Something Western

They sat in the road on pails that they grabbed from the milk house. Fireflies winked on the edge of the forest crowding the dirt road to the east.

"There used to be men, real men that is, not these pussies nowawadays, that came over this land. Some settled, rest of em went onward. Why are we still here?" said Will.

"You need to pass that bottle over here; And no, I don' know why we're here, but I'm not looking forward to tomorrow at this rate." Teddy smirks, drinks, and looks westward.

"We're all destined to disappear. Take this exit for nowhere," Will says quietly, seemingly to no one. "To to get away - but don't know where we're headed."

"That's some Socrates shit if I've ever heard it," Teddy responds. "Sounds like you need another drink," passing the bottle to Will. Whipoorwills sounded nearby. You had to strain to hear them. Lean forward and lend an ear.

"Let me tell you something Teddy. You ever hear that one bout the preacher down at First Methodist? One who supposedly had them women chained up in the basement?"

"Nah - dont have no fuckin idea what you talkin bout. Sounds like a real Romeo and Juliet kinda story though. My kinda page turner."

"There was this rumor goin round for ages that he was a little too interested in the pretty half of the congregation. Wasn't married. No family in town. Been preaching nigh on six to seven years. But no one thought too much of it. No one can blame the poor bastard given him being solely in a relationship with God ya know."

"Course, makes sense," says Teddy.

"This goes on for a couple years, preacher makin a casual pass every once in a while. Then one Sunday morning, he don't show up for sermon. Few folks from the congregation go to his house across town and see his car parked out front. When the get up to the front door, they find the door open and go inside. Nothing out the ordinary on the main level - but then they go down to the basement," Will pauses and takes a drink from the bottle. "You still followin?"

"Sheet. How can someone not be following this kinda story. He's pry got kids chained up down there or some shit. Claim he's doing 'God's Work'."

"That's just it. There was no one in the basement. Only thing down there was a single spring mattress in the corner, all soiled and shit. No blanket or sheets. Just a wornout Bible sitting ontop it." Will finished slowly, eyes blank and focused elsewhere. "What do you make of that?"

"I think he was down there with them wives from the congregation. Start by reading them a bible verse and finish with some sinning - if ya know what I mean." Teddy lets out a roil of laughter and grabs the bottle from Will, taking a big swig.

"I reckon he vanished," said Will. "Left his car, his bible, everything man. Took off into the desert on foot like some penitent."

The sun was completely down now, the last few rays catching the atmosphere and illuminating the world for the last time that day. "There is no god damn way he just took up and left. Why would he do such a thing? Don't make no logical sense," said Teddy. "People dont just take off and disappear on a whim."

"We've been reinventing ourselves for millenia. Since our beginnings we always been hunters, navigators, explorers. Seems like we lost some of that real recent. And I'm damn sure folks still walking into the mountains and never coming back. Man still looks to the west and sees freedom. Or to the stars to be called upon. Some of us just don't listen."

They sat in silence. Crickets filled the air with harmony and archaic wisdom whispered through the trees never to be uttered again. "Pass that bottle will ya."

I think this country was at it's morally finest moment during the years leading up to and following it's formation. Men used to gawk at politicians who took the stand and presented lies or half truths. They'd rather watch someone swing then fundamentally abhor their rights so proximally grounded.

And yet here we are, a hundred years or so removed from our primordial foundations and being lied to by politicians, advertisements, the corporation that pays for your groceries and mortgage, and even our closest friends. We have become so numb to being lied to that the hope and resolve that founded this country has become tainted with equal parts cynicism and jadedness.

Who are we and where are we going?

They road back to the old farmhouse in the '52 Chevy pickup Teddy bought from his father before he passed away. Teddy didn't like to talk about that, his father that is. As far as Will knew, Teddy and his dad were pretty close and things hadn't been good again between him and his siblings ever since. Something to do with him trying to tell them what Dad would have wanted if he were still around.

"You planning on going out tomorrow night?" asked Will across the console to Teddy, who had his eyes locked in the darkness ahead of them.

"Probably," replied Teddy "depends on how we're doin after stacking them small squares for old man Randolph."

"Pry won't be too bad," said Will. "Between the two of us, one in the loft and one on the rack, should be able to get a few hundred done in an hour or two. I'm more concerned with whether your gal is gonna be round downtown. Heard from Maria that she been askin bout you."

"Fuck me," Teddy softly said to himself. "I ain't given her a glance leastways and she just keeps persisting and all. What do you make of that Will? She just lookin to settle down or something? I do envy girls thatways. Know what they want and all."

"I think she sees something steady and strong. Whether being partial to you is cause of that or cause she wants kids is to be determined. I think you should buy her a drink tomorrow night, learn something instead of speculating all the time," replied Will with genuine regard.

The truck eased right and into the driveway, dogs began to sound off. "Looks like the girls are happy to see us," said Teddy with a grin. Pulling up next to the house, he killed the engine and flipped off the headlights. Two black labs came off the front porch in bounds. "There's a good gurl," Teddy crooned. "Don't see much value in talkin up Kate when got me plenty of lovin right here at home."

Will shook his head with a soft smile. "Different kind of lovin between Kate and them dogs - I hope you know that."

Dawn woke them and set the day in motion, as it has always been. "Coffee on the counter, gonna step out and check them heifers in the pasture," said Will on his way out the door. He walked slowly, letting his feet drag the gravel as he eased to a stop. The fields surrounding the property were still as the constellations spinned beyond perceptability, a single faint beller sounded to the south. "Looks like we might have something to do this morn," said Will quietly to himself as he started towards the pasture gate. Unchaining the gate, sliding through the gap, and rechaining it behind him he continued onward towards the group of heifers standing in solemn congregation a few hundred yards further down the fence line from him. As he approached, one of the heifers gave another beller and several others gave soft replies. He passed through the herd with sidesetpping motions as a spring heifer came into sight lying on its side in front of him. Two feet protruded from the heifers rear, inches more showing as it bellered earnestly. Stepping closely, he put on his cloth gloves, bound through fate to soak through the amniotic fluid encasing the calf. He gribbed the forelegs and waited for the mother to push. As her stomach heaved he lent his weight, a nose appeared - only for a moment. "Come on girl, one more of those." He waited. A few moments later the heifer heaved once again, and with a final pull, a newborn laid in front of him. The mother stood immediately, rounding on him. "Easy there Ma," Will said softly, backing away from the heifer "I ain't getting in the way here," and he backed up several more steps slowly. Will squated on his heels and sun shadows draped themselves casually over the pasture as the day began. Had already begun.

"Not a bad lookin calf," said Teddy. "Is it a bull?"

"Yeah - knew it as seen as I saw the legs on him. Those big knee joints make it clear as day," replied Will. They were seated on the porch in coaligned rocking chairs, both facing to the southwest. "Need another drink?" asked Will.

"Sure, pour me some of that rye on the rocks," said Teddy.

Will stepped back into the house, letting Baby in as he went. "Damn dog don't know if she wants in'r out," he said to himself as he let the screen door slam behind him. Approaching the sink, he grabbed the bottle of whiskey which was still 3/4 full and poured the glasses partially full. Corking the bottle, he grabbed some ice from the freezer, cracking it with self-satisfaction and a grin, placing ice in each glass. He stepped back out with drinks in hand, letting his eyes graze the country to the south and west - letting his soul sigh for a moment. He handed Teddy his glass.

"Thanks," Teddy said quietly as he subtly aknowledged the moment between the two of them, both with eyes focused on the setting sun closing out the day.

They sipped the whiskey in silence. As the minutes ticked by, the sun set and darkness draped over the land. "Best be gettin to sleep," said Teddy. "I'll let the dogs out for the last time tonight."

"Sounds good," replied Will.

It was Friday night and they had spent the whole day stacking hay for Randolph who had put up more hay than expected on account of the spring rains being heavy this year. Having finished up the work, they had both got cleaned up and were now dressed in their (only) nice pair of denim jeans and matching chambray shirts - Will had his sleeves rolled to the forearms. The windows were down and they both had an elbow out the window, talking loudly over the radio and wind sounding through the cab of the pickup.

"What time we supposed to meet Jake again? Was it 7 or 8?" Teddy yelled across the cab. "I don't wanna be late and risk that slick jackel talking to Kate without me. He enjoys talking to other people's women far too much if you ask me."

"That he does, even a ring don't deter that one."

"I think he likes the excitement. Its all about the chase."

"Probably, dont worry too much though. Kate got a good head on her shoulders and seems to me she knows exactly what she wants," said Will.

As the truck rolled down the hill and into the outskirts of town, they approached the first stoplight in Valentine. They were the only ones at the light, the engine roughly idling in the golden hour of the desert. To their right, on the sidewalk, a homeless man came walking down the dirt path adjacent of the road, burlap sack in hand with denim and cloth sprouting from the top. He stopped for a moment, gazing westward at the setting sun and set the sack down, reaching a hand in and pulled out a half finished bottle of some form of alcohol. Holding it out in front of himself with two hands he gazed with endearment at the concotion, pulling the cork off and closing his eyes gently as he drank. Leaning forward once more, he made eye contact with the truck, Will and Teddy both watching with mild interest and the bum tossed the cork forward in front of the vehicle - not with disdain, but as if to present an offering and welcome the cowboys into his moment of ease and content. He smiled at them and drank once more. The light turned green.

"Don't take much to be happy in this world does it?" said Teddy with a slight shake of his head. "Maybe that guy's got his shit more together than the rest of us who are scrambling around for a bigger house and prettier wife."

"Everyone wants to be more ignorant till they critisize their neighbor for being a dumbass," replied Will. "And besides, I reckon we can get just as ignorant as that guy tonight - especially if you're buying."

"I always say I ain't buying nobody drinks till Kate and her friends walk in. But you know what, some girls are worth spending money on...even if it's just to impress 'em," Teddy said with a grin.

Teddy pulled the pickup into the dirt parking lot of the bar and they both got out, slamming the steel doors behind them. You could hear the crowd from from the parking lot. Music and cascading voices came reverberating through the walls of the establishment. "I'm getting thirsty, how bout you?" said Will without looking over at Teddy. They opened the door and passed inside, immediately encountering Jake and Topper.

"You guys are late, Kate already asked me to take her home," said Jake with a wide grin. "We were dancin' something sexy here not 5 minutes before you boys walked in."

"Save it Jake," replied Teddy trying his best not to smile, knowing this was to be expected. "You'd make it easier for me if you actually did any of those things. Give Kate a smartass cowboy to hold me against."

Will scanned the bar, seeing folks he knew, but many of which he did not. "I'm gonna grab some drinks," he said. "Be right back." Turning sideways to get through the crowded entrance Will approached the bar. A woman tended the bar, pouring drinks and making conversation when time permitted. "Could I get four whiskies please miss..."

"Jamie. Its Miss Jamie cowboy," she said it without looking up from the drinks she was crafting for the couple at the end of the bar. He waited patiently, studying the bartender - trying to make it subtle. She had on worn out jeans, patches at the knees and cut short near her ankles. She wore no shoes, he observed, and as she leaned over the bar to hand the drinks she stood on the balls of her feet, back arching backwards in accenuation. Exchanging pleasanttries with the couple and collecting her tip, she made her way towards him and she made eye contact for the first time. Brown eyes. He held them for a minute and looked away. Looking for his group, he found them over at Kate's table, standing around her and her friends. Jake looked his way and raised his hands in questioning. Will raised his hand in response, signalling it would be just one more minute.

"You here with friends?" asked Jamie.

"Nope," he responded looking right into her eyes "these four drinks are all for me. Been a long week." He held her gaze, this time she turned away first, pouring the brown mixture into the short whiskey glasses.

"There are a lot of folks in here that had long weeks. Anything in particular make yours' something special?"

"Pry not," he said gazing to her right at the bottles on the shelves covering the opposite wall. "Everyone likes to think their problems are unique...and they'll spend every waking moment trying to convince you of that - if you lend them your ear," he smiled and looked back at her. "Do you agree with that?"

"Sounds about right," she placed the glasses in front of him. "Enjoy," she said with finality and turned away to serve the seemingly endless line of customers. Will grabbed the drinks, two between each thumb and forefinger, making his way towards the group at the back corner of the bar.

"We were all feeling rather parched Will," said Teddy with a wide grin.

Will passed out the drinks to Teddy, Jake, and Topper respectively - keeping one for himself. Taking a sip, he turned to the table and spoke to the brunette in the booth closest to him. "How ya doin Kate?"

She turned and made eye contact before responding. "I'm doing well Will, how are you and Teddy doing?" she looked at Teddy while saying this. Teddy responded to this before Will could get a word out. "Well Kate, I'd reckon we are doing alright. This bar is full of beautiful women and there are a handful right here in front of us," he took a big drink of his whiskey. "Is that so cowboy?" replied Kate with a hint of a smile. Will couldn't tell if she was pleased or not by this omission, but if he had to guess, he would assume so.

They chatted and drank, did some dancing, of which, Teddy spent most of time twirling Kate around and trying not to make eye contact. Will sat in the booth and chatted with Kate's friends while this went on.

"Will, what do you make of them two - they gonna make it?" said Marlene while looking towards the dance floor with disdain. "He been making big talk for a long time now and aint never come through on it."

Will pondered for a moment trying to the find the words. "I reckon he will, seems like Kate's the only one he's been interested in for more than a night or two." They sat in silence as Teddy held Kate close for the final slow song. They had both been drinking and it was pretty evident by the way they held no second thoughts about the way they looked out there, Teddy with his hands a little too far down Kate's waist for her friend's liking.

"Do you want them to work out? Does it matter what you and I think?" said Will partially to Marlene and partially to himself. "There is plenty of life out there for those who want to live it." He could feel Marlene looking at him. "Don't mean to dampen your night Mar'," he said quietly.

"You ain't doin no such thing," she replied with a bit of earnest "Why ain't you out there dancin with some pretty young thing?"

Will pondered this for a moment, watching Teddy and Kate holding each other before turning to Marlene. "How bout a dance Mar?" he slid out of the booth and stuck out a hand, though clumsy, as calmly as he could.

Marlene laughed at this. "You really are nothin bout a cowboy aren't you Will?" and slid out of booth grabbing his hand.

"Kate tells me that Marlene was saying good things bout you the other night. You reckon you'll take her out? Bet she'd be fun to fool around with," Teddy shook his head a bit while saying this.

"I doubt it," replied Will, pausing for a moment while considering his feelings for Marlene. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not meant for anybody in particular." He tucked his jeans into the cusp of his boots. Lacing and tightening the leather with each successive knot.

"Don' give me that shit. You like girls just as much as the rest of us. Just don't like to admit it is all," Teddy stepped off the deck and took a few steps into the green lawn. Silence fell between them as Will finished getting ready for the day. Altostratus clouds were spread across the light blue haze of early morning and the sun penciled them orange in places.

Will pulled off Highway 12 and into one of the fading parking spots in front of the co-op. Stepping inside, he pushed a flat cart over to the cattle section and placed two salt blocks onto the cart. He made his way to the counter.

"Come esta?" asked Javier from behind the counter.

"I'm doin alright. You?" replied Will.

"Its been a busy day señor. Many sales. It is always this way during the days of harvest."

"Was having trouble finding a protein mix here couple months back. Seems like everyone lookin for a reason to raise their prices" said Will, trying to give the man a hard time.

"We only charge as much as we have to señor," Javier replied with indignance.

"Ah shit I know. Just saying we're all tryin to make a living." He wheeled the cart outside and loaded the salt blocks into the back of the pickup. When he got home he took one of the blocks and walked it out to the pasture to the west of the homestead, placing it near the hay bin figuring the cattle would be more likely to find it that way.

"How much were them salt blocks?" asked Teddy as Will made his way back to the truck to finish unloading them to the pullshed. "Few bucks a block," replied Will "Not too bad if you're askin me." Teddy walked back into the house shaking his head a bit. "Damn cattle have it better than most of us cowboys."

Teddy and Will had been taking odd jobs and raising heifers together for a while now. It did worry Will a bit that Teddy would one day ante up with Kate and get serious. At which point they'd pry get their own place or Will would have to move on out. But he tried to not think bout that much.

"You reckon we should run a few of the older heifers up for sale? Hay prices don't look to be coming down anytime soon and we pry wanna sell a few while market is good," Teddy called from the front proch as Will finished stacking the salt blocks in the pullshed.

"Sure, how many were you thinkin?"

"Ah, shit...maybe three?" Teddy called back.

It always dampened Will a bit when they had to sell cattle. They'd raised em from the beginning. If they weren't parental figures they were certainly caretakers.

"Sounds good to me."

Will woke for the day and pondered the light shining through the slats in the windowpane. He thought of Marlene for a bit and then of women in general but let that thought fade as he rotated his legs off the bed and pulled on his jeans. They had decided to leave the windows open last night and he shivered a moment as he looked for his shirt.

Walking into the kitchen he grabbed the pot from the sink, rinsing it, and filled it three quarters full with water. Placing it on the stove he cracked the lighter and the dialed the knob, eventually giving way to consistent flame. He warmed his hands for a moment and then stepped out onto the patio, sitting down on one of the two rocking chairs as the dogs came out to join him. The dogs typically slept in Teddy's room given he let them sleep on the bed with him. Will had tried it a couple times but often woke restless and felt bad having to push the dogs off so he kept his door shut at night. But he was always the first one up and enjoyed the time he got to spend with them in the early mornings when he got the coffee going.

"Hey girls," he said softly so that only they could hear. "Sleep well?"

He heard the water boiling in the kitchen and stepped back in, fetching the coffee grounds from the cupboard and scooping them into the pot, placing the lid atop when finished. He went back outside and sat down. The dogs had stepped out onto the dew ladened grass in the front yard and were off investigating the scents left by creatures of the night. Will heard Teddy's footsteps on the hardwood floor.

"Mornin," said Teddy will sleep still in his eyes.

"Morning."

"How long till that coffee's ready?"

"Give it bout fifteen more minutes. Just added the grounds here a minute ago," Teddy responded while keeping an eye on the dogs. "We should pry load them heifers up first thing this morn. Line at the cattle sale always gets long round lunchtime."

"Sure. I'll go back the truck up now and we can load em up."

The landscaped was blurred as Will's reality became relative unto himself only, warping light just outside the door of the truck as he and Teddy flashed by with a trailer full of cattle in tote.

"I ever told you bout my great granddad? Lived cross the river?" Teddy said without looking away from the road in front of him. "He was out of a different world entirely if ya ask me."

"Naw, havent heard that one," Will replied, looking across the console at Teddy who still had his eyes facing forward and was shielding the sunlight with his brow just a bit.

"Name was Joe. Died here few years back, something with his kidneys. Was 89. Man was born back when we was still arguing bout the blacks and whites and all that. Anyways, he got married to my mam at a young age, something like 19 or 20 apparently. They had 7 kids and fought a lot. Mostly bout his drinkin and her smokin. One day he comes home from work tells her he wants a divorce. So they go off and get divorced, she keeps the house and the kids, and he goes to the other side of town and buys a single story cottage with no running water. I shit you not he lived there damn near 50 years, kids visiting from time time. Him just chopping wood, drinking whiskey, and never once takin a damn bath. When they buried him only found two shirts and a single pair of jeans in his place -- which were other than what he was wearing that is."

"Did you know him at all?" asked Will.

"Yeah, saw him round a bit when I was a kid. Mostly holidays and stuff. He'd come beattin out in a horse and buggy while everyone else had cars at that point. Had something like forty grandkids or something and I swear he knew my name, that I cried when Christened, and what the hay price was back that same season thirty years prior. He carried a black leather Bible round everywhere he went and always was the one to say grace at dinner. Always quottin his favorite verses and shit. Carried round a pack of snuff and lil bottle of whisky he'd have in the front pocket of his coveralls. When he'd finish eatin he'd lean real far back in his chair packin a dip and swiggin that whiskey. Was the goddamn happiest man I ever seen," Teddy said in a tone both questioning and idealistic.

"You're gonna be just like him if you don' take Marlene out one of these days," said Teddy with a snort of laughter.

The truck eased off the paved highway and onto the dirt that lead up to the corral. There were a couple dozen other trucks already there filled with men wearing coveralls and boots as they backed up their trailers and unloaded the cattle into the corral. Teddy pulled off to the side, away from the corral, and Will got out and walked over to the man with a clipboard.

"Where you want us to pull up?" he asked the man.

"There's couple spots open down to the left there. Any of them will do. Back up there and I'll come over and get ya tagged," he replied.

Will went back over to the truck and leaned thru the open window on the passenger's side. "Pull up over there," he said to Teddy while pointing at a point down the corral a ways. He walked down as Teddy drove down and got situated to back the trailer in to one of the gates of the corral. When Will got to the gate Teddy had lined himself up and was several feet back waiting for his cue. Will swung the gate inward.

"Alright. Straight back now."

Teddy released the clutch and trailer gave a small jolt. Easing his way backwards Will coached him in rightways until the trailer was a bit past flush with the posts on either side of the gate.

"Good!"

Teddy floored the clutch and put the truck into park. Killing the engine he stepped out and wedged his way between the trailer and the post. The man with the clipboard had come over and had Teddy fill out a couple forms with his information - utlimately giving him a numbered card to use as reference when getting paid later.

"Alright, let em out here," said the man.

Will lifted the bolt on the trailer door and slowly walked an arc holding it in one hand. Teddy and the man took a step back, hoping the cattle would come out on their own. For a moment the cattle remained huddled at the back of the trailer as they softly bellered. But all it took was the youngest heifer, an all black one with white speckled face, to step forward and ease its way out and the other two followed suite. Will closed the trailer and Teddy got back in the truck, easing it forward the man closed the gate behind them.

They parked the truck and walked over to the area of the auction site where the bidding was taking place. Arms crossed over the top rail and boot on bottom, knee raised, they watched as other's heifers were brought out, bid on, and sold. Eventually the time came where theirs' came forth and they watched with quiet pride as their very own cattle sold for prices higher than many others. Afterwards they collected their check and climbed back in the truck headed home. Noontime had passed and the hottest part of the day along with it. They rolled the windows down and let the cool summer air roll through the cabin filling their ears with the sound of the rubber on asphalt and their eyes with the rays of a day soon past. There was nothing to be said. It had already been said by their fathers riding in their Model T along these self-same roads in a self-same time feeling the self-same way. Or maybe their fathers, like them, had nothing to say either and the world had been filled with these moments of solemn yet assuredly bright moments that require no words since the beginnings of the world. They were the frayed ends of a fabric still being stitched in a process forever ongoing and were content with this fact -- if only for that moment -- until the world starts spinning again. As we all know it will.

When they got home they unhitched the trailer and walked it back into the back of the shed using the tongue as a guide. Entering the farmhouse they say wish each other a good night and wander off to their own rooms, the dogs following Teddy per usual. Soft echoes of birdsong and the strumming of crickets bring about the end of day and the provinces of night.

It was Sunday morning and Teddy and Will walked out of the small church and put their cowboy hats back on and stood in the sun a moment. The wooden doors swung open behind them and Marlene stepped out with Kate close behind her.

"That was a good sermon if you ask me," Marlene said as she got closer to the two men. "I like it when Father reminds us bout all them things we take for granted. Like how you two boys are always buyin' us girls breakfast on Sunday mornin's."

"I aint ever gotten breakfast with you two after no Sunday sermon," Teddy said with an incredulous frown.

"That's right aint it. Well then today's your lucky day cowboy," Marlene said and took Teddy by the arm and started walking him to the truck. Will looked towards Kate and she was hiding a grin as he held out an arm for her.

"Marlene sure knows how work a couple farmhands," Will said with a chuckle. "How you been Kate?"

Kate looked off down the parking lot at Teddy opening the truck door for Marlene. "I've been pretty good cowboy. You wanna drive Marlene's Chevy? I'd rather look out the window than focus on drivin personally."

Will walked Kate to the passenger side of Marlene's aspen green '51 Chevy Bel Air, opening and closing it behind her. He watched as Teddy backed the truck up and headed downwards and out the church parking lot, nosing out to make a left turn on Highway 191 that took you back towards town. A line of cars could be seen dispersing from the church's morning service in each direction. Not many folks missed Sunday sermon and everyone would remind the hell out of you if so - God forbid. Will walked over to the driver's side and got in.

The drive to town was quiet. Will couldn't tell what mood Kate was in and resolved to turn the dial on the radio, letting the stereo crackle softly with the week's forecasted weather. It was hot and the windows were down as the air rushed through the car's cabin at fifty-five plus and Will glanced at Kate from time to time but she had her hands in her lap and her gaze focused out the window at the cerulean sky - brown hair streaked blonde from the summer's sun flowing in the breeze. He refocused his attention to the road.

...the summer's heat is expected to continue through most of this week with temperatures reaching into the upper 90s. Thunderstorms expected overnight on Tuesday with the threat of severe weather growing as a cold front from the Northwest sweeps across the middle of the country...

Will slowed the car down as they eased onto Main Street and after a couple blocks hung a right turn, following closely behind Teddy and Kate as they found a parking spot at Doo Dah Diner, Valentine’s only breakfast spot. Killing the ignition they both exited the car, slamming the doors into the frame, and caught up to the other couple as they crossed the parking lot which was starting to fill with others who had recently exited sermon as well. The group entered the diner, Teddy holding the door for all.

“Could we get a table for four please,” said Kate to the female host at the front desk. “A booth would be great doll.”

“If you’d just wait one moment I think we’re having one wiped down right now,” the host responded politely, casting a glance to the back of the restaurant.

The group waited patiently. Will had taken his hat off and was holding it in front of him clasped in both hands ceremoniously and Teddy noticed this and followed suit, taking his brown cowboy hat off and using the palm of his hand, brushed back his hair while keeping his eyes leveled to the floor trying not to make eye contact with either of the girls. Kate and Marlene were making idle conversation about an earlier encounter with some of the married women at the service that morning.

“Who woulda thought Bill and Birdie have them beautiful dark haired kids of theirs. Dark eyes on the lot of em too. Not sayin Bill ain’t good lookin or nothing, but them kids got the better genes from Bird if you was askin me,” Marlene said with a touch of laughter to Kate who responded with a big smile and restrained laughter of her own. “Bill does have them wide shoulders and I bet he shows Bird a good time…”

“Marlene!” cried Kate as both women laughed a bit too loudly for a Sunday morning.

“We got your table ready folks,” the hostess said affirmatively as she began leading them to the far side of the restaurant which featured several booths adjacent to the large glass windows facing the main drag of town. They all got seated, Teddy and Marlene on one side and Will and Kate on the other.

"I wanna hear one of them stories bout your Pa," said Marlene. "Will is always tellin me how he was this interestin guy and all."

"Sure," replied Teddy. "I was just thinkin the other day bout him tellin me years back -- when I was a kid -- about him driving cattle out to Colorado. I ever told that one?"

The group shake their heads in response.

"Before headin off to Europe to fight in the war, Pa was a travelin cattle hand. Was before he could afford cattle of his own that is. So he'd take up jobs runnin cattle out west to save up some money. I was young bout this time. Hardly remember him leavin or coming back if I'm being honest. Anyways, he takes this job in the summer of '37 out near Colorado Springs," Teddy paused for a moment as the waitress brought water and a steaming coffee pot to their table.

"I'll just set this right hear for y'all," the waitress said as she placed the jug of water at the center of their table. "Any of you'se wantin some coffee?" Teddy shakes his head but Will and the girls hold out their mugs. The waitress pours three cups of coffee. "Y'all ready to order?"

"We're pry gonna need a minute. Haven't even looked at the menu yet doll," Kate said apologetically to the waitress.

"No worries, I'll check back in five."

Teddy sipped the water in front of him and cleared his throat. "As I was tellin ya, Pa gets out to Colorado Springs and takes up this job as cattle hand. Them folks needed someone to run the cattle from the city out to the big ranchers in the foothills of the mountains once they get off the train,"

"Why would them ranchers out in Colorado be shipping beef across the country just to raise it themselves?" asked Will.

"Reckon they was probably cornering the market someways. Price of beef might be low and they likely thinkin they can put some out to pasture and wait for market to come back up. I'm just guessin though. Not really sure but they needed some hands to run them cattle down from Colorado Springs for em," replied Teddy.

"Right, anyways, you can keep on goin," said Will as he sipped his coffee. Kate and Marlene were looking at Teddy expectantly.

"Anyways, he's out their with a half dozen other hands and they movin the cattle without much issue till one of them big mountain storms comes through and Pa gets cut off from the herd and rest of the hands. Said he couldn't see a damn thing through that rain and wind and all. So he makes his way out of the valley they was in and over to the mountainside to get out of that weather. Finds himself a cave a ways up and climbs inside. There ain't nothin in there and he just lays down to rest wantin to let that storm blow over. Figured he'd find herd when things cleared back up. Next thing he remembers is wakin up and that storm was still blowin outside that cave but there was someone standin at the entrance wearin a big cloak and holdin one of them staffs or walkin sticks or somethin. He shouts at the stranger askin who he was and thats when the hooded man stepped farther into the cave and took the cloak off showin it was my Granddad standin there in front of him. He don't say nothin just walks up to my Pa and holds out his hand and my Pa takes it and he pulls him to his feet. They stand there just lookin at each other for a moment and Granddad pulls his cloak back over his head and steps out into the storm. Pa just standin there in that cave wonderin what he just seen and all."

"You sayin your Grandpa was out there in those mountains the same time your Pa was out there runnin cattle?" asked Kate skeptically.

"My Granddad died in the first war. Killed when fightin them Prussians in the trenches. Pa was sayin he saw a vision of my Granddad in that cave. Like some angel or prophet or somethin. I tried askin him what it meant at one point but all he said was somethin bout him bein lost and needin to be shown the way," Teddy has his eyes trained on the glass of water lying in front of him. After a moment's pause Marlene pats his knee reassuringly. It was at this point that the waitress returned to take their orders.

"What can I get y'all?"

They went around the table ordering eggs and toast alike.

"I'll get that order in, you folks hang tight," and the waitress turned back towards the kitchen on the other side of the diner.

Will looked out through the window of their booth and across downtown Valentine. Trucks laden with cattle and cars with families rolled up to the stop sign at the center of town one after another. Easing their way though downtown and occasionally stopping at one of the numerous businesses that lined that street. Suddenly, a young girl wearing a baby blue rain jacket and knee high red rubber boots passes by directly in front of the diner window, making eye contact with Will for only a moment. She crosses to the other side of the parking lot where a sprinkler beams water in all directions in a waterfall cascade. The girl runs headlong into it -- jumping over -- casting her hands upward. She turns and does it once more, a look of pure joy on her face as her boots stamp the green-brown grass beneath her.

"Will?"

He turned back towards the conversation noting that it was Kate who had asked for his attention.

"Waitress wants to know if you need more coffee," Kate said gently to him.

"Ah...yeah...more coffee would be great. Thank you ma'am." He turned once more to the window and the sprinkler but the girl was gone.

Kate had been watching him, only partially listening to Marlene and Teddy as they continued the discussion about Teddy's grandfather. Placing the fingertips of her left hand against Will's side, she asked "Is everything okay?"

Will didn't really know how to answer. Everything was fine? At least he thought?

"Yeah...I'm good. 'Preciate you askin," making eye contact with Kate for a moment. Trying to ease her concern with a smile.

"Alright cowboy," she responded with a gentle eyed smile of her own.

It was at this point that the waitress brought out their orders.

"It's about damn time," said Teddy. "I'm hungry as all hell."

Rising shortly before dawn, Will placed his feet down on the floorboards and sat a moment staring out the window at the just-lightened darkness. Walking to the kitchen, he grabbed a small pot from the pantry under the sink and filled it with water. He placed it on the stove and located the coffee grounds, added two spoonful's, and started the burner. A rooster called out from the neighbor's place as he sat down at the kitchen table to take another look at yesterday's newspaper. After a cup of coffee, he stepped out onto the porch with heavy jacket and gloves and knit cap. The first rays of morning light settled gently down onto the dew soaked hayfields to the North and East. Reaching the shed, he placed some starter fluid into the carbonator of the Farmall Model H and turned the ignition. The engine roars and the combustion of the engine sets the steel lid of the exhaust pipe in recurrent motion.

CLINK CLINK. The engine sputtered. CLINK CLINK CLINK.

Black smoke rises from the exhaust as he stepped down from the tractor.

"Let's go pull the wagon out, make it easier to hitch," said Teddy as he comes into the shed. They walk across the shed to where the flatbed wagon rests. Teddy grabbed the yoke while Will looped a hand through the gap in the wooden boards at the front of the wagon and they each began to pull, easing the wagon out into the center of the shed and worked their way to the dirt lot just outside. Will went back into the shed and climbed onto the Model H. Pressing down the clutch, he slipped the tractor into reverse and released the clutch while nudging the throttle. Backing the tractor he compressed the clutch and brake, shifted into gear, and maneuvered the tractor out of the shed and over to where Teddy stood holding the wagon hitch.

Once the tractor is hitched, Teddy hopped up onto the wagon and they eased down the driveway and out onto the road. Riding the curb, they made the quarter mile down to Randolph's and up the driveway and across the yard where Will pulled the wagon into the shed and killed the engine. Teddy stood on the wagon while Will climbed up into the hay mound. Reaching an accessible point where he is higher than the wagon and had some room for footing, Will grabbed a bale by the orange twine and tossed it down to Teddy - making sure to release both hands at the same time to keep the bale from spinning errantly on the way down. The bale landed flatly with a thud on the wooden boards of the wagon and dust went flying awry and floated amongst the glinting panels of early morning sunlight. Working his way to the back of the wagon, Teddy stacked the bale against the back of the wagon and Will tossed him another.

Teddy and Will finish loading the wagon and started the tractor back up as they eased down the driveway and onto the county road once more. Cirrus clouds crawled the blue sky above them and the blacktop whirred beneath. Juniper trees stood along the fence line adjacent the road and the sun flashes in and out of Will's vision as he looked through the tree line and across the fields. He rubbed his forearm where the slats of sunlight flicker between light and shade in rapid succession. Will toed the throttle and the tractor's engine roared and for a moment there was no changing of frames amongst the juniper trees.

The storm rolled over the Texas landscape that night. Will and Teddy had stepped out onto the patio to watch its forthcoming with the two dogs at heel. Giant cumulous clouds that were darkened with rain raced across the sky and the wind gusted which made the men squint and shiver. Up there, when the rain droplets got big enough, they'd fall from the weight of their accumulation and leave static charges hanging in the sky. Whence enough the discharge of energy would enlighten the clouds and air would rush to fill its place. A warp in sound-space.

Will opened the door to the house and called the dogs inside. The thunder clapped once more. Teddy moved to follow suit.

On Wednesday the fairspeople had begun assembling. Arriving with their colorful equipment and air of mystique they had taken up on the hayfield south of town where a local farmer had already finished third crop of hay and could see no reason why not. On Thursday a few of the smaller attractions had been opened up and the earliest fairgoers began to arrive in trickles and by Friday they came in droves. Will and Teddy had finished chores early and swung over to pick up Jake and Topper before heading to the fair where they planned to meet the girls.

"You boys reckon there'll be some cowgirls at this thing or not," Jake said loudly over the air rushing through the open cabin as the truck rolled over the county road.

"Bet your ass there'll be. They ain't lookin for more than an eight second ride though," shouted Topper with a grin. They all laughed.

Bobby Darin crooned over the radio as they hung elbows out the window and passed a fifth of Daniels around the cabin of the truck. Will changed hands on the steering wheel and took the bottle from Topper, taking a swig and handed it back. He looked out over the dash of the truck as the last hours of daylight drape the landscape in gold.

When they got to the front gate they paid a couple dollars and parked in a freshly cut hayfield which served as the fair's parking lot. As they get out of the truck, Jake and Teddy finished off the bottle of whiskey and they made their way towards the assembly of equipment and the subtle roar of excitement. When they got to the entrance, they looked around for the girls and found them standing off to the side, conversing with one another idly. Kate and Marlene were both wearing cotton sundresses which swayed gently in the wind.

"It's about time," said Kate who took Teddy immediately by the hand. "I wanna ride the Ferris wheel. Preferably with someone handsome," she looked at Teddy with a grin.

"I think we can make that happen," said Teddy with a half-suppressed smile of his own.

The group got in line as they wait for entry to the fairgrounds. Children stood with excitement in-hand with their parents. The cries of excitement and wonder from inside the fairgrounds set everyone on edge as their patience wore thinner the longer they stood in line. "Mommmmm.....how much longer," cried a young girl directly in front them in line. Marlene made eye contact with Will and they each gave each other a knowing smile. They remembered that feeling.

Minutes passed and the line crawled. The family in front of them finally gets permitted entrance and the girl can be seen pulling her parents by the hand in an effort to increase their pace. One by one the groups get let through and Teddy paid for Kate and Will for Marlene. Jake and Topper paid for themselves, but only after offering to pay for both girls. "Either one of you need a gentleman to escort you round this here fair you just lemme know," Jake said with a slight bow and tip of cap. Topper let out a roll of laughter and clapped Jake on the back as they turned to discuss strategy for the night.

"Where to?" said Kate.

"Let's grab something to eat and see them cattle," said Teddy. No one is opposed to this and they make their way towards the center of the fairgrounds where the food stands are primarily located. Caramel covered apples, popcorn, and varying meats served on sticks are all on display and extravagantly advertised with flashing lights and juxtaposed neon. They get in line at a round building surrounded by a canvas topped seating area that is operated by the local Baptist church and they order burgers, lemonade, and popcorn. The girls find a picnic table nearby as Teddy, Will, Topper, and Jake wait for the food to be prepared.

"Think me and Jake are gon' head out once food is ready," Topper said to the encircled group of men. "See if we can offer our gentlemanly services to any them gals over that ways," he gave a slight nod and the group looked to the opposite side of the church stand awning where a group of women in sundresses stood laughing with one another.

"They look to be havin' a right fine time without you boys showin' your ugly mugs," Teddy said while clapping Topper on the back. "But I wish y'all the best of luck regardless."

Their food is announced by a young boy in a grease stained white apron and they took the platters over to where Marlene and Kate had found a seat. Jake and Topper took theirs in hand, promised the girls they will be back later, and made their way towards the cohort of women they'd been eyeing.

"Them poor girls don' know what they have comin' their way, do they?" Marlene shook her head a bit while saying this.

After finishing their food, the group cleared their picnic table and began progressing westward through the fairgrounds. The alfalfa had been worn down in places where the most common footfalls had lain. Children chased and laughed amongst the bright lights that shone from the spinning of the carousel in the early evening twilight. Skylarks and swallows dip and dive across the darkening skies above. Eventually they reached the westernmost reaches of the fairgrounds where stalls and corrals had been stood. Nubian goats with their floppy ears occupy the first makeshift corral that the group approaches.

"Awwww," cried Kate softly to herself as she steps ahead of the group and approached them. She reaches her hand through the rails of the corral as one of the Nubians placed its front legs on the lowermost rung and nestled its soft muzzle into her awaiting palm. Will went over to the nearby vendor and paid for a few ounces of grain. He made his way back to Kate and the rest of the group which had surrounded the corral as several more of the goats had now arrived with hopes of attention. Will placed his hand softly on Kate's back to get her attention and lowered the pail of grain to her. She placed a hand in the pail and nodded a thank you to him. Will proceeded over to Teddy and Marlene who had attracted a couple of their own Nubians. He took a handful of his own grain and then passed the pail to them as he made his way alone over to the other end of the corral.

On the other side, Will crouched down and reached a hand through the railing as a single Nubian goat meandered over with hesitancy. He opened his palm to reveal the grain and the small goat immediately extended its soft muzzle into Will�s awaiting hand. He smiled and looked at the others who are similarly enamored with their own goats in need of attention. Letting his gaze wander upwards above the happenings of the fair, he took note of how the glow from the fairgrounds lightened the atmosphere. Stars could be seen blinking through the dimly emblazoned clouds and a sliver of moon hung high in the sky. What a world.

After traversing through the remainder of the cattle pens, the group made their way toward the center of the fairgrounds where the Ferris Wheel turned slowly overhead.

"Let's go for a ride," said Kate as she turns to the group. "I can't remember the last time I road of a Ferris Wheel..."

They all got in line. Teddy stood aside Kate as they conversed with the ease of being friends yet the awkwardness of a recently infatuated couple. Marlene stood alongside Will -- saying little to one another -- occasionally making eye contact or commenting on the families that made their way to and fro' amidst the passerby's. Eventually, they reached the front of the line and Kate asked if they could fit the four of them in a single car, but the fair hand said such a thing is impossible. Safety concerns.

"You guys go right on ahead, we'll get a separate car," Marlene said to Kate.

Teddy and Kate board the empty car and the conductor cranked the mechanism which drove the wheel into motion. Another car arrived at ground level and two young girls rose to exit with bright eyes alight with wonder. Will waved Marlene ahead of him, letting her enter the car first, climbing in beside her. The conductor started the wheel in motion once more and they rose a few feet before it stopped again while another couple boarded beneath them.

"You had a good time tonight?" Marlene asked. Her head is turned away, looking out over the fairgrounds.

"I have. Makes me feel like some young kid, wandering round these fairgrounds past sunset," said Will. The wheel started to spin steadily once more laden with its new passengers.

Will rocked the wheel a bit hoping to get a laugh from Marlene but she only uses it as an opportunity to slide closer to him. He raises his arm and brings her close. They slowly rise above the glowing carnival and the rocking of their carriage almost feels like home. Somewhere safe and quiet and away from all that within and out there around. Will thought that this could be nice; him and Marlene. The two of them here together and maybe out there together and maybe even bring others into what they are when they are no longer two halves a whole. But what else is out there though. Will thinks to himself. I'm young and there's a great wide world out there and I think I want to see more of it but here with her is nice and it feels nice and sometimes that's all one really needs and maybe I just need to let myself feel this and get out from thinking things and maybe the purest things don' need reasoning and we could sit right here and watch the dark clouds with the light glancing off them and it could be good. He pulled her closer and she didn't seem to mind.

"Burrrrrrr" Marlene said under her breath. "Lucky for me there's this here cowboy here that's nice and warm."

"You just keep them cold hands to yourself, ya here?" Will looked down at Marlene while saying this and she raised her eyes to his and they smiled at each other with wide eyes and cheesy grins and knew each other meant it.

The fair had picked up and moved on. Monday brought work and reality and memories hued in neon. Teddy had gone to help Topper work on his truck and Will had the house to himself. The dogs were wandering the fields as he laid in the grass watching the giant white clouds crawl the blue expanse.

"You ever feel like we missin' something?" said Will.

"Whadya mean?" said Teddy.

"I don' know...like cows and whiskey and girls. Is that all there is?"

"That sounds 'bout right to me. Don' need much else."

"Sure," said Will and as he looked away and went quiet.

"Now look," Teddys sat up a bit in his rocking chair on the front porch while saying this. "This here is your problem. You thinkin' you needa get in that truck and drive straight through to Mexico or some shit. And for what? Nothin' down there but tequila and cheap whores. You'd just be runnin. Runnin from Marlene and your Dad and whatever else it is you can' seem to get your head round."

There was some truth in that statement and yet he alas had those thoughts in his head and the questions of the broader world swinging back and forth as if some giant bell hung tolling. There were great big questions in the world and maybe philosophy is just a means of raising those perpetual questions we all resolve to at some point in our lives and what makes it non-sensical is that the answers make no difference. If we could ask God what the meaning of life is and he gave us the answer would it change one damned thing? Loss is still pain and darkness will bring forth dread but the sun will yet shine and what then? Maybe we'll stand in the warmth and remember what it likes to be happy. To be human.

"You're right. I know ya is," he said to Teddy. "Let's just get on after it," as he made a swinging motion with his arm and stepped off the porch. Will looked sighed and followed suit.

The day was warm and the cattle stood stood herded together with their tails snapping at flies. When Will had opened the gate to let Teddy through with the tractor with a fresh round bale of hay he had noticed something odd in the distance.

"Looks like one of them steers jumped the fence," he said to himself as Teddy rolled by in the tractor. He closed the gate behind the tractor and made his was along the outside of the fence towards where the steer laid in the plowed cornfield that stood adjacent their own. When he got closer he realized it wasn't one their steers at all given the brand that was faded on its rear. This steer belonged to their neighbor Mrs. Jenkins. The Jenkins family had lived on the farm just down the gravel road from them for decades, as long as Teddy's Dad had owned their farm and since they had taken over at least. Isabelle Jenkins, the widow to the late Mr. Jenkins, had been living alone in that same old farmhouse for close to 5 years now since the passing of her husband in an automobile wreck. She had farm hands take care of most of the heavy labor, but you'd still see her at the cattle auctions or in town haggling with the co-op salesman for a better price on grain. Will admired her really, would have been a hell of a lot easier to just sell the herd and find a new man or a new place somewheres that wasn't here with all this pain of memory -- but she stayed nonetheless.

He stood the steer up and walked it over to the Jenkins property line where he found the nearest gate to their pasture and let the steer idle inside, closing the gate behind it. At this point he could see one of the hands walking over and he went to meet him.

"Howya doin?" said Will. He saw now that the farm hand was a large man with dark beard and green eyes that he'd seen around town.

"Alright I reckon," he replied. "What you doin over thisaways?"

"One of them steers must have jumped the fence and had made its way over our ways. We're on the homestead to the west of you folks... right over there..." Will pointed while saying this.

"Ahh, I've seen you boys round. Name's Deckard. I've been handing here for Mrs. Jenkins a good season or so now."

They shook hands.

"Well, I best be getting back. Wish Mrs. Jenkins the best," said Will as he turned away and started making his way back home.

"You want a ride on back?"Will pondered this a moment and politely declined. "Walkin them fields ain't done a man no harm." He made his way back home. Teddy had parked the Model H inside the shed and was sitting on the porch with the dogs at heel.

"You get lost?" he said. "Reckon you stumbled into Mrs. Jenkins bed being gone this long," and he let out a roll of laughter.

"Was talking to her hand. Goes by name of Deckard."

"Ahh, I know who you're talkin bout. Heard he was talkin to Marlene down at the bar the other weekend. Forgot to tell ya."

Will considered this a moment and shook his head, "Good for him."

"That's all you have to say? New hand comes round and rustles himself some Marlene. You ain't offended?"

"Mar and I are anything but a couple and you know that. She can do what she pleases. And who knows, they coulda just been having a polite conversation."

Teddy shook his head at this and bent down to pet the dogs who lain on the wooden floorboards of the porch. The breeze pulled upon the leaves in the trees. They cascaded to the ground and were swept up once more on their eternal journey to a place yet unknown.

THE WEEKS OF THAT TEXAS SUMMER eased past them as their workload grew steadily and they saw less and less of Kate, Marlene, and the rest of their friends. There were a few nights where they would be called up by Jake or Topper and asked to go out for a couple beers after a long day, but they often said no to such asks given the early starts each of them had the following day. Yet, there was something subtle hanging in the air when Will would lay down at night. He'd struggle to find sleep and would often rise before the early hours of dawn and step onto the porch and watch the swirling of stars in the dark sky above. Inside their single story farmhouse, there was a fireplace that snapped and crackled on the nights when cold summer winds would follow the rain that rushed over the plains. In front of the fireplace there lay the hide from a wolf which had been shot and killed by his grandfather in the years before such acts were outlawed in that part of the world. The fur was soft -- especially the tail -- and Will would often lay down on his side and prop head in arm while watching the stirring of the flames. In the near-dark he'd occasionally hear their calls. It'd start with a single howl from some alpha out their in the surrounding miles standing atop the crest of some Texas hilltop and soon after the unified cries from all others which existed in the same soundscape. The trees shook and he with them; shivering in the shrouded lamplight spilling from the forge in his own home. He'd eventually return to bed and find comfort in the cool sheets and sleep once more but his dreams would be rugged and reflect the restlessness that shook his soul through the passing of days.

One such night, as Will rested by the fireplace with the dogs in the small hours before sunrise, there arose a bellering of a steer from somewhere outside. He grabbed his jacket and rushed outside with the dogs at heel and made his way towards the source of the cries. He soon recognized the yapping of coyotes and he started calling out hoping to wake Teddy. They would need the rifle.

As he approached the scene he could only make out partial shapes in the shifting dark. A young calf, the same one which he had helped bring forth to this world, bellered in fear and pain as large coyote stood teeth-attached to one of its front shanks. Will rushed forth and kicked the coyote off, making aim for its head but missing and catching it in the ribcage. It yapped out in pain and dislodged from the calf. He looked around to assess the state of the situation and could make out both dogs entangled with coyotes of their own. He now counted four in total. Two grappling with his dogs and another two circling the perimeter as they looked for an entry point. Will waved his arms and shouted "Go on, get the fuck out of here...nothin for yer here...go on...GET" and he gave a wave and kick with this, but to little effect. At that point one of the coyotes had broken away from his dogs and made a break for the calf who was still bellering softly and Will threw himself between them; tackling the coyote and getting both arms around it. The coyote immediately dug its claws into his stomach and he could feel warm blood seep down his pantleg and he tried to throw it off himself, but it had bit the nape of his neck and would not let go. He cried out in pain. Bringing fist above head, he brought it down upon the creature's head and it finally dislodged itself with a sharp yip. Standing, he placed one hand on his neck and another on his stomach to try and staunch the bleeding. Another coyote came up from behind and bit the back of leg, up near the hamstring, but quickly fell back to avoid his retaliation.

A loud crack echoed across the landscape and Will turned to see Teddy coming towards him with rifle in hand. Teddy fired the gun into the air once more and the coyotes backed away a few steps, but still stood within striking distance of the calf, who was crying softly at this point. Teddy lowered the sights on the rifle towards the coyote farthest detached from Will and the calf and once again the sound of the gun as the coyote dropped to the ground. Teddy pulled the bolt on the gun and an empty casing dislodged as he loaded the next into the chamber. The wounded coyote that he had just shot now stood limping towards the treeline as the rest of the pack ran onwards farther ahead. Teddy stopped, lowered the sights, and fired at the coyote nearest, which was not wounded, dropping it in its tracks. Will went to attend to the calf and found it bleeding from neck and flank. A lot of blood. He placed his hand on the steer's head and spoke softly of streams in the mountain and green pastures and wind rustling the leaves in the trees. Teddy had gone out to finish the coyote which he had shot first, lowering his weapon and dropping the hammer of the rifle without remorse. The second coyote was already dead, a clean shot through the lung from quite the distance. Returning back to Will, he squatted down on his heels asking "How we lookin," to which Will had no reply other than to shake his head. They both stood and Teddy lowered the gun once more and they both lifted their head to the first rays of dawn spilling over the horizontal axis of the world.

TEDDY AND WILL both sat on the porch drinking black coffee. Both dogs at heel, resting their heads on the still frosted floorboards. A variety of birds could be heard from behind the darkened forest line in the distance and the only light from day's first promise spilling over their rustling leaves. The sky was blue and orange and pink. The rumblings of a truck engine suddenly came by ways of the road and Teddy heard it first, turning his head to see who it might be. "Looks like Topper's half ton," he said. "What coulda got him outta bed this early," and at this point he stood and stepped off the porch and both the dogs followed suit. Will stood and took one last look at the horizon and rose as well.

The blue half ton Ford pulled in and the sound of gears downshifting could be heard as Topper threw the truck into park. He killed the engine and cranked down the driver's side window and greeted them "Good morning boys, how you two doin this fine morning?"

Teddy laughed at this with good nature and responded with a cheerful "Not too bad, how bout yourself?" but Will could only give a halfhearted smile and Topper clearly took notice of this.

"What happened," he asked with a frown.

"Coyotes," Will said and Teddy looked down at his boots and kicked at the red dirt beneath his feet. "God down coyotes got one of the calves."

"I'm sorry to hear it boys. Fuckin coyotes huh?"

"Yeah," Teddy muttered and kicked at the ground once more. The dogs had wandered off from their conversation and could be seen sniffing around with heads down in the hayfield to their east. The sun was spilling over the treetops now and the rearview mirrors of Topper's truck were lit ablaze like golden coins. Teddy called out to the dogs, urging them to make their way back, but it was at this point that a pheasant stirred from the hackneyed brush and into the lower atmosphere, twisting and flapping its wings as it struggled against the tug of the world upon its center mass.

"Well, I best be gettin' on," said Topper. He started up the truck and backed out of the driveway and back onto the county road and raised his hand high at them as he pulled away. Teddy stepped back into the house and called for the dogs from the front porch, "Come on girls...come on back here now..." but Will still stood in the driveway, watching them and admiring that early morning dawn before it faded into a busy day once more. After a few more moments he proceeded back to the farmhouse and put some new coffee grounds to boil on the stove and took a seat once more outside on the patio where he and Teddy both rocked in their handmade wicker chairs and mumbled softly to each other about dogs and girls and their plans for the future.

"Best not be making any big plans," said Teddy.

"Why is that?" said Will.

"Cause Marlene gonna be movin' in here 'for you can do anything bout em. That's why," and they both let out a roll of laughter.

"I don' know why yur always given me shit when its you and Kate that seemed to be locked at the hip every time I look at you crossways."

"You make a good point," Teddy said as he gazed out at the freshly cut hayfields. "That's a hell of a good point."

IT WAS FRIDAY, in the early afternoon, and their truck had broken down on the outskirts of town. Teddy had popped the hood and white smoke rose in hot plumes from beneath, "Radiator's shot," he said. They proceeded back towards town on foot, lugging the portable furnace only half full with water, which soon ran dry. After a couple of miles a fellow traveler approached and they thumbed for a lift but the woman who slowed down only shook her head and carried on. Two young men in the middle of the Texas dirt were an untrustworthy lot it seemed. When nearing town they spotted the aspen green '51 Chevy Bel Air which they both knew so well and raised a thumb once more. The car slowed to a stop and the dusty window rolled down.

"Where you boys headed?" said Marlene with a wry smile. "I can only take you so far." Will climbed into the passenger seat and Teddy in back as Marlene eased back onto the paved road.

"Fancy seein' you here Mar," Will said.

"Had to run into town and grab some milk. I'm makin' a cake for Kate's birthday next weekend."

"I best be gettin on that now that you mention it," said Teddy from the back seat. He leaned forward, "You got any ideas for what Kate would want? Ya know, for her birthday, from a guy like me?"

"Sure cowboy, something small and round. Maybe with one of them fancy diamonds attached," said Marlene with a grin beneath her winged top sunglasses. Teddy shook his head and Will and Marlene each laughed. Will looked back at Teddy and saw him staring out the window thinking deeply about how to approach such a predicament and he took a moment longer than necessary to study Marlene as she drove them onwards. Her hair was pinned up and secured with a red and white patterned bandana and an unopened bottle of Coca Cola in the console between them. She must have noticed and turned to him for a moment, giving him a knowing smile, and turning her attention back to the Texas blacktop that lay for miles ahead of them.

"Maybe I'll get us some tickets to a show, up in Amarillo or somethin," said Teddy. "Hell, I don't know what she's expectin', but I'm fairly damned sure I ain't gonna figure it out 'fore next weekend."

Will had no advice of his own to offer. Instead he kept his eyes trained forward, staring past the cracked pavement and shaking tumbleweeds, watching the skies.

ONCE MAR had brought them back home they had given Jake a call and he drove his grandpa's old towing rig out to their place and picked them up and they went out to where their truck sat. Teddy popped the hood and all three of them peered into the depths of the engine block. "Looks like one of these radiator hoses is cracked," Jake said. He went back to his grandfather's rig and dug around one of the toolboxes that lined its sides and came back with a piece of black hose and some steel wire. Reaching down onto the frontside of the engine block he found the drainage plug and gave it a turn. Green antifreeze ran free and soaked the ground beneath the truck. "We best clean this up a bit," said Jake as he kicked some loose gravel from the shoulder of the road onto the pool of antifreeze. He then pulled a utility knife out of his pocket and pried the hose clamps off from both sides and snaked the cracked hose free. "Piece of shit," he murmured with effort and threw the hose onto the ground. He took the new hose and jimmied it into place, wrapping pieces of wire tight around each end of the hose as stand-in hose clamps. "Run and grab me some coolant from my truck will ya," he said to no neither Teddy or Will in particular. Will stepped immediately towards the towing rig, feeling grateful to have something to do besides stand and watch, and dug around in the back of the truck till he found the white and yellow can that said GLYCOL ANTI-FREEZE and he brought this back to the truck. Teddy used his own pocketknife and pried the lid open and poured the liquid into the engine block. "Alright, lets give 'er a go," said Jake and Will stepped around and into the cab. He gave the engine a quarter throttle and the key a turn. The truck turned over but did not take. After a few more attempts Jake told him to give it a rest and they stepped out and checked everything once more. "Well shit, nothin else seems wrong. Lets give it one more try," Jake said. Will got back into the cab once more, looked down at the console and said "please" aloud to himself more than anyone else and tried once more. The truck fired up and Teddy gave a whistle as Jake slammed the hood down and wiped his hands on his overalls. "Just needed to have a little faith is all," said Jake with a grin. "Some things ain't meant to happen on the first go 'round."

They thanked Jake and promised him free drinks the next time they went out and loaded up the truck and headed back home.

IT WAS SUNDAY AFTERNOON and Marlene and Kate had outdone themselves. Will and Teddy stood in the backyard of Kate's parents' place and were throwing horseshoes with Jake and Topper. There were probably two or three dozen other friends and family wandering around the backyard or in the garage mixing drinks or cracking beers and weather couldn't have been any better for a late summer day in west Texas as the wind blew by gently and lifted the hems of the women's dresses and ruffled the collars of the pleated shirts all the men were wearing that year.

"You gotta turn the shoe round...like this," and Teddy grabbed the horseshoe from Will's hands and turned the shanks inwards and slightly to the left. "Then you grip this side and give it a bit of a flick with your wrist," he motioned with his hands. "Kinda like yur holding it between your thumb and the tips of yur fingers." Will took back the horseshoe and emphasized this same motion a few times before giving it a toss. The horseshoe fell a few feet to the right of the stake on the other side of the lawn. "You was close there," Teddy said as he gave his own shoe a toss, which struck the stake with a sharp ring and spun around a few times prior to settling at its base. "Had the right spin on it, just gotta get yur aim down."

Will watched two young children -- a boy and a girl -- as they ran across the lawn and between the two stakes where the game was being played. The girl, who was probably four or five years old, was chasing the boy who was likely a bit younger. Pigtails flopped from the sides of her head and both kids laughed with unrestrained glee. Before we all got so damn preoccupied. He smiled and looked towards Marlene who was standing just off the garage talking to Kate. She must have noticed and glanced his way, making eye contact and softly smiling. Mar would be a great mother. He broke eye contact and looked back towards the children. Don't make a promise you can't keep.

"You boys hungry?" called Kate from across the yard. "Need somethin' other than them beers for lunch."

"She makes a good point, doesn't she?" Teddy said.

"You always be takin' orders Ted?" said Topper. "She likes gettin' her way don' she."

"Fuck off Top," said Teddy.

"Kate ain't got her way with him quite yet, has she Ted?" said Will. "Speaking of which, you get her anything extra special for her birthday?"

"Got us some tickets to a play or musical or some shit down in Amarillo tomorrow night."

"What's it called?"

"The Pajama Game."

"You reckon you'll get a hotel in Amarillo? Stay the night down there and see Kate take off her pajamas?" said Jake and they all laughed.

Teddy was not amused, "Don' be talkin like that bout her," he said. "And I dunno what we gonna do after. Asked her bout getting dinner and staying down that ways but she just got all pissy and told me 'she ain't that kinda girl'," and Teddy shook his head at this. "I wasn' sayin we hafta do nothin, just trying to show I'm serious and give her what she wants is all..." his voiced trailed off.

Will put his hand on Teddy's shoulder, "You take her down there and you see that show and you get her dinner afterwards at some fancy restaurant you can't afford and then you drive her home. You do that and she'll be damn pleased."

"Then you ask to see her pajamas," said Topper and they all laughed at this.

"I'm NOT gonna ask again boys," cried Kate from the doorstep of the garage and they all dropped the horseshoes in their hands and turned to make their way across the lawn and back towards the party. The voices of the partygoers could be heard ringing from the garage and the kitchen and carried over the lawn and into the nearby fields.

Will smiled.

LAST SUMMER. Things I remember about last summer. Probably the heat. Sunshine tanning my left arm as it hangs out the window of the truck. Cruising Main Street with the boys at midnight. Cigarette smoke and yellow sun dresses and girls with curly hair. No one has curly hair anymore. Will is seated on the front porch and the birthday party ensues from somewhere inside the house. Last summer. Peaking out the front door Kate asked if Will needed anything. "No ma'am," he said. "Alright hun," she stepped back inside. The Moline chugging as it tows a wagon of hay. Green-grey dust pluming in the air as it rolls down the road. Pulling in the driveway and seeing Teddy stand on the front porch with a glass of water. Hard rain falling on a tin roof. Holding hands with Marlene. He closed his eyes once more. Last summer.

IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT and Teddy and Kate were down in Amarillo for their date night. Jake and Topper had asked Will if he wanted to join them at the bar for a few beers, but he had declined. "Gonna take an early night," he said over telephone as he poured Old Grand Dad bourbon into a whiskey glass. He hung up the phone and peered out the window at a pair of mourning doves who cooed from the fenceposts that lined the nearby pasture. He stepped onto the porch and waited for both dogs to follow before closing the door behind him. He walked off the porch and onto the ryegrass that gathered in clumps in the Texas dirt. He slowed for a moment to kneed the soft soil with the toe of his boot and took a deep breath and continued on, walking across the yard and through the pasture gate and out past the grazing cattle and climbed the incline to a hilltop that overlooked much of their land. Will squatted down on his haunches and raised the whiskey glass to his lips and took a sip -- savoring the bite of the bourbon. Some of the cattle bellowed from the pasture sage below and the whistles notes from yellowed warblers pined from the nearby thicket.

He stayed until the sun went down. Until it crept below the horizontal axis of the world and the last rays of light spilled over the rim and emblazoned the colossal clouds above. When he couldn't see the whiskey glass in his own hand he made his way home, calling to the dogs whom he could hear as they trotted nearby. Getting back to the farmhouse, he went inside and turned out the lights and crawled into bed and stared at the ceiling for several restless hours before falling into a deep sleep.

"HOW DID THINGS GO?" said Will.

"We had a swell time," said Teddy.

"You wanna give us any more details than that?" said Jake.

"Yeah," said Topper. "Details please."

"Well, went and picked her up last night and drove down to Amarillo. Couple hour drive mind you. Talked for a while bout nothin' in particular and then we both kinda got quiet and I didn't know what to say so I turned the radio on and we listened together. Then that song came on by Jo Stafford. You know the one,"

"You Belong to Me?"

"That's the one, yeah, and Kate starts givin me this look and I take her hand and we both just kinda look out the window for a while and I think we were both pretty happy."

"What bout that fancy show you was seein?" said Topper.

"Real good," said Teddy. "Real damn good. Feller on the phone recommended me that when I called down to get tickets and I'd say he gave some real smart advice. Kate sayin she liked it real good too."

"You guys do anything afterwards?" said Will.

"After the show I had to go grab Kate's coat from the claim, which took a while. Long line and all. Then we went and walked down the street lookin for someplace smart to eat, but most places was busy and there were lots of folks waitin in line. It was bout this time that Kate started gettin pissy at me for not makin reservations and all, but I was in such a good mood that I kinda just laughed it off and we kept holdin hands, ya see? And she didn't have to stay mad all that long cause we ended up findin this good place that had candles and all and they only had two seats left. What are the odds of that? Just two seats in the whole joint and its this little table right next to the stage -- this place had jazz music ya see -- and we sit down and the guy up on stage starts playing this real good sax. I'm telling you it was this damn good sax,"

"What the hell does 'sax' mean?" said Jake.

"Saxaphone," said Will.

"Right, a saxaphone," said Teddy as he continued. "This guy on stage playin real good and I can just see how happy Kate is as she's lookin around at all the fancy people in this place. Then waiter comes over and I ask for a bottle of wine, which I know nothin 'bout wines, but I for one anyway and he asks 'Red or white?' and I kinda look at Kate but she was still lookin at all the fancy folks so I just tell the man 'Red' cause that seems like the kinda wine ya drink when you go downtown with your missus and see a New York show and come to a fancy place like that for dinner." Teddy stopped the story and looked around at the men who all were listening attentively. "You boys know anythin bout wine?" The other men shook their heads. "Well, they brought out this bottle of pinot somethin and the fancy man in his fancy suit poured us both a snort and just stood their waiting for us to try it. I woulda preferred a Pabst or Lone Star, but Kate seemed to like it so we got a whole bottle," Teddy paused, "I think it grew on me after about the second glass," and the other men laughed at this. "So anyways, we have dinner and get a little drunk off that wine and Kate and I are really havin' a good talk for a change and both of us is laughin..." he trailed off. "It was a good time."

Jake grabbed Teddy by the shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze, "That's real good Ted," he said. "That's real good to hear, 'specially for ol' boys like us. Ain't that right," and he looked around at Will and Topper who both nodded in unison. "Now you gonna tell us bout that midnight kiss or what?"

OVERNIGHT A STORM blew through and there were limbs from trees scattered across the yard. A piece of tin had been ripped from the shed roof and could be seen in the pasture nearby where one of the steers nosed it with curiosity. The dark rain clouds that had recently passed through lay scattered to the eastern horizon and the sun was high and bright.

"It's gonna be a humid one," said Teddy from the kitchen table with his steaming cup of coffee. Both dogs sat right in front of the door and Will walked by the table to let them both out. They let loose through the doorway immediately in search of what the night had wrought forth.

"Maybe we should get another dog," said Teddy.

"You just wait till you and Kate move in and you'll have a dog together in no time," said Will. "That's how those things work. First the dog and then a kid," he sipped his first cup of coffee and sat down at the table across from Teddy. "Kate will pry want some lap dog. Something that yips. Bites your ankles when you and Kate gettin' after it late at night," Will chuckled to himself and took another sip.

"I do hate them small ass dogs," Teddy said.

They both sipped their coffee.

"You ever tell Kate how you feel about her?" said Will.

"How do ya mean?" said Teddy.

"Ya know, how its easy to be around her and how its different with her and all that."

"I mean, I guess we have. She brings that stuff up sometimes and I try and tell her, but feels like I ain't doin' a good job tellin' is all."

"How does she take it?"

"I dunno. Seems like she gets all quiet and shit when I open up bout that stuff. Like it aint what she wants to hear and all."

"I hear ya."

"How bout you and Marlene?"

"Not really. She knows I got feelings, but she also ain't pressin' me on it. Think she worries I'd just push her away if she did that."

"How ya mean?"

"I dunno."

"Well shit bud. Just take her down to Amarillo for a night. Speaking from experience that is," Teddy said and they both chuckled. "Say, I ever tell you bout my Uncle Jack?"

"No," said Will. "Don' think so."

"As a kid he'd always tell me 'Gotta make sure to have a suitcase always packed.'"

"'Case of an emergency or what?"

"Case you ever needa take off at a moment's notice. Case that great big thing comes knockin' and you needa hit the road."

"Was he married? Kids?"

"Sure shit he was. Aunt Janie knew he had that suitcase in the closet too. And that it was fully packed. She just grown to accept it I guess."

"He ever use it? The suitcase that is."

"Nah. Had a heart attack a few years back," said Teddy. "Found him kicked back in his easy chair. Beer in hand. Not a bad way to go if you ask me."

"I reckon you're pry right there," said Will as he gazed off at the horizon. "That's one way to go."

IT WAS SATURDAY AGAIN and they were back at the bar. Kate and Marlene had a baby shower for some friend so it was just the boys tonight. They sat in a booth on the far corner of the bar and bare footed barmaid was topping off a beer for some guy leaning over the booth, presumably in an attempt to seduce her. Will returned his attention to the group.

"Was listening to the Senator give his campaign speech the other day," said Topper. "Somethin' along the lines of 'Merica is a dying nation...'"

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Teddy.

"Means we're past our prime," said Jake. "All my Pa ever talks bout is how, 'We stormed the beaches of Normandy...what the hell did you kids do?' And I reckon he has a point. Sometimes it feels like we missed out on all the glory."

"That ain't our fault though," said Will.

"Maybe so, but they ain't gonna let us forget it neither," said Jake.

"Why you think that politician would be sayin shit like that?" said Topper. "Don't seem like somethin' you'd say tryin to get them votes and all."

"Cause sometimes you gotta scare your audience," replied Will. "Especially since that guy is runnin' against the incumbent. He's gotta make it seem like the current yuppy ain't doin his job."

"Fuckin hate politicians mane."

"Every politician's got someone's hand in their pocket. No man can afford to run for public office without donors and them donors give big money and expect a favor or two in return. Now, it may seem crazy to give thousands of dollars to some schmuck who's one of a hundred United States senators, but you gotta know how the game works. Them big oil companies donate a bit of money to enough senatorial campaigns and the next time some city slicked liberal proposes some new legislation to regulate oil drilling then you call in them favors. You remind your boys that oil drillin' is an American pastime and who paid for your seats at last week's football game," said Will and he paused sip his whiskey. "And that's why you can't trust politicians. They make these big promises -- and do likely mean it -- but gets hard following through when you owe everyone else a favor."

"So what's the answer?" said Teddy. "We just let them dumbass politicians run us right on into the ground?"

"That's why there's a second amendment," said Jake. "Take up arms when government has outstayed its welcome."

"There's some truth in that," said Will.

"No wonder them yokies always buyin' ammo and shit," said Topper.

"Kinda reminds me of this conversation Eisenhower had with Khrushchev," said Will. "He asked him 'What do you know about America?' and that Russian fucker said 'You sell cheeseburgers to each other.' And what really pissed me off was that he was right. Pretty soon that's all we'll be."

They all sipped their beer in silence for a moment.

"Maybe I should run for President," said Jake.

"Would have to cut back on the drinkin," said Topper. "And the girls."

"Maybe I ain't cut out for public office after all," said Jake and they all laughed.

The bartender came towards their table, she was wearing sandals under bared feet and her toes were painted a dark blue. "You boys thirsty?" she said.

"Reckon we could go for another round," said Teddy. "Thank you ma'am."

"No problem cowboy," the bartender said while making distinct eye contact with Teddy as she turned to walk away.

"I'll be damned," said Topper. "She was just makin eyes at you Ted..."

"The hell she was."

"I gotta side with Top here," said Will. "And what makes it wild is that she sees you in here with Kate every damned weekend. She knows she's stirring the shit."

"Any chance you can swing it?" said Jake.

"How ya figure," said Teddy.

"I mean, get that barmaid and Kate on the same page, if ya know what I mean..." replied Jake.

"Our boy is referring to riding the proverbial tricycle," said Will.

"Pipe down now," said Teddy as the barmaid approached with their beers.

"Whose tab is this goin on?" she said.

"I got this one," said Jake. "If you don't mind me askin, when's your next break?"

"I don't get no time off round here cowboy," she replied. "All I do is hustle."

"Is that right," said Jake while maintaining eye contact.

"That's right. Unless your friend here wants to take me out some time that is," she said while turning her attention back to Teddy.

Teddy averted his eyes and started to blush immediately.

"Now ain't that somethin," the barmaid said with a laugh. "Ya see, I'm just given ya a hard time. I know you got a steady with that girl who looks like some preacher's daughter. Was a bit surprised that was your type is all," she said with a wink and walked back to the bar.

"God damn," said Jake with a whistle.

"Preacher's daughter? Y'all think Kate looks like some Baptist bible thumper?" said Teddy.

"She don't look nothin like that," said Will reassuringly. "That barmaid just played you like a fiddle is all. She knows it too."

They all sipped their beer and occasionally stole a look towards the bar, but the barmaid was engaged with other customers and didn't return their looks.

"I don't understand women," said Teddy finally.

"Some things ain't meant to be understood," said Will.

"Like dust devils," said Topper matter-of-factly.

"What the hell is you talkin bout?" said Jake.

"Them dust devils don't make no sense either. Come out of nowhere and spinnin' around. Just like them women. Ain't no rhyme or reason. Just the way it is."

Jake and Teddy and Will made eye contact and burst out in a fit of laughter while Topper looked at them seriously. "I ain't jokin," he said.

"We know youse ain't, that's why its so damned funny."

"Well sheet,"

The bar was filling up now and their beers were nearly gone. "Time to saddle up boys," said Will. "There's work to be done," and they tossed some cash down on the table and stood up from their booth and made their way to the door.

"You boys have a good night, ya hear? And say hi to that girl of yours's for me," the barmaid called to them.

They made their way through the door and past the other folks trying to get in and stood on in the gravel parking lot outside the bar. The night sky was dark and a full moon hung from above like a flashlight. They all said there goodbyes and hopped into their trucks, Will climbing into Teddy's '52 Chevy.

"That was a hell of a good time," said Will as they eased out onto the county road.

"I reckon so too," Teddy said and paused. "You swear Kate don't look like no preacher's daughter?"

Will laughed and said, "I know so man. That barmaid is jealous is all. Seein' you with her rubs her the wrong way I guess."

They say in silence a while as the truck rolled down the paved county road. "Thanks Will," Teddy said quietly.

"There ain't nothin' to thank me for brother."

MARLENE AND KATE had decided to move out of their respective parent's houses and into townhouse together. There parents weren't all that happy, given the stigma surrounding single women who lived alone, but they were resolved to get out from under their parent's heel and the age of 25 seemed high time. Naturally, they called Teddy and Will to see if they'd lend a hand.

"Your parents don't see all that eager to help," said Teddy as he eyed Kate's parents who sat in the backyard on patio chairs listening to the radio.

"They think moving into my own place is a sin," said Kate. "And maybe they're right, but I sure as hell ain't spending another year in this hell hole."

"Kate!" said Marlene.

"Well, it's true."

"Just save that talk for when they're out of ear shot is all."

Teddy and Will made eye contact and returned to their work, each hoisting a cardboard box from the dozen or so that remained scattered across Kate's bedroom floor.

"Say, you bringing your record player?" said Marlene.

"No, that is Ma's" replied Kate.

"Oh, right...well, I have one that I can bring...will just need to talk to Mama and see if that's alright."

"You'd pry have better luck convincing your parents than mine."

"You're likely right about that. Say Will, can you remind me to talk to Ma bout the record player?" Marlene called towards the front door.

"Sure thing," Will said.

"Well lookie here," said Teddy. "Mar trustin' you with remindin' and all that. You two'd make one cute couple."

"Can it," said Will.

"Alright alright. Steady there partner," said Teddy with a smile and pat on the shoulder.

They loaded their boxes into the back of the truck and headed back inside. Will stepped through the doorway and watched Marlene from across the room. She was wearing a white cotton tank top tucked into jean shorts that were hemmed a couple inches above the knee. He watched as her bra strap slipped down her shoulder a moment and she reached up to correct it. She was barefoot and her hair was up and wild. A curled mess. Riding the Ferris wheel in the big dark and holding hands and Mar's smile. Will grabbed another box that was marked KITCHEN in black marker. Black coffee on the front porch before dawn and the dogs at heel and summers spent chasing through the ryegrass as a kid with his sister. He placed the box alongside the others in the back of the pickup. Pa wringing his hands and Ma hugging Grandma and a chestnut coffin. He stepped back inside. Unknown cries from some bird in the early morning air and fog draped over the hayfields. Marlene in a cotton sundress. Dancing in the driveway.

"Hold on there Will," said Marlene while touching his shoulder. "That one ain't ready yet." The box Will had subconsciously tried to pickup was still open and had Kate's bedding folded bedding taking up half it's space.

"Uhh...sorry Mar,"

"Nothin to be sorry for."

They made eye contact and quietly laughed. Teddy and Kate were arguing across the room.

"You gotta go talk to your Ma and Pa, smooth things over a bit" said Teddy.

"There ain't nothin to be said Ted. They already heard what I had to say and they weren't interested in talkin none," said Kate.

"Let's give them some space," said Will.

"Alright," said Marlene and they stepped outside onto Kate's porch overlooking the sprawling Texas landscape.

"You excited to be movin' in together?"

"I am...also a bit nervous I guess."

"Why's that?"

"I've never lived with anyone besides my parents. Don't wanna annoy Kate with my habits is all..."

"You two are gonna be just fine," said Will. "You two've known each other long enough that there ain't much to hide. And besides, don't it feel good strikin' out on your own? It's very freeing, becoming your own person."

"We ain't all like you Will," said Marlene.

"I know it, but that don't mean I'm wrong neither."

They looked at each other a moment, Marlene turned away as a dusty truck rolled by.

"Did I say the wrong thing?" said Will.

"Nope, you said just about everything I've come to expect..."

Will looked at Marlene again but she kept her eyes to the skies, so he turned to head inside once more.

"Will,"

"Yeah?"

"It's alright, I mean it."

"Okay Mar."

"Okay cowboy."

WILL REMEMBERED going west with his father years ago. They'd driven out through the New Mexico desert and into the red mountains of northern Arizona where Hopi and Navajo natives were still present. They found a blue lake high in the mountains where coniferous trees had found the soil fertile enough to commence. They made camp and strung a tarp between two pine trees to keep the wind and the rain out while they slept at night. During the day they'd spear trout with penciled sticks that they'd carved with his father's bowie knife and cook them in a cast iron frying pan beneath starblown skies. At night he and his father would find their blankets and lay down to rest and at times the wind would blow harshly and the cries of wolves would roll down the mountains and Will would slide closer to his father.

In the mornings they'd wake to the biting mountain frost and start a fire. Will would fetch water from the lake and hang it over the coals and his father would throw coffee grounds inside and say nothing except the occasional comment regarding the peacefulness of the lake and the brightness of the sunrise while they waited for the coffee to boil. Will would take his coffee in his steel thermos and walk down the lakeside by himself, letting his mind wander to the cusps of the snowcapped mountains and wonder if the natives had ascended those peaks. Had anyone for that matter? He'd finish his coffee or it would get cold and he'd cast the remains to the rocky shoreside and return to this father and they'd grab their makeshift spears and go fishing once more.

This is what he remembered.

"WHERE YOU STAND WITH YOUR FAITH?" said Teddy.

"That's a big question," said Will.

"You believe in Jesus?"

"Sure."

"The Bible?"

"Yeah."

"The Holy Spirit?"

"I guess so."

"Then I guess there ain't much else worth discussin is there?" said Teddy. They had just finished feeding the cattle and were walking back to the farmhouse.

"I don't think I agree with that," said Will. "Think there's more to it."

"How ya mean?"

"Well, I guess I understand the teachings of the church. That the Bible has a lot of good stories that tell us how we ought to live. I think the world is a better place because of it."

"Every Christian believes that bud."

"I don't think so. Lot of them religious folks read the Bible so they can tell others how to live. Like its this rulebook they can beat over everyone else's heads."

"Sure...I mean I guess I can see that..."

"I think a lot of folks look to religion for peace. For their own salvation. Which ain't a bad thing I guess, but it ain't the moral of the intended story is all I'm sayin."

"You better not be sayin that shit round Kate. She'll have your ass," said Teddy.

"Yeah, I mean, that's case and point right there," said Will with a laugh.

"Why is all them stories in the Bible considered 'good'? Who decided we were supposed to live a certain way?" said Teddy.

"That's a hell of a question ain't it," said Will and he was quiet a moment while he considered this. "Thousands of years ago you had a bunch of people livin in the desert out in Syria and Israel and Iran and all that. Small tribes of these folks just strugglin in the sands. So they start tellin each other stories. Some bout this fella Abraham and how he was called to found this new nation of people under God. And enough people musta liked what they heard cause this new group of people keeps growing and growing and they keep finding stories that everyone likes and they add em to the book and the book gets called the Bible."

"What about that Jesus fella? Heard a lot bout him," said Teddy.

"That's the new testament. What the Catholics and the Lutherans and the Methodists all believe in."

"What about you?"

"I dunno."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think there was a fella named Jesus, who was probably a really great guy and who was really wise and all, but I dunno if I believe he was the son of God."

"Why not?"

"I dunno. I guess that makes me a non-believer."

"You said you're still a Christian though, right?"

"Yeah."

"How can you not believe in Jesus or God and still be a Christian?"

"I appreciate my Christian roots. I appreciate the community and the stories and the people and the foundation it brings to peoples lives..."

"But you don't believe in Jesus Christ?"

"I guess not...no...does that make me a bad person?"

"Nah. Reckon you just thought about this more than most people is all."

"There's probably some truth in that. How bout you?"

"Believe in Jesus? I reckon so. Don't see a reason not to."

"How ya mean?"

"Well, if I spend my life believing and then I die and it turns out I'm wrong, its no big deal. But if I don't believe in no Jesus or God or Holy Spirit and I die and turns out they existed this whole time? Then I'm fucked. That's what Hell is for. All the non-believers like you. So if you askin me, makes more sense to believe," said Teddy.

"You make a good point," said Will. "You come to that conclusion all on your own?"

"That's what my Pa told me and I haven't heard a convincing argument to think otherwise."

"Smart man, your Pa."

"With some things. Sure as hell wasn't smart with money. I can tell you that much."

"You miss him?"

"Who?"

"Your Pa."

"Yeah, I guess so. Honestly don't think about him that much. Then it just hits ya outta no where. Makes me miss him. And Ma."

"You don't talk bout your Mom that much."

"Ain't nothin much worth sayin."

They stepped onto the porch and back into the house. The dogs followed shortly behind and Will waited a moment to let them in too. Teddy went back to his room and closed the door. Needs some space. Will stepped into the kitchen and over to the sink and ran some cold water, splashing his face and rubbing some down his neck. He looked up and through the window at the hayfields which were aflame with golden hue in the day's last night. He splashed some more water on his face and turned off the faucet. Grabbing the kitchen towel he dried his face and called the dogs over. They came immediately and he sat down on the checkered linoleum flooring which was cool in the Texas heat. He turned and laid down on his back as the dogs kept nosing him and licking his cheeks. "Hey there," he said. "Easy there girls." They eventually grew bored when he stopped giving them ample attention and went back to the living room where they hopped up onto the couch and laid down. Will stayed in the kitchen. He liked feeling the cool linoleum through the back of his shirt.

He had his hands behind his head and eyes closed when Teddy came back. "Whatcha doin," he said.

"Nothin, and if feels damned good."

Teddy eyed him a moment and joined him, crouching down and pivoting onto his side as he made his way onto his back. "I'll be damned."

"Yes sir."

They laid on that cool linoleum in the fading Texas sunset and thought about bitter lemonade and next month's hay prices and Old Granddad's whiskey and Kate and Marlene and how they wanted to call them up right then and there. They thought about their farm and the work yet to be done and the first sip of ice cold beer on a Friday afternoon.

"Wanna beer?"

"Dumb question bud."

THEY WERE PARKED on the side the road. It was well past midnight and they had pulled off onto a hayfield's road approach on the way home from the bar. Teddy, Will, and Marlene sitting on the tailgate of Teddy's Chevy and Kate was standing in the middle of the road with a beer in hand.

"Every generation has its problems," Kate said. "Our parents' had the Depression and the dole and a second world war. We've got a different problem though. We don't have problems enough. Everything is 'too easy' to our parents. 'You kids have it real good' -- how many times have I heard that? I wish our parents knew that sometimes we envy them and how simple the world used to be. Was all pretty clear when Hitler and them Nazis were killin all them Jews. Of course we gotta do somethin. Now what though? We settle down and get married and buy a house and have kids because its what our parents always wanted and some of em never got cause they got blown apart in Europe? No sir. No ma'am. It ain't that simple."

"We got no purpose," said Marlene quietly.

"EXACTLY" said Kate as she took another drink from her beer can. "We ain't got no purpose. How do we find one of them Ted?"

"Find one of what?" said Teddy.

"A purpose gosh darnit."

"I think Ted's already got one of them," said Will with a smile.

"Whatchu say cowboy?" said Kate.

"Nothin."

"He said I got my purpose and she's right here in front of me," said Teddy and he hopped off the trailer hitch, taking the beer can from Kate's hand and setting it on the ground and pulling her close they started to dance.

At one point Teddy lowered his hand a bit too far and Kate pushed him away abruptly,"God damnit Teddy, can't you just be sweet for a moment?!"

Teddy shrugged at this, picked up Kate's beer can off the ground, and finished it. "Let's call it a night gang," he said.

"Awwww, come on Ted, I was just playin with you," Kate said with tears in her eyes.

"Nah, its late. Best be gettin back home anyways."

At this, Kate started to cry. Marlene hopped off the tailgate and went to comfort her, leading her around and helping her into the backseat of the pickup.

"What did I do now?" said Teddy.

"Think its what you didn't do bud," said Will as he too hopped off the tailgate of the pickup. "Think Kate wanted you to keep dancin. She's just givin you a hard time is all."

"I know that."

"Then why didn't you keep dancin?"

"Cause I was havin a right fine time till she got all preen and proper with me. Why can't she just loosen up a little bit? We been datin for years now. Nothin wrong with puttin hands on each other."

"Don't think she wants to be that kinda girl, 'specially with Mar and I sitting right here watchin."

"Well shit, why does that matter?"

"I dunno. Just does."

They walked back around and hopped in the truck, Teddy behind the steering wheel as they made their way home. Kate and Marlene were looking out the window and everyone was silent. Will turned on the radio, but couldn't find a station with a signal so he turned it back off and they road in silence. Eventually they reached Kate and Marlene's new place and Teddy and Will hopped out to open the rear cab doors for the girls. Marlene was appreciative and said "Good night," but Kate shook her head and stormed inside. They closed the cab doors once more and hopped back inside and made their way back. They didn't say nothing till Teddy up alongside the farmhouse and killed the engine. "Guess I fucked up," he said.

"Nah, don't worry bout it Ted. She'll be fine tomorrow. Just the beers and emotions and all."

"Alright," Teddy said and hung his head a bit and went into the house where the dogs were crying. Will stood on the porch a minute longer, staring at the night sky as he tried to find Orion, but there was too much cloud cover so he lowered his eyes and stepped inside.

WILL REMEMBERED being a kid. Rushing out the front door and across the yard and into the fields of alfalfa that came up past his chest. He'd go out and out and further out still and sit down in the middle of nowhere and listen to the wind rustle the budding purple tips of the surrounding lucerne. Eventually his parents would come outside and call out and he could hear the concern in their voices, but he stayed hidden for a while longer. Until he'd filled his soul to the brim with the surrounding calm that can only be attained while getting lost in nature's ephemeral moments. He'd then stand, brush the dirt from his pleated corduroys, and run back to the farmhouse on the hill. He wouldn't say anything until they spotted him. "Here I am!" he'd call out reassuringly. "WHERE WERE YOU! WE WERE WORRIED SICK..." and he'd try his best to be remorse and say he'd never do it again but that was a lie. He longed for distance. To be out alone and to explore the storied deeps. Maybe just to have some peace of mind and peace and quiet for more than the handful of minutes he found it whilst at home.

"WHY DON'T YOU LIKE MAR?" said Kate.

"I do like Marlene," said Will.

"Doesn't seem that way, given you won't ask her out proper and all..."

"I know."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I know what you're saying, but I don't really know why if that makes sense."

"That's a dumbass answer and you know it."

"I mean, I guess...sometimes I feel like...there might be something wrong with me..." Will said and threw his eyes to the skies.

Kate looked at him quizzically a moment before saying, "There is nothin wrong with you Will".

"It's hard to explain," Will said softly this time.

"Then try to."

There was a long pause before Will replied. "I look at you and Ted and at our parents and grandparents and how happy everyone is being together and I don't feel like I'm that type of person. To slow down and commit and forgo everything else I've got laid out in front of me."

"What else is out there Will?"

"That's the point. I don't know. And givin Marlene everything she wants feels ass backwards when I don't even know what I want at this point."

"Have you ever talked to Mar about this?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I dunno. How do you put words to something like this? I'm doing a poor ass job as it is here with you."

"Have you ever thought that maybe letting go a little bit and opening up to Mar and telling her all this might be good for you? Might be good for you and her both?"

"I can't put all this shit on her. She don't deserve that."

"Do you?"

Will made eye contact with Kate and smiled a bit. They both sat on the farmhouse porch in silence as the sun carved a bright path across the sky and the cattle hollered from the pastures beyond their line of sight. Barn swallows dived down under the roof of the pullshed across the way and spread their wings once reaching bottom as they rose to their homes which were nestled into the wooden beams that hung high across the shed's ceiling. To the west a large group of starlings is forming and they start to flock as they flow and murmur across the sky -- remaining in close proximity without colliding, as if joined at the hip in some intrepid dance prepared and executed every day in the fading dusk. One minute they look like smoke and the next they take upon the vestige of some pulsating organism.

"Dirty birds those lot," said Will.

"Starlings?" said Kate.

"Yeah. Dirty birds. Eat all our feed and shit everywhere, but make for a fun evening watching 'em rise up and flock as one."

They both kept their eyes trained to the sky. Not wanting to miss a thing.

Just then Teddy stepped out from inside the house and onto the porch. "Whatcha lookin at?"

"Shhhh," said Kate.

Teddy looked to the west and saw what Kate and Will were looking at, the pulsing flock of starlings in the settling dusk. He pulled up a porch chair and sat down between them, a bit closer to Kate than Will, and they all sat for a while like that. Nothing else to be said.

Eventually the starlings drifted out of sight and Will turned to the others. "You guys ever think bout Montana. Wyoming. Alaska?"

"How do ya mean?" said Teddy.

"Yeah, I'm not following," said Kate.

"All that country out there. All that elevation. Mountains and streams and what's left of the frontier. Seems like those are the only places left that still got it."

"There ain't nothin out there but a big loneliness awaiting every man who thinks they need to 'head west'," said Kate. "All you boys thinkin there is somethin better out there that ain't here."

Teddy turned to look at Kate as she said this. "Where did that come from?" he said.

"I just dunno why boys can't live more in the moment," Kate said.

"Didn't we just do that? Sitting here watching them birds in the sky? I was enjoying that moment right fine if you ask me..." said Teddy.

Will took all this in and turned his eyes back towards the flock of starlings which had grown small in the westward skies.

"That was for five minutes cowboy," said Kate. "Ever tried trying to spend each day in a mindset like that? Be a lot happier if you just slowed down and stopped thinkin bout tomorrow and all that," she was flustered while saying this, shying away from Teddy and Will in her porch chair.

"Come on now Kate. We're just talkin. I hear ya, I promise I do," said Teddy while putting his hand on Kate's leg reassuringly.

"You make a good point Kate. And I appreciate havin you around to pull Teddy and I out of these daydreams. Pull us back to reality and what we got right here in front of us," said Will with a smile. "You guys wanna step out to the pasture and see the cattle a bit 'fore it gets too dark?"

"Finally, a good idea," Kate said while rising to her feet.

They all rose and stepped off the porch, making their way across the lawn and towards the pasture gate. Will undid the chain that wound around the post holding the gate closed and let Teddy through. Kate followed shortly behind and she made eye contact with Will as she stepped through. Almost seeming to forget something, she stopped and turned to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders into a big hug.

"Oh...Kate...what's wrong?" said Will.

"Nothin. There ain't nothin wrong Will," she said with sparkling eyes rimmed with happy tears. She let go and stepped back and ran to Ted, taking his hand and pulling him out through the tall pasture grass and towards the herd of cattle in the near distance.

Will chained the gate closed and followed closely behind. Watching the skies.

THEY LOADED the back of the truck with jugs of water and a Pepsi-Cola ice chest that was stocked with tortillas and beans. Walking back to the porch Will grabbed the pair of sleeping rolls and tossed them in back as well and slammed the tailgate shut. Kate and Marlene were standing off the porch a ways, chatting to one another as Teddy came out the front door and gave Kate a hug.

"We'll be back before you know it," he said to Kate. Leaning over he gave Marlene a side hug and grabbed his dark green Army surplus backpack and tossed it over his shoulder as he made his way to the pickup.

"See ya," Will said to Marlene and Kate with a wave of his hand.

"Bye Will...Goodbye Ted..." said Marlene.

"Don't be gettin into no trouble, ya hear?" said Kate casting a knowing look towards Teddy who was already in the cab of the truck. He gave a wide and devious smile of his own in response and started the engine of the pickup.

"Lets go, we got miles to cover 'fore dark," Teddy called from the truck, honking the horn sporadically.

Will opened up the passenger side door and through his pack into the backseat. Hesitating for a moment, he stepped down and jogged over to Marlene, picking her up in a big hug, arms below her waist.

"See ya round Mar," he said and gave her a kiss.

Kate let out a gasp of surprise and Teddy called from the truck, "I'll be damned," and honked the horn loudly.

Will set Mar down and they smiled at each other.

"See ya round...cowboy," she said to Will and patted him lightly on the ass as he turned back towards the truck. Hopping in, Teddy threw the truck into gear and they drove away, the sound of gravel crunching under their tires as they eased out onto the county road.

"Where did that come from?" said Teddy.

"Don't know. Felt right I guess," said Will.

Teddy shook his head and turned up the radio. They headed northwest through Dalhart and followed Highway 385 north up into grasslands that define the Texas-Oklahoma border. Teddy pulled off the highway and onto a dirt track that continued on for several miles until they were away from all others and parked the truck on a road approach seemingly in the middle of nowhere. They grabbed their packs and bed rolls and walked a ways through the shortgrass and stopped to make camp a few hundred feet from the dirt road where the pickup sat parked. Will went back and forth to the truck as he grabbed their water and the Pepsi-Cola ice chest as Teddy formed a ring of stones and started a fire using some handfuls of prairie grass and timber they had brought with them.

Will grabbed the iron skillet they had brought with them and opened the can of beans using his Swiss army knife, dumping the contents into the skillet and placing it in the center of the smoldering campfire. He took a swig of water and passed the two gallon jug over to Teddy who drank appreciatively. They say in silence and watched the swelling flames and the beans as they began to sizzle. The sound of scraping sandpaper rose from the army of unseen grasshoppers amongst the prairie grass and the galaxy's most prevalent constellations could be seen wheeling overhead in the early dark.

"Smells good," said Teddy.

"Sure does. You got them tortillas?" said Will.

"Think they're in the ice box."

Will stood and reached into the cooler, grabbing the tortillas which were wrapped in Saran Wrap. He closed the mouth of the cooler and sat back down upon it, taking a tortilla for himself and passing the rest of them over to Teddy. They say in silence once more and waited for the beans to finish cooking.

"Reckon we shoulda brought the dogs with us?" said Teddy.

"Nah, they'd be lost in the desert grass by now. Wouldn't wanna keep em tied up all night either. 'sides, Marlene and Kate are enjoyin the hell out of them right now and you know it," said Will.

"Yeah...reckon so...still don't feel all that right bein camped out here without them dogs though..."

"Next time partner. Next time."

By now the beans had reached a deep black color and Will placed a leather glove over his right hand and reached into the campfire. Grabbing the handle of the iron skillet he lifted it from amongst the flames and dumped a handful of beans into the middle of his corn tortilla. He leaned over and did likewise for Teddy before placing the skillet and what remained of the beans back into the campfire. They ate in silence, staring into the flames and occasionally glancing towards the horizon to watch the oncoming of night.

Teddy finished his first, reaching out to Will who passed the tortillas and leather glove back to him. He put the glove on and grasped the handle of the skillet and lifted it carefully from the smoldering coals and dumped half the remaining black beans into the center of the fresh tortilla resting on his lap. He offered the skillet to Will who shook his head "Needa finish this one," so he put the skillet back into the fire to keep warm.

"Should do this more often," said Will.

"Yeah, this is pretty damn nice," said Teddy.

"Why don't we do this more often?"

"Dunno."

"Seems like we spend our whole life talkin bout doin stuff like this, but never actually doin it."

"Can't spend your whole life doing nothin. Gotta work so you can relax. Simple math that is."

"Right, to a degree. Seems like we don't do this enough though."

"You're saying we don't sit around and eat black bean tacos enough?"

Will chuckled. "It ain't bout the damn tacos. It's bout gettin away. Slowin down for a bit. Observing life from a lower gear."

"Right, but like I was sayin, that's what makes this good. Runnin in high gear all week makes them Friday beers hit different," said Teddy as he took another bite from his tortilla.

They sat in silence once more and Will finished his original taco, putting the glove on and using what remained of the beans to fill one last tortilla.

"You want half?" said Will.

"Just make a mess, splittin that tortilla in half with all them beans in it. Nah, you get after it."

They both continued eating, making occasional eye contact and looking quickly away to the horizon or down at the swaying prairie grass.

"You might be right, we should get to doin this more often," said Teddy with grin and they both laughed.

IT WAS WELL PAST MIDNIGHT and Will awoke suddenly. He opened his eyes and remained in his sleeping bag as he listened for the source of what could have woke him. Nothing. Just the sound of insects. It is just then that he grasps the multitude of stars in the dark sky above. He can almost see them gently sliding across his line of vision as the world gently turns beneath his fingertips. He looks over to see if Teddy is awake, but he is still sound asleep, his light snoring the only sign of life. He looks back to the Milky Way and thinks about how infinitesimal it makes him feel, and the sheer scale of the cosmos. That there might be unknown worlds on the edge of this solar system shielded by dark marauders with a vested interest to leave well enough alone. That Einstein and Bohr and Newton were simply grasping at straws. That the foundations of the universe are wholly beyond understanding. We spend too much time trying to explain the unexplainable.

When they returned the next morning, Kate and Marlene were waiting on the front porch steps. The dogs bounded towards the truck as it rolled into the yard.

"Looks like someone is happy to see us" said Teddy as he threw the truck into park and opened the driver's side door.

"You boys have a good time camped out under the stars?" said Marlene.

"We did," replied Will. "Not much goin on out there besides peace and quiet. Just what we needed."

"That's good," said Marlene.

"How bout you Ted?" said Kate.

"Oh yeah, was a good time" said Teddy from his knelt position amongst the dogs who were batting there tails fiercely.

"Well, Mar and I gotta get goin. It's Saturday and the kitchen pantry is empty," said Kate as she put her sunglasses on and tied her hair up in a baby blue handkerchief. Marlene followed suit, her hair already up in a black handkerchief, matching her dark eyes. She too put her sunglasses on as they both walked towards Marlene's Bel Air. "You boys have a good day!" she called as Marlene pulled them out of the driveway and onto the county road.

"Marlene acting like not a damned thing happened between you two," said Teddy as he stepped up onto the porch.

"Yeah...I'm not surprised though..." said Will.

"Why's that?"

"I dunno...she been waitin on me for a while now...didn't expect her bein all that convinced is all..."

Teddy looked at Will and shook his head. "I don't understand you. Or her for that matter."

"I know," Will replied.

They say in silence a moment before Will said, "What attracted you to Kate? Ya know, back in the day when you first started talkin."

"Hmmm" Teddy said, "was probably her looks at first. She was wearing a yellow sundress. You remember, all of us at the county fair last year and her and Mar and the other girls walkin round and pretending not to notice us makin eyes at 'em..."

"Yeah, I remember, but other than looks. When you started talkin to her what was it about her?"

"Dunno. Guess it had somethin to do with her personality and thinkin I was funny. Thinks just seemed easy with her. Was easy talkin to her. Easy laughin. Easy bein silent too. That's sometimes hard to find, someone who is easy being 'round and not havin to say nothin. Just sitting in silence and at peace with it, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know what ya mean."

"Is Marlene like that? Easy to be 'round?"

"Reckon so. 'Bout as easy to be 'round as any girl I've ever met."

"So you like Mar like I like Kate? Is that what yer sayin?"

"I dunno."

"Why you askin then?"

"Askin just to ask I suppose..."

"Listen Will, I can't tell you whether you like Marlene or not. That's somethin either you know or you don't. Can't expect everyone else to weigh in like some group forum. Not for something like this."

"Matters of the heart?"

"Exactly. Don't be askin your friends to give advice on 'matters of the heart'."

"Got it."

They say in silence again, looking out across the pastures and the cattle and ryegrass waving in the wind.

"Now don't go takin that the wrong way, you can still talk to me."

"I know. Just not about matters of the heart," Will said with a small smile.

"You know what I fuckin mean."

They both laughed and Teddy stepped inside the house. Will followed suit and held the door open and called for the dogs who were racing across the yard. They bolted through the gap between the door and the doorframe and Will smiled to himself once more and closed the door.