The Cowgirl's Sacrifice

by Tina Radcliffe

  “How’s it going to work when you’re released by the doctor and I’m your boss?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m still a Rainbolt, and this is still my family’s ranch, so unless you can find a way to get rid of me, I’m not going away.”

  “No one wants to get rid of you, Kate. As far as I can tell, everyone is bending over backward to keep you in Rebel.”

  Kate refused to look him in the eye. A part of her realized that she was being irrational, and yet her pride wouldn’t allow her to admit that. For ten years, she’d managed her life and her destiny. The world she’d built had come crashing down because of a single night in the arena and less than two weeks back in Rebel.

  Jess McNally was the catalyst here. The man had betrayed her, proving that he’d held a grudge because she’d turned down his proposal. He’d thrown her under the bus the first chance he’d gotten.

  Turning on her heel, she left his office, not even stopping to greet Einstein as she passed the stalls.

  Pull it together, she told herself as her boots echoed on the stable floor. She’d hit rock bottom before, except this time, she didn’t have anything but her horse left. Yes, she had a job at Rebel Ranch, but going from rodeo girl to office girl was a bitter pill to swallow.

  Oh, she’d do it, all right. She’d heal her body and prove to everyone that she wasn’t broken. By then, maybe she’d know whether or not she was going to be able to stay in Rebel or if she should move on.

  Chapter Four

  Kate’s phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen as she stood in line at the Rebel bank.

  The neurologist. It was Friday, and the specialist’s office had left two messages since Monday in an attempt to schedule her appointment in Tulsa, thanks to Dr. Bowie’s referral.

  Another doctor. Another session of being poked and prodded and then billed was more than Kate could deal with or afford right now. Besides, she wasn’t sure she even needed to see a neurologist. The CT she’d had done in Tucson had revealed a hairline fracture that would heal on its own. She hadn’t had a dizzy spell since the unfortunate incident in the barn with Jess watching a week ago. Why go looking for trouble when it so often found her anyhow?

  She’d made a pact with her brothers and committed to sticking around until the summer tourist season launched after Memorial Day, and then they’d discuss her options. She’d take on the equine position full time or hit the road. If her arm continued to heal as anticipated, the cast might even be off before the hoedown, and then she’d take a little time to evaluate the whole work-for-Jess situation before she made any decisions.

  Right now, having choices was absolutely her top priority. That would be her focus when she found herself claustrophobically running numbers in a windowless room.

  After completing the transaction for the ranch, Kate shoved the deposit slip into her back pocket and left. She stood on the sidewalk outside the bank, eyeing Main Street. The town certainly had evolved. When she was growing up, Rebel had looked like every other dusty small town. Now it had personality.

  Kate smiled at the quaint scene before her. Flowers hung from giant pots on the street corners, and wrought iron benches had been placed at intervals along the long sidewalks. Charming shops with clever window decorations and chalk sidewalk signs beckoned.

  Most of the businesses had navy canvas awnings, including her sister-in-law Daisy’s bakery on the corner. Kate’s gaze skimmed the shops on the other side of Main Street. Tallgrass Inn was directly across from the bank. To the right was Rebel Reads. A small shop was tucked between the bookstore and the diner. The Saucy Potter. Kate chuckled. That had to be Nicole’s pottery store.

  A quick check of her phone confirmed it was nearly noon. She had an hour for lunch, which was what Violet and the other employees in the admin building took. She wouldn’t abuse the rules because she was Reece’s sister. Satisfied there was plenty of time to peek into the shop and then stop by Tucker’s vet clinic, she proceeded to the crosswalk at Main and First.

  Resisting the urge to jaywalk, Kate stood at the corner, tapping her boot toe on the concrete as she waited for the light to change. Rebel boasted one traffic signal, and it had the onerous reputation of taking its good old time, without particular attention to the number of cars lined up on Main or First. Currently, Main Street was bumper-to-bumper with one pickup and a tractor. Another busy day in Rebel.

  On green, she dashed across the intersection to the other side of the street. The artfully decorated storefront window of the Saucy Potter held a large coral-colored pitcher overflowing with branches of pussy willow. Matching mugs hung from the ceiling at different levels, and stacks of dinnerware were creatively displayed in the forefront of the window, resting on swaths of crinkled muslin fabric. A small wooden stepstool held other matching pieces of the same color design on each step. The entire display urged passersby to stop and look.

  Kate smiled and reached for the handle on the shop’s glossy burgundy front door. A small chime sounded as she pulled it open and stepped into the brightly lit store. The scent of something that she couldn’t put her finger on wrapped itself around her.

  “Welcome. Be right there.” The voice called from somewhere in the depths of the space, and a moment later, Jess’s older sister, Nicole, appeared.

  “Kate! How nice to see you.” Dark-haired and petite, Nicole pulled a canvas smock from around her neck and tossed it on the glass counter. She offered Kate a light hug and glanced at her arm. “Jess wasn’t kidding. You really were run over, weren’t you?”

  “I’m fine. In one piece and healing nicely.” She smiled. “I wanted to thank you for the mugs. I love them.”

  “You’re so welcome.” Nicole peeked at her phone.

  “And I love your shop.” Kate waved her free hand. “When I left town, you were about to start med school. This is quite a departure.”

  The other woman groaned. “Oh, yes. Medical school. I didn’t have the guts to flat out tell my father no, so I did the next best thing. I eloped.” She grimaced and looked around. “I hope we’re alone. That sounded awfully flippant.”

  “No, it didn’t. I completely get it.” And Kate did. Dr. McNally had been a well-meaning authoritarian. It had always been his way or the highway. Period.

  Nicole sighed and shook her head. “My father was a wonderful man, but he didn’t understand my dreams... Jess’s either. I suppose because they weren’t his dreams. Anyhow, now I’m a single mother of a nine-year-old, and I’m happily running my own life.” She reached for a business card and handed it to Kate. “I’m online too. We sell pottery all over the country.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Kate examined a display of bowls that matched her mug. “This place might be very dangerous to my budget.”

  Nicole laughed. “That’s what I’m hoping.”

  “It smells nice in here,” Kate observed.

  “Ha! A little trick. I have lemon, fresh rosemary and vanilla simmering on a hot plate in the back. It makes the place smell like those expensive specialty shops in the city.”

  “It’s working. I find it very appealing. I’ll keep it in mind the next time I set the oven on fire.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “If only I was.”

  Once again, Nicole peeked at her phone.

  “Is everything okay?” Kate asked.

  “I’m sorry. My mom was supposed to be here a few minutes ago so I can pick up my daughter, Olive, from school. The elementary school is letting out early for teacher training.”

  As if on cue, the front door burst open, the chimes dancing with a noisy refrain. “I’m here. Sorry to be late.”

  “Mom. Where were you? You didn’t answer my text.”

  “Sorry. Lunch with the church ladies.” Susan McNally tossed the ends of her purple-fringed scarf over her shoulder. When she saw Kate, her eyes widened with clear delight.
>
  “Kate! I would have left the last bite of dessert if I’d known you were here.” Jess’s mother reached for Kate’s hand.

  “Mrs. McNally. How nice to see you.” Jess’s mother was as lovely as ever, though Kate couldn’t help but notice she’d lost a bit of weight and seemed almost frail.

  “Now, now. Call me Susan. You’re not a schoolgirl anymore.” She smiled. “And look at you with that pretty dark hair dipped in purple. It’s my favorite color.”

  “Is it? Mine, as well.”

  “How are you?” Susan glanced at Kate’s cast. “Jess mentioned your accident.”

  “He’s a little like The Weekly Rebel, isn’t he?” Kate observed, referring to the town newspaper. “All the news that’s fit to be told.”

  Susan laughed. “Men like to call women verbal information systems, but I disagree. They do their fair share of chatting.”

  Kate smiled at the comment.

  “Exactly,” Nicole said. She reached behind the counter and pulled out a purse. “I’m sorry to leave, Kate, but elementary school waits for no one and Olive worries if I’m late.”

  “Good to see you,” Kate said. She turned back to Susan. “I stopped in to thank Nicole for the housewarming present that Jess brought over.”

  “Oh, the firebrand mugs.” Susan nodded. “Those are my favorite. We have matching plates too.”

  “I’ll have to put those on my wish list.” Kate grimaced as a sharp pain shot through her arm.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Sometimes the cast pinches.”

  Susan stepped forward and gently examined Kate’s arm. “I imagine so. The arm will swell and pinch in that plaster if you aren’t diligent about elevating it.”

  When Kate looked at her with surprise, Susan chuckled. “Don’t mind me. Once a nurse, always a nurse. I’m sure you’ve been told enough times to elevate the arm.”

  “I have, but I should do it more, so your advice is a good reminder.” Kate smiled. “I never knew you were a nurse.”

  “Oh, I retired when Nicky was born,” Susan said. “Did you know that your momma almost went to nursing school too?”

  “My mother? No.”

  “Yes.” Susan nodded. “Both of us were accepted into a three-year program. Margaret changed her mind once she fell in love with TJ Rainbolt.” She shrugged. “Then the babies came along. It took me a while to catch up with her. Nicky is the same age as Tucker. Your momma got a head start with Mitch and Reece.”

  Kate nodded, savoring the details about her mother as she did the math. Her mother had given birth to Mitch and Reece when she could have been in college. Then along came Tucker. Fourteen years after Mitch, Kate had been born and then Levi. The Rainbolt matriarch had passed away twenty-two years ago. She’d been the same age Mitch was today. Kate blinked. The train of thought left her reeling.

  “Are you all right?” Susan asked.

  “Yes. I guess I never realized that my mother had three kids by the time she was thirty and then two more later on. Here I am, nearly thirty-one, and I can’t even imagine how she managed everything.”

  “The good Lord doesn’t give us more than we can handle. But you’re right. Your momma had her hands full, and most of the time, she juggled it alone.”

  “How did she afford five kids?”

  “Margaret was whip-smart, especially when it came to numbers. She did bookkeeping for a few of the local businesses, and she cleaned houses. Took you and Levi with her.”

  “Yes. I remember that.” Kate looked at Susan. “How did you know? I thought you lost touch.”

  Susan sighed. “We did keep up. I’m sorry to say I was a coward in those days. I wouldn’t defy my husband, who didn’t understand my relationship with your mother. Though every now and again, when Jacob was out of town for some medical conference, your mother and I managed to get together.” Her eyes became glassy with unshed tears. “I’m ashamed of myself. What kind of friend was I?”

  “I’m sure my mother understood,” Kate said.

  “I hope so.” She offered a weak smile. “That reminds me. I’ve been sorting through things. Downsizing. I found pictures of your momma from high school.” She looked at Kate. “Why don’t you stop by the house after church? Join us for lunch, and I’ll give them to you.”

  “I’ve been invited to my brother Mitch’s for lunch.”

  “Then how about dessert? I’d love nothing more than time to chat with you. About three o’clock?”

  “All right. I’d like that.” Kate paused. “Susan, Jess mentioned you’ve been a little under the weather.”

  The older woman raised her brows. “Jess feels the need to protect me. I’m fighting a battle with my body, and some days are more difficult than others.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “Kidneys. I’ve struggled with kidney disease all my life.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It is what it is.” She shrugged, dismissing the topic. “So I’ll see you on Sunday afternoon?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Behind them, the door opened and Jess strode in, his eyes on his phone. He raised his head and stopped the moment he saw her.

  “Kate,” he said. His face remained without expression, though his eyes locked on her as though she were trespassing.

  Kate started to speak but found herself tongue-tied, her thoughts jumbled by Jess’s unexpected appearance. She’d managed to avoid him for nearly an entire week, and now she didn’t even know what to say. She cleared her throat. “I better get going. I’m on my lunch break, and I promised my brother Tucker that I’d stop by his clinic.”

  She gave Jess a curt nod as she headed out the door. Now she regretted agreeing to dessert with Susan. What if Jess showed up?

  After driving around the block, she parked in front of Rebel Vet and Rescue and walked in through one of the entry doors.

  “Miss Kate!” Magnolia “Nolie” Parker, the receptionist, popped up from her desk and came around to greet her. “I heard you were back.” She shook her head and clucked her tongue. “What did you do to yourself?”

  “Tucker didn’t tell you?”

  “Please. Your brother is so closemouthed, he’s useless when it comes to gossip... I mean, news.”

  Kate gave an abridged version of her accident, though she was tempted to pull a Willard Cornell and come up with a tall tale.

  Nolie once again clucked her tongue. “I’ll have Dr. Rainbolt run a little of my special chicken noodle soup over to you tomorrow. It cures everything from gout to the common cold.”

  “That’s so sweet of you,” Kate said. She assessed the busy, divided waiting room. One side was for dogs and the other for cats. “Is my brother around?”

  “He’s in the back room with a new customer.” She grinned. “Now I know why.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough.”

  Kate peeked over the desk where a familiar canine lay stretched on her back, half in and half out of a dog bed, snoring softly. “Ernie!” She well remembered the dog who’d been in the wedding party at Tucker and Jena’s wedding in December.

  “Yes. Ernie’s in charge around here.”

  Kate and Nolie turned when the dog-entrance door opened and Saylor Tuttle, the pastor’s wife, walked in with an English bulldog on a pink leash.

  As Mrs. Tuttle opened her mouth to greet Kate, Nolie grabbed Kate’s hand and yanked her around the reception desk urgently.

  “Be right with you, Mrs. Tuttle.” She looked at Kate. “You come with me.”

  “Where are we going?” Kate asked as they moved down the hall.

  “Your brother’s office. If I leave you out there, Mrs. Tuttle will want to pick your brain, and it won’t be pleasant.”

  “Did they remodel back here?” Kate asked as she followed
the receptionist.

  “Yes. Dr. Harper... I mean, Dr. Rainbolt got a new office, and they added a playroom.” Nolie shook her head. “I can’t tell you how confusing it is now that they both have the same last name.” She knocked on a door and stepped in with Kate in tow. “Dr. Rainbolt, your sister is here.”

  Tucker sat behind a huge desk wearing a white lab coat, with a stethoscope around his neck. It didn’t matter how long he’d been a vet, Kate still got a kick out of seeing him in a lab coat. He’d come a long way from the trailer park.

  “Thanks, Nolie,” he said.

  Kate turned to the receptionist, as well. “Yes, thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  As Nolie left, Tucker came around the desk and placed a kiss on her forehead. “You’re right on time. Jena wanted to be here, but she got called away to see a patient.” He looked her up and down. “You look good. How are you feeling?”

  “Better. Much better. I like your house. My insomnia has disappeared since I moved in.”

  “Glad to hear that.”

  Kate glanced around. “Nolie said you were with a new customer?”

  “That’s right. I’ve got a friend to introduce you to.”

  “Tucker, I don’t do blind dates. You know that.”

  “This is a different blind date.” He led her down the hall to a room filled with bins of animal toys, a few bean bag chairs and several cat towers. A lean gray-and-white cat sat at the window ledge, its focus on a bird feeder that hung from a large maple tree outside.

  “Your friend is a cat?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Tucker.” Kate sighed. Over the years, her brother had worked hard to get her to adopt an animal. She’d always held him at bay with the excuse that she’d be back on the road again in a day or two.

  Kate stood in the doorway, slowly shaking her head. “Tuck, I can’t take on a cat. I don’t know if I’m staying in Rebel.”

  “We can deal with that if you actually leave.”

  “I don’t know how to care for a cat,” she continued.