Sweet Talking Rancher

by Kate Pearce

  He reached for his phone, blinking at the brightness of the screen, and checked his messages. There was nothing from Faith, but Daisy had sent an emoji-filled text thanking them all for making her wedding so perfect. She and Jackson were off to Napa Valley on a wine-tasting tour for part one of their honeymoon as Daisy had to get back to work.

  Using his thumb, he sent a text to Faith.

  Hope you got home safely, let me know when you want to talk.

  Even as he hit send, he hoped she didn’t keep her phone right next to her bed because she probably wouldn’t appreciate being woken up at the ass crack of dawn by his text. With a yawn, he got out of bed, staggered next door into the shower, and then pulled on whatever random items of clothing came out of the drawer first. Even in the height of the summer the mornings could still start off cold in the shadows of the towering Sierras.

  He banged on Evan’s door as he went past and continued on into the kitchen where he brewed himself a quick cup of coffee. He’d come back in for a proper breakfast after he’d finished his chores. There was still no sign of his dad or Evan, and Adam had stayed with Lizzie, so he guessed the load was all on him. With a sigh, he took his coffee through the mudroom, stepped into his work boots, and went outside into the crisp cut air.

  He started by checking out the chickens, topping up their feed and letting them out to do their free-range thing for the day. Gathering the eggs would have to wait until his headache subsided. His dad wouldn’t appreciate it if he came back in with an omelet. It was cold enough for his breath to condense as he stomped over to the barn, which was at least warmer than the outside. There were ten horses to turn out, which, if no one else bothered to turn up would take him hours.

  Danny silently cursed as he unlocked the feed room and several horses poked their heads out of their stalls in anticipation of their next meal. He really should’ve taken some painkillers for his headache. He checked the wall cupboard where there was a medical kit and discovered some ibuprofen, which he chased down with his coffee. If he built his own house, he’d have to get up even earlier to get back to the ranch to help out.

  It would still be worth it, Danny told himself as he unlocked the feed barrel and dug the scoop in. Not having to look at his father’s face every morning was a big plus. He started with the first stall on the left, which contained Adam’s huge black-and-white horse, Spot, and worked his way down the line. By the time he heard someone whistling as they entered the barn, he’d forgotten about being cold and had worked up a sweat.

  He stuck his head out and saw Evan petting his horse like he had all the time in the world.

  “Hey. You’re late. Get a move on.”

  “I’m just coming, Bro.” Evan gave his horse one last pat. “Not sure why you’re mad. It looks like you’ve got everything in hand.”

  “No thanks to you,” Danny said as he locked the stall door behind him. “Start on the right, okay?”

  “Sure.” Evan strolled leisurely toward the feed room. “How’s your head this morning?”

  “Not great.” Danny followed his brother into the room. “How’s yours?”

  “I don’t get hangovers.” Evan smirked.

  “You will.” Danny handed his brother a bucket. “How about you get on with the feeding while I take the ones who are finished outside?”

  “Any new calves this morning?” Evan asked.

  “I haven’t had a chance to check yet,” Danny confessed. “I’ll look in when I’m out there.”

  “Cool.”

  They worked together to get the horses fed, watered, and let out to graze and then started mucking out the empty stalls. It was hard work, but Danny was so used to it that he just got on and allowed his thoughts to roam free. Not that his thoughts were very comforting this particular morning. He’d slept with Faith again and introduced a whole ton of complications into their new relationship.

  He wheeled a barrow of still-steaming manure around to the back of the barn. It had all happened so fast. The stupid song, Faith melting into his arms, and the need to be with her and comfort her overcoming his common sense. But when had he ever had any sense with Faith? She’d always been the one person in his life whom he couldn’t say no to.

  “Did you enjoy the wedding?”

  He looked up when he reentered the barn as Evan spoke to him.

  “It was great.”

  “Things went okay with Faith?”

  Danny set the wheelbarrow down. “Yeah, they did, although I’m not sure what that has to do with you.”

  Evan shrugged. “Didn’t look like it. You ended up drunk and hanging out with me, remember?”

  “We did enough to silence the gossips.”

  “You think?”

  Danny turned to face his brother. “If you’ve got something to say why don’t you just spit it out?”

  “I saw you going upstairs with her.”

  “So what?”

  “You didn’t come down for almost half an hour.” Evan held his gaze. “She’s not . . . good for you, Bro. She’s using you—”

  Danny held up a finger. “Stop right there. You know nothing about my relationship with Faith, and you don’t really know her at all so keep your opinions to yourself.”

  “Bullshit! I’m your brother! I’ve watched you sit back for the past seventeen years and let life pass you by just because she walked out on you,” Evan said. “And, as soon as she returns, you run straight back into her arms like an obedient puppy?”

  “It’s not like that,” Danny defended himself.

  “It damn well is, and maybe it’s time I pointed it out to you seeing as no one else has the guts to do it.”

  “You’re saying the whole family thinks the same thing?” Danny asked incredulously.

  “The whole family? The whole damn valley knows what she’s doing to you, Danny!” Evan flung out his hand. “They’re all worried.”

  “Because they think I’m too spineless to make my own decisions? That I’ll allow myself to be led around by the horns?” Danny shook his head. “Well, thanks for that at least. It’s good to know what everyone really thinks about me.”

  “I didn’t mean that.” Evan took a step toward him. “Don’t—”

  Danny turned toward the exit. “I’m done for the day. Have a good one.”

  “Danny—”

  He flung up his hand as he marched back to the house. He rarely got angry, but today he was shaking with it.

  When he reached the kitchen his father and auntie Rae were sitting at the table talking quietly to each other. His father immediately frowned.

  “Why are you in so early? Have you finished up in the barn?”

  “Evan arrived late so I’ve left him to finish up.” Danny helped himself to more coffee and stared at the pile of bacon and waffles his aunt had left warming on the stove.

  “Would you like some eggs?” Rae asked. “I can make you some.”

  “I’m good.” Danny wished he didn’t have to sit down with his father but knew that if he attempted to leave Jeff would want to know why.

  “I talked to Mom yesterday. She’s willing to front me the money to get my house started.” Danny sipped his coffee.

  “That’s great!” Rae smiled at him. “It’s about time you had your own place.”

  “I never did,” his father said. “I lived here with my father until he died.”

  “But you were inheriting the ranch.” Danny drank his coffee too fast and almost scalded his throat. “I’m not.”

  His father frowned. “What’s up with you this morning?”

  “Just the usual shit, Dad. That I’m almost thirty-five and I still live at home and work for you.”

  “That’s how family ranches operate. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing.” Danny shook the maple syrup bottle so hard it came out all over his fingers.

  “Is everything okay, Danny?” Rae asked softly. “Are you upset about Daisy leaving?”

  “Nope.” Danny cut into his bacon
and waffles and chewed for as long as he could to avoid having to look up.

  “Then did something happen with Faith?” Rae hadn’t brought up five kids without learning to be both perceptive and relentless.

  Danny set his jaw. “Faith and I are fine. Why the hell is everyone so obsessed with us?”

  “Maybe because you were looking like a besotted calf at her all yesterday,” his dad commented. “I mean, she’s a great-looking woman and a damned fine vet, but she gave you your marching orders seventeen years ago.” He chuckled. “I suppose you’re just a glutton for punishment.”

  “Is that what you all think?” Danny looked from his dad to his aunt. “That I’m kind of some stupid pushover?”

  “No, of course not, Danny,” Rae spoke before his father could get in there. “And, I don’t agree with you at all, Jeff. I think Faith is just as keen on Danny as he is on her.”

  “Ha!” Jeff smacked the table with his hand and roared with laughter. “Why the heck would she be interested in him?”

  Danny picked up his plate. “How about I leave you two to discuss my nonexistent love life while I get on?”

  Rae jumped up and followed him into the kitchen while his father sat there still chuckling to himself.

  “She does like you, Danny. I can sense it.”

  He scraped the rest of his breakfast into the pig bin. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Dad’s right. She’s moved on and done stuff while I’ve sat around and achieved nothing.”

  “You just got your degree! That’s hardly nothing.” Rae’s cheeks flushed as she defended him from himself. “You’re smart, loyal, patient, and kind. A lot of women would love to have a man like that in their lives.”

  He bent to kiss her cheek. “Thank you.”

  “I mean it.” She held his gaze. “Don’t you go putting yourself down now, you hear me? If Faith is half the girl she once was, she’ll work out you’re the right guy for her all over again.”

  As Rae sat back down again to continue arguing with her brother, Danny helped himself to more coffee. He was just about to go back outside when his phone rang. Thinking it might be Faith he picked up.

  “Danny?” someone whispered.

  “Yeah?” It definitely wasn’t Faith. “Who’s this?”

  “Please, can you help me, I don’t know what to do anymore. . . .”

  He checked the display. “Sue Ellen?”

  “Please . . .”

  The call cut off leaving him staring at the screen. He pocketed his phone and turned to his dad.

  “I just got a weird call from the Brysons. If you need me, I’ll be at their place.”

  “What about your job here?” his father called out as he strode toward the door. “I don’t pay you to work somewhere else!”

  Ignoring his dad, Danny picked up his truck keys in the mudroom and went out. The sun had crested the high mountains, but the foothills were still in shadow making patches of light and dark on the road as he drove along. The lower gate of the Bryson place was secured by a looped chain and easy to get through. Danny shut the gate after he’d gone through and continued along to the ranch house.

  This time the top gate was open, so he pulled up in front of the eerily quiet barn. As soon as he stepped out of the truck, he sensed something was wrong. The smell of death was hard to miss and unfortunately familiar on a ranch, but not usually so blatant.

  “Sue Ellen?” he called out, the sound bouncing back off the stone-walled house. “It’s Danny.”

  “Here!”

  There was a faint reply from behind the barn, so he went toward it, the smell growing stronger.

  “Shit.” Danny breathed out hard as he stared at the almost biblical disaster in front of him. “What the hell’s been going on?”

  Cows and calves lay everywhere, and some of them weren’t moving. Sue Ellen sat on the ground with her back against the wall, a calf’s head propped up on her knee as she tried to feed it from a bottle. Her eyes were closed, and she looked exhausted.

  “Sue Ellen.” Danny went over to her and she blearily opened her eyes.

  “I can’t do it anymore. They just keep dying, and Doug’s so sick he can’t get out of bed.”

  Danny looked around at the discarded plastic pouches, boxes of baking soda, pectin, dextrose, and beef consommé. It dawned on him that the day he’d seen Sue Ellen in Maureen’s she’d been gathering supplies to treat the calves, not making preserves. No wonder she’d gotten so defensive with him.

  He hunkered down beside her and checked the calf, which was barely alive.

  “You can’t do this alone.” He took out his cell. “I’m going to call Dr. Tio and ask him to come out here and take care of you and Doug. Then I’m going to help set things right, okay?”

  “Thank you,” she whispered as tears flowed down her cheeks. “I knew you’d come.”

  Danny patted her shoulder and walked back toward his truck, his mind racing as he considered what the hell to do next. This wasn’t a one-man job but asking any of the other ranchers to help out might spread the infection. He called Dr. Tio’s office and was put through directly to the doctor, who promised to come out immediately and take care of the human part of the problem. Danny gave him specific instructions about where to park and what to wear before he came into the ranch, which were well received.

  His next call was to the veterinarian’s clinic. He asked to speak to Dave, but neither of the McDonalds were there yet so he left an urgent message on Dave’s cell phone. The last thing Sue Ellen needed to see as she was hopefully taken to hospital was Faith turning up.

  His cell rang immediately, and he took the call.

  “Danny? Tio says you’ve got a problem up at the Brysons’.”

  “A massive problem. I’d say at least half if not more of their herd is down with scours. It’s like a slaughterhouse up here.”

  “Damn,” Dave said. “We’ll be with you as soon as possible, okay?”

  “I’d sure appreciate it.”

  “We’re on our way.”

  Danny grabbed the two blankets he kept in the back of his truck for his dogs and took them to Sue Ellen. He folded one up behind her head and draped the other over her lap. She hardly stirred, her complexion ashen even as she shivered with fever.

  “Dr. Tio will be here in ten minutes,” Danny murmured. “Hang in there, honey.”

  He knew he needed to check on Doug, but he was reluctant to go into the ranch house without permission. But Dr. Tio needed to know what he was about to deal with. Danny rose to his feet and set off toward the dilapidated building. He paused at the open back door and peered into the darkness.

  “Doug?”

  There was no answer, so he stepped inside where the smell of rotting food hit him squarely in the face. The kitchen was a mess of unwashed dishes, containers full of what he assumed was homemade hydration fluids for the calves, and empty open cupboards. He’d been in the house several times before and knew his way around well enough to locate Doug’s bedroom. The door was open giving Danny a view of Doug with a bucket beside his bed. The smell was bad. Danny clamped his lips together as he approached the bed.

  “Doug.”

  There was no response. Danny carefully gripped Doug’s wrist and tried to find a pulse. It took him a while because his own heart was beating so loudly. He heard the sound of a vehicle outside and made his way back to the front of the house, breathing deeply as he hit the fresh air.

  Dr. Tio and Dave emerged from the medical vehicle, and both of them suited up before approaching him.

  “Thanks for coming so fast.” Even though Danny had been expecting Dave to arrive with Faith he was too pleased to see him to ask what was going on. “Doug’s in there. He’s barely got a pulse. Sue Ellen’s propped up against the rear of the barn surrounded by dead and dying calves.”

  Dave winced. “Wow, sounds like the beginning of a horror movie.”

  “It looks like one, too,” Danny
said.

  “I’ve already called for an ambulance from Bridgeport. By the time it gets here I hope to have made Sue Ellen and Doug more comfortable.” Dr. Tio sighed. “I asked Sue Ellen to bring Doug in to see me last week, but she refused. When I offered to come out here, she said I wasn’t welcome.” He gazed around the stricken farm. “Now I see why, but I feel bad that I didn’t press the issue.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Dave said. “You can’t make stubborn people like the Brysons do anything they don’t want to do.”

  “True,” Danny agreed, although he was feeling pretty guilty himself. He turned to the doctor. “Can I leave you to deal with the Brysons while I take Dave to see the cattle?”

  “Absolutely.” Dr. Tio retrieved his large medical bag from Dave. “I’ll start with Doug.”

  * * *

  An hour later, both the Brysons had been taken away in the ambulance suffering from dehydration and exhaustion brought on by contracting the human version of scours. Sue Ellen was conscious enough for Danny to ask her permission to take care of the herd while she was away. Dr. Tio left to write up his notes leaving Dave with Danny.

  While Dave did a preliminary assessment of the state of the cattle, Danny fed the ravenous dogs, and checked in on the horses in the barn. There were only four and there was no sign of the usual crew of workers most ranches relied on to get stuff done. He guessed they might have walked out when the Brysons failed to deal with the scours outbreak. No rumors had reached him of discontented ranch hands, which was unusual in such a small place, but he had been pretty tied up with Faith and the scours infection at home. He fed the horses and let them out to graze while he mucked out the stalls and replenished their water and hay.

  There was precious little hay or feed left in the barn, yet another indication that dealing with the scours had consumed Doug and Sue Ellen’s attention. When Danny called Fred at the Feed and Grain store, he confirmed that the ranch was in arrears paying its bills but, after listening to Danny’s plea, agreed to send some sustenance for the livestock. Danny wasn’t sure how he was going to get the stuff up to the ranch yet, because he was still in the early planning stages of managing the outbreak, but he’d find a way.