“You signed permission papers before we operated.” He pulled the bed sheet up and pressed her toes. “Can you feel this?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Wiggle them for me.”
She stretched her toes, which felt as though she hadn’t moved them in months.
“Good, good. All ten are nice and pink. You had a couple wicked breaks and a touch of hypothermia when you arrived. We had to warm you before we wired you together.”
She frowned. “Wires?”
He smiled. “We used a plate to stabilize the repairs. You should be back to normal in a couple months, although I’d prefer you stay off horses for a while.”
Laura squeezed Kate’s hand again. “That’s good news, isn’t it Kate?”
Kate nodded. A couple months? The summer would be over and the tourist season finished by then. She couldn’t walk, she couldn’t ride a horse, she couldn’t drive. She’d have to leave the ranch. But where would she go?
After the doctor left, she turned to Laura. “Do you think I’ll be in here long? Hospitals are expensive. Plus the surgery and the helicopter. I can’t imagine how I’ll ever pay for it all.”
“Don’t worry about the medical bills. You were riding our horse on our property. The ranch insurance will cover everything.”
***
When Kate awoke later, Clint was standing in the doorway, a huge bouquet of yellow roses in his hands. She smiled and waved him in.
He walked to her bedside. “Hey, lady, I was the one who was supposed to take you around to see the sights, not those crazy Life Flight guys.”
She chuckled. “If it’s any consolation, Clint, I don’t remember a thing about the helicopter ride, including the EMTs.”
He laid the bouquet on the bed and took her hands, looking more serious than usual. “I’m sorry you had such a rough night.”
“I’m just grateful no snakes crawled on me.” She wrinkled her nose and shuddered.
“And it’s a good thing you didn’t land in an ant hill … or a pile of poison ivy … or bear scat, or …”
She laughed. “Please spare me the possibilities.”
He cocked his head. “I hate to say I told you so, but if you’d been dancing with me last night, you wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed today.” His laugh was harsh.
Not knowing how to respond, Kate said nothing.
He picked up the flowers. “Did you hear about Tramp?”
“Laura was here earlier, but I forgot to ask about him.”
“The vet stitched him up—took more than a hundred stitches—and gave him a big dose of antibiotics. But he didn’t make any promises. He said it’ll be touch and go for a while. Some of us took turns sitting with him today. Even the Curtis twins are helping.”
She snickered. “Poor puppy. He’ll get well just to escape their chatter.”
They heard a knock and turned to see Manuel peeking in the doorway.
“Hi, Manuel.” Kate motioned for him to enter the room. “What a nice surprise.”
Clint brandished the flowers. “I’m headed to the nurses’ station to see if they have a vase.”
He left the room, and Manuel stepped in. “I, uh … brought you something.” The teenager thrust a small package at Kate. “My mom made it for you.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked away.
“I feel so honored that the two of you would think of me.” She lifted the top off the box. Inside, resting on soft padding, she found a bracelet of made of multicolored stones and copper beads. She slipped it onto her wrist.
“Thank you, Manuel. I’ve never owned anything as beautiful as this bracelet.” She blinked back tears. “Please tell your mom I love it and I hope to meet her someday—and that she has a wonderful son.”
A huge grin broke across his face.
She couldn’t believe the girls didn’t mob him. He was a sweet kid. Plus, he had a beautiful smile and gorgeous eyes.
He raised his eyebrows. “You really like it?”
“I do. It’s so unique.” She twisted her wrist back and forth to admire the stones. “And very pretty.”
He leaned closer. “Do you remember our talk on the trail last night?”
“I remember how you helped me get through the pain. I was glad to have you there.”
He glanced around. “I just wanted to ask about when you were in, well, you know …”
“You mean about my previous residence?”
He nodded. “I’ve been wondering about the …” He lowered his voice. “The inmate you talked about, the one with the glow. What was up with that?”
“Oh, yes, Nancy. She was a very special lady. I met her after I’d been there almost four years.”
“Can you tell me more now, or should I wait until you feel better?”
“Depends how long it takes Clint to find a vase. I’ll try to talk fast. Or maybe I’ll speak Pig Latin. He won’t have a clue what we’re talking about.”
Manuel smirked and settled into a chair beside her bed.
She punched the button to raise the head of her bed before turning on her side to face him, her back to the door. “One afternoon when I was sitting at a picnic table smoking with a group of women out in the yard, I saw Nancy walking on the track that circled it. I’d watched her for weeks. No matter what was going on around her, she always had a smile on her face, always seemed relaxed. My curiosity got the best of me. I handed my cigarette to another inmate—we never squandered a single gram of tobacco—and hurried to join her.
“As we walked together, I told Nancy I’d noticed her glow and her peaceful demeanor, which I couldn’t understand, because she was surrounded by hundreds of cranky guards and angry, volatile women, most of whom were either in the midst of PMS or menopause.
“She smiled her calm smile and said, ‘It must be Jesus inside of me.’
“I swore and said, ‘Yeah, girlfriend, and Mickey Mouse lives inside me.’”
Manuel laughed.
“But she didn’t get mad. Instead, she said, ‘There’s a Bible verse that says God is love and whoever lives in love, lives in God—and God in him.’”
Kate saw Manuel’s focus flick toward the doorway. She turned to see a patient with an IV pole lurch past the doorway. Looking back at Manuel, she said, “How about pulling your earlobe when you see someone coming, so I can change the subject.”
He nodded. “What did you think about her answer? Sounds weird to me.”
“Nancy also told me that when God comes into our lives, he makes us into new people. That sounded good to me. I didn’t like myself.”
He stared at the ceiling. “I know that feeling. My friends—actually, they’d never been my friends before—they picked me up when I was walking on the side of the road, acted real chummy, and got me drunk on purpose. They dared me to do what I did, but not one of them stood up for me in court. They were too busy covering their own backsides.”
Kate saw him track another person walking by the door.
Someone paged a doctor on the intercom.
He focused on her again. “I guess I’m angry about all that, but I’m mostly mad at myself for killing the antelope.” He stared at the floor for a moment then looked up. “Did you ask your friend how God does that—makes people new?”
If she’d been able to reach Manuel, Kate would have hugged him. He looked so miserable. She nodded. “Like you, I was anxious for her answer, but exercise time was over. I had to wait until the next day to see her again. The moment I did, I grabbed her arm and said, ‘Tell me.’
“She whispered, ‘Directive number seven.’
“I let go. We weren’t supposed to touch each other.
“She motioned toward a table on the far side of the yard. ‘I brought my Bible, so I can show you God’s message for you today.’
“That made me feel special. I think I even walked a little taller as we headed for the table. The lone woman sitting there got up and hurried away when she saw Nancy open up her Bible, which was fine with m
e.
“We only had a half hour out in the yard, but she spent the whole time showing me from her Bible how Jesus wanted to come inside my life and make me clean. Just before—”
Manuel slapped his hand against his earlobe and yanked it so hard Kate thought it might rip off.
Clint burst into the room, roses raised high. “Great vase stalker Igor returns with kill from underground cavern. Now Igor hunt water—white water, not fire water.”
Kate laughed and pointed toward the bathroom. “Igor find flowing river in cave.”
Manuel watched Clint stride into the small room. “He’s a crazy guy.”
“He’s a good friend, right? A friend you can trust?”
Manuel nodded and scooted his chair closer to Kate. He lowered his voice, even though Clint was running water in the bathroom. “Maybe next time you can tell me the rest of the story.”
“I’d love to. I’m just getting to the good part.”
Chapter Eighteen
KATE PICKED UP THE telephone handset. “Hello.”
“Hi, Kate. This is Laura. How are you feeling today?”
Kate grinned at the sound of Mrs. D’s cheerful voice. “Good, thank you. I sat in a wheelchair for breakfast and didn’t even get dizzy.”
“Wonderful. You sound better, thank God.”
“You didn’t know how much I would need your prayers when you promised to pray for me, did you?”
“I pray for you every day. Monday night we were all on our knees, including the Curtis twins.”
“They’re sweethearts.”
“Yes, they are. And like you, they’re part of our Whispering Pines family. Oops, I hear the front-desk bell. Hang on. Mike wants to talk with you. See you soon.”
Kate was touched by Laura’s inclusion of her in the WP family, but she knew it wouldn’t last. As much as she’d like to be part of the Duncan family, she didn’t belong with such good people.
She heard muffled noises before Mike came on the line. “Hey, Kate.”
“Hi, Mike. How’s life where the buffalo roam?”
“They’d better not be roaming.”
She giggled. “Figure of speech.”
“To be honest, it’s lonely without you.”
Surprised by his comment, she wasn’t sure what to say. Tears welled in her eyes. She sniffed. “I miss you, too.” She sniffed again and wiped at her nose.
“Don’t be sad.”
“I’m not sad, just weepy since the accident. I miss everyone at the ranch. I’ve had visitors, but it’s not the same as being there.”
“Mom and I are planning to drop by this afternoon.”
Kate smiled. She couldn’t wait to see him again. “I’d love to see you both, if you can get away. How’s your dog doing?”
He made a sound halfway between a sigh and a moan. “Tramp had a setback. Scared us bad. I took him to the clinic in Encampment. He’ll have to stay there until he recovers or …”
“You mean, he might …?”
She heard him blow a puff of air. “Uh, yeah ...”
“I’m so sorry. I’ll pray for him. He’s a huge part of your life.”
“Dymple says God puts us on our backs so we’ll look up to him. With all that’s gone on lately, it must be time for me to do some serious up-looking.”
“I guess that goes for me, too.”
He chuckled. “I forgot. You’re literally on your back. How’re you doing today?”
“Great. I sat in a wheelchair for breakfast.”
“I’m glad to hear it. You’ll be walking by the time we get there this afternoon.”
“I wish.”
“I hate to go, Kate, but I’d better get busy. Take care of yourself, okay?”
“I’ll try. See you later. Bye.” Kate laid the phone on the night stand and plumped her pillow. She didn’t know if it was the crazy night on the mountain or the meds, but she was sleepy. After a nap, she’d comb her hair, so she’d look nice for Mike—and Laura.
***
Mike hung up the telephone and headed for the barn. It felt wrong to walk the ranch grounds without Tramp at his heels. He passed Trudy’s little corner of the world shaded by a big cottonwood. The calf slept soundly on a pile of straw. By the time Tramp could play with Trudy again, if that day ever came, the calf would be too big and strong for him.
He stepped inside the cool dark barn. Where did he leave off? Every time he started a project, something—usually something bad—distracted him. ATV tracks, a cut fence, a dented truck, a dead buffalo. Plus the guy who broke into Kate’s cabin. Now Kate and Tramp were hospitalized. What else could go wrong? Other than Tara Hughes. She was over the top—.
A scream broke into his reverie. “Help! Somebody help!”
He raced out of the barn toward the sound of sobs and found Bethany huddled in the corner of the corral. He leaped over the railing. “What’s the matter?”
Tears poured down her cheeks. She pointed to the calf with the bottle she held in her hand. “Look …” She gagged.
He leaned closer and saw a deep gash across Trudy’s throat. Bile rose in his own throat. He put his arm around the teenager. “When I walked by a moment ago, I thought she was asleep.”
She choked on a sob. “Mrs. D asked me to feed her, but …” She buried her face in his shoulder.
Others who’d heard the scream gathered round the corral.
“Who would do such a horrible thing?” Bethany wailed and clutched at his shirt.
One of the guests, a man, stepped to the railing. “Some sicko, that’s who.”
Mike wondered if it was the same sicko who killed the mother cow.
“Probably that Mexican kid,” said another man. “I heard he spent time in the pen for animal cruelty. Has it in for our furry friends.”
“You’d better believe it.” This time, it was Darryl’s voice, tinged with bitterness as usual. Mike bit back his anger and helped Bethany to her feet. He turned to the crowd, staring straight at Darryl. “That’s the kind of talk that leads to lynchings. The sheriff will investigate and decide who the culprit is.”
Darryl rolled his eyes and strode away.
Mike spotted Tanner at the back of the crowd and motioned to him. “Get a tarp from the storeroom to cover the carcass. I’ll call the sheriff.” He looked at Bethany. “You okay?”
She nodded.
He led her out of the enclosure, closing the gate behind them.
Trisha ran up to them. “I just heard what happened.” She pulled Bethany into a hug.
Mike trudged toward the house, dreading the moment he had to tell his mom about the calf. Just beyond the corral, he stopped. How was he going to tell Kate her calf was dead?
Tanner jogged to his side. “Hey, Bossman, I don’t know if it’s related, but I saw Manuel doing something strange a few days ago.”
Mike winced. He hated to be called bossman, the name the employees had used for his dad for as long as he could remember. He didn’t begin to feel worthy to walk in his father’s boots. “What do you mean, ‘something strange’?” His response came out sharper than he planned. He liked Manuel. Plus, he didn’t want to think his mom made a judgment error in hiring him the moment he checked out of reform school.
Tanner back-stepped, hands up. “Sorry I mentioned it.”
“Wait. Let’s talk in the gazebo.”
They walked the path through the newly planted garden. Inside the gazebo, Mike faced the ranch hand. “Shoot.”
Tanner adjusted his hat. “I was working on the plumbing in the cabin next to the Blue Jay the afternoon it rained so hard and happened to look out the window. Manuel and Kate were standing in the rain beside her cabin, talking.”
Mike frowned. Kate and Manuel up to no good? Not hardly.
“Manuel was holding a shovel, like this.” Tanner demonstrated how he’d held the shovel parallel with the ground. “Looked like something heavy was on it. But I couldn’t tell what it was. Rain was coming down hard right then.
�
��He showed Kate whatever was on the shovel. Then they walked to the back of the cabin sort of sneaky-like, looking every direction. Manuel dumped the load onto the ground. Maybe into a hole. Then he covered it with dirt. About as soon as he finished, they took off in opposite directions.” Tanner shrugged his shoulders. “That’s about it. Nothing much, really.”
Mike grabbed one of the shovels leaning against the gazebo bench. “Let’s check it out.”
As they made their way through the garden, he glanced toward the corral. An even larger crowd had formed. He made a mental note to call the sheriff as soon as he uncovered whatever Manuel buried.
What was it about the Blue Jay? Was the cabin jinxed, or was it Kate? He shook his head, mentally kicking himself for doubting her. He didn’t know Kate well, but his heart told him she wasn’t the problem.
They found a soft dirt pile under a lilac bush. Mike scraped off the top layer. Tanner offered to dig, but Mike refused. He scratched and poked until he felt something soft give under the shovel. Then he tapped around until he came to the hardened edges of the hole. His boot on the blade, he forced the metal lip into the soil and levered a muddy mass from the hole.
Tanner stooped to examine it. He rubbed at the dirty surface with a stick. “What d’ya know? It’s a snake—bullsnake, I’d say.”
Mike knelt beside him. “I wonder where they found the snake.” He thought for a moment. “Maybe Kate saw it and Manuel killed it for her.”
Tanner nodded. “Maybe. At least they buried it. Whoever threw that dead ferret in the dumpster didn’t do us any favors. Stunk it up ten times worse than usual.”
“You saw a ferret in the dumpster?”
“Yeah, a black-footed ferret.”
“Are you sure? I thought they were nearly extinct.”
“I saw a special about endangered species on Public Television a few months back. This ferret looked the same as those on TV—like a long, skinny weasel with black feet and a black mask. The narrator said they normally live on the prairie but some have been found at higher elevations.”
Mike stared at the snake, thinking about the ferret. “So, how did it get in our dumpster? Is it still there?”
“Who knows how it got there, but it’s gone. The sanitation guys came by yesterday. The smell is probably still there, if you want to take a whiff. But be warned …” He grimaced. “It’s mighty powerful.”
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