by Iris Abbott
The foreman mumbled something under his breath and walked them over to the stables and barn for the prearranged tour. Mandy followed in awe of her surroundings. By all appearances, this horse farm was going to be the biggest operation she’d gotten a chance to work with to date. She was excited by the possibilities. No wonder Jackson needed help. He and the other veterinarian, Daniel West, must be run ragged from sheer volume alone.
After looking over the facilities and petting a few of the horses that were still in their stalls, the three were ready to leave the last stop on the tour. Mandy could have stayed and visited with the horses all day, but Jackson had already reminded her that they had another horse farm and three ranches on the agenda for that day. Mandy followed the other two out of the barn but was stopped by a pitiful wail. She ignored the men and retraced her steps to find the source of the noise. It was a cat from the sound of it, and it definitely wasn’t happy.
After about three minutes Mandy was able to track the noise to an empty stall in the back of the barn. She found a long-haired calico cat bedded down in the straw. The cat looked to be heavily pregnant, and Mandy would bet anything she was getting ready to give birth. She knew Jackson would be waiting for her, but she couldn’t just leave the cat there.
“It’s okay, baby,” Mandy cooed to the cat as she slowly walked toward it. She crouched down about five feet from the cat and cautiously stretched her hand toward the animal’s nose, letting her pick up Mandy’s scent. She waited for the cat to smell her hand and was rewarded with a couple of licks from the calico’s raspy tongue. Mandy took that as a sign of acceptance. She slowly withdrew her hand and backed out of the stall. She didn’t want to make any quick movements and startle the cat, which had finally stopped crying.
“Mandy,” Jackson called as he walked through the barn looking for his missing technician. He spied her coming toward him with a finger pressed to her lips.
“I found a cat about to give birth. It looks fairly young, and I think it’s the first time the poor thing has experienced pregnancy.”
The foreman walked up to them. “I don’t know anything about a cat. It must be a stray that snuck into the barn looking for shelter. I don’t think the owners are too fond of cats. Sometimes they spook the horses and the horses, as well as the cats, can be injured. They probably won’t be happy to have a bunch of kittens hanging out in the barn.
Mandy looked at Jackson. The distress was clear on her face. There was no way she was going to leave the cat there. She’d feel bad if anything happened to it or the horses. “She hasn’t gone into labor yet. I know you work with large animals, but do you happen to have a small carrier in the back of your truck?”
Jackson could see the pleading look she sent him. If he didn’t have a carrier, he’d make do with whatever they could find. There was no way he was letting Mandy down. The look just about broke his heart. And he wanted to make her smile again. “I might have one in the back of the truck. Strays on a ranch are common. Sometimes I transport them to the shelter for my clients.”
Mandy tilted her chin in determination. “I’m not taking her to the shelter. I’m taking her home with me. Now that I’m back on the ranch I want a cat of my own. I’ll let my mom pick out one of the kittens once they are born, and then I’ll find homes for the rest of them. I’ll also make sure to get the mother cat spayed as soon as possible.” Mandy folded her arms defensively under her breasts and stared at Jackson, daring him with her eyes to defy her right to take the cat.
The foreman just looked relieved. “That would be great, one less thing for me to worry about today.” He tipped his hat and gave Mandy an adoring look. Then he quickly left Jackson and Mandy to discuss the cat’s fate.
“I’d planned for us to go into town for lunch before our next stop,” Jackson informed her. “I guess we’ll be missing lunch, but at least we have time to deal with your cat.”
Mandy liked the sound of that. She was grateful for Jackson’s support. As her boss, he could have demanded they leave the cat behind for the foreman to deal with as he pleased. Or he could have insisted they take it to the shelter per clinic protocol.
She flashed him a megawatt smile. “Thank you, Jackson.” Before she realized what she was going to do, she’d wrapped her arms around his neck in a friendly hug that didn’t feel so friendly with her body pressed into his. She quickly disentangled herself from Jackson and stepped back. “Sorry, boss. I promise that won’t happen again. I got carried away by my excitement over the cat. She’s a cute little, longhaired calico.” Mandy suddenly stopped talking when she realized she was nervously chatting about nothing important. Obviously, he would see what the cat looked like when he helped her load it into the carrier.
Jackson was shaken up by the unexpected contact with Mandy’s clinging body. He had the sudden urge to bolt before he took her back into his arms. There had been an undeniable sizzle when they touched. “I’ll go check on that carrier for you.” He exited the barn before Mandy had time to reply. Space would definitely be a good thing he decided.
Mandy began berating herself as soon as Jackson was out of sight. She had to be the biggest fool in the state of Texas. He had made it more than clear six years ago that he wasn’t attracted to her and didn’t want to have anything to do with her romantically. She had a great thing going here. She wasn’t going to screw it up by making Jackson think she was still in love with him. She’d gotten over him a long time ago, hadn’t she? She just needed to remember that as far as she was concerned, he was hands-off, no matter how innocent the hugs, and no matter how right it felt.
“Darn it,” Mandy moaned before blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face. She was in trouble. Working with Jackson was going to be harder than she had originally imagined. Hands off would be her new mantra at least for the next year anyway. She let out a deep breath and quietly walked back toward the calico cat. She looked like she was close to being in labor. Mandy hoped Jackson moved fast.
****
Almost an hour later, Gracie, the cat was settled in the laundry room. She had her own little corner with a fresh cat bed, litter box, food, and water. She made the trip from the horse farm to the Tyler Ranch without starting labor. Now Mandy was sitting at her kitchen table, feeding Jackson leftovers from last night’s dinner, and telling her mom about their new resident. Mandy noticed that her mom’s steps seemed a little lighter as she walked around the kitchen putting food away.
She gave herself a mental pat on the back. Bringing Gracie to the ranch had been a very good thing for everybody all the way around. Gracie and the kitten her mom chose for them to keep would be great company for her when Mandy was working. Not to mention the fact that the two cats would give her mom something to fuss over and take care of.
She’d gotten her first look at Jackson’s client list yesterday. She couldn’t believe he’d waited this long to hire extra help. Daniel hadn’t been working at the clinic very long. Jackson must have been working day and night, every day of the week before Daniel came along. Oh well, how he spent his free time or lack thereof was none of her business.
She was just glad she had the weekend off. Her plans were still a go for tomorrow night. Her mother had actually seemed glad when Mandy mentioned going out Friday night. She hadn’t stopped to think that her mom might be feeling guilty about taking up all her time since Mandy had returned to the ranch. She should have, however, because that was the kind of woman her mom was. She was always thinking of others.
Jackson looked at his watch. They were due at their next appointment in thirty minutes, and it would take at least twenty-five minutes to drive out to Jake Turner’s place. “Well thank you for feeding us, Mrs. Tyler, but Mandy and I really need to leave now. We have to go out to the Turner homestead, and I really hate to keep my patients’ owners waiting.”
Mandy kissed her mom on the cheek. “Gracie will be fine, mom. I’ll check on her when I get home. I imagine there’ll be kittens by then.” Mandy saw the glint of excitement
in her mom’s eyes. It was one more reason to be glad for this job. So what if working close to Jackson was difficult for her peace of mind. She’d get over it, she had to.
****
Mandy followed Jackson out to his truck after their last stop of the day. Neither one of them bothered to break the silence as Jackson drove back toward the clinic and their respective ranches. After about five minutes he found a country channel on the radio, and they listened to music until they reached their destination. Finally, Jackson spoke. He had enjoyed working with Mandy far more than he should have and he was desperate to put things back on a business footing. That would be easier done in the office. “It’s after five o’clock, but I’d like for you to stay in the office while I make notes in the animal’s charts. It will help familiarize you with how the paperwork is done around here. Next week you’ll be expected to make your own notations, and you’ll need to be familiar with the filing system when you have to pull charts for patients at the clinic.”
Mandy’s face hurt from all the smiling she’d done that day. She must have met at least fifteen new people between the two horse farms and all the ranches they’d visited that day. She was also anxious to check on the cat she’d found at the horse farm. She didn’t want Jackson to think she was one to shirk her responsibilities, especially her second day on the job. “That’s fine. Just give me a minute to call my mom. I’ll let her know she needs to hold dinner. I also want to ask about Gracie.”
Jackson gave her a smile. “I almost forgot about that cat.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Mandy was quick to defend her decision to place the cat in her home. “My mom grew up on a ranch in west Texas. She knows a little something about animals. She’d have called the clinic if Gracie was having problems.”
“I’m sure,” Jackson agreed. He hated that Mandy always seemed so ill at ease and defensive around him. Maybe with their history, it was to be expected. He had watched her around the office the day before with Daniel. The two of them seemed to get along just fine. She only seemed out of sorts around him, which didn’t do much for his ego.
After calling her mom and being told that Gracie was the proud mamma cat of three fluffy kittens, Mandy returned her attention to Jackson. She listened patiently as he explained the filing system and then watched him record the required information in each patient’s chart. Other than separate filing areas for the two horse farms, probably a smart idea due to the volume of clients from each farm, the rest was standard fare for a vet tech. The job itself was going to be a piece of cake she reminded herself. She just had to learn to work around Jackson without personal feelings becoming involved. She was determined not to make him regret helping the Tyler family. She was also determined not to become fodder for the rumor mill. She had no desire to be humiliated like she was six years ago.
Mandy stayed silent until after Jackson finished making notations in all the pulled charts. “Thank you for taking the time to show me how paperwork is done here at the clinic,” she politely expressed her gratitude. She glanced down at her watch and realized it was after six o’clock. “Well, my mom is expecting me for dinner. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She turned to leave, but Jackson stopped her. “Wait, you didn’t tell me about the cat. Did she have her kittens yet?”
Mandy was almost surprised he’d bothered to ask, but then again, he was a vet, so he was supposed to like animals. “My mom said Gracie made it through labor just fine.” She grabbed her purse from the closet room and continued to head toward the exit.
“Wait,” Jackson called after her. Frustration tinged his voice. Even trying to talk to her outside of working hours was an ordeal. She acted as if she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. And that really irked Jackson. He was used to female adoration and never-ending attention. “Well, how many kittens did she give birth to?”
Mandy turned just long enough to answer the question, still walking toward the door. “Three. I don’t think small talk is part of the job requirement. I would hate to wear out my welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow, Dr. Walker.” The door clicked shut behind her.
Jackson stared at her in silence. Things between them were worse than he could have imagined. They’d been neighbors since she’d been born and though they hadn’t spent a lot of time around each other, he’d always been Jackson. And he didn’t think he liked the sound of the very formal and stiff Dr. Walker, at least not on Mandy’s lips. He’d have to see what he could do to change that.
SEVEN
Mandy stepped out of the car and smoothed the tight denim miniskirt around her hips. She could barely contain the excitement bubbling to the surface. She hadn’t had a night out on the town in ages. Things were finally starting to look up, however, and it was time she did a little something for herself. She was a little nervous about walking into a strange bar alone, but she reasoned that there should be at least one person she knew from school. After all, it was her age group that made up the largest portion of patrons that frequented the country and western bar.
She could already hear strains of George Straight coming from the bar’s speakers. She pushed open the entrance door and was instantly surrounded by noise. There was the music of course, and the tinkling sound of ice clinking against glass. The laughter though was what drew Mandy further into the bar. Laughter had been missing from her life for a while, and she was glad to have it back.
The bar itself was a typical Texan bar. There was country music blaring from the speakers, and the crunch of peanut shells being crushed against the hardwood floor beneath a person’s shoes. Most of the men surrounding the bar and on the dance floor were cowboys sporting Stetsons, tight-fitting jeans, and cowboy boots. A few of the women also wore cowboy hats and boots. All around her people were having a good time, and Mandy felt some of the weight that had been pressing down on her shoulders fade away.
It didn’t take Mandy long to be absorbed into a group of single men and women she knew from high school. Sara Beth was the first to see her and give her a big hug. “I can’t believe it! It’s been so long. Is that really you Mandy Tyler? Well, of course, it is,” the woman answered her own question. “No one else around Rancher’s Bend has those pretty violet eyes.”
“It’s me!” Mandy exclaimed. She was ecstatic to see a friendly face. She and Sara Beth had been almost inseparable their first three years of high school, but they had drifted apart, especially after Mandy left town. “So how have you been? It’s been a really long time.”
“Indeed it has,” Sara Beth agreed. “I gave up on you ever coming back home years ago. I guess your father’s death changed that. I was sorry to hear about that by the way. How is your mom doing? She must be devastated.”
Mandy accepted her friend’s condolences. “It’s been over a month, so things don’t seem as bleak as they did before. My mom and I are both beginning to heal.”
Sara Beth offered Mandy another hug and a sad smile. “That’s great. Does this mean you’re going to be hanging around Rancher’s Bend for a while or will you be moving on again?”
“It looks like I’m here to stay.” Mandy confided in her old friend. “I have a job and everything. I just started a couple of days ago, and I think it might work out.” That’s all Mandy was willing to say about her new job. Word traveled fast in Rancher’s Bend and the whole town would probably know she was working for Jackson soon enough.
His image instantly popped into her mind, and she had to fight to vanquish it. After all, tonight was about cutting loose and forgetting all about her problems. In a roundabout way that meant she needed to forget about Jackson Walker. He was her boss and her neighbor nothing beyond that. Mandy wasn’t going to complicate her life by wishing otherwise.
“Well,” Sara Beth continued when Mandy didn’t elaborate on her job, “a bunch of the old high school gang is at a table over in the corner. Why don’t you join us?”
Mandy gave Sara Beth a huge smile. “That would be great! Lead the way, and tell me what you’ve
been doing with yourself the past few years.”
“Not much to tell,” Sara Beth warned her old friend as they walked. There was a brief hesitation and her eyes clouded with grief. “My life has been pretty predictable up to this point. I recently finished my master’s degree, and I’m a guidance counselor at our old high school. This time of the year I’m up to my neck in schedule changes and graduation requirement fulfillments. I might be able to breathe sometime after Labor Day. No husband, no boyfriend, and obviously no kids of my own yet.”
Mandy noticed her friend’s voice waiver at the end. Sara Beth was obviously thinking of something sad. Mandy almost asked, but she didn’t want to be presumptuous. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time.
They reached a tall table surrounded by bar stools near the back of the bar and Mandy was greeted warmly by the five other people at the table. They reminisced about their glory days in high school while sharing a pitcher of beer and a bucket of peanuts.
An upbeat song began, and one of the men in the group pulled Mandy onto the floor to dance the Texas two-step. She had always loved to dance, and she had done a lot of it during her high school and college years. The two-step had always been one of her favorites. She followed Josh onto the dance floor and was having a ball laughing at their efforts until she felt eyes boring into her back and turned to face the whiskey stare of Jackson Walker. Mandy missed a step and felt Josh’s grasp tighten around her hand and waist.
She offered her dance partner a much dimmer version of the smile that had been on display before. “I’m sorry Josh. I guess I don’t feel much like dancing after all. Do you mind if we sit out the rest of the dance?”
It was obvious something or someone had dampened Mandy’s enthusiasm for the dance. Josh was a good sport, and he led her back to their table, where they were met by inquisitive stares from the two people sitting out the song, Sara Beth included. “Mandy didn’t want to dance anymore,” he offered with a shrug in the way of an explanation.