Page 5 of Flowers To Give

“I kinda like it,” Jackie chews on a toothpick and climbs out of the Gator, “It’s like a company sanctioned break.”

“In the mud,” Barry adds.

That gets a smirk from Jeremy, finally climbing out from behind the wheel and heading through the gate to join his fellow ranch workers. Everyone’s already sitting down on the wooden bleachers on the far side of the ring. Barry and Jackie go to sit with the other ranch hands, Jeremy making his way up to the middle section where Yana and Clarice, the on-site veterinarian, sit.

“God, will you fix your face?” Clarice grimaces, “You look like you got shit for boogers.”

“Oh, is that smell you?” Jeremy jabs back, sitting beside Yana.

“What’s the matter?” She asks next to him.

Jeremy readjusts his brown worn-leather jacket, sniffing harshly and answering by thinking aloud, “Do you think anybody’d mind if I lit up?”

“Ahem, I would,” Clarice eyes him, “What is up with you today?”

He doesn’t have time to make up an excuse as Sheila leads Clark into the ring and the crowd quiets down. Clark waves dumbly to his new employees, Sheila being the one to pipe up first, “Hello, everyone. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet, I would like to introduce the new owner of Willmaker Ranch - Mr. Clark Radison!”

Some clap, others cross their arms. Jeremy is peaking up from under the safety of the rim of his hat, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

“Hi, y’all!” Clark’s theatrically loud voice calls out to his new employees, “I am so excited for me and my family to be joining this ranch! Please, don’t think of me as your boss or owner- No, no, no. You’re all a part of my family now too.”

People look around at each other, Yana mumbling under her breath, “The fuck?”

Clark claps once, getting everyone’s attention as he says, “I want you to know that everything will continue as usual. In fact, I’m the one that’s got plenty to learn from you all! So don’t hesitate to come to me with any fresh ideas or bits of advice, I am all ears. Now, I would love a tour of the whole property!”

Sheila steps forward, “Clay is our wrangler. He gives the best riding tours for all ages-”

“No,” Clark interrupts, stepping forward and eyeing the bleachers until his eyes land on his target, “I think I want to ride along with the cowboy today.”

Feeling many eyes land on him, Jeremy masticates his bleeding cheek as he stares down Clark. Sheila is staring at him too, urging him, “Munday?”

Jeremy puckers his lips and sends out a fair warning, “It’s dangerous.”

“Perfect! I want something real,” Clark smirks, “So it’s settled! Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to meet me! And really, I mean it, feel free to come talk to me any time.”

The workers rush off their seats to go and shake Clark’s hand, take a picture with him, and generally cheese over the actor. Yana hangs back to mutter to Jeremy, “Lucky him.”

“Lucky me,” Jeremy groans. He looks to the other side of the bleachers and catches Barry giving him a pitying look. He shrugs at the cute ranch hand, nothing to be done about their missed rendezvous. Glancing back down to the muddy field, Sheila gestures for him to come talk to her.

Walking down the bleachers, Jeremy thinks about pretending not to see her but that’s impossible as she all but tackles him as he makes it to the ground. Cornering him, she hisses through a smile, “Don’t fuck this up, Munday. I don’t want to call medevac on Clark Radison, understood?”

“Copy that,” Jeremy responds shortly, digging his fists into his jacket pockets. Sheila looks like she’s about to say something else but Jeremy catches Clark drift toward him from his peripheral and he’s already gone. Racing to the Gator, speeding to the stable, he’s out of his mind.

After tacking up two horses instead of one, Jeremy’s dressing his own saddle with a calf rope, a canteen of water, and his guns when Clark decides to make his appearance. Jeremy keeps his back to his new boss, hearing the fresh cowboy boots crisply clicking against the hay littered ground and that uppity tone greets him with, “Oh, you already got one ready for me.”

“Yep,” Jeremy replies shortly, stepping into his chaps, “Day’s gettin’ long. Need to get a move on.”

“Hm.”

Jeremy is buckling the chap belt when he hears some rustling behind him. Looking over his shoulder he spots Clark undoing the horse’s bridle. He asks abrasively, “What are you doing?”

Clark glances over and throws him a half grin, “I want that horse instead.”

Looking over to where Clark threw his head, Jeremy gets nervous, “Bunny? She’s never done a roundup before. I don’t think-”

“These are my horses,” Clark cuts him off, hauling the blanket and saddle over to Bunny’s stall, “And I want the pretty white appaloosa. Got it?”

Jeremy eyes Clark for a moment as he starts tacking up. He seems sufficient and knowledgeable enough, so Jeremy doesn’t offer any help. Besides, Clark tumbling down the side of a mountain wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Jeremy lets it go and puts on his spurs. Soon, they’re guiding the horses out of the stable and mounting them out in the brisk late morning air.