"I'm real sorry about this, I don't know what he was thinking." Roy said as he slid a cup of hot tea to Flora.

She was seated at the table, wearing clean dry clothes that another cowboy loaned her and a towel wrapping her wet hair.

Despite the warmth of the cabin and the clothes she couldn't stop herself from shaking, Roy offered to make her hot tea as the cowboys cleaned up.

"I'm fine," she said softly.

"Honey, grown men run when that man's angry. I don't think a little mite like you should have to be subjected to it."

"He didn't touch me," she said more to herself than to Roy.

"He won't, I can promise you that."

"How can you promise that?" She asked softly.

"Because I've known him since he was a boy, I taught him how to be a real man, and real men don't hit women."

"I didn't mean to make trouble for you," she said.

"You didn't. Coming home to a clean place and a home cooked meal is a rare treat for all of us."

"But, once he talks to Mr. Wilder....won't you be in trouble for letting me in here?"

"I already spoke to Mr. Wilder today. He said as long as you don't cause any issues with the men or on the ranch and you pitch in as much as you're able, he's got no issues paying you a comfortable salary."

She glanced up from her cup and the older man, his tired brown eyes were kind and she liked that. He made her feel safe.

"Thank you."

"Now I may be the oldest cowboy here, but unfortunately, I don't run this roost... Rex does. Now he can fire you, but he's gonna have to have good reason. He also decides who does what and when. Keep your head down and do as he asks, and I think you'll be fine. He will cool off."

"I was afraid you'd say that," she admitted.

She would have been content to never lay eyes on the man again, let alone be expected to work with him daily.

"I won't lie, sweetheart. He's gonna try and break you. He won't hit you or hurt you, but he's going to want to see how much you can take."

"He might be surprised,"she said with a heavy sigh.

The bathroom door opened, and the other seven men came out eager to eat.

"Yeah, I think he might be," Roy said with a laugh as he stood.

The cowboys mostly ignored her as they filed into a line, grabbing bowls and filling them with stew, and she watched from the table.

"Come on, darlin', you gotta eat too." Roy called.

She stood and fell into the back of the line. She had just picked up her plate when the door opened, and Rex walked in.

She instinctively cowered closer to the cowboy in front of her, bumping into him. He briefly turned to look at her and then gave her a warm smile.

"Sorry," she said, quickly backing away.

"It's alright," He replied.

Rex stepped into line behind her, reaching for a bowl and making it a point to ignore her presence.

"What's for dinner, Roy?" He asked, his deep voice echoing in her ears and making her chest tight.

"I don't know, darling cooked it," Roy called from near the front of the line.

"Who?" Rex asked.

"The new hand." Roy replied.

"Is that your name then? Darling?" He asked, finally looking down at her, his tone mocking.

"It's....it's Flora," she managed.

He gave a grunt of a reply, the cowboy infornt of her finally moved and she hurried to get a label full of stew and get out of line.

She sat at the table but was between two cowboys she didn't know. One a red head with a thick beard and freckles, the other was bald, with a goatee and the only one wearing his hat.

"Colby, what the fuck did I tell you about hats at the table?" Rex demanded from behind them.

"Sorry," Colby stood moving to hang his hat on a coat rack.

"I'm Ethan," the Red head said from her right.

"Flora," she replied.

Rex walked to the fridge and then settled in the seat across from her. None of the other men paid much attention to him. Clearly, this was their downtime.

"You drink?Flora?" Rex asked, sitting a beer in front of her before cracking open his own.

"Um, no... not really," she admitted.

"Are you old enough too?" He asked before taking a long drink of his own.

"For fucks sake Rex I'm not an idiot." Roy called from the end of the table.

"Don't give me shit, I'm looking out for this ranch it's my job. For all I fucking know she's a spoiled brat running away to find herself a cowboy and tomorrow her daddy will be busting down the door and our asses will be in jail," Rex fired back briefly motioning at Flora.

"He won't," she said, shaking her head.

"What?" Rex asked, looking at her.

"He won't come looking for me, my father, and I'm not a minor."

"Can we please just have a civilized meal? I talked to Mr. Wilder, and he wants to give her a chance. You owe him to give her one, too." Roy said.

"He has the tendency to let riff raff on this ranch that get men hurt," Rex said under his breath.

"You mean like you were?"Roy asked.

"That was different," Rex said.

"It ain't different. I almost hit her with the damned truck. She makes one hell of a dinner that's enough for me," Roy said.

The rest of the men all began murmuring in agreement about her delicious food.

"Fine," Rex said bitterly, turning to his food.

Flora pushed her own stre around in the bowl. She wasn't hungry. Her stomach felt like it had rocks in it, and all she really wanted was to go to bed.

The thought of bed had her wondering where Rex slept. When she came, there were 2 empty bunks, but neither looked touched. The room Roy had of his own sported a king-sized bed, and she doubted the two shared.

She ate in silence the rest of the night, keeping her eyes down and hoping Rex left her alone.
He did, and he fell into conversation with the cowboys about fences that needed repair on the 143rd acre and the new horse he just bought over the weekend to help herd.

After dinner, the cowboys fell into their own routine, two headed to their bunks flipping through magazines.
Three began a poker game, and another began cleaning his boots.
Two more turned on the big screen TV mounted about the fireplace and turned on reruns of an old country show.

Feeling the need to be useful, Flora began clearing the table, and Roy helped. After grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, Rex ducked out of the small house, and she could feel the tension leave her shoulders. 

"You best get some rest darling, we start early." Roy said, setting the last place in the sink.

"I'll do these few dishes and then head to bed, I promise."

"We get up around four....be nice if you could have some coffee going." He said gently.

"I can do that. "

He glanced around the room and then cleared his throat, the men instantly turning to give him their attention.

"Alright, listen, I know yall are cowboys, but we are still gentlemen here. I don't want any funny business with her. You hear? You treat her as you would a man, no different."

A collection of thumbs ups and waves were the replies from the cowboys, and when he turned back to her, she gave him a soft smile.

"Thank you," she said agin.

"You come get me if you need anything in the night."

"I'll be fine." She said.

He turned and walked through the house before going to his room and closing the door. The cowboys going back to their own games and TV.

"You play poker?" Ethan asked from the table.

"Uhm..no I don't know how." She admitted with a small laugh.

"That's alright, neither does Ethan, and he's still here," a dark skinned cowboy teased.

"If it's okay with you, gentlemen, I think I'll just go to bed early."

"Suit yourself, a blonde at the table said as he dealt more cards.

"Goodnight, Flora." Ethan said.

"Goodnight."

As she walked to her bed, passing every member along the way, each one turned telling her goodnight. She collapsed into the bottom bunk, Colby was on the bunk onto hers, reading a gun magazine.

"Goodnight, Flora," He said after she settled.

"Goodnight."