Free Cowboy on the Run by Devon McKay

imagined the concern lining her face. She was such a worrier. Guilt pooled in his gut knowing he added to her anxiety, a blessing and a curse. Although, he had to admit, it was kind of nice having someone care. And despite Sandy being less than twenty years his senior, she had filled the role of a mother figure quite well.
    He had been lucky. Landing a gig at the O-K Corral was one of the best things to ever come his way, changing the rocky path his life was headed for.
    Time to pay it forward.
    “I’m not,” he said, letting her down gently. “I’ve had a change of plans. That’s the reason I’m calling. You know my father’s ranch...ah...my ranch now. It’s just...there’s a lot of land, and I was thinking about...” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “Well, I want to do what you and Doyle are doing. I want this to be a place for the boys. A boy like I was.”
    There. It was out. He breathed a loud sigh of relief as the words hung brittle in the air, untouched for a moment. The truth had been the one thing he had been scared of admitting, especially to Sandy and Doyle. His rough past had never been a secret, but the couple had never forced him to talk about it. Nor would they ever condemn him, pouring salt in an open wound.
    Proving his point, Sandy ignored his confession, going straight to the heart of his statement.
    “A lot of land, huh? How much room do you have?” She didn’t give him time to answer. “There’s some paperwork you’ll have to fill out. You know government stuff. And an inspection, but that’s a piece of cake. I think I have Mark’s number here somewhere.” The frantic rustle of paperwork in the background told him she was already searching. “Oh, here it is! The state inspector’s name is Mark Campbell.” She recited a number, and he scrambled for a pen and paper to write it down. “He can get you started, answer any questions you might have. Tell Mark I gave you his number. He’s one of ours, a corral kid. He spent one summer here.”
    Nate choked on his coffee, inciting a bout of laughter from Sandy.
    “You don’t think you’re the only one to spend a summer or two here, do you,” she asked in her sassy, no nonsense way. After a momentary consideration, she continued. “Do you have any work for these boys to do? Idle hands...”
    Her words wavered, and he could hear her husband’s deep voice in the background.
    “Okay, honey, I’ll tell him. Doyle says he can be there by next week. Is that soon enough? Hold on.” She giggled, sharing a few words with her husband.
    Nate savored the sound.
    “Doyle’s chomping at the bit to talk to you.”
    The image her words provoked was humorous, and a smile pursed the corners of his mouth. The man was never in a hurry for much of anything. Doyle moved as slow as a tortoise. Instead of the smart comment Nate considered saying, he held his tongue.
    “Hey, Nate. It’s good to hear from you, son.” His friend’s deep baritone spouted from the receiver, steady and sure, a slight bit calmer than his wife.
    “Are you thinking of your own ranch? Well, to tell you the truth, we are in over our heads. As a matter of fact, we are over the legal capacity by ten boys, but you know how Sandy is. She won’t even turn away a stray cat. We got a couple of them, too. Do you need any cats?” A low rumble crossed through the phone line as he chuckled. “Yeah, Sandy says about ten boys, all of them ready for a new adventure. Is that too many?”
    Ten.
    A few doubts surfaced. Was this something he could handle? No, but if all else failed, he could always hire a few counselors to help out.
    Taylor, a fourteen year old trouble maker, popped into his head. He’d had his hands full with the little rebel last year. Yet, he’d stood his ground as the boy pushed all boundaries. They had been able to form a formidable relationship. Through those trials and tribulations he had made a friend for life, making a difference in the kid’s life,