Heath had already set aside the horse feeds, and was busy hefting them into a stook in the grain store area. Using the height drop off the wagon, and the momentum of the swing, he was easily placing the heavy sacks without too much exertion. The work was providing a welcome warm-up after the cool ride, and his toes were thawing nicely. Nick looked on, appreciating not only the strength and control required, but also the planned way that his brother always seemed to go about tackling tasks.

The young Heath had refined his methods by trial and error working on ranches whilst still recovering from his war service injuries, inflicted in Carterson Prison, Garland, Texas. He figured even though it was over ten years ago now, and he was now a grown man and considerably stronger, it was still worth rationing his strength, and looking after his back injury as much as possible. It never really left him entirely.

Nick may not have been aware of the reasons why Heath did things on the ranch certain ways, but he admired Heath‘s skill, and his ability to provide a fair competition for the work of two men on any day. Heath looked up to and admired his older brother. Over the four years Heath had been at the ranch, and with the family, it often seemed to Nick that they had always been and worked together. They had formed a close relationship. Both as friends, brothers, and fellow ranchers. The mutual respect they shared could be, though at times sorely tested by their equally strong and determined personalities.

Heath looked up, and beckoned over his older brother, smiling. He waved a hand towards the stack of sacks waiting on the wagon, inviting Nick to join him. Nick remained leaning against the wagon.

“C ‘mon Nick. Get a move on, there. Rate you ‘re goin’ you ‘ll still be here at dinnertime tomorrow. Hey, dya see the rat droppin’ there? Should get us some cats for the next autumn, wadya think?“

“Quit ya squawking. Rate you ‘re going won ‘t be any left for me to do. Perhaps I should just leave ya to it.“

“wadya think, ‘bout cats ?”

“ Now Heath, you know as well as I do that they ‘d end up inside as Audra ‘s babies - with ribbons on. Then spend every cold night trying to sneak inside by the fire and ….”

“ No. These. Farm. Cats . Ya train ‘em . “Heath kept talking and working rhythmically, intending that Nick should join him. Nick continued to lounge against the side of the wagon.

Heath straightened and eyed the completed stack behind him, and then the unruly pile on the wagon still waiting to be unloaded.

“ Ya teach ‘em THIS IS A WORKIN’ Ranch! “he snickered. “That kin be yer job, Nick!

Nick missed Heath ‘s not so subtle hint entirely. That boy sure is full of good ideas today, he was thinking to himself. . Wonder why he’s in such a good mood … ?

That boy sure is preoccupied about something today, thought Heath of Nick.

“Well, Nick, I’m about done here. I’ve up written you a list of the shortages in today’s horse feed. NEXT time we need to make it up so’ s we’ve enough thru ta spring, Easter at least. Can ‘t be too careful. Better to have it here, and ready, rather than relying on the grain store to still have a supply. If’n this dry patch continyas, well, alla folks around will do tha same.” He prodded, knowing full well Nick hadn ‘t even glanced at it.

“ Dint ya LOOK at my list I gave ya last night?” He was beginning to get just a little bit tetchy.

Nick knew Heath couldn’t abide lying, so he skirted the direct question, and executed what he thought was a neat side-step. “Well, you ‘ve got such a smooth rhythm going there, I’d hate to break it up. I’ll ….”

“ Nick! I assessed the horse feed, and provided you with a list of the requirements, which you … “ he glared at his brother ,” … chose to ignore! I didn’t check up on it in town today because I trusted you, but if you want me to check up on your work, big brother … I’m more than ….”

‘Damn it Heath! Now you ‘re just getting carried away! It’s a feed order for chrissake!

“” No, Nick! Its about you listening to me, taking notice of what I think I need to run my ranch responsibilities. Nick, you know if I give you my word on something I’ll do my utmost to honour it; and I expect you to do the same. You know that. That ‘s how we ‘ve worked together. So what ‘s changed? It’s NOT JUST a FEED ORDER! ITS WASTED TIME, AND EFFORT, AND , and ……. And I just don ‘t understand ya Nick. It ‘s not like we haven ‘t got the funds, or the storage space to adequately stock for the winter.”

The blonde calmed a little, and a smirk crossed his face.

“Only thing near as I can reckon, Nick, is that you ‘ve gotta gal in town you want call on regular, and need an excuse in the winter to head into town …..”

2

Nick blanched. How did he know? He thought he’d been so careful planning this all out. Funny, tho’. That was almost the exact same conclusion he was drawing about Heath’s behaviour today, there was nothing he could really put his finger on, but something was up. What else could it be? He said nothing and attempted to return a steady gaze.

“Give up the poker playin’, Nick “ chuckled Heath. “Well, it just so happens I was thinking ‘on this very thing on the way back from town and …”

“What!? “shouted Nick “You were thinking about my Geraldine ? She ‘s already spoken for thank you very much ! You just …”

“Well, no, actually, I WAS goin ‘ta say sumpthang else, but thanks for lettin’ me in on her name Nick ! “He winked. “ Audra was talking about organising a bonfire dance. And with the hoarfrost this mornin’ it got me ta thinkin’ how it would be ta have real ice-frosted decorations, and a big bonfire, and popcorn, and dancing … I was goin ‘a offer to give Audra a hand. How ‘bout it Nick? “

“You ‘re awfully keen to get to a dance, all of a sudden little brother. Anything you want ta tell me? “

“Yeah, Nick! As a matta a fact there is! Now that ya mention it!”

Nick waited with baited breath.

“ Get on with unloading your cattle food. I’ve done the horse feed, and I’m off ta work on the books. I’ll need those figures from ya today too. See ya at lunch “

Heath trotted out of the barn toward the house leaving a cursing and swearing Nick. Well, he was one step closer on the dance front; but getting that illusive information out of Nick was going to be a battle and a half. Maybe this afternoon. He’d show Nick the graphs and the figures. Then they ‘d have something concrete to discuss.

Heath new from past experience, and watching others with Nick, that once he had MADE up his mind, it was fine. GETTING to that point was the battle. He sighed, and patted his jacket pocket. Then realised he’d left the mail under the wagon seat, and jogged back to retrieve it. Slowing as he neared the barn entrance, he was amused to hear Nick steadily cursing and swearing away to himself as he unloaded the wagon.

Victoria, Audra and Heath were already seated at the table for lunch when Nick strolled in.

“ You look warm for such a chilly day, Nick. Not coming down with anything I hope?” inquired Victoria.

He ambled nonchalantly towards his seat at the table, arms swinging loosely at this side. At the last minute Heath saw Nick leaning towards him out of the corner of his eye. He made to move away rapidly, but not before Nick’s hand had settled something slippery down his collar.

With Victoria ‘s firm gaze upon them, each cowboy continued on as if nothing was amiss.

“ I’m fine, mother. Put in a good hard morning in the barn unloading the feed wagon. Its Okay. No need to fuss. I’m fine … .” replied Nick.

Heath was trying to undertake disguised squirming in his seat, whilst attempting to maintain a normal posture, calm countenance, and eat his lunch, as if nothing at all was wrong. The thing that worried him wasn’t the trickling seeds he could feel running down his back as he moved, it was the wriggling! Audra was trying to watch without drawing her mother ‘s attention away from the distraction of Nick. She nudged Heath under the table and minutely raised a querulous eyebrow. He attempted to shrug back. As Victoria’s gaze turned to Heath he extended the shrug with “ ah jus doin know what took him so long. I finished off working hours since. “ he finished with an eyes wide open ‘I’m innocent ‘ expression.

Victoria thought there was probably nothing amiss more than her mischievous sons usual pranks, so she smiled and carried on with her lunch.

They began discussing plans for the Frost Festival dance, and soon Audra and Victoria were away with their ideas. Heath and Nick interjected with suggestions where they could, but just listened after a while to the chatter. Heath kept working away not reacting to the squirming little entity under his shirt, which was making its scrabbling way around his lower back and under his armpit. It began to tickle. He made the excuse of going to get more coffee from Silas, and made to rise, planning to scoot out the kitchen door and discard it smartly on the ground. Nick leaned across and put a restraining arm on his shoulder, smiling at him.

“ I’ll go, little brother. You just rest there. After all, you were obviously over doing it this morning. Why you weren’t even able to help me finish unloading. “

“ Heath … ?” turned a concerned Victoria.

“ I’m fine, mother. Nick just turned up a little late, is all.”

Feeling like he could longer maintain control of the crawling, tickling, scrabbling beneath his shirt, he made to excuse himself.

“ But you haven’t finished your lunch. Maybe you ‘re coming down with something? “ said Audra, and tried to feel his brow.

“Will ya lay off. Just not hungry. That’s all. “

He stood and bolted out of the dining room and up the back stairs to the bathroom. He freed a baby rat from his shirt tails, cursing Nick. He was just about to crush its head and toss it out the window, when Victoria, thinking he was being ill entered through the slightly ajar door he had forgotten to close.

She shrieked and ran out of the room. So did the rat.

“ Ooops! “ thought Heath, that’s torn it.

3

Watching the scene before him thinking he couldn’t have planned it better if he’d tried, Nick laughed until tears came to his eyes. Audra and Victoria were standing on chairs in the foyer, shrieking, and Heath and Silas were running around with brooms in pursuit, stomping their boots at the errant escapee.

The rodent however, soon disappeared from view.

Knowing to make themselves scarce until things had cooled down the brothers made their way quickly over to the barn.

“Well, looks like you‘ ve gotten out of going over those figures with me, Nick. How about tonight then ? Figure I might head into town to borrow one of those store cats I saw this morning. Might flush the little beggar out without too much fuss…. ? “he eyed Nick queringly.

“ Get us back in with mother. Now Heath! She and Audra could ban us from the dance, and then where would we be?! “he snickered.

“Fancy a ride into town? You bet! Ah ‘m sure I can find something to do while you collect the cat…

It took a bit of negotiation to organise the cat.

It wasn’t the loan that was the problem. It was the cat.

Heath was used to dealing with animals and livestock, but this cat sure was ornery. He’d thought the cat would be content in his saddle bag. So he tossed it in and made to mount up on his horse. He met the upside down cat backing out just as he was rising, and it latched onto his right leg with all four of its, claws extended. Heath let out a yelp, and grabbed for his leg, and the cat, before it made off. As he fell backwards to the ground, left foot still in the stirrup he glimpsed Nick ‘s grinning countenance in front of him. To be fair, he was extending a cloth towards him. A blue cloth.

“Here, Heath. Grab hold of this and wrap ‘im.”

Heath grabbed the cloth and quickly wrapped it over the cat, prying the cats paws from his leg one by one as he went. He had a good grip on the cat by now. He’d no sooner get one paw detached than it would latch on somewhere else – chest, shoulder, cheek, ear, neck. Finally with Nick ‘s help they were able to get the cat bound and dropped into the saddlebag.

“Give me a horse to wrangle any day “ exclaimed Heath, surprised at the effort required to control just one little cat.

“ See what comes of bright ideas ? Little brother!” gloated Nick, as he mounted Coco and galloped away from the expected retribution. Heath followed on Charger, slowing every now and then to check his precious cargo was still in tow. Thankful he had on thick winter riding gloves.

It was getting on for dark by the time the cowboys arrived back. They headed their horses to the barn, groomed and fed them, and then Heath made to collect the passenger. The cat was becoming pretty angry. It had begun to make short work of the blue cloth, and the noise was something else. Heath thought the blue cloth looked kind of familiar, but didn ‘t have time to dwell on it. He ‘d slip the cat into the kitchen with Silas, and give it a good feed, that ‘d settle it. Never known a cat to turn down food. Or Nick, he thought grinning to himself. Actually they were a lot alike.

Victoria, Jarrod and Audra were in the parlour when they heard the brothers coming in from the kitchen. They’d decided on a united front, to appease their mother. Victoria prepared herself to deliver a frosty reception, but she burst out laughing when the brothers emerged from the doorway.

Heath was wearing one of his favourite blue chambray shirts, and the entire front of it and him was covered with red–tinged parallel scratches. In places the shirt hung in shredded tatters. The scratches extended up across his cheek and nose. If it wasn’t for the wriggling, squalling bundle in his arms, she would have thought him the picture of someone who had just ridden through a hedge. The writhing, caterwauling bundle in his arms was swathed in a similar blue cloth, and every now and then a dark furry scrabbling paw extended from the growing holes in the cloth.

“Is that a new shirt you’re wearing Heath?” asked Jarrod, innocently.

“Now, don’t you worry, mother, “ said Nick. “We’ve the situation under control. Why this cat will have that rodent out of here in no time at all. ‘

Audra rushed forward. “Heath, whatever are you doing to that poor animal? Just listen to it! Here give it to me, I’ll go and feed it”.

“ Careful, Sis,” warned her brother, drawing back. “It’s a wild ‘un “

“You boys surely aren ‘t intending to let a wild cat run around this house AS WELL AS the rodent you brought in this afternoon, are you?” Victoria regarded them sternly.

“ Oh, mother,” Audra gushed, snatching the cat from Heath and cooing to it. The cat quietened instantly. The brothers exchanged astonished looks.

“ Audra. Meet Nick the cat,” grinned Heath, turning to smirk at his brother beside him.

“ There’s certainly a somewhat familiar air about about him. “ reflected Jarrod.” Wild and ornery, scrapping with Heath, and melts at a ladies touch.”

They all laughed.

“Heath, why have you wrapped the cat in one of your shirts?” queried Audra, continuing to stroke the cat, as she unwound it. It purred loudly. The shirt certainly was shredded.

“uh? I thought it looked familiar … “said Heath.

“ What was that you were telling me about observation and survival this morning? Heh, heh. Was all I could find in your saddle bag, to use. Your idea, your tools, eh? ” chuckled Nick, slapping Heath on a shredded shoulder.

“ I’m goin’ ta get cleaned up! “winced Heath, stomping off the up the stairs. The day had started so promisingly. Now, he had a shredded skin vest from cat and rat, and two tattered shirts to boot. “Still,” he thought, as he soaked away the sting in a hot bath,” Nick didn’t put up any objection to the cat in the end. Now, if he could only figure out a way to get him to see reason on his other little scheme ……” He pondered some, then rose and went down for dinner.

The black cat sat purring loudly at Audra’s feet. He glanced at Nick and shrugged. He could see they were both wondering “will that cat ever make it out to the barn to go hunting?”

4

The family spent a pleasant evening reading around the fire. Audra was fully occupied with the cat, and Nick was fully occupied with teasing her, so Heath made the excuse of an early night and headed off. Nick watched him go, suspicious.

Heath’s light was still on when Nick went to bed. Hours later when he steathly crept down the hall to Heath’s room it was still burning. He frowned. Something was sure up. He decided to sit outside the door until the light went off, and then sneak in and investigate. So he made himself comfortable under a blanket leaning against the door jam.

Next thing he knew he was staring into his brother’s bemused face.

“Nice of ya to wait for me this morning Nick.” He whispered. “That’s good. I wanted ta catch ya ‘bout those figures. We could do it over an early breakfast. Won’t tie up your day nun.”

“ What do you mean? Early breakfast? “Said Nick.” You always get up at sparrow’s burp.”

“ Yeah, but you don’t. Whatcha doin’? Bed too soft for ya? Maybe you’ve been dreaming and needed to cool down? That Geraldine, “Heath teased wagging a finger,” I know. Keeping watch for the rat! Good idea, Nick. Now we’ve got two Nick’s on guard.”

“ Been scooting and skittering through here all night. Probably tucked up in Audra’s room all night you said … .” He scowled. “ Some working cat!”

Nick could smell a slightly familiar fragrance. He sniffed and leant a little closer “Hey, what’s that smell? Lady’s perfume? You couldn ‘t a been out …. Your light was on all night, I was here ….”, he trailed off. Caught.

Heath whistled by. “ Meet ya in the kitchen. Nickko. Bring your info, or your head, whichever ‘s easier ta carry.”

It was still long before dawn, but the two brothers were already busy at work in the kitchen. Over coffee Nick and Heath made some headway with information on the feed situation. They were onto their second pot of coffee. Neither saying much. Nor willing to admit they’d had no sleep, letting the coffee do the work. Nick was extracting figures from his head. Last seasons memory. Adding his marks onto Heath’s graph. Heath adjusting for this seasons cattle numbers was making new marks, and adding to a list in his notebook. Doorsteps of bread and cheese had been converted to crumbs populating the work area perimeter.

The crackling wood-range warmth pulsed into the cold morning. The aroma of coffee and wood filled the air. On the floor beside the range, lay remnants of a several hairless tails and a small dark ball of fur. The ball blinked. Stretched. Then climbed onto a lap, and was promptly tossed back towards the stove.

“I’ll teach you to keep me awake most of the night!” growled Nick.

“ That’s right Nick. Show ‘Nick who’s boss. Earned his keep, but.” Heath sipped his coffee, eyes down, working on calculations.

...Continued