"Load up Daisy," Tylee calls to her border collie companion. The dog gladly positioned her self in her normal spot, the passenger seat. And now the most dreaded day of the month begins. Except for maybe catching up on things with Bill and maybe even the some what overwhelming Becca.

Tylee has been looking forward to seeing her best friend Becca for the past week. She also enjoyed talking with Bill, the feed store owner. Bill had known her parents and grandparents and enjoyed hearing the happenings of the Hearts Bond ranch. Tylee had grown up going to his store with her Papaw and enjoyed listening to the stories that floated around.

As Tylee pulls up to the feed store Daisy gets excited and yelps with joy. Tylee smiles and snaps a leash onto her collar. Bill greets them cheerfully as they enter.

"Oh, and Becca said she would be over in about five minutes," he adds, Tylee nods with a smile and walks over to the halters. Since she lost one about a week ago she decides that she needs a new one. A squeal behind her makes Tylee turn around, immediately she is pulled into a tight hug.

"I feel like it has been way longer than a month since I have seen you!" Becca practically screams as she releases Tylee.

A small bark rings through the air as she responds making them both turn to Daisy, "Calm down Bec, I missed you to."

"Hi Daisy! No I didn't forget about you pretty girl," Becca gushes scratching the border collie in her favorite spot, behind her ears. "So what is the latest from Hearts Bond?"

"Work." Tylee replies with her usual short answer.

"Nice. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! Bill wants me to take the store over so I will be in here a lot more." Becca announces knowing that Tylee isn't going to tell anyone. Who would she tell, the trees? When I live two hours from civilization and only see people once a month how do you expect me to have anyone to tell?

The girls talk a while in the store before Becca gets in with Tylee and they go to the grocery store. Once Tylee has food for herself and dogs, ranch supplies and has placed her order for feed she goes back by the feed store.

Bill pulls her into a hug as she tells him bye, "Bye Tylee, take care. Call me if you need anything." He tells her with a bright smile. She nods and turns to the door pushing her black felt hat farther down on her head. She pushes the door open and a gust of wind comes through she continues on to her pickup and gets in.

***

Dan Hargrove pulls up to the feed store of Sundance and gets out, as he walks to the door a young woman not more than 20 gets in blue Dodge Ram diesel pickup. He had never seen her nor did he recognize the pickup, but something about her pulled the strings at his heart something that had never happened. He felt as if God was telling him that he needed to protect her.

He smiles as he breathes in the familiar scent of feed. "Evening Bill."

"Evening Dan," The gentlemen calls back as Dan notices his friend Becca sitting on a stool behind the counter as well.

"Hello Miss Becca," he says politely.

"Hello to you to Mister Dan," she remarks her smile wide.

"Who was the handsome filly?" Dan inquires, using old cowboy slang, leaning on the counter. Becca and Bill both chuckle.

"Man, Dan you act as if you have never seen a pretty girl before," Bill declares with a teasing grin.

"Well to be precise I haven't seen that pretty girl," Dan remarks.

Becca smirks allowing her match making to come out, "That just means that you haven't been in town on the right day of every month. Tylee only comes in once a month from her large ranch two hours outside of town."

"Once a month?" Dan questions with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, looking after two thousand head of cattle keeps the woman busy," Becca states.

She does all that work by herself?! "By herself? Doesn't she have hands to help her?" Dan questions though something made him slightly glad that she didn't have other guys around.

"Nope. She does it all, of course it takes all seven days in a week and three hundred sixty- five days in a year." Becca answers keeping her inner smile from showing. Dan felt as if he had failed at being a gentlemen, if a woman was doing enough work to keep three men busy without help something just don't feel right about that. It had nothing to do with her gender as it did with Dan's relationship with the Lord, He was guiding Dan.

"I'm sure it does." He conveys as he thinks about how he enjoys his easy days that not a lot happens. He can only imagine what it is like with two thousand cattle to take care of by yourself.

Bill shakes his head speaking for the first time, ""I can only imagine what it is like to put out twelve thousand pounds of feed a week."

"I dread putting five hundred pounds twice a week." Dan comments, Becca laughs.

"I guess when you have done it for seven years you get used to it. Four years by herself has made her a hermit," Becca suggests, Bill pokes her in the side.

"That wasn't nice," Bill affirms.

Becca's eyes grow wide, "It is true! If she didn't have to come to town for food she wouldn't," She declares.

"In all honesty she just takes after her grandpa, he only came to town when he had to. I do recall the two spending a lot of time together in the seventeen years that she was under his roof," Bill reveals some of Tylee's past to Dan, but intentionally leaving enough out to keep the lad guessing. Becca picks up on the hint and turns to the display case.

Dan gets his hat that he came into pick up and says farewell to Bill and Becca, all the while Tylee on his mind. He pulls up to the bunk house of the Rockin' Chair ranch, where he works, at dusk. That night he doesn't fall asleep until one a.m. his mind won't stop thinking about her and his heart won't stop aching to get to know her.

The next morning Dan saddles his prized horse Frog. As he rides out to check the heifers he talks to the Lord as he always does.

"Lord, I trust you and know that you have a plan for me. I want to be put where you need me not where I want to be. I don't know what you have in mind for the young woman, Tylee, but I know that you have a plan. Whether or not that involves me, I have a selfish thought that hopes so." He talks freely to the Maker about what has been on his heart. When he finishes he feels the weight lifted off of his broad shoulders and his smile grows.

***

Tylee rises at four thirty the next morning and fixes breakfast after feeding her animals. Once done eating she saddles her favorite horse, Willow Wind. North side cattle need to be check and I can't forget Daisy, like last time. She loads Daisy and Willow Wind and drives to the back side. Watching nature wake up in the mornings is one of her favorite things, especially when she talks to the Lord while doing it.

After unloading Willow, bridling, and putting in her leather leggings she steps into the saddle. She loves the way her small and narrow frame fits into the 14 inch seat of her homemade saddle. The saddle often looked like a kids saddle, but that didn't bother her.

"Morning Lord, thank you for allowing me the privilege to look after Your land. The work of your hands is stunning and works like a dream. Help me to fulfill what you need done. Guide me in life and direct me on the trail you would have me go," She prays aloud as she rides along a trail. She has felt lately that God has been telling her that it is time to stop being a hermit.

As she rides through a herd of cattle she finds a sick calf and pulls down her rope. She loops the calf's neck and grabs her medicine kit. Quickly she flanks the calf and gives it a shot of penicillin before releasing it. Willow Wind stands patiently while Tylee coils her rope, sitting atop her horse.

"Alright girls let's head over to the water trough and see if we can fix the leak," She tells her dog and horse.

Upon arriving at the trough Daisy jumps in cooling herself from the August heat. Tylee hobbles Willow Wind and gets her water supplies from one of her saddle bag. After three showers and new hose end the water trough is back in running condition. She rides back to the house for a three o'clock sandwich.

"What do you think we should do about fall works?" Tylee asks Daisy. The dog lays her head down and looks at her owner. "I know you think that I should get some help, but I really don't have any ideas of who would be good to get. You are the best help around."

Tylee thinks about who used to come help before Papaw passed away. Even after he couldn't help anymore and Tylee took over full time he would get guys to help her. Everyone had a great respect for Ben Jackson, her Papaw. He made sure he taught Tylee that being well off didn't mean you kept it. He always gave to organizations he trusted, only keeping enough to keep himself out of a hole and when she took over she wasn't about to change that.

"I'll look through Papaw's records and see what I can find," She tells Daisy as she disposes of her plate. The duo go back outside and get in the pickup to check all the waters they can before dark. As she pulls up to the cement water holding tank her mid flashes back to when she was thirteen and Papaw found her swimming in it.

Fives years before-

Tylee rode by the holding tank and peered in at the crystal clear water, after a full day in the saddle she was hot, sweaty and needed a refresher. She smirked and unsaddled her horse hobbling him before stripping to her undergarments. She climbed the ladder and dove in coming up with a smile. She had been swimming around for a little while when she heard her Papaw's pickup, not knowing what to do she swam under water. She saw him peer in and heard his deep chuckle.

"Your cousins will be mighty jealous. Come on to the house soon," He called to her with a wide smile.

Tylee smiles at the memory continues on with her list of things to accomplish today. After dusk she walks into the office and looks through Papaw's records finding that most of the men that came and help have passed away or are too old to be able to ride anymore.

"Looks like it has come to talking to Bill," she mumbles to herself.

A/N
Vote!
Comment! Thanks for reading!