Chapter 19
Three months later.
Tegan placed the last stained shelf into the unit he’d built and stepped back. The shelving unit had been a jigsaw puzzle, but he’d worked hard to make sure it was exactly what Kate wanted. He stepped back to examine his work. “That should do it.” They were done.
Kate said from behind him. “It looks so nice. I can’t believe I only have the x-ray machine to be installed, and I can open my practice.”
“I’ve reviewed the specifications and ensured the breaker can handle the amperage you’ll be pulling. When it arrives, it should be plug and play.” Tegan picked up a hammer he’d laid down on the desk and dropped it into his work belt.
Kate wrapped her arms around him and leaned into him. He loved the feel of that woman against him. He belted his arms around her and pulled her even closer. They’d been almost inseparable during the last months. He wouldn’t have it any other way. They’d fallen back into that summer romance, only now it was deeper. He felt free. That was what Kate did for him. She cut the chain that kept him tethered to the trauma of his life before living with his grandfather. She filled the hollowness his mother had created and given him herself. He would never take that for granted. This woman, bold, decisive, and in your face, had let herself become vulnerable with him. She’d allowed him to become her protector and lover. She was his touchstone, and he prayed he would never let her down.
He dropped a kiss on her forehead. God, he loved her. “Another week or so, and you’ll be a full-time vet.”
She looked up at him. “Thanks to you. Everything seems to be flowing perfectly; that’s for sure. Lawrence is almost back to his old self. The kids are happy and healthy, so I can start looking for another place to live.”
Tegan felt himself blush. He’d busted his ass, making her offices what she needed them to be, and as the items were delivered, he’d fetched and toted for her. He was glad she wouldn’t be working out of Noah’s house. He cleared his throat and asked, “You’ll be staying with me, right?”
“I didn’t want to assume.” Kate smiled up at him. He relaxed when he saw she was teasing him.
“Assume. Please Assume.” He dropped down for a kiss.
“Tegan! Doc!”
They broke apart, and Tegan opened the door. “Down here.”
Barry Marks ran down the hallway with a limp dog in his arms. “She’s having seizures.”
Kate went into doctor mode. “Put her over here. How long has this been going on?”
“I found her when I came in from feeding. There was something that looked like beef stew on the ground beside her. I didn’t give it to her. Fuck!” Barry slammed his hand on the exam table.
Kate looked up at him. “Calm down, now.” She examined the dog. “I think she’s been poisoned. Tegan, take Barry out of here.”
“Dude, she’s my dog. She’s just a puppy,” Barry said as Tegan physically backed him out of the room.
“Kate will do everything she can.” Tegan shut the door behind him.
“How in the hell is this my life?” Barry roared. “She’s innocent. Kathy gave her to me. Fuck, Kate’s got to save her.” Barry slammed against the wall and slid down to sit on his ass.
“Where did you find her?” Tegan sat down beside him on the floor.
“In my room at the bunkhouse,” Barry said and banged his head against the wall. “She’s the best pup, man. Everyone loves her. She doesn’t bark and carry on. Who would poison her?”
“I don’t know. Dogs get into things. Maybe she found something and chewed on it. You know how pups can be.” Tegan glanced at the door where Kate was working on the dog. “How did you know we’d be here?”
“I called Noah. He’s clear on the other side of the fucking county. He told me he’d seen your vehicles here earlier. I took a chance. I had to get her some help.” Barry sighed. “Wearing a gun?” He nodded at Tegan’s hip.
“Yep. Most of us are right now. Let’s go take a walk. Get some air and let Kate do what she needs to do.” Tegan stood up and offered Barry a hand up. Barry looked at the door. “We won’t go far.”
Barry took the offered hand, and Tegan hauled him up. He grabbed his jacket as they walked past the reception area.
Barry’s truck was still running. The driver’s side door standing open. Tegan motioned to it. “Probably should take care of that.”
Barry nodded and made his way to the truck. Tegan waited while the guy buttoned up the vehicle. He noticed Barry had strapped on his own sidearm. “We wear them, too, but I didn’t want to scare the doctor, so I dropped it before I brought Honey inside.”
Tegan appreciated the effort. He nodded to the stockyards. “I need to check on a couple of horses we’re holding until the next auction.” They routinely took the animals early and cared for them until auction day. Some ranchers traveled days to get there for the sale.
As they made their way through the yard, Barry pointed to the fence. “Big improvement.”
“Yeah, the guys and I have spent the last three months replacing the broken railing.” Tegan led him farther into the maze of corrals.
“You know the sheriff thought I did this.” Barry shoved his hands into his jacket even though it was a nice day. “Everyone did.” He shook his head. “If I hadn’t been out with Rusty all day, they would have pinned this shit on me.”
Tegan stopped at a corral with a roan mare and her yearling. They were beautiful animals and registered with one hell of a lineage, so they’d sell without a problem. He turned to Barry. “Not going to lie, Barry, I was wondering the same thing. I mean, we talked about you trashing this place not a week before it happened.”
Barry closed his eyes and then tilted his head back. “I have my problems, man. I do, but I’ve never hurt a friend.”
Tegan waited until Barry opened his eyes and said, “I believe you. You heard what happened over at my place, right?”
Barry nodded. “I was with Rusty.”
“No, man, I’m not accusing you. I’m just wondering why someone would trash this place and then break into mine.” Tegan held out his hand, and the mare cautiously approached.
“Andrew said he hightailed it across country.” Barry turned to face the corral. “Can I ask what he took?”
“Not supposed to say.” Tegan had kept his promise to Ken about that.
“Cold weather gear, food, stuff like that?”
Tegan nodded. Barry sighed. “Sounds like someone sticking around to cause more problems.”
“I suspected it was one of those meth people from up north,” Tegan said. “The one who sold me the horse. My address was on the bill of sale.”
“And?”
The sheriff made a trip up there, and the sheriff of that county went along. The guy who sold me the horse wasn’t there. The people there said he’d been gone since he took the horse. Of course, the sheriff saw probable cause to request a search warrant while they were there. They busted the remaining people for manufacturing meth, and they’re all in jail. Well, except for the kids. They were turned over to social services.”
“You think this guy is the one who broke in?” Barry cast a look at him.
“That’s what the sheriff is speculating.” Tegan stroked the animal’s nose. “Can I ask what got you to this point? Why are you so angry all the time? It’s none of my business, but I’d like to think you’re more than an acquaintance.”
Barry snorted. “Life, man. Life and I have a hate-hate relationship. Maybe someday, when I’m not freaked the fuck out about my pup, we can sit down, and I can tell you the sob story that is Barry Marks.” The guy held out his hand to the yearling. The mare moved to lip at his hand instead. He stroked the horse’s jaw. “Animals don’t care, though. They accept you just how you are.”
“That’s the truth.” Tegan watched as Barry carefully stroked the mare’s neck. He turned just as a loud crack sounded next to him.
“Get down!” Barry screamed as he hit the dirt. Tegan dropped like a rock.
“What the fuck?”
“Sniper. Move this way, now.” Barry low-crawled to the back of a water tank, and Tegan hustled after him.
Tegan had his phone in his hand. “Ken, we”re at the stockyards. Someone took a shot at us.”
“Where are they at?” Ken asked.
Tegan spat, “I don’t have any idea where they are.”
Barry knew, however. “The hill behind us. They had to be up there because of the angle of the shot.”
“Did you hear that?” Tegan asked Ken.
“Who is with you? Kate?” Ken asked.
“No, Barry. We’ve taken cover behind a water tank. Kate’s inside working on Barry’s dog.”
“Garth and I are on our way.”
Tegan hung up and tried Kate. She didn’t answer, and that could be because she was still working on the pup. God, he prayed it was. Tegan glanced back to the corral. The mare was down.
“Fuck, Barry, the mare.”
“Son of a bitch!”
“I’m going to fire at the hill so you can run in and get Kate. Take a left at the fork and go in the back way. Don’t bring her out here until the sheriff clears it, though.”
“What the fuck are you going to do?” Barry asked him.
“I’m going to see if I can help that mare.”
“Let me take care of the mare. What if you get shot?”
“Have you ever dealt with a downed horse?”
Barry glared at him but shook his head no. “If I get shot, tell Kate I love her. Ready and go!” Tegan lifted up and fired toward the hill. Barry flew down the corral alleys, and then Tegan was out of ammo. He shoved the gun into his holster and vaulted from his position toward the corral. He slid under the lowest railing and made his way over to the mare. She tried to get up, but he got her before she could. He put weight on her neck and talked smooth and soft to her. He glanced up to the hill and took off his jacket, wrapping it around the horse”s eyes. It looked like the bullet had burned a deep furrow on the underside of her neck, closer to the chest. He couldn’t see an exit, but then again, he wasn’t sure if the bullet was actually lodged in her neck or not. The horse’s labored breathing was like an echoing call to his thoughts. He’d been shot at. Damn it. He now understood Barry’s confusion when he asked earlier—how is this my life?
Tegan stroked the horse and talked to her, letting his thoughts ramble on out loud. “I’m going to ask her to marry me as soon as this mess is over.” He looked around at the scared yearling at the far side of the enclosure. The colt danced near the railing. “Yeah, you’re right. Why wait until it’s over.” He smiled and stroked the mare’s neck. “Tonight. I’ll ask her tonight.” He continued to pet the animal. “Will she say yes?” Tegan sighed. “It hasn’t even been three … no, just over three months since she’s been back.” Tegan thought for a minute. “We can have a long engagement. Lord knows I love her.” He looked back at the colt, who had lowered his head and was sniffing toward his mom. “Haven’t told her that yet. Not in words, that is. Hopefully, she understands I do.” He looked down at the mare. “Probably should outright tell her before I ask her to marry me, huh?”
The colt blew a huff of air. “Well, no one said I was the brightest bulb in the box,” Tegan defended himself against the colt’s disdain. “But I love her, and I believe she loves me, too.” A full-body shiver went through him. “That’s twice one of us could have been ended.” He shook his head. “Where the hell is that sheriff?” He kept talking to the animal and stroking her. It seemed like forever before he finally heard the wail of Ken’s siren.
At the sound of Ken’s siren, the horse started thrashing again. He put all his weight on the horse as the yearling skittered and stomped behind them. Tegan hated the way the mare’s neck was bleeding.
“Tegan?” Ken’s voice rang out.
“In here. The corral!” Tegan yelled back.
He could hear Ken’s running footfall. Ken almost ran past him, but Tegan whistled sharply. Ken stopped and looked over the rail. “Garth is heading to the backside of the hill. Have there been any more shots?”
“Just mine when I was covering Barry.”
“What? Never mind. Where did Barry go?”
“To get me,” Kate said as she ran up behind them. “Hold this.” She slammed her medical kit into Ken’s chest and crossed through the fence. “Give it to me,” Kate said, extending her hand. Ken gave her the bag, and she dropped down beside him. “This really isn’t my ballgame,” she said as she looked at the wound. “Okay. Do you have her?” she asked Tegan as she tore through her bag.
“I do.” He said in a low voice, still keeping his weight against her neck so she couldn’t thrash or roll.
Kate got to work immediately. Tegan watched as she examined the mare and talked to her in a low tone. She worked quickly and efficiently. “The bullet didn’t hit anything vital, and it isn’t lodged in her neck. Just tore her up a bit. I’m going to numb this area and get her stitched up. Noah can take care of anything I miss, but she’ll live.”
Tegan glanced up, noting Ken was gone. He diverted his attention back to Kate, and they worked together to keep the mare calm. Kate was done quickly. “I have to get back to the pup.”
“Go, I’ll get her up and bring the bag.” Tegan waited until she was out of the corral before he took the jacket off the horse”s eyes and carefully lifted off her. She was up an instant later. The yearling nearly knocked him over as he rushed to the mare. Tegan picked up the discarded litter and Kate’s bag before heading into the building.
He jogged down the corridors until he reached Kate’s offices. Barry was stroking the little Sheltie’s fur, and Kate was fussing with an IV. “How is she?” he asked as he entered.
“She’s going to be okay. From the smell of the contents of her stomach, she got into antifreeze.” Kate continued to work on the animal.
“I told you; that’s not possible. That stuff is in the mechanics shed, and that door is always closed.” Barry shook his head. “Someone had to do it on purpose.”
Kate nodded. “Then you need to discuss that with the sheriff or maybe Senior. If someone poisoned your dog, they need to be caught and taught a lesson.” She turned to Tegan. “What the hell, Tegan? Someone shot at you?”
Tegan nodded. “At us.”
“I don’t know who they were shooting at,” Barry said, still stroking the long fur of his dog. “Could have been either of us or both.”
Ken appeared in the doorway. “Gentlemen, care to take a walk with me?”
Tegan frowned just as much as Barry did. Barry spoke up first, “Why? We didn’t do anything wrong.”
Ken nodded. “Didn’t say you did, but I think this might give you a bit of closure.”
Tegan put his hand on Kate’s back. “Did you call Noah?”
She nodded. “He’s on his way to check on the mare. You go, I’m staying with this little girl. She’s going to make it, right?” Kate looked directly at Barry. He nodded and swallowed hard before he spun and followed the sheriff out of the room. Tegan rubbed her back quickly and followed Barry and Ken out of the office.
Ken nodded up the hill. “Let’s go for a walk.” Tegan followed Ken, and Barry was behind him. He could see Garth at the top of the hill. With all the rain they’d had lately, it was a wet and slippery slog to the crest of the hilltop.