off. I don’t dress nice for the ladies. I dress nice because I’m a public figure.”
Silas snorted.
“Speaking of gifts, why in the devil haven’t you given Dinah that ring we had to make the special trip to Gillette for? You know that folks will be talkin’ about why she still ain’t wearin’ one.”
“I intend to make it special when I put it on her finger. Been so busy I haven’t come up with anything—”
“Romantic,” Jonas said and made kissing noises.
“At least I got a romantic side.”
Jonas’s eyebrow winged up. “Brother, the last person I’d show my romantic side to is you.” He walked over and tossed one of his new shirts on Silas’s bed. “Wear this.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s completely different from the one I’m wearin’.” The shirt Jonas had already buttoned up was navy blue, striped with light gray and red. “Don’t want anyone mistaking me for you and vice versa.”
“They wouldn’t anyway since you’ll be wearin’ your badge,” Silas shot back. But he did put on the shirt. It was nice. Simple. The pale blue color reminded him of Dinah’s eyes. The button-up, cotton fabric wasn’t too heavy for July or too flimsy that it’d bust out at the seams when he moved. “Thanks for the shirt.”
“You’re welcome. You can keep it.”
“Aww…see? There’s your romantic side.”
Jonas slipped on the leather vest Silas had given him for Christmas. The vest that matched the one Silas intended to wear, with the McKay cattle brand seared in the back.
His brother had made it clear he’d be willing to help out on the ranch whenever needed, but he wouldn’t hand in his badge to do so fulltime, so it touched Silas that Jonas was willing to wear the family brand in public.
“Hurry up, slowpoke.” Jonas pinned his badge onto the vest and headed for the door.
“Whoa. Didn’t you forget something?” Silas pointed to Jonas’s gun belt.
“No need for that today since I’m cowboyed up for the ranch rodeo.”
As if Silas needed the reminder.
Silas had never seen so many people in Sundance. Made him want to turn around and spur his horse for home.
But Jonas had an agenda, which didn’t even allow for them to stop so Silas could have a word with Dinah. They headed directly to the racetrack north of town where the horse races and ranch contests were being held. Horses and buggies lined the area with still more people.
“Christ. I didn’t know there were this many people livin’ in the entire state of Wyomin’,” Silas groused.
“This is a big event. People are here from Beulah, Hulett and Labelle. Guess the Spearfish baseball team is playing against Sundance this afternoon.”
“Are you goin’ to that?”
Jonas shrugged. “We’ll see. There’s other activities happening in town that might be more interesting.”
“Anything is more interestin’ than baseball,” Silas shot back. He’d given in to Henrikson’s request to do something “civilized” earlier in the week and accompanied the man to the Zane Hotel for lunch, and they’d attended a baseball game afterward. The kinda men who had time to take off from work during the day to play games obviously weren’t ranchers. While he understood Henrikson’s loneliness, Silas would’ve preferred spending time with Dinah rather than folks who had too much time to waste.
“Agreed.” Jonas pointed. “That’s where we’re supposed to be. The first round of horse racin’ has finished.”
Someone had created makeshift pens on one end of the dirt track. One pen held horses, most of which were bucking their displeasure, one held calves, and one farther away from the livestock pens held…sheep.
Jonas and Silas rode side by side until they reached two poles jammed in the ground with wire strung between them. A man Silas didn’t know waved at them enthusiastically.
“The McKay boys! We’re excited you’re participating in the ranchers competition this year.”
“We appreciate you thinkin’ of us,” Jonas said smoothly. “Allen, I don’t believe you’ve met my brother Silas. Silas, Allen here runs the Sawtooth Mine. But today, he’s head of the community games.”
Silas leaned over and offered his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Allen.”
“Same here. We think the world of your brother.”
Doesn’t everyone.
“We’ve got you both signed up for the bronc bustin’ event, the team ropin’ event, the ride’n rope event, the horse skills event and the ropin’ challenge. Since contests like these ain’t nothin’ new to boys such as yourselves, ain’t no need to explain the rules, right?”
Jonas said “No” the same time Silas said, “What’re the sheep for?”
“Sheep ranchers have a separate competition. Course, there ain’t as many participants in that