Lone Wolf Ranch - 8. Chapter 8

Dakota

As they were getting the classroom straightened, Robin told Dakota how, at the home, all the boys looked at each other as brothers. There was also a program where the older boys acted as big brothers to new arrivals, and Robin was Jonas’ big brother. That was why he felt it was his place to bring clothes to his little brother that morning.

Dakota was getting out the measuring profiles when he heard Jonas whispering, “Ask him. He won’t be mad.”

Turning, he found both boys seated at their workbench. He finished digging out the profiles and then asked Robin, “Ask me what?”

Robin looked nervous, but he took a deep breath and explained, “I don’t know if you’re aware, but the home will pay for me to go to a trade school. I turn eighteen next month, and I was wondering if you would train me to be a saddle-maker. The home would pay tuition and give me money to pay for a place to stay.”

Dakota shook his head as he said, “I’m sorry, Robin, but I can’t do that. I…”

Robin hung his head and muttered, “I knew you wouldn’t want a gay apprentice.”

Dakota continued, “As I was saying, I can’t do that because I would pay an apprentice, not charge him. And I’d expect him to live in the apartment above the workshop unless he has a reason not to.”

Robin quickly looked up and excitedly asked, “So, you don’t care that I’m gay?”

Dakota smiled as he explained, “American Indians call it being Two Spirited. And who you love has nothing to do with making saddles unless you plan on making them in rainbow colors?” Dakota paused, looked thoughtful, and added, “Even if you do, maybe it would be a good niche market. Who knows?”

Robin looked even more hopeful and asked, “So, is that a yes?”

Dakota said, “Let’s get through next week first. When we start working with saddles and pouring trees, you might change your mind. Then, if you’re still interested, we’ll figure something out.”

Robin nodded and smiled, saying, “Thanks, Dakota. Thanks for thinking about it even if you can’t make it happen.”

Dakota had asked James to have the boys ride their horses to class this morning, so they headed outside when they heard several horses coming. Today’s class was spent in the corral, with Dakota demonstrating how to measure a horse for a saddle. Sally stood perfectly still as he placed the various profiles on her back. After measuring her, he grabbed a stock saddle and put it on her back, then showed the boys how the fit was adequate but not perfect. He then put the custom saddle on her back and had the boys use their hands to check the fit. A few of them didn’t notice a difference, but most nodded their understanding as the gap over her spine was perfectly even, and the tree spread the saddle’s weight over her entire back.

Eleven-year-old Tommy raised his hand and asked, “I was told that the saddle pad made up the difference. Is that wrong?”

Dakota shook his head as he said, “Before saddle pads, they used saddle blankets. If your saddle isn’t custom-made for your horse, get the best fit you can, and use a pad to make up the difference. That’s usually good enough. If you can afford a custom saddle, your horse will be happier, and your riding will be safer and more enjoyable for both of you. If you ride more than 30 hours a week, you owe it to your horse to get a custom saddle.”

The boys had several more questions about fitting a saddle, and once those were answered, they spent two hours checking the fit of each of the boys’ saddles. There were three that didn’t fit well enough, and the owner of each was the first to mention it. Dakota praised the boys for the application of their new knowledge. He then got a cheer from the class when he told the boys of his plans for the next week. He quickly found the conspirators needed, and his plan started along its path to completion.

For lunch, Dakota saddled Sally and joined the boys for the ride to the home. While eating, he told James about Robin’s request and his reply. James said he would check their options and get back to him. When Dakota inquired about Jonas’ situation, James told him how the boy had been dumped at the home by his father three months ago and how the parents had recently signed away their parental rights.

When they returned from lunch, Dakota held the reigns of the horse they were using while the boys measured him for a saddle. Dakota watched as Robin took charge and helped anyone with any problems they had. He smiled as Robin calmly helped the smallest boys check the measurements the older boys had already done. Once the group felt certain they had the correct profiles chosen, Dakota handed the reigns to Robin to lead the horse back to the stable.

“Aren’t you going to check us?” one of the boys asked, surprised.

Dakota smiled as he said, “I don’t need to. I watched you all check each other, and Robin was watching as well. I’m sure you all could do it alone now that you’ve done it as a team.”

Back in the classroom, Dakota showed them how to adjust the mold to match the profiles they had used. He then mixed and poured the resin into the mold, explaining that he occasionally hit the mold with a rubber mallet to help the air bubbles escape. Once the mold was filled and set aside, they all started cutting the leather for the fenders, skirts, breast collar, girth straps, and all the other bits and pieces.

Everyone was focused on measuring and cutting leather. So focused, in fact, that it shocked Dakota when he looked at his watch and saw that they were half an hour late for dinner. He shouted for everyone to quickly put things away so they could go eat. As they were putting the last of the leather pieces away, James came in.

“I’m guessing everyone was having so much fun that you lost track of time? Not a problem. As always, James has saved the day.” When he said this last, he whistled, and four older boys appeared, each carrying serving dishes. They placed the dishes on the front table and then went back outside. Shortly, two returned with plates, silverware, and napkins. The other two came in carrying a cooler full of soft drinks, bottled water, teas, and juices.

As the boys ate, Dakota told James, “These boys are amazing. They’ve learned everything so fast, and they work so well together. When one has a problem, someone else always steps up and helps him.”

James nodded, saying, “Many of them were abused in some way, so they feel an underlying bond that is impossible to create artificially. These boys would die for each other. While we love seeing a boy get adopted, it hurts the others that are left behind. Not from jealousy, but from losing a brother.”

Dakota looked thoughtful as he said, “I’ve never had a brother. Since my parents died, it’s just been me and Grandfather. I can’t imagine losing him.”

James reached out and gently put his hand atop Dakota’s and said, “A big part of life is losing those we love and finding new people to love us. Life is a circle. Life is ‘the’ circle. Never lose sight of that. These boys have lost the people who were supposed to love them. Now they’ve found new people to love. Eventually, they’ll find others. Circles.”

Dakota grinned and asked, “How’d you get to be so wise? You don’t look a day over 75.”

James rolled his eyes and laughed, saying, “I’ll get you for that one. Trust me. Before you leave, I’ll get you.” He then stood and called for quiet. Once the boys had settled down, he said, “I don’t care what plans your taskmaster had for you tomorrow; I’m overruling him. You can either meet here in the morning and ride out to spend the day at the lake, or you can ride to the supply office right now and sign out sleeping bags and tents and spend the night at the lake. Either way, I’ll have the kitchens haul out the meals.”

A cheer rang out as the boys all shouted, “Campout!” As they laughed and talked about their unexpected adventure, Jonas walked up to James and asked, “What about all the other boys? It’s not fair that we get to go camping, and they don’t.”

Dakota smiled at the boy’s thoughtfulness as James knelt and replied, “There are going to be many special programs over the summer, and everyone is going to get a chance to do something like this with their groups. We also have a rodeo, a campout by age group, and a campout for everyone. Does that sound better?”

Jonas nodded, then looked at Dakota and begged, “Can me and Robin share a tent with you?”

Before Dakota could respond, James said, “Sorry buddy, but they’re 2-man tents, so there wouldn’t be enough room for all of you. You and Robin can share with each other, though.”

When Jonas ran to tell Robin, James turned to Dakota and said, “I hated telling him no, but I didn’t want to assume. Other than Robin, you’re the first person he’s opened up to since he got here.”

Dakota smiled and said, “They would have been welcome to share if there was room. Are you coming camping with us?”

James laughed and said, “I’m not, but Matt’s boys will probably be in the cabin. You met Jeffery and Chris on Sunday.” Dakota nodded, so James continued, “They spend most summer weekends in that cabin. Don’t be surprised if they’re skinny-dipping. In fact, most of these boys will too. I hope that’s not a problem.”

Dakota laughed and said, “The Great Spirit gave us our skin, and I only cover it when I’m cold. I’m only dressed in my workshop for my own safety and for the comfort of my customers.”

As they were talking, they had been following the boys outside. As James mounted his golden palomino stallion, he laughed and said, “Don’t tell that to the boys. They’ll want to do their classes naked.”

Dakota mounted Dusty and replied, “I said I wear clothes in the workshop for safety. It won’t bother me if they run around at the campsite naked. I might stay clothed, though, because I’m their instructor and not their buddy.”

James shook his head and said, “At the lake, we’re all just friends. Do as you like.”

An hour later, Dakota was relaxing on the sand by the lakeshore, watching his ten students splashing, swimming, playing tag, and generally being boys. As they played, Dakota noticed that the older boys were watching out for the younger ones. Being careful not to be too rough while making sure to include them in their fun. Robby, a sixteen-year-old, was teaching Jared, the other six-year-old in the class, how to do the backstroke.

When he heard horses riding up, Dakota turned to see Jeffery and Chris riding bareback and naked. They dismounted, put their horses in the corral with the others, then Chris ran and jumped into the lake.

Jeffery dropped onto the sand beside Dakota and said, “Hope you don’t mind us joining your little party.”

Dakota shook his head as he said, “I was told you might join us. Where’s your friend? Connor, was it?”

“Yeah, Connor. They left this morning. I think his grandfather wanted to get him settled into his new home.” Jeffery said as he laid back and closed his eyes.

Dakota was glad Jeffery wasn’t paying attention because he didn’t think he could hide his disappointment. He had hoped to at least get to speak to Connor again. Maybe get his email or cell phone number. Dakota laid back in the sand to relax and try to sort out his feelings. He was confused why he couldn’t get the younger boy out of his thoughts. He wondered if he would ever get another chance to talk with the cute blue-eyed boy.

Dakota was dreaming of two wolves wrestling on a lakeshore when he was awakened by the bucket of lake water that James dumped on him. As he ran away laughing, James shouted, “I told you I’d get you back for that ‘old’ comment.” Dakota just laughed as all the boys from his class teamed up and tossed a laughing James into the lake.

In groups of two and three, the boys started exiting the water and lying on the sand to dry off. The sun was low on the horizon when they all stood and started heading to the campfire. Sticks and marshmallows appeared, and again, the older boys helped the younger boys with the toasting. Later, the sticky youngest boys were in the older boys’ laps as ghost stories were told. When the evening’s fun was finished, the older boys carried the sleeping younger boys to bed. Robin handed Jonas to Dakota, then poured water on the embers of the campfire. He stirred the ashes, then poured more water over them. Satisfied the fire was out, he reached for Jonas.

Dakota shook his head and whispered, “He wanted us three to share a tent. If you don’t mind, I’ll take him to my tent.”

Robin grinned as he asked, “Mind if I join you?”

The evening was warm, so they opened the sleeping bags and slept on top of them. Dakota put Jonas in the center, and then Robin laid on his back beside him. In his sleep, the boy snuggled up at Robin’s side, laying his head on Robin’s chest. Dakota laid on his side, on the other side of Jonas, and put his arm over them both. They were soon sound asleep.

After breakfast, Jeffery and Chris rode back to their home to do their chores and prepare horses for the people that paid for trail rides on the weekends. Five of the boys had to ride back to the home because they had laundry duty this weekend. That left Dakota with Jared and Jonas, the two six-year-olds, Tommy, an eleven-year-old, Robby, sixteen, and Robin, seventeen. Tommy suggested they go canoeing, so after some discussion, they were soon in two canoes, heading off around the lake. Tommy, Robby, and Jared led the way while Robin, Dakota, and Jonas brought up the rear. Dakota hadn’t realized the lake was as big as it is, and long before they had explored half of its shores, Robin suggested they turn towards the camp. He knew it was very easy to overestimate your reserve strength and end up stranded, unable to get back. They were putting the canoes back in the rack when Dakota’s phone rang. He spoke to James for a moment, then disconnected and turned to the boys.

“James was checking if we wanted lunch here or back at the home. I told him we would ride back. I’ve had a blast, but this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon, I promised to be in the classroom for the boys that didn’t take the class but wanted to finish their belts.”

As a group, they rode back to the home for lunch, then Dakota rode to the classroom alone. He had promised to be there from 1:00 to 4:00 for any boy that wanted to finish their belt, but none showed up. He did some work on the group saddle and, at five minutes before four, headed upstairs.

After dinner with the Johnsons, Dakota was restless. He took Sally out for an hour and then spent the evening cleaning and oiling Sally and Dusty’s tack. When he finished, he headed into the shower to relax. Drying off, he sat and tried to find something to occupy his mind on the television, something he never did at home. When he finally went to bed, he realized the reason for his unease. He was missing Jonas. He pulled Harry into a hug and drifted off to sleep.

Dakota spent Sunday morning doing his laundry and cleaning the apartment. After a sandwich for lunch, he again went to his classroom at 1:00 and spent the next three hours making a scabbard to go with the group saddle. As he was putting it away, he heard someone ride up. He walked outside to find Jonas and Robin sitting on their horses.

Robin nodded his head towards Jonas and said, “Someone climbed into bed with me last night and cried. When I asked him why he said he missed you… “

Jonas interrupted, “I asked Mr. Custer if we could stay with you tonight. He said I shouldn’t be a bother, but I’m not a bother, am I?”

Dakota smiled and said, “You’re never a bother. Let me get Sally saddled, and we’ll go to the arena. I’ll teach you how to run barrels the right way.”

Jonas said, “That sounds like fun, but you didn’t say if we could stay.”

Dakota pulled the boy off his horse and tickled him, saying, “You two can stay here until I leave if you want. You’re welcome wherever I am.”

Jonas giggled, then ran off to the stable to get Sally’s tack out. Once he was out of earshot, Robin said, “His heart is going to break when you leave. You know that, right?”

Dakota nodded. His voice cracked as he said, “Mine’s going to break too. I wish I was old enough to adopt him. I’d take him in a minute.”

Once Sally was saddled, they headed off to the arena. Dakota taught Robin and Jonas the rules of barrel racing, then watched as they worked on improving their times. After a few hours of running timed runs and enjoying the evening, they headed back to the stables. When the horses were groomed and fed, they headed to Dakota’s apartment.

On entering the apartment, all three stripped and headed for the shower. After a few hours in the saddle, the hot water felt good on their muscles. Dakota unbraided and washed his hair. After they dried off, Robin watched, intrigued, as Dakota carefully parted his hair and quickly braided both sides. They made a quick dinner of soup and sandwiches, then sat on the sofa to watch a movie. Long before the movie ended, Jonas was stretched across both older boys’ laps, sound asleep.

Dakota stood and picked him up to carry him to bed. When he turned toward the smaller room, Robin stopped him, saying, “You might as well take him to your bed. He’ll end up there anyway. I’ll take Harry out and lock up.” Dakota smiled, nodded, and carried the sleeping boy to his room.

The smell of bacon woke Dakota. He grinned and started tickling the sleeping boy at his side. He quickly stopped when Jonas said he was about to pee. He carried the boy to the toilet, where they both emptied their bladder. After washing their hands, they headed to the kitchen to find Robin again making omelets.

Dakota put his arms around Robin’s waist from behind, kissed his cheek, and asked, “Are you trying to get me to propose? You do realize cooking and cleaning are not in your job description?”

Robin laughed and pushed Dakota away as he said, “I’m not marrying my brother, and you haven’t agreed to the apprenticeship yet. The truth is that this is all for me. I’m hungry!”

On hearing this, Jonas let out a pretend wail and whined, “But I’m starving!!!!”

After eating, Dakota cleaned up the dishes while Robin and Jonas dressed. As Dakota dressed, Robin and Jonas let Harry out and went down to the classroom to get ready for their friends.

The rest of the week followed this same pattern, with Jonas staying at Dakota’s apartment every night. Robin stayed Tuesday and Wednesday nights but said he wanted to spend some time with his other brothers on Monday and Thursday evenings.

Friday morning, the boys were frantically working to put the finishing touches on their project. They voted to skip lunch, so while they worked, Dakota drove over to the home and picked up sandwiches and chips. They ate at their workbenches and had just declared their project complete when they heard James pull up in the van.

Normally, the arrival of their ride to a meal would bring the group of boys running, but today, no one moved. They waited until James finally came walking through the door. He looked around the room and asked, “Is something wrong?”

Robin stood and replied, “No, James, we just needed you to come inside.” As he stepped to the front of the room, he waved his hand to indicate that James should join him. When he did, Robin continued, “We decided that we needed to do something to thank you for bringing Dakota here and to demonstrate what we’ve learned. So, as a class, we made this for you.”

Jonas and Robby pulled the blanket off to reveal the saddle they had been working on. It was done in caramel and sand-colored leathers with ‘Moonshine’ stitched on the back of the cantle. The breast collar was made of the same shades of leather, stacked and stitched. James was fighting back tears as he individually hugged and thanked each of the boys for such a beautiful gift.

As the other boys headed to the van, James asked Robin and Jonas to stay. Once they were alone, he turned to Dakota and nodded.

Dakota turned to Robin and asked, “Do you still want to come to Montana and be an apprentice?”

Robin’s face lit up as he nodded and said, “Yeah!! I would love to learn more, and I’ll get to work with my brother.”

James said, “I assumed that would be your reaction, so I’ve taken the liberty of making some phone calls. Because you won’t be 18 for another two weeks, you can’t officially leave the boys’ home. You can, however, sign out and travel out of state to look at educational opportunities. That said, if Dakota agrees, you will sign out for a two-week visit to evaluate an apprenticeship in Montana. Since you’ll turn 18 while you’re away, we can’t force you to return.”

Robin laughed at the obvious manipulation of the system, but the plan made sense. When they heard a sniffle, Dakota and Robin both knelt and wrapped Jonas in a hug.

Dakota asked, “What’s wrong little buddy?”

Jonas wiped his eyes and said, “I don’t want him to go. I don’t want either of you to go. I’m gonna be all alone now.”

Dakota gave Jonas another tight hug, then turned to James and said, “I’d do anything for this little guy. He’s stolen my heart, but what can I do? I’m too young to adopt, and I’m single. Do you think they would agree to let my grandfather be his foster parent?”

James grinned as he handed Dakota the notarized paperwork, listing Wamblee Two Guns as a foster parent of Jonas Sampson and authorizing Dakota to escort the minor to his new foster home. Dakota couldn’t help himself. He threw his arms around James and kissed his cheek as Jonas and Robin danced around them.

Saturday morning, Dakota was frying eggs when there was a knock at the door. Jonas ran to the door to greet Robin. Jonas had stayed the night and helped Dakota pack Sally and Dusty’s saddles in the tack rack of the trailer. Not wanting to take anything from the rescue, Dakota promised the boys they could start making custom saddles next week for Olaf and Star.

“After we eat, we need to load up the truck with our things,” Dakota said between bites.

“What about all the stuff in the classroom?” Robin asked.

“We’ll take the profiles, sample books, and molds. The rest can stay. Any of the boys from the class can use it in their free time, and who knows, maybe we’ll come back for more classes.” Dakota explained.

After breakfast, Robin and Jonas carried things to the truck as Dakota packed them. Once the truck was packed, Dakota and the boys did a quick final cleaning of the apartment. With that done, Dakota led Dusty and Sally into the trailer and showed Robin and Jonas how the stall dividers worked. He then watched and helped as they loaded Olaf and Star. Everyone laughed when Harry ran into the trailer’s front room and laid down on the pile of saddle blankets. Dakota tried several times to convince him to come out, but he refused. They decided he was safe and happy, so he could ride there. Once they were sure everything was loaded, they said goodbye to the Johnsons and the Custers and headed north.

They stopped and fueled at the same truck stop in Miles City, where Dakota had his lunch on the way down. While he fueled the truck, Robin and Jonas watered the horses and took each one for a short walk. They also let Harry out through the side door for a walk. They hoped he would join them in the truck, but he did his business and ran back into the trailer with ‘his’ horses. The boys went inside the truck stop and had a quick meal of burgers, fries, and soft drinks. When they came out, Robin noticed the side door of the trailer wasn’t latched and assumed Jonas hadn’t shut it hard enough. He pulled it open a few inches and gave it a good slam. Confident it was latched, he got in the passenger seat, and they continued north.

Three hours later, Jonas was glad they were stopping in Grass Range. Dakota had warned him about drinking the large soft drink, but his warning had been ignored. The truck had just stopped when Jonas jumped out and ran inside to find a restroom. Robin was laughing as he opened the side door of the trailer to allow Harry to do the same thing Jonas was doing. When he peered inside, he turned toward Dakota and shouted.

“Hey, bro? We have a problem here.”