Wayne Gray

Thanks, tim. And... yeah. I was weak. Just HAD to post early! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think it ended about as well as it could have and still been somewhat believable. I appreciate you reading along.

Rupert's a simple man. And his needs are easily met. 😛 Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

Thank you, Kitt! I appreciate your help with this one. 🤠🐎

You're right. Taggert took a leap of faith in trusting Nasser Ranch. He knew what kind of people James and Bert were by then, so it wasn't like he was going in blind. Still. For a man who had been on the run from his old life for so long, it took a lot for him to trust that deeply. Zane lost in dramatic fashion for the entire ranching world to see. And speculation is wild among the movers and shakers of that world as to what, exactly, drove Taggert to bid against his own father and throw his lot in with Yoder's competitor. But facing the man who'd hurt him so much had to happen for Taggert to move on. And he did it. Eric was given an incredible gift, and the money to run his homestead for the rest of his life, plus some. Yes. You'd better believe Eric's first hire for his part of Nasser will be to steal Dale from Branford. Though Branford won't resist that theft too much. I like Bert. He's efficient, compassionate, experienced, and has a strong moral compass. He's a good man, and he's dedicated to his crew. One of my favorite parts of this chapter was him shaking Eric's hand and calling him "Mister Flemming." He's a man who isn't afraid to show respect for others. And that marks him as secure and strong in his arena. Our favorite couple has a lifetime ahead. And they've chosen one another. They're going to be fine. Better than fine. Thanks for reading and for the comments. I appreciate the time you've spent on this one.

I was trying to wait until you'd gone to bed, but... alas. 😛 Yes, I telegraphed Taggert's jumping into the auction from a mile away. The goal wasn't to surprise the reader with that bit, but to show the final disposition of how it shook out. Taggert partnering with Nasser, Eric getting his homestead back... both of those things were the real consequences of Taggert's actions. And I like how that ended up. Thanks for the comment and for reading. I appreciate it.

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the work. It was a lot of fun writing it.

Chapter 18: We Danced The day arrived. The auction hall buzzed with heat, ambition, and tension. Rows of metal folding chairs stretched across the livestock pavilion while ranchers, investors, land developers, media outlets, and bankers packed the room shoulder to shoulder beneath humming industrial fans that barely touched the Oklahoma heat. Every seat was taken. Every wall was crowded. They finally had to limit attendance after the sprawling building's capacity was exceeded

What's the opposite of psp psp psp? Because that was likely a big ole kitty.

Thanks for the comment and for reading. I'm a bit sorry to end my time with these people, too. So perhaps we'll pick things back up with them, just to check in. And see how life is treating them. There's more in just a couple of days. See you then.

Thanks, tim. This one is less about a surprise destination and more about the journey there. I think it turned out well. We’ll find out Friday. 🙂

Glad you enjoyed it, Chris. While we've yet to see exactly what Taggert plans to do, there are a few options available. And I do think people will enjoy the show. We'll find out Friday. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Thanks for the great comment. I appreciate it. Oh, I think someone branding Taggert is plenty of reason to have a harsh opinion of them. That it was his father made the action far worse. I do think it wraps up in a satisfying way. And I'm excited to read the reactions to it. Friday is coming. And we'll get to see how it all falls then.

Err? Ash isn't the son of Zane Yoder?

I love how this wrapped up. Choices were made, nothing forced. And even Earth had learned a lesson about agency. I like this future you've imagined, tim. Thanks for letting me share a bit in the process of its creation.

Indeed. They all have to end. The trick is to end them in a satisfying way. We'll have to see if I pull that off or not. Thanks for reading and for the comment. Friday will be here before ya know it!

LOL. Well... I'd love to see Zane's reaction, too. I think that makes you human, really. And yeah. Taggert still remembers and values some of the people he knew from Yoder Ranch. He doesn't want to hurt them, and they didn't do anything wrong. And... the place is one of the biggest beef suppliers in the damn state. Prices would go up for everyone if Yoder Ranch went out of business. Sure, that'd be good for ranchers, but bad for everybody else. So there's that to consider too. Thanks for reading and for the comment. More to come soon.

None. I was tempted, but no.

He did. Taggert is a clever guy, and Bill could certainly sense that. But more than that, he could feel a kindred soul in Taggert, while his son frightened him more and more as time went on. We'll have to see how things end up. And we will. Stick with me. One more to go. Thanks for reading and for the comments. I've enjoyed them.

I think Bill did a pretty good job of letting both Taggert and Zane know where they stood with him at the end of his life. And... yeah. It'd be hard to resist wrecking the ranch that branded you. But the ranch didn't. Zane did. Yet, Taggert has the choice. And we'll see what it is that he decides. I'm glad the tale has sped by. That means it flowed well, and that's important to me. Friday... the last chapter posts Friday. Come on back, and let me know if I did a good job sending our cowboys off into the sunset. 🤠

I'd like to know how you feel when the last chapter is posted. I personally think it does a pretty good job, but there's always room to improve. Thanks for reading and for the comments, Dave. I appreciate all of them!

It is indeed. The one and only place where we see his last name.

Fantastic to have you here, Gordy. Thanks for taking the plunge and commenting on my tale here. We'll have to see about a continuation down the line. I do have other stories clamoring to be told (and some already in progress), so if that happens, it'll be a bit. But I will never write off the possibility. I hope you return Friday to see the end of this one. Thanks again.

Indeed. The final chapter is on Friday. Taggert, Ash, and the Nasser crew will all appear in the last chapter, along with Zane and a few others. At that point, your questions will be answered. And you'll get to decide how well I wrapped things up for our heroes. I'm sure things could have gone better, but this is as good as I can do. Hopefully it'll be enough. You ask some great questions. And all I can say, without giving away something important, is... come back Friday and find out. Thanks for the great comments and for reading. More is coming soon.

LOL. Well... I hope I have wrapped it up in a way that satisfies most of your asks. But you can tell me how I did on Friday. Thanks for the comment and for reading. More is coming.

The math seems to work out, yes. If Taggert and Bert pool resources, they could outbid Zane. Yet, you ask some great questions about what that might look like if they did this. I think we can surmise that Zane would be furious being outbid by anyone. However, if it's his own son? Well... that'd probably push into a place requiring a new description. 😛 The problem is Zane would have to prepare ahead to use those pieces of Yoder Taggert owns in the bid. It's a lengthy process, so he'd have had to done this work already. It's not a simple call. So if he doesn't do it before walking into the auction, it won't be available for use. Well, it'd not be anyhow, but Zane doesn't know that... yet. Thanks for the comment and for reading. More to come on Friday.