7. Kendra
7
KENDRA
K endra was glad that she didn’t have extra time to moon over Alan over the next several weeks. She emphatically wasn’t looking for a relationship, and work kept her busy. The van stuttered and ran like a bag full of rocks, but it got her to the farms where she needed to be. She neutered some livestock, treated a herd of sheep for worms, cleaned ears, gave dozens of vaccinations, and did wellness checks. Kendra liked those best, because it was always a welcome chance to deal with healthy animals, collect horse kisses, and pet eager goats. It was a short, lovely drive out to Swiftwater Ranch, and the owner, Tabby, met her at the barn. She was a tall, strong woman with straight dark hair and a friendly smile.
“Thank you for coming,” Tabby said warmly. “I understand you’re taking over some of Tom’s practice, and he says very good things about you.”
Tom had been a big part of Kendra’s success in moving to the Nickel City area. He wasn’t a shifter, but he was a big-hearted old man who was trying to retire in a community that still desperately needed his services. He’d taken Kendra under his wing as an assistant and was instrumental in passing her enough work to stay afloat. She’d spent nearly a month camping on his land with a new baby and he had been tolerant of her sleep-deprived baby brain when things were at their worst. When he’d headed south for climates that were kinder to his aging joints, Kendra missed him more than she missed any of her own estranged family. They still sent each other vet memes and she felt comfortable calling him to ask for advice when she ran into something tricky to diagnose.
Kendra shook Tabby’s hand. “I’ve got a work order here for eight general wellness checks with vaccinations, is that right?”
To Kendra’s delight, Tabby’s horses, most of them boarding clients, were well-behaved and in perfect condition. She always dreaded giving a horse owner expensive news, and sometimes it seemed inevitable. “No parasites, and they all have nice, healthy teeth. I’ll let you know if anything abnormal comes up in the blood tests. This sweet girl needs a little hoof trimming.” She checked her phone. “I have time to do that now, if you don’t have someone you use?” Farriers were often separate hires from vets, and they protected their turf vehemently. Kendra didn’t want to alienate someone who ought to be a partner in animal care by stepping on their toes.
“I do have someone,” Tabby said, “but he was by two weeks ago and not due again for another month. Poppy is brand new, so if you could do it this time, that would be great.”
Kendra got her tools, and took Poppy’s foot between her knees. Poppy turned to snuffle her head, but didn’t nip. She and Tabby talked about horse things and housebuilding. Apparently, Tabby was putting the finishing touches on a set of small houses that she planned to use for short-term rentals. “This is an amazing place,” Kendra said honestly. “I bet you keep them full without any trouble at all.”
It was one of the prettiest ranches she’d seen, with forest stretching up on all sides to the mountains. There was snow in the heights already, and it was picturesque and just cold enough that Kendra could see her breath if the light was right. The trees clung stubbornly to some of their bright leaves, and the rest littered the ground.
By the time Kendra was finished with all of the horses, she was dusty, tired, and very ready for her shower. She put the blood samples in the van fridge and shook Tabby’s hand goodbye. “Give me a call if anything changes. Lameness, coughing, excessive head-shaking, you know the usual warning signs. I’ll let you know the test results, but I’m not expecting any surprises. This is a great-looking herd.”
Tabby looked as pleased as if Kendra had praised her family, and Kendra guessed that she basically had.
“Thanks for coming!” Tabby called after her.
Kendra looked at her phone as she paused at the end of the driveway. She had just enough time for a load of laundry while she showered if the traffic back to Nickel City wasn’t slow. Every so often, she’d get stuck behind an RV that didn’t understand how to drive, but the tourist season was coming to an end.
A hot shower.
It was a public bathroom, sure, and she was leery of touching the walls, but Kendra still longed for the feeling of hot water over her skin.
Thinking about her skin heating reminded her of Alan from the day care and she was fixedly reminding herself that, even if he was a good guy, she was a hot mess as she pulled out onto the highway…just as something big crashed into the side of her van.