by Tara Meyers
Laughing, Sean didn’t miss a beat. “I don’t think there’s anywhere in Sanctuary that has a dress code.”
Ember couldn’t help but notice what a nice laugh he had. Easy, and rich. Maybe she’d misread him earlier. It was under some weird circumstances. He could be right, that they needed to reintroduce themselves in a more … normal situation. Brightening a little at the thought, she smiled at Daenerys, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to her, drooling on her purse.
“Thank you for the invitation, Sean,” she replied, emphasizing his name. “I’ll see you tomorrow at five.”
After hanging up, she sat staring at the phone for a full minute. She had no plans to start dating him or anyone else in the near future, but dinner might be nice. And he was nice to look at.
Daenerys whined at her again.
“What?” she laughed, rubbing the dog behind the ears. It quickly became apparent throughout the day that this was her favorite spot to have scratched. “So what if I’m sitting along the side of a road in a running truck, staring at my phone? Nothing at all unusual about that.” After putting the truck back into drive, she continued down the driveway. “And now I’m talking to my dog,” she muttered.
Pulling up under the same shade tree she’d been parked under earlier, Ember ordered Daenerys to stay, feeling guilty. “It’s only for a few minutes this time,” she promised, while digging out yet another dog treat. She was going to have to buy more.
Bonnie came out to meet her, and Ember was concerned by the expression on the older woman’s face. Something else must have happened with Butterscotch. “What’s wrong?” Ember asked, turning toward the barn.
“Hold on,” Bonnie ordered, sticking out a hand to stop Ember. “There’s nothing wrong with the horse.”
Stopping at the tone of her voice, Ember once again had a bad feeling. “He’s doing better?” she asked, trying not to read too much into the way Bonnie was standing with her hands on her hips. She looked worried.
“Well, of course he’s doing better! Now that the drugs you gave him have worn off. I should have known to question it, given the history of your predecessor.”
Bristling at the accusatory nature of the comment, Ember went on the defensive. “Look, Bonnie, I don’t know what’s going on, or what you’re referring to, but you and I both know that Butterscotch was having an issue this morning long before I got here. Those drugs are what calmed him down!”
“Maybe,” Bonnie conceded, “but don’t you think that maybe the horse was simply reacting to the man in his stall that was murdered?”
“Who told you that?” Ember shot back, knowing that getting into an argument with the woman wasn’t going to help anything, but she was unable to stop herself. She had a quick temper with certain triggers, and someone accusing her of wrongly caring for an animal was a big one.
“The sheriff left here about a half-hour ago,” Bonnie explained. “I know that this is now a murder investigation! Some men from State Patrol came in with a bunch of fancy equipment to lift prints or something, and then they spent nearly an hour questioning us. Us, Dr. Burns, like we’re some sort of suspects!”
Ember’s anger was gone as fast as it sparked. The woman was terrified, that’s all. Putting a hand on her shoulder, she did her best to placate her. “Bonnie, it’s all circumstantial. They won’t know the real cause of death for several days. The wound may have been from anything and incidental to his being … trampled.”
“Why are you so eager to accuse that horse?” Bonnie countered, surprising Ember again with her attitude. “You were the one that indicated to the police this morning that he could have done it. Is there really even anything wrong with him? Because he seems to be acting fine to me now.”
“Bonnie, I’m not eager to accuse anyone of anything. I just want to make sure we know all the facts before coming to any conclusions. We won’t have his bloodwork back until Monday or Tuesday. His vitals were off this morning, which is why I would really like to examine him again. If he’s doing better, like you say, then that’s a great sign. And I’m the one who discovered that wound, so please trust that I’m doing all I can to make sure your horse isn’t accused of something it didn’t do.”
“You mean to say you’re the one that caused the huge mess here this afternoon?” Bonnie exploded, waving her hands in the air.
Ember was completely exasperated. Nothing she said was going to satisfy this woman. Trying to control her reaction, she reminded herself why she was there. “Like I said, I just want to make sure that the truth is known. I’m sure that’s all anyone wants, including you and Tom’s wife.”
Bonnie relaxed a little, apparently unable to find a reason to argue against that.
“Can I please just check on him?” Ember pressed, seeing an opening. “I won’t give him any more sedatives if that’s what you want. But I’d like to document his vitals and current behavior. I’m trying to help him,” she added, hoping that Bonnie would be reasonable.
Bonnie’s shoulders sagged. “I know you are, Dr. Burns,” she admitted, shaking her head. “I don’t even know what I’m thinking anymore. I’m sorry. I just—go on. Go look at him, will you? Then I don’t want to think about any of this for the rest of the night.”
Not needing any further prompting, Ember headed for the barn. Stepping inside, she saw there was police tape across the opening to the stall. Butterscotch was now housed in a smaller one, closer to the barn door. He stood quietly, looking at her.
Approaching him cautiously at first, since the sedative should have nearly worked its way completely out of his system by then, Ember could tell right away that Bonnie was right. There was absolutely no sign of any agitation. Going to work, it only took a few minutes to determine that all his vital signs were perfectly normal.
Leaning against the stall door, she studied the horse. He stared back at Ember, his large brown eyes reflecting her image. Blinking slowly, Butterscotch gently stretched his head forward and then rested it on her shoulder. It was the same gesture her horse used to do when she was a child. Touched, Ember reached up and stroked the gelding’s neck while speaking softly to him.
“It’s okay, boy. Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’ll make sure of it.”
Even without the bloodwork results, it was clear to Ember that the horse wasn’t sick. That made the likelihood of him being responsible for Tom’s death extremely unlikely. Horses were known to avoid stepping on people lying on the ground. When it did happen, it was usually accidental. It was an instinct thing, to prevent them from breaking a leg. Even in a small space, provoked, Ember couldn’t buy into the whole trampling thing unless the horse was very ill. That morning, he certainly was behaving like he was crazed. None of it made sense.
Tossing his head, Butterscotch took a step back and snorted, making Ember laugh.
“I guess the conversation is over!” she said, gathering her things. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Back outside, she didn’t see Bonnie anywhere, so she headed for her truck. As she was standing with the door open, setting her bag in the small backseat area of the extended cab, Carl rode up on his horse. It was a massive Arabian and it kicked up rocks as he galloped past. Before Ember even realized what was happening, Daenerys bounded across the seat and then leapt from the truck.
The next thirty seconds played out like a bad movie. Labradoodle and Arabian engaged in what could have been described as either a death match or rough game of tag.
“Daenerys!” Ember screamed, realizing too late that the dog didn’t even know her name yet so certainly wasn’t going to respond while in a frenzy. Throwing all caution aside, Ember dodged the bucking horse to grab at Daenerys as she ran circles around him, dashing in to nip at the Arabian’s legs when she saw an opening.
Thirty seconds was how long it took Carl, an expert rider, to regain control of his horse. Once he reined him in to a halt, Daenerys simply sat down and grinned at them all like it was a grand sport.
Mortified,
Ember picked the dog up just as Bonnie came charging outside.
“What in the world is going on now?” she demanded, looking to her husband.
Using mostly expletives, Carl quickly described the “attack” as he jumped down from his horse. Daenerys had never actually touched him, but Carl still made a point of examining the legs of his mount.
“Dr. Burns, what kind of veterinarian brings an untrained dog to a client’s house!” Bonnie yelled.
“I’m sorry,” Ember offered. It was a weak apology, but it was all she had. Bonnie was right. It was inexcusable.
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” Bonnie continued. “You don’t need to come back. If Butterscotch needs any further medical care, I know several vets that can take care of him without all the drama!”
Nodding in agreement, Ember turned away, still clutching the big dog in her arms. Staggering under the weight of one of the few friends she still had in Sanctuary, she slowly worked her way back to the truck.
SEVEN
Ember’s house was the last one on a three-mile gravel road wrapping around Crystal Lake. It was named for its crystal-clear water, attributed to being glacier run-off from the highest peaks of the surrounding mountains. The gravel on the bottom of the lake was left behind ages before by a receding glacier, and it acted much like the gravel in a fishbowl, filtering the sediment.
Her twenty acres of land was mostly forested. Five acres were cleared and fenced, with the rambling farmhouse in the center of the clearing, but a majority of the fields were now overgrown, and the fencing in need of repair. Ember stood in the driveway for a moment, taking it all in. After growing up there, she was still awed by the raw beauty at their end of the valley. Beyond the fence line behind the house, the ground sloped upward, gently at first but then rapidly grew more extreme in angle. The countless ravines and ledges had been Ember’s playground, and she was looking forward to exploring them again.
Looking down at Daenerys, she had no doubt the dog would enjoy it, too. She wasn’t mad at her for chasing the horse. It wasn’t her fault that Ember put her in the situation in the first place. She should have never taken her back to Bonnie’s. Daenerys was already having a hard day, between going to yet another new owner and being left alone several times. Yelling at her over something she obviously didn’t know was wrong would only stress them both out.
“That relationship wasn’t going anywhere good, anyway,” Ember said to Daenerys.
The dog looked up at her with a longing she recognized as a need for approval. After reaching down to pet her sweet spot, Ember dropped to her knees. Daenerys’s tail started thumping as they drew to eye level. Cupping her under the jaw, they stared at each other for a moment.
“I promise to take care of you and love you,” Ember vowed. “All I ask is that you don’t poop in the house.”
Wiggling with barely contained excitement, Daenerys leaned forward and licked Ember once on the nose, as if to seal the agreement.
Laughing, Ember stood and patted at her thigh. “Come on! There’s still enough light left to give you a quick tour of the main yard.” Grabbing her purse, doctor bag, and dog supplies from the truck, she dumped it all on the large wrap-around porch before leading Daenerys around the side. She briefly debated putting the harness and leash on her but decided against it. The nearest neighbor was over a half-mile away. Ember believed that getting to know each other on their own terms was best.
In spite of being loose, the labradoodle stayed close, looking back constantly to make sure she knew where Ember was. It was a good sign.
“This is where Celeste lived,” Ember announced, pointing at an old weather-beaten barn. Celeste had been a magnificent painted horse, perfect for the only sport Ember took part in: barrel racing. Sanctuary’s one claim to fame was its annual rodeo. People came from all over the country to compete, and it was the town’s largest source of tourism and revenue. And Ember was good at it. Well, used to be. When Celeste passed away Ember’s senior year of high school, she swore she’d never own another horse. She’d been her best friend. It was the final factor in pushing her to accept the scholarship that ultimately led to her becoming a veterinarian.
Resting a hand on a top rail, Ember leaned against the fencing that encircled what used to be her training arena. It was where she’d gotten her first broken bone, hundreds of bruises, and the spirit of a competitor. She was acutely aware that the rodeo had already begun. It would culminate during the upcoming Fourth of July weekend with its main event the night of the centennial celebration. For the first time in a decade, Ember wanted to go. Maybe the old adage was right, and time did heal most wounds.
Her mother’s cat chose that moment to leap onto the fence next to her, startling both Ember and Daenerys.
“Peaches!” she exclaimed, reaching for him, concerned that the dog might make a repeat performance with the much-smaller opponent. However, proving Becky right, Daenerys simply looked up happily at Peaches, tongue lolling. Encouraged, Ember let him go, and the two animals proceeded to sniff every available orifice before finally rubbing their faces together.
“Huh,” Ember huffed, watching with amusement. She’d always told her mom she needed to change the cat’s name. For one thing, it didn’t sound like a boy’s name. Second, the cat was black. Large, long-haired, and as black as midnight. But he liked peaches. Her mom found it hilarious. Had found it hilarious.
“I guess Peaches isn’t such a bad name,” Ember said softly when the cat turned his affections to her, rubbing in a circle around her leg. Her jeans soon took on a darker hue as the hairs stuck to it, and it reminded her that she still needed to get some laundry done and make dinner.
“Come on,” she called to both of the animals. “Let’s feed the chickens.”
The only other boarders her mom left behind were a small flock of chickens. The pen was nestled in a far corner of the backyard, but she left the gate open during the day so they could free-range. It was important to put them in at night so the coyotes wouldn’t get them. Her mom recently told her how bold they had gotten, and she found out the last couple of nights what she meant. They never used to come into the nearest pastures, but she woke up to one on the back patio a few nights ago. Hopefully, Daenerys would mark the property enough that they’d be a little more timid.
A few handfuls of feed brought the girls running, and once again, Daenerys proved herself a good farm dog by not chasing them off. Peaches, on the other hand, nearly pursued one into the woods.
Once they were back at the house, Ember watched the last of the light dance across Crystal Lake before it fell behind the tall mountains to the West, on the far side of Sanctuary. There was still over an hour until sunset, but the valley was blanketed in shadows long before then.
Although the air was still warm and heavy with the scents of summer in the mountains, Ember felt a chill. She didn’t need the test results to draw her own conclusions. There was a murderer in Sanctuary.
EIGHT
Saturday morning greeted Ember with another sapphire-blue sky and a bald eagle’s cry echoing over Crystal Lake. She woke with a fresh ambition to make the most of the day and to try and put anything negative behind her. She even selected a nicer pair of jeans after lingering over her favorite worn-down ones. While she planned on doing a lot of cleaning and moving furniture around, she also had a dinner date that night. Grabbing a generic T-shirt, she decided to look into having shirts made with the Sanctuary Animal Clinic name on it.
A short time later, as she was walking into the coffee shop next door to her building, she was reminded that she really should come up with a logo. Looking up at the wooden sign that bore the name “Nature’s Brew of Sanctuary,” she noted the stylish cedar tree carved to the far left, with one of its roots spelling out the store name. It was great marketing, and the tourists loved all the souvenirs inside with the same design on them.
“Ember!” Mel called out when she finally stepped inside. “What can I make for you?”
Ember smiled at the other woman, happy to see a familiar face. Since Mel lived below the store, it was convenient for her to work there on the weekends. That was why Ember hadn’t seen her in there before, because she’d only been frequenting it since she took possession of the clinic that Monday before. However, Nature’s Brew was rapidly becoming a staple to her mornings. In addition to their own specialty blend of coffee, they also served amazing pastries from a bakery in Refuge. Maybe they had cards she could pre-load and get a small savings. Or perhaps the owner had a pet. Bartering was still alive and well in Sanctuary.
“I’m going to be boring and get a simple tall vanilla latte. And pick out the most chocolate covered thing you have.”
“Hot?” Mel asked.
“Yeah. I’ll probably be back for something iced later on,” Ember confessed. “I got hooked on coffee in college, and while I don’t drink as much as I used to, I still rely on the afternoon boost.”
“You don’t have to explain your addiction to me,” Mel laughed, preparing the drink. “I make bank on it.” Two minutes later, she had the steaming drink and cream-filled, chocolate-covered doughnut on the counter for Ember. “So, umm, I heard you had some trouble last night?”
“Great,” Ember moaned, handing cash to Mel. “Keep the change. So, tell me; how much damage is the rumor mill causing?”
Glancing at the two tourists in a far corner looking through postcards, Mel busied herself with wiping everything down while talking in low tones. “It could be worse. But Bonnie’s pretty upset. Mrs. Jenkins is friends with Bonnie’s best friend, and she was in here about an hour ago, talking it up like you caused the whole thing.”
Pausing with the drink halfway to her mouth, Ember slowly set it back down. “What ‘whole thing’ would that be?” she asked evenly. The knot was back in her stomach.