Maleena dallied off her rope around her saddle horn, letting out a heavy sigh as she rubbed a gloved hand over her sweaty forehead. Turning in her saddle, Maleena looked at the steer that she had just heeled. 

      Marc and his son Tony, good family friends, had the steer expertly pinned on the ground as Chandler prepared the hot iron, and Ranger, another friend, held his end of the rope tight. Maleena's dad was mounted on his roan horse in the corral, helping the steers file through into the holding pen. 

       "Let 'im go!" Marc shouted over the loud lowing of the cattle, standing up off of the steers neck. 

      Maleena loosened her rope, letting the branded steer jog off. Steering her roping and cutting horse, Caboose, over to the holding pen, Maleena gathered her rope back into a loop. "We're good." She called to her dad, telling him to release the next steer. Preparing her rope, Maleena was all set and ready to heel the horse once Ranger caught his head. 

      Sure enough, the seasoned rider roped the restless steer on the first try. Taking a deep breath, Maleena steered horse with one hand while spinning her rope over her head with the other. Her first throw landed just short of the steer's heels. "Dad blame it." Maleena mumbled, shaking her head as she just did one of the most embarrassing things possible during a branding. As she quickly gathered her rope, she shouted at Ranger, exhausted and ready to be done, "Can you please keep it tight?" She nodded the tip of her dark brown cowboy hat towards his rope. 

     "I am. It's tight as it can go. He's a fighter." Ranger retorted. 

     Finally, Maleena's rope was ready to throw. Spinning the lariat over her head, she leaned forward in the saddle, grabbing the steers back hooves in her rope. Pulling it tight over her chap clad legs, Maleena dallied the rope, but the second it reached the saddle horn, and she tried to urge Caboose forward, he began to crow hop. "Come on, Boose." Maleena gritted her teeth, tightening her grip on the rope and reins. The last thing she needed was for her horse to act up. 

       The crew was almost finished for the day, meaning everyone was tired and ready to be done. Nonstop they had been working for six hours straight, and the day was only getting hotter. Maleena pressed her spurred heels against Caboose's sides. Behind her, the young steer threw a fit, upsetting Maleena's exhausted horse. Caboose, deciding he was done with his job for the day, began to throw his bucking fit. Knowing that it would only get worse, Maleena let go of her rope, focusing on getting her horse to settle. 

       "Hey." Maleena growled out, holding her saddle horn with one hand while gathering her reins, pulling up on them, with the other. 

       "Ride him out, Maleena!" Chandler shouted, followed by a cheer. 

      As Maleena tried to calm her stubborn horse, she felt her saddle began to slip to the side. This wasn't her first rodeo, however, so trying her best, Maleena attempted to shift all her weight, standing in one stirrup. No matter her efforts, however, the saddle completely slipped off her horse before she could end his bucking fit. 

     Maleena hit the ground hard with a loud "oof;" the air surrounding her seemed to fall silent as Chandler jogged over to make sure his little sister was okay.

     "Y'all right, Squirt?" Chandler glanced up to see Caboose, still bucking, but settling down some. 

       "I'm fine." She replied, standing up. As she did so, she felt a sharp pain hitch it's way up her right leg. Already, she knew that she was going to be sore. Granted, when she knew she was going to fall, Maleena had tried to break her own fall, landing so she wouldn't get hurt, but of course that didn't work. 

      Doing her best to hide her limp, Maleena walked over to where Caboose had finally settled down. Picking up her saddle and pad along the way, Maleena angrily stomped over to her horse, picking up his reins, pulling his face closer to hers. Looking him straight in the eyes, Maleena glared. "Don't you dare ever do that again, you hear me?" She rested her saddle against her hip as she watched her horse's ears. Deciding that he was going to be obedient, Maleena placed the reins over his neck, hoisting the saddle pad onto his back. Undoing both cinches, Maleena lifted the saddle onto Caboose's back, for the second time. Just as she got her horse resaddled, Ranger came riding over. 

     "Why don't you take a breather for a minute, Maleena? That was a pretty hard fall you took there." The forty some year old suggested. 

      "No, I'm fine. Let's just get this over with. We only have five more steers to brand." Stubborn Maleena countered, double checking her cinch before swinging up onto her horse's back. 

     "Why don't we at least switch places then? You head and I catch heels?" Ranger said in a voice that was more of a statement than a question. 

     Maleena let out a sigh. She knew that Caboose was better at catching cattle from the rear, hence how he got his name, but she also knew better than to argue with Ranger. Knowing that heading was easier, Maleena nodded in agreement, grabbing the heading rope from her saddle. 

     After another long, stressful few minutes, the group of cowboys filed three more steers through the line. "Two more." Maleena encouraged herself. Taking her hands off the reins for a minute as she let her horse walk himself over to the holding pen, Maleena tucked some of her loose hairs into the twisted strands of her braid. Once everyone was done for the day, she was very much looking forward to take a shower to wash herself of all the stress, sweat and dirt from the long day. 

     Before Maleena could arrive at the dirt holding pen, she felt her phone vibrate in her back jeans pocket, her country song ringtone following. Pulling it out of her pocket, a small smile graced her lips when she saw who it was. 

     Turning her horse away from the steers, Maleena shouted at Chandler over the loudness surrounding her. "I'm goin' to take a quick break." She held up the phone before pressing the talk button, answer the call from her boyfriend. 

       "Hey, Cody." She let out in a breath as she got further from the ruckus behind her. 

        "Everything okay? You haven't answered any of my texts all day." Worry filled his voice.

       Maleena inwardly chuckled at Cody's uncharacteristic clingy reaction. They were not the clingy or jealous couple, unless given a good reason to be. She was thankful that Cody had a completely opposite personality from Dillion. "Sorry. I have been out here branding all day and haven't had any time to check my phone. Plus you know that my service out here sucks. Anyways, what's up?" 

       "Well, I am on my way to a livestock auction and wanted to take you with me. I have to pass by your house on my way there regardless, so it isn't out of my way at all to pick you up." 

      Maleena hesitated. She wanted...no, needed, a break from the stressful situations she was encountering today. Since the minute that she woke up this morning, it seemed like things were going downhill for her. It didn't help that her family and friends involved today all felt the need to be in charge, so tensions were high the whole day. 

     Just as Maleena was about to give her reply, she heard her dad calling her name, asking her back to the task at hand. Turning in her saddle to hold up two fingers to her dad, telling him she would only be a couple more minutes, Maleena focused back to the phone call. "Cody, I would love to. Trust me, I need a break from my family, but I really cannot go right now. I'm sorry." 

      "Well, I am only three minutes from your place. Can I at least stop by and say hi?" There was a grin in his voice.

      "That's fine. Hey, I gotta go. I'll see you in bit." Maleena hung up the phone, loping her horse back to the pen to finish the mundane job.

      Like promised, exactly three minutes later, Maleena looked over her shoulder and saw Cody's truck pulling down the lane that led to the corrals that they branded at. 

      A smile rose to her face even as Maleena tightened her rope that she had on the second to last stubborn steer that was left. She watched as Cody hopped down from his truck, fixing his black Stetson on his head. 

      Making eye contact with his girlfriend, Cody smiled at Maleena, before his gaze was deterred by the steer flailing under the tension of the taught ropes. Jogging the rest of the way over to the scene, Cody immediately jumped right in, helping Tony and Marc hold down the steer while Chandler got the iron hot. 

       Despite Cody being dressed in evidently clean clothes, he still did not hesitate to get down and dirty, helping out the other guys, without being asked, when it was clear that they could use some help. Tony was a great helper, but at age 11, there was only so much strength he could provide while holding down an antsy steer. 

     "He's good." Chandler said once the brand was completed on the steer's flank. 

     The three men hopped up off the steer, watching it happily trot off to join his friends in the next pen. Glancing over at Cody, Maleena smiled, mouthing the words, "Thank you" to him before she prepared her rope to lasso the final steer. 

       Roping the final black baldy on the first try, Maleena dallied her rope tight around her saddle horn, trotting Caboose towards the branding iron fire as Ranger secured the rope around the steer's back hooves. 

    Just as smooth as the previous steer, the men placed Maleena's family ranch brand onto the steer's black hide in record time, the task seeming nearly effortless. 

     Thankful that the long task was finally over, Maleena hopped down from her horse, mindful of her sore right knee. Taking Caboose's reins in one hand, Maleena smiled as she walked over to Cody, wrapping her arms around him. 

      "How is my beautiful girlfriend?" He asked, taking off his cowboy hat to place a kiss on her forehead. 

       "Lookin' like this," Maleena pulled back, swiping her hand over her body. Dirt, muck, steer hair, grass, sweat, everything covered Maleena's outfit. Her hair was falling out of her braid, some of it being knotted, looking like a rat's nest of a mess. There wasn't an inch of her skin that wasn't brown with dried mud. "And you still think that I am beautiful?" She chuckled out. 

      Settling his hat back on his head, Cody smiled that convincing smile. "As beautiful as ever." 

      Cocking her head to the side, Maleena grinned at the handsome man that is her boyfriend. "You always have a way of makin' me feel better, you know that?" She removed the leather gloves from her hand, tucking them in the back pocket of her jeans. 

      "I'm glad, but why were you feelin' bad to begin with?" He asked, reaching out his hand to her as they walked back to Cody's truck. 

       Letting out a sigh, Maleena replied, "Today just hasn't been a good day, and everyone is stressing me out. Just like usual whenever we are branding." 

       "So, take a break and come to this livestock auction with me." Cody smiled over at her. 

      Caboose let out a snort behind them, pushing his nose into Maleena's back, essentially agreeing with Cody, insisting that Maleena stopped making excuses and took a break to hang out with her man. 

      "I really don't know, Cody. I have a lot of chores and such that I have to get done tonight yet." If she was being honest, she had just spent all day outside in a loud environment. She was truly exhausted and the last thing that she wanted was to go to another long and loud event.

      "Maleena, just go with Cody. Quit makin' excuses." Chandler spoke up out of nowhere.

      "Chan, how long have you been eavesdropping?!" Maleena chuckled at her brother who rode his horse up beside the couple. 

      Shrugging, Chandler responded, "Just long enough to hear you turn down your boyfriend. Don't complain about your chores. I will do them for you tonight. You just go have fun and relax." Clucking to his horse, Chandler trotted off.

      "I reckon I could get away just for a little bit." Maleena caved; she stopped walking once they were beside Cody's truck. 

         "Clear your schedule for the rest of the day, darlin'. I'm takin' you out on a date after the auction." He grinned, leaning back against his closed truck door. 

       "Can I at least wash my face at the house first?" She moved her long braid off of her shoulder, giving Cody a pleading look.

        "Of course, darlin'. Take your time. The auction doesn't start for a while yet." 

      "Alright. I am goin' to grab some Tylenol as well, and possibly get out of these filthy clothes, too, so it might be a while, but you're more than welcome to come hang out at the house." Maleena offered. 

      "I reckon I will take you up on that offer." Cody shifted his weight. "Wait, why do you have to take Tylenol? Did you get hurt?" He stood up off his truck, looking Maleena up and down for injuries. 

     "I'm fine. Boose just got tired and threw me during a bucking fit. My knee is just a little sore. Nothing to worry about." Maleena grinned, hoping Cody would drop the conversation since she knew he would worry too much about her being hurt. Reaching out a hand, Maleena patted Cody's cheek.

      "Why don't you drive my truck back to the house then, and I will take Caboose back to the barn?" It was less of a question and more of a command. 

    "I appreciate the concern, but really, I will be okay." Just to prove it, Maleena swung up onto the back of her horse, taking the reins in one hand. "See?" She shot Cody a playful grin.

      Shaking his head, Cody opened his truck door. "You're stubborn." 

     Maleena cocked a grin, shrugging her shoulder as she made kissing noises to her horse, turning him away from Cody and his truck.

     Once she got back to the barn, Maleena removed the tack from her horse, replacing his bridle with a halter as she led him outside for a quick bath. Turning on the hose, Maleena ran it over her horse's sweaty hide. 

     After hosing him down, Maleena took a sweat scraper over his skin, squeezing off the extra water. Once he was all cleaned for the day, Maleena turned Caboose out to the pasture, a treat he very well deserved after his long and hard work day.

     Thankful no one was around, Maleena was able to give into the pain that was shooting throughout her entire right leg as she limped up to her house. Before opening the mudroom door, Maleena abandoned her boots before unbuckling her chinks. Shucking them at the door, Maleena made her way inside of the house, thankful for the air conditioning, a huge relief from the heat of being outside.

      Passing the living room, Maleena heard Chandler, Marc, Tony, Cody, Ranger, and Wayne all talking. Peeking her head into the room, Maleena motioned to Cody, silently telling him that she is going upstairs to change, but would be right back down. 

      Changing out her dirty, work worn clothes for a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Maleena made her way to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she chuckled at her appearance, seeing how messy her appearance was. Her skin was dirty; she really needed a shower, but she was finally allowing herself to let go and go have fun with her boyfriend. 

     After washing her face and arms, Maleena brushed out her hair, pulling it back into a messy bun. Grabbing a ball cap from her room, Maleena made her way downstairs. 

     Walking into the living room, Maleena took a seat next to Cody on the couch, not wanting to distract him from the conversation he was having with the guys. Setting down her boots she grabbed on her way to the living room, Maleena slipped them on, pulling her jeans down over top of them. 

       Wrapping an arm around Maleena's shoulders, Cody whispered, "You ready to head out?" 

       Maleena nodded to Cody, who stood up off the couch, holding out a hand to offer Maleena help up. Keeping mindful of her hurting knee, Maleena took Cody's hand. 

      After saying goodbye to her family and their friends, Maleena headed outside to Cody's truck. As Cody drove them to the auction grounds, he grabbed Maleena's hand, talking to her about anything and everything. While he talked, Maleena found herself gazing at him, tuning out his voice as she just watched him, asking herself what she ever did to deserve a man like him.