by Iris Abbott
“That’s the one. He’s interested in the Tyler ranch, and I heard Johnson promise him that it was as good as his by the end of the month. And I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think he’s the cowboy type. I don’t see him running cattle or horses on that property if he gets his hands on it. I see large trucks, increased traffic and noise, and lots of construction.”
“Damn it, why didn’t Mandy come to us for help,” Jackson asked out loud.
“Over one hundred thousand is a lot of help even between neighbors. Besides, you made it plain to everyone how much you disliked Mandy several years ago. I think she’d die before she accepted help from you, Jackson. You really humiliated her in the grocery store that time you confronted her about following you around.”
Jackson interrupted to defend himself. “She was dogging my every step. She even followed me around when I was out on dates. I didn’t mean half of what I said that day, I just momentarily lost it. I’d reached my limit, and I’d really had enough.”
Landon held up his hand. “Be that as it may, she was the target of many a joke around Rancher’s Bend after that. You know how young people can be and they were ruthless when it came to Mandy’s ill-fated crush on you. The gossip still hadn’t died down by the time school started.” He narrowed his eyes on Jackson. “According to Lynn, Mandy was supposed to attend the local community college. She’d already registered and paid her tuition and fees and everything. But things got so bad she moved to San Antonio and went to school there instead.”
Jackson was speechless. He had no idea that things had been so bad for Mandy. He’d confronted her because he’d wanted her to stop following him around. She was a temptation that he didn’t want or need. He’d just wanted to drive her away from him. He’d never meant for her to be hurt in any other way.
Carson looked at his friend and could tell he was at a loss for words. He needed to get this conversation back on track and fast. Nothing could be done about the past, but the present was another matter altogether. “You had better come up with some way to get her to accept your help or you and Landon are going to be sharing a border with something other than a ranch. Don’t expect any help from Johnson or the bank either. I have a feeling he might be in on this land deal with Morris with a pretty kickback on the side. I am going to keep digging for information on that front. It’s your responsibility to get Mandy to accept your help, sooner rather than later, Jackson. The end of the month is fast approaching. And I don’t think you and Landon will like the alternative.”
Jackson shook hands with both Landon and Carson. “I’m on my way to the Tyler Ranch right now. I’ll see if I can get her to confide in me and offer my help first. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll play hardball. There’s no way I’m letting an industrial park move in next to my home and veterinary practice. I’ve worked too long and hard to establish my veterinary clinic as the best in the area. I won’t have it ruined by a land grabber and greedy old banker whose only concerns are the dollars lining their wallets.”
****
Jackson seethed over the idea of someone even thinking about building an industrial park bordering his ranch and clinic. A large-scale construction project yards away from his property would bother the animals and disrupt his practice. Just the thought tied his gut in knots and made his blood boil. Nope, he’d put in way too many hours to see his business ruined now.
He knew Mandy had inherited this problem, but she shouldn’t have been too stubborn to ask for help. After all, this didn’t just affect her, it affected her neighbors too. That was his last conscious thought before he pulled into the drive leading to Tyler Ranch. He noticed, really noticed, the house for the first time in a long time. It needed to be painted. The once cheery yellow exterior of the two-story farmhouse with the wraparound porch was now faded. Just how long had her father been sick, Jackson wondered? And how come the Tyler’s hadn’t asked for help. The community of Rancher’s Bend was a close-knit and caring community that was always going to bat for various residents that needed a helping hand.
Jackson was just about to turn into the drive leading to the Tyler Ranch when his cell phone buzzed. He stopped driving and glanced at the message. It was a 911 from the other veterinarian in his practice. The talk with Mandy was going to have to wait. He quickly turned the SUV around and headed down the road to his ranch and clinic. He’d feel better once he and Mandy had talked and figured out a way to save her ranch, but he couldn’t put his peace of mind above the animals in his care.
****
Jackson rang the doorbell three times in quick succession. The emergency surgery on the injured foal had taken longer than he had expected. Finally, when it was over, and the foal was out of the woods, he’d left the cleanup to Daniel, promising to give the young veterinarian the following Friday off. He needed to take care of this business with Mandy as soon as possible. It could probably wait until morning, but he couldn’t.
He felt a little sheepish when the door was finally answered by Widow Tyler and not Mandy. He tipped his black Stetson to the woman. “I’m sorry to bother you this late ma’am, but I really need to talk to Mandy. Is she around?”
Barbara Tyler smiled for the first time in a long time. She reached out and pulled Jackson into the hallway. “Oh, thank God, Mandy had the good sense to finally call you. I told her to phone you earlier this evening, but instead, she set up camp in the horse barn by herself. She even sent the ranch hands home.” The woman threw up her hands in exasperation. “I could tell the last time she checked in with me that she was starting to get worried about Magnolia. That horse has always been her favorite. That’s why I can’t believe it took her this long to call for help! I swear sometimes that girl is too stubborn for her own good!”
Jackson wrinkled his brows in confusion. He wasn’t exactly following what Mrs. Tyler was saying. At first, he thought she’d been talking about the ranch’s money problems now he wasn’t so sure. “Mandy didn’t exactly call me. I’m here of my own accord. Some things have been brought to my attention that I need to discuss with her.”
“Oh dear,” Barbara Tyler finally murmured. “I would hope that you of all people would be above listening to the town gossips, Jackson Walker. Mandy really has gotten over you. She’s only in town to help me wrap things up after her father’s death.” She gave him a bitter look full of disappointment. “Don’t worry she’ll be out of your hair soon enough, and for good this time, I have no doubt.”
“I promise I don’t listen to gossip. That’s not why I’m here Mrs. Tyler. Now I really need to speak with Mandy. What is she doing in the horse barn, and why should she have called me earlier?”
Mrs. Tyler gave Jackson a wary look but decided to answer. Mandy would never ask for help, at least not from Jackson. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to Magnolia though. “Magnolia, her favorite mare is foaling for the first time. She went into the second stage of labor over an hour ago and seems to be having difficulty. I told Mandy to call you, but I guess she figured she could handle it on her own.”
“We’ll just see about that.” Jackson tipped his hat to the lady once more then stomped to his truck. Of all the stubborn and idiotic things Mandy could do this must surely top the list. Luckily, he’d driven the old pickup truck he used for making routine visits to the various ranches and horse farms in the area. His medical bag was still in the back from his last house call. He grabbed it and a large flashlight before heading toward the horse barn on the outskirts of the property.
He’d help Mandy deliver the foal and then they’d have his much waited for discussion about the ranch. He felt his anger rise when he walked into the barn and heard the high-pitched squeal of the mare. He could tell she was distressed just from the unusual sounds she was making. Mandy should have known better, having been raised on a working ranch. She should have put her personal feelings for him and their unique circumstances aside and thought of the horse first.
He stepped into the stall and immediately felt
his anger dissolve at the sight of Mandy tending to the horse. She had a soft towel and was gently rubbing the mare as she talked to her. Jackson imagined the rubbing and soft voice were both soothing to the mare. He went to a sink in the back of the barn and sterilized his hands. He’d slip on latex gloves latter if he needed to. He walked back to the stall and noted the mare’s tail had already been wrapped. That’s when he saw that Mandy had her own bag with all the supplies she’d need to help deliver the foal.
He looked back at Magnolia and noticed that the foal’s front legs and head were already visible. He stood back out of the way and just watched Mandy at work. He’d be here if the horse or Mandy needed him, but for now, he wanted to see how she handled the situation. The mare rested a few minutes before the foal’s hind legs finally slid free of the birth canal. Then the mare stood causing the umbilical cord to break. The bleeding was almost nonexistent, signaling to Jackson that everything seemed to be going well.
Mandy who had noticed Jackson walk into the barn continued to tune him out. She could only assume her mother out of worry for Magnolia had called him just in case the horse needed him. Mandy didn’t need his help though. Maybe he would see that and leave. As things stood, he was just a distraction she didn’t need.
She looked in her bag for a syringe, filled it with a diluted Nolvasan mixture and applied it to the foal’s navel. She checked Magnolia for any sign of the red and white tissue representing the placenta but didn’t see it yet. She had about four hours before that became a concern. She’d wait and see if Magnolia expelled it on her own. If the mare didn’t then Mandy would have to assist the horse. She was fully capable of helping Magnolia if she needed it.
She glanced toward Jackson and saw he’d taken up residence by the stall opening. “As you can see I didn’t require your help after all. I’m sorry my mother bothered you. I hope there wasn’t another call where you were actually needed.” She brushed past him to walk toward the sink. She wanted to wash up and then keep an eye on Magnolia until she passed the placenta. She also wanted to make sure the new foal stood and nursed in a timely manner. Even though it was going to be a long night, she had everything under control.
Jackson glared at her retreating back and then followed her to the rear of the barn. He was quickly losing what little patience he had left. “Cut the crap, Mandy. Your mother didn’t call me. I came to talk to you about the ranch and your rather precarious financial situation. But first I want to know where you learned to birth a foal and why you didn’t call for help instead of trying to take care of it yourself.”
Mandy finished washing her hands and glared over her shoulder at Jackson. “I’m a trained and certified veterinarian technician with an associate’s degree and four years of experience working exclusively with large animals on ranches and horse farms. I didn’t need your help, but if symptoms had occurred that I didn’t think I could handle I would have called your office for assistance. Trust me, Jackson. Magnolia and her foal are more important to me than avoiding you. And besides, I might have gotten lucky and found the other vet on duty. I understand he’s good at his job too, but he probably wouldn’t be so prickly to someone like me. I hear he’s cute too,” Mandy didn’t know what possessed her, but she couldn’t resist that last barb. She walked past Jackson back to Magnolia’s stall and settled in the clean straw a distance away from the mare and her newborn.
Jackson could tell by the stiff posture of her body she was uncomfortable around him and probably wished he’d just leave. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions, but I had no idea you were trained to handle most situations that might occur during the birth of a foal.”
“Yeah, well you never really knew anything about me did you, Jackson? You just saw me as the pesky neighbor kid that used to follow you around and ruin a few dates here and there.” She didn’t expect the laughter that followed her statement. She turned to look at Jackson the surprise on her face evident.
“Speaking of that, I never thanked you for saving me from Katie Jones.”
Mandy wrinkled her nose at the sound of that name. “You weren’t too happy with me at the time,” Mandy recalled. “The next day was when we had our big showdown inside the grocery store. I distinctly remember you calling me a spoiled and selfish brat. You also said that I couldn’t see past my own nose or it would be obvious that you had no interest what so ever in a skinny kid like me, and I just needed to stop wasting everybody’s time.”
Jackson winced when he heard his harsh words recited back to him. He looked at her in disbelief, “it’s been six years. You remember all that?”
Mandy dropped her gaze from his and stared at the floor. “It’s not that hard to remember something when it was repeated back to you by almost everyone else in town for several weeks afterward.”
“I’m sorry, Mandy. I didn’t mean to make you the main subject of gossip in Rancher’s Bend. Katie unceremoniously dumped me that night, and I blamed you because you were the easy target. The truth is, she married someone else two weeks later and then gave birth seven months after the wedding. Unless that baby was very premature, she was already pregnant when she broke up with me, and we never slept together. For all I know she was planning to pin that pregnancy on me, so believe me when I say Katie was no big loss and you probably actually saved me a lot of trouble and heartache.”
Mandy’s eyes widened. “The mighty Jackson Walker, hater of all things Mandy Tyler is actually thanking me for something. Wow, too bad my only witnesses are Magnolia and the new foal. I don’t think they’ll be talking anytime soon, so I guess your reputation is still safe.”
She laughed to soften the sarcasm. Maybe she shouldn’t be too hard on the man. She had been a nuisance to him the summer she turned eighteen. She had made it a point to turn up everywhere he was for almost two months.
“All right, you thanked me for saving you from the treacherous jaws of Katie Jones. Even though it’s six years in coming, I accept your apology and if that’s all you wanted to say you may go now. I promise you I have everything under control here with the horses.”
Jackson’s mouth tightened at the curt dismissal. If only things were that simple, Jackson thought. “I can’t leave yet, Mandy. We need to talk about your ranch.” He noticed the way she stiffened when he said that. She’d started to relax and look a little more comfortable around him, but that had just changed. The thought bothered him more than it should.
“My ranch, my business, Jackson,” she reminded him. She didn’t look at him when she fired back the sassy retort. She almost jumped a mile when she felt his fingertips grasp and then lift her chin.
“I know the ranch is in trouble Mandy. Don’t ask me how I know, because I can’t give away that information, but I do know. You and your mother need help, and I’m willing to give it.”
Hope fluttered in Mandy’s chest only to be snuffed out as quickly as it occurred. “My dad had more medical bills than even my mother or I knew about. We owe over one hundred thousand dollars to the bank by the end of the month, or they foreclose on the property. I can’t come up with that much money, so it’s a foregone conclusion that my mom and I will be going back to San Antonio. You should be happy, Jackson. You’ll finally be rid of this spoiled brat forever.” She stood and tried to leave the stall, but Jackson blocked her way.
“Losing the ranch is not an option Mandy. Maybe if Landon James and I could absorb your ranch into our properties since it borders both of ours, I would consider letting you disappear into the night, but that’s not going to happen. The bank is already talking to a property developer that specializes in industrial parks. Do you know how disruptive that would be to both the Walker and James Ranches, not to mention my veterinary practice?”
Great, Mandy thought, another reason for Jackson to hate me. “I don’t have any other choice. Even if you had the money to pay off the bank, I wouldn’t let you. I could never pay you back Jackson, and the last thing I want is to owe you anything.”
“Ther
e’s a solution that will suit both of us, I just haven’t figured it out yet. Let’s sleep on this tonight and meet up again tomorrow. Maybe I will have come up with a solution by then.”
Mandy bit her lip. We haven’t had much company since dad died. Why don’t you and your mother both come over for lunch tomorrow, say around noon? After the meal, our mothers can retire to the living room for a visit, and we can discuss the ranch in my father’s study.”
“Excellent idea,” Jackson agreed. “That will give me time to make my morning rounds and check on my surgery patient from tonight. Plus, I’m sure the visit would be good for both your mother and mine. They’ve been friends for years, but now they have something life-altering bonding them together.” At Mandy’s quizzical look he elaborated. “They’re both widows now. They know what it feels like to be left behind by the one you love.”
Mandy was surprised by Jackson’s insight but remained silent on the subject. Instead, she offered her hand for a shake. “Tomorrow at noon Jackson, I’ll see you then.”
He smirked at her hand, but finally shook it, “I’ll look forward to it Mandy, you can be assured of that.” At the last minute instead of letting go of her hand, he raised it to his lips for a kiss. He laughed when Mandy snatched back her hand as if it was on fire and turned away from him. He was still laughing when he walked out of the barn.
Mandy heard his laughter fade as he moved further from the barn. She rubbed the spot on her hand his lips had touched. She’d had to fight hard not to jump at the jolt of electricity from his touch. She thought she’d gotten over her silly teenage crush on the man next door, but maybe not. Her body seemed to have other ideas on that matter, and they didn’t bode well for Mandy’s peace of mind, especially if she and her mother ended up being able to keep the ranch and staying in Rancher’s Bend.
FOUR
Mandy spent a sleepless night contemplating Jackson and her body’s reaction to his touch. Maybe it was just the shock of him touching her with his lips instead of the causal handshake she’d expected. Somehow, she didn’t think she was that lucky. She’d always adored Jackson, her neighbor to the east. The seven-year age difference hadn’t been much of a deterrent. In her younger years, she’d doggedly followed him and his buddies to the creek bordering their properties for fishing and swimming.