Silas liked her because she did not dramatize danger.
She respected it.
“So this is the Texas surprise,” Rowan said, walking toward the pasture.
“That’s Nabid.”
Rowan stopped at the fence.
The bull stood near the spruce cluster, watching her.
She did not reach through the wire. She did not call to him. She simply stood still and observed.
“Beautiful animal,” she said after a while.
“That’s what everyone says right before explaining why he’s impossible.”
Rowan smiled faintly. “Most impossible animals are just possible in expensive ways.”
She spent thirty minutes outside the fence before asking to enter the pasture. Silas nearly refused, but Rowan shook her head.
“I won’t go near him. I need to see how he responds when a person crosses into his space.”
Buck came with them, carrying a long sorting pole he clearly hoped not to use. Rowan entered slowly, moving at an angle rather than directly toward the bull. Nabid lifted his head, his body tightening for a few seconds. His ears fixed on her. Then she stopped, turned slightly sideways, and waited.
This story touched a part of me that has hurt underneath several careers and 65 years of life. I'm 71 now. My family is a long established name there. My memories of ranching, accidents, rodeo stock, flash floods and family loss are different than the way life is lived today. This story is magnificent, thank you for sharing it. And maybe there's hope for some of us humans that just need space and understanding. It's been 40 years since I became a civilian after 11 years as a
U.S. Marine. This story and that bull have more meaning than some will ever know. Thank you once again. Job well done.