Hazard

by Ruth Ryan Langan

  “No. Why would you think such a thing?”

  “No reason. Well, what about high school?”

  “The same. Except that by the time I was sixteen, I was already taking college classes.”

  “Harvard?” Maggie knew her expression was probably one of absolute disbelief.

  Erin shrugged. “It was expected, since both my parents teach there.”

  “I see.” She was beginning to see a great deal more. This brilliant young woman was as socially inept as a twelve-year-old. “How did your high school friends feel about having a genius in their midst?”

  Erin smiled almost shyly. “I’ve never used that term. I find if offensive.”

  “Prodigy then.”

  “Oh, no.” She shook her head vigorously. “I can’t stand to be called anything that would make me feel…different.”

  Maggie understood instantly. This young woman wanted desperately to fit in. And had probably spent a lifetime trying to. “How did your classmates treat you?”

  Erin shrugged, remembering the painful incidents. Her high school classmates thought she was a snob, because she was so shy. Her college classmates treated her like a joke. “They were okay about it.”

  “So what about senior year. The parties? The prom?”

  Erin flushed, and Maggie realized at once she’d hit a nerve. But it was too late to call back the question.

  “There weren’t any parties. I was never invited to a prom. But it didn’t matter. That would have just taken up too much time. My parents believed that, if you were given a gift, you had an obligation not to waste a precious moment of it.”

  “And they saw parties and dances as a waste of time?”

  Erin nodded.

  “How old were you when you finished college, Erin?” Maggie studied her, trying to determine her age. The slender frame and lack of makeup were deceiving. But she had a wisdom and maturity far beyond her years. Add to that a complete lack of guile, and she gave out confusing signals.

  Erin smiled. “By the time I was twenty, I was doing graduate studies. I’d earned my Ph.D. by twenty-four, and was hired as research assistant at the university that same year. And I was there four years, until this fellowship became available.”

  Maggie realized that she and Erin were the same age. And yet their life experiences had made them vastly different. “How did someone with your background decide to take a fellowship in Wyoming?”

  Erin flushed. “I realized I was almost thirty, and I’d never done anything spontaneous in my life. I knew if I talked it over with my parents, they would disapprove. So I just accepted Professor Wingate’s invitation and jumped.”

  “Jumped?”

  Erin’s shy laughter covered her embarrassment. “Off a cliff. I thought I’d just see where I’d land.” She crossed the room and sat beside Maggie, lacing up the borrowed walking shoes. “I really appreciate the jeans and boots. I’ll see they’re properly cleaned before I return them.”

  “Don’t be silly, Erin. They’re jeans. You can just toss them in the washer and they’ll be good as new. As for the boots, they’re old and worn, but sturdy enough for walking through the snow and slush out on the range. When you’re through with them, just leave them in the mudroom by the back door, where we hang all the parkas.”

  Maggie stood. “I’d better get back to the kitchen. You’ll be wanting a hearty breakfast before you head up to Peterson’s.”

  Hazard moved quickly on to his own room. As he washed away the grime of his chores, he thought about what he’d overheard. Erin Ryan had lived a life so far removed from his own, he couldn’t even imagine it. And yet, he felt strangely connected to her. She’d spent her life studying, while he’d spent his working. And in the process, both had missed a lot of the high points of childhood and young adulthood that many took for granted.

  He pulled on a clean shirt and ran his fingers through his damp hair. No sense brooding over what was in the past. For his part, he had no regrets. He did what he had to, in order to keep his father’s dream alive. He never thought about what he’d missed; only about what he’d accomplished.

  For now, he had a herd to see to. And with Erin’s help, a mystery to solve.

  “Good morning.” Hazard walked into the kitchen and found that everyone was already at the table.

  Ace and Chance were dressed for work in suits and ties, their briefcases bulging with paperwork.

  Ace was gently teasing Erin about her change of wardrobe.

  “I was just telling the doc. One day at the Double W, and she’s starting to look like she was born to this life.”

  Erin blushed as Hazard took his place at the table beside her. Her blush deepened as their thighs brushed and she absorbed a little jolt.

  To cover her embarrassment she blurted out, “Maggie actually made a coffee cake from scratch. I think that’s just so amazing. And steak and eggs for breakfast.”

  Ace grinned. “Don’t tell us this is a first, too.”

  She nodded. “In fact, we hardly ever ate red meat at home. My father is a vegetarian.”

  Chance arched a brow. “I hope you know you just uttered a vile obscenity. Vegetarian is a dirty word in this house.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that I am. I really like red meat. But…”

  She realized that they were all laughing, including Maggie.

  Hazard touched a hand to her arm and said gently. “In this family, teasing is as natural as breathing. They’re having fun with you.”

  “Oh.” She gave a sigh of relief. “Anyway, Maggie, I want you to know that this is the most I’ve ever eaten in the morning. And it’s all due to your good cooking.”

  “I’m glad.” Maggie topped off her coffee. “I couldn’t see you going up to the range without something solid under your belt. It could be hours before you’ll eat again.”

  “I’m really quite excited.” Erin glanced around shyly. “I’ve never actually seen cattle in their natural environment. Except from a distance, of course. But to see them up close. To maybe…pet one.”

  “Pet one?” Ace was grinning at her. “You mean, like a dog?”

  “Well, I thought…” She turned to Hazard. “Don’t they allow you to pet them?”

  He had to work hard to keep from laughing aloud. But she would have been mortified if she knew how funny she was. Funny and sweet. And so innocent.

  “They’re not exactly house pets. But I’ll find one you can touch, if you’d like.”

  “Oh, yes.” She was practically trembling with excitement. The day held such promise. As she bent to her steak and eggs she missed the looks that passed between the three brothers.

  Hazard knew that Ace and Chance were thoroughly enjoying what they perceived as this little joke being played on him. The uptight little misfit who thought of ranching as some romantic storybook adventure. But, in truth, he was getting a kick out of her reaction. It was refreshing to see his life through her innocent eyes. He made a silent vow that, though he knew he couldn’t completely shield her from the rough edges of life on a working ranch, he would do all in his power to act as a buffer between her imagination and stark reality.

  When breakfast ended, Maggie filled an insulated container with hot coffee and handed it to Hazard. “I think you’ll be needing this up on the range. There’s a bite to the wind today.”

  “Yeah. I noticed. Thanks, Maggie.”

  He led the way toward the mudroom off the kitchen. “Come on, Erin. We’ve got to find a parka that’ll fit you.”

  “You mean I just take any one I want?”

  He nodded, then switched on the light. “That’s the rule. We take what we need and put it back when we’re through.”

  She slipped a cowhide jacket from a wooden peg and tried it on. Though it was several sizes too big, it appeared to be the smallest one around.

  “Is this okay?”

  Hazard couldn’t help smiling. “At least it’ll keep you warm. But try not to get lost in it.”

  He pul
led on his own well-worn cowhide jacket and wide-brimmed hat, then led the way outside to a truck. He opened the door and helped her settle inside, then walked around to the driver’s side. Minutes later they had veered from the road and were driving across an open hillside.

  For the first few minutes Erin clung to the door as the truck lurched from side to side, passing over ruts and boulders. But gradually she forgot about the rough ride as she became caught up in the passing scenery.

  “You know.” She turned her head to stare out the window. “I love the names of places here in Wyoming. Bighorn. Yellowstone. Medicine Bow. Wind River. They sound so…Western.” She turned to Hazard. “When my father heard that I’d accepted a fellowship here he quoted Daniel Webster. ‘All that Wyoming would bring to the Union was savages, wild beasts, shifting sands, whirlwinds of dust, cactus and prairie dogs.’”

  Hazard threw back his head and roared. “And what did you tell your father in reply?”

  “That I would tame the savages and wild beasts, and see something he might never get the opportunity to see in his lifetime.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “A grizzly bear, a peregrine falcon or a trumpeter swan. Or maybe all three. And in their natural environment.”

  “Have you seen them yet?”

  “No. But I hope to. Especially a grizzly.”

  He grinned. “Not up close, I hope.”

  “Have you?”

  He nodded. “I once saw one up close and very personal. I was untangling a calf from some barbed wire. Poor thing was bawling like a baby. I was snipping away the wire with my cutters, and the next thing I knew this grizzly was coming toward me. I hadn’t even heard him over the sound of the calf.”

  Erin’s eyes went wide. She put a hand to her throat. “What did you do?”

  “I made a mad scramble for my rifle. The only thing that saved me was that the bear reared up at the last minute. I pumped a couple of bullets into its heart. When he fell, he landed right on top of me.”

  “Were you hurt?”

  “Dislocated my shoulder.” Just thinking about it had him rubbing a hand over the spot. “I had to latch on to a tree limb and snap the shoulder back into place or I’d have gone half-mad with the pain.”

  “Then did you see a doctor?”

  “Doctor?” He looked over with a grin. “The only way you see a doctor out here is to take a helicopter into Cheyenne and visit a hospital. And then only if you’re already half-dead. I just got on with my chores. I carried the calf back to the herd and sent a couple of the wranglers out for the bear’s carcass.”

  Erin found herself glancing over at Hazard while he drove. What kind of man faced down a grizzly, repaired his own dislocated shoulder and then simply went about his chores as though it were all in a day’s work?

  She found herself hoping her father’s warning didn’t come back to haunt her. Maybe this ranch and this man were a lot more primitive than she’d thought.

  “There’s Peterson’s place.” Hazard pointed.

  “Isn’t this part of your ranch?”

  “It is. But our land is too big, and the herds too many, to handle alone. So we hire wranglers, who help with the herds. If they’re single they live in bunkhouses. If they’re married, we build them a ranch house and provide for their family. Peterson’s our ranch foreman. He’s been with us for more than ten years now. He’s a good man.”

  Erin realized that this was high praise indeed from this plainspoken man.

  They drove on past the ranch house and high into the range land, until they came to a gate. Hazard climbed out and opened the gate, then drove through and again stepped out to close it behind the truck.

  A short time later they came to a halt. Spread out below them were hundreds of cattle. Across the field stood a cluster of men.

  “There’s Peterson with Cody and some of the wranglers.” Hazard turned off the ignition. “Let’s see what they’re up to.”

  They met halfway across the field. As soon as Cody recognized Erin, he whipped his hat from his head and gave her a warm smile. “Morning, Erin.”

  “Good morning, Cody.”

  Hazard greeted Peterson with a handshake, then said, “I’d like you to meet Dr. Erin Ryan. She’s here to help me find out what killed so many calves.”

  “Dr. Ryan.” Peterson touched a hand to his hat.

  Behind him, Russ Thurman spat a stream of tobacco. “Careful. Our lady doctor’s got a weak constitution.” He turned to her with a sly smile. “We’ll try not to let any calves decide to be born while you’re up here. Too messy. Wouldn’t want to have you passing out on us again.”

  Hazard shot him a killing look. “Why don’t you get on back to the herd while I talk to Peterson.”

  Russ shrugged. “I already put in a whole night baby-sitting. Peterson was just taking us back to his place for a hot meal. About time, too. I told him not to be too stingy with the food now that he’s been named foreman.”

  “We’ll go up to the house in a while.” Peterson frowned. “You go ahead if you’d like, Russ.”

  The wrangler started to amble away, then turned. “Naw. I’ll hang around. But you ought to know that it didn’t do any good to post guards, Boss. We lost another dozen calves last night. Tell him, Peterson. They’re dropping like flies.”

  Hazard’s eyes narrowed on his foreman. “We lost more?”

  Peterson nodded. “Sorry, Hazard. I didn’t want to give you the news like this. But it’s the truth. Cody took the first shift. Russ took the second. We had half a dozen wranglers with the herd around the clock. But just since sunup we’ve found more dead calves.”

  “How many?”

  He shrugged, avoiding Hazard’s eyes. “So far we’ve counted fifteen.”

  “Fifteen. The numbers just keep increasing.” Hazard’s breath came out in a long, deep sigh. “I want to see them exactly as you found them.”

  “There’s only one left that hasn’t been moved.”

  Hazard stiffened. “Why were they moved?”

  Peterson glanced at Russ, then away. “The wranglers figured they’d be sparing the rest of the herd, especially the cows that have lost their calves, by separating the carcasses from the herd.”

  Hazard swore. “You knew I’d want to see where they died.”

  “I did. But don’t fault the wranglers, Hazard. They have a point. The herd is getting skittish. Too many cows, heavy with milk, wandering around in search of their calves.” He put a hand on Hazard’s arm. “Come on. There’s one left that hasn’t been disturbed yet. We just found it.”

  Hazard followed him across the field. His shoulders slumped as they paused beside the carcass. “I’ll want to examine this one carefully, and take clot samples from all the others.”

  Peterson nodded.

  While the others watched, Hazard rolled the calf over, his big fingers probing beneath the hide for anything that might give him a clue as to the cause of death. While he worked, Cody knelt beside him, studying both the carcass and the ground beneath it.

  When the examination was complete, Hazard reached into his pocket and retrieved a surgical knife, then knelt in the snow to retrieve the sample.

  Without a word he trailed Peterson to where the other carcasses had already been piled in the back of a truck. Climbing up, he moved among them and methodically took a sample from each.

  When it was done, Peterson watched him drawing on his gloves. “My wife’s got plenty of food and hot coffee up at the house.”

  “No, thanks. You go along. Dr. Ryan and I will stay here awhile.”

  The ranch foreman and the wranglers took their leave. Only Cody stayed behind with Hazard and Erin.

  The old cowboy put a hand on Hazard’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry, son.”

  “Yeah.” Cody turned away. “I’d like to walk for a while.”

  Erin and Cody watched helplessly as Hazard pushed his way through the milling cattle, stopping now and then to stare at a cow and her newborn calf
.

  “The boy’s got a tender heart when it comes to his animals,” Cody muttered.

  “What do you think is killing the calves, Cody?”

  He turned to her, his eyes sad. “I wish I knew. I’d give anything to spare him this pain. But I tell you, I’ve never seen anything like this. There’s no blood, so we can rule out a predator. I don’t know of any animal that can kill another without leaving traces of blood on the ground. It’s got to be something in the air, or in their food or water, that’s killing them. Our only hope is if you can find something in that serum when you test it in Hazard’s lab.”

  “It has to be a virus. Or a bacteria.”

  He shrugged, nodded.

  She turned up the collar of her parka, aware that she was freezing.

  “Well, will you look at this. I guess he’s found a way to soothe his hurting heart.”

  At Cody’s words, Erin turned. Hazard was walking toward them, with a newborn calf flung over his shoulders.

  “Is he…hurt?” She was almost afraid to ask.

  “Nope. As healthy as can be.”

  “Then what…?”

  He grinned. “You wanted to pet one.”

  “Oh, Hazard.” She lifted a tentative hand to the calf’s face and rubbed her fingers between two soulful eyes. “Oh, isn’t he just the softest thing in the world?”

  Growing a bit bolder, she pressed a kiss to the calf’s warm nose. “Oh, look how beautiful you are.” Caught up in the moment she forgot her self-consciousness as she traced the curve of the animal’s ear, then ran her fingers down one small leg, all the while murmuring words of endearment.

  For some reason Hazard couldn’t quite fathom, her reaction warmed him like nothing else. She was as delighted as a child at Christmas. And he felt like a doting father. Wanting to give her everything, just to see that smile never leave her eyes.

  She looked up into Hazard’s smiling face. “He’s…she’s…it’s quite wonderful. I can see why you love them so.”

  “Can you?” He wasn’t smiling now. He was staring down into her eyes with the most intense look on his face.

  “Yes. Oh, Hazard. I can’t bear that this sweet little creature might die like all those others.” Without thinking she pressed a hand over his. Squeezed. “We’ll find the answer. I just know we will.”