The Cowboy’s Wish

Joe McGuire, a tall and muscular cowboy who sat upon his trusted stallion, wore nothing but a pair of denim pants, boots, and a Stetson hat. He took the bandana out of his pocket and wiped the sweat off his brow. It was a hot day. A day so hot, in fact, that one could fry an egg in a skillet just by setting it out on the porch. But in spite of all the sweltering days, he loved the scenery. The flat grassy landscape spanned for miles. And miles...and miles. Very little existed near the McGuire Ranch. The cattle all grazed peacefully in the pasture. The farmhands all ate in the chow hall, except for one. Lenny had been sick with the fever again and rested in the bunkhouse. The horses neighed in the nearby barn. A scattering of sheep remained content in their own fenced area. The double-story house was small but adequate for a family. And that is what he wanted. Once a man settled into his own, what he really needed was a wife to make his house a home and bear him a couple of youngsters.

Joe shook his head. Where, oh where, would he find such a woman?

Off in the distance came the most beautiful sound in the world. He turned his horse so he could see what was coming up from the south. Something in the most magnificent shade of red raced toward him. He frowned. Just what was this odd contraption? And who was manning it?