by Sable Hunter
“Nathan!”
Hearing the concern is Jacob’s voice caused Nathan to hurry to the other end of the barn. “Here I am.”
With his phone to his ear, Jacob frowned at him. “Where were you? This cow’s in distress.”
Nathan frowned. “I only stepped away for a minute.”
“A minute’s all it takes sometimes.” Jacob held up a finger as the veterinarian answered. “Yea, Dr. Rach. Jacob here. Our girl’s in trouble. This is her first calf and it’s a big one.” Once he was off the phone, he moved to kneel by the animal, feeling the tense muscles of her abdomen.
“Will she be all right?” Nathan asked.
“Yea, I think so. We just can’t be too careful.”
“Sorry I stepped away.”
Jacob shook his head. “Live and learn. Right, bud?”
“Right.” Nathan nodded, angry at himself. Here he was at six-three and two hundred twenty pounds, and his brothers could still make him feel like a kid. “What can I do?”
“Look in the storeroom. There’s some veterinary tarps and a sealed container of sterilized equipment. Can’t take any chances.”
“All right.” He hurried, worried about the fate of the expensive animal. About the time he gathered all of the things in his arms, he heard his phone ding. He didn’t even try to glance at it until he’d deposited the supplies near to where Jacob was setting up an area for the veterinarian to work. When he could check his phone, he saw it was Dylan. If he could get past this crisis, the dirt bike expedition was a go.
As they worked together, the big red cow made grunting sounds of discomfort. Jacob motioned toward the door. “Go wait outside. I think Rach knows which direction to come but since it’s dark, go be sure.”
“Will do.” He stuffed his phone in his pocket and headed out of doors. The air was crisp, the sky clear and full of stars. Pulling his jacket tighter around himself, Nathan crossed his arms over his chest, setting his eye toward Tebow’s main gate.
In the stillness of the night, he could hear the occasional lowing of cattle. When the wind picked up, he could hear it singing in the eaves of the outbuildings. Looking toward the main house, Nathan saw a few lights still shining. Cady was probably still awake. Joseph was in Colorado on business, and he knew she didn’t sleep well when his brother was away. There also looked to be a lamp glowing in Aron and Libby’s room. The twins were probably having a restless night.
As he stared at the familiar outline of his family home, Nathan was torn. Of course, he felt a deep and abiding love for this place. Everywhere he looked something reminded him of a cherished memory of his mother and dad. Yet, sometimes it seemed the endless strands of barbed wire were there to fence him in as much as the cattle.
A few seconds later Nathan could see the headlights of an approaching truck. The vet was here. “Thank goodness.” He stepped out into the drive to motion him to come in the right direction. “Hey, here we are!”
A few minutes later Dr. Rach was assessing the size of the calf relative to the birth canal. “Okay, we’re going to have to give her some help.”
Nathan pitched in as they hooked up two 60-inch chains to a pulley system, attaching the loops on the unborn calf below the dewclaw and above the hooves. As he watched, the vet began to pull alternately on each leg to walk the shoulders out. Once the head and shoulders were free, Jacob helped rotate the calf 90 degrees to aid in freeing the hips. Of course he’d seen this before, but it never ceased to amaze him. One moment there was a struggling mother cow and the next a new calf was trying to stand on wobbly legs.
Only this time, there was trouble.
“The calf isn’t breathing.” Dr. Rach worked to clear it’s airway. “This isn’t working. Let me get a suction tube from my truck.”
“Hurry,” Jacob said, his voice full of worry. “Damn, Nathan. I wish we could do something.”
Nathan approached the calf, kneeling at the side of the lowing cow. Placing his hand on the neck of the small animal, he rubbed in a circular motion. “Come on, boy. Take a breath for me. Come on, you can do it.” Suddenly the calf jerked, kicking its legs. A cough and a bleat seeming to clear it’s breathing.
“There you go! That’s it!” Jacob said with a relieved smile as Dr. Rach returned. “He’s up and hungry.”
“Excellent. What happened?”
Jacob pointed to Nathan. “Just a healing touch from my little brother.”
“I didn’t do anything. Just comfort and encouragement.”
“Whatever you did, he’s okay now.” Dr Rach finished cleaning the calf’s nose and mouth.
“Good job, girl.” Jacob patted the exhausted mother. They gave her a few moments to lick the calf’s face before they helped the tiny bull find some milk.
As they finished up with the animals, Nathan started straightening the area.
“You still need me to handle the pregnancy check and calf weighing this weekend?” Dr. Rach asked Jacob.
“Please. Yes. We’re going to be short-handed, but Nathan will be here to help you.”
“Excellent.” The vet nodded. “Couldn’t ask for a better assistant. I’ve watched Nathan grow up into a fine young man.”
The fine young man wanted to protest and tell his brother he had plans for the weekend – but he didn’t have the heart. “Sure, I’ll be glad to help.”
Jacob gave him an approving smile. “I knew you would. I don’t know what we’d do without you around here – that’s for sure.”
Nathan didn’t comment. There was nothing else to say.
One day bled into the next as ranch business continued as usual. Nathan made it through the weekend working alongside Dr. Rach. The older man had asked him about college and his career plans.
“You’ve certainly got a way with animals. I remember how you pulled your dog, Lucky, out of several tight spots. Have you ever considered a career in veterinary medicine?”
“No, not really. I’m taking online classes from UT. Sooner or later I’ll earn a degree in something, business probably.”
“What are you, a Junior?” The older man asked as he released the lever on the head gate to allow a particularly onery longhorn cow to make its way through the chute.
“Sophomore.”
“Ah, well. There’s time. A lot of students don’t make up their mind about a major until just before their Junior year.”
Nathan shrugged. “Yea, I can’t decide what to do. Sometimes I don’t think it matters.”
“What do you mean?” The vet stepped behind the next cow to test for pregnancy.
“My past is here. My present is here. And if my family has their way – so is my future.”
Dr. Rach gave him an odd look. “You do realize how lucky you are, don’t you?”
Nathan nodded. “Of course.” He’d heard this argument a zillion times from his brothers. “I have a beautiful home. A good family. No financial worries.”
“Exactly.”
Their conversation was cut short when Joseph joined them. “How’s it going?”
“Almost finished.” Dr. Rach passed his tablet so Joseph could check out the report. “I’d say you’re going to have a full crop of calves.”
“Excellent.” Joseph put his hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “Thanks for helping the good doctor, bud. Sorry we were all out of pocket. I’ll make it up to you.”
“Not necessary.”
I’m planning another wilderness training session soon. Since you missed the last one, this time your name heads the list.”
Nathan smiled and nodded. There was no use counting his chickens before they hatched. He’d wanted to attend the last session with Clint, Canyon, and Jonah but that hadn’t worked out. Even when the family rallied to rescue Pepper and Judah after their plane went down over Glacier National Park, he’d been the one left behind to keep the home fires burning.
“We sure do appreciate all you’ve done, Dr.” Joseph offered the man a handshake. “Stop by the office on your way out and Noah will ge
t your check.”
“I didn’t expect him back from Oklahoma until tomorrow.” Nathan commented with surprise, knowing his brother attended a conference in Tulsa with his wife.
“Yea, we rode together from the airport,” Joseph explained as he watched Denver and one of the other ranch hands saddle up to take the cattle back to their pasture.
“How was your trip to Colorado?” Nathan knew the trip was important to his brother. Joseph and Jacob were part owners of a company that produced an energy drink made from pure spring water.
“Good. The sales of FEVER are off the charts. Storm and Mad are scheduled to arrive next week to meet up with several athletes we’re hoping to sponsor. One of them you should meet.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yea, a pretty girl. Sandy Peterson. She’s a shoo-in for the Olympic team.”
“Great. I’d like that.” He was happy for any success his family achieved, he just longed to make his own mark in the world.
As he left, Joseph tugged on the hem of his younger brother’s jacket. “When you’re finished here, dinner’s ready. We’ve got some things to discuss.”
“All right. I’ll be there soon,” Nathan said as he stepped to close the gate after the last few head were herded out of the corral and into the pasture. When he returned to the chute, Dr. Rach was gathering his equipment. “We’re grateful for your help.”
“And I for yours, Nathan.” He offered his hand to the younger man. “And remember what I said, I think you’d make a fine vet. For that matter, I’m sure you’ll succeed at whatever you choose to do in life.”
“Thanks.” He walked the man out and saw him off before striking a path toward the main house. On the way he waved at Canyon and Jonah who were testing out a new hay baler. “Working late?”
Jonah grinned. “This isn’t work. This is play. A new toy is always welcome.”
Nathan gave them a tip of his hat as he crossed the gravel drive to enter the yard. As he neared the house, he lifted his head to intercept the smell of Cajun gumbo. He didn’t have to be told Cady was in charge of dinner tonight. If he had to guess, there’d also be jambalaya and croissant bread pudding. There might be some drawbacks to living at home, but eating wasn’t one of them. Each of his sister in laws were great cooks and they each made special family favorites. Cady’s, of course, was Louisiana cooking.
When he reached the kitchen door, Nathan stomped the dust and dirt from his boots before continuing up the steps. “Honey, I’m home!” he called out with a ready smile on his face.
“Get in this house.”
He’d only set one booted foot in the door before Jessie pulled him by one hand toward the wood burning stove. “Come over here and warm up. You’re freezing!”
“Hey, Jessie.” As quickly as he could, Nathan eased his hand from hers. Not fast enough, however. An image of Jessie crying her eyes out assaulted his mind. “Oh, I didn’t even feel the cold. You know how hot-blooded I am. Hey, Libs.” He gave them each an air kiss as he moved swiftly past.
“Hey, Nate.” Libby gave him a big smile as she went to the cupboard for plates to set the dining table.
“You haven’t always been that way. I remember when I used to heat bricks to put at the bottom of your bed for you to rest your feet on. You couldn’t abide an electric blanket.” Jessie stood on tiptoe to take off Nathan’s cowboy hat, then handed it to Libby to hang on the rack by the door. “A lot of things have changed since then.”
“Yea, some things are different.” He was older. They all were. But their lives had moved on and his was still stuck in second gear.
“One thing hasn’t.” Jessie gave him a hug. “You’re still one of my favorite people.”
“Thanks.” Unable to avoid her touch, Nathan returned her embrace. With the contact came a mental jolt as sharp and startling as a zap of electricity. The certain knowledge that Jacob’s wife would face a miscarriage in the future swamped his mind. He could feel her despair and her guilt as if it were his own. Without thinking, he pushed away from her. “Sorry. I gotta go to the restroom.”
Jessie laughed. “That’s one thing that’s changed, you used to love our hugs.”
“Oh, Jessie.” He gave her an apologetic smile. “I’ll be right back.” Nathan didn’t try to explain further as he escaped from the kitchen to the hall. He’d no more than turned the corner until he barreled full force into Cady McCoy.
“Hey, hey.” She grasped his arms to steady herself.
When he pulled away from her and shivered, she frowned. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“No.” He let out a long breath. “Yea.” Shutting his eyes, he stood still. “I hugged Jessie and saw…”
When his voice trailed off, she realized what was going on. “What did you see?”
Before he could answer, she pulled him farther down the hall to insure they weren’t overheard.
Nathan steeled himself to answer. Cady was the only person who would understand – the only person he could share his burden with. “A miscarriage. She’s going to have a miscarriage and it’s going to break her heart.”
“I know.”
“You know?” Nathan’s eyes flew open, then he grimaced. “Of course you do.”
“Unfortunately.”
“What are we going to do about it?”
“There’s nothing we can do,” she told him with a sad look on her beautiful face. “What will happen will be no one’s fault. Telling her what lies ahead would only bring her more pain. She’d try to change the future and in doing so just create more problems and heartache for herself and Jacob. We’re better off not knowing some things.”
He leaned against the wall. “I agree. I just wish that applied to you and I.” Bowing his head, he stared at the pattern of the woodgrain on the floor. “I hate knowing things.”
“Me too. Especially when there’s no benefit from knowing. Like with Jessie. We just have to watch the sad situation unfold.” Cady brushed a lock of hair from Nathan’s forehead. When he automatically tried to avoid her touch, she laughed sadly. “Don’t worry about what you might pick up from me, there’s nothing I don’t already know.”
Nathan shook his head. “I didn’t see anything anyway.” Not much. Nothing like what he’d picked up from Jessie.
“Are you taking those drops I gave you?”
“Yea, but not consistently enough. Apparently.” He jammed both hands in his front pockets. “This thing with Jessie hit me like a lightning bolt.”
“Your gift is powerful. There’s no way you’ll ever tamp it down completely.”
“I hate it.” He met his sister in law’s gaze. “I know you’re a thousand times more plugged in than I am. How do you cope?”
Cady sighed, folding her arms across her chest. “Not very well sometimes. CBD doesn’t work for me. The only time I’m not aware is when I’m carrying a baby.” She laughed wryly. “And as much as I love my children, I don’t want to be pregnant all the time.”
“I bet.” Nathan dry-scrubbed his face. “The cannabis oil seems to dull my awareness of most people, but not my family.”
“The connection is stronger,” Cady explained. “This will always be true for you, I’m afraid.”
“Great.” Nathan chewed on his lower lip. “I’m not sure I can live this way. Not long term. Trying to hide things from people I love is hard – especially when they’re important, life-altering things.”
“I know. You just have to make a judgement call. If the person will benefit from the knowledge, you share it. If the knowledge will only make things worse…”
“I bear it alone.”
“Not alone. I’m here,” Cady assured him. “Now, go wash up. Supper’s almost ready.”
Nathan did as he was directed. When he returned to the kitchen, the room was full of McCoys. To his surprise, all five of his brothers and their families sat around the long farmhouse table. Good thing the house and furniture was designed to accommodate a crowd – because their numbe
r seemed to be ever increasing. That thought reminded him of the baby that Jacob and Jessie would lose, and his heart hurt for them. “Who called this meeting?” he asked with good humor.
“I think Cady’s gumbo is reason enough to get together,” Isaac raised his glass to Joseph’s wife. “Am I right?”
“You are correct.” Joseph kissed his wife who’d moved to strap their youngest daughter, Emilie, into a highchair. “Cady’s cooking could bring about world peace if we could get the right people at the dinner table.”
“Sit, Nathan.” Libby pointed to a chair. “Aron, would you bring the gumbo from the stove?”
“Gladly.” He did as she asked, placing the steaming bowl in the midst of all the other dishes. “I’m beginning to rethink the wisdom of my sitting at the head of the table.”
“Oh, I’ll pass you a bowl,” Noah assured him. “Just as soon as I fill my own.”
“Who doesn’t have tea?” Avery asked as she bustled around, carrying two brimming glassfuls. “I have two left.”
“That would be me.” Nathan held up a hand as he took his seat.
“And me.” Skye waved her hand as she wiped Blue’s mouth with a napkin. “Libby, one of the twins is missing.”
“Oh, my stars.” Libby whirled around to check. “Colt!” she yelled as she left the room in hot pursuit of the small boy.
“He’s taken food to his room, I guarantee.” Aron chuckled as he took his seat. “The boy has an imaginary friend he keeps trying to feed. Can you believe that?”
“Are you sure he doesn’t have a pet mouse?” Noah asked with a smirk.
“Don’t you even say that!” Jessie shivered. “I’ll be walking on the furniture, for sure.”