by Kate Pearce
“Okay, got it.” Dave also stood and looked down at her. “I’m not going to tell tales on you, Faith. What you choose to do with your time here is up to you.”
“Like sneak around with Danny Miller?” Faith asked.
Dave grinned. “I think you did enough of that in high school.”
“Jeff Miller didn’t like his boys dating because it took them away from their chores at the ranch. Danny had to get real creative to see me sometimes.” Faith smiled at the memories. “We used to meet up here on Sundays after church when I was checking the inpatients.”
“Eew . . .” Dave looked around the room. “I really didn’t need to know that.”
Faith punched him gently on the shoulder as she went by him. “Welcome to my life living with you, Mr. Over-Sharer.”
Her cell buzzed as she headed toward the exit and she took it out of her pocket. The text was from Red Ramirez.
Hey, we’ve got another sick calf. If you can swing by at some point and take a look, I’d appreciate it.
Faith quickly replied.
I can come right now.
She checked the time and called out to Dave.
“I’ve got to go up to the Ramirez place. Can you lock up?”
“Sure.” Dave appeared at the doorway. “What’s up?”
“Sick calf.”
He grimaced. “Man, I hope it isn’t scours.”
Faith picked up her newly replenished medical bag. “Not half as much as I do.”
“Maybe while you’re up there you should arrange that date with Red.”
Faith looked at her brother. “What are you? My mother or something?”
He shrugged. “Just trying to think of a way to get you away from Danny Miller.”
“Dave, for the last time, there is nothing going on between me and Danny except some really important conversations. Conversations denied us by our parents when we really needed to hear from each other.” Faith held his gaze. “If that upsets you, I’m sorry, but if I want to stay here, we have to sort this stuff out.”
Dave held up his hands. “Okay, I hear you. I’ll shut up.”
“Thanks.” Faith marched past him to the back door. “I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as I have a diagnosis.”
She headed out to her truck, dumped her bag on the passenger seat, and started the engine. What was it with everyone in her family cautioning her like she was still a teenager unable to regulate her own emotions? She and Danny were completely different people now who deserved the chance to make things right. What had happened between them had been life-changing and the ripples of that decision continued to this day.
As she drove down the county road and along to the northern end of Morgan Valley her annoyance dissipated slightly. She was still attracted to Danny. She’d almost kissed him earlier. So maybe Dave was noticing something she was refusing to see?
“Ridiculous.” Faith said the word out loud. “Dave wouldn’t notice if someone dropped a rock on his head.”
She pulled up at the lower gate of the Ramirez Ranch and checked her cell for the code Red had left for her. When she pulled up outside the barn, Red was there waiting for her.
“Hey. Thanks for coming up here so fast.” He came to take her bag.
“You caught me at a good time.” Faith followed him into the newly restored barn. “What’s going on?”
Red pointed to the corner of the barn. “This calf is seven days old. He suddenly got sick just like the other one.”
Faith went into the penned-off area and quickly examined the calf. “Definitely dehydrated, but not critical.”
“Yeah, we started giving fluids a few hours ago.”
“Great. Keep it up.” Faith hesitated. “Was this calf in the same field as the other one?”
“No, we’ve taken all our cattle out of there and we’ll probably be ploughing it up and using it for something else for a while.”
“I can give the calf some broad spectrum antibiotics if you’d like?”
“Is it really necessary?” Red grimaced. “I hate to be that guy, but finances are tight at the moment, and we’ve already lost one calf.”
“It’s not essential,” Faith said. “But I like to make sure you have all the options. How are the rest of the herd?”
“All good so far.”
“Then I’ll just take a sample for analysis by the lab and take it from there, okay?”
“Sure.” Red sighed. “This is just the last thing we need right now. We’re barely making it as it is.”
“I get that.” Faith got to her feet and brushed the straw off her knees. “Hopefully this will just be another one-off.” She studied the calf. “This one looks way healthier, so I hope we’ll get her through.”
After running through the protocols for keeping any infection contained, Faith handed over some electrolyte samples from her bag, discussed homemade solutions involving pectin, baking soda, and beef consommé, and asked Red to call her if the calf got worse.
He escorted her back to her truck and set her bag on the passenger seat before closing the door.
“Thanks for coming by, Faith.”
She smiled at him. He was about the same height as she was. “I know this isn’t a good time for you, but I’d still like to have that drink with you sometime.”
His face lit up. “You would? That’s awesome.” He grinned at her. “Let me concentrate on keeping this calf hydrated for the next day or so and, if it survives, we can go out to celebrate.”
“Sure.” She smiled back at him. “I’m looking forward to it.”
* * *
“Dad?” Danny poked his head into the ranch office where his father was sitting at the desk staring into space. “Did you move the trailer?”
“Yup.”
“Then where is it?”
Jeff looked irritated. “Where do you think it is?”
“If I knew that I wouldn’t be asking, now would I?” Danny tried to keep his voice level.
“I took it out to help a friend the other day.”
“Okay, but where did you leave it?”
“Halfway up the back driveway. I pulled off the road.” His father frowned. “Something broke. It was already past sundown and I didn’t have time to work out what it was.”
Danny was about to say that wasn’t like his father when something stopped him.
“You feeling okay?” His father’s failure to immediately shoot him down made Danny come right into the office. “Is everything all right?”
“Dr. Tio wants me to come in for some more tests tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Danny paused. “Do you need a ride into town, or do you want to go by yourself?”
Jeff ’s hand clenched into a fist. “I don’t want to go at all.”
“Why not?”
Jeff shrugged. “Because I hate being poked and prodded. If it’s bad news, I’d rather not hear about it.”
“What if it’s good news?” Danny suggested.
“It’s never good. Dr. Tio’s always going off about something I’m doing wrong.” His father sighed. “I’m sick of it, Danny. I just want to be left in peace.”
Danny considered his father for a long moment. “If I’d just said that to you, what would you tell me to do?”
Jeff scowled at him. “That’s hardly the point, is it?”
Danny carried on. “You would’ve told me to stop feeling sorry for myself, grow a pair, and get down to the clinic before you hogtied me and took me yourself.”
His father shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “It’s not the same.”
“Yes, it damn well is.” Danny held his gaze. “Daisy’s getting married in two weeks.”
“So what?”
“Don’t you want to walk her up the aisle?”
“Sure I do.” Jeff looked indignant.
“Then get those tests done and I bet you’ll be in great shape to do that,” Danny said. “Daisy wants you to be there for her and I know you don’t want to let her down.”
“Okay! But what if that fool doctor says I’m dying?”
“Why would he say that?”
“Because I’m exhausted all the time, I can’t sleep, and I miss your mother!”
Danny winced as his father’s voice rose with each word.
“If she was here you probably wouldn’t be feeling exhausted because she would’ve stopped you doing too much,” Danny pointed out. “What the hell were you doing taking the trailer off the ranch all by yourself anyway?”
“Because I thought I was up to it! And you boys were all busy with the calves.”
Danny paused. “Hang on—did you disinfect it before you used it again?”
His father shrugged. “I washed it down with the hose, but I didn’t get any fancier than that.”
“We’ve been transporting our calves and mothers in that trailer.”
His father frowned. “So what?”
“We’ve currently got an outbreak of what looks like scours and you took the trailer to another ranch.”
“Shit!” Jeff slammed his hand down on the desk. “I didn’t think.”
“Where did you go?” Danny was already turning toward the door.
“To help the Ramirez brothers. I was talking to Red in town the other day. He mentioned they didn’t yet have a large trailer. I brought him back here with me and we took ours up to his place.”
“I’ll go talk to him.” As he walked, Danny pulled out his cell phone and searched for Red Ramirez’s number. He tried to call but wherever Red currently was there was no signal. Adam was out in the barn with Evan checking on the calves and Danny went to find him.
After sharing what had happened, Danny considered whether to ride over to the Ramirez place or drive. It was quicker cross-country, but the heat was already building in the cloudless blue sky.
“Take Spot,” Adam said, his expression grim. “He needs a runout and he’s big enough to get over those boundary fences if you need to.”
“Okay.” Danny quickly saddled up his brother’s black-and-white paint horse, grabbed some water, and mounted up. “If you hear from Faith or Dave, let them know what went down, okay?”
“Will do.” Adam shook his head. “How the hell could Dad have been so careless?”
“He’s got a lot on his mind,” Danny said diplomatically. “I bet he’s beating himself up over what he did right now.”
“I’ll check in with him and make sure the trailer gets fixed and thoroughly disinfected.” Adam nodded. “Now get going.”
Normally Danny loved being on the back of a horse and out on the ranch connecting with his family’s space, but now he was more concerned with getting to the Ramirez place as fast as possible. What he was going to say when he got there was debatable, but he had to let them know what was going on. The last thing the valley needed was a massive outbreak of scours because no one was talking to each other.
He increased his pace and Spot responded, gathering his powerful body for the jump over into the Gomez Ranch with ease. Danny was already sweating as the sun beat down on him, and he tried to focus on the quickest route through to the Ramirez place. He bent his head to avoid some low-hanging branches and suddenly emerged into the pastureland around the ranch buildings. There were a couple of trucks parked outside the barn, but that didn’t necessarily mean anyone was home.
Two dogs started barking as he approached, and he waved at Red, who was now looking his way. It wasn’t until he got a bit closer that he realized Faith was standing right next to him. He couldn’t decide whether he was pleased to see her, so he didn’t have to call, or worried about why she was there.
“Hey, Red, Faith.” He pulled up his horse and looked down at Red. “Sorry for the unexpected arrival, but I couldn’t get you on your cell.”
Red grimaced. “I definitely need a new phone. What’s up, Danny?”
Danny dismounted and Red showed him a shady place with access to water where he could safely leave Spot.
“I should be going,” Faith said, her gaze already moving toward her truck.
“You might want to stay to hear what I’ve got to say first,” Danny said, and turned back to Red. “My dad said he lent you our trailer.”
“Yup.” Red nodded. “It was very kind of him.”
“The thing is—we’ve got a suspected outbreak of scours at our place. Dad didn’t fully disinfect the trailer before he lent it to you.” Danny paused. “I just wanted you to know in case you encounter any problems.”
Red sighed. “We already have.” He looked over at Faith. “Ask the vet.”
Danny silently cursed. “What’s going on?”
“Red has a calf with severe diarrhea and dehydration. We’re currently giving it fluids and electrolytes,” Faith said.
“Damn.” Danny looked Red right in the eye. “I’m sorry. If it has anything to do with us, I can guarantee we’ll pay for any damages.”
“That’s good of you.” Red nodded. “I hate to be that person, but we’re running low on cash and good vibes right now.”
“I’m fairly confident the calf will recover,” Faith said. “Red called me in early.”
“Good.” Danny nodded. “If you need any help, I can send Evan over.”
“It’s okay.” Red nodded. “I think Beau and I can handle it. So far there’s only one affected.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way,” Danny said.
“Amen to that,” Faith agreed. “I need to get this sample off to the lab. As soon as I get the results, we can compare them to the Miller Ranch ones.”
“Makes sense.” Danny tipped his Stetson to Faith. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Faith turned to Red. “I’ll call you about the other thing, okay?”
“Absolutely.” Red’s smile lit up his face. “I can’t wait.”
They both watched her drive away before Red turned to Danny. “Come and get something to drink before you go back. It’s absolutely sweltering out here.”
“Sure.”
Danny followed Red into the welcoming shade of the old ranch house, pausing to take off his boots and wash up in the mudroom before proceeding to the kitchen, which still had a very 1960s vinyl vibe to it.
“Iced tea okay?” Red asked.
“Great.” Danny accepted the tall glass and wandered over to check out the view from the window. “You’ve got a great view of the mountains up here.”
“Yeah. Not sure if it makes it worth all the other shit.” Red joined him. “I’d much rather have a view of Morgan Creek and all that water.”
“I hear you.” Danny nodded. “Still is pretty though.”
When drought hit the upper valley things could get dicey real quick. It was one of the reasons why the original occupants of the valley had moved their town from Morganville down to Morgantown, which was closer to the creek. Fighting summer fires without a water source was also a major cause of worry for the ranchers in the outlying high valley.
He sipped his tea and enjoyed the condensation rolling down the glass over his fingers. “I’m really sorry about the calves, man. It’s not like my dad to forget important stuff like that.”
Red shrugged. “It was still kind of him to offer to help, and we’re not even sure the calves were infected by you guys. It could still be something else.”
“That’s nice of you, but I sure as hell feel guilty.”
“Don’t.” Red smiled. “And every cloud has a silver lining. Getting Faith up here to see the calves meant she remembered to reset our date.”
“Cool,” Danny said, and took a big slug of tea.
Red cleared his throat as if suddenly realizing who he was talking to. “But it’s not like we’re really dating or anything. We’re just friends.”
“Nothing to do with me.” Danny finished his tea. “I’d better be going. I don’t want to leave Spot standing in that heat for too long.”
He rinsed his glass in the sink and set it on the avocado-green countertop. “Thanks for the drink.”
“You’re welcome.” Red headed out and Danny followed him.
“Let me know what’s going on with the calves. If you need me or Evan to come over and help out just holler,” Danny said as he tightened Spot’s girth and mounted up.
“Will do. And thanks again for coming.”
Danny nodded, turned Spot’s head to the left, and set off back toward the copse of trees. He didn’t need to rush back, being more interested in finding shade to keep Spot cool on the return trip. It also gave him time to consider his gut reaction to the idea of Faith dating Red. He didn’t like it. Intellectually he knew Faith’s choices had nothing to do with him, but at some level he still thought of her as his soulmate, which was stupid as hell.
It wasn’t as if either of them had spent the last seventeen years pining for the other. He’d dated other women and he was fairly certain Faith had been in relationships, too. But her being here, in Morgan Valley, was stirring up all kinds of emotions in him that he thought he’d buried for good.
Danny sighed as he set a course for the next group of trees. Maybe he shouldn’t have buried all that shit in the first place. He tried to imagine what his father would’ve done if Danny’s seventeen-year-old self had asked to see a therapist. He’d been expected to forget what had happened, concentrate on his work at the ranch, and never ever discuss it with anyone. It was the Miller family way and it sucked. Not only had he been deprived of the chance to make life-impacting decisions with Faith about their son, but he’d also been denied any information about her condition. She could’ve died and he wouldn’t have been there for her.
His hand tightened on the rein and Spot tossed his head in protest.
“Sorry, buddy.” Danny loosened his grip. “Maybe once I let all this stuff out, I’ll feel better.”
But who could he talk to? The obvious person was Faith, but every time they got together his attraction for her got in the way and made him behave like a fool. Not that she seemed to mind . . . But then she’d always understood him better than he understood himself. She’d already made a distinction between him working through his reactions to all the new stuff he was finding out and how he might feel about her in the present. Because if he was honest with himself, he didn’t really know her anymore, did he? She was frozen in time, his best friend, his first lover, and the mother of his child—a child he’d never even gotten to hold.