Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
TUCKER
Two weeks later, I wake up before dawn and frown when I realize that my girl is no longer in our bed.
Our bed.
This isn’t just mine anymore. I’ll never sleep here again and not expect to find her here. I can still smell her, but the warmth on the sheets is gone. I know that she’s been on call with Dr. Fisher, and springtime is busy on ranches. It seems there’s always an animal that needs help.
I sit at the side of the bed and find a note from her under my phone.
T-
You’re so handsome when you’re asleep. Didn’t want to wake you. I have to go help Dr. Fisher with another horse delivery. I don’t know when I’ll be back.
xo
D
I grin and lift the paper to my nose, hoping to find her scent there, but it’s just paper.
“Christ, Xander was right. I’m in deep with this woman.” I push my hand through my hair and then get dressed and have just poured a cup of coffee when my phone rings.
“Morning.”
“We have a problem, boss,” Scott says, making me frown.
“What kind of problem? Where the hell are you? The sun isn’t even up yet.”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I came out here early and drove the access roads around the property to make sure everything was secure and looked right.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands up, and I do not want to hear the next words out of his mouth.
“Something’s not right, Tuck.”
“Fucking hell. Dead animal?”
“Several,” is his reply, and I pour the coffee in a tumbler to take with me, grab my hat and keys, and head out the back door.
“Where are you? I’m on my way.”
“Access road, north border, near where that big maple got taken out by lightning.”
“Ten minutes, tops.”
I hang up and get in my truck. I know exactly where he is. That tree was struck more than thirty years ago, but I don’t have it removed because it’s a great marker for directions in times like these. I pull up behind Scott’s truck and leave the headlights on so I can see in the darkness.
Scott’s standing by the fence and gestures for me to look in the pasture.
“Jesus fuck,” I mutter and rub my hand over my mouth. “What in the hell did that?”
“Mountain lion?” he suggests.
Three of my cattle are massacred in the field, and the other cows are huddled on the far side of the pasture, clearly scared.
“We need to move the herd today,” I tell him, but he’s already nodding. “As soon as the sun’s up, we’ll look for tracks. If it’s a big cat, we’ll need traps because it’s not going to get any more of my beef.”
“Agreed. I’ll check the wildlife cams too.”
It’s going to be a long fucking day. This pasture is several miles from the other grazing pasture that’s ready for a herd, so moving the cows will take most of the morning. Then, we have to figure out what killed them, and that opens a whole can of worms.
Fuck my life.
This week just went totally sideways.
I haven’t seen Darby in two fucking days, and I might be about to lose my mind.
I’ve smelled her in the bed, I’ve seen evidence that she’s used the shower and the kitchen, but between this mess with a mountain lion killing my beef, and her being out almost constantly with Dr. Fisher, we keep missing each other.
I fucking miss her.
But we’ve been leaving little notes for each other at the house, and if I can’t have her, it’s a decent alternative.
I left her some beef fajitas for dinner, since I know she’s probably not eating enough. This morning, I found muffins on the counter with a note.
T-
I know you love my muffins. So I made you some.
You can share with the guys when you go back out.
Let me know if you need me, or if any of the cattle are injured!
I have to run to the Blackwell Ranch to look in on a dairy cow with an infected teat.
Poor girl. I miss you. I need some firepit time. Let’s pencil that in.
xo
D
Fuck, I need firepit time too.