Mattie tried to lift the mask, then coughed, her throat raspy and sore. “What happened? I thought I was going to die in there.”
Clara squeezed her in a warm embrace, her face tear-streaked and pale. “I’ve never been so frightened in all my life. When we saw the animals out here, but not you, the crew went in through the rear. They found you on the floor with this puppy in your arms.”
A paramedic pushed the mask back against Mattie’s skin. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’ll have to keep that on.” He shined a bright light in her eyes and checked her blood pressure. When the medic finished his examination, Mattie pushed herself up on her elbows.
“Did they save the other animals?” she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.
Clara shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just thankful they rescued you. We thought we’d lost you.”
Mattie tried to remember. Her head throbbed, and her body trembled — from the cold night air or shock, she wasn’t sure which. She recalled her futile attempt to save the rest of the animals. How had the fire started?
“Do they know what caused it?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered the microwave and the sparks that had emitted from it only a few hours ago.
“Wouldn’t surprise me if that old house had a short in its wires. I thank God you’re alive.”
The paramedics lifted Mattie onto a stretcher. “We’re going to take you to the hospital to run some tests,” one of them said. “You inhaled a lot of smoke, plus you have first-degree burns on your hands.”
As they wheeled her to the ambulance, Mattie thought of Dusty and panicked. “Clara, I left Gil’s horse in the barn. He’s not tied up or anything, and he’s weak because he hasn’t been eating. Will you call Travis and make sure he looks after him?”
“Sure thing.” Clara squeezed Mattie’s arm and walked beside the gurney. “Don’t worry. As soon as I get a sitter for my kids, I’ll join you at the hospital. We can work out all the details then.” Her friend reached for the young beagle cuddled against Mattie’s hip, but Mattie clung to the warm pup, relishing the gift of life.
“Let me keep him a while longer.”
Clara hesitated. “I’ll take good care of him, don’t worry.”
At Clara’s insistence, Mattie reluctantly let go of the creature. Her arms now cold and empty, like her life. Mattie raised her head and watched as the local fire department worked to put out the blazing inferno. Realizing her home would soon be a pile of smoldering embers, she allowed her emotions to release and a single tear streaked down her cheek.
“WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?” CLARA SAT NEXT TO MATTIE’S BED IN the hospital the following afternoon.
Mattie had been asking herself the same question. She might run her practice from the barn for a little while, but not for long without equipment and supplies. Another option was to rebuild. Or move a mobile home onto the site. But with what? She didn’t have enough money for a down payment, and unfortunately, her limited insurance coverage would not go far in getting her back on her feet.
Her optimism dwindled.
“Maybe I could rent a place. Work part-time at the meat-packing plant in Emporia.” The pay would help build her savings, but the thought of hiring on as a meat inspector soured her stomach. She’d labored too hard to build her clientele in Charris County to see it fade away.
She thought about Dusty and the few animals she’d saved. Unable to care for them, she would need to contact their owners, but all of her records had been destroyed in the fire. Dread slipped its iron grip around her as she imagined what Gil would say about her situation. Incompetent.
That alone filled her with disgust.
“You could stay with me.”
Mattie appreciated the offer, but declined. “We both know you don’t have room for me and my sick animals. What I need is a place with a garage or a nice shed I could turn into a clinic. I’m afraid if I quit, even for a short while, it’d be like starting over again. When I bought Doc Bryant’s place three years ago, he was open two days a week,” Mattie said, “and then for only half a day. The rest of the time, he made house calls and supplemented his income by working at the local stockyards. I’ve done the same.”
Clara grimaced. “My husband always told me to give the restaurant time, but you don’t know how many days I wanted to pack up and move to the city. When he left me stranded with a business to run and three kids to care for after the divorce, I was this close to quitting.” She held her fingers an inch apart. “But I stuck it out. You can too.”
Mattie thanked the Lord for giving her such a good friend. God had looked after her needs, granted her a business, and an income she could live on in the most beautiful place she could imagine. He’d given Mattie her heart’s desire. But what now? Was God testing her faith?
Her father’s failure weighed her with doubt. Perhaps his past would fall on her. She could already hear the gossip, people wondering if she was going to go bankrupt like her dad.
Her head throbbed, thinking about her troubles. “Sometimes I wonder if I should even be a vet — I lost all those patients.”
“Are you kidding me? You risked your life saving those animals, and you rescued the majority of them. Saved the beagle, didn’t you?” Clara offered a warm smile.
A nurse stepped into the room and laid some papers on the bed stand. “The doctor says you can go home. Here are the release papers for you to sign.” She handed Mattie a pen. “Do you have some clean clothes to change into?”
Clara lifted an overnight bag next to her chair. “I thought of that already. The pants will be too big for you, but they’ll work for now.”
Mattie appreciated the kindness, but her friend’s generosity only hammered in the truth that she was homeless. She had no clothes, no personal belongings, nothing to call her own. Her eyes filled with tears.
Clara came to her side and squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll stay with me and the kids until we figure out what you’re going to do next. We don’t have a big house, but there’s a couch and a shower. I’ll find you some clothes to wear too. I might have some jeans packed away from high school you can borrow until we get to a store.”
Mattie allowed her friend to pull her from the bed, careful of her bandaged hands, which stung at the slightest pressure despite the ointment applied to them. Thank you seemed too small a phrase to express her gratitude. A tear streamed down her cheek. “You’re a dear friend, Clara Lambert. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for your kindness.”
Clara hugged her and the warmth of friendship caused Mattie’s throat to swell with gratitude.
“Oh please, knowing you is a blessing. Now come on, let’s get you out of here.”
GIL PUNCHED IN HIS FATHER’S NUMBER, HOPING TO GET THROUGH. He’d tried three times this last hour and received a busy signal each instance.
Who could Dad be talking to?
Earlier that morning, he’d called Mattie’s office, but no one answered there either. Doubts clouded his mind about Dr. Evans and her practice. How could she expect to gain new clientele if she wouldn’t answer her phone?
The phone beeped in his ear, and he hung up, tired of the effort. He needed to leave for his appointment, anyway. The Realtor agreed to show him the estate he was interested in, and his blood surged with excitement. Maybe he’d soon own a place to call home, a place even his father might think worthy of buying.
Ninety minutes later, Gil stepped from his Escalade and met the real estate broker along the property drive. She had long blonde hair swept back from her face and wore a short skirt and heels that looked out of place in the rural setting.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. McCray.” The woman held out her slim hand. She wore too much makeup, and her smile seemed contrived. That would probably change when she realized his interest was more than a passing fancy, when actual dollars entered the picture.
“Thanks for setting this up for me. I’ve been curious about this place for a while now.”
“N
o problem. I must caution you, the estate isn’t officially on the market yet. The owners have agreed, however, to let you tour the home and property.”
Warning bells went off in Gil’s mind, but he waved it off as nothing more than a business ploy, a stratagem to attract buyers and make more money. After all, a person wants most what he thinks he can’t have. “I appreciate your time and effort. Shall we start with the horse barn and work our way to the house?”
He’d played this game often enough with investors to know how best to maneuver the players, much like a game of chess. Don’t let them see how interested you are until you’re ready to take the queen. In this case, though, it might prove difficult to hide his enthusiasm. The more he saw of this property, the more he wanted it. Green irrigated hills, pipe fence, shade trees galore, and a house and barn that made his heart beat as fast as it did on game days.
They walked inside the horse barn, and it was everything he’d imagined and more. Situated near the entrance was an office and, above it, private quarters for two employees. Gil studied the custom stalls that lined the east wall, then turned his attention to the center arena, complete with bleachers and a glass-enclosed announcer’s box. A perfect setup for holding clinics, performance events, and for training horses.
The outside arrangement was nice too. Two different-sized round pens, a training arena, various lots for horses and cattle, and plenty of grass for grazing. Gil hid his excitement, but in his heart, he knew he’d purchase the property for the horse facilities alone, without even looking at the residence.
Gil grinned. The notion of appearing disinterested appealed to his sense of sport. He made a fuss of checking his pocket watch. “You know what? I need to get back to the city. Maybe we could finish the tour another day?”
Shock registered on the agent’s face. “You don’t want to look at the manor? But you’ve driven all this way . . .”
Gil made a cursory glance of the front courtyard as he walked to his SUV. The Spanish-style home suited his taste — heavily ornamented and carved with turrets and columns. The red-tiled roof and stucco walls would provide cool temperatures in the hottest months, and the entrance was grand enough to impress even the most sophisticated critic.
“Perhaps next time.” He held out his hand and kept a solemn expression, despite his exuberance. If he could pull this off, he’d feel like the king of Sonoma County. “Another day, then?”
At her nod, he hopped into his vehicle and left the woman standing there with an expression of disbelief. His goal exactly.
Not checkmate, but definitely check.
SIXTEEN
“THERE’S NO WAY I’M GOING TO MOVE IN WITH YOU AND MOM. IT just wouldn’t work,” Mattie told her dad Sunday morning on her cell phone.
“Only until you find a place of your own. I’m sure with your skills and experience, you’d find a job at a clinic in no time. And who knows, you might decide you like city life.”
Mattie clenched her teeth with determination. Kansas City would drive her crazy with its six-lane traffic and concrete walls. “Sorry, Dad, I’ll never live in a city.”
“Not a city — a suburb.”
She settled into Clara’s recliner and dabbed her freshly washed curls with a towel. The fragrance of herbal shampoo and conditioner was a welcome change from the clinging stench of smoke, which had stayed with her in the hospital. Though the smell was now gone, the reality of the fire and how it affected her life was not. “I appreciate your concern, but Charris County is my home. I don’t intend to leave.”
Her dad fell silent for a moment. “At least let us to bring you some clothes and supplies. Your mom’s done nothing but shop since she learned of the fire.” His gentle voice soothed her, and Mattie suddenly wanted nothing more than the comfort of her parents.
“That sounds good. Be sure to give Mom my love and tell her thanks. I’ll see you soon.” She made a few arrangements, then said good-bye, sure her parents would keep trying to convince her to go with them.
The little beagle she’d saved bounded into the living room and hopped up on Mattie’s legs, ready to play. “But it won’t do any good, will it? We’re not going anywhere,” she told the pup and nudged him behind the ears.
Clara joined them and sat across from Mattie in another recliner. Her two youngest children followed. Sara climbed onto her lap, while her older brother, Nathan, waited at Clara’s side. Their pixie faces made Mattie smile, despite her gloomy mood.
“Here’s a copy of last week’s Reader-News. Maybe it’ll list some rentals.” Clara handed her the folded newspaper and bounced the two-year-old on her knee.
Mattie awkwardly flipped to the last page and read the classifieds. The rental section listed three mobile homes and nothing else. She laid the paper on the end table. “Not many options. Even if I manage to pull a trailer onto my property, I’ll still be short either a clinic or a home. One trailer isn’t big enough for both.”
“Something will work out. We’ll have the pastor pray for you at church this morning,” Clara said as a knock sounded on the front door. She set Sara on the carpet with the puppy and got up to answer it, four-year-old Nathan in tow.
“Mornin’, Clara. I understand you folks had some commotion the other night. Heard Mattie was staying with you.”
Mattie recognized the deep voice and rose to greet the older gentleman in the next room. “You didn’t need to come to town, John. I planned to call as soon as I figured out what to do with Dusty.”
“That’s why I’m here. Had Jake drive me in.” Deep lines on his face showed his concern.
“I assure you, Dusty’s okay.” Mattie attempted to sooth his unease. She’d checked on the gelding earlier that morning and had purchased medicine in Emporia yesterday to get him by for at least a week. “The barn wasn’t damaged from the fire. That’s where I’m keeping the animals until their owners can pick them up. I have no way to care for them until my clinic’s restored.”
John shuffled into the front room, leaning heavily on his cane. “It’s horrible what happened, but it’s times like these when you gotta step back and let friends help. Ain’t that right, Clara? Can’t do everything yourself.”
He chucked Nathan under the chin and smiled, his own chin covered by motley gray whiskers. “Jake’s got the trailer hooked to his truck, already bedded with straw for Dusty, and we rounded up a few crates for your critters. Not as sophisticated as what you had before, but they’ll do until you can get more.”
“I don’t understand.” Mattie’s eyebrows arched. “I can’t move my patients. I have no place to go.”
“You can stay at the Lightning M and hole up in the guesthouse. Not fancy, but it’ll work for now. Put the animals in the barn and use the tack room as your office.” He swept his hand in the air. “Plenty big for that. Do whatever you need to get set up.”
“I wouldn’t dream of imposing.” Mattie loved the McCray ranch but could never ask such a thing. To have clients traipsing in and out with their sick pets would be too much. She thought of Gil and the angry words they’d exchanged the last time they’d parted. “I’m sure your son wouldn’t appreciate me living on your land. I doubt he’d condone your generosity.”
“The Lightning M is my home, not Gil’s. Dusty needs a place to stay where he’ll get ’round-the-clock care. You can do that at the ranch. I’m not hiring another vet.”
Mattie sank into an armchair and sat on one of the children’s squeaky toys. John’s support served as salve to her wounded spirit, and his words made sense, even to her weary mind. She removed the toy from under her leg and gave in a little. “I’d insist on paying rent.” Even if it meant laying off her employees for the time being.
The man switched the wooden cane to his other hand and cleared his throat. “I’m sure we can work out an arrangement. The important thing is for you to tend your animals.”
He stepped to the divan and used it for additional support. “No sense wasting your hard-earned money on high rent when you
can use my ranch. Your troubles won’t last forever. If you’re careful with your spending, you’ll rebuild soon enough.”
Mattie squeezed the rubber toy lightly between her bandaged hands, trying to decide. John’s proposition would certainly be an answer to her present dilemma. “May I think on this for a bit?” She didn’t trust herself to make an impulsive decision right now, especially one so important.
“What’s to think about?” Clara stepped forward, all business. “Mr. McCray’s offered a perfect solution, and you’re in no position to be choosy. You have animals that need attention. How are you going to give them that if you’re running around searching for a home and office?”
Clara was right. Getting her business in order would take time and energy, and there were her patients to consider. Now was not the time for indecision. Sara toddled up to her chair, followed by the pup. The little girl took the toy from Mattie’s hand and giggled.
One barrier still stood in Mattie’s way.
Gil.
“Mr. McCray has a trailer ready to haul your animals.” Clara’s eyes bore into hers with stern persuasion. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, my dear.”
Mattie checked her watch. Why should she worry about Gil? He was in California and might never return.
“Okay, John, you have a deal. Would you mind if we held off a couple of hours, though, until after church? I have a lot to thank God for today.”
THAT EVENING, MATTIE STEPPED OUTSIDE HER NEW LIVING QUARTERS and braced herself for the cold. She followed her dad to his car and shook her head at the irony of him wearing a gray western coat and a wool Stetson to cover his receding hairline. He didn’t live in the country, yet he still dressed like a cowboy.
“Thanks for bringing all these supplies. You and Mom must have raced through the stores to gather this stuff so quickly.”
“You know your mother.” Her dad grinned and deposited an empty cardboard box in the backseat of his car. “She rallied her ladies’ group, and this morning they filled half-a-dozen boxes with food and supplies.”
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