Headstall

Duly noted, Doc. Absolutely no time travel.

Lol. Hey! Time travel! It's a real thing, right. He rode into a portal that took him to 2026, and he's in for the time of his life. Yee haw!

Lol. Yeah, that's it. He found a circus troupe of muscular trapeze artists.

Hey, all! Might try to venture outside and mow some lawn today.

Thanks, @RicciRiccardo for leaving a Story Like this week. I appreciate it very much, my friend.

Gran is a real treasure, isn't she? She held onto these farms a very long time, and all because she loved her grandson... and trusted her daughter was right about it being the place for him. Yeah, I admit I gave enough clues about Dorothea having more than friendship between them. Will James? Am I being cruel? He is causing so much worry.

Wow! 700,000. That much? Cool. August is a wealthy man in everything that matters. He should feel on top of the world, though that's hard to do when the fate of Willy James isn't known.

Thanks, Chris! Good people/good characters make for a good story most times. Despite the bad, there are many good folk in this one.

Awww... thank you so much, Cane! So pleased you feel that way. I put a lot of thought into each story, and I take every aspect of them seriously. I never know how a story will be accepted, and I still get surprised when one is well received.

Runyan definitely will be searching for Willy James. he is a tortured man right now, and until he lays eyes on his love, he will stop at nothing. As far as the two farms, the possibilities are endless. A second home might have been handy, but these are cowboys. If need be, the can rough it or share the house. We should know soon what the situation will be. Thank you, my dear friend.

Yes, Kris, you're a clever bunch. That extra land was indeed a surprise, but it should ensure their success. More land means more income. And yea, this is a tale of two situations... poor Runyan. It will be hard to be happy while their friend is in such pain. As far as we know, Albert has no real connections or presence in the territory. And yes, it's hard for gossip to travel such a distance without any real reason. I think the boys are safe, at least for the forseeable future. Then again, it is Albert, so fingers crossed. Thanks, buddy.

Hey, Doc! Harriet will handle the paperwork with her lawyer, getting the land transfer registered. As far as the bank, I think it would be a good idea to stop in and maybe leave the surveys there for safe keeping after he introduces himself. Willy James absence is concerning. Was he equipped to handle such a journey alone? I like what you quote. August is right not to let his guard down, but Harriet is right too that with his increased wealth and new marriage, he might not concern himself with August. Time will tell I guess. Thank you, kind sir.

Hey, Spyke. I don't know if she played matchmaker in any way, but she certainly paid attention and saw the obvious chemistry/love/attraction that was between her grandson and Fletcher. I agree she is wise and clever, and caring enough to let them know their love was accepted in her house and life. And of course Dorothea would be taken care of if Harriet passes. I think it is so cool that August, used to no family comfort, now has two warm grans. As far as Albert, I tend to agree with Harriet. He's richer now, and married, and might not care so much about the land. Hopefully what Roland said was true and the ranchers of Enniskillen will keep Albert busy. That said, Brewster was smart to keep the new land secret, and yes, he was a clever man too. I do feel better this morning... I definitely don't feel as sick and weak, but the coughing is still pretty bad. Probably a few more days, but the worst is over. Yay! Thanks, my friend.

No... not for Runyan... yet? Yes, it's always been WHO we are. Of course Harriet understands that, and of course Dorothea understands that. They understand the great significance of finding and protecting love. I like your idea of cloning them, sweet lady. Oh, and I hope you liked how sassy Dorothea was. Their banter was so much fun. Thank you for this and for loving them.

Yes, indeed. Not to someone like Rob, but to August, absolutely.

Yes! I have no doubt he does. He has his grans and he has Fletcher. The rest is just icing on the cake. Tasty icing, though.

With just a few words, August has found true love and acceptance. There are no conditions on the love being given to him. Imagine having two grans that want him in their lives... maybe even need him and Fletcher and Runyan and Willy James(God willing) for that sense of community we all crave but have trouble finding because of who we love. August is conditioned to feel fear of his father... I tend to think Harriet is right. Albert has his new wife, lots to keep him busy, and a disciple in Rob. Maybe he loves August as much as he is capable of, but that said, he didn't even wish him a happy birthday. For now at least, there is no hovering black cloud over him... imagine how good that must feel to August. He has all he needs too. Happy you found this journey's end satisfying. It was a great chapter to get lost in. As far as Willy James... . Road to recovery? Just had a horrible coughing fit... once these end I'll be dancing a jig. Thank you, my lovely friend.

Quite the haul on this day, but, as you say, nothing compares to the love and support he's found within his own family. The two grans understand and accept him, as he does them, and that is a beautiful thing. For ten years he has suffered a father and brother who have treated him like a hired hand. That had to have hurt, and the fact August didn't get hardened by it is a testament to his dear mother. Thanks, bro.

Thank you, Albert. I agree Harriet steals the scene, and Dorothea isn't far behind. August had no idea what was being protected for him, or that he had the love and support Fletcher has. It is a beautiful thing to write about. As is the reveal of August and Fletcher's relationship, and the depth of feeling there. Loneliness is something August can do about, and as he says, he'll see Fletcher never feels lonely again. Agree too about the hankerchief. This homecoming couldn't have come out better.

*waves*

Oh, one more before I retreat to my bed. Yeah, doc, I thought it cool that she picked up on this thing between them years ago. Grandmothers know. It's a damn shame Albert kept them apart, making it inhospitable for her to even visit. They have time to make up for, and a lot of time to do it. At one point August says he has everything he needs, and he really does. What a change from the young man harangued by a mean father and brother while remembering the warmth of his mother's love. He won't take this new reality for granted. Yes, Barnswallow awaits.... Thanks, my friend.

Yeah, you were right, buddy. This one is a bitch with a lot of coughing which takes my breath away. My sinuses are causing a lot of pain, but my eyes are fine now. I just need to be patient. Happy you enjoyed this chapter. I have a neighbor (sort of-he's about 10 miles away) who has 200 acres of land and he runs a cow calf operation with fifty head... he supplements with hay if August is a dry month, and ships the yearlings in the late fall. He does really well, so I can see the boys running 60 or 70 head if they want to. In those days 2000 dollars was a substantial amount of money. It gives us a good idea of just how wealthy Harriet is if it is just a drop in the bucket for her. Both my grandmothers were pretty sharp ladies. Harriet pays attention, and Dorothea saw the love between them too. The boys need to learn how to keep their feelings hidden from others. I don't know if you caught it, but I hinted that Dorothea was in an abusive relationship, and might be the reason for her health issues. So yeah, it is nice to see her happy. Will James? I can't see Runyan sticking around and waiting for him. Breaks my heart what he is going through. Thank you, kind sir. My energy has depleted for now.

Hi, Gordy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm pleased you liked it. I get that it seemed they were there a long time, but it really wasn't. Yes they stayed and had some conversation after the signing, but that was likely not much more than a half hour. All told I envision they were there an hour and a half. It is still very early afternoon at the latest when they leave. I think we all have compassion for Runyan. He is in his own personal hell. The farm is up next, so you won't have to wait long. Cheers, my friend.

Thank you, Patrick. I didn't get to spend as much time this week going over this chapter, so your praise of the writing means a lot. To me the most important part of this one is that August feels loved. We all need that from family, and like Fletcher with his, August has been blessed. I love writing Dorothea and Harriet. Unless Albert shows up out of the blue, there is no reason for him to find out about the second farm. Harriet makes a great point when she says Albert is much wealthier now, so maybe three hundred acres is small potatoes.

Another early posting just in case tomorrow is another rough day...