by A. J. Wells
Untrusting
By A. J. Wells
Untrusting
Copyright © February 2013
By A. J. Wells
This is a work of fiction and is only the work of the author’s imagination. The characters and places are totally fictitious, modeled only by the author’s knowledge of human habits. Character’s names are not a reference to anyone, living or deceased, baring that name. Author denies any known reference to any person or persons.
Dedicated to my family and friends who have supported my efforts in writing.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 1
I step out onto the porch, looking for something to do, and realize I should have stayed inside. It’s so hot you can see it rising from the ground in waves, distorting the view and the yellow haze of heat dulls and tinges everything as far as I can see. I guess that’s better than the dust any breeze would raise. It hasn’t rain for three months. If it wasn’t for irrigation, the whole state of Texas would go up in a cloud of dust, if there was so much a breeze to be found.
I look at the two story ranch house where I grew up, the white siding reflecting the sun and hurting my eyes. I see Mom and Dad have company. It must be their group of empty nesters’ game night. I could go over and referee, there’s always good natured fighting during the games. It’d be better than pacing, bored and alone here.
I live in the old bunk house on my parents’ ranch. When I came home from college I claimed it and had a kitchen and full bathroom put in--three years ago. Pretty pathetic, huh? Mom planted some flowers around it the first year, to make it look homey. She hasn’t done it since, I didn’t water them often and they died. But I’ve been busy setting up my veterinary clinic. I’m the only one in town and sometimes, feel more like an animal mating service than a Vet. The ranchers and farmers take care of their work animals so there’s little for me to do in Granite Bluff, except pets. I vaccinate and license some the work animals and most of the pets, there’re a lot of those. That keeps me busy most mornings during the month. The rest of the time I attend to sick pets and their owners. Ah, hell, it’s too hot to stand here brooding over my life choices, I’m gonna crash game night.
Friday and Saturday nights are boring for me. I know everyone in town but don’t have many friends. I learned better while I was in school. My office is run by two people, me and my best friend, and everybody else is busy with their lives.
Half a block up the drive way, across it, and dripping with sweat, I’m in Mom’s back door. “Hi, thought I’d come kibitz. How’s everyone?” They all answer they’re fine, like everyone does. I grab a paper towel to dry my face and get myself a glass of iced tea. Then I pull a bar stool over to the edge of the table where they’re playing Gin Rummy and sit down to watch. This isn’t a quiet game, they never are, but it’s all in fun. I peek at the score pad and they’re pretty even. An hour later Mom serves snacks between games. We talk about the usual things; cheating at the game, beef prices, the weather, irrigation, gas prices and complain about “how a rancher’s to make it with the cost of ranching going up and the price of beef coming down.” After the next game everyone goes home and after I help Mom clean up, so do I.
At ten o’clock it’s still as bright as noon and just a hot as it was when I walked over. I step inside my door and head to the shower. The news is on Waco TV and I watch it while I go in and out of the bathroom. The weatherman says more heat and no rain. Great! We need a slow soaking rain with no lightening. Texas is a tinder box right now. One spark and Texas will be the flames of hell many jokes claim it is. I find an old movie on TV and watch it, getting in bed about one. I want to go riding early in the morning, before it hits a hundred.
For mid summer, the weather’s normal except there was no rain in April. The heat started in February and hasn’t stopped climbing since. Any dew or sprinkle of moisture is sucked up in the heat before it ever settles to the ground.
Izzie, my horse, and I leave the barn at five thirty. As early as it is, we ride along the edge of the creek in the trees because it’s so hot. When we get within a few hundred feet of the ridge, we leave the creek and ride to the top. At the top, I see how brown the area is for miles around. Almost nothing is green. The cactus isn’t its normal color of gray green, it’s just gray. The haze of heat is everywhere and it’s very drab and dreary and makes me feel ten degrees hotter. I search the sky for some hope of rain, or just a wisp of a cloud. Nothing but clear blue, so clear it’s like your can see right into heaven. The farmers and ranchers are going to be in real trouble if things don’t get better soon. But that’s always been the plight of those who make a living in agriculture. That’s why I took related courses in college, instead. I thought I’d do better as a Vet, relying on something besides the weather for a living.
I came home because there isn’t a Vet within a hundred miles, and during college I learned city life was a rat race that wasn’t worth the price of running it. I interned at a clinic with six other interns, on call twenty four hours a day. That meant dealing with owners panic stricken over the smallest thing, calling at all hours. The practice did very well financially, but over worked its staff, causing absenteeism to be high and the rest of the staff to work harder to fill in for those missing in action. I want to support myself, not kill myself, while over charging the scared animal owner.
Oh well, time to head home the same way we came. I take one last look around at the dry land and spot a lone animal on a hill next to a steep rock faced drop. I take my binoculars off the saddle horn and check to see what kind of animal it is. It’s a cow separated from the herd, looking for the shortest route to the creek and water. Izzie and I need to get to her before she decides to take the shortest route down the rock face. I kick Izzie up to a full gallop. It takes ten minutes to reach the cow and get a rope around its neck to lead it down the hill. But she won’t budge. Izzie and I look around to see why the thirsty animal won’t move. A very dehydrated calf moos in the brush a few feet away. I pick the calf up, put it across the saddle, remount and slowly head down to water. I monitor their drinking, for an hour, too much too quick could make them sick or kill them. So Izzie and I don’t get back to the barn before lunch.
I call Dad to let him know what I’d found and where they are so they can be watched. Shortly after my call, I see Burt, Dad’s foreman, head out in a full water truck with salt blocks toward the rest of the herd in the area. Burt calls when he returns, saying the cattle have water and feed and mama and calf are back with the herd safely. In this heat the predators go for the solitary and weak. The rest of the herd seems okay, he says. I thank him for tending to them.
Maria called while I was gone. She’s coming over this afternoon with this week’s receipts so we can do the books. Maria’s been my friend since Jr. High and is now my office manager; the only office staff I have, or need. She helps with surgery and in the kennels with the recovering animals. She’s very good, even tho’ she’s not formally trained as a Vet’s Assistant.
In school, Maria Gomez and I were in music then choir and the marching band together. We were studious, plain girls that every boy in school knew, but never dated. We were busy with clubs and content without them…’til the Junior
Prom, when we weren’t asked by any of them. Her older brother, Tucker, took me and my cousin, Boyd, took her. It took a lotta convincing, bribery and parental intervention to get the guys to do it. But we had fun and were the envy of all the girls there. Dating college guys was considered “cooler” than being Prom Queen. We were noticed more after that, but realized we were considered “worldly” by the guys in school and soon quit dating. To them “worldly” was synonymous with “easy lay.” We double dated a few times and usually wound up walking to her house and calling my Mom to come get me.
When I went away to college, Maria visited me once a month the first year I was away from home, when we’d catch up with each other’s life. Then things kinda tapered off. She met a guy, got married and divorced in the next two and half years. She had her son, Shayne, just after I came home. She’s matured into a pretty woman, long brown hair, brown eyes and tan skin. I’m a contrast to her with long dark blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes, and freckles. She’s taller than I am, too.
She stays away from men, for the most part. She’s afraid she’ll repeat the mistake she made when she picked her husband. When he found out she was pregnant, he put her in the hospital. He didn’t want a “kid.” Shay’s almost three, now, but she’s not over the beating, emotionally. Seems he cheated on her, too. He’s still in jail for the beating and other, in court, charges, but is out of their lives permanently. His parental rights were taken away by the court. He didn’t want to be a father. Now he’s not.
“Knock, knock. Ready to get to work?” Maria and Shay are coming in the door. “This shouldn’t take long, there’re about a dozen charges and a dozen more payments to enter. How’s thing’s goin’? You look like you’ve been eating green persimmons.” She put Shay on the floor and he goes straight for the toy box I keep for him.
“I’m just bored. Let’s get started on the books. Maybe, then we’ll go to town to the ‘Barn’ and Frosty Freeze for supper, my treat. I’m tired of watchin’ the dust clouds for faces and animals. You know, like we used to do REAL clouds when we were kids.” Maria laughs at the sarcasm, since there’s no wind and no dust clouds to watch, as she takes the bank bag out. I get out the ledgers and wait for my accounting program to come up my computer. Before we start, we check to see Shay curled up on the couch, taking a nap.
While she makes the entries in the clinic’s general ledger, makes out the bank deposit and files the receipts in the monthly folder, I enter the payments in the accounts ledger on my computer. It’s simple, but a tried and true bookkeeping system. Monday at the office we’ll put the floppy in the computer there and make out statements with the balance of the accounts on them and send them out. We never put in a monthly payment, just the balance owed. They’ll pay what they can. The only thing I insist on, or try to, is that they pay for any medication I give at the time of treatment. That allows me to keep the office stocked with supplies. The monthly payments, usually, tho’ not always, pays the monthly bills for the clinic and Maria’s salary. The clinic barely pays for its self.
It takes about an hour to finish the books and we go out to the barn to water the horses. Shay loves going to the barn, he gets to sit on Izzie and go for a ride. He’s big for his age and looks like Maria. I lead Izzie while Maria holds him on. He loves kissing Izzie on the nose and giggles when she takes the carrot he gives her when the ride’s over. We go back to the house to freshen up before we head into town for supper. We take separate cars because Maria lives in town.
We sit next to the slide to let Shay play before we eat. Everyone in town seems to be eating out tonight, probably because it’s too hot to cook at home. We’re waving at and chatting with them though our meal, keeping us longer than usual. Shay’s about to fall asleep in his burger, but he’s ready for an ice cream cone at Frosty Freeze when we leave. At Frosty Freeze we see the rest of the town, those that weren’t at the Burger Barn.
As we’re leaving, after our ice cream, two of our illustrious firemen hold the door for us as they’re coming in. As we’re coming out the door, Shay grabs one of the guys’ badges and won’t let go. The guy reaches for Shay who jumps for him, so we’re stuck talking to them for a while. When they introduce themselves, Steve and Bob say they’re on duty at the fire station. Bob seems to be enjoying Shay and Shay’s certainly enjoying Bob’s attention. As firemen on duty, they need to pick up their order and get back to the station, a fellow fireman is covering for them. Maria pries Shay off Bob, to get him home for his bedtime. Maria apologizes for Shay’s actions and we say goodnight.
Maria calls after Shay’s in bed. “I can’t believe Shay was so bold tonight. He’s never gone to a stranger before. I’d say the shiny badge caught his eye, but he’s past playin’ with my jewelry and shiny things, so I’m surprised he acted that way.”
“Maybe it was the size, or color. I don’t know much about children and what catches their eye. Shay’s the only little one I’ve been around. I didn’t even babysit in my teens except when I visited you when you babysat.” Being an only child limited my experiences with children, except when I was a child. “What I know, I know from random conversations and watching you and Shay.”
“Sher, don’t you want to get married and have kids? I know we never pretended to be brides or mothers, like most girls, but don’t you, at least, want to be a wife?”
“You know I was engaged my last year in college, ‘til I found him in bed with a nursin’ student…another man. Since I’ve been home I haven’t had much time to date.”
“I know finding him that way was awful. But I didn’t expect what happened when I got married, either. So many men show a woman a false self to lure a woman in. We shouldn’t be taken in so easily next time.”
“Shouldn’t, but I don’t know. We weren’t good enough for the guys in school and now I’m biased against the men around here.” Maria agrees, but adds the boys we knew then have matured and may be different. I agree to the possibility, but add “They haven’t shown any sign of changing, or wantin’ us for anything, other than polite conversation.” We have church tomorrow, so we call it a night.
Church is the usual fire and brimstone against sin. At the end of the service, the minister announces the volunteer fire department is having a barbecue at the station to raise money for equipment. Mom and Dad usually have Sunday dinner with the other empty nesters, but everyone in town’s going to the barbecue. The firemen and their families have prepared the side dishes and meat and donated them. A few of the ranchers’ have donated beef and pork ribs and a few chickens. The hardware store loaned them awnings and patio umbrellas so everyone can sit in the shade. It makes a difference to the diners since today’s over a hundred degrees.
Maria and I find each other and we sit with our families to eat. Shay sees Bob and is off and running with Maria behind him. I watch from the table as Bob, Shay and Maria talk a few minutes. Bob carries Shay back to the table and sits him down at his plate, telling him he has to eat so he can grow up big and strong. Bob turns to answer his mother when she calls him Roberto then excuses himself, it’s his turn at the grill. Maria’s father smiles at her and she frowns back. Her parents are always trying to “encourage” her to “find a man,” better known as “pushing.”
Steve comes by to say “Hi” and after a short polite conversation, wanders off to talk with his fellow firemen. Mom and Dad notice and look at me. I look at Maria to find her looking at me, too. I shrug at them. We finish eating and leave to make room of other diners. Besides, Maria has to put Shay down for a nap and I need a shower to cool off from sitting in the heat.
Maria calls me after Shay’s down for his nap. “Did I see you smile at Steve?”
“I don’t know. I did a lotta of smilin’ at people today. I know I saw you smilin’ at Bob.”
“I had to be friendly, didn’t I? I smiled at a lotta people today, too.”
“Yeah. The food was good, tho’. I’m glad the minister mentioned the barbecue. I didn’t know anything about it.”
> “The priest mentioned it at our church, too. Why didn’t they put out posters or something? Most of the people I spoke to hadn’t heard about it before church this morning.”
“Ya know, Maria, maybe we should offer our services to help advertise the town’s charity functions. We have about two hours a day where we could do something like that. What’d ya think?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to be bogged down with extra work. But if we did it in our spare time at work, I wouldn’t mind. I just don’t want to take time away from Shay.”
“Okay, now that we’ve decided to talk about it, how would we let it be known?”
“Word of mouth, I guess. You know how many secrets are kept in Granite Bluff? None. So I’m sure free help for charity events will get around almost as fast.” We laugh at that, tho’ it’s too true to be really funny. Many times the teller of their secret hasn’t finished telling it before the whole town knows, or it seems that way.
After we hang up, I take my laundry over to Mom and Dad’s to use their washer and dryer. I talk to them about the event idea. They like it. They ask if club events might be included. They figure there’re about half a dozen clubs and about that many charity events during the year, so they shouldn’t take a lotta time. I’ll talk to Maria, again, at work.
Monday morning’s busy, but the afternoon is slow. Maria and I discuss the charity and club advertisement idea again and decide to try it. It’ll keep us busy and help the town out. Maria and I spend the rest of the afternoon calling the churches to let them know we’d be glad to make up posters to advertise their charity and social events, and they’re welcome to spread the word.
Tuesday, we start getting calls. Maria and I decide to ask for written schedules of events with where, when and why, so we can start on them. Bob and Steve heard about our “little” volunteer venture and come by to offer help, if we need it. Bob can draw and…Steve can work a stapler. We agree to call if we need them. I have a color copier and the cartridges are easy to get. Maria and Bob go out to get six more of them, just to have a few on hand.