Lone Star Burn_Lost Soul

by Sandy Sullivan

  “Libby?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll lock up when I leave.”

  “Okay.” She let out a heavy breath. “I guess I’ll see you sometime. I’ll be at the clinic all day, so I’m not sure when I’ll see you again.”

  “I need to get out and find work today, so I’ll be busy too.”

  “Yeah, right. Do you have some way to get around?”

  “Not really, but I’ll manage.”

  “Okay. Well, I can help you find transportation, but not today.” She grabbed her purse. “I need to go.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.”

  She nodded as she pulled open the front door. “Bye.”

  When she glanced back, he stood in the middle of her foyer in bare feet, low-slung jeans, and no shirt. He was the most magnificent thing she’d ever seen.

  The door clicked shut as she pulled it closed and took a deep breath. She needed to get her head on straight if she planned to get any work done today, and right now, a beautiful border collie needed her attention.

  Ten minutes later, she rushed through the back door of her clinic to find her crew on high alert. Her assistant was prepped and ready to help her with the dog already on the high metal table under anesthesia.

  Libby tossed her purse into her office, rushed through a scrub of her hands, and went to work saving the dog. She knew how much this one meant to her owner. She was one of his best herding dogs and had a special place in his heart. Saving her was the most important thing right now.

  Unsure of what exactly happened, all Libby could think about was making sure the dog survived her extensive injuries. It almost appeared she’d been gored by one of the cattle on Bidwell’s place. It wouldn’t surprise Libby. That type of work came naturally to these dogs, but sometimes the cattle won. It appeared this time might be one of those times.

  Libby worked on the dog for quite a while before she sewed her up. Keeping infection out would be the most critical thing. Luckily for the dog, the horn hadn’t done any internal damage, just opened up her gut.

  She stripped off her gloves, took off her gown, and tossed them in the trash. “Watch her while she comes out of the anesthesia and then transfer her to the warmer cage.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  A smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she glanced at her assistant. The girl hadn’t been with her long, and Libby could tell she felt intimidated. “You can call me Libby, Melanie. I don’t bite.”

  Melanie removed her gown, tossing it into the trash next to the door. “But, I was always taught to give the doctor the respect they deserve. I would feel funny calling you by your first name, Dr. Reynolds.”

  “Well, maybe after you’ve been here a while, you will feel more at ease. This is a small clinic and we rely on each other a lot, so it makes it much easier if we are all on a first name basis.” Libby touched her shoulder. “It’s fine though. Whatever you want to do is okay with me.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She bent to the side to stretch her back. Standing over the operating room table for several hours always made her back hurt. “I’ll be back. I need to go talk to her owner.”

  She glanced back at the dog on the table slowly coming out of the anesthesia and sighed. She’d known Cole Bidwell for a long time. It wouldn’t be easy talking to him about this particular dog. The border collie had been his first dog.

  When she pushed through the door, he got to his feet with an anxious look on his face. “How is she, Libby?”

  “She made it through surgery, Cole. Luckily for her, the horn didn’t do any internal damage, just sliced through her belly. I sewed her up. As long as she doesn’t develop an infection, she should be fine.”

  Cole reached out grabbing her into a hug she wasn’t prepared for. She giggled as she hugged him back.

  “Thank you.”

  “It’s my job, but that girl is a special dog to me too. She was my first delivery even before I became a vet.” It felt funny hugging Cole. He’d been a crush of hers for a lot of years when she was younger, after Brock left she didn’t know if she’d ever see him again. The two of them had even gone out a few times, but it didn’t feel right, never had. He was a good friend, but nothing more ever developed there. Now, he was married to a really nice woman who’d moved to town a few years ago.

  “Can I see her?”

  “For a couple of minutes, she’s still groggy from the anesthesia and won’t recognize you, but I believe in familiar touch.” She led him back through the door and into the room where the warmer cage was located. The dog was still sleepy but moving around a little.

  Cole touched the dog’s head and burst into tears. “I’m sorry, Milly. I should never have let you in there with that bull.” He wiped his face with his sleeve.

  “It was an accident, Cole.”

  When he turned to face her, the tortured look in his eyes almost made her cry. “It’s my job to keep her safe. I didn’t do that.”

  “It’s her breed. She would have had a fit if you would have kept her out of the pen. You can’t blame yourself.”

  “I do though. She’s too old to be herding. I should have left it to the younger pups.”

  Libby laid her hand on his shoulder. “And you know that dog. She thinks she’s still a pup herself. She won’t sit idle while there is work to be done.”

  Cole chuckled. “Yeah, I know.”

  “She’ll be okay. Give her a few days here so we can monitor her and then you can take her home.”

  “Thanks, Libby.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, go on home and take care of your cattle.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I have work to do.” When the door shut behind him, she sighed before going into her office to see what the schedule was for the day.

  Several hours later, the sun had set in the evening sky when she finally closed her office door. Her stomach rumbled, making her acutely aware of her lack of food. A few times during the day, her thoughts had strayed to Brock. Where was he? What was he doing? She didn’t even have a phone number for him. He probably doesn’t even have a cell phone.

  With a heavy sigh, she slung her purse over her shoulder and pushed open the door to the back of the clinic. Everyone else had gone home a while ago, so she was left by herself in the dark alley with only the glow of a small streetlight a block away.

  I should probably get a dog to walk with me.

  She shivered in the cooler night air, rubbing her arms to calm the chills.

  Shadows shifted, startling her as she glanced around and hurried her steps so she could get to her truck faster. With so much traffic in town this morning, she hadn’t been able to park as close to the clinic as she normally did.

  Someone stepped out of the shadows, blocking her path.

  “Give me your purse.”

  “W-what?”

  “Give me your purse, now, lady.”

  She pulled it closer to her body. “Hell no, you asshole. It’s mine.”

  The man grabbed the purse by the handle and tried to pull it out of her arms. She struggled with him for several moments before he reached out and slapped her hard, knocking her to the ground. Unable to hold onto the purse any longer, the man held it in his hands, and sprinted down the alley.

  Libby lay on the ground for a moment, holding her hand to her burning face.

  Strong hands reached out, helping her sit up. “Libby? Are you okay?”

  “Brock?”

  “What happened?”

  “Some guy grabbed my purse. I tried to fight him, but he hit me.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “No, not really. My face just burns from his hit.”

  Brock lifted her into his arms, carrying her down the alley. “Is that your truck?”

  “Yeah.”

  He stopped near the driver’s side as she punched in the key code to the door. Her keys had been in her purse, so now she was stuck. When she turned her face toward the light, h
e gasped. “Honey, you need to go to the hospital and have that looked at. Your eye is swelling shut.”

  “I’ll be fine, Brock. It’s just a bruise.” She touched the inside of her lip. “And a busted lip.”

  “Are you sure you are okay? Which way did he go? I’ll find him.”

  “No! No, it is fine. I recognized his voice when he was talking. I will file a report with the sheriff in the morning, although I’m not sure how much good that will do.”

  “Why?”

  “It was his son.”

  He cradled her face with his palm, touching her gently on the cheek. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I’d know his voice anywhere. He’s been in trouble for years around here, for different things, but it is always brushed under the rug because of who he is. His dad protects him from being sent to jail.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Brad Wilmington. You should know him. He went to school with you.”

  “Motherfucker.” Brock pushed his fingers through his hair before putting his hat back on his head.

  “What?”

  “Yeah, I know him. He’s been a troublemaker long before now. He was an asshole in school. Everything was always someone else’s fault. He never got into trouble because his dad always bailed him out or whatever to keep him from paying for anything he did.”

  She touched her lip with her fingertip. “Ouch.”

  “You need some ice on that.”

  “Yeah, I know. I can go back inside the clinic and get a bag before I call for a taxi to get home. I have a spare set of keys at the house.”

  “Call a taxi. We’ll get you home and get some ice there.”

  “Are you coming with me?”

  “If you want me to.”

  “It is up to you. I don’t want to assume anything, Brock. I can only imagine how independent you are these days.”

  “Not as much as I’d like to be, but I’m working on it.”

  “Well fuck.” She threw up her hands before letting them settle at the sides of her body.

  “What’s wrong now?”

  “Everything was in my purse. My truck keys, my house keys, my clinic keys, my wallet—everything.”

  He pulled a phone from his front pocket. “I bought one today. I needed one so employers could call me.” He flipped it open, and she realized it was one of the cheapest types of phones out there. Of course, he wouldn’t need anything expensive for now. “What’s the number to the taxi service?”

  When she rattled off the number, he pushed it into the phone and gave them the address to the clinic.

  “They should be here in about ten minutes.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you have a spare set of keys for your house?”

  “No, but there is a keypad code to get in through the garage that hooks to my alarm system. We can go in that way.”

  “Good.”

  They stood in silence for a few moments as they waited for the cab. “Did you have a good day today?”

  “Yeah. I hit a couple of the local ranches, talked to a few people. I’m not sure how much good it will do though. Most of them have heard of me from before. They kind of gave me a wide berth.”

  “I know some of them. Let me call them tomorrow.”

  “No, Libby. I need to do this myself.”

  “But if I recommend you, they will probably hire you.”

  “If they aren’t willing to hire me because of what I can do, then I don’t need them.”

  The cab rolled up in front of them, coming to a stop at the curb. Brock opened the door for her, allowing her to climb inside ahead of him. Once the door was shut behind them, the car pulled away from the curb.

  “Where to?”

  Libby gave the driver her address before leaning back in the seat and glancing across the cab to where Brock sat in stony silence looking out the window. Why wouldn’t he let her help him? The stubborn set of his jaw seemed like something out of the past as a memory came back in sharp clarity.

  Lee and Brock had been working on a four-wheeler in their garage while she watched from her hiding spot near the back. She knew the two couldn’t see her from where they were by the tone of their conversation.

  “Are you working out at the Flying C this weekend?” Lee asked.

  “Yep. It’s branding season. It’s always crazy during this time, that’s why they gave me today off. The hours will be long over the next few weeks.”

  “I don’t understand how you can work cattle. What a shit job.”

  Brock leaned over the machine, giving her a wonderful view of his butt.

  “I enjoy it. There is nothing like being on horseback, riding the fence looking for broken areas while you think about things.”

  “So that’s all you plan to do with your life? What about college?”

  “I might go eventually, but for now, I’m good with the cowboy thing.”

  Lee grabbed a wrench off the long bench next to the wall and handed it to him. “Not me. I’m going to bum around a little after we graduate and then go to school.”

  “For what?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but something cool like engineering.”

  “You have to be really good at Math for that,” Brock said, moving around the four-wheeler to the other side before crouching down on the ground. “That’s not your strongest subject.”

  “No it’s not, but I can still do it. My parents said I can do anything I want.”

  “I get it, Lee, but make sure you go for something you really want to do.”

  “I will. I want to see the country first though. You know, go out to California maybe, see some of the beach, get laid on the sand, check out the girl’s out there, and see where the waves take me.”

  Brock laughed. “You sound like a beach bum.”

  Lee smiled as he shrugged. “Life could be much worse, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Brock stood up, twirling the wrench in his fingers, and looking intently at Lee. “Where’s Libby?”

  “I have no idea. Why?”

  “Just curious.”

  “You got the hots for my sister?”

  Brock looked down at the tool in his hand. “She’s sweet.”

  “Yeah?”

  “And I think she’s kind of pretty, you know? She doesn’t give off all those weird vibes you get from most of the girl’s at school.”

  Lee scrunched up his face. “Sorry, she’s my sister. I can’t think of her like that.”

  “I know and I’ve known her since she was little, but she’s lookin’ pretty nice.”

  “Keep your hands off her. She doesn’t need to hook up with a guy who’s life is about wrangling cattle.”

  “What? I’m not good enough for her?”

  “No, you aren’t, Brock.”

  The conversation changed back to working on the four-wheeler as Libby slipped out the back door and went into the house. Her thoughts were in a whirl as she threw herself across her bed. Brock thinks I’m pretty? She’d had a crush on her brother’s friend for quite a long time and always wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Now she knew he was at least aware of her. It did her young heart good to know that much at least.

  She smiled to herself when she realized back then she hadn’t known anything about Brock or what would happen between them a few short years later.

  The night they’d made love and she had lost her virginity to him, had been something special even though she was still very naive about everything being with a man entailed. He’d been so sweet, caring, and careful with her bringing her desire to a raging pitch before he gave her a soul-shattering climax. She’d been a changed girl after that night.

  Six months later, he’d be gone, shipped off to Florida to a federal prison for murder.

  She’d never believed what they’d said even though the jury had been undeniably convinced he’d killed that woman and her unborn child in a fit of rage.

  His DNA had been found at her house. He’d been unable to ex
plain how it got there. There had also been an unknown person’s DNA as well, but they’d never been able to locate who it belonged to. His mother couldn’t afford a good attorney, so a public defender had been supplied. His lawyer was a southern lawyer in the pocket of someone in town, she was sure of it, but no one would believe him, being a young man from the poorer side of town

  Her thoughts came back to the present as the cab pulled up in front of her house. A lone light illuminated the porch as they climbed out and shut the door.

  “I hate to ask this, Joe, but can I pay you tomorrow? My purse was swiped at the clinic and I don’t have any cash or anything on me.”

  “Sure, Doc. No problem.”

  “If I’m not there come by here, and I’ll take care of you with a nice tip.” She turned toward the house as she said to Brock, “If we go around the back, there is a keypad. I can punch in the code to unlock the doors.”

  They walked around the garage, coming up on the Dutch door that led into her kitchen.

  “Nice,” Brock said, coming up behind her.

  His warmth radiated to her back as he pressed closer. She cleared her throat a little nervously. Don’t be silly. You made love with him last night. “I thought I might need it someday. You know, afraid I’d lock myself out or something. I never dreamed it would be because someone stole my purse.”

  “You should have a dog, a big one like a German Shepherd or something.”

  She punched in the code, listening for the door to unlatch. “It would probably be a good idea, yeah.”

  “I’m kind of surprised you don’t have one as much as you love animals.”

  “You would think so, huh.” She pulled the door open revealing the dark kitchen. When she reached around the doorjamb to flip on the light, he moved past her into the room looking around.

  As light flooded the kitchen, she gasped. “What the hell?”

  Chapter Four

  “Stay here.”

  “Wait! Where are you going?”

  “To check things out.”

  She bit her bottom lip, grimacing when she felt the split caused by the blow she’d taken earlier. The whole kitchen had been turned upside down. Drawers were open with everything flung all over the floor. Paper towels were lying all over the countertops. Soap stuck to the paper making a huge mess in little globby piles. Her refrigerator door lay open with eggs splattered on the floor, and the meat she’d taken out yesterday for dinner this evening lay in a puddle of blood. “Who would do this?” she whispered to herself as she began to clean up the mess.