Hazard

by Ruth Ryan Langan

  When he did, he knew he’d done the right thing. But that didn’t make it easier to bear.

  The taste of her was still on his lips. And the need for her was still raging through his blood.

  “Good morning, Erin.” Chance and Ace greeted her as they stood to one side of the kitchen, discussing the wisdom of taking the plane or helicopter, while the winds outside were increasing.

  “Good morning. Something smells wonderful.”

  “Buttermilk biscuits,” Maggie called. She was wearing thick oven mitts while she removed a pan of steaming biscuits from the oven. “There’s fresh orange juice.” She indicated the glasses lined up neatly on the counter.

  Erin helped herself to one and stood watching as Maggie stirred an egg mixture, then turned her attention to steaks under the broiler.

  “How do you do all this so efficiently? Hazard said you’ve even taken over catering to all the wranglers in the bunkhouses.”

  Maggie smiled. “Before I came to the Double W, I owned a restaurant in Chicago. It’s second nature for me to think in terms of feeding huge numbers of people. It wasn’t challenging enough to feed just us. I needed to do more.”

  “Amazing.” Erin shook her head. “Often, after a long day at the lab, I’ve found it too challenging to open something from the freezer and put it in the microwave. Instead, I’ll have a bowl of cereal and crawl into bed.”

  “I think that’s what most people do. But food is my passion. The way laboratory research is yours.” Maggie placed the egg casserole in the oven and set the timer, then looked over at Erin. “Which reminds me. How’s your research coming along?”

  “Not very well.” Erin was aware that Ace and Chance had stopped to listen. “But we’re just getting started. I have no doubt we’ll find the answer.” She pushed aside the little fear that nagged. She’d always been successful at whatever she put her mind to. Still, the fear of failure was always there, like a shadow dogging her footsteps. It was one more reason why she continued to push herself to the limit in her research.

  To change the subject she asked, “Has the Double W always had a private plane and helicopter?”

  Chance nodded. “My brothers and I are all licensed pilots. It’s pretty difficult not to use a plane when you have this much land to cover. But a couple of years ago, when we realized we could afford to buy something bigger and hire a crew to maintain them, we settled on a jet and a copter. That way, we’re free to go in opposite directions, or all over the world, if our business demands it.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “Don’t be, Doc.” Ace laughed. “Just think of it as slightly bigger and slightly faster than the horses our ancestors rode.”

  The door opened, and Hazard and Cody stepped in on a rush of bitter air. Hazard never even bothered to acknowledge the others. The moment he caught sight of Erin across the room, his gaze locked on her.

  She was wearing Maggie’s jeans and turtleneck. Her hair was tied back off her face in that prim little knot. Her eyes peered from behind the round glasses. At first glance nothing about her had changed. And yet everything had. Now he could taste her sweetness. Could still smell the delicate rose fragrance that had filled his lungs. And could feel the way her lithe body fitted so perfectly against his. And right now, this minute, he wanted her. More than anything in the world.

  Erin was staring at him in that same silent, watchful manner. Reliving every touch and taste and feel of their early-morning encounter. And though the conversation swirled on around her, she was oblivious to all except Hazard.

  “There’s snow coming.” Beside Hazard, Cody hung his hat on a peg by the door and turned to greet the others.

  “I thought you said it was spring.” Maggie poured coffee into a mug and handed it to him.

  He grinned and wrapped his hands around the mug before taking a long drink. “That’s spring in Wyoming. Sunshine one day. Buried in snow the next.”

  “Coffee, Hazard?” Maggie filled a second mug and turned to glance at the man who still stood by the door, staring at Erin in that quiet, thoughtful way.

  “Yeah. Thanks.” Forcing himself into action, he slapped his leather gloves against his thigh, then tossed them aside and crossed the room to take the mug from his sister-in-law’s hand.

  The phone rang, and Chance snatched it up. “Alex?” He listened to his pilot. “You’re sure? Right. I’ll be there in less than an hour.”

  He replaced the phone and turned to the others. “Alex has been in touch with the weather bureau in Cheyenne. He thinks if we’re heading that way, we’d better get going soon if we want to beat the storm.”

  “Okay. I can take a hint.” Maggie began placing platters of food on the table.

  As Cody took a seat he grinned. “My old bones could have told you the same thing as the weather bureau.”

  The others laughed.

  Hazard held a chair for Erin, then sat down beside her. While the others continued laughing and talking, he leaned close. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She felt the heat rise to her cheeks and looked away, avoiding his eyes.

  He sipped his coffee, enjoying the faint hint of roses. Would he ever again be able to smell them without thinking of her?

  “Hey.” Ace’s voice had his head coming up sharply. “You going to hog all the eggs, Hazard? How about sharing with the rest of us?”

  Hazard realized that Maggie had handed him the casserole. He’d been holding it now for nearly a full minute. With a muttered oath he filled his plate, then held it out to Erin, who avoided his eyes as she helped herself to a small amount before passing it on.

  “So, Doc. What’s the next step?” Ace filled his plate and buttered a biscuit.

  “Step?”

  “In your research. Where do you go from here?”

  “Oh.” She sipped her coffee, careful to avoid glancing at Hazard. If she did, she might blush, and the others would see. It occurred to her that maybe they could already see the change. Did a woman look different when she’d been kissed by a man? Kissed. That was far too simple a term. What they’d shared had been much more than a kiss. There had been all the passion and fury of a storm between them. And all in the space of a few moments.

  “I have a few more tests planned for the blood samples we’ve already collected. Then I think we might be wise to begin taking blood samples from healthy calves as well. That way we’ll have a basis for comparison.”

  “I was thinking that very same thing.” Hazard drained his coffee and waited while Maggie refilled it. He gave her a smile of thanks. “I already phoned Peterson and told him not to dispose of the carcasses yet. If you’d like, we can drive up there after breakfast.”

  “That’s fine.” Erin nodded.

  From across the table Ace grinned. “It looks like you two are on the same wavelength. I guess that means the rest of us can relax. Hazard and the doc will soon have everything under control.” He shoved away from the table. “Thanks, Maggie. That was a great breakfast. But since I’m taking the copter up to the mine, I’m going to get a head start on this snow.”

  “I’m right behind you,” Chance said as he walked to his wife to give her a fierce hug.

  Cody finished his meal and got to his feet. “Guess that means I’ll be driving you two out to the airstrip.”

  Ace and Chance picked up their briefcases and trailed the old cowboy to the door.

  “When you get back, Cody, we’ll head on up to Peterson’s place.” Hazard shoved away from the table and crossed to the phone. “I’ll call him now and tell him we’re coming.”

  Erin held her breath as he punched in some numbers. She knew that this phone call wasn’t nearly as much about warning Peterson about their arrival as it was about asking the number of calves that had been lost overnight.

  She watched Hazard’s face as he spoke with his foreman. Her heart fell as his frown deepened. The news, she realized, wasn’t good. The dying hadn’t miraculously stopped. And her job, her research, was far fr
om over.

  Chapter 7

  The honk of the truck’s horn signaled that Cody had returned from the private airstrip. As soon as they heard it, Hazard and Erin pulled on their parkas and headed out the door.

  When they climbed inside, the old cowboy put the truck in gear and they rattled off across the fields.

  “Did you talk to Peterson?” Cody kept his eyes on the terrain.

  “Yeah.” Hazard was staring straight ahead, as well.

  “What’s the news?”

  “Half a dozen, so far.” Hazard’s tone was bleak. “But the day’s young.”

  Conversation faltered as the three of them retreated into private thoughts. Erin glanced at Hazard’s tight, angry profile and wished she knew how to offer him comfort. But she knew that simple expressions of hope would sound stilted, and so she merely folded her hands in her lap and kept her silence.

  When Peterson’s ranch house came into view, Erin could feel the tension growing. Cody brought the truck to a shuddering stop, and Hazard flung the door wide. When Erin stepped out, she was carrying the small satchel that held her basic tools.

  Peterson and several of the wranglers started toward them.

  “Doctor.” The ranch foreman touched a hand to the brim of his hat before turning to Hazard. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But the number just rose to eight. Russ found two more after I spoke with you.”

  “I’ll want to see where each one was found.”

  Peterson jammed his hands in his pockets and avoided Hazard’s eyes. “The wranglers jumped the gun. Started loading the bodies into a truck before I got out here.”

  “By whose authority?”

  Russ Thurman spat a stream of tobacco between his teeth, leaving a brown stain in the snow. “Peterson put me in charge of the crew. It was my decision.”

  Hazard shot him a look of surprise. “Even knowing I wanted them left at the scene of death?”

  “Look, in case you haven’t noticed, boss man, I’ve been doing double duty. And nobody’s taking care of my other chores while I’m up here baby-sitting this herd.”

  “So you just decided to ignore the rules and do what you wanted.”

  “Rules? Hell, they change every day. Save the carcasses. Don’t save the carcasses. Leave them where you found them. Pile them in the back of a truck and dispose of them.” He chewed, spat. “We didn’t know how long it would take before you got up here. As it is, the morning’s half-over. So I figured I’d get the job done and get on with more important things.”

  “You think there’s something more important than this right now?”

  Russ glanced at Peterson, then looked around at the other wranglers, who were staring at their boots, at the herd, anywhere but at the owner whose famous temper was clearly growing by the minute.

  “You got the biggest spread in Wyoming, Hazard. And you’re spending more time and money on one dinky little herd than you are on the entire operation.” He shrugged. “But, hey, it’s your money.”

  “I’m glad you remembered that. From now on, keep it in mind. Now let’s get to those carcasses.” Hazard’s voice lowered for emphasis. “Wherever in hell you’ve dumped them.”

  Russ showed a flash of temper before turning away.

  As the procession of wranglers made their way toward a stake truck, Hazard touched a hand to Erin’s arm. “Are you sure you’re up to this? It isn’t going to be like studying samples under a microscope. Maybe you’d rather wait in the truck while I take the samples.”

  She shook her head. “It would take you hours to obtain that many blood samples. I’d like to help. I—” she swallowed “—I think I’ll be all right. At least I’m going to try. If it starts to get to me, I’ll let you know.”

  He gave her a tight smile, and felt his anger begin to drain. Just looking at her helped. “That’s good enough for me. All right. Let’s do it.”

  He studied the carcasses piled in the back of the stake truck and began counting. “I only count five.”

  “The other three are still on the ground. We were just getting to them.”

  He turned to Erin. “It’ll be easier for you to handle the ones in the field. I’ll handle these.” To Peterson he called, “Show Dr. Ryan where the others are.”

  She followed the ranch foreman to the first spot, where two calves lay side by side, and steeled herself against letting her feelings show.

  As she knelt in the snow, she removed a vial from the satchel. Peterson worked quickly, slicing through hide to reveal the heart. Forcing herself not to think about what she was doing, Erin retrieved a clot. And all the while she reminded herself that this was necessary, for the sake of research.

  One of the men hollered for the foreman. Peterson turned to Erin. “Dr. Ryan, I’ll leave you here for now. When you’re through with these two, I’ll have one of the wranglers take you to the last carcass.”

  “Thank you.” She didn’t even look up when he walked away. Minutes later she removed the syringe and sealed the vial of blood. As she did so, she had to take several deep breaths to calm her ragged breathing. Her hands, she realized, were trembling. Through sheer willpower she managed to place the vials in plastic bags, which she labeled with a marking pen. Her usual precise penmanship was reduced to a scribble that was barely legible.

  When she was through with the first carcass, she moved to the second, pushing to get through it before she lost her nerve. Though her stomach was in knots, she managed to finish. When she knelt back on her heels, fighting for composure, she looked up to see Russ Thurman standing behind her.

  “Peterson wants me to take you to the where the other calf was found.”

  She got to her feet, gripping the satchel so tightly, her knuckles were white from the effort. She saw Thurman’s glance focus on her hands, then move slowly up to her face.

  “You’re looking a little green, lady doctor.”

  “Yes.” She tried to smile, but her lips felt frozen.

  She followed him up a small knoll, then down the other side. She glanced around, trying to get her bearings. Though there were hundreds of cattle milling about, they were on the far side of the herd. From here Peterson’s ranch house and the wranglers were out of sight.

  “Here it is.” Russ Thurman led the way to a snow-covered mound, where a calf lay on its side. Standing over it was a cow, heavy with milk.

  After some effort, Russ managed to restrain the frantic cow. Then he returned to stand watch as Erin knelt beside the calf.

  It looked for all the world as if it were sleeping. She couldn’t resist checking for a heartbeat. Finding none, she removed a surgical knife from her satchel and steeled herself for the unnerving task of securing another blood sample.

  As she began to slice through the hide, Russ Thurman’s voice came from directly behind her. “Careful, Doctor. You’re looking mighty queasy. I’d hate to have to carry you back to the boss man.”

  “Don’t worry.” She gritted her teeth. “I’m not liking this much. But I won’t faint.”

  “Hey. It wouldn’t be the first time.” He spat a stream of tobacco that landed directly beside the carcass.

  When she cast an annoyed glance over her shoulder, he merely grinned. “Come on, lady doctor. You’re holding up my breakfast. While you were asleep in your snug little bed up at the big house, I was out here baby-sitting a herd of stupid cows. And now I’ve got to wait until you do your fancy research here before I get some hot food in my belly.”

  The talk of food had her stomach churning. The very thought of going to breakfast after this had her nerves jumping.

  Though her hands were shaking, she managed to expose the heart and retrieve a clot.

  As she reached for a plastic bag, the sound of laughter stopped her.

  Annoyed, she turned to Russ. “What can you possibly find amusing about this gruesome scene?”

  “I was just thinking. The first time I saw you, you fainted dead away at the sight of a calf being born.” He was laughing harder now,
and shaking his head from side to side. “And now you’re looking like you’re about to pass out again. And you know what? Oh, yeah. This is a good one.” He threw back his head and gave a shriek that scraped over her nerves like fingernails on a blackboard. “You’re going to love this. This is that same calf. The one Hazard was delivering when you walked into the barn the other day.”

  Erin’s face drained of all its color. She managed to get to her feet, and even managed a couple of halting steps before she dropped down in the snow and began to retch. When the sickness passed, she continued to kneel in the snow, too weak to attempt to stand.

  That’s where Hazard found her. Sitting back on her heels, her arms pressed to her stomach.

  “Hey.” He touched a hand to her shoulder and she jumped as though burned. “You all right?”

  “I—” She shook her head, unable to speak.

  Furious, he turned on Russ. “What’s going on here? Did you say something or do something to cause this?”

  “Didn’t need to.” Russ spat. “A woman like that can get sick and pass out all by herself, without any help from anybody. Or have you forgotten the last time, out in the barn?”

  “Why you…”

  “Hazard.” Alarmed at the fury in his eyes, Erin caught his arm. “He’s right. I’m such a coward. This isn’t anyone’s fault but mine. I should have known better than to think I could handle this.”

  “Stop being so hard on yourself. You’re not a coward. This is all new to you. It isn’t what you trained for.” He didn’t like her color. Far too pale. And her eyes. Wide with fear. “You wait here a minute. I’ll just finish up and get you back to the truck.” He glanced around. “Where’s the satchel?”

  She shrugged. “I left it…over there.” She pointed.

  “I’ll get it.” He squeezed her arm, then swung away. Kneeling beside the carcass, he retrieved the clot, then bagged and labeled it before placing it in the satchel.

  When he turned, Erin had managed to get to her feet, where she stood swaying slightly.