Picking Up the Pieces

by Carolina Mac

  “Clinic is looking good, Doctor. Don’t forget to give me a shout out if you need a hand with anything.”

  She smiled and her face lit up. “Thank you, Jack. I’ll keep you in mind.”

  Jacky grinned all the way to the truck. “She likes me, Logy. I’ll have her in the back seat of my truck by the end of next week.”

  “Doubt it, Jacky. That woman don’t have a romantic bone in her body.”

  “Want to put ten on it?”

  “I don’t have ten bucks to lose.”

  McKenna Ranch.

  THE girls were tearing around the kitchen making dinner when we got back to the ranch and they wanted to hear all about the auction.

  I kept quiet and let Jacky boy do the talking. Our day at the auction sounded a lot more exciting to hear him tell it and the girls were hanging on his every word.

  “The cows are coming tomorrow morning?” asked Laney. “We’re almost ready for them, right Clay?”

  Clay nodded. “We need more loading pens, but I have to figure out what we need and order the lumber from the mill.”

  “And we could use a couple more horses, boss.” Harper gave me the eye. We’re short on mounts for when we’re all working at the same time.”

  “I’ll take care of that tomorrow,” I said as I grabbed a Lone Star from the well-organized fridge. Bottles and jars were lined up in rows and it scared me to take a beer and disturb the order of it.

  “Doctor Lonnigan will be paying us a visit to check out the new arrivals,” said Jack. “She put us on her schedule.”

  “Y’all have a female vet?” asked Kate.

  “That a problem?” I asked.

  She shrugged and her face said it might be a problem.

  Doctor Lonnigan is a problem all right. But she’s not my problem.

  The girls were clearing the table after dinner and Kate said, “While y’all were gone I worked on your office a bit, boss. Check it out and see what you think.”

  “You did? Thanks. I had that on my ‘to do’ list.” I strolled across the kitchen and into my new office unable to believe my eyes. The computer, printer and all the rest were all hooked up and ready to go. My desk was neat and organized and the only window was squeaky clean. “Fantastic, thanks, Kate. No way I could have made it look any better.”

  She smiled at me and her eyes sparkled. I had an urge to kiss her, but the urge was cut short by the round of barking on the front porch.

  “Somebody’s here,” hollered, Harper. “Oh, it’s the bitch from the Spur.”

  I hustled from the office through the kitchen and out the door hoping to get in between Harper and Carson before anymore punches were thrown. I barely made it. Harper was already on the porch with her boots planted on the gray boards and her fists clenched up on her hips.

  Carson was halfway out of her car as I breezed past Harper and bolted down the steps. “Miss Carson, I’m surprised to see you here. I thought we were finished talking.”

  “You boys are being pig-headed and foolish, and this is my last ditch effort to save y’all from yourselves. I came one last time to try to make y’all see how foolhardy you were being. I know y’all are lying about not having any money. I checked my sources at the bank and found out exactly how much you do have.”

  “That’s not legal.” I yelled at her without meaning to raise my voice. Heat crept up the back of my neck at an alarming rate. “You, Miss Carson, have violated our privacy and I want you to leave. I said all I’m going to say last time we talked. We don’t need you to manage our affairs.”

  Ignoring every word I said, she took a step closer waving a clump of paper in the air. “I’ve drawn up a business plan for y’all and if you don’t like it we can tweak it a little. For only a small investment of three hundred dollars, the guideline I’ve made will save you hundreds of dollars in costly mistakes y’all are going to make. Guaranteed.”

  “I’m not paying you three hundred bucks for something I can do myself,” I said. “I’m finished saying no. Please leave my property, Miss Carson.”

  “Y’all will be sorry you didn’t hire me,” she hollered as she got back into her car. “Y’all will be bankrupt in a year.”

  She slid behind the wheel of her old Volkswagen Golf and kicked up a lot of McKenna dust as she turned around and headed out the gate.

  “That’s a stubborn woman and I hope we’ve seen the last of her.”

  “She’s lucky you got to her first,” said Harper.

  I nodded. “Her face still looks a little bruised from your last encounter.”

  “Can’t believe she found out about the money,” said Jacky. “Who at the bank would be mouthing off about our private business?”

  “Don’t know, but I aim to find out. I’m going to open an account in a different bank on Monday morning and move the money. That’s all there is to it.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Saturday, April 11th.

  McKenna Ranch.

  I was pouring cream into my second cup of coffee when Rusty and Cadence flew into a barking frenzy and scrambled off the porch.

  Kate ran across the kitchen and peered out the screen door to see who was causing all the racket. “Cattle truck is here.” She whipped off her apron, grabbed her hat off the rack by the door and she was gone.

  Since Jack and Clay were at the barn, I moved my butt off the chair and followed Kate outside. I gave Mel a wave, he slowed the truck and I told him where we were going to unload. Then I ran down to the barn and hollered in the door for Jacky and Clay. “Cattle truck is here, boys.”

  “Coming, Logy,” hollered Clay. “Didn’t expect him so early.”

  “I think he wanted to see our hired hands,” I said. “Gave him extra incentive for an early start.”

  Laney stood with the gate to the pasture open and she flashed Mel a smile and a wave as he drove the huge rig through. He wore a grin a mile wide as he steered into the narrow lane that went all the way to the back of our thousand acres.

  Clay and the girls had the fences mended and the cattle guards in working order. The unloading went well and soon the cows were exactly where they were supposed to be.

  Kate and Harper hefted a few bales from under the shelter, broke them open and put them in the rack for the cows to help themselves when they got hungry.

  While Clay, Jack and the girls finished up, I followed Mel back to the house to take care of the haulage bill. “Help yourself to a coffee, Mel, while I write you a check. Just have to find my checkbook. Kate organized my office yesterday and I haven’t found anything yet.”

  He chuckled and leaned on the front of the desk. “Those are three of the best looking hired hands I ever seen, Logan. How’d you luck out with that?”

  “Purely by chance, Mel. “They showed up here and said they needed work and I said okay.”

  “Who wouldn’t hire them? Can’t picture too many ranchers turning them away.”

  “Some ranchers want only men, I guess, but they’re hard workers and they took over the cooking. That was a bonus.”

  Mel perched a butt cheek on the corner of the desk.

  Guess I need another chair in here for guests,” I said. “I’m kind of new at this.”

  “Sorry about your Daddy, Logan. Knew Kenny for a long while. He was a fine man and a world class bull rider.”

  “We’re missing him a lot,” I said, “but trying to carry on with something he would have liked.”

  “Yep, he was all about the bulls,” said Mel.

  I wrote the check to cover the invoice and handed it to Mel. “There you go. We’re hoping to build up our herd, so we’ll be using you again.”

  “Takes time, Logan. Time and patience to do it right.”

  “Patience is what I’m short on,” I said, “but we’re taking it one step at a time.”

  “You ever thought of going back to the rodeo?”

  “Nope, too old for a comeback, but I am thinking of practicing my skills and giving instruction to kids who want to learn.
”

  “Yep. That’s a great idea. You’ve got a lot of know-how to pass on. You should do that. I could even send some customers your way.”

  “You could?”

  “For sure know at least two guys who can’t win an event and they’re talking about quitting. They could use you.”

  “I better get practicing.” I walked Mel out to his truck and saw him out the gate. He was barely gone when a red Bronco came barreling up to the porch and stopped.

  I gave her a two fingered salute. “Morning, Doctor Lonnigan.”

  She hopped out and stood on the bottom step and I couldn’t help but notice how snug her jeans were in all the right places. I tried not to look at her as she trained her dark eyes on me.

  She don’t like you, Logan. Stop looking at her.

  “Was that the cattle truck I passed?” she asked.

  “Sure was, ma’am. You want to see the delivery?”

  “That’s what I came for. Can we saddle up?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get the horses ready.”

  I saddled up Bowie and he was feisty and anxious to get out of the corral. Daddy’s horse was already saddled from earlier in the morning and I offered him to the doctor.

  She mounted up with ease and we were off galloping down the back lane to the fields where the new cows had landed.

  We rode through the herd in all three fields and the doc spotted one she didn’t like the looks of. She pulled up, stopped and dismounted and I did the same. “See something?”

  “Uh huh. Just checking this one. She seems a little droopy.”

  Jack came riding over. “You spot that girl too, Doc?”

  She turned and smiled at Jack in a lot friendlier way than she smiled at me and I didn’t like it one bit.

  What’s wrong with you? Jealous of your little brother?

  “Keep an eye on her, Jack,” said the vet. “Might be just the trip down here from Lubbock, but if she hasn’t perked up by tomorrow, I’ll come have another look at her.”

  “Sure, thing, Doc. Don’t want to lose one of our beauties on the first day.”

  “No, you don’t, and I imagine this breeding stock was expensive.”

  “Uh huh.” I nodded my head. “Took a fair chunk out of the bank to purchase these babies.”

  “I might as well check on the bulls while I’m here,” said the good doctor. “Can you show me where they are?”

  “Next field back. We haven’t let them mingle yet.” I led the way and Doctor Lonnigan followed me. I dismounted, opened the gate for her and followed her into the field. I stood by the gate and watched while she checked out Presto, Thor and Crusher.

  “They seem in good health,” she said with a big smile. “A little lethargic, but that’s because they haven’t had anything interesting to do for a long while.”

  “It’s going to get more entertaining for them in short order,” I said. “Like later today or tomorrow.”

  “They look healthy and I’m sure they’re up to the task. No reason they wouldn’t be.”

  “I hope all three are up for it. We’re counting on them.”

  “You have the proper forms and information you need to keep track of the bloodlines?”

  “Not yet. I’m heading to the bull association later today to get what I need.”

  “Do it right away.”

  We rode in silence back to the corral and I tied the horses to the fence rail and walked the doctor to her Bronco. “Thanks for coming out, Doctor.”

  “No problem, Logan. It’s my job. You’ll get my bill.”

  I’m sure I will.

  Spinner Ranch.

  AFTER lunch, Jack, Clay and I drove down the road to the Spinner ranch to see if old Jessup would part with a couple of his horses. Rumor had it he’d sold off a couple and might be open to letting a few more go.

  In his seventies now, and not doing much ranching, he surely didn’t need forty horses. Feed alone must be near breaking him.

  I parked the truck near the corral and gave a wave to our old neighbor sitting in one of the rockers on his front porch with his pipe in his hand. He dropped his pipe into his shirt pocket, stood up slowly, picked up his cane and hobbled down the steps towards us.

  “Afternoon, Mr. Spinner. I’m Logan McKenna and these are my brothers, Jack and Clay.”

  “I know who y’all are. Y’all are Kenny’s boys. I ain’t senile.”

  “No, sir.”

  “Heard about your Daddy, and I’m sorry for you boys. Kenny and me had our differences—mostly about fencing—but we had us some good long talks too.”

  I didn’t know they did anything but argue.

  I pointed to the dozen horses in the corral. “You open to selling a couple of these horses, Mr. Spinner?”

  “I might be. You need more horses?”

  “We hired three hands,” said Clay, “and we’re short on mounts for them.”

  “Why do y’all need hired hands? You ain’t got but three bulls to look after.”

  “New herd was delivered,” said Jacky. “We’re going into the bull breeding business.”

  “You don’t say. I always wondered why Kenny didn’t do that. I think I asked him that question a time or two.”

  “And what did he say?” asked Jack. “Do you remember?”

  Old Spinner shook his head. “Nope. Don’t recall the answer…if there was one.”

  I climbed into the corral and looked over the horses, thinking I’d take three if Mr. Spinner was of a mind to part with three of them. I pointed to the three I liked. “How about these three. How much would you want for them?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I’m fairly attached to that Appaloosa, and I really like that buckskin too.”

  “How about twelve hundred for the three,” I offered. “They aren’t too young.”

  “I was thinking more like five apiece,” he said and rubbed the stubble on his face. “Heard Kenny left you boys a little nest egg.”

  How does everybody know our business?

  “Thirteen hundred is about as high as I’m going,” I said.

  Old Spinner looked like he was deep in thought, then he nodded his head. “Okay, then. You bring the cash?”

  “Uh huh. I brought cash.” I counted out the money, put it into his gnarled arthritic hand and he smiled.

  “This is turning out to be an all right day after all.”

  “Sure is.” I pointed to the saddles in the load bed of the truck. “Saddle up two and lead one back to our ranch.”

  “Yep,” said Clay. He and Jacky grabbed their saddles and were ready to ride inside of five minutes.

  “Way y’all go. I’ll follow along behind.” I jumped behind the wheel of Daddy’s old pickup and gave Jessup a wave as I drove away.

  McKenna Ranch.

  THE girls were excited and worked up about the horses when we got home to our ranch. There was a heated debate at the corral fence on who was riding which one.

  Kate seemed to have the upper hand and she claimed the buckskin and I agreed—he was a beauty and would have been my first pick. Harper wanted the Appaloosa in a bad way and that left the roan mare for Laney. She seemed happy with it and that was all that mattered. Laney appeared to be the least aggressive of the three girls. Kate and Harper were sisters and argued about everything.

  “Now y’all have to give them decent names,” said Jack. “Nothing girly or goofy.” He winked at them. “Horse names we all can live with.”

  “Umm… let me see,” said Kate. “I think a good name for this gorgeous boy would be Buckshot.”

  Jack nodded. “I can accept that.” He pointed at Laney and she said, “Luna. I’m calling her Luna.” She stroked the mare’s nose.

  Clay raised an eyebrow but didn’t offer a comment.

  Harper was last. She stood beside the big Appaloosa with the rust colored spots and said, “Paprika. Yep. Paprika it is.”

  “Now that’s an out of the way name for a horse,” said Jack, “can’t you come up with something
better than that?”

  “That name suits her, Harper,” said Kate. “Good name.”

  Fearing another round of arguing, I asked the question on my mind. “What’s for dinner?”

  Broken Spur roadhouse.

  SATURDAY night was always wild and crazy at the roadhouse. It was the only game in town and with a live band most Saturdays, it was hard to get a table.

  Clay was singing tonight. One of his part-time gigs, and Jacky and I usually went with him when he played. He was our entertainment and besides, we were never too busy for a trip into town followed by a pitcher of Lone Star.

  When we first arrived, we were lucky to get seats at the bar, but Ricki, the waitress, had a thing for me—she liked me way too much—and she watched for a table for the six of us. I figured we’d have to split up. There was no room for six people to sit together. Not tonight.

  We’d already polished off two pitchers of Lone Star at the bar before Ricki came running over and told me to hurry if I wanted the table she was holding for us. The girls ran on ahead and grabbed extra chairs and we all squeezed in. Only five of us by that time. Clay had gone to the stage.

  “Thanks for that, Ricki,” I said. “Appreciate it.”

  “You owe me a dance, Logan. I’ll come by on my break.”

  Jacky poked me in the ribs and said, “Now you’ve done it.”

  “Hey, I’ll make the supreme sacrifice. We needed a table.”

  Clay stepped up to the mic with his guitar slung across his chest and a table of girls close to the stage started hollering. Harper turned around and glared at them and I could almost see the sparks shooting off her.

  She likes Clay a lot, but does Clay feel the same way?

  “Does Clay know those girls screaming down front?” she asked me.

  “We know everybody in Broken Spur,” I said.

  Harper hopped up off her chair and edged her way through the dancers to get closer to the stage.

  “Go watch her, Jacky. Make sure she’s not getting into trouble.”

  “You watch her Logy. I’m gonna dance with Laney.”

  “I’ll watch her.” Kate headed towards the stage and I figured I’d better follow her.