Arizona Territory by Dusty Richards

warm enough,” Tom said.
    Liz squeezed his leg beside her. “I want to go.”
    â€œSure. I think we can get back before dark.”
    Liz frowned. “If you can’t, I can camp with you.”
    â€œWe’ll take our bedrolls.”
    The men all nodded they’d heard him.
    â€œAfter lunch, we’ll look at the ranch horses.”
    â€œMay I go?” she asked.
    He shook his head. “How could we go without you?”
    â€œGet up at midnight,” she teased him in a soft voice.
    He shook his head at Liz while she complimented Lea on their good lunch. Monica had chosen Lea well. Her husband, Polo, liked his job and Tom told him when they got busy he could help work stock.
    When they went to look over the ranch’s working horses, Tom suggested they buy a few replacements for the remuda and break them before the spring roundup. Chet agreed and they checked out the Barbarossa colts, besides the two she had at the upper house.
    â€œWill you eventually ride them as ranch horses, or sell some?” she asked him.
    â€œAwful high priced to herd cattle on. We probably will geld most of them and sell them to folks who want high-priced horses to ride. I sold enough in Texas to take everyone and the wagons up to the panhandle by the new railroad going to Denver. But we’re accumulating more now.”
    â€œSomeday, I want a stallion for my hacienda .”
    â€œYou pick him. They’re yours, too.”
    She hugged his arm and in a whisper said, “I suppose you will make me pay you for him.”
    He grinned and whispered back, “I hadn’t even thought about that.”
    She laughed, shaking her head beside him. “Yes, you had. You had.”
    He found the ranch and corrals in good repair. Tom had forty-five weaned Hereford bull calves he was feeding corn and hay to grow them out.
    She admired them. “You will use them this next year or the one after?”
    â€œTom likes to get them to a long two years, and that is only half as many as I need. We thought we’d be selling some bulls by now, but our own expansion keeps us buying more besides the ones we raise.”
    â€œA big place takes lots of things. Tell me about that. I am anxious to see all those white-faced cows tomorrow.”
    â€œFine. The place is being well kept, isn’t it?” he asked her privately, surveying the curious young bulls over the rail fence.
    She quickly agreed. “Tom does not miss details.”
    They were on horseback out in the river bottoms where the range herd of cows had been hayed earlier. She was amazed at all the haystacks, but being an observer, she commented how good the longhorns and half-Hereford cows looked.
    â€œThey are licking their sides and, to me, that says they are doing good.”
    â€œI think it’s worthwhile, feeding them up here.”
    â€œOh, with the snow cover you get up here, I think you would have to. Reg has to feed more?”
    â€œHe has lots more winter up there, and he also has to keep the elk out of his hay.”
    â€œI have never seen an elk.”
    â€œYou will, in time.”
    â€œI know, but I wanted you to point some out for me. Oh, and I like this roan horse. I see why you ride them.”
    â€œWait till you ride in the mountains on one. You’ll really like them.”
    â€œI bet they are sure footed. What do they call them?”
    â€œBulldog mountain horses.”
    â€œI can see why. But you’re a horseman. You knew that yellow horse would make money and bought him to fill your needs, like the train ride and getting Bonnie back.”
    â€œAnd he also got you to stop and have an affair with me.”
    â€œOh, yes.” Her eyes sparkled. “I had not counted on that, but I never would have stopped to meet a man who would treat me so badly if he had not owned a great yellow horse. I can’t even believe that day really happened.” She was laughing by the time she