Morning was just beginning, and Jack was already on his feet.
He managed a quick breakfast and packed a small bag of food for the road. Stepping out of the house, he swung himself into the saddle and turned his horse toward the grazing lands. Along the way, as was the custom, the local residents handed over their livestock into his care. Among them was a woman who clearly had a soft spot for Jack.
"Now, you make sure you keep a close eye on my Bonnie, Jack," she said. "And if you're up for it, stop by this evening. I'm baking some fresh pies and a batch of golden pancakes."
Jack offered a small smile in return.
"Everyone has their own worries, Sarah, but you only ever think about playing house. Alright, if I have the time, I'll be sure to stop by."
With a light nudge to the horse's flanks, the rancher trotted out of the village. His path led to the far pastures. There was a river there, and the grass was always sweeter than anywhere else. Whatever anyone said, Jack knew the habits of domestic animals better than most; he'd been doing this for five years now. Sarah watched him go, then sat down on a bench with a wistful sigh.
"Oh, what a man to go to waste," she murmured.
A neighbor sat down beside her.
"What makes you think Jack is lonely? He's got a whole herd of cows, and if you haven't forgotten, they're all female. I doubt he's ever bored. But seriously, our rancher really does need a woman. I'd offer myself, but I've grown too used to living alone."
Rubbing her hands together where the neighbor couldn't see, Sarah thought to herself, Well, that's good. One less rival to worry about.
***
Meanwhile, the rancher was already halfway to the pastures. Recalling Sarah's words, he gave a strange smirk and spurred his horse on. It must be said that Jack hadn't been alone until recently; he'd had a beautiful woman running his home. But then she vanished—or rather, ran off with some city slicker.
After that, Jack decided not to tempt fate again. He'd barely managed to keep himself from spiraling into a drinking binge back then. It was a good thing he had his work; it was the only thing that helped him cope with the depression. Looking out into the distance, he muttered to himself:
"Well, Jack, here we are. Time to get to work."
The cows, as if hearing his voice, fanned out across the grassy field. Dropping the reins, the rancher let the horse rest as well. Feeling the freedom, the mare immediately headed for the river. The day was clear, with only a few thin clouds drifting across the sky. Jack lay down near a tree and began to reflect.
"What if Sarah wants a family? It's not a bad idea, in principle. But I've gotten so used to doing everything myself! Yeah... it's an uncertain prospect. I need to think it over."
He was just trying to soothe himself, because he wasn't yet ready for such a drastic change in his life. He was in a good mood, and half an hour later, Jack drifted off. At the same time, he remained alert, his ears picking up every sound. Occasionally opening one eye, he made sure the cows didn't wander too far. The horse had finished drinking and returned, grazing nearby and flicking her tail at the bothersome flies.
Jack lay by the oak tree for another twenty minutes, then got up and headed deep into the woods. He did this often to shake off the grogginess. The air in the forest was different, and the sounds of nature seemed more melodic. Fallen branches crunched under his boots, and somewhere nearby, a woodpecker was drumming persistently against an ancient tree. Taking a deep breath, the rancher whispered:
"I'm glad I left the city. The gloom there is stifling, but here, it's pure grace and beauty."
Suddenly, behind him, birds startled and took flight toward the pasture. From experience, Jack knew an animal was nearby; otherwise, the birds wouldn't have been so spooked. For such occasions, he carried a hunting rifle. Everyone in the village knew he always took it on the road, though he hadn't had to use it yet. Usually, a crack of his whip was enough to chase off any forest intruder. Just in case, Jack returned to his cattle and pulled the rifle from its scabbard. Laying it beside him, he listened intently, but there was a dead silence; if a beast was near, it was staying perfectly still. He wasn't afraid of an encounter, especially since he'd had to save the herd more than once.
Once, a pack of stray dogs had terrified the cows. Jack had been lucky he'd brought the gun that day. A single shot into the air was enough to scatter the uninvited guests.
He spent a few more minutes scanning the field and the woods behind him but saw nothing unusual. Exhaling, Jack sat back down by the oak and closed his eyes. But not five minutes had passed before the birds burst from the trees again with a loud fluttering. This was strange, and the rancher decided to do a thorough sweep of the area. This time, he took his whip, ready to give the air a sharp crack if necessary. Strangely, the cows continued to graze peacefully. It was as if nothing bothered them at all. The horse was just as calm. Usually, if a predator wandered in, the animals would sense it. But no, they didn't even flinch; they just wandered lazily across the field. Jack grew seriously concerned.
I wonder who's scaring the birds then? Is it some ghost of the woods? Stop it, Jack, you're not in a fairy tale.
Laughing at his own thoughts, he continued his search. And then, quite by accident, he noticed a few cows had broken away from the herd and were wandering toward the far edge of the field. He had to go after them to bring them back; otherwise, they might wander so far that no amount of coaxing would get them back. Jack knew how to handle them and was ready to crack the whip, but at the last moment, the cows turned back on their own and rejoined the others.
Jack didn't understand what had happened, but he made a mental note to stay alert. Mounting his horse, he headed toward the river. He wanted to see for himself that whatever creature was lurking didn't threaten the herd. But there was no one by the water or on the opposite bank. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he sighed.
"Whew. Maybe it's just the heat getting to me. Alright, I'll go get a drink of cider; my throat's bone dry."
Returning to the tree, he grabbed his flask and took several large gulps. The area had been checked, and now nothing would disturb his rest. Jack lay down on his spread-out jacket and closed his eyes. He wasn't sleeping, just mentally cycling through recent events. When Mary left for the city with her new man, she'd said something strange as a parting shot:
"Oh, you won't be seeing any home-cooked meals or a woman's touch for a long time, Jack."
He still couldn't figure out what she meant by that. It wasn't exactly a curse, but she'd insulted him in front of a stranger. Swallowing the irony, he hadn't replied. Two years had passed, but the bitter taste in his soul still lingered. Then he thought of Sarah's welcoming face again.
"Well, she did invite me herself! Maybe I'll pay her a visit this evening. Maybe something good will come of it."
As he lay there building fragile plans, Jack heard several cows moo nervously. Someone had definitely disturbed them. Sitting up in the grass, he watched them. There was no real panic; they were just calling out. But something told Jack that there were outsiders nearby. Even though anyone could technically walk through the fields, it was rare for anyone to get close to the herd. The locals knew where the grazing lands were. That meant it was a stranger, or several. And you could expect anything from strangers. Before Jack took over as rancher, cattle theft had been common. But things had settled down since then, and the livestock were no longer being stolen. Standing by the oak, Jack shielded his eyes with his hands to get a better view. He noticed two cows were definitely trying to push someone away. They were grazing near the river, about three hundred yards off. Glancing at his rifle, he decided not to take it. He only gripped his whip firmly so he wouldn't drop it at the crucial moment.
Jack wasn't a timid man, but he felt a flicker of fear. To steady his nerves, he swung the whip and gave a warning crack. Only the cows reacted, scattering to the sides.
Squinting, his sharp eyes caught someone hiding in the tall grass. Jack strode quickly toward the spot. Waving his arms, he shooed the animals away to clear the area. The cows moved reluctantly. His eyes fell upon something that made his heart sink. Jack felt a heavy lump rise in his throat.
From the grass, a pair of shining eyes watched him. Carefully, so as not to frighten them, he moved closer. Whoever was down there near the ground was backing away. Finally losing patience with the game of cat and mouse, he said sternly:
"Come out, whoever you are. No point in playing hide and seek."
Parting the tall stalks of grass, he froze. It was a little girl. She was shaking all over, pressing herself into the dirt. There were fresh traces of milk on her lips. Now he knew who had been bothering the poor cows. It seemed the girl was hungry and had tried to satisfy her hunger with fresh milk. Jack moved toward her, which triggered a piercing scream. Covering his ears, he pleaded:
"Stop it! Why are you screaming? I'm not going to hurt you. Come out here so I can get a look at you."
The girl hesitantly stepped toward the rancher. She was wearing old, frayed leggings, torn shoes, and a matching worn-out sweater. Jack rubbed his face and said with a sigh:
"Well, I didn't think I'd see a child in such a state these days. Who do you belong to, little girl?"
Stopping her trembling, she replied:
"My name is Lily. I'm from Fairweather, just nearby. I'm sorry, mister, for bothering your cows."
Jack knelt down.
"I'm from there myself, but I've never seen you before. And the animals aren't exactly mine; they belong to the people in town. Do you have parents, or are you on your own? It's very strange to see a child out here, all by herself, without a mom or dad."
The girl teared up and answered:
"No, I'm not homeless. My parents are at home. They're just very busy, so I have to go out on my own."
It sounded plausible, but Jack didn't believe a word of it. If the parents were working, someone should still be looking after the daughter. No one would stop her from playing, but not this far from the village. This fact troubled Jack, and he asked:
"Well, why did you go to my cows? Did you want to play with them?"
The girl lowered her head guiltily.
"I was hungry, mister, and I thought I could get some milk from them."
Jack took her hand.
"Don't do that again, Lily. A cow might look kind, but she can give you a nasty kick, and then you'd be in real trouble. Come with me; I've got some food in my bag. Pies aren't exactly a full meal, but they'll do for a snack. And I have a feeling you're not telling me the whole truth."
While she happily wolfed down the pies, the rancher took a closer look at what she was wearing. It was now painfully obvious that there was no parental supervision. It looked as though they didn't care at all about how their daughter looked. This suggested that Lily's parents were not exactly upstanding citizens.
Pouring her some water, he asked again:
"Where do you live? Which house? I've been in town a while, but I don't know everyone's face yet."
Lily gave him an address on the outskirts of the village, and Jack's jaw nearly dropped.
"So... Mrs. Thompson... I mean, Tiffany is your mother?"
The girl nodded.
"That's right. And my dad's name is William."
Spitting to the side, the rancher muttered crossly:
"Good grief. How can parents like that live with themselves?"
Jack knew exactly who she was talking about, but he couldn't believe that these so-called parents could let a child fall into such a state. After she had eaten her fill, the girl lay down on his jacket. Jack covered her with a horse blanket and decided to walk around for a bit. His head was spinning.
Has the world really gone to hell? My parents raised us all, and no one ever went hungry.
At the same time, he realized that Lily's family likely had money problems. But those problems were entirely the fault of the parents. He'd seen Tiffany and William drunk many times. But he'd never seen the daughter with them. Perhaps they kept her at home so the neighbors wouldn't ask questions.
That day, Jack decided to round up the cows and head back to the village two hours early. By then, little Lily had woken up and was thoughtfully rubbing her face. She looked a bit refreshed, but the aura of misery that clung to her like a storm was still there. Jack scooped the girl up and sat her in the saddle in front of him. They headed home with a sense of purpose.
The townspeople were shocked to see the rancher returning early, and even more so to see him with a child. He was supposed to be at the pasture for hours yet.
"What happened, Jack?"
It was Sarah who approached him.
"I found an unexpected guest. I need to get her back to her parents."
With those words, Jack lifted Lily down from the horse. Sarah looked at her and began to cry. Other residents gathered as they came for their cows. Everyone threw up their hands and shook their heads in sympathy. Unable to take it anymore, Jack barked:
"Alright, look after the girl. I'm going to go get her parents."
In a few minutes, he reached their dilapidated house. He knocked, but there was no answer. So, the rancher walked in himself and nearly gagged. The smell was so foul it stung his nose and made his eyes water. Lily's mother and father were passed out on the floor. Empty bottles were scattered nearby, and a half-finished jar of some murky liquid sat further away. With great effort, Jack woke the miserable pair.
"Get up, you wretched people! You've lost your daughter!"
They jumped up like they'd been scalded, their eyes darting around frantically. The mother hissed in a raspy voice:
"Get out of here. Lily's out playing somewhere. When she gets back, she's going to get it from me. She never listens to her mother."
At that, Jack's temper snapped. He grabbed them both by the collars and dragged them outside. Pulling a rope from his bag, he bound their hands and tied the other end to his horse's reins. He led them through the whole village like prisoners. While he was gone, the townspeople had fed the girl and found her clean clothes. Seeing the parents bound by the rope, the neighbors rushed them, shouting in anger. Jack yelled:
"Enough! They won't learn anything this way. We'll do this by the law."
Sarah stepped out from the crowd and asked with a sob:
"What about the girl? Will she be sent to a foster home now?"
Jack dismounted and looked at her.
"No, Sarah. You mentioned something serious to me earlier. We'll try to raise Lily ourselves. I don't think anyone will judge me for that, will they?"
He addressed the question to the gathered crowd. They all voiced their support. Social services took over the case of Lily's parents immediately. They processed the paperwork to terminate their rights and pursue legal action. Given the glowing recommendations and the backing of the entire village, the girl was placed in the care of the new couple, Jack and Sarah.
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