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TULLY
I’m sittingat the clinic when a phone call comes through at my extension. The small desk area where each vet at Herbert’s Clinic sits is laughable. It’s not even the size of a cubicle. I’m talking this might be a two-foot-by-two-foot desk area, a couple of drawers, a computer, and a phone. That’s it. I think a standing desk might be bigger than the surface area I’m currently working on. Plus, standing while working would be so much better, especially during my chart work time.
I pick up the phone. “This is Dr. Jennings.” Usually, a technician will answer calls and feed them through to our lines. That’s not the case with this call. It came directly to my line, and only a few people have it. Literally, I can name all the people on one hand.
“Tallulah, we’ve got a problem.” I know thatvoice. I haven’t heard it since yesterday morning when the rasp of his voice told me good morning and we’d talk soon. I slept until I couldn’t any longer, then got up to start my day. Thankfully, it didn’t start until noon. Nevertheless, it meant that Dean and I wouldn’t see each other until later today, if it all.
“What’s wrong?” My stomach plummets. Did something happen to him, to his family, to Birdie, to Ellie, or did news get out about us? Honestly, the latter would be the less of two evils. It would suck, but it’s eventually going to happen and, well, whatever happens, happens. Obviously, I’ve been mulling this over every spare second of every day. I’m leaning more and more toward outing the whole damn thing myself. It hit me at Birdie and Lane’s. I could have what my best friend has. We could potentially be sisters-in-law. The only thing stopping anything from happening is me, the person who stares at her reflection daily in a mirror as she goes through the what-if list.
“Dean.” My voice is heavy with emotion, eyes tingling, and the chart in front of me is getting harder and harder to focus on.
“Fuck, sunshine, nothing like that.” The flashes of losing someone play on repeat in my head, an accident on the highway or the ranch. I must stay quiet longer than I thought, trying to get my breathing under control as well as myracing heart. “I need you to say something, Tully.”
“I’m here. Please tell me what’s going on.” I drop my pen, no longer able to work until Dean tells me the reason for his call.
“JW and I were at the auction. On the road back home now.” I look at the clock on my computer and see it’s getting later in the day. Which is weird. Usually, they’ll go early in the morning in order to check out the ones they want before the crowds arrive. I’ve also been at work for hours without seeing patients in order to do the monotonous side of this job.
“Yeah, I remember your text. It’s kind of late?” I question. Somehow, whoever did the schedule did me a solid. After being on call last night and tonight, I got this morning off and didn’t have to come in until after lunch. It’s been a bit quiet seeing patients in office as well as call-outs to various homes, ranches, and farms. Hence, I’ve stuck to my desk. The less of Herbert I have to see, the better. He’s not my favorite person in the world, but he’s also not horrible. Fine, he sucks as a boss more than anything and likes to play favorites as well as works you to the bone to see if you’ll stick. There’s a reason why he has such a high turnover rate, and it’s him. He’s the problem.
“Yeah, that’d be because a few horses were being sold as is.” I mull this over. This is sadly normal, but I also know Dean and JW wouldnever leave a horse behind that needed a home. None of the Johnson Brothers or their parents would.
“Please tell me you loaded them up in your trailer and you got the names and description of the owners.” I’m not going to confront the asshats. That’s asking for trouble. What I will do is keep my eyes out and make sure those individuals go on a list of sorts. I’m sure the auction is watching and observing, too. This could become a new normal at the auction. Dean and his family are always there, even though sometimes they’ll come home empty handed. One where eventually another source would have to step in and take control.
“Sunshine, they’re loaded up. We’re taking them back home. I’ve got a mare I’m pretty sure is bred, and JW thinks she may only be three or four years old. I have a colt that looks like he was weaned off his momma too early and a stallion that’s older who’s severely emaciated. Any chance you can meet us at the ranch, or do I need to call it in?” There’s a worry in his tone, and I’m already standing up, grabbing shit to put in my pockets, ready to walk out the door without a backward glance. This is the reason I got into large animal medicine. I want nothing more than to help animals who don’t have a voice for themselves.
“How much longer till you’re at the farm?” I ask.
“A good hour. We’ve got quite the load. Neither of us were expecting to come home with six horses instead of the three we were going for, and we brought the smaller trailer.” Well, shit, that’s a bit longer than I thought.
“I’ll be there waiting. I’m going to go up front and let Maureen know you called to come take a look at three horses. I’d like to leave the others off until we figure out what’s going on, and we can go from there.”
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. The auction house is aware of the situation. I paid cash. There’s no Coggins, I did get a bill of sale at least. I had them put them in my name, too, not the ranch. I’ve got no idea where these guys came from or who they are. I’m going to find out, though, that’s for damn sure.” The first order of business when we get to the ranch will have to be a blood test, seeing how there wasn’t a Coggins we’ve got no idea if any of them are carrying Equine Infectious Anemia. I shouldn’t be surprised Dean would take this into his own hands. He’s a lot like the rest of the brothers. When it was Lane protecting Birdie, he went after her abuser without a backwards glance. We still don’t know what all went down, only that the guy and his father went down in a way they’re now bankrupt and Sherman Jr. is rotting in a cell, hopefully forever.
“Alright, see you there. Drive safe traveling back.”I’m probably making this out more than itneeds to be. They could have been passing through Wyoming, stopped along the way, and are now on to the next. Hopefully without any more animals. Still, my gut is saying there’s way more to this story.
“You got it. See you soon.” I wait to hear the click of the line. Once Dean hangs up, I do the same. I’ve got at least a good twenty minutes before I need to head to the Johnsons, so I may as well use this time to finish what I can.
8
DEAN
“I didn’t realizeyou knew Tully enough to have her phone number,” JW says once I get off the phone. Usually, I’d drive, but since I told him I needed to make a call, he offered. Which was good on my part. Putting Tallulah on Bluetooth through the truck probably would have gone to shit. Our relationship could have been blown for good this time. There are only so many favors I can dole out before all of my brothers know what’s up. As it is, Tallulah showing up at the ranch, me calling her sunshine in front of JW, I’d say the gig is up. I’m going to count it as a win, though. There’s nothing hotter than seeing my woman in a pair of scrubs, her hair up in a ponytail, and in work mode. She’s stronger and tougher than she looks, small and mighty but packs a punch.
“Yep.” I take a play out of his book andremain silent. JW sticks to himself for the most part. Probably because we all take over a conversation pretty quickly. Mom would tell us to pipe down so JW could finish his story, but he’d shake his head and move on. Unless it’s something worth talking about, he stays quiet.
“Message received loud and clear,sunshine.” I shake my head in response. I’m going to be completely and totally fucked. Tallulah is going to kick my ass, that’s for sure. I drop my phone into the cup holder and check the side mirror to make sure the trailer isn’t making any extra movements with how much weight we’ve got in the back. “Seriously, though, you took a big risk back there. Spending cash on horses, using your name instead of the family ranch. You sure you know what you’re getting into?” JW is a couple of years younger than me. Still, he’s a wealth of knowledge when making me realize I may have stepped in a pile of shit in my haste to secure the horses.
Yet, I’d do it again, in the exact same way.
Others can say and think what they want. I’m not a heartless son of a bitch. I saw the way other ranchers looked from one another when the three horses were brought through. Their eyes were everywhere except on what I assume was abused and malnourished animals. I wasn’t going to stand around and do nothing when I could save them.
“Well, better to fall back on me and my bank account than the family. It’s not like I could haveheld a family meeting via text to settle the subject on who would pay for them. Shit went down fast, and you know as well as I do that if they weren’t bought, they’d send them to a slaughterhouse.” Loading them up was a fiasco for the rescues. They were spooked, barely knew what to do, but thankfully, the other non-abused horses were calm as a cucumber.
“We’ll see about that, won’t we? Mom and Dad are gonna want to know right away. Mom especially. She always waits in the barn when we get home from any auction,” JW sates the truth. It doesn’t matter what we bring home—horses, cows, chickens, sheep—any animal is free rein in Mom’s eyes. Not to mention she tracks us through texts the entire time or calls us. Dad shakes his head and calls her a worry wart. We can be out roaming the pastures, gone for days at a time on a range, she won’t worry. The minute we’re pulling a trailer with livestock, she’s pacing the floors.
“Mom text you yet?” I ask.
“Nope. Case must be keeping her busy today.” Ryland’s boy has been teething non-stop. He’s been up all hours of the night and sleeping through the day. Ry was hoping he’d get his days and nights back on track, and if Mom hasn’t asked when we’ll be home, Case must be back to normal.
