Veterinary Partner

by Nancy Wheelton

  “Becky, Max mopes in his bed all day and only nibbles at his meals. If I fixed him a snack, would you try to coax him to eat, please?” Lauren asked.

  When Becky nodded without taking her eyes off Max, Lauren left and returned with a bowl of canned dog food with a handful of dry kibble mixed into it. She gave Becky a mat to sit on and Becky sat beside Max. She petted Max and talked to him while he ate.

  Callie studied Lauren, who had tears in her eyes.

  When Lauren caught Callie studying her, she turned her back to Max and Becky. She dug a tissue from her pocket, blotted her tears, and blew her nose. “That’s embarrassing.”

  “Max is walking better.” Callie wasn’t sure what else to say. It was a moving moment with Max, but she didn’t think it explained Lauren’s tears.

  “Max?” Lauren swallowed with difficulty and turned. “Yes, right, Max. He’s doing great.” She looked down at Becky and the dog. “He’s been reluctant to eat, and then Becky appears and in two seconds he has the appetite of a wolfhound. He doesn’t eat that much for Val and me.” Lauren blew her nose. “There really is a special relationship between children and dogs.”

  Moved by Lauren’s emotion, Callie stroked her arm. Callie whispered, “Maybe he knows he’s part of Becky’s pack.”

  “There’s so much we don’t know about animals. Scientists tell us instinct and learned behaviors drive dogs to act the way they do. There has to be more to it.” Lauren looked everywhere but at Callie.

  Callie gazed at Becky with pride. “I’m sure you’re right.”

  Lauren collected Max’s empty bowl. “Becky, can you please walk around the clinic and see if Max will follow you? He needs to practice walking on three legs.” The dog followed Becky for a few steps and then sat. When she petted him and encouraged him to keep trying, he stood and followed her again. After Max walked for fifteen minutes, he dropped to his belly and refused to follow her anymore.

  Lauren scooped up Max and cradled him in her arms as she carried him to his run. She carefully lowered him onto his bed, where she kneeled beside him and stroked his head. “Thanks, Becky. Max needed the exercise, but he’s tired now.” She shifted to make room for Becky to push in beside her.

  Becky surprised Callie by sitting in Lauren’s lap while she petted Max. Lauren hesitated and then put her arm around Becky, and it made Callie smile. Lauren had a comfortable manner with children and had made friends with Gwen. Callie wasn’t afraid of Becky becoming any more attached to Lauren than Gwen was. It wasn’t as if Lauren were Liz. No, she and Becky could both use more friends.

  “Would you like to know what’s been happening with Max?” Lauren asked.

  “He has no leg,” Becky said.

  “That’s true, but there’s a little more to it than that.” Lauren described Max’s injury, omitting the part about his leg being left to rot for three days before his last owners abandoned him at the clinic. She explained the surgery and the stages of Max’s recovery.

  “Why isn’t he Lisa’s dog anymore?”

  Lauren shrugged. “The Macpherson family doesn’t want him. Sometimes it’s hard for families to care for an animal with special needs.”

  When Max settled in for the night, Lauren fastened the cone collar on him and closed the door to the run. Then she escorted Callie and Becky to the back door where they slipped on coats, hats, and gloves.

  Callie hugged Lauren and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks.”

  Becky bounced on her toes. “Thank you, Dr. Cornish, for showing me the kittens and Max and telling me about them. It was fun.”

  “I enjoyed having you here, Becky, and thanks for your help with the animals.”

  Callie smiled when Becky raised her arms and Lauren squatted to hug her.

  But when Lauren straightened and stepped back, Callie’s smile slipped. Lauren’s eyes glistened with tears again. What had happened to make her so sad? Callie wanted to know so much more about Lauren. But that was okay, right? Friends learned about each other. It didn’t have to be anything more…

  Chapter Eleven

  While Callie waited in the dentist’s office for Becky, she flipped to an article in her magazine about rearing calves. She tried to concentrate on the vaccine options, but there were so many. Raising her calves would be her next big project after the calvings were done, and she couldn’t expect the veterinarians at PVS to continue to hold her hand. But it would be fair to ask them to suggest a vaccination program.

  Callie smoothed the well-worn magazine. She liked Cattle Rancher. The publisher was in Alberta, but the articles were still applicable to Saskatchewan. The first issue had shown up right after Christmas, but none of her family would admit to buying it for her. Callie smiled. Probably her big brother being a thoughtful goof.

  After repeatedly reading the same two sentences, she gave up. With a sigh, she folded the magazine and slid it into her purse. Her head was full of thoughts about Lauren. It was two nights since she and Becky had visited PVS and Becky was still talking about it. She wanted to help after school like Gwen did. Callie was happy Becky had new interests, but could becoming better friends with Lauren lead to disaster? What if Lauren moved away or something happened to her? She couldn’t stand the thought of Becky losing someone else she’d gotten close to.

  “It’s been two weeks and nothing,” the young man said. “Poor Kev.”

  “Yeah, the RCMP have found nothing. It’s not fair. When Kev went to bed, he had forty cows, when he woke, he had thirty-four. Each one was worth at least two thousand dollars,” the older man said.

  Intrigued by the conversation, Callie studied a poster about flossing and pretended not to listen.

  “Kev didn’t see nothing, but the RCMP has a print of the truck and trailer tires.”

  “What? Is the RCMP going to check hundreds of trucks and trailers?”

  “Listen, old man. Tires have sizes and patterns and they also have a unique series of cuts or damage to the tires.”

  “Still, can’t go checking everyone’s tires.” The man scoffed.

  “True, but if they have a suspect, they check their tires.”

  Callie pulled out her phone and scanned the calendar. It was two weeks ago that Kyle had borrowed her truck and trailer and taken two of her cows to Montana. She still hadn’t been paid for them. “Was that on February twenty-fourth?” she asked the men. Where had she been? How had she missed hearing about this? Callie worked at the RCMP detachment part-time but hadn’t made it to work since the heifers started calving.

  The young man nodded. “Yup. Exactly two week ago. You okay? You’ve gone pale.”

  Callie’s stomach clenched and her vision blurred for a second. “No, I’m okay.” There had been six other Charolais cows on the trailer. Was it a coincidence? She needed to know, and it was time to toughen up and press Kyle for the four thousand dollars for her two cows. If Heinz was really going to make her get a lawyer to recover her money, then she needed to know now.

  After Becky’s dental appointment, Callie drove her to school. Then she phoned Kyle and left a message. “Kyle, we need to talk. Can you drop by the diner at two? For coffee?”

  Kyle appeared at the front door of her house at lunchtime. Callie opened her door four inches. “Kyle, I said two, at the diner.”

  “I’m here now. Gotta be in the city by two. You wanna talk or what?” Kyle waited. “Suit yourself.” He turned to go.

  “Okay.” Why, oh why, was Martha always out when the Krugers dropped by? Did Kyle watch her laneway and wait for Martha to leave? Did Heinz? Martha had left ten minutes ago and would shoot Callie for letting Kyle in. Callie opened the door, and he swaggered in and sat at her table. He tipped his chair back on two legs and smirked at her. He continued to smoke his cigarette and flicked the ash on her floor.

  Callie fetched an ashtray and set it near him with a clunk.

  Kyle leaned forward and grabbed the magazine Callie had open on the table. “Cattle Rancher. You like it?”

  �
�It’s good. Informative.”

  Kyle flipped through the magazine and set it on the table. “You gonna thank me?”

  “Pardon?”

  “I paid for it.”

  Callie had been reading while she ate lunch and could barely resist the urge to push the magazine into the trash. She mustered a weak smile. “Thanks.”

  Kyle extracted several sheets of crumbled paper from his pocket and set them on the table. “That’s a copy of last month’s article on calvings. My dad put some comments or something on it for you.”

  Callie stared at the crumpled sheets. After a few seconds, Kyle smoothed out the pages and pushed it closer. She glanced down. Heinz had highlighted certain sections and provided a list titled: Catherine’s Foolish Mistakes. She pushed the papers aside. “How very thoughtful of Heinz. He’s such a good neighbor. So helpful.”

  “He is and you should listen to him.” Kyle set an envelope on the table and tapped it with a finger. “Dad wants to buy you out. You could go home.” He winked. “Or stay with me.”

  Kyle reached for her hand and Callie pulled back so quickly she smacked her elbow on the edge of her chair. “That’s never going to happen.” She’d had enough of these games. Callie rubbed her stinging elbow. “Do you have my money from the sale in Montana? It’s been two weeks.”

  Kyle settled his chair on four legs and helped himself to half her sandwich, smacking his lips as he ate. She cringed and slid her plate toward him.

  “My dad does the accounting and he says you owe him money.”

  Kyle snatched Callie’s coffee cup and slurped, making a sound like a cow pulling its foot from thick mud. He placed the half-empty cup by Callie. Grimacing as her stomach roiled, she pushed it to the side. “I spoke with your father about the money from my cows.”

  Kyle’s chair rocked forward, and he sat up straight. “You told my father?”

  “I did, and he seemed surprised.”

  “No, he didn’t, and I’m in charge of Kruger cattle sales. He just handles the money.”

  Callie saw the sweat on his forehead, and he appeared less sure. She wanted him gone and was done being subtle. “Kyle, where did the six cows come from that you trucked to Montana? Were they Kevin Bradley’s? The ear tag numbers on Kevin’s cattle are different than yours.”

  “They are.”

  “But Lauren tested and inspected the cattle for export. She signed the certificates. She would have read the ear tags of the six cattle she inspected at your farm and written their numbers on the export health certificate.”

  Kyle leaned back in the chair and clasped his hands behind his head, his eyes narrowed. “She did.”

  The renewed cockiness in Kyle was disconcerting. “But USDA veterinarians would have unloaded Kevin’s cows at the border. They would have seen the tag numbers didn’t match the health certificate and refused to let you enter Montana.”

  “Would have, if the tags didn’t match.” His grin was sly and slimy.

  “Kyle, did you steal Kevin Bradley’s cattle, switch their identification tags, and truck them, along with my cattle, across the border?” It wasn’t hard guesswork but saying it out loud made her stomach turn.

  “You’re not only pretty, but smart too.” Kyle leaned forward and leered at her. His gaze made her skin crawl.

  Callie said, “Forget this shit. I’m calling the RCMP.”

  As Callie rose from her chair, Kyle lunged toward her. He grabbed both of her hands and slammed them on the top of the table. He pinned her in place and brought his face close to hers. “Shut your fucking mouth.”

  Her palms stinging with pain, she shrank away from him but maintained eye contact.

  “Better think before you call the Mounties.” He released her slowly.

  Callie collapsed into her chair. She crossed her arms over her chest and pinned her hands to keep them from shaking.

  He leaned back and stuck his legs out. “I used your truck and trailer when I stole Bradley’s cattle. Then I came over here and you helped me load two of yours.” Kyle’s laugh was mean. “I found the coat, hat, and boots you keep in your truck. I wore them, made sure to leave footprints at Bradley’s. There’s video of me at the border in your hat and that stupid ugly coat with the name of your college on the back. We’re the same size and I kept my head down.” Kyle smirked. “Nobody will suspect me. You were the one with two cattle on the same trailer as the six stolen cattle. If you don’t keep your mouth shut, I’ll call the RCMP tip line and they’ll arrest you. It’ll be your word against mine.”

  “I work for the RCMP. They’ll believe me.”

  Kyle shrugged. “But there’s no evidence. And you’re overdrawn at the bank. Maybe the cops will think two pervert dykes lied to make extra cash. Cornish’s name is on the health certificate. The Mounties will say she faked them. Who’d want her for a vet after that?”

  How did he know she was overdrawn? Did everyone in Thresherton cringe in front of the Krugers? Even staff at the bank? “People saw you at the sale, not me.”

  Kyle snorted. “Didn’t go to the sale, you dumb bitch. Got a buddy wanted some nice cows and a good deal. Easy enough to pop your tags out once we crossed the border.”

  Callie desperately searched his comments for an escape. “I was home all day. How could I have driven to Montana?”

  “Who saw you? You go to Thresherton? I know you didn’t drive my truck.” Kyle snickered. “Kinda smelly, huh? I put rotting trash under the front seat, figuring a stuck-up bitch like you wouldn’t drive it.” He cleared his throat and nose with a disgusting snort and spit a glob of green mucus on her kitchen floor. “You better shut up, or you and your girlfriend will be in trouble.” Kyle sneered. “Who’d look after Becky if you ended up in jail?”

  Callie slumped. If she went to jail, Liz’s brother would claim Becky and she might not ever get her back. That was a risk she wouldn’t take. But she wasn’t about to prolong the argument with him now. She’d come up with a plan after he left. “I want you to leave.”

  “Suit yourself. See ya later, girlie.” Kyle swaggered through her front door, leaving it open.

  Trembling, Callie got to her feet and shut and locked her door. She cleaned the table and mopped Kyle’s mess off her floor. Leaving a mess on her floor was a challenge, a way to intimidate her. It gave Heinz and Kyle power over her. Ever since she’d lost Liz she’d been struggling for control over her life and fending off well-meaning friends and family. Now criminals were out to hurt her.

  How had she let this happen? How had the most dangerous family in the province gotten ultimate control over her? They had her money and had forced her silence by threatening her with arrest, and more importantly, the loss of Becky. They knew she’d do anything to prevent that. Callie shuddered. What else would she be forced to do?

  Callie went upstairs to her bedroom and crawled into bed. Her life was a mess and it was her fault for loaning Kyle her truck and trailer. She would never get the money she desperately needed. She’d sacrificed two of her best cows for nothing. Kyle had stolen twelve thousand dollars from Kevin Bradley and four thousand from her. Now she would lose Poplarcreek. Lose Becky’s inheritance.

  She held a pillow over her face and cried. She was incompetent. No woman would ever want a relationship with a destitute, incompetent fuckup. Luckily, she wasn’t looking. Or was she? “Concentrate on the farm, you stupid woman,” she yelled into the room.

  Callie sobbed until her chest ached. Heinz was right. She had no business running a farm. Every time she tried to get ahead, she fell further behind. What was the point? Maybe Becky would be better off if Callie sold Poplarcreek and they moved in with her parents.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lauren had been lying awake since six a.m., with her cat curled on her chest while she tried to convince herself to get out of bed. She had to be at the office by half past seven. While she weighed the pros and cons of crawling from bed, she stroked Digit.

  Digit was eight pounds of purring orange tabby, a
nd he was only seven months old. Judging by his thin body and long legs, he would be a big cat. When he was sixteen pounds and sleeping on top of her, it would be an effort to breathe. It was her fault for letting him develop the habit when he was a tiny kitten. But he’d been sad and pathetic, and she’d been lonely. Her clingy cat insisted on being with her every second she was home and that was okay with her. Elsa, her other cat, wasn’t as clingy and slept tucked in a corner of the couch.

  If Lauren had dragged herself from bed at six a.m., there would’ve been time for a freshly cooked, leisurely breakfast. If she stayed in bed until seven a.m., she would have to settle for a protein bar. It was always a difficult choice in the cold weather to choose between her warm bed and a hot breakfast. A second after she determined a protein bar for breakfast would be perfect, the insistent ringing of her phone decided for her.

  Maybe Sam was calling. Their last phone call had been chatty, and thirty minutes had flown by. Damn it, she missed Sam. Missed seeing her smiling face when she came home from school excited to talk about what she’d learned. Last week Sam had even forced William to talk to her, and the five minutes of one-word answers from her son had been heaven.

  “Hello, Dr. Lauren Cornish speaking,” she said after the answering service transferred the call to her. Her voice sounded clear, professional, and wide-awake, but she wished her brain were awake. She focused on the clock and saw it was six thirty.

  “Um, Lauren?” The voice was hesitant.

  “Yes, how may I help you? Who is this, please?” The voice was faint and almost impossible to hear.

  “It’s Callie, again. One of my heifers is calving, but she’s not progressing, and I don’t know what to do.” Callie sounded defeated.

  “No problem, Callie.” Lauren nudged Digit off her chest and crawled from bed. She should’ve been grumpy in the early morning of another frigid day, but she was lighthearted about the prospect of seeing Callie.

  “Thanks. Sorry that I can’t bring her to the clinic. I’ve never towed a trailer and the driving would be dangerous in this storm.”