Count On Me: Baytown Boys

by Maryann Jordan

  Before Lizzie had a chance to speak, an old truck pulled into the driveway but continued past the house, not stopping until it got to the gate. The sputtering noise from the engine had everyone swing their gazes around. Spying the veterinarian moving toward them, Colt muttered, “Jesus, Sam needs to get a new vehicle or get that one fixed.”

  Scott had met the pretty, petite veterinarian when he first adopted Rufus and took him in to be checked. Samantha Collins was a dedicated veterinarian who would take care of any animal even if the owner could not pay. He had no doubt her vehicle was due to working in a rural area in the poorest counties in Virginia. But Colt was right, she definitely needed her truck checked out. He made a mental note to talk with Jason when he went back to town.

  He watched Sam approach, her intelligent gaze settled on the scene in front of her before she sighed heavily. “Oh, fuck, Lizzie. I’m so sorry.”

  Lizzie looked up through watery eyes and begged, “Please, Sam, tell me they didn’t suffer.”

  It was easy for everyone to see that Sam struggled with Lizzie’s question, but Scott appreciated her reply. “Lizzie, honey, why don’t you let Scott take you back to the house. The Sheriff has to take a look around and so do I. As soon as we know what we’re dealing with, honey, I promise, I’ll come talk to you.”

  Scott, knowing that Lizzie was in no shape to make a decision on her own, stood and assisted Lizzie to her feet. With his arm wrapped around her, he sent a pointed look toward Gareth and Colt, letting them know that he wanted to be involved in anything they found.

  Katelyn stepped forward and said, “Lizzie, let’s go into the kitchen. You look like you could use a cup of tea, and we’ll make some coffee for everyone here.”

  Scott was afraid that Lizzie would protest, demanding to stay in the field, but was grateful when she did not. Barely nodding at everyone, she took Katelyn’s hand and started to walk toward the house. Stopping, she turned back. “Don’t do anything with… them. At least not without me.”

  His heart breaking for her, Scott watched as Katelyn wrapped an arm around Lizzie and led her back to the house, where they disappeared inside.

  Whirling around, rage searing through him, he growled, “Colt, we gotta do something. This shit can’t keep going. First the property. Next the animals. When the fuck is somebody going to come after her?”

  Sam’s gaze jerked from the goats on the ground to the men standing around. “Obviously, there’s things going on here that I had no idea about. Colt? I’m going to let you tell me what you need from me.”

  Colt’s jaw ticked as he looked from Scott to the veterinarian. “Sam, I need to know the cause of death. Accidental or intentional.” Looking at Hunter, he said, “Get the deputies on the cut wire at their pen.”

  Scott watched as Sam snapped on a pair of gloves before kneeling next to the goats. On her knees, she bent forward and examined their faces, pulling her phone out of her pocket to snap pictures. There appeared to be vomit on the ground nearby, and she scooped small samples, placing them into plastic bags. Moving to the other goat, she also took samples of fecal matter. Finally, she looked at the remains of cut plant limbs nearby, her mouth tight as she stood and turned toward the others.

  “Azaleas are the standard flowering bush of the South but well-known to be poisonous to many animals, including goats. I remember Lizzie taking out all of the azalea bushes around the house when she decided to raise goats. Her grandfather hated to lose the pretty bushes that her grandmother had planted and loved, but he understood Lizzie’s need to make the entire area safe. Obviously, the goats don’t get to the house, but she didn’t want to take a chance.” Inclining her head downward to the clump of cut, half-eaten plants, she said, “That’s the source of the poison, right there.”

  One of the deputies nearby scrunched his brow and asked, “So, the goats just got into the poisoned plant by accident and that’s all?”

  Colt whipped his head around and bit out, “I hardly think the goats cut their own plants and brought them into their pasture to munch on. She just said that Lizzie got rid of all the azaleas. That would indicate somebody brought the plants in!”

  The deputy blushed but continued to take pictures of the area. Scott, barely trusting his voice to hold with the anger coursing through him, asked, “Why would the culprit put the plants out here when the goats were in the pen near the barn? He would have done more damage to the whole herd if he’d toss the azalea bushes into that pen.”

  Shaking her head, Sam said, “I’m afraid that’s for you all to figure out. I can’t begin to imagine what kind of person would poison defenseless animals.” Shifting her gaze toward Colt, she added, “I’m going to head to the barn and check out the rest of the animals to make sure there’s nothing else going on. Once you’re finished out here, let me know. I’ll take care of disposing of the goats after I talk to Lizzie.” With a nod from Colt, she collected her sample bags and headed toward the barn, and Scott was grateful that Sam had dropped everything to come out immediately.

  Another deputy came from the barn and said, “The wire was definitely cut. Not a huge hole, but obviously enough that a couple of goats got out.”

  Colt scrubbed his hand over his face. “That’s probably what they wanted. Someone is out to make things difficult for Lizzie but not necessarily try to destroy her whole farm.”

  Scott looked at Colt and Gareth, saying, “I had the security camera feed into an app on my computer. I can also pull it up with my phone, but it may be too small for us to tell anything from here.”

  “Let’s see it anyway,” Colt said.

  The men moved into the shade so they could view his phone screen while Scott quickly opened the app. Scrolling along with his finger, they finally spied a shadow moving along next to the barn. Cursing, Scott said, “Fuck! I didn’t get the right camera angles. Fuckin’ hell, I don’t know if we can see any better than this.”

  “Send all that information to me,” Gareth said. “I’ve got some programs that will be able to sharpen the image on this.”

  “Whatever you get, send it to me,” Colt said.

  Colt headed back to his deputies to finish searching the area while Scott and Gareth headed toward the house. Once there, Gareth collected Katelyn, who offered Lizzie a heartfelt hug. After seeing them drive away, Scott pulled an emotionally exhausted Lizzie into his arms.

  Lizzie turned her red-rimmed eyes toward Scott, her heart aching but her brain still scrambling to understand the events of the morning. His eyes held pain as well, but try as she might to want him to feel better, the weight on her chest simply intensified. His arms held her tightly, and she clung to him for dear life, dark emotions clawing at her.

  She tried to speak but it came out as little more than a croak. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  His arms spasmed, squeezing her even more. With his lips pressed to her forehead, he replied, “We’re going to get through this, baby. I know you’re hurting, but just let it out. Give it all to me, and I’ll carry it. I swear to you, I’ll carry your pain.”

  As her tears slowly subsided, she heard his steady heartbeat as her face pressed against his chest. It never wavered. It just remained steady. She thought about his words, and it dawned on her that he had not promised that nothing bad would ever happen to her again. But that when it did, he would be there for her, carrying her pain. She could not imagine a more beautiful declaration of love.

  Tilting her head back, she held his gaze and said, “I love you.” Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she whispered, “It may not be the right time to say that, but it’s what I feel right now.”

  He pressed his lips against her forehead once again, taking her weight and giving his strength to her. “There’s never a wrong time to tell someone you love them, Lizzie. Just know that I love you, too.”

  Tucked together, they stood in her kitchen for several more minutes until she finally felt as though she could stand on her own. Pushing back slightly, her hands c
lutched his arms as she said, “I didn’t get anyone fed this morning. I’ve got to go out and do that.”

  “I’ve already called Lia and told her what’s going on. I’m going to repair the fence in the pen and help you get everything done. We’ll wait and shear Mark Antony tomorrow. He’ll be fine to wait another day.”

  “But that means I’ll have to put the buyer off another day.”

  “Will that keep them from buying the fleece at all?”

  Shaking her head, she replied, “No. I suppose the next day will be fine.”

  “That’s what you need to do, baby. Prioritize what has to be done, and then we’ll take care of it.”

  Just as they stepped apart, a knock on the back door had them turn to see Sam standing outside. Calling out, “Come on in,” Lizzie quickly swiped her hands over her cheeks to wipe away the remnants of her remaining tears.

  Stepping inside, Sam accepted the cup of coffee that Scott handed to her. “Thanks,” she said, taking a sip of the hot brew before accepting Lizzie’s offer for them to sit down at the table. Once settled, Lizzie waited for Sam to speak, noting the fatigue around the veterinarian’s eyes. She was so grateful that Sam had come quickly and yet realized that she probably pulled her away from other clients.

  “Before you tell us what happened, I just need to let you know how much it means to me that you dropped everything to come out here,” Lizzie said. “I’m sure this is an imposition.”

  Shaking her head, Sam smiled wearily. “Oh, Lizzie, I’m glad I could be here for you. I’m just sorry for the reason.” Taking another sip of coffee, she cleared her throat. “Okay, let’s get this done, and I’ll take care of the goats for you.” She sat up straight and tucked a few wayward strands of dark brown curls behind her ears. Sucking in a fortifying breath, she began. “From my preliminary investigation, it appears the goats ingested azalea clippings, which are poisonous, as you know.”

  “Azalea clippings?” Lizzie gasped. Her gaze shot between Sam and Scott, and she said, “There were no azaleas here!”

  Scott reached over and grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze, saying, “We know, honey. Just listen, please.”

  “There was a clump of azalea branches, most of the leaves stripped and the branches chewed on,” Sam explained. “I even found a bit of string that seemed to have tied them together. My guess? Someone threw them into the field, knowing that when the goats got out, they would eat them and become sick. I’ve taken blood samples from both goats as well as samples from the vomit and feces nearby. That will let me know for sure if the azaleas were the culprit.”

  “But why?” Lizzie cried.

  “I’m afraid that’s for the Sheriff to discern,” Sam said. “I know they were looking at the cut fence of the pen near the barn. I’m afraid that’s all I can tell you for now.”

  The realization that someone was willing to kill an animal just to get rid of Lizzie slammed into her, having the effect of drying her tears and filling her with anger. Forcing her words to remain steady while her body shook, she thanked Sam profusely.

  Sam stood to leave and then said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I fed your animals. I knew you would get to them but wanted you to take care of yourself first.”

  Scott stood and turned toward Lizzie, offering his hand as she moved next to him. “Dr. Collins, we appreciate what you’ve done more than you can know.”

  “I can’t say it was my pleasure, but it was my job. I’m glad that I can be here for you. Oh, and by the way, call me Sam… everyone does,” she replied. She turned and started for the door, saying, “Of course, the animals are not in the field where the two goats are. I’m going to open the gate and back my truck close by. Scott, I’ll need some help loading them into the back of my pickup.”

  Lizzie and Scott nodded their agreement, but a few minutes later heard Sam’s engine grinding and clunking but not starting. Shoulders slumping, Lizzie shook her head and said, “Is this day just cursed?”

  Giving her hand a squeeze, he kissed her forehead. “I’ll call Jason and have him send out a tow truck. Why don’t you fix some breakfast, sweetheart? I’ll help Sam, and since the animals are already fed, that saves us some time.”

  She doubted she could eat a bite without choking but knew that Scott was trying to give her something to do to keep her mind as well as her body busy. Nodding, she moved over to the refrigerator as he headed outside to help Sam.

  24

  “Jason is sending someone with a tow truck, and they should be here soon.” Scott was standing next to Sam’s truck, hoping to alleviate some of her frustration but knowing he had little chance of doing so. The rumble of a diesel engine and the crunch of gravel had them look up to see the tow truck pulling into Lizzie’s drive.

  When the driver climbed out, he recognized Joseph. Walking forward to greet him with his hand stuck out, he said, “Has Jason got you working in the garage as well as the tattoo shop?”

  “Yep.”

  Scott knew that Joseph was a man of few words and had his day not already been shot to hell, he probably would have grinned. As it was, he simply stated, “We’ve had problems here this morning. I don’t know if Jason filled you in, but Dr. Collins, the veterinarian, needs to deal with two of Lizzie’s goats that were poisoned and died.”

  He watched as Joseph’s jaw ticked as though tight with anger, but the large man simply nodded.

  “I wasn’t sure if one of Jason’s mechanics could see if he could get Sam’s truck started now or if it was going to have to be towed. Since you’re here, I’m assuming all the mechanics were busy.” Another nod from Joseph was the only response. “Well, since it’s going to have to be towed into the shop, I’ll follow so that I can take Sam back to the vet’s practice to get another vehicle. We’ll still have to dispose of the goats.”

  “Don’t worry about following,” Joseph said. “I can get the vet to the office and can also deal with the goats.”

  Joseph walked over to Sam’s truck and called out to Scott, “Keys?”

  Sam stepped forward and, pulling the keys out of her pocket, handed them to Joseph.

  The large man’s gaze raked over her before asking, “Where’s the vet?”

  Arching an eyebrow, Sam straightened and firmly stated, “I am.”

  Scott had the feeling that Joseph was rarely shocked, but the look on the other man’s face gave evidence that Joseph was surprised.

  “You’re Sam? The veterinarian?”

  With her hands on her hips, Sam cocked her head to the side and asked, “Which stuns you more? That my name is Sam? Or that a female can be a veterinarian?”

  Joseph scowled and turned without answering, walking back to the tow truck. Once inside, he maneuvered it so that he would be able to hook up her truck.

  Glancing toward Scott, Sam snorted. “The man doesn’t say much, does he? And what little he does say, he manages to put his foot into his mouth.”

  Scott considered himself to be a peacemaker, and under better circumstances might have tried to smooth things over between the taciturn tattoo artist and the irritated veterinarian. But as shitty as the morning had been for Lizzie, all he wanted to do was make sure things were right with her.

  “You can trust him, that’s all you need to know. I’m going to head back inside to check on Lizzie. Let me know if you need anything else from me.”

  A few minutes later, in the kitchen with Lizzie, he looked up as she called to him. She was standing at the kitchen sink, staring out the window, her fingers pressed to her lips as another tear slid down her cheek. Hurrying over, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, looking out the window to see what had caught her attention.

  Joseph had walked to the field and had picked up one of the goats in his arms, cradling its lifeless body carefully, giving evidence that he understood the precious burden. He laid it gently into the back of Sam’s pickup truck before going back into the field and, with just as much care, bringing the second goat’s body.

 
; “Sam’s clinic is between here and Baytown,” Scott began. “They must be planning to stop at her clinic so that she’ll have the proper way to dispose of them before towing her truck into town.”

  Nodding, her head bumped into his chin. “That’s really nice of them to do that for me.”

  “They’re both nice people. Maybe they’ll recognize that in each other.” Turning Lizzie in his arms, he pulled her against his chest and held her tightly. Glancing over her head, he saw that she had fixed a little breakfast and was determined to see if she would eat. Nudging her toward the table, he said, “Come on, sweetheart.” Thrilled she did not resist, he vowed to not only take care of her but find out who was threatening her and the farm.

  Lizzie went through the motions of her day, glad that most of her tasks were so rote she could have done them with her eyes closed. And yet, today more than other days, she spent more time with her animals. Rubbing their heads. Giving little treats. Snapping pictures with her phone. She was anxious to shear Mark Antony but knew that Scott was right to wait another day. She was weary down to her very bones and feared she did not have the strength for a strenuous endeavor.

  By mid-afternoon, Sam had called to tell her that she had sent off blood samples, and while it would be several weeks before a definitive answer was in, her examination of the goats indicated plant toxicity.

  “I want to thank you for everything you did today,” Lizzie said, once more standing at her kitchen window, looking out over the farm.

  “You know it’s part of my job,” Sam replied. “A sad part, but I’m willing to help in any way I can.”

  “Did you get your truck fixed?” A little snort came from the other woman, and Lizzie’s ears perked up.

  “Yes, the grumpy bear got my truck to Jason’s, and he’s already got it working. I should get it back tomorrow.”

  “Grumpy bear?”

  “I know I shouldn’t call Joseph that because he really was very kind this morning.” Sam began. “But throughout the entire ordeal, he barely said a word to me. I think if he could talk only in single words or grunts, he would.”