by Deb Kastner
He stopped when the buck’s eyes rolled white and its nostrils flared. The yearling resumed its bleating and futile kicking motions for a moment, then laid its head back on the ground.
“That’s right. No one is going to hurt you.”
He crouched by the buck’s side and tentatively reached his hand out, running a gentle palm across the deer’s flank while he expertly assessed the damage.
The yearling had some deep gashes in its shoulder and flank where it must have made contact with the truck’s grille. With all the blood, it was hard to say how deep the wounds were, but Wyatt guessed they were probably not as bad as they looked.
He thought he could clean the gashes against infection and patch up the deer fairly successfully, but he could not oversee its healing if he immediately let the young buck back into the wild. Yet it would never survive without treatment.
His real concern was the deer’s legs. If the buck had been physically able, it would have regained its footing on its own and bounded off long ago.
As it was, it almost appeared as if the buck had lost its will to live. And if that was true, nothing Wyatt could do for the deer would help.
“What do you think?” Carolina asked softly. Wyatt hadn’t heard her come up behind him. So much for her listening to his directions and sitting down. She was more worried about the deer than she was about herself. She’d always been stubborn that way.
“Can we save the poor thing?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. Maybe. I think it depends a lot on how hard this guy wants to fight.”
He closely examined the deer’s legs but didn’t immediately see any cause for alarm. Although he imagined the buck was badly bruised, nothing appeared broken.
“Where’s Matty?”
“He’s right here.”
Wyatt glanced behind him. Matty was clinging to Carolina with one hand and clutched a toy airplane in the other. His dark brown eyes were fastened on the deer.
“Don’t get too close, okay, buddy?”
Carolina moved Matty to a spot in the grass and spread out a blanket, well away from the highway and the buck, but close enough that she and Wyatt could both keep an eye on him.
“Is there anything we can do?” Carolina asked, concern lining her tone.
“Let’s try to help it onto its feet,” he decided. “Be careful to stay away from those hooves and make sure he doesn’t try to take a nip at you.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “What do you need me to do?”
“You support that side of him while I support him under his belly and let’s try to roll him up.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Carolina moved to the opposite side of the deer and carefully stroked the yearling’s neck.
“Ready?”
Carolina pressed her lips together and nodded, completely intent on the task ahead of her.
Wild animals were unpredictable at best, and wounded ones even more so. He didn’t want to put Carolina in any kind of danger, but he knew her well enough to know he wouldn’t be able to talk her out of helping.
For some reason she had her heart set on saving this buck, and incomprehensibly, even to him, that made him want to fight for the animal’s life even more, especially when she offered her appreciation once again.
He wouldn’t have called it a prayer, but he hoped with his whole heart that when they helped the buck stand up, the injuries wouldn’t be as bad as they looked and the deer would find its legs and bound off into the long grass.
It didn’t.
Wyatt supported it under its flanks and suspended it steadily on wobbly legs, but as soon as he eased back, the deer’s front left leg buckled under it. If Carolina hadn’t been on the other side to offer her support, the buck would have plunged down again and would likely have really broken its leg this time.
Together, working without words, they got the yearling safely back down on its side.
“I don’t think anything’s broken, but it evidently has a bad sprain, enough that it can’t put weight on its leg. It’s not going anywhere on its own.”
Carolina frowned and her eyes filled with tears. “So there’s nothing we can do for him, then.”
Her gaze met his, and it was as if she was transferring all her emotions to him through the golden-brown depths of her eyes.
It wasn’t just that he could see her anguish and discouragement. He could actually feel it.
He cleared his throat and adjusted his Stetson lower over his eyes.
If he was in any other situation, he would have come to the conclusion that the humane thing to do would be to put the suffering animal down.
But when he looked at Carolina’s miserable expression, he simply couldn’t.
“Let me call Johnny and have him bring us out a trailer. I’m not going to make any promises here, but if we take it back to my ranch I might be able to dress its wounds and wrap its leg.”
Carolina let out a deep breath and reached for Wyatt’s hand. “Thank you.”
He tried to smile encouragingly. “You’ve said that already. Multiple times, in fact.”
“Well, I am grateful. I don’t know why this has shaken me up so badly. I am—I was—a nurse. It’s not like I’ve never seen blood before, or serious injuries, for that matter.”
Wyatt turned her gently by the shoulders and guided her to the blanket where Matty was playing.
“Sit down and try to relax for a few minutes. And please, listen to me this time. You’ve had quite a scare today, what with almost being in a major car accident. It’s no wonder you feel a little unsettled. You’re in shock.”
And it was clear that she was. Despite the fact that his warm jacket was still wrapped around her, he could feel her shoulders quivering underneath his palms.
He thought she might balk at his suggestion, but she sank onto the blanket with a grateful sigh and offered him an appreciative smile.
He was glad she didn’t follow that smile with another thank-you. He didn’t know what to do with all her gratitude. It made him antsy and gave him the desire to do even more. He just wasn’t certain what more he could do for Carolina.
He scoffed inwardly at his foolishness. It must be some kind of misguided hero complex.
What he could do was to take care of the yearling buck. Johnny answered his call on the first ring, and less than a half an hour later, Wyatt, Johnny and Carolina had the frightened deer loaded up in a horse trailer, cushioned by a pile of fresh hay.
“You ought to go home and rest,” he urged Carolina. Her face still appeared pale and her eyes were glassy.
But no, of course she refused to listen to him. Again. Until she saw the young buck completely taken care of, she wasn’t going to let this go.
He guessed he really couldn’t blame her. He would have done the same thing.
And it wasn’t as if he could talk Carolina into or out of anything once she had her mind set on it.
Johnny, mature for his age and always sensitive to the needs of animals, slowly drove the trailer back to Wyatt’s ranch. Wyatt followed in his truck, and Carolina brought up the rear in her sedan.
Once they arrived at the ranch and loaded the deer into an empty stall, Wyatt prepared to dress its wounds.
“What do you need me to do?” Carolina asked, coming alongside him and brushing her palms across the denim of her jeans. “Do you have a list of supplies you need?”
“Uh—yes,” he answered, caught off guard. He’d expected Johnny to help him vet the buck, since Carolina had their son to worry about. “Where’s Matty?”
“Outside playing hide-and-seek with Johnny.”
“With Johnny?” He couldn’t hide his surprise. “How did you manage that? Johnny never interacts with anyone if he doesn’t have to.”
Carolina raised he
r eyebrows and shrugged. “How should I know? Maybe small children are his exception. I didn’t even have to ask him to help. It was all his idea.”
Wyatt ran a hand across the stubble on his jaw. “Hmm. Well, I’ll be.”
“What? Johnny is reliable, right? We can trust him to watch out for Matty?”
“Absolutely.” Wyatt tried to swallow, but his throat had suddenly turned dry. Did Carolina even realize what she’d just said?
She’d said we, not I.
Whether she consciously admitted it or not, they were in this parenting thing together.
“I figure I’m invested in this animal, so I should do whatever I can to help it,” Carolina said, running her palm down the quivering deer’s neck. “Now, tell me, what supplies do you need?”
With Carolina’s assistance, it took remarkably little time to vet the yearling. She had the same curiously calming influence on the deer as she had on his gran, and Wyatt was able to work quickly to dress the wounds.
After finishing up, they walked outside to find Matty and Johnny.
“Did you and Matty have fun?” Carolina asked as Johnny handed the boy over to her.
“Y-yes, ma’am.” Johnny dropped his gaze and his face flared with color.
Carolina put her arm around the teenager and gave him a friendly hug. “Oh, gracious, no, Johnny. Just Carolina is fine. Ma’am makes me sound ancient.”
To Wyatt’s surprise, Johnny lifted his head and offered her a shy smile.
“I l-liked playing with M-Matty.”
“That’s great to hear. What would you say to doing a little babysitting for me every once in a while? I’m in desperate need of finding people I can trust with Matty.”
Johnny’s brown eyes grew as wide as his smile. He straightened his shoulders and pushed a curly lock of hair off his forehead.
“I’d really like that, ma’am. C-Carolina,” he corrected.
“Wonderful. I’m sure Matty will enjoy spending more time with you.”
Johnny nodded vigorously and then turned to Wyatt.
“D-did you invite her and M-Matty to the barn raising next Saturday?”
Heat crept up Wyatt’s neck and into his face at Johnny’s not-so-subtle attempt at matchmaking.
Matty bobbed his head and reached out for Wyatt. He took his son in his arms, his heart in his throat that Matty wanted to be with him.
Would this ever get old? Would he ever get past the emotions that rose with the strength of a tidal wave every time he held his son?
“No. I haven’t asked her about it yet.” It was on the tip of his tongue to say he’d been about to, but really, he hadn’t. His mind was too concerned with the right here, right now to worry about next Saturday.
It was a good idea, though. Any extra time he could spend with Matty was a plus. Besides, he wanted to show off his son to the town.
He chuckled. “You beat me to it, Johnny.”
Carolina raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying a whole barn needs raising?”
“At the b-boys ranch,” Johnny answered before Wyatt could get a word in.
“Someone set fire to one of the barns last month, and members of the Lone Star Cowboy League, along with other volunteers, are building a new one next Saturday. I think some of the ladies in town are also gathering to plan the annual Valentine’s Day ice cream social. If that’s something that interests you, I’m sure they’d be glad to have you. Would you and Matty like to come?”
Carolina hesitated.
“I understand if you’re too busy,” he quickly added. Even though he wanted to spend more time with Matty, he didn’t want to push Carolina. Not when they were just starting to get along.
Johnny looked crestfallen. Poor kid.
He couldn’t blame him. Wyatt was a little down in the mouth about it, as well.
Carolina’s gaze swept from Wyatt to Johnny and then back to Wyatt again.
“Too busy? No. It’s not that. I’d be happy to help the community if I can. You just caught me off guard, is all. You said someone intentionally burned the barn down? It wasn’t an accident?”
“It was ruled an arson by the fire chief,” Wyatt said grimly. “There have been more strange things going on as well. When the incidents started, they seemed more like pranks, something a kid would do—letting calves out of their pens, petty theft, just generally creating a ruckus.”
He slid his eyes toward Johnny, not wanting to give the teenager the wrong impression. He had every confidence in Johnny and didn’t want him to think otherwise.
“At first everyone assumed it was one or more of the resident boys, but now whoever is causing all the problems around the ranch seems to have stepped up his game. Heath Grayson, our local Texas Ranger, now believes the crimes were perpetrated by an adult. And that it’s serious business.”
“Was anyone hurt in the fire?”
Matty squirmed in Wyatt’s arms, and he patted the toddler’s back to soothe him. It had been a long, stress-fueled day, and Matty laid his cheek against Wyatt’s shoulder. After a minute, the toddler’s breath became slow and even.
“No people or livestock were near the barn, thankfully. It was primarily used to store ranch equipment. But I am concerned that the arsonist is still out there somewhere, apparently holding a grudge against the boys ranch.”
“That’s a frightening thought.” Carolina frowned, but when she glanced up at Wyatt, her frown turned into a soft smile. She laid a hand on his arm. “Matty is sound asleep. You’ve got the touch.”
Wyatt grinned, pride welling in his chest. He would much rather not talk about the crimes being perpetrated at the boys ranch while he was enjoying the feel of his son napping in his arms.
He had the daddy touch. Carolina had just said so.
“So you’ll c-come?” Johnny asked, gazing at Carolina as if she hung the moon. Wyatt couldn’t blame the shy teenager. There was a time not so long ago when Carolina had had the same effect on him.
“Yes,” she said, in answer to Johnny’s question. But her eyes were on Wyatt. “I’ll be there. I’d like the opportunity to participate in Haven community events again.”
His breath hitched. Was there a deeper meaning behind her words? Could it be that she was planning to make Haven her permanent home? Would he truly have the opportunity to be a real dad to Matty?
Carolina had broken Wyatt’s heart once, and he’d believed it had been beyond mending. Did he dare hope for more than just the promised two months together—or was he setting himself up for a letdown even worse than the first one?
Johnny wandered into the barn to check on the injured buck, and Matty stirred on Wyatt’s shoulder.
“Goat?” asked Matty groggily, rubbing his eyes.
Carolina tittered, and Wyatt turned to see what Matty was talking about.
He joined in Carolina’s laughter when he saw what Matty was all excited about. One of the baby goats had found a way out of the goat pen and was contentedly munching grass in the middle of Wyatt’s yard.
“The escape artist. Guess we’re going to have to call that kid Houdini. Matty, would you like to pet the goat?”
“Goat!” Matty exclaimed excitedly, suddenly wide awake.
Suddenly unsure of himself, Wyatt flashed a questioning glance at Carolina. He would keep Matty safe, of course, but he still wanted to make sure she was okay with it.
She smiled and nodded and then knelt by him as he propped Matty on the ground and helped him reach out and pet the black-and-white-spotted baby goat.
“Watch out that he doesn’t get his fist clenched in the cute little thing’s fur,” Carolina warned.
“Gentle, gentle,” Wyatt murmured, showing Matty how to run his palm across the animal’s coat.
The toddler stayed calm for about two seconds, then squ
ealed and flapped his hands in excitement. The goat balked and bounded away, kicking his legs out behind him as he headed back toward the pen where the rest of the herd was kept.
Matty frowned in disappointment.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Carolina responded tenderly. “Houdini wants to go play with his brothers and sisters now.”
Wyatt stood and swung Matty around before handing him back to Carolina. “I’d better make sure our little Houdini gets back in the pen where he belongs and see if I can figure out how he made his escape in the first place.”
Carolina rose and brushed off her jeans. “We need to be going anyway.”
Wyatt was surprised at the sense of disappointment that swelled in his chest at her words. He had no reason to feel that way. They’d be working together now and he would see Matty often.
He supposed it was just that he’d felt like he’d had a breakthrough with the boy today, that he’d earned the toddler’s trust, and Carolina’s, as well.
This was just the beginning, he reminded himself. Soon he’d be comfortable being Matty’s daddy, and the boy would accept and love Wyatt, as well.
He was amazed at how much his dreams had changed now that he had Matty in his life. He wanted to be where his son was—and he hoped that would be Haven. As honorable as it might have been to do missionary work in foreign countries, Matty’s presence here reminded him that he could help people anywhere, even here in Haven. Take Johnny, for example. Surely the classes he held for the boys at the ranch meant something.
And as for Carolina—today had been a good day. Wyatt had been able to help her, and that felt good. She’d needed assistance, and she’d called him.
He didn’t want to put too much emphasis on her actions, but he hoped that meant they were building on the tentative trust between them. Because every day he spent with her and Matty brought them closer to the time when she might leave again, this time for good.
Now, more than ever, he realized that he couldn’t handle them going away. He just couldn’t. So he would work harder than ever to convince Carolina to stay.
