Seeds of Summer by Deborah Vogts Page B

drive?”
    â€œYour driving is suspended until I say otherwise.”
    â€œWhat about Sarah?”
    â€œI’m not in charge of Sarah. It’ll be a wonder if her folks let her have anything to do with you after the stunt you pulled last night.”
    â€œIt was only a few beers.”
    Natalie faced the kitchen sink and drew a deep breath. Did she have the willpower or knowledge to raise a teenager? Tattoos, alcohol, sex, obvious disdain. What might Chelsey try next, drugs? She wanted to strangle the stupid kid and knock some sense into her head. Instead, she forced herself to be calm. Think good thoughts, Think like a parent. She returned to the table and sat down, willingherself to step into her father’s boots. “You want to drink beer? Fine, you can buy as many six-packs as you want when you’re twenty-one.”
    Chelsey rolled her eyes and chewed her fingernail, polished an iridescent green.
    Dillon trudged into the kitchen. “You two aren’t fighting again, are you?” He laid his backpack on the table, then poured rice cereal into one of the bowls. “That’s all you do anymore. How would that make Dad feel?”
    As usual, Dillon’s insight astounded Natalie. It also gave her a new perspective on the situation.
    â€œDillon’s right. We’re family. Now that Dad’s gone, the three of us need to get along.” She reached for Chelsey’s fingers and inspected her nubbed-off nails. Though tempted, she refrained from admonishing her sister about taking better care of her hands. The truce had to start somewhere and it may as well start with her.
    Once the kids left for school, Natalie saddled Jackson to ride through the pastures and check the summer steers and fences. It would be quicker to use her father’s four-wheeler or even the pickup, but this morning she longed for the squeak of leather beneath her and the weight of the reins on her fingertips.
    Other than supplying salt blocks and water, her contracted grazing duties included keeping count of the cattle, maintaining the fences and windmills, and caring for sick animals. With over three thousand acres to cover, it was a full-time job, and that didn’t include their personal herd of three hundred cow-calf pairs, which they would brand this weekend. She had no idea how she would do the work on her own. Thankfully, her brother and sister only had two more days of school, but she still might need to hire help. That meant spending more money from an already dwindling account—something she wanted to avoid if at all possible.
    Hours later after riding fence on two of the pastures, she stopped on top of Flat Ridge, which overlooked the bordering north and east sections of their property. From here, she could see for miles. It wasone of her favorite places, especially this time of year when purple beardtongue, larkspur, and wild indigo dotted the prairie in profusion. Below her, the draws and gullies extended into Sage Creek, now full from the wet season they’d had.
    She sat atop Jackson and counted the cattle. Clicking him forward, she moved to get a better view of the steers as they grazed below. When finished recording the numbers, she returned her notepad to her shirt pocket and watched a hawk circle the blue sky above.
    Its loud screech filled her with a loneliness that settled in her soul. Although she loved ranching and the Flint Hills, it was a solitary life, and so unlike the one she’d imagined for herself.
    She closed her eyes and saw Ryan Frazier’s handsome face. He’d reminded her of a movie star, with his gorgeous blue eyes, dimpled smile, and straight blonde hair swept to one side. Young and ready for adventure, Natalie had allowed the professional commentator to smooth talk his way into her life and capture her heart. As the wind whistled in her ear, she remembered his words of hope and a future…
    Bright lights shone down on Natalie at the Dodge City Rodeo