Like every other morning on the Morgan Ranch, Jerk the rooster made his routine screeching at half past five. Alex stretched her arms above her head and yawned the sleepiness away. Crystal blue eyes opened and focused, readjusting to the early September sunlight filtering through her bedroom window. She knew before her bare feet touched the hardwood that it was another beautiful day at her ranch. She dressed in her usual attire—old denim jeans, a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and scuffed boots. She left her long, black hair down for now, but slipped a string in her pocket to tie it back as the day became hotter. Alex didn’t bother with cosmetics. Any makeup she applied would be sweated off before lunch. And if there was a perfume known to man that would overpower the earthy smell of dirt and animal, she didn’t know of it. Flipping on the radio in the kitchen, Alex poured a cup of steaming coffee that had been set to brew at five o’clock and drained it.
