Rescuing Little Reese (Littles of Rawhide Ranch #1)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

“Good girl,” Reese cooed to her dairy cow, Stella, as she gave her soft black-and-white fur a good brushing.

The dairy cow that had never been able to produce milk had been slated for slaughter when Reese rescued her as a teen and had quickly become her best friend and confidante. Animals were far better friends than people, which was why Reese spent all of her time with them at the rescue.

“Reesey, darling, would you mind stopping in the house on your way out this evening?”

Josephine’s voice came over the handheld radio they’d gotten when she and her husband Walter had started having a harder time coming out to the barn to find her. The Hutchinsons had become like family to her, and she was so grateful they’d let her continue to run the rescue long after they’d been ready to retire.

“Yes, ma’am. I can come now if you need something,” she responded.

Stella head-butted her arm when she stopped brushing, knocking the radio from her hand. “Okay, okay, Miss Impatient. Geez. You know we can’t ignore Ms. Jo. She is the boss around here, you know?”

Stella mooed like she was talking back, and Reese rolled her eyes.

“We just let you think you’re in charge sometimes, old girl. Don’t let it go to your head.”

Stella huffed and head-butted her again as the radio crackled before Jo’s voice came back on.

“It can wait until tonight.”

Something was off in Jo’s voice, but Reese couldn’t really put her finger on it. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well? Unease sat heavy in her stomach as she finished brushing Stella and moved on to her other animal chores starting with Howard, the ornery mallard duck. He needed meds every day for an infection, and every day she had to hunt him down.

“Get the duck!” the resident parrot perched on one of the barn rafters squawked.

“That’s what I’m doing, Bossy P. Do you know where he is?” she asked the big African Grey.

“Get the duck,” the bossy bird repeated.

“You’re absolutely no help,” Reese grumbled as she headed out the back doors of the barn in search of Howard, who she knew she would find splashing around in the koi pond that hadn’t actually had any koi in it for as long as she had been coming to the farm.

She knew each animal, their needs, their habits, everything about them. They were her family, her friends, her everything. Which meant finding them when she needed them for something wasn’t the hardest thing in the world, but it did take up precious time when she could be studying, or fixing something in the rickety barn that housed her motley crew.

“Howard! There you are, you rascal.” She put her hands on her hips and smiled at him. “It’s time for your meds; c’mon back to the barn with me.”

The duck quacked at her and paddled in the opposite direction.

“You can finish your bath later. Let’s go. It’ll only take a minute.”

Howard jumped out of the pond opposite of where Reese stood and shook his tail feathers. Reese knew he was just shaking the water off, but it absolutely appeared as if he were shaking his butt at her and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re such a brat. Fine, I guess no bread treat for you. It’s your favorite kind, too, from the bakery in Porter’s Corner.”

She turned to walk away, knowing he would be hot on her heels by the time she got back into the barn. She always stopped at local places and picked up their leftovers, or food that was just fine, but was getting thrown out for one reason or another. It was really helpful when it came to feeding Babe and Wilbur, the two pigs, but Howard and Bossy P loved the stale bread she procured from the bakery every few days.

The community in Porter’s Corner was so helpful and giving, and they loved the work that Reese and the Hutchinsons were doing.

After Howard got his medicine, she gave him and Bossy P some bread before preparing the trough for the pigs, who were impatiently squealing and letting her know they were not amused that their breakfast was three minutes late.

“I think you all have forgotten who is actually in charge around here,” Reese told them as she dumped their food into the trough. “It’s me. I’m the boss. You all need to learn how to behave.” She smiled as the two pigs completely ignored her and focused on eating as much of the food as fast as possible. Sighing, she shook her head. “I know, I know. I’m delusional.”

“I’m the boss,” Bossy P squawked as he flew down from the rafters after finishing his piece of bread. Standing in front of her on one of the stall doors, he bobbed his head up and down, doing a little dance. “I’m the boss,” he repeated.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep it up and see if I bring you any more treats.”

Reese put out her arm and he jumped on before moving to her shoulder. He liked to go for rides, and it was the only time he would leave the barn. He hated being outside, and he’d scream at the top of his lungs if she tried to put him down. It was wild behavior, but Reese was glad he trusted her enough to at least let her take him out with her.

A dairy cow that can’t produce milk. A duck on medicine. A parrot with agoraphobia. And twin billy goats that fainted when they saw anything with feathers, she thought as she approached the goat pen. Thankfully, they’d stopped fainting when they saw Bossy P on her shoulder, but sometimes even Howard sent them into a tizzy.

“What is my life?” Reese shook her head and laughed as she fed the goats.

“I’m the boss. Go to the barn,” Bossy P told her.

“Not yet. I need to clean up the goat pen. You’re fine.” She petted his belly a little to try to calm him.

“Go to the barn. Go to the barn!” Bossy P repeated over and over as he bobbed and got increasingly more agitated. She hated making him panic, so she changed course and headed back to the barn with a heavy sigh.

“I really am delusional for thinking I have any control over anything. Fine. I’ll take you back to the barn. Stop yelling.”

“I’m the boss,” he reminded her one last time.

Reese gave up. “Yes, you’re the boss.” She didn’t really want to be the boss anyway, so why fight it? She’d have a more peaceful time finishing up without him in her ear.

After morning chores, Reese grabbed her laptop and went into Stella’s stall, where Stella was already resting in her huge pile of fresh hay. Reese made herself comfy against her side, then flipped open her computer to do some more summer reading in advance of the upcoming fall semester. She’d been taking as many classes as possible every term since she’d graduated high school in order to get her veterinary license. Animals were not only her life, they were her future, and while she wanted to have her own rescue one day, she also wanted to be able to take care of sick animals. Plus, if she were to start a veterinary practice, she could make money to help all the animals her heart desired. After she paid off her student loans, of course. She tried not to think about the mountain of debt building up, but it haunted her when the intrusive thoughts snuck in.

Shaking her head, she focused on the task at hand, and let the calming motion of Stella’s breathing relax her tense muscles.

After tucking all of the animals in for the night and making sure no one should need anything until she got back the next morning, she dragged her tired body up to the main house. She hadn’t heard from Jo or Walter all day which was very uncharacteristic for them. Usually Walter came out at least once a day to check on her and make small talk. Sometimes they even brought her out some lunch, but she always brought a peanut butter sandwich, just in case. Peanut butter was her favorite food, so it wasn’t a chore to eat it.

“Knock-knock,” Reese announced as she entered through the back door of the Hutchinsons’ home. Delicious smells accosted her. Jo was the best cook on the planet, and Reese’s mouth watered in anticipation.

“Reesey! You’re just in time.” The elderly woman looked a little more tired and hunched over than normal, but she was still smiling as she carried the glass casserole dish to the table. “Ernie will be here any moment. Sit down and we can chat over a nice meal.”

Reese’s gut twisted inside of her. Ernie was the only bad part about the Hutchinsons. She had no idea how two amazing people raised an absolute slimeball, but they had, and they were totally blind to what a complete and utter asshole their only son actually was. Probably because he put on such a show in front of them. She forced a smile and tried to make her escape.

“Oh, you know I would love to, but I’ve really got to get home. I have a paper due, and I need to study for finals because they’re right around the corner.”

“And you’re going to do those things on an empty stomach?” Mr. Hutchinson asked as he entered the kitchen. “Nonsense, sit down. We won’t keep you late.”

She didn’t want to disobey, and the table was set in a way that she wouldn’t have to sit next to Ernie, so Reese accepted defeat and took a seat. She could stomach him if it meant she got a yummy free dinner out of it. This was saving her money. She told herself anything to convince her mind and body that this was a good idea, but they rebelled against her the second she heard the slimeball’s voice.

“Honey, I’m home!” he announced as he entered.

Walter and Jo greeted him with warm hugs, but his eyes were locked on hers.

“What, you don’t know how to say hello anymore, PB? I told you she was spending too much time around the animals, Ma. She’s picking up bad habits.”

He said it in a joking manner, but Reese knew better. He had been making fun of her love of animals for years.

“Hi, Ernie. Please don’t call me that. You know I don’t like it.”

It was another thing he did to make fun of her. He thought peanut butter was disgusting, and he’d told her so on many occasions. A few times when they were younger and Walter had made him help in the barn, he’d even thrown her lunch away. He hated everything about her, and the feeling was mutual. She just wished she knew why.

“You don’t like peanut butter anymore? Well that’s news to me! Ha-ha-ha!” He fake-laughed, and the sound grated against every nerve in her body.

It doesn’t matter why, he’s scum.

Frustrated tears burned the back of her eyes.

“Oh, leave the girl alone, son,” Walter scolded. “She’s a good worker, and we wouldn’t have been able to keep this place going without her all these years.”

Walter’s kind words helped to soothe the sting, and she was able to push back the tears. She never wanted Ernie to see he was getting to her.

“Well, that won’t be necessary anymore, Dad.”

“What won’t?” Reese asked, not sure she really wanted to hear the answer.

“Couldn’t this wait until after we eat?” Jo asked.

“Why prolong the inevitable, Ma? It’s not going to change anything. PB, my parents are moving into a retirement community, and I’m taking over here.”

“What?” Reese whispered, her stomach now firmly lodged in her throat.

“We just can’t keep this place up anymore. This way you’ll have help, and you won’t have to keep such long hours all alone. This is a good thing, Reesey.”

Jo tried to placate her, but the blood rushing through Reese’s ears made it hard to hear anything.

“But… he hates the animals. He hates me! How can you do this?” She knew she wasn’t really being fair. Walter and Jo shouldn’t have to be tied to the farm because of her. They had put in a lot of hard work, and they deserved to retire and live out the rest of their days in peace.

“PB, stop being dramatic. I do not hate you or those animals.” Ernie rolled his eyes.

“Stop calling me that!” She pushed away from the table and stood up. “I can’t do this. I have to go. I… when… when is this happening?”

“We’ve been on a wait list for the retirement community, and they just had a place open up for us. We’ll be moving in next week, but nothing has to change for you, Reesey. Everything will be fine,” Walter told her.

Reese took a deep breath. “Right. Okay. You’re right, I’m sorry, but I really do have to go. Thank you for dinner.” It didn’t even matter that dinner hadn’t been served yet. She didn’t want to be rude, but she had to leave. There was no way she could eat anything after that bomb had been dropped in her lap.

“At least let Ernie give you a ride. It’s getting dark.”

“It’s not far and I have my bike. I’ll be okay, I promise.” She rounded the table and gave the old woman a kiss on the cheek, then she hightailed it out the door as fast as she could. She needed to think, and she couldn’t do it in that house with that man watching her every move.

Grabbing her bike, she got on it with every intention of going home, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to be alone. Instead, she pedaled toward the barn, stashed her bike inside, and fell asleep curled in a ball against Stella.