Saved by a Warrior Dog

by Cassidy Wells

  “C’mon, boy,” she called before he could do another sniffing lap around the yard. “I’ve got work to do.” She filled his food bowl before turning to her list. Timing was everything when making a big meal, and she pulled the turkey out of the refrigerator and onto the counter. She gathered the ingredients for the stuffing and was up to her elbows in it when Rob came up behind her and gave her a kiss.

  “Good morning, sweetheart. You should have woken me.” He glanced over at the turkey and back at the bowl of stuffing. “How many people are coming?”

  “Seven,” she answered, blowing away the hair that had fallen into her eyes. “But I want plenty of leftovers so we can send everybody home with turkey for a few days.”

  He laughed and smoothed an errant hank of hair behind her ear. “Looks like there will be plenty of leftovers.” He kissed her nose. “How can I help?”

  “Actually, you’re just in time to help me stuff the turkey. Can you hold him down while I stuff?”

  Rob laughed. “Sure. As bizarre as that sounds, I’m happy to hold a dead bird down while you stuff him full of bread.”

  She smiled, and together they successfully tackled the task.

  There was a knock at the kitchen door, and her mother popped her head inside. “Rob, can you help me unload the car?”

  Rob and her mother made several trips, and MJ’s counters became cluttered with pies and containers of food as Tess and Nick joined them. Tyler brought in a cooler full of beer, and several boxes of liquor and mixers that Rob helped him set up in a corner of the dining room. Mom and Tess set the table.

  As their preparations got closer to completion, Jethro arrived and regaled the group with stories about past Thanksgivings. Maverick watched him warily at first, but eventually belly-crawled nearby and settled in to have his head rubbed by the elderly man.

  The house filled with laughter, and the smell of cooking food. During the few moments when she excused herself to check on the turkey’s progress, MJ gave thanks for her family, Rob, and their new friends. She liked Tyler instantly, and she vaguely remembered him as being a year ahead of her in high school. Rob’s new boss, Jethro, was a real character, and she figured Rob would never have a dull moment working with him.

  When she came back into the living room, she glanced over at Maverick and saw the dog staring adoringly at Jethro. The man’s fingers wove into the canine’s ruff, and he absently petted him. She came up behind Rob and silently nudged him and nodded her head in Jethro’s direction.

  He smiled at the man and dog. “Looks like you’ve got a friend there, Jethro.”

  “Yep. This here’s a good dog. You teach him how to herd cattle yet?”

  “Not yet, but I’ll bet he’s smart enough.”

  The man nodded. “Why don’t you bring him over sometime, and we’ll see whether he has any instinct for the work.”

  “I’d like that. He’s used to being a working dog, so I want to find something for him to do. He’s trained to sniff out explosives and alert to IEDs.”

  “Not much call around here for that unless he’s working for the bomb squad.”

  MJ checked the turkey again, and with her mother and Tess’s help, mashed potatoes and took the bird out of the oven to set while she made gravy.

  Later, as they sat around the dining room table, she asked Rob to say a prayer.

  “Thank you, Lord, for the people around this table, and the blessings we have today. We are grateful for the bounty in our lives, and those who keep us safe from harm. We thank you for all the blessings you’ve given us, and we will work to honor you in everything we say and do. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

  “Amen,” those around the table echoed.

  After sharing their meal, the group sat together in the living room to watch football. The light-hearted teasing and commentary made MJ appreciate their group even more. Jethro seemed especially pleased to share his stories and opinions. She noticed Tyler watching him carefully and occasionally frowning.

  When she and Rob carried the pie plates back into the kitchen to wash, Tyler followed them with several plates and forks.

  “Keep an eye on Jethro,” he told Rob. “I don’t like his color.”

  “What do you mean?” MJ asked.

  “I’m not sure, but his complexion looks a little gray to me. Like he’s not feeling well.”

  “Does he have any health problems?” Rob asked.

  “Not that I know of, but he seems to have lost some of his energy in the past few months. I’m glad you’ll be around to help him. The work on the ranch is getting too hard, I’d say. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

  “I will,” Rob promised.

  The gathering ended around four, and MJ packed up leftover food for each guest. MJ and Rob stood at the door and watched everyone leave, waving as each car pulled out of the driveway.

  “That went well,” said Rob, kissing the crown of her head.

  “I think so, too. Everybody seemed to get along. I like Tyler. He seems like a nice guy.”

  “I think so. I’ll have to keep an eye on Jethro.”

  “I agree. I’m glad you’ll be around to help him.”

  They walked into the kitchen together and tackled the dishes.

  ***

  The next morning was cold and breezy, and Rob figured this must be what winter would be like in East Tennessee. He dressed in layers, and packed gloves and the knit cap locals referred to as a “toboggan.”

  The lights were on in Jethro’s house, and Rob knocked and let himself in, heading into the kitchen to have a cup of coffee. Jethro joined him a few minutes later.

  “Hope you don’t mind that I let myself in.”

  “Nope, don’t stand on ceremony. Thanks for the good time yesterday. Your girl is a peach, ain’t she?”

  “I’m a lucky guy,” Rob acknowledged. He looked carefully at Jethro’s coloring. “Are you feeling all right?”

  “Probably ate too much. Made it tough to sleep.”

  “I know. Hard not to overeat when there’s that much good food and good company.”

  Jethro nodded but seemed to avoid Rob’s gaze.

  “I’ll head out and start feeding the cattle. Take your time.”

  The older man nodded. “I’ll have a cup of coffee, and then I’ll join you. I got started a little slower than usual this morning.”

  Jethro joined him about forty-five minutes later just outside the barn. He shuffled and his color still seemed off.

  “Are you feeling all right?” Rob asked.

  “Just sluggish, that’s all.”

  “Why don’t you take the day off? I’ve got this.”

  Jethro rubbed his face, and Rob noticed the sheen of sweat on his forehead.

  Rob frowned. “Seriously, you okay?”

  “Yeah, but maybe I will take it easy today.”

  “I’ll check on you as soon as I take care of the cattle. Text me if you need anything.” Rob left the house and headed toward the barn, pulling out his cell.

  “Hey, Tyler, it’s Rob. I’m over at Jethro’s, and he’s not looking good. I’d like him to go to the doctor’s. Can you stop by? Maybe you’ll have more luck talking him into it than me.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I’ve let the horses out.”

  Rob had just finished feeding the cattle when he saw Tyler’s Expedition pull up in front of the farmhouse. He met him on the front porch. He followed his friend in, alarmed when he heard Tyler say, “Oh, shit!”

  Rob saw Jethro on the floor and immediately pulled his phone out to call 9-1-1. Tyler kneeled down and checked the older man’s pulse, ripped his shirt open, and started CPR.

  Rob explained to the dispatcher Jethro’s age and what they were doing.

  “The ambulance is about five minutes out,” Rob relayed to Tyler as he continued to work. “Do you need me to take over?”

  “No, I’ve got this.” His expression was grim.

  As soon as they arrived, the EMTs took over and hooked Je
thro up to an IV.

  “You guys following?” one of them asked Rob and Tyler.

  Rob nodded.

  “Grab his phone and wallet,” Tyler instructed. They grabbed Jethro’s keys and locked the house, turning off the lights and coffeepot. “We can take my SUV,” Tyler said. “I have to come back this way, so dropping you off to get your truck won’t be a problem.”

  They didn’t say much on the way to the hospital in Green Oak. Rob was busy second-guessing his decision to leave Jethro alone in the house.

  As if he knew, Tyler reached out and grabbed his arm. “It’s not your fault. I’m just glad you were here. If he’d been out alone with the cows, we might not have found him in time.”

  “I sure hope we were in time.”

  “Me, too.”

  They pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and entered the ER, stopping at the desk to check for Jethro’s whereabouts. He was being seen by a doctor, and the ER had paged the cardiologist.

  Later, they were told Jethro was still being evaluated but would likely be admitted. They decided to contact Catherine in Atlanta, and Tyler explained what had happened. Catherine promised to be there as quickly as she could.

  Rob called MJ to tell her what had happened. “I’ll come to the hospital after I let Maverick out,” she said.

  MJ arrived at the hospital just after five. “I didn’t think you’d get here this fast,” Rob said, leaning in to give her a quick kiss.

  “I called Jennifer, and she came and covered for me.” She reached over and grabbed his hand. “Have you heard anything?”

  “Not really. I know they paged the cardiologist around noon, and we heard they’ve admitted him, but they don’t tell us anything. Maybe when his daughter gets here, they’ll talk to her.”

  Tyler waved at MJ as he ended a phone call. “I called my brother to go feed horses for me. I don’t want to leave.”

  “Crap. I’d better go check on Jethro’s horses and cows.” He turned to look at MJ.

  “Why don’t I go with you? It’ll go faster with two of us,” she said. “We can come back and find out how Jethro’s doing.”

  “Thanks. My truck’s out there, so we have to take your car. We’ll be back as soon as we can,” he told Tyler. He put on his jacket and turned to leave, taking the car keys from MJ’s outstretched hand.

  “Sorry, Rob,” Tyler said. “Too bad my brother doesn’t know how to take care of cattle. I’d put him to work for both of us.”

  Rob forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “We’ll let him practice with Satan,” he said, naming one of Jethro’s crankiest bulls. He waved at Tyler as they went out the door.

  They made it back to the hospital a few hours later. Tyler sat in the waiting room drinking out of a cup from the vending machine in the corner. He gave them both a chin-lift greeting.

  MJ and Rob sat down next to Tyler. “Has Jethro’s daughter shown up yet?”

  “She’s still back with him,” Tyler told them both. A double door opened, and a young woman with straight, brown hair approached them, looking worried.

  MJ stood up and reached out. “Catherine, is he okay?”

  Jethro’s daughter took a deep breath and shrugged. “They think he had a heart attack. They did a cardiac catheterization and found his arteries were over seventy-five percent blocked. They’ll perform bypass surgery tonight. He’s being prepped now.”

  “Is he aware of what’s going on?” Tyler asked.

  “Sort of.” She looked at Rob. “Are you his new hand?”

  “Yeah, sorry. I’m Rob Michelini. Tell him not to worry about the ranch. Everything’s fine and I’ll take care of whatever needs to be done.”

  Catherine nodded. “Thanks. I’d better get back. I’ll be in the Family Waiting Room on the third floor. He’ll be in surgery for hours. Y’all might as well go home.”

  “Call me with any news,” Tyler said. “I’ll pass it along.”

  “Thanks. Say a prayer for him.”

  They all nodded and then organized their plans. Rob rode back to the ranch with Tyler to get his truck.

  When Tyler let him off at the ranch, he went inside to turn a few lights on before climbing into his truck. He started the engine but didn’t move it right away, lost in thought.

  Things would be complicated for several weeks. He would need to spend more time at the farm to cover for Jethro. He said another prayer for the tough old man who had burrowed his way into their hearts. Let him recover completely, Lord. He yawned and put his truck into gear. Tomorrow would be a long, hard day.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Rob arrived at Jethro’s ranch just before seven the next morning, surprised to see lights on. A small, silver SUV with Georgia plates sat parked in front of the house. Catherine must have returned from the hospital.

  He knocked as he entered, afraid he might scare her, but she greeted him in the kitchen. “Good morning, Rob.” She looked tired and worried.

  “How’s your dad?”

  She let out a sigh. “He made it through a triple bypass, and they put him in a room around four. He woke up briefly, but he was still pretty out of it. They suggested I come home and go back late morning. They’ll be able to tell more then. The surgeon said everything went well. He said Dad is in good health for his age.”

  “Probably all the exercise he gets working around the ranch. I hope you know I’ll take care of everything while he’s recuperating. I don’t want either of you to worry about the ranch. He just needs to concentrate on getting better.”

  “Thanks. They said something about sending Dad to cardiac rehab. They’ll keep him in the hospital several more days and then decide whether to put him into a rehab unit or send therapists to work with him at home.”

  “Whatever you need me to do, I’ll help any way I can.”

  She nodded and yawned.

  “Why don’t you go get some rest? Text me if you need me.” He put his phone number into her contact list and went out to take care of the animals.

  He hadn’t worked for Jethro for long, but he’d quickly slipped back into the routines of taking care of livestock and making sure buildings, equipment, and pastures stayed maintained. He noted some things that needed attention and jotted them down in his phone. If Jethro was up to it, he’d talk to him about what the priorities were. If not, he’d jump in and do whatever was needed. That’s what he’d want someone to do for him if the situation was reversed.

  He stopped at the house around lunchtime and saw Catherine had left. He made himself a can of soup and a sandwich and considered what to work on this afternoon.

  His cell rang with the ringtone he’d designated for Tyler. “Hey, man.”

  “How’s Jethro doing?”

  He explained what Catherine had told him. “I don’t expect they’ll know much for a few days, but she seemed encouraged. She’s back at the hospital now, I assume.”

  “Well, if you need help with anything, give me a yell.”

  “Thanks. It shouldn’t be a problem. Ranching is like riding a bike. You never forget how. It’s muscle memory, or rather, the memory of your muscles’ aches and pains.”

  Tyler laughed. “Yeah. Don’t I know it! I’ll check in with you later. I’m going to head to the hospital this afternoon.”

  “Maybe I’ll see you there.” He disconnected and then called MJ to check in. He explained what he’d learned about Jethro.

  “God, I hope he does all right.”

  “Me, too.” He explained his plans to stop at the hospital on the way home.

  “That’s fine. I’ll take care of Maverick, so spend as much time there as you need.”

  “Thanks. Jethro was right. You are a peach.”

  She laughed, and he heard a smacking noise that sounded like a kiss. “Love you.”

  “Back atcha,” he said, mimicking a kiss. “I’ll keep you posted.”

  Rob spent the afternoon checking fences and gates on the pastures closest to the house. He’d forgotten that the f
arrier was coming to trim hooves on the four horses. Luckily, the horses allowed him to catch and halter them with little trouble, and the farrier, Clem Benson, worked quickly.

  “What do we owe you?” he asked Clem.

  “I’ll send an invoice. I expect y’all will have to figure out how the bills will get paid until Jethro’s back on his feet.”

  “We’ll work it out. I can pay you today if you need me to.”

  The man waved away the suggestion. Country people around here knew their neighbors wouldn’t stiff them. Not like what Dad went through. He remembered his dad’s stories about the lack of payment plans during hard times. It’s what had driven Dad out of ranching. Farming and ranching had become very money-conscious in some parts of the country.

  Rob finished his chores and washed up in preparation for his stop at the hospital. Jethro sat propped against his pillows eating dinner when he arrived.

  “You’re looking a lot better than you did yesterday,” he told his boss.

  Jethro sniffed. “Thanks for what you and Tyler did. Not sure I would have made it without you being there.”

  “You take care of yourself and get better. I’ve got the ranch under control.”

  “Appreciate it.” Jethro tried to shift positions and groaned. “Damn, that hurts.”

  Catherine hurried over to his side. “Dad, you need to relax and take it easy. Don’t try to move around too much. They’ll get you up in a little while to walk up and down the hall. Pace yourself.”

  Jethro scowled at her. “I’m no invalid.”

  “No, you’re not. But the doctor said they’ll send you to the cardiac rehab floor before you’ll be able to go home.” His daughter spoke calmly and matter-of-factly.

  “What if I don’t want to do that?”

  “Too bad. You don’t have a choice.”

  The power struggle between the two was fascinating. Rob had thought Jethro was a cantankerous, stubborn man, but Catherine seemed just as stubborn, although a lot more pleasant about it.

  He covered his mouth and coughed to cover a laugh before ending his visit. “I’ll let you get some rest, Jethro. Just know that the livestock and the ranch are fine. The farrier came today.”