small farm in Idaho. Two weeks later I was at base in the states when my commander had sent orders to go to his office. Walking in I saluted “at ease” he said “this is Richard he has some legal documents for you to sign before you head home” “ Hi Megan nice to meet you” he said softly reaching out his hand. I took it and replied “nice to meet you to sir is everything ok I already signed all my discharge papers” “ Oh yes this is to do with Captain Wyatt Heart, he left you in his will you need to sign and it’s all yours”. I stood there looking stupid mouth open eyes wide, I just couldn’t find words finally all I could muster was “huh?” He chuckled “I know you didn’t expect anything but he thought of you as his family he left his ranch to you and his little brother who lives there and takes care of it for him” It had been a blur I was in shock Wyatt had left me his ranch his prize land that he had told me countless stories about. The only thing he loved more in this world was his brother I had assumed he would get it all. I was nothing to Wyatt just the girl he tried to keep out of harms way in the middle of war. That’s when the idea had hit me I remembered the stories about the cabin his retreat when ptsd had hit him hard between tours. So know that’s where I would go. “Ouch” a tree branch smacking me across the face brought me back to the present. Getting out of my head I settled in to enjoy the scenery and the fresh crisp pine smelling air. Patting Zeb I felt at peace finally I was going to be alone and for awhile have no one watching me like I might break any second. Two hours later the trees opened up to a large meadow with the cabin on the edge beside a creek that was so clear she could see the pebbles at the bottom. It was breathtaking. Beside the cabin was a small shed and corral for the horses. Deer grazed slowly on the far side of the meadow slowly working there way to the trees as the sun slowly started to set. After settling the horses for the night and putting the saddles on the fence I grabbed the packs and hauled them to the cabin. It was one big open room. There was an old wood oven/cooktop a sink with a water pump, and old table with two benches and a queen size bed. Looking out the back window she could see a small outhouse. She had a lot of work to do there was an inch of dust on everything. But for tonight she just started a small fire in the stove ate an MRE and curled up in her sleeping bag on the floor.