Читать книгу Cowboy Up - Vicki Lewis Thompson - Страница 8

Jackson Hole, Wyoming July 21, 1961

CARRYING HIS COFFEE MUG, Archie Chance joined his wife, Nelsie, for their evening ritual of rocking on the front porch, gazing at the mountains and discussing…whatever came up.

Archie settled in his chair and took a sip of his coffee before broaching the subject on his mind. “What do you think about frozen semen?”

Although some women might have been taken aback by such a question, Nelsie didn’t bat an eye. “Are you fixing to freeze yours?”

That made him laugh. How he loved this woman. “Nope. Don’t think there would be much call for my semen considering that I’ve only been able to produce one son in all these years.”

“That’s because you go for quality and not quantity.”

Archie gave her a smile. Their son, Jonathan, now fifteen, had turned out pretty damned well, if Archie did say so. The boy lived and breathed ranching just as Archie had hoped he would. There was no question that Jonathan would take over the Last Chance when the time came.

“So whose frozen semen are you interested in, then?” Nelsie asked.

“Goliath’s. I’ve been reading about folks shipping frozen bull semen all over God’s creation and making money doing it. Seeing as how the Last Chance is still a cattle operation and Goliath fetches a hefty stud fee, I wondered if I should look into it.”

Nelsie’s rocker creaked softly as she appeared to ponder that idea. “Goliath might not take to having his semen collected.”

“I know.”

“I would imagine he prefers to impregnate cows the old-fashioned way.”

“Too bad. It’s the sixties. Times are changing. Goliath needs to change with them.”

Nelsie turned to gaze at him. “And you need more money to get this horse venture off the ground.”

“Yeah.” He cradled his mug in both hands and watched the fading light play across the flanks of the Grand Tetons. “It’s a hell of a lot more expensive than I thought it would be, Nelsie, and it may take years, but someday the Last Chance is going to be known for raising the finest paints in Wyoming.”