Wolfe Ranch

Cat

It was the start of our typical Monday morning on Wolfe Ranch, twenty miles outside of Baker, Montana. Baker is a small town of about two thousand people but is widely known worldwide. This sleepy little town had more going for it than just the cattle industry. There were other things around here to enjoy.

Three packs of werewolves surround my property of three hundred acres. There’s one pack to the east, one to the west, and one just north of us, leaving the south open to who knows what.

I could only guess that the total number of pack members for these packs would be about one thousand or more people who aren’t on our annual census. We never had problems with the packs, and I had dealings with one of them all my life. With all of this happening around me, how could I be negligent and not notice the strange things like the packs after living out here my whole life?

By the way, my name is Cathrine, but everyone calls me Cat. I’m a twenty-five-year-old single mom to my adorable twins, who just turned six. Ivy and Jacob are my whole world, other than the ranch I inherited when my dad passed away two years ago from a heart attack.

My dad raised me by himself after my mom died when I was nine. She was out riding in one of the pastures when she had a brain aneurysm and fell from her horse. When she didn’t return home by dark, Dad looked for her.

Daddy was a great man, strong yet gentle and always supportive. He was always there when I needed him. He didn’t pass judgment when I got pregnant with the twins, decided not to go to college, and cut ties with their father. Well, I cut ties as much as I could.

I was up this morning before the sun, as always, to make breakfast for everyone, including my one ranch hand, Hank, who was my dad’s best friend. He’s an old, cranky man who has my back no matter what. He would tell it like it is, and I always needed that. He saw the world differently than me, and having that around was important.

I made my coffee and sipped it while starting the stove to make eggs, bacon, and toast for everyone. As I cracked the eggs to whisk them up, I heard the kids’ alarms go off from upstairs rooms. One of the kids turned their alarm off quickly, and I could hear footsteps running across the floor. I know that it’s Ivy because she’s always excited about going to school.

Jacob’s alarm was still going off in his room for a minute or two before I heard him turn it off. I listened as Ivy headed to the bathroom, and Jacob sounded like a drunk person stumbling to his closet to get dressed. I stifled my laughter and shook my head at him.

Soon, I had the eggs ready in a large bowl and started to cook the bacon. Hank shuffled into the kitchen from the back door to get coffee and sit at the table. He lived in the foreman’s house, which was not far from the main house where I lived with the kids.

Hank was in his fifties, almost sixties, and he was slowing down. He wasn’t tall and had a belly growing as he aged and drank beer. His hair and mustache were gray, and his light brown eyes were kind.

“Good morning, Cat,” Hank said as he grabbed a mug to fill with hot coffee.

“Good morning, Hank. How are you this morning?” I asked.

“As good as ever.”

This was his answer most mornings unless he was really not doing well. He’s been working on the ranch all his life. Most of the time, his muscles and joints are stiff, but he can work and move just like everyone else; it just takes a little longer for his body to prepare for each day.

As the bacon cooked and Hank sipped his coffee, Ivy bounded down the stairs into the kitchen. Ivy was one of the sweetest kids I have ever met. She’s intelligent, caring, and strong-willed. With her bright blue eyes and black hair, she will grow into a beautiful woman.

“Well, good morning, little stinker,” Hank said as Ivy sat at the table.

“Good morning, Hank,” she said, rolling her eyes. Then she smiled at me, saying, “Good morning, mama.”

“Good morning, baby. How did you sleep?”

“Perfect!” she answered happily.

I finished cooking breakfast at the stove when Jacob walked down the stairs. Jacob looks like his sister, with blue eyes and black hair. His personality is the complete opposite of Ivy’s, though. Jacob is very protective and guarded and tends to get angry very quickly. He can be sweet, but you have to know him to know what sweet is.

He sat with Hank and Ivy while I brought the food to the table. When everything was placed, I sat down, and we started to fill our plates.

While eating, I told Hank, “I’m going to head to the feed store and the general store this morning after dropping them off at school.”

“Ok. You got the list of supplies ready?” he asked to make sure.

“Yep. Any extra requests?” I asked.

“Can you get that chocolate spread we use so much of?”

“I have Nutella down on my list. Don’t worry,” I told him with a smile.

He nodded his head and took another bite of breakfast.

“I’ll also be looking for two more hands,” I told everyone.

“Don’t hold your breath about finding anyone new,” Hank grumbled.

“Oh, I won’t, but I need to get the word out there that we need extra help.”

Hank just nodded his head and kept eating his food. Sure, the two of us could manage this place, but it was tough for us. I needed at least two more people to help out.

I had crops to plant in the garden, cattle to bring in, daily chores, and kids with homework at the end of each day. If there were four of me, life would be exquisite.

We finished our breakfast and cleaned our dishes. The kids went to grab their backpacks while I drank the last of my coffee. The three of us pulled on light jackets and headed out the door to my truck while Hank went to the stables to get his horse ready for his day.

The kids and I got into my dark green Dodge pickup truck and started it up. The weather had just turned warmer, and we were soaking it up. The mornings would start in the forties; by the warmest part of the day, it would be in the sixties. I was happy that no snow was on the ground and spring was in full swing.

I started our journey into Baker, where I would drop the kids off for their day at school, and I could get errands done. I mentally crossed my fingers that I could find two ranch hands looking for work. Fate needs to be a little nice to me at some point. Let this be that day.

I drove into town and up to the school to sit in the crazy line with all the other parents. For such a small town, the school line was always insane, but I guess that’s what happens when all the grades are in one place. When it was our turn for the kids to get out of the vehicle, their teacher opened the truck door, and both kids barreled out of my truck at her. I barely got to tell them bye as they raced into the building.

“Well, I guess have a good day,” I said to myself as the line started to move and I left the school.

Once I was away from the school, I went further into town. Before returning to the ranch, I had a few errands to run in town. My first order of business was to go to the feed store. We always seemed to be needing feed or hay. I needed to order hay with the guy I always got hay from near Billings. Life was never slow for a ranch owner, but I couldn’t let it overwhelm me.

I parked my truck on Main Street and hopped out. Walking into the feed store, I smelled all the familiar smells of leather and feed. Something about the smell of a feed store makes me smile and sets my soul at peace.

When he saw me, the clerk said, “Hello, Cat. What can we do for you today?”

“Hey, John. Well, I need the usual. Five bags of cattle feed, two bags of horse feed, and two bags of chicken feed,” I said as I stepped up to the counter.

John is a middle-aged bald man with a sizeable salt-and-pepper mustache. He is a sweet man and always helpful. He knows a lot about livestock, so whenever I’m lost and need answers, he’s always someone I call other than the vet.

I paid my bill and got the receipt to hand it to the workers in the warehouse. I walk around the side and find Oscar sitting on some feed stacks, waiting for something to do.

I greeted him with a big smile and said, “Hey, Oscar. Boring morning?”

“Hey, Cat. Yeah, it’s a little slow so far this morning,” he answered as I handed him my feed receipt.

“Well, here’s something for you to do,” I said.

He got up and grabbed a feed cart. He looked over the ticket and quickly started piling up my order. Once he had everything, we headed to my truck to load it up. I brought the tailgate of my truck down and climbed up into the bed. Oscar started handing me the feed sacks so I could place them where I needed them while we talked.

“Do you know anyone in the area looking for a ranching job? It’s gotten to the point where Hank and I need help at the ranch,” I told him.

“Not off the top of my head. I’ll talk to a few people and see what I can find out,” he answered.

“Sounds good.”

“If I were you, I would go to the general store and ask Amy too,” Oscar suggests.

“I was thinking about that. I need to get a few things there anyway.”

Once we were done loading the feed sacks, I climbed out of my truck and closed the tailgate.

“See ya later, Cat, and good luck on the hiring process,” Oscar said as he waved and walked away with the cart.

“Thanks,” I told him.

I hope my search gets better results. I’m not desperate for help yet, but I knew I would eventually get there, and I needed to find people before that happened.

I turned from the feed store and walked to the general store. It’s an old wooden building that looks like it came right out of a western. We love it, though, and Amy, the owner, repairs and updates it each year but intentionally keeps the old-western feel to it.

I walked into the general store, and as always, as I opened the door, I heard the bell ding from above me. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. I glanced around and found that I was the only one in the store besides Amy. She was at the counter, opening things up for her day.

“Good morning, Cat,” she told me when she glanced up and saw me.

“Good morning, Amy.”

I quickly went down the three aisles of the store, grabbing the few things that we needed and that the kids asked for. The general store didn’t carry much, but if you needed something, Amy could order it and have it delivered to the store.

When I had all my items, I walked up to the counter and set them down while smiling at Amy. She smiled back at me and started ringing up my items while making small talk. She was a sweet woman a few years older than me. Amy was a little taller than me, with a thin build and long brunette hair. She was pretty.

“So, how are things going on the ranch?” she asked me.

“Good. I’m looking for two ranch hands to help out. Do you know of anyone looking for work at the moment?”

She finished ringing me up and told me the total while thinking about my question. I handed her the cash, and she opened the drawer to get my change. She reached out and gave me my change and receipt.

“I don’t know anyone now, which is odd for this time of year. Someone is always looking for work around here,” she told me with a perplexed look.

I nodded my head and put the change in my jeans pocket. I knew there was a chance no one would be looking for work, and that’s ok. I would keep looking because the work would still be there to get done.

“That’s ok. Keep me in mind if anyone comes asking around,” I said as I grabbed my bags from the countertop.

“Will do. Have a great day,” Amy said.

“I will, and you too,” I told her brightly.

I turned to walk towards the door with my bags of goods when it opened up, and two men stepped inside. On sight of them, I instantly stopped in my tracks and looked them both over. Both were handsome in blue jeans, baseball caps, and tight t-shirts. I could see rigid, muscular bodies through the clothing, and I won’t lie. It was a turn-on.

I was instantly drawn to one of them and wondered why I was so attracted to this man. That was unusual. I had only ever been with or attracted to the twin’s dad, though now I wasn’t attracted to him anymore. Most days, I hated him.

“Good morning, guys. What can I do for you today?” Amy asked.

Both stood before the door, blocking me in and looking at me. What was going on here?

“We were hoping to help Miss…?” one of them said while looking at me.

“Wolfe,” I answered.

“That’s right. We were hoping to help Miss Wolfe fill those ranch hand positions,” he said.

I looked at the men before me and realized that I had seen them before, but it was years ago. They attended the same high school as me but were a few years older.

“How?” I asked.

“We were over at the feed store and told to come find you here. We’re looking for some work,” the same guy said.

I nodded my head while looking them over. I could tell by how they held themselves and walked that they knew little about ranch work or life. I was desperate at the moment. I could teach them just about anything if they were willing to learn.

“Alright, perfect. The ranch is just down Highway 20. You’ll see the entrance that says Wolfe Ranch on the right-hand side.”

“Alright, we will come by shortly,” he told me.

The other one just nodded at me while staring intently. They opened the door, and I walked past them to my truck. Was I crazy for bringing them on as ranch hands? I would have to teach them everything, but it was better than nothing at all.