by Kate Pearce
“Listen up, whichever Miller you are, I don’t have four brothers backing up my every move. If I say I can’t get to them today, I can’t, so do whatever the hell you like.”
Doug ended the call leaving Danny staring speechless at the blank screen.
“He’s not coming?” Adam asked, his incredulous expression mirroring Danny’s.
“Nope.”
Adam cast a distracted glance back at the two calves who were lying at their mother’s feet.
“We can’t just leave them here. Doug might say he doesn’t want them, but I’m sure as hell he’ll try and sue the pants off us if we let them die. He’s just that kind of guy.”
“Let’s get the rest of his cows back on his side of the fence, first,” Danny suggested. “Maybe if we move the two calves over as well, the mothers will follow them?”
Adam rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as the rain started up again and dripped off the brim of his Stetson. “That’ll probably work, but the calves still aren’t going to thrive outside in this weather.”
“Which isn’t our problem as long as they’re on Bryson land,” Danny reminded him.
“Yeah, I get that, but I still don’t like it.” Adam exhaled. “I could get hold of Dad and ask him to drive the cattle trailer up here so we could load them on that.”
“And take them round to Doug? That’s just what he wants,” Danny said. “He’s so damn lazy.” He looked back at the way too quiet calves. “Okay, call Dad. The trailer is all gassed up and ready to go. All he has to do is drive it.”
* * *
Faith waved as she approached the Ramirez brothers, who were waiting for her in the barn. They’d only recently arrived in Morgan Valley and treated her just like they treated Dave, which was a pleasant change after some of the comments from longtimers she’d endured over the last two weeks. She had no idea why there was still such animosity toward her and could hardly just come out and ask exactly what the problem was. It definitely had something to do with Danny, but she was reluctant to believe he had gone around bad-mouthing her for years.
Red Ramirez, the older of the brothers, came forward to shake her hand, his expression anxious.
“Buenos Dias, Faith.”
Faith set her bag on the mounting block and faced her apprehensive audience. “I got the lab results back for the dead calf, and I think it’s going to be okay.”
“Really?”
“It’s not infectious. You don’t have to worry about the rest of the herd.”
The brothers slapped each other on the back before turning to Faith, who handed over the printed results.
“From the fecal samples the state vet determined it was a rare form of clostridium that probably just lived in the ground exactly where she was born.”
“That’s . . . crazy.” Red shook his head. “When we found her down, we feared the worst, but it seems like it was just a freakish accident.”
“Pretty much,” Faith agreed. “It’s still awful to lose an apparently healthy calf like that, but at least you know it’s not part of a pattern of infection.”
“Thank God.” Red crossed himself and looked skyward. “We were freaking out and disinfecting everything and everybody who came into contact with her.”
“I can imagine,” Faith said. “Is there anything else I can look at for you while I’m here?”
“No, we’re good, and thank you so much for coming out here to tell us yourself.”
“You’re welcome,” Faith replied as he patted her shoulder and walked her back to her truck.
“Have your parents left for their trip yet?”
“Yes, they set off last weekend.” Faith grinned. “They looked so happy to be leaving it was almost insulting.”
“Well, your father has put in a lifetime of work here so I can’t blame him.” Red opened the door of the truck for her with an elaborate bow.
“Why, thank you.” Faith climbed in and smiled down at him.
“Any chance you’d like to have a drink with me at the Red Dragon one evening?” Red asked.
Faith blinked. “Like a date kind of drink or just friends kind of thing?”
“Whatever you prefer.”
Faith remembered her promise to drop in at Nancy’s place of employment. “Maybe on Friday?”
“Sure! I’ll meet you there around seven.” Red stepped away from the truck. “You’ve got my number if anything comes up. I know what a veterinary schedule can get like.”
“What schedule?” Even as Faith spoke her cell buzzed and she groaned. “See? I thought I’d have a few hours off before afternoon appointments began.”
Red chuckled. “I’d best get on. Have a great day now, Faith, and thanks for bringing such good news.”
He walked away leaving her to unlock her phone and check her text messages. The latest one had come through from Dave and was marked urgent.
While you’re up at the Ramirez place can you call in at the Millers? Jeff left a message about two calves up at the top boundary of their ranch, which is about quarter of a mile away from where you are now.
Will do.
Faith ignored her rumbling stomach and headed out onto the narrow road that led down to the gate and took a right. Even though she’d been away from Morgan Valley for years she retained an instinctive knowledge of where all the ranches lay and how to get to them. The lower gate to the Millers’ land was already open and fresh tire tracks in the mud made it easy for her to locate exactly where she needed to aim for.
She pulled up behind a cattle trailer and got out of the truck. At the far end of the field, a trio of cowboys were standing with their backs to her, hands on hips staring down at the ground. It was the first time she’d been near the Miller Ranch since she’d come home. She braced herself for a chilly reception as she slogged through the mud toward them.
“Hey!” she called out as she approached. “Dave said you had a problem up here, Mr. Miller.”
All three guys turned around and she had no difficulty distinguishing the grim face of Adam Miller from that of his brother Danny, who was about the same height as his father.
“Is that you, Faith McDonald?” Jeff Miller asked.
“Yes.” She nodded at the calves, determined to keep the occasion professional. “What happened?”
“Doug Bryson’s cows got through the fence a while ago. He was supposed to come and pick them up but didn’t have the time,” Adam said in his deep voice. “We decided to move his cows back over the property line and discovered these two had already calved.”
“Yours or Bryson’s?” Faith set her bag down on the least muddy bit of ground and crouched beside the first calf.
“Bryson’s,” Danny said.
“They look small.”
“Yeah, well, Doug isn’t exactly known for how well he treats his cattle.”
“Did anyone call him?”
“I did.” Danny grimaced. “He told me to push them into his field, and he’d get up here when he had the time.”
“I don’t think these two little ones have time to wait for him to turn up. They need to be under cover and warm.” Faith got out her stethoscope, pressed it against the first calf’s chest, and frowned. “This one doesn’t sound good.”
She moved over to the other one. “Neither does this one.” She looked up at Adam. “I see you’ve got your cattle trailer up here. Any chance we can use it to transport the calves back to Doug’s place?”
“That’s what we were planning on doing.” Adam nodded. “I checked in with Dave just to make sure it would be safe to move them, and he said he’d send you to take a look.”
“To be honest, I don’t think we have a choice.” Faith went to stand, and Danny stepped forward to help her, his grip warm on her elbow.
“If we don’t get them off this wet ground, they probably won’t survive the night,” Faith said. “If Doug can keep a close eye on them and we can do some tests they’ll have a much higher chance of survival.”
“Then
let’s move them,” Jeff Miller said decisively. “We can take one calf between us and get it done in one hit.”
“Dad . . .” Adam looked at his father. “You know—”
Jeff waved off whatever his son was about to say and stomped over to the second calf. “You take the head, Adam, and I’ll get the legs.”
“Fine,” Adam said, sighing. “But just be glad Mom’s not home right now because if she found out what you’ve been doing, she’d kill you.”
Danny cleared his throat and gestured at the other calf. “You okay to get this one?”
“Sure.” Faith put her stethoscope away in her pocket and hunkered down to take the back end of the calf. “I didn’t know your parents were back together again.”
“I’m not sure if they are, but they’re certainly seeing a lot of each other if they aren’t.” Danny laid the calf gently in the back of the trailer on the packed straw. “I just keep out of it.”
“And, is your dad okay?” Faith lowered her voice. “My mom said something about him having a heart attack recently.”
“He did and he’s in recovery. Hopefully, he’ll be able to avoid any more surgery.” Danny glanced back at the field. “Do you want to check out the new mothers while you’re here? Maybe they will offer up some clues as to what’s up with the calves.”
“That’s a good idea.” Faith considered the large trailer. “If we sectioned off the middle, we could probably fit them in here. Receiving colostrum from their mothers is extremely important for the calves.”
“I’ll tell Adam,” Danny said. “It shouldn’t take long to load them when their calves are already on board.”
He walked away to consult with his big brother, who was still arguing with his father. Adam was a head taller than Danny, but they had a similar quiet, solid-as-a-rock vibe to them as opposed to their rather more irascible father. As she waited, Faith mentally ran through a list of potential issues for the poor condition of the calves. It might just be that they’d been born too soon in a waterlogged field in the coldness of a Morgan Valley night. But, from what she’d seen, all the Bryson cattle didn’t look too healthy.
She didn’t have a strong memory of Doug from school, although she remembered his sister, who had been in the 4-H club and junior barrel racing with her. She’d liked Sue Ellen and wondered whether she was still at home or if she had left the valley.
“Watch out, Faith,” Adam called out as he herded one of the cows toward the trailer.
She quickly got out of the way and waited for them to load the second cow and make sure the trailer was secure.
Adam slammed the last bolt home. “I’ll drive, Dad.”
“I’ll follow you,” Faith said.
“You don’t need to drive me anywhere, Adam,” Jeff Miller said. “I’m perfectly capable of getting my own trailer down to Bryson’s place.”
“I know, but I don’t want you getting out of the truck when you do get there, yelling at him and making things worse,” Adam said.
Faith hid a smile as father and son squared up.
“If you’re going to be like that about it, I’ll take your horse back to the ranch and leave you to it,” Jeff snapped, and stomped off through the mud toward the horses.
“Dad—” Adam set off after him.
Faith decided to go back to her truck, turn it around, and be ready to leave when the Millers finished arguing. She texted Dave to let him know what she was doing. By the time she looked up from her phone, the cattle trailer was on the move and heading for the gate.
She waited until it went past her truck and filed in behind, only pausing to close the gate on her way out. At this point the two ranches weren’t that far apart, but the roads and tracks followed the boundaries, which meant they had to go down the slope before they could head back up. As they headed up the drive toward the Bryson Ranch, Faith couldn’t help but check the place out as she drove by. From what she could see, several of the fields were waterlogged and hadn’t been maintained, leaving a lot of the cattle knee-deep in mud.
A collection of barking dogs greeted their arrival at the barn. Faith made sure she had her usual pocketful of dog treats and was ready for anything before she left the safety of her truck. A woman appeared at the entrance of the barn and came toward Faith, her expression puzzled.
“What’s going on?”
“Sue Ellen?” Faith offered a smile that wasn’t returned. “I don’t know if you remember me, but—”
“I remember you, Faith McDonald. Everyone in this valley does. Running out on a good man like Danny Miller and never bothering to come home. How could we forget?” Sue Ellen met Faith’s startled gaze. “Sorry, I pride myself on being honest and speaking my mind.”
“So, I see. Well—”
Sue Ellen’s attention slid past Faith and she smiled.
“Hi, Danny. What brings you here?”
Danny smiled back at Sue Ellen, aware that Faith wasn’t looking very happy and wondering what had caused it.
“Hey, Sue Ellen. Did Doug tell you about the calves being born in our top field?”
Her cheeks went red. “He said he couldn’t get the cows back because you’d repaired the fence, but he was worried about them.”
“Well, he doesn’t need to worry anymore. We’ve brought them to you.” He pointed at the trailer. “Faith took a quick look at them and they’re small, cold, and probably dehydrated.”
“Then let’s get them into the barn and take a look,” Sue Ellen said. “Doug’s not here right now. He’s in town trying to get his truck fixed at Ted Baker’s. That’s why he couldn’t come and get the cows.”
“I guess we can manage by ourselves,” Danny said. “Faith?”
“Sure, we can.” Faith put on her gloves. “Let’s start with the calves.”
While Faith was busy evaluating the calves, Sue Ellen came up beside Danny and touched his shoulder.
“Are you okay having to be around her?”
“It’s fine.”
“You know you don’t have to pretend with me, Danny. I remember how sad you were when she ran off without a word.” She leaned in closer. “I heard that she went off to Vegas with some rando rodeo guy. Is that true?”
“I have no idea,” Danny said. “And, even if she did, that’s her business.”
“Oh, of course it is, but it says a lot about her character, doesn’t it?” Sue Ellen studied the back of Faith’s head. “She’s lucky Doug isn’t here. He’d probably order her off our land.”
“For something that happened seventeen years ago?” Danny asked.
“Doug doesn’t forget a slight. Faith refused to go to Junior Prom with him.”
“Probably because she was going with me,” Danny reminded her gently. “If I can let things go, Sue Ellen, I think you and Doug could, as well.”
“You’re too nice, Danny. She doesn’t deserve it.”
As Sue Ellen’s voice rose, Faith looked over her shoulder and stood up.
“They need fluids.” She turned to Sue Ellen. “Do you want me to set that up or—”
“We can manage, thanks,” Sue Ellen interrupted her. “We don’t need unnecessary vet bills.”
“Okay.” Faith cast another worried look back at the calves. “Warmth and electrolytes will definitely help.” She peeled off her gloves and balled them up in her fist. “If you don’t need me, I’ll get out of your hair. I have to get back to the clinic for afternoon appointments or Dave will kill me.”
She offered them both a smile and turned toward the exit of the barn. Danny looked at Sue Ellen.
“Aren’t you at least going to thank her?”
“For interfering?” Sue Ellen shrugged. “She didn’t need to come here and nose around. It’s obvious what happened to the calves and we are well capable of taking care of our own cattle.”
“We asked her to check the calves out,” Danny said. “She didn’t just turn up uninvited. Excuse me.”
He went after Faith and found her just about to leave. He
flagged her down and she opened her window with obvious reluctance. Even after all this time he knew she was upset by Sue Ellen’s behavior.
“Sorry she’s being an ass,” Danny said.
“It’s okay, I’m kind of getting used to it,” Faith said with a tight smile. “Please reassure her that I don’t intend to charge her a cent for my time.”
“Faith.” Danny set his fingers on the lowered window. “I’m sorry we dragged you into this.”
“It’s okay.”
“Look . . .” Aware that he’d been slapped down once, Danny hesitated. “We really do need to talk.”
She nodded stiffly. “Fine. I’ll be in town Friday night. Maybe we could meet at the coffee shop?”
“Sure. I’ll check in with Adam and Dad as to our schedule, but I think I’m good. I’ll send you a text with a time.”
Her gaze settled on his hand. “I really do need to get back.”
“Okay.” He stepped away from her truck. “I’ll be in touch.”
She nodded, shut the window, and backed up until she was able to swing the truck around to face the gate. He watched her leave, a frown on his face.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” Sue Ellen spoke from behind him and he swung around.
“What the heck is wrong with you?” Danny asked.
She opened her eyes wide. “Wow, she really did do a number on you, didn’t she? You’re still defending her when she left you with a broken heart?”
“That was seventeen years ago,” Danny said evenly. “I’ve moved on, so has Faith, and so should you, Sue Ellen. I really do not need a champion stirring up shit.” He waited, but she continued to glare at him. “Tell Doug to mend his fences and keep his cattle on his own land, okay?”
He marched back to the cattle trailer and got inside, his frustration with both of the Brysons almost impossible to contain. Faith had just been trying to do her job. There was no need for Sue Ellen to treat her like that. He would’ve defended anyone who’d been spoken to so rudely.
Danny turned the trailer around and set off back home. Where had this rumor of Faith running out on him with another guy started? It was the first he’d heard of it, but to be fair, most people wouldn’t have mentioned it to his face. Sue Ellen was famous for her so-called plain speaking and she’d definitely wanted Danny to know what was being said. Had she mentioned the same thing to Faith? It might explain why she’d looked so upset when she was leaving. Danny reminded himself that what Faith thought and believed had nothing to do with him, and that she certainly wasn’t expecting him to defend her.