by Sable Hunter
“Green.”
“Grass or moss?”
“Forest.”
“Okay.” He wanted to ask for more detail, but he didn’t want to push it. “Thank you, Presley. I’ll fill in the other details with my imagination.”
“That’s good.” His imagination would beat her reality any day.
“What did you find out about the conference?” Zane knew he should have given her more specifics about what he needed to know, but that was his fault. Any additional information he required, they could get later.
“Quite a bit, actually; they have over two hundred attendees pre-registered. And I’m sure you realize the predominant theme is ‘green issues’. There are four other speakers, but you are the main attraction,” a teasing tone entered her voice. It wasn’t lost on Zane.
“Who is my opening act? Do you know?”
“Honey Ross, the District Attorney. She is doing a presentation on tort reform.”
“Boring,” he gave his verdict.
“That might be, but her picture was on the site and you would think she’s hot.”
Zane laughed out loud. “Really?”
“Yea, she’s blonde and tall and stacked,” Presley knew what the ideal woman looked like, and it wasn’t her by any stretch of the imagination.
“Hmmm, I hate to tell you this, but I prefer pintsize brunettes with big green eyes.”
His response made Presley smile. He couldn’t see it, but he had made her happy. She didn’t comment, but it was hard not to. “I also checked on their facilities for the conference. If we do power-point presentations, they can handle those and there is an onsite printing service for any last minute changes we might have to the handouts or brochures.”
“I’m impressed,” he said, and he was.
“Also, I have asked for an itinerary and recommendations for side trips and things to do, especially for any spouses that might be coming to the conference.”
Damn – she was going to work out perfectly. The only problem was: Zane could feel an attraction to her growing quickly. He wondered how she felt about office romances? “I hope you realize that I’ll need you to go with me.”
“Yes, Mr. Saucier,” he swore he could hear her smile.
*****
“The car is ready, Mr. Zane.” Sherwood stood at the office door, fully expecting to be told to come back later.
“Come in, Sherwood. I won’t be but a few more minutes.” He turned to Presley. “Do you need a ride home?”
“No, I came on the bus. It goes right by my apartment, but thank you.”
“If you’re sure,” he’d like to insist they take her home, but he didn’t. “I think today went well and as far as I’m concerned – you’re hired. I’ll call the Temp agency tomorrow and book you for a month. At the end of that time, if we’re both still satisfied, perhaps you’d like to join the family.”
Presley tried not to stare at her handsome boss in front of his chauffeur. His words were normal, but they seemed to have a double meaning. ‘Both still satisfied’ and ‘join the family’ were odd ways of saying he might want to hire her full time, but she got his gist. Zane Saucier was undeniably attractive – big, strong, gorgeous and, most importantly, sweet. “I think I will be very happy here.”
“Good, it’s settled.” He walked her to the door.
Presley gave Rex a pat in passing, wishing she could touch Zane instead. His driver gave her a kind smile, and Presley’s own smile dipped. Zane couldn’t see her – but he could.
“Goodnight, I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”
When her footfalls had faded, Zane turned to Sherwood. “So, what do you think, Sherwood? I always value your opinion.”
Sherwood hesitated. “About what, Sir?”
“About my new employee. What does she look like?”
Sherwood didn’t say anything, at first. He started to speak, “Well,” then stopped. Something told him that Miss Presley was a special lady. He had seen the way she looked at Mr. Zane and Sherwood had hopes that someone would come into his life and love him like he needed to be loved. “I think she’s lovely, Mr. Zane. Just lovely. But you knew that, for you do not see as I see. While I am lured into judging only from outward appearances, you have a unique perspective. By listening to her words, knowing how she reacts to people and situations, you are privileged indeed. You are privileged to look upon her heart.”
Chapter Two
Sherwood’s answer wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear. Yes, he had good instincts about people, but that didn’t make up for not being able to look upon their face or their body. ‘Just lovely.’ That wasn’t much of an answer. Zane wanted to know more, but he didn’t ask. Nobody would give the blind guy a break. That was fine – he was used to making his own breaks, or taking advantage of those that came his way.
The two men and the black lab made their way to the car that was housed in the parking garage adjacent to the Littlefield Building. Saucier and Barclay was fortunate to be located in the heart of downtown Austin at the corner of Congress and Sixth Street in the very building where former President Lyndon Baines Johnson had his offices when he was state director of the National Youth Administration. LBJ had only been twenty six years old, but he had impressed the first lady herself. Eleanor Roosevelt had visited Johnson to tell him what an effective job he was doing.
“How’s the deck coming along?” Zane knew Sherwood was adding on to his house and he knew why. One of these days, he’d get either Sherwood or Rachel to admit their courtship, but until then, he would pretend he was in the dark. The thought made him smile. He might be blind, but he was never in the dark.
“Just fine, Sir, the contractor is using redwood. I’m thinking of getting me one of those hot tubs.” Sherwood’s home was located on Whispering Pines land and Zane enjoyed having him close.
“Nice. I wouldn’t mind having one of those myself.”
“I think you ought to, Mr. Zane. They come in handy when you’re trying to impress the ladies.” Sherwood cleared his throat as if expecting an argument.
“Is that right? I thought maybe you were getting one because of your arthritis.” He enjoyed sparring with Sherwood, but he needed to find a way to let them know he approved of their relationship. Losing Chloe was enough, he didn’t intend for Sherwood and Rachel to leave him. They could marry if they wanted to, but there was no reason they couldn’t stay and take care of him.
The drive from Austin to Bastrop was never very long. Zane enjoyed the time in the car. He enjoyed listening to Sherwood’s choice of music – Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings were usually featured. All of them spent a lot of time in Austin, which is considered to be the live music capital of the world.
He could tell when they turned off I35. Laying his head back on the seat, he wondered about Presley. She said she wasn’t married, and didn’t think she ever would. What did that mean? Marriage wasn’t necessary for a relationship. Did she have a man? Did she like to dance? She was smart, that intrigued him. There were many things he wanted to know about her, and tomorrow seemed like a good day to start.
“Looks like Frank is waiting to talk to you.”
“Yes, he’s here to update me on the preparations for the auction. Since this is the first one Whispering Pines has hosted, I want it to be successful.” Zane raised registered Beefmaster cattle and ranchers from all over the world were interested in the Warrior’s bloodline. He and the McCoys had worked hard to develop a reputation for championship quality breeders. “Come on, Rex.” Man and dog made their way up to the porch. Both were glad to be home. The night air was crisp and Zane could smell hay and a leftover waft of smoke. Frank indulged in an occasional cigar.
“Evening, Zane.”
“Frank, it’s a pleasure. Have you been waiting long?”
“Just a bit, but I’ve been enjoying sitting on your front porch with my feet propped up on the railings. That mama cat of yours has had her kittens up here and they’ve been practicing war games
. I was part of their obstacle course.”
“Sorry about that. They tend to take a person in. Are they gone?”
“Yeah, she led them back to the barn a while ago. It looked like a parade.”
“Let’s go in and have a drink. I want to hear all the details about tomorrow.” Zane held the door open for his foreman. “How’s Shalimar?”
“She’s been waiting for you. I’ll swear she can tell time. About six o’clock she starts staring down the road where your car will come from and she doesn’t move until she sees it. Right now, she’s looking up here at us. You have spoiled that animal.”
“That’s the plan. She knows the routine. I spend time with her every night.” As their boots echoed on the hard wood floor, Frank pulled off his coat and hung it on the hall tree. The tip-tap of Rachel’s heels announced her presence.
“Good evening, Mr. Saucier, Mr. Frank. May I get you a drink? I also have some fresh apple cake right from the oven.”
“Sounds wonderful, Rachel. I’ll take some cognac. How about you, Frank?”
“I’d rather have a Shiner beer, Boss. But I’ll take some cake.”
“Plebian. But that does sound good. Make it two beers Rachel, and three pieces of cake. Rex likes cake.”
They made their way to the big leather couch in front of the fireplace. A warm inviting wave of heat greeted them. Zane could hear the crackle and hiss of flames eating the oak. “Sit down, Frank. Are we all set for this weekend?”
“Yes, Sir, we are. With the McCoy’s offerings, we have thirty bulls and forty cows and plenty of embryo flushes and straws of semen. It’s going to be quite an event. The invitations you sent out garnered about a hundred RSVP’s ”
“Excellent, and is the meal coming together?”
“Well, the McCoy’s women commandeered that. You know how they love to cook and party. Your sister-in-law is in the middle of it, too. She’s representing your interest quite well. If you ever bring a wife home, she’ll probably step back, but I think she enjoys being the lady of the manor.”
“Lilibet is a great organizer. And there’s no wife on the horizon. I’m a confirmed bachelor and loving it.”
“I don’t blame you a bit.”
Zane heard Rachel set down a tray on the marble coffee table. “Here you go, if you need anything else just call me. I’m giving Rex his cake on a paper plate on the floor.”
“Thank you, Rachel.” In a few seconds, he could hear Rex enjoying his treat. Carefully, he found one of the cold cans of beer and popped the top. Taking a sip, he found the plate with the cake. Eating in front of people didn’t bother him anymore, he just enjoyed his food. “This is good.”
“Shore is. I’ve got some extra hands coming in Friday to handle the heli-pad traffic and the parking lot. And as Aron suggested, I’ll have a welcome area set up at the gate to greet the ones who drive in for the auction. The first thing they’ll be met with when they enter Whispering Pines will be their choice of a cocktail.”
Zane laughed. “I thought that was a little over the top, but he says that’s the way it’s done at these blue-blood cattle auctions.”
“Should be some shin-dig, that’s for sure.”
“Is the pavilion all set up?” Whispering Pines was a beautiful ranch with rolling green hills dotted with big oaks and stately pines. A stone pavilion sat behind the main barn alongside one of the three ponds that decorated the landscape. Big pecan trees spread their branches and Zane could remember how proud he would be to see the big bulls lounging underneath them like kings surveying their domain.
“We don’t lack much, there won’t be any problems finishing by Thursday night. Henry said it beat all he’d ever seen. He’s been to cattle auctions all of his life, but this one was the first where the cattle would enter the arena walking on a damned red carpet.”
Zane heard Frank drain the last drop from his can. “Want another beer?”
“No, I’m good.”
“These cattle aren’t like the ones destined for the meat market. Some of those bulls will sell for over a hundred thousand dollars each.”
“I can understand that, look at how much each straw of semen sells for. And when you buy the bull – you buy the whole load, so to speak.”
“May I get you gentlemen anything else?” It was Rachel. Zane was sure it was time for her to go home – to Sherwood.
“No, thank you, Rachel. You have a good evening. I’ll put the tray up.” He heard her retreat to the kitchen and knew she’d let herself out the back.
They were quiet for a few moments, enjoying their beer and cake. Then Frank cleared his throat. “Boss, I hate to tell you this, but I’m worried about something.”
“What about?” Immediately Zane was concerned.
“Yesterday, one of the younger hands found two cows had miscarried.”
Hell. “Miscarried? Which ones?”
“They weren’t in the registered herd, it was the Holsteins.”
The big black and white breed was usually kept as dairy cattle, but Zane used the females as surrogate mothers for the registered Beefmaster embryos. “Tell me exactly what happened.” Losing a calf was always something to be dreaded, but a miscarriage could mean several things – several bad things.
“He said they were moving them up to the north pasture. We plan on planting some alfalfa in the section next to the woods and two of them lagged behind and when he went to check, he found the dead calves. They were nowhere near term.”
“Damn. Did you notice any other symptoms? Were their joints swollen? How about the bulls? Did you get a look at their testicles? Sometimes they swell.” Zane was talking fast. If his herd was infected with brucellosis, they would all have to be destroyed – and it was a determination that would have to be made fast. Their purebred herd was in danger of exposure, and McCoy cattle was scheduled to be brought over the day after tomorrow for the auction. There was no way he could let his neighbor’s purebred stock be exposed to Brucellosis.
“I wish you’d come see for yourself. . . “ Frank’s voice trailed off.
Zane couldn’t come see.
“Boss, I’m sorry . . .“
“Don’t be. I wish I could look for myself.” He pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialed a number. Frank waited patiently. “Casey, I know it’s late, and I hate like the devil to bother you. But I have an emergency. Two cows have dropped calves prematurely, and I have to rule out brucellosis – pronto.” He paused while Casey spoke. “Great. I appreciate it. Frank will meet you down by the barn.” Zane closed the cell, put it back in his pocket and sighed. “Quarantine the herd and get the two mama cows tied up. The vet will be here within the hour. He has a lab in his office, so he can tell us something pretty quick. I’ll change clothes and be out there in a bit. I think I’ll call the McCoys. They deserve to know. ”
“We’ve already separated them, and got the two females culled out to one side.” Frank stood up. “I just didn’t know who you’d want me to call. You know how these things can set off a panic in the community. Brucellosis is highly contagious. I’ve known of whole counties losing their herds.”
“Casey won’t set off any alarms prematurely. He’ll find something out quickly.” Standing, he dry-scrubbed his face, clearly worried. “I’ll walk out with you. I want to check on the horses.”
“You want me to do it? You’re all dressed up in your suit.”
“No, suits can be cleaned.” Zane accompanied his foreman to the truck and stood as he listened to it drive away crunching gravel as it left. “Shit, what a mess. Come on Rex, let’s go.” As he made his way to the barn, he called Jacob. The second eldest McCoy was levelheaded and had been through too much upheaval in his life to get panicked over something like this. As he shared the concern, he wasn’t surprised that Jacob took it in stride. “Let’s hope this is something else that’s easily fixed.”
The McCoys were good neighbors and clients. Six brothers who had lost their parents too early, had banded together and made T
ebow ranch a force to be reckoned with. Just like any other family, they had their ups and downs, but they stuck together and Zane was proud to call them friends.
Tonight he needed to be with the horses, he needed the calming effect they had on him. Maybe it was time to try and brush Shalimar. Zane wondered if she would be able to stand still for it. Rachel kept him a sack of carrots and apples hanging on the tack room door and when he would delve into it, there would be whinnies and nickers echoing up and down the stable. Filling his pockets with crunchy snacks, he got the curry comb from the shelf and put it in his back pocket.
Zane made his rounds speaking to Onyx and Cheyenne, telling the big appaloosa they would greet the dawn together tomorrow. Two golden Palominos, Sundance and Starbuck were eager to have their turn at some petting; so he spent a few minutes rubbing noses and scratching ears. He couldn’t see, of course, but he knew Shalimar stood at the end, watching him – and waiting. Zane didn’t keep her waiting long. He could feel her bulk and warmth before he drew near. Even though they had shared many hours together, she still shivered when he touched her. He kept his hand on her jaw while she took a carrot from his fingers. “Will you let me comb you, Girl?” After she had consumed the treat, he took the comb out and unlocked the stall door, entering the small space with the large horse.
Zane knew he was at a disadvantage, he had to rely on his sense of hearing and perception of her mood and movements to keep from being stepped on, but the progress he had made was too important to let fear hamper him. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he whispered to her and began brushing her coat lightly, taking the scarred ridges into consideration. “Does that feel good? Do you itch?”
To his surprise, she answered him with a low satisfied neigh. Trust. She was rewarding him with her trust. He smiled. There was no better feeling in the world than knowing you had made a difference for good in the life of another. Gradually as he soothed the horse, Zane let his worries slip away, too. Everything would be alright; he just had to have faith.
*****