Chapter 9
“Hello,” Staci said into her phone two days later, not recognizing the number, she still answered it.
“Dr. Hardt, this is Erin Riceman. I’m going to get right to the point. We’re having a family BBQ on Sunday afternoon over here at the main ranch.”
“What time?”
“Come around two, and we can get everything set up. There will be plenty of food, so you won’t have to worry about bringing a dish to pass this time.”
Staci laughed. “Since I don’t know how to cook, that’s good for me. I was over at Tony’s cabin two nights ago and he taught me how to make spaghetti.”
“You don’t know how to cook?”
“No, I will probably ask for recipes if I like what I eat. Again, I probably won’t be able to cook them, but I can at least have them if I make an attempt.”
“You’re the first person I contacted about the get together, I’ll send a group text to the others, and request of copy of the recipe of what they make. When you get to the BBQ, it would be good to get everyone’s phone numbers in case you need them.”
“Yes, that does sound like a good plan. Thank you for inviting me, Erin.”
“Since you’re one of the reasons for this get together, it wasn’t a problem.” She laughed as she rang off, and Staci quickly got back to work, organizing all of her data, tools, and parts, losing herself in her work within minutes, phone call forgotten.
“Hello?” Tony said into his phone.
“Hi, Tony, this is Erin, the welcome BBQ I mentioned to you is this Sunday at two o’clock here at the main ranch.
Since you and Dr. Hardt are the guests of honor, you won’t have to bring a dish to pass.
We can save that for the next time we get together.
We have the holidays coming up, so that will be an opportunity for you to bring something. ”
“Thanks, Erin, I’ll be there.”
“Great, I’ll see you there.” She hung up, and Tony wore a smile after he did the same and went back to mucking out one of the stables he had been assigned to clean.
For the next four days he did his work, and as each day passed, he realized that the work was getting easier, but he knew not to push his luck.
On his fifth day working on New Double, he went over to Caleb’s office on his lunch hour.
He walked into the break room, and smiled at everyone, but his eyes were on Staci.
“Hello,” he said quietly, then while still looking at her, he spoke to Caleb. “I’m here for a check-up.”
“Hi,” Staci said, and held up her bowl with a grin. “Katherine taught me how to make goulash. It’s the same with spaghetti, but different noodles.”
“Very good,” Tony said and sat down beside her. “Did Erin call you?”
“Yes.”
“Would you mind if I come and pick you up and we go together?”
“Not at all. How are you doing? You look good.”
“Stiff and sore, that’s why I’m here, but I’m improving daily.
” He looked at Caleb for the first time.
“I want to know if there are some exercises I can do in the morning to limber up, then at night to relax the worked muscles. I swear I haven’t felt this stiff and sore since my first week of boot camp years ago. ”
“We can check your range of motion and check it out.” Caleb nodded and they made small talk as the others finished their lunch. Tony had eaten a sandwich on his way over to Broken Two, so he was good.
It wasn’t long before he and Caleb were in the exam room, and Caleb really looked at him. “You look good.”
“I feel good. I’m stiff and sore when I wake in the morning, but it’s a good stiff and sore.
Not the type that I would need to take pain pills to get through the day.
But the good type, that I’m working my muscles correctly.
It reminds me of when I was in boot camp with the Guard.
” He looked at Caleb with a sheepish expression.
“I know this sounds corny, but when I get home at night and am stiff and sore, like I told you, it’s a good feeling, you know?
Unlike when I was healing after one of my operations, I’d feel stiff and sore, and it was with a feeling of dread that I wouldn’t be able to continue. ”
“I totally understand. Do you think it’s because you’re doing something productive now as to then?”
“What do you mean?”
“Now when you work and are sore, it’s because you took care of horses.
You did actual physical labor. Back then, I imagine just getting out of bed and existing from day to day made you feel run down.
You didn’t do anything except survive from one operation to another.
” Caleb watched the expressions flit across Tony’s face and when he was about to apologize for overstepping his bounds, he sucked in his breath when Tony looked at him with a grin.
That expression caused him to not be upset about what he said.
“You know, you’re right. Back home, I did just survive, and some days when I got out of bed I could barely function just standing and walking from room to room.
Working with the horses I’m still slow, but productive, and I get a sense of accomplishment when I finish a task.
I know it sounds stupid coming from a grown ass man like me, but that’s the only way I can describe it.
It’s also given me a purpose to get out of bed in the morning, no matter how stiff and sore I am. ”
“Don’t worry about how you describe it, I understood what you were saying perfectly. I’m glad you’re feeling better, but you know I don’t have to tell you not to push yourself too much?”
“I do, and Ann yells at me if I try to do too much. So do Cole, Manny, and Clem. I’m doing my work, enjoying it, and am productive.
I’m here for our weekly appointment and to see if there are some exercises I can do at home in the morning, and at night.
You know, limber me up to start the day, then do something to relax at the end of it. ”
“Let me show you, and when you’re taking a break at work, you can also do them then.” He had Tony stand and then went through a series of exercises until he felt Tony could do them on his own. When Tony left, he didn’t see Staci, but he knew he would see her on Sunday.
Back at New Double, Tony checked in with Cole to get his next work assignment, but paused in the doorway as he studied the older man.
“Problem?”
“Not really, may I talk to you freely?”
“Is that a military thing?”
“I guess, it’s asking permission for me to speak my mind without getting into trouble.”
“Go ahead.”
“Thanks, I know this might sound crazy, but I’ve taught Staci how to cook spaghetti, and Katherine taught her how to make goulash.
I was wondering if Lois doesn’t have anything to do until Spring for her garden, could she come up with some easy recipes that I could teach to Staci.
I only know the basics, steak, potatoes, eggs, omelets, spaghetti, and goulash.
That’s about the extent of my cooking skills. ”
Cole grinned as he settled back in his chair. “Yeah, I can see how that would limit you on teaching someone to cook. I take it this Staci person is the new doctor working over at Broken Two with Caleb and Katherine?”
“Yes, Dr. Staci Hardt, she’s working on her government grant to help provide prosthetics for some veterans.”
“There are a few of them over at Broken that could probably use her services. I’m not saying they don’t have good ones now, but I do know that Opal is missing her left arm from just above the elbow and doesn’t wear one. She says it’s more of a pain in the ass to strap on, than to go without.”
“Did you get a text or call from Erin about Sunday?”
“Yes. I’ll be there, so will Lois. When I get home after work, I’ll discuss putting some recipes together for Staci.”
“Okay, but Staci didn’t know I asked.”
“Lois will be discreet,” he said, and pointed to the door. “Get back to work.” Cole laughed along with Tony.
Tony spent the rest of the afternoon learning the different types of tack, and what they were used for.
Ann even explained that the tack for the race horses was different than what they used over at Broken for those horses that people rode.
He ended up taking pictures of them with his phone and said he’d research it more when he got home that night.
Before leaving the barn, he caught Cole as he was leaving and asked permission to get more meat from the freezer, since he had only taken two packages of steaks, and two of hamburger.
Cole told him it was fine, but not to forget to put on the list outside the freezer or cooler what he took.
Over at the community pantry, Tony ran into several of the men as they were unloading boxes and coolers from several pick-up trucks, he immediately jumped in to help.
“What’s all this?” he asked as he helped Reid with one of the coolers as they carried it into the building, where several other men were unloading them.
“Erin got the call that the cows she sent to slaughter were done and we went to pick them up,” Reid said and shook his head.
“I don’t know how she did it, but she was able to get a whole pig in the process.
No clue where it came from, and she only said the butcher said she would be doing him a favor if she took it off his hands. ”
“Bacon?” Tony asked with a laugh and every single man stopped and stared at the two of them.
“Where?” Lloyd demanded, and Reid laughed as he pointed to the cooler he and Tony carried.
It didn’t take long for it to be unloaded along with the others.
Tony ended up grabbing two packages of everything.
Bacon, pork chops, one pork roast, one beef roast, burger and at the end, because he didn’t have as much meat in his freezer as the others, they filled a cooler for him to take home.
He and Lloyd carried it over to Tony’s truck, then Lloyd looked at him with a worried face.
“You up for company tonight?”
“I don’t see why not, I just need to take a shower, then get some supper, why?”