The street stretched away from where she stood, looking at the taillights of her daddy's truck as it disappeared through the large palm trees. It was a new beginning in her life, a time to earn more about her future. She had never prepared herself for life away from the mountainous range filled with cattle and horses, her true friends. Of course there was her roommate but she was too dark personalitied to even talk to after the first hello while stepping through the door. She felt like giving up, like calling home and begging her dad to come save her from the unlivable place for a farm girl. After struggling though for about a month she gave up, she grabbed the grimy pay phone and dialed home but a familiar boy grabbed her and hung up the phone. With fear and hate in her eyes she turned to see her boyfriend from back home. He hadn't got his acceptance letter until after she left home. He had tears in his eyes. He hadn't been so excited to see her since the day they met. Finally he gave her the news that had been eating away at his heart. We have to go now, he said, his voice in waves from being nervous. Why, I thought you got accepted? I did, he said, but your dad is in the hospital. He got attacked by a mountain lion while trying to save the herd. Now on the ground, she was crying harder then ever. Is he gonna be alright, she asked once she had a space between sobs. I'm not sure. I haven't heard anything since I left. Once she gathered enough energy to stand up, she went to her room and packed her things. She slept the whole way home, waking up to the beautiful orange sunset over the green tree covered mountains of the ranch. Why are we here, she asked. Take me to the hospital! We were already there, he said, almost as if he had no more hope. I went in while you were asleep to find out how he was. And, she asked, with worry in her voice. By now the sun was gone and it was raining. He died 4 hours ago. The doctor said his last words were to tell you that he loves you. Strangely, she wasn't crying. Without saying a word, she got out of the truck into the pouring rain and walked into the ranch house where she had memories of being raised by her father. The house was an older house with a big white wrap around deck. The shingles on the roof were worn out from the harsh Montana weather and most of the wood was rotted down do a crisp brown color. It should have been in a museum being how old it was. The house and ranch was passed down from generation to generation. The girl came out of the house with a rifle and trench coat and went and saddled up on her dads horse. Her boyfriend immediately knew what she was about to do so he grabbed his coat and rifle and saddled up on his horse. The girl had already started up the mountain, she knew exactly where the mountain lion was. When her boyfriend caught up with her she explained to him that it was on top of the hill in some trees where the cows took shelter. As they came over the hill they could hear the frightened cows mooing and then, out of nowhere it jumped out of a tree onto the back of the only brown cow in the bunch of black cows. The girl immediately got the rifle out of the brown leather holster her dad made and focused in on the mountain lion. She couldn't get a clear shot do to the animals jumping around. Her first shot hit the mountain lions foot partially crippling it but still allowing it to run with a wobble. It immediately started running after the two humans and horses but the girl and her boyfriend already had their sites on it's head and killed it. The girl sad and looked at it for a minute and then ran up and started kicking it. She had started crying again and fell down while kicking it almost like she had just lost all of her energy. She just sat there crying, starring at the wild animal. The rain had stopped and the sky got clear. She looked up and saw a shooting star. Instead of making a wish she wiped her tears and said "I love you dad, see you soon." She got up, got back on her dad's horse, and rode back to the house with her boyfriend. After putting the horses away they went inside into the kitchen and found the deed to the ranch. Her dad left a note on it.

Hey Honey,
If your reading this then I'm probably either dead or close to it but don't worry, God will take care of me. In the mean time I'm gonna need you and that boyfriend of yours to take care of the ranch for me. I signed the deed over to you. Your uncle will be over to help you whenever you need him. Take care baby, I love you.
-Dad

She looked happy for the first time since seeing her boyfriend at the college. But we still have a problem, her boyfriend said. You didn't finish college and I didn't even go so neither of us know how to completely run this ranch. All we can do at this point is to do what your dad taught us while growing up, he explained. Well we have the chance to go back to college and finish getting our degrees but we can't leave the ranch, she said trying to think it through. Somebody has to take care of the animals and crops. Either we can go back to college and finish, or stay here and have my uncle teach us. She immediately remembered her dad teaching her how to saddle the horse that her dad had bought her. It was a black horse with a white spot on it's head. She still has the horse but doesn't ride it as much as she did when she got it. She now rides her dad's horse, a black mustang that he caught wild and tamed. I guess we will just have to see what my uncle thinks, she said almost as if she was about to cry. That's fine honey, he said trying to cheer her up, you know your uncle would be fine with it either way. I'm sure he could watch the ranch until we got back from college or he could just teach us here and we could just not bother with college. Go call your uncle, he said, have him come up here. Alright, she said as she walked into the house. She came back out with a smile on her face. He is already on his way here, she said. It didn't take long for her uncle to get there in his new pickup. When he showed up she ran up and gave him a hug. Hey, she yelled, I'm so happpy so see you. He was happily laughing. How's it going honey, he asked. Good, well sorta, we have to talk to you about something important. Alright let's go inside and get something to eat, her uncle said, we can talk about it in there. Her uncle made them cheeseburgers and they sat down to discuss the problem. Well, dad signed the deed of the ranch over to me, she said while showing him the deed and the note. Yes, I know, her uncle said, your dad and I discussed this on the way to the hospital. He told me what to write down on that note. Alright, she said, but we don't know how to run this ranch, grabbing her boyfriends hand. Neither one of us finished college, and we can't just go back and leave the ranch unattended, she said almost worried, or we could just forget college and you could teach us. Her uncle had his thinking face on. That's a tough one, he said while thinking. I don't think I can be here enough to tend to it if you go back to college, being sheriff I have to be all over at any time. I understand, she said somewhat disappointed, but if we stay here then we can just call you on your radio if we need something and you can just come out and teach us when your not working. That could possibly work, her uncle said. I can't promise that I will always be able to come help when you need it but I can do my best. Finally her boyfriend spoke up. But there is still the matter of paying the bills and dealing with the money. That's a good point, her uncle said, your aunt is good with that stuff. I will give her a call and have her come help you with that. The little bit that I was in college I learned a little bit about finances so I do know a little bit, the girl said, and I still have my books on everything so if we need to find out something then we can look it up. It was slowly coming together on how they were going to run this ranch.