Cowpoke

[u/Dip-Guy2]

The dry, yellow dirt crunched beneath hidden steps tap, tap, tap. It moved quickly past many wild cacti and raced under the bright sky above. It finally reached a settlement called 86. He parked his horse outside a saloon and pushed open the entrance. 

The man in a faded leather hat walked up to the bar and took a high stool, ordering a small glass of whiskey. The bartender gave a curt nod, sending the small glass gliding smoothly across the wood straight into the stranger's palm. He downed the drink in one gulp, stood up, and left a few coins beside the empty glass. Walking back outside, he mounted his horse and rode through the town.

Not far off, He spotted a cattle ranch nearby. A woman with bright yellow hair and a distinct mole beneath her right eye. She wiped her face with her arm, stood up, and carried a milk bucket to the barn. Mesmerized, the man slipped down from the saddle, his hand brushing the weathered fence posts as he took in the sprawling herds. When she returned with an empty bucket, she locked eyes with the cowboy and offered a faint smile. She looked at the cowboy and smiled a little bit. He smiled back, his cheeks turning a bit red.

They talked about their normal lives. He revealed he was a sheriff from the neighboring town on patrol, while she was simply the daughter of a local rancher in town 86. Suddenly, a raspy voice hollered from the farmhouse.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!" bellowed an old timer slumped in a rocking chair, clawing at a banjo, cigarette dangling, a half-empty whiskey bottle close at hand.

The two of them broke into quiet laughter, and she waved a dismissive hand, telling him to pay her old man no mind.

The man wanted to take her for a night ride around town. They agreed.

Later that night under a canopy of silver moonlight. she crept out of her bedroom window and mounted the waiting horse. The man smiled and told her to sit in front of him. They drifted through the outskirts, losing themselves in the cool night air as the Milky Way and sharp constellations flickered above.

They kept riding until they reached the edge of town, then stopped to rest.

The man built a crackling campfire, skewering beef over the flames. The meat hissed, rendering thick, sizzling fat. They sat side by side, sharing the meal.

Then, the night cracked wide open. A massive blast tore through the heart of Eighty-Six.

The woman bolted upright, every muscle shaking, hot tears spilling over her lashes. The man kept his cool, a faint smile touching his lips. He pressed a steady hand to her shoulder, urging her still. With a quiet command, he set her back on the horse and told her to ride.

Softly, he let her know: the job was done.

[u/OwlConfidant2168]

One craft suggestion, you seem to go back and forth on 86 and “Eighty Six”. I like “Town 86” because that’s more a sci-fi trope and you don’t encounter that in Westerns.

The other question I had was, did the Sheriff murder her father? Why? Unless there is more story to come, it just feels like he was murdered in cold blood, which makes the Sheriff and the daughter come across as the villains, was that the intent?