Page 16 of The Rancher

“What have we here, Amy? It smells wonderful,” said Ray.

“It’s a chili relleno casserole with a little tweak. I added scrambled eggs and sausage to make it for breakfast. I think you’ll like it.” She set it on the hot pad in the middle of the table. Then she pulled a serving spoon from the pocket of her flowered apron. “I’ll be back with biscuits and gravy, another bowl of scrambled eggs and some bacon. Not one of you should be hungry after breakfast.”

“With all that food, I wonder if I should have worn stretch pants instead of jeans.”I am woefully unskilled in the kitchen. Amy’s abilities put mine to shame. Despite mother’s attempts to teach me, I never seemed to learn. If I was on my own, breakfast would be coffee and a Pop Tart…an untoasted one at that.

Amy laughed and headed back to the kitchen.

While she was gone, everyone helped themselves to the casserole.

It looked and smelled fabulous. Lyris took a bite, the eggs and sausage were complimented by the green chilis and the cheese. It was wonderful. “Mmm, this is great. I never would have thought about putting all of this together and having it taste this good.”

Ray chewed and swallowed before speaking. “Do you cook?”

Lyris nodded. “Actually, I’m a terrible cook unless you want simple country food. I make a dynamite sausage gravy, and my meatloaf is to die for.”

Maddy looked up and grinned. “I love meatloaf. It’s the one thing that Amy doesn’t do well, so she refuses to cook it.”

The woman in question entered the room at the same time. “That’s right, missy and don’t you forget it.”

Maddy didn’t acknowledge Amy’s admonishment, but kept her gaze on Lyris. “Can you really make it? Would you make your meatloaf for us?”

“Sure. How about tonight? I should have an easy day. I can pick up the ingredients after I’m done this morning.” She turned toward Amy. “Would you help me plan what else to serve?”

Amy smiled. “I’d love to. I don’t mind it when someone else wants to cook.”

“Great.” Lyris took a bite of the biscuits and gravy. It was perfect. Just the right amount of sausage in a creamy gravy. “Wow. I wonder if we can compare notes. This tastes almost exactly like what I make.”

“I’d like that. I’d like that recipe for meatloaf, too, if Maddy likes it.”

“No problem.” Lyris tackled her breakfast. She was tempted to put on her stretch pants, but figured after she walked around and began working, the full feeling would go away. Before she headed to the barn, she looked up the recipes in her phone. She’d discuss them with Amy at a later time, but she’d have them easily available whenever that time was.

When she got to the barn, she noticed the stallion Ted was leading out of the stall seemed rather frantic. He was sweating profusely, prancing, pulling on the lead rope, tossing his head and trying hard to rear up. “Ted. Stop. I want to take some blood from that horse. Bring him to my office.”

Ted seemed reluctant to bring the horse to her. “Why do you need blood from Stormchaser? There’s nothing wrong with him.”

“I disagree and since I’m the vet, I’m taking my opinion over yours. Bring him.” She headed to the back eastern part of the barn where her office was. She kept all her supplies here and locked them up when she was out of the barn.

When she reached the door, it was unlocked and slightly open. She slowly pushed it open, just in case there was somebody inside. There wasn’t. Someone had been here last night while she was out with Ray. The only person who might have been around then was Ted. But what would he need from her office?

She didn’t make a big deal of the unlocked door, though she thought Ted watched her a little too close for comfort. She would take inventory and then talk to Ray. Depending on what was missing, the results could be dangerous. Lyris plucked a large syringe and needle from a drawer and approached the horse. “Hold Stormchaser while I get the sample, would you please, Ted?”

“Sure. I’ve got him.”

As soon as she jabbed the needle into the horse, Stormchaser tossed his head and tried to rear up.

She lost her hold on the needle and had to grab it from the horse’s rear.

“Ted, hold him. What did I ask you?” She got a new syringe and needle, set the other aside to be disposed of in the red box on the floor next to her desk.

“I am holding him.”

“Tighter. I don’t want his head to move at all.”

Ted frowned and furrowed his brows. “Okay. I’ve got him. Just do your job.”

“I will if you do yours,” spat Lyris. When she saw Ted had the horse steady with his hand holding the lead rope near the horse’s mouth, she tried again. This time, she didn’t have any problems and took the sample without fanfare.

“You can release him now. Thanks, Ted.”