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“I wish I knew.”
Brix shook his head. “It isn’t like you to give up so easily.”
There was nothing easy about it. There were days I fretted about what had gone wrong and others I agonized.
“Tryst?”
“I’m sorry, Brix. If I had the answers you seek, we would not be having this conversation.”
16
TRYST
The following morning, I was awakened from a deep sleep by a call from the barns. There was an emergency they needed my help with. One of the horses that was out in the pasture had gotten tangled in fencing and was believed to have a broken leg.
I raced from the house, and rather than take the golf cart, I drove the four-wheeler I kept in one of the outbuildings that would get me over the rugged terrain more easily.
“Which horse is it?” I asked Tex via walkie-talkie as I drove out.
“It’s Berta, Tryst.”
My heart sank. Berta was a horse Jada had connected with almost immediately upon her arrival at the ranch. She rode her almost daily, and the two had formed a tight bond. That she had been injured and would likely need to be put down would be devastating.
When I reached the pasture, I was stunned to see Zin standing beside my nephew.
“Before you say anything, I invited him here several days ago. He’s been helping me with the house.”
I glared at Brix before walking over to the vet, who was examining Berta. “We have more urgent matters to attend to at this time.”
“We’re here to help, Tryst. Just let us know what we can do.”
“It doesn’t look good,” said David, the veterinarian who cared for all of the horses at the riding center. “She must’ve been attacked by coyotes, and it spooked her enough for her to get tangled up in the fence.”
I soothed the horse Jada had nicknamed B. “What can be done?” I asked.
“We can try to X-ray the leg, then determine what to do next.”
“Let’s.” I raised my head when I heard a woman screaming,“Wait!”It was Jada, and she was astride Cariño.
“Back away and give her space,” I said when she got closer. While I knew she’d seen Zin, her primary concern was Berta. Even I stood and stepped away to allow her to comfort the animal.
“I’m going to sedate her so we can get her back to the barn,” said David, stepping forward with a syringe.
“No! Not yet!”Jada screamed.
Before I could do so myself, Zin stepped forward. “He’s just going to sedate her so we can get her back to the barn without further injury. That’s all, Jada.”
She looked up at me, and I nodded.
Tex arrived in the pickup, and those of us there rolled B onto a stretcher, then hefted her into the back of the pickup. When it pulled away, Jada was seated in the flatbed with her.
“Tryst—”
“Not now, Brix.” I hadn’t yet decided how I felt about Zin being here when I’d specifically said that until Jada asked for him, he should not come. Until I sorted out my feelings, I wouldn’t be prepared to talk to either man.
When I reached the barns,I overheard Jada saying, “She’s not going to be put down,” to the vet.
I rested my hand on her shoulder. As in all things, I could not lie to her. “If that’s what is best for her, that is what we will do. We cannot allow Berta to endlessly suffer, little one.”
