Dead Man's Hand Ranch

Elliott poured himself a cup of coffee from his black coffee pot, setting the white mug down on the varnished oak wood counter top, he took a plate, fork and knife from the only cupboard in the kitchen. He lifted the red top off of the glass pan taking a large slice of leftover raspberry rhubarb crisp. After eating he cleaned the dishes he used, walked into the foyer, put on his light brown cowboy hat and walked out onto his front porch

"Another day of this damn heat." he said, out loud to himself, the old porch creaked under his weight, he looked over his land, his wheat fields were bare since planting season, his yard was dry yellow grass. Sighing he stepped off the porch and walked over to the white chipped paint fence where his mare and her new colt were grazing

"Morning Rockie." Elliott said, Rockie was a dark black horse with a gray under belly, her colt was just like his mother all black, gray under belly with the acception of his white mane. Elliott's house was located outside of the Black Hills of South Dakota, he lives northwest of Rapid City and north of Deadwood.

The house was a white chipped paint two story home, old, rotting and falling apart, the kitchen was bare from cabinets falling off the walls, he had no oven and stove and everything inside the house was also falling apart, built on four hundred acres of land. The house windows were mostly covered with plywood, the front porch had missing, rotting steps. The house was not an ideal way or place to live, but to Elliott the house and ranch were treasure. It was all he had from his late father and it kept him from giving up on life. As he started his walk to the barn, dust was kicked up by a red Chevy truck hauling an empty horse trailer, he sighed when he saw who it was

"Morning Mr. and Mrs. Clare," he said, Mrs. Clare a chubby little lady smiled at Elliott "what brings you guys onto my property?"

Mr. Clare chuckled "Morning Mr. Redford. I wouldn't call it much of a property, its more of a dump now except for your beautiful new barn behind you."

Elliott looked at the red barn "It took me three years to redo but it turned out okay."

"Turned out okay? Elliott, it is beautiful, Harvey couldn't build one as good as you." Mrs. Clare said

"Emily, our boys can build one better than this for me." Mr. Clare said his beer belly jiggling from his laughter, he turned to look at Elliott "Why keep it such a dump?"

"Mr. Clare, I know my property is in a bad state and I'm doing the best I can to bring it back to the way it used to be." Elliot said getting pissed,

Mr. Clare laughed "You've been saying that same thing for ten years."

"I can't help that my parents died after that tornado and left me to pick up the pieces of the ranch and my life. Tell me why you're here."

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No." Elliott replied bluntly

"I want your property." Mr. Clare said, anger boiled up in Elliott even more

"I worked my ass off to keep my father's ranch and I will not sell it to ANYONE !"

Mr. Clare looked at his feet

"I'll gladly sell you a horse." Elliott said

"No, I want your property. What use do you have for it?" Mrs. Clare pulled her husband aside

"Harvey, you'll never get the property. He is as stubborn and hotheaded as Jerrod was." She whispered

"My property is not for sale and it never will be. I grew up here and I will not sell my childhood to anyone."

"What if you never have a family?" Mrs. Clare asked

"My life and my ranch is none of your fucking business." Elliott wiped the sweat from his brow "I'll say it again, I'll gladly sell you a horse... or two."

Mr. and Mrs. Clare walked along the fence watching the horses who were grazing or galloping around the large pasture

"What about the black horse with white spots?"

"That's my mother's horse, you already have my father's so you won't have Carrie. She won't move from this ranch, she was born on this land. Even if you try to take her she is glued here."

"Elliott, we helped you out when you were desperate." Mrs. Clare said

"Yes, you made me food when I couldn't but it doesn't mean you can take away the things I hold close to my heart. Taking care of my siblings and I was not your job but my Aunt and Uncle's." Elliott turned from them and walked over to a tall lanky man who was leaning against his white pickup

"Morning Davy." He said

"Morning El." Davy replied shaking Elliott's hand

"Here for Smokey and Flame?"

"You betcha!" Davy said

Smokey, was a grey coated and black maned, his brother Flame had a dashing brown orange coat with the same colored mane

"They're fine looking horses." Mr. Clare said

"What are your parents up to lately, Davy?" Mrs. Clare asked

"Nothing much, they just want two horses to add to the farm since we sold the goats." Davy replied "How much, El?"

Elliott looked at him "I'll go easy on their bank accounts... two hundred each, four hundred in total."

"Your father would be disappointed that you're selling these horses for far less than he would ever do." Mrs. Clare said

"Don't bring my father into this he's dead. I'm not my father but I can damn well try to be him.I have enough guilt and grief to last me a life time with you two always nagging me" Elliott said he looked away, at his horses

"Davy, maybe you could convince Mr Redford to sell us his property, he's not doing well with it and his parents would be disappointed." Mr Clare said

"My cousin is a stubborn human. My father gave Jerrod the land out of love for my mother and the want for us, their children to be close to our cousins. El, struggles a lot but he keeps it to himself. He won't ever sell it and my father will make sure no one but himself gets it." Davy turned back to Elliot

"Mr Redford, I will get your property one day."

"Over my dead body Mr Clare." Elliot replied

Mr Clare stomped to his truck and they drove away "What does he want your property for?" Davy asked

"I don't know. I offered to sell him a horse but he wanted Carrie, he already has my dad's."

"Not Leaf!"

"Yeah. They've had him for five years now."

"Why did you give him to them? Your dad took pride in Leaf."

"I know. Mr Clare, had asked for Commander but he came and took Leaf when I wasn't home."

"How do you know then?"

"I came home and he wasn't here, the next day I saw him prancing in their pasture. They paid me a thousand bucks but it hurts knowing that they're taking everything that means a lot to me."

"If anything, you're way too stubborn to give anything away."

"If that man wants my ranch he has to fight me first." Elliott said smiling"That's a fight I want to see." Davy said laughing, they led Smokey and Flame to the trailer, Davy wrote out the check and gave it to Elliott "Mama, would like you over for dinner." Elliott smiled as he put the check in his pocket "I'll be there."