By Katharine E. Hamilton
ISBN-13: 978-0-578-67482-7
Graham
Copyright © 2020 by Katharine E. Hamilton
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereinafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of Katharine E. Hamilton.
www.katharinehamilton.com
Cover Design by Kerry Prater.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
To my husband, Brad.
A true steward of the land and an awesome hubs.
In the words of our son, Everett, “Daddy is a good dad, a good Brad, and he’s my best friend.”
I agree.
Acknowledgments
It would have been nice to just take some snapshots of my cowboy husband and, wa la, have a cover for the book. But alas, that is not how it works. Plus, my husband would not agree to it. Yes… I asked. Ha! So, thanks to my cover designer, Kerry Prater, for helping me search for the perfect picture of Graham and for designing such an awesome cover.
Thank you to my editor, Lauren Hanson. Both of us are expecting babies soon, so to say this project required a lot of effort is an understatement. Through morning sickness, Covid-19, and just the usual pregnancy woes, we seemed to get it done. Thanks, Lauren!
My husband, Brad, whom NONE of the characters are based on. (Wink wink.) After 7 years of marriage and ranch living, there was much educating me on his part to help me write several scenes. But I sure did, and do, enjoy the rides around the ranch with my handsome cowboy. And his heart to be a steward of the land and to God’s creatures is a true calling. And though it has been 7 years of ranch life for me, I still have MUCH to learn and he’s a great teacher.
Taehlor Gordon, horse lover and expert, for being my horse educator and answering some of my horse questions… of which I will have many more.
Table Of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
“She’d been driving for days. At least, that’s what it felt like. She still wasn’t quite sure why Alice requested her to pick up so much food, or why her friend asked her to drive to the middle of God-forsaken nowhere. But Alice never was one to give details. About anything. Work. Life. Men. She kept it simple and to the point. No fluff. And that was one of the attributes Julia loved about her. And one of the reasons Julia was driving all the way from Santa Fe, New Mexico to some podunk west Texas town to stay for a few weeks. She hadn’t taken a vacation in years. It wasn’t a hardship, really, to be dedicated to her work. She loved working at the museum in downtown Santa Fe. The Palace of the Governors was a top tourist destination before travelers ventured to see the rest of the city. And Julia McComas was Santa Fe born and raised. There was no better person for the job of educating newcomers to the artsy city.
But when a friend called in need of some serious girl time, you left work, took that overdue vacation time, and went. Again, no details from Alice as to why she sounded so desperate on the phone for Julia to make the trip, but her old college roommate didn’t need to ask twice. In fact, she didn’t need to ask at all. Julia could tell by the tone of Alice’s voice that she was overwhelmed and frantic about something. It also took something huge for Alice Wilkinson to request a visit, so Julia didn’t hesitate. She packed her bags and headed towards the town of Parks, Texas.
Parks. Even the name of the town was bland, but she tried to remain upbeat. She’d stopped in the last town and picked up food from a local restaurant which boasted vegan specialties that even had her carnivore heart salivating at the mouth. She’d attempted a small chain barbecue joint, but the filth on the door and the ragged parking lot deterred her and she found a nice hole in the wall café that seemed extremely out of place for the small town. But Alice had said that Parks only had one diner, and that any hope for multiple options on food would need to be found in Sheffield. So that’s what Julia had done. Though again, the sheer amount of food she’d had to purchase from the place had left a dent in her wallet. But the avocado and toasted tempeh sandwiches along with the ranch chickpea sandwiches and the delicious sounding menu she’d perused, had her ordering one of each sandwich, stuffing them in a cooler that she had to purchase as well, and heading the last few miles towards Parks.
She was expected to meet Alice at a ranch outside of town. The Hastings Ranch. Her friend was on site for the day and hoped to be breaking for lunch about the time Julia arrived. So far, Julia had passed a dirt road, a gravel road, a weird looking shrub, and a dead animal carcass. All promising signs, she thought. Nothing that pointed her to the elusive ranch. When she’d almost given up hope, a sign for Parks, population: 1,088, welcomed her into the city limits.
A gas station, tire shop, feed store, parts store, and what looked to be a small post office made up the main street. She spotted a tattered building the next block over and realized that was the fine dining establishment Alice had mentioned. She shuddered and kept driving. Lord have mercy on her soul if she had to step foot in that place during her stay. She followed the road out of downtown and immediately fell back into the groove of driving through no-man’s land. “Twenty miles outside of town” is what Alice had told her. “On the right.”
She assumed there’d be signage of some sort, but so far, zilch. Nada. Nothing that assured her she was headed in the right direction. She spotted tall wooden posts up ahead on the right and slowed her speed. A large metal 7H hung from a cedar beamed entry. Was this the place? She wasn’t sure, but at this point, she’d take the risk and see. She could always ask for directions if she was in the wrong place. Turning onto the gravel and dirt-patched road, she cringed when her tire hit a hole the size of Texas and gripped her steering wheel with a bit more force. Dust billowed behind her as she seemed to be driving blindly into yet another empty space. Ten minutes later, hope kindled, as she spotted trucks, cows, machinery, pens, and what looked like people up ahead. She sighed in relief as she saw the “Sheffield Veterinary Clinic” logo on the side of a white truck and realized she’d found the correct place. Alice was the local vet. Her office was in Sheffield, “the city,” though she covered Parks and surrounding areas. She turned off the engine and opened the door, her wedge heel crunching rock and dirt beneath her foot. Annoyed that she’d have to wipe her shoes down later, she mustered a smile as she closed the door and looked for Alice.
Cows bellowed as their baby calves were separated from them amongst metal pens that seemed to be radiating the sun’s deathly rays. Heat and stench rushed over her as she stepped around a mud-stained truck closer to the action. Yells and slaps could be heard as she finally spotted her friend inside the pen with the calves. She watched as Alice pulled what looked to be a poker stick from a flame and pushed it into the hide of one of the calves. The sizzling sound and the squelch from the calf would haunt Julia later, she knew, along with the terrible smell… make that smells… that seemed to perfume the air. She held her hand over her mouth and nose as she waved to get attention. Anyone’s attention. The calf hopped away from Alice
and within seconds was perfectly content, despite the branding. She watched as another calf was fed through a slim shaft towards three men standing at the other end, Alice penciling something on a clipboard as the calf was held and flipped by metal bars to its side. She watched as one man, a cowboy hat slung low over his face, issued some sort of medical treatment into the calf’s mouth and pierced its ear with a tag. While two other men— She gasped as she watched in horror. One man stood, holding the back leg of the calf outward while the other man— She couldn’t watch. It was too much. Yet she couldn’t look away as she watched the man castrate the animal without batting an eye. The animal was flipped back to its feet, released from the chute and sent outward, where it received a poke from Alice’s flaming rod before scurrying out into the pen at the other end. Julia stood in shock and disgust. Had she seriously just witnessed what she thought she’d witnessed? And Alice just stood by and wrote something on her clipboard, no care in the world, as if this were a normal practice. Perhaps it was. Julia didn’t know. But it was a sight she’d never forget. And before she could catch her breath, the men were doing it all over again. She waved her hand when Alice turned and offered a “Yoohoo!” But her friend didn’t see her. She spotted a gate to the pen where the cows, she was sure, watched in agony over their babies as they underwent the necessary treatments. She figured she could sidestep the mammals and reach Alice safely to let her know of her arrival.
Slipping into the pen, she stepped over a pile of fresh manure with a grimace. Spotting a cow before her, she smiled and held both her hands up in peace, her new turquoise bracelet sliding down her forearm, as she slowly shuffled around the beast, making sure to give it a wide berth. She’d successfully wound her way to the nearest corner of the pen that placed her near the work area. She cleared her throat, but still could not be heard over the calves, cows, and men all vying to talk over one another. Frustrated, she placed her hands on her hips and began to step towards the group when she heard a deep bellowing moo behind her and felt the speckle of saliva that sprinkled over her arm. She jumped and took a quick step back as an angry cow glowered at her.
“Easy girl. Easy.” Julia held her palms out and hopped back another step, as her peace treaty stance only seemed to anger the cow more. One of the back hooves lifted and kicked dirt behind her, a clear sign of irritation from any species. Julia glanced towards the workers and estimated the number of strides it would take for her to spring their direction and whether or not she could beat an oncoming cow. She was quick. She ran every day. Not in wedged heels, but she could manage it if she needed to. Women ran in heels all the time… in movies. Panicked at the vengeful snort sent her direction and the speed in which the cow charged, Julia braced herself for impact. Screaming, she closed her eyes and felt her back slam into the fence, only it wasn’t a cow that pinned her back against the pens, but a sweaty-faced man who’d expertly saved her from a charging mass of bovine maternal instinct. Her heart raced as she watched another man tame the cow and nudge it back into the midst of its surrounding companions. Relieved and grateful for the man’s rescue, Julia started to speak, but her words were cut off by an incoherent stream of insults as a tall man nearest the latest entrapped calf stepped back, holding his bloody hand up for everyone’s perusal.
∾
“You idiot!” Graham screamed. His eyes, somewhat hidden beneath his cowboy hat, seethed as he stomped towards his younger brother. Grabbing the front of Seth’s shirt, he slammed him into the pens. Seth’s eyes widened as he spotted Graham’s injured hand and the temper that would end with a punch in the gut or nose. “What were you thinkin’?” He released Seth’s shirt as he took a step back and allowed Alice to grab his hand. His brother had abandoned his post on the calf, releasing the back leg just as Graham was slicing to castrate, the calf kicking out and causing him to slice the knife through himself instead. His eyes landed on the terrified woman just a few short steps away from Seth. “Who are you? And what in the—” He took a deep breath to control his anger, but to no avail. “What are you doing in my pens?”
Alice looked up then. “Julia?”
Julia gave a sheepish wave. “I’m here.”
Graham fired a look at Alice.
“She’s my friend. I asked her to come,” Alice explained as she wrapped a torn bandana around his hand.
“Here? Now?” Graham shook his head in disgust. “You,” He pointed to Seth. “get back to your post. Hayes!” he screamed, and another brother in the back pen looked up. Graham held up the blood-soaked hand and without a word, Hayes swung his legs over the fence and hurried over. “What happened?”
“Ask the nit-wit.” Graham nodded towards Seth. “Make sure he doesn’t leave his post again. Finish up.”
Hayes nodded, without even a single glance in Julia’s direction, before heading towards Graham’s position at the calf chute. Seth fumbled an apology to Graham and Graham gave him an extra helpful shove in the direction of the calf chute that had the younger brother tripping over his boots a couple of steps before righting himself and refocusing on his task.
“Get this cleaned up,” Graham told Alice, nodding towards his hand. “Hayes doesn’t need to cover me for long or we’ll have a mess on our hands.”
“Calm down.” Alice, annoyed, pulled back the bandana. She saw Julia’s face blanch. “Come to my truck. We’ve got to clean it.”
Graham stormed through the center of the pen, the cows parting for him as though he were Moses crossing the Red Sea.
“What were you doing coming into the pens?” Alice asked Julia as they followed behind him.
“I waved and yelled but you didn’t hear me. I was just going to sneak around to hearing distance and let you know I’d arrived. I didn’t expect a mean cow to go crazy at me. Thankfully that guy saved me.”
“Seth,” Alice told her. “He did, and I’m glad, but he also injured his brother in the process. Graham is not going to be happy.”
“I can tell that already. I didn’t mean for this to happen,” Julia whispered.
Graham plopped down on the bed of Alice’s truck, his hand in his lap and watched as his friend walked slowly with the woman that interrupted their work. Foolishly interrupted their work. Heels, short shorts, frilly top… the woman was definitely not from around Parks.
“How we doin’, Graham?” Alice asked, as she fished her vet bag out of the main cab of her truck and walked towards him.
“How does it look like I’m doin’?” he growled. “’Bout sliced my hand off because of Thing One and Thing Two.” He nodded towards Julia and then in Seth’s direction.
Alice glanced at his cut again. “You’re going to need stitches.”
“Just super glue it. It’ll be fine.”
“No, this one needs actual stitches. You sliced yourself pretty bad. It’s deep. Glad it wasn’t a little higher; you could have hit some nerves.”
“Oh, my nerves were hit,” he confirmed. “Just not in my hand.”
Alice snickered. “Easy now. Don’t be annoyed at the newbie. She didn’t realize her appearance would spook the cows.”
“Who walks up on working calves and thinks it’s a good idea to go traipsing through the cow pen?” He flipped his hat off his head and swiped his arm over his forehead before slamming the straw hat back onto his head.
“I am truly sorry about that.” Julia stepped forward, her eyes flashing towards his hand and then back to his face. “I didn’t know how else to—”
“Right. You didn’t know. Yet you walk into a working ranch in the middle of an operation like you own the place, pissing off a cow and me, ‘bout get me to cut off my own hand, and you think I want to hear ‘I’m sorry’?”
“Graham.” Alice’s tone warned him to dial his frustration back a notch, but nothing made him madder than someone completely irresponsible in the midst of cattle work.
“Couldn’t wait ten minutes?” Graham barked. “We had five calves left. Five!”
“Again, so sorry.” Julia’
s apology sounded shaky as he noted the glassy eyes and flamed cheeks. He didn’t care for tears, especially a woman’s tears. And to his disappointment, his anger faded a few degrees.
“Don’t pay him any mind, Julia,” Alice said, as she poured straight alcohol over his wound with a satisfied grin. Graham fought back the urge to jump up and howl in pain, and just bit down his complaints on a groan. “Graham’s always sour. Why don’t you fetch me the small white box in my bag?” She nodded towards the black leather bag sitting next to Graham. Julia cautiously approached the truck bed, and clumsily clutched the box and handed it to Alice. “Hold still, Graham.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re not. You’re about to shoot off this truck and strangle Julia. And then Seth. And then anyone else who gets in the way. Sit still.”
Graham didn’t even look at the other woman, even though she was nice to look at. It wasn’t every day they had a pretty woman turn up on the ranch, but her stupidity had him questioning her intelligence, and that helped deter any reaction to her presence other than tolerance. Minimal tolerance. He watched as Alice quickly stitched through his skin and closed the gaping slice with an expert seam. She clipped the end of the string. “There. See? As good as new.”
“Still hurts like—”
“I know,” Alice finished. “Take some pain relievers. Keep an eye on it for infection. You should be fine.”
“Fit as a fiddle.” Hayes’s voice drifted over to them. “All calves complete. They’re in the trap waiting to be matched up with their mommas. Figure we’ll release them tomorrow?”
Graham nodded, annoyed that work had to be pushed to the next day because of his hand. “That’s fine. Clean up. I’ll match ‘em up. We’re done here for today. Lunch time’s ‘bout here anyway.”
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