Wayne Gray

Thank you for the great comment and for reading the story. Yes. No doubt about the winner, is there? I think the entire Nasser crew is friends for life with Mister Taggert after what he pulled. By all means, take some of my other stories for a spin. I'm proud of Guarded, though it has some mechanical issues. But Ash and Ember is probably one of the best things I've done. If you do decide to read, I hope you find something you enjoy. Hopefully I'll see you next time.

Oh, you read it start to finish with no waiting between postings? Lucky. Because we had a few "cliffhangery" moments in this one. Evil, I know. I think this is one of the "tightest" stories I've written. I had the big plot points, and shifted them around until they made sense. THEN I started writing. Usually I begin to write because a scene comes to me. And I build a story around that scene. This one was far more intentional. And it seemed to work out pretty well. But the best plots fall flat without good characters. I like Ash and Taggert. I like the rest of the crew, too. It's hard not to root for them. And yes, the tornado scene in The Middle. When Taggert just couldn't hold it inside any more. That was a keystone moment in the story. You called it, too. Taggert was not happy that he kissed Ash in that moment. But... he also couldn't help himself. It was an overwhelming instant, and he just couldn't help it. Sometimes that's how things are, even in the real world. Thanks for the great comment and for reading the tale. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And we'll have to see about that Epilogue. 🤠

Well, I mentioned this earlier, but I tried writing an epilogue. But it just wasn't working... so I may revisit it down the line. Till then, thanks for reading and for the comments.

Thank you! I greatly appreciate the nice comment. I'm glad you enjoyed this one. It was fun writing it.

A good summation. I tried to imagine Taggert and how he felt in that moment at the auction. Fearful, but buoyed by the Nasser crew, and showing Zane exactly what leverage looked like. It had to have been incredibly cathartic. And I think he deserved that moment. Taggert gave Eric his homestead and family house. Yeah. He has made a friend for life by doing that. And now, Taggert has bound himself to the ranch that sheltered him. I like the circular, poetic nature of it. And I like how Branford took a chance on him at the very beginning... and all that followed was in large part due to that single choice. Thanks for reading and for the comments. I appreciate all of them.

Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed the work.

Thank you so much for the great comment. Though I make no apologies for making you cry. That's my job: to inspire emotion! There's more from me coming down the line. Stay tuned.

Well, I was going to post an epilogue, but I wasn't happy with it. So... I'll complete this story. If so inclined, feel free to review it so others can find the work as well. I can always add it later if I create something that satisfies me. I've loved getting to read and reply to you all. I'm happy you enjoyed our time spent with the crew of Nasser Ranch. I appreciate you all very much. 💚

I have a feeling he’d work something out. 😏

Great question. Posting serially like Engineer Benson is FAR more difficult. You can't go back and change earlier chapters to make things flow better or to add in foreshadowing. If you miss your window, then you've missed it. Writing a story completely, then having the time to go back and read and adjust earlier chapters, is far simpler. It creates a smoother tale, and it's just more polished. It doesn't mean serial posting can't work, but it does mean there are limitations a writer has to work within when they do it. Thanks for following along on this one and on my others, Larry. I definitely appreciate that you've stuck with me.

Oh, I think Zane is paying dearly. It's not an eye-for-an-eye, but he is paying for it. Frankly, I think Zane would rather be branded than lose control of critical parts of his ranch. But you're right about Taggert. Once he had resources, he used them to set up events he wanted to come to pass. Taggert is on the level of his grandfather, and Zane was badly outclassed. Yeah... publicly cutting Zane down a peg definitely stung. But the man had it coming, for sure. Thanks for the great comments concerning the story. This one was fun, and it felt good to write. I'll be back with something else soon.

Don't be sorry. They're good questions. Taggert owning pieces of Yoder Ranch serves an important purpose. That is, it keeps him safe. Zane can't act against him in any real way without destroying his own ranch. Could Taggert cripple Yoder Ranch? Yes. But then he'd lose leverage. If you push someone like Zane into a corner, you will end up with a very dangerous person. And Taggert doesn't want to antagonize him; he just wants to be left alone. Taggert wanted Zane to watch Bill's video because that's what his grandfather wanted. And after viewing it, there'd be no doubt that Zane should not move against his son, or Yoder Ranch would essentially be destroyed. Zane simply has too much to lose as things stand right now. And that's leverage Zane can't get past. Bill Yoder was brilliant, and the trust reflects that. I'm glad you care about Taggert. But... he's okay. Bill made sure of it. Thanks for reading and for the comments. I appreciate all of it.

Well, I've got other works in progress, and those really deserve to be finished. So there will be new work coming from me. After that, we may revisit the ranch and the Nasser crew. Thanks for reading and for the comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the work!

Aww. Thank you for the great compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed the end of this one. I think we sent these guys off as well as we could have hoped. There's more to come from me down the line. I hope you enjoy whatever comes next.

Thanks for the comment and for taking the time to read the story. Is it over? Maybe. Or maybe we'll see these guys again. They're awfully compelling for me as a writer, and there are still stories possible in this little universe. I suppose time will tell. But... I'm happy that you're invested enough to ask. 🤠