Nickel-Bred

by Patricia Gilkerson

  “Dad?” I didn’t see him anywhere, but maybe he was in an exam room. Maybe Chickie or Earl owned a dog. I thought if they did, it would be a coonhound, or maybe a Rottweiler. I like to guess what kind of dog people would have.

  I went through into the back area where they keep the drugs, equipment and microscopes, and heard arguing. As I decided I shouldn’t interrupt, the door to Exam Room One came flying open. Angel glared at me as she strapped an enormous red purse over her shoulder.

  “Outa the way, you brat!” she said. Muscling her way past me, she grabbed the outer door and pulled. And pulled.

  “Blast it!” she yelled as she realized it opened out. Angel stomped out the door, got in the old car and threw gravel as she sped off.

  “I guess she doesn’t want this kitten,” said my dad. He was standing in the exam room door with a tiny, fluffy grey kitten and a little smile on his face.

  “Aww!” I took the kitten from him and cuddled it. “What happened?”

  “She came in claiming she found a lost kitten and wanted me to examine it and see if it was healthy. Then she wanted me to keep it here and give it away. When she realized no one else was in the building, she also...um, wanted something else.”

  “What did she want?”

  Dad hesitated. “It’s embarrassing to tell this to my daughter.” His hand rubbed his face and he rolled his eyes.

  “Dad! Just tell me! I’m fifteen, I’m not a child!”

  “Oh, okay, she, ah, wanted her own exam.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” The kitten purred in my arms.

  “Well, that’s not exactly what she said, but she made it clear she wanted some...ah, attention from the doctor.”

  “Jeez, Dad. What did you say?”

  He got the little smile back on his face then. “I told her I was very flattered, but I was too old for her. She argued with that, so I told her I wasn’t looking for a relationship right now. She argued with that, so I said it wouldn’t be professional to mess around in the clinic. She said I could come out to the farm tonight because Chickie and his brother would be gone.”

  “Gone doing what?” I asked.

  “That’s what I said. She got kinda huffy and said that wasn’t my business and she would see me tonight ...or else. Then we heard you come in.”

  “Then she left.”

  “Yeah,” said Dad. “I asked ‘Or else what?’ She said ‘You don’t want to know’ and then blew out the door.”

  “Wow! Wow, Dad.”

  “I know. Piper, this has never happened before. I don’t quite know how to handle it. But I know I do not want any more dealings with that crazy woman.”

  “So what about the kitten?” I held it in front of my face and stared into its big green eyes. It was my favorite- a grey tabby with lots of fluffy fur. And it was making the best sound in the world, a contented purr. “It needs a home. Maybe I could take it out to Miss Julie and see if she wants a farm cat.”

  “Why don’t you do that, Piper? I can drop you off. As soon as Sue gets back from lunch, I have to go past there on a call. Be sure and tell Miss Julie that the kitten is a boy.”

  So that’s what we did. He took me to the farm and I took the kitty in to Miss Julie. She fell in love right away and said she missed having a cat. She named it Willie Nelson on the spot because it had long, grey hair and when I left, Miss Julie and Willie Nelson were rocking and napping on her front porch.

  I don’t know how I got through dinner that night with Mom and Sam. They kept telling each other funny little things and giggling. It was disgusting. As much as I loved my mom, and as much as I like Sam Applegate, I couldn’t stand to be around them. I tried to get Sam to talk about Nickel, but he was so distracted, he couldn’t think about horses. As soon as Mom would let me, I left the table and hid in my room.

  I called Addie to tell her about my horrible experience, but she wasn’t sympathetic.

  “Yeah, well at least you can walk,” she said. “I can hardly hobble. I’m gimping between the TV, the kitchen, and the bathroom.”

  “At least your mom isn’t making goo-goo eyes at some man.”

  “At least your mom is at home to make dinner. What did you have?”

  “We had lasagna. It’s Mom’s best thing she cooks. She also made a pecan pie, but I couldn’t stay in there long enough to have any.”

  “Sneak down and get some. And bring me a piece tomorrow. I love your mom’s pecan pie.”

  “I know, it’s good. Maybe I’ll go down and get some. Mom doesn’t like me to eat in my room, but she probably won’t notice. I’ll save you a piece. See you tomorrow.”

  So that’s the reason I happened to be going tiptoeing past our family room when I heard Sam say in a low voice, “So when are you going to tell her?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  ~ Complications ~

  As I stood there in the hallway, pecan pie in hand, I had a big problem. Should I say something now and let them know I’d been eavesdropping, or keep my mouth shut and wonder what Mom was supposed to tell me? I decided not to let them know I listened to them. I might need to know something in the future and didn’t want to have to promise not to listen.

  I went on up to my bedroom and sat on the bed, eating delicious, sweet, and nutty pecan pie, but all I could do was worry. Were they planning on getting married? They had only gone out a couple of times that I knew of. Surely that wasn’t grounds for deciding to spend the rest of their lives together. But what else would my mother have to tell me that she couldn’t say right away?

  I waited until I heard Sam leave, which was pretty late. I went down to the kitchen, where I found my mom putting dishes in the dishwasher. I tried to sneak my plate in, but of course, she saw it.

  “Were you eating in your room? Why didn’t you stay at the table? You didn’t have to run up and hide.”

  “The truth?”

  “Of course, Piper. Always, the truth.”

  “I was feeling funny about how lovey-dovey you and Sam were getting. So I went upstairs, but then I wanted pie.”

  “Oh, hon, I’m sorry you felt that way. I would never want you to feel bad or weird about being around us. I like him so much and I thought you liked him, too.”

  “I do like him. I felt weird about it right then. I’m not used to you with a guy.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” said Mom. “Do you want me not to have him come over? I would hate to do that.”

  “No, I don’t want that. And you’ve really seemed happier lately.” I loaded glasses into the dishwasher and put the liquid in to start it.

  “Good! I have been happier. And guess what? I’m going to go to work in Sam’s office. He needs a new receptionist. It’s not what I’m used to doing, but he says it’s just answering the phone and filing some things for him. I can start next week.”

  So that was what they had been talking about! “That’s great, Mom, but what if you and Sam stop seeing each other? What if you get mad at each other and have a bad breakup?”

  “We talked about that. We figure we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. We’re both sensible adults and we should be able to work something out.” Mom wiped down the counter, then folded her rag over the stove handle.

  “Has he ever seen you when you were mad?”

  “Piper Jones! Are you saying I’ve got a temper?”

  “Well, Mom,..”

  “Okay, sometimes I do. But I’m sure I won’t get that angry with Sam. He’s so easy-going and cheerful.”

  “Okay, Mom. Whatever.”

  “Really, Piper, you should trust me a little. But I have to get to bed. I’m going to shop for some office clothes tomorrow. Do you want to come?”

  “Me? Shop for clothes? Guess not. ‘Night, Mom.”

  “’Night, Piper.”

  I went to bed and thought about what it would be like with Mom working for Sam. I hoped things would go smoothly for them. Mostly, I didn’t want to live in the same house with Mom if it didn’t.

>   The next morning I woke up early, feeling great. I decided to get some quality time in with Dotty and maybe work off her jumpiness. It wasn’t her fault, she had had a bad owner for a while who mistreated her.

  After grabbing a banana on my way out the door, I walked quickly out to Miss Julie’s farm. It was a bright, sunny morning, full of birdsong and flowers. I breathed deeply and felt at peace with the whole world. Mom had a job, she was happier, and our lives would calm down. I still had to figure out how to get Nickel for Addie, but that was a matter of thinking it through.

  I arrived at the farm and said hi to Miss Julie, who was out watering and dead-heading her flowers. Willie Nelson played with old blooms that she dropped.

  “Hi, Miss Julie, how are you?”

  “I’m good, Piper, just watering while it’s still early and not so hot.”

  “My mom is going to take that job at Sam’s office. She’s pretty excited about it.”

  “I know! Sam told me. I’m glad for them both. He was worried that he wouldn’t be able to find anyone that wanted it. I’m having them both over for dinner tonight to celebrate. You should come, too, Piper. I told your mom to ask you if you wanted to come.”

  “Um, this is my night to eat at Dad’s house, but I could talk to him and see if he minds that I eat here instead.”

  “Whatever works for you, Piper. I would love to have you come over, but I’ll understand if you don’t. I have to go get some groceries now. See you later, maybe.”

  “Okay, ‘bye.” We went opposite directions, her into the house and me to the horse pasture.

  Dotty was happy to see me, especially since I had remembered her carrots. She nibbled and drooled until they were all gone and my hand was coated with carroty slime. When she had swallowed the last mouthful, I went into the barn and got her tack. I tied her up to a post, saddled and bridled her, then led her outside. I mounted and we began walking down the dirt lane that led back onto the farm. We went through a grove of oak trees and out into an open field that was previously used to grow crops. Miss Julie had decided to have it cut and baled every summer, so we never had to buy hay. She told us it would be her contribution to Dotty’s upkeep.

  I could have called my dad and talked to him about dinner that night, but it was so peaceful and quiet out there on the farm that I didn’t want to use my phone. I just wanted to be quiet and enjoy my ride. Dotty and I moseyed along for a couple of hours. We cooled off walking through the woods, me wondering what birds made the calls and twitterings I heard. We came out into the open field and passed an old shed and paddock. That was where Addie and I had hidden Dotty so her mean owner, Jake, wouldn’t find her. We had turned around and started home. I was trying to tell from the sun what time it was. I’m not very good at that, but it seemed like the sun was straight overhead, which would make it around noon. My phone rang. It was Dad’s ring tone, so I got my attitude ready.

  “Hi, Dad,” I said.

  “Hi, Piper, are you still mad at me?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Look, your mom called and told me about her new job and wanted to know if you could have dinner with her and Sam and Miss Julie tonight. Do you want to go?”

  “Yeah, I’d like to go.” Miss Julie was a great cook and any dinner at her house would be delicious.

  “Well, you go ahead and we’ll have dinner together another night. Maybe I can trade nights with your mom. This works out better for me because I have a lot of calls to make later today.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Dad.”

  “Have you thought about the horse anymore?”

  “I still want him.”

  “That’s what I thought. Listen, we’ll talk tomorrow okay? I have a herd health meeting in an hour and it’s pretty important.”

  “Okay, see you tomorrow sometime.”

  Dotty and I rode into the barn, where I unsaddled and brushed her. I gave her a big hug for being a good girl and let her out into her paddock. Willie Nelson sat on Miss Julie’s back porch like a little ball of gray fluff in the sunshine. When he saw me, he came mewing, looking for attention. I cuddled him for a while and told him what a good life he was going to have here with Miss Julie. I set him back down gently on the porch and kissed his head goodbye.

  Miss Julie’s car was gone, so I didn’t stay. Instead, I walked back home and fixed myself a sandwich. Mom was gone somewhere and I was cleaning up the kitchen, when Dad called again.

  “Hi, Dad,” I said.

  “That woman is insane! She should be put away!”

  “What woman? Who?”

  “Angel. Do you know what she did?”

  “Dad, what?”

  “She barged into the back room of the clinic, when I was meeting with Roger Smith about his herd health program. She walked right in and wanted me to give her a hug in front of him and his wife.”

  “Oh, my gosh! What did you do?”

  “I took her arm and pulled her to the door. I told her to get out, that I wasn’t buying what she was selling. I didn’t know what else I said, I was so mad and embarrassed.”

  “Did she leave?”

  “Oh, she stomped out and slammed the doors, like she’s the one with a reason to be upset. I had to apologize over and over to the Smiths. I couldn’t believe it. I have never encouraged that woman. Ever! She’s nuts!”

  “You’re right, she’s nuts. I hope she got the message this time, Dad.”

  “Yeah, me too. Well, I had to vent. Listen, if she calls you again, don’t pick up. I have to go back to work. Love you!”

  I couldn’t believe what Angel had done. I mean, I believed it, since I had met her and knew she was whacked. What I couldn’t get over was how she had behaved. Didn’t she have any sense? Of course I didn’t want my dad to be interested in a tramp like her, but couldn’t she figure out that wasn’t the way to get him interested? He liked women to be smart and pretty, not trashy.

  I puttered around the house, not really doing much of anything, basically wasting the afternoon. I wandered into my bedroom and collected dirty clothes from the chairs and the floor. I had just put a load in the washer when my phone rang again. Angel? Not her number, so I picked up.

  “Hello?”

  “Piper?” It was a man.

  “Yes, who is this?”

  “This is Chickie. Listen, if you want that horse, you better come and get him tonight.”

  “I still have to talk my dad into it. He’s not sure...”

  “Hey, kid! I’m tryin’ to do you a favor here. Angel is mad as hell at you and your old man, I don’t know why. But she’s borrowing a horse trailer from someone tomorrow morning and taking him to the slaughterhouse if he’s still here.”

  “What? Will they take a nice horse like that?”

  “Honey, they’ll take anything with hoofs. They don’t care. So if you want him, get your butt over here and take him. I’d hate to see him get ground up for dogfood. My mom would not have wanted that, but I’m not getting in Angel’s way when she’s ticked off.” Chickie hung up.

  The phone rang. Chickie again. “By the way, don’t let Angel see you or she’s liable to come out and mess you up. Stay quiet and be invisible.” Click.

  Now what was I going to do? I tried calling Addie. No answer. I remembered she was visiting a sick aunt. I tried calling my dad. It went to his voicemail and I knew he had farm calls ‘till late, since I wasn’t coming to dinner. No point in trying him anymore. He didn’t want the horse anyway.

  I thought about calling Mom, Miss Julie or Sam, but if they were all having dinner tonight, I couldn’t ask them to change plans.

  I couldn’t let Nickel become a dog’s dinner. He deserved a nice home and someone to take care of him. I had to go and get him. And I had to go tonight, after dark.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ~ A Wet Ride ~

  I had tried and tried, after we saved Dotty, to tell the truth from then on, to do what I was supposed to do and follow all the rules. I mean, I really tried. But I had to
tell another lie, a big one.

  Miss Julie didn’t pick up her phone, and I was glad to leave a message. It was easier than lying to her directly.

  “Hi, Miss Julie, this is Piper. I have to go with Addie to see one of her aunts who is sick. I’ll try to get out there later, but don’t wait dinner on me. Please tell Mom and Sam. ‘Bye.”

  That job done, I walked the mile to the barn, watching to make sure Miss Julie’s speedy little car didn’t appear. I couldn’t let anyone see me.

  When I got to the barn unseen, I collected a halter and began the hike out to Chickie’s. I didn’t want to haul my heavy saddle that far, so I planned to ride Nickel bareback, or lead him, if I had trouble staying on.

  I tried calling Addie again a couple of times, but her phone went to voicemail right away. She was still at her aunt’s and had her phone turned off. I finally left her a message, which was risky because she doesn’t always check her messages. “Hey, Adds, it’s Piper. Call me right away, it’s real important.”

  The sun began going down as I trudged along the two-lane blacktop. County Road 5 was not the main road into town, so very few cars passed me. I made a plan for when someone I knew stopped and asked where I was going. I would tell them I was lending my halter to someone. Another lie, but luckily no one stopped. About the time the wind started blowing my hair around, I stared at the sky and noticed black clouds on the horizon.

  I started whistling and spinning the horsehair bracelet on my left wrist, while I held the halter slung over my shoulder. It was kind of awkward, but twisting the bracelet always calmed me. Whistling was supposed to make you feel braver. I wasn’t sure it did, but it was worth a shot.

  Since an hour-long hike was time enough to think, I had pretty well planned out what I was going to say to my mom and dad about Nickel. Same deal as Dotty, right? They were proud of me for rescuing her, and they should be equally proud of me for saving Nickel from the slaughterhouse. I was banking on that reasoning.

  It was full dark by the time I turned in at Chickie’s. I walked slowly down the bumpy, rutted driveway, watching for cars and headlights. A half moon rose over the woodland on the far side of Chickie’s property. I didn’t want to take Nickel through the woods. It would be hard to walk through. At least there was a little moonlight for me to see by. For now, until the clouds moved in. The wind was blowing in my face and causing my eyes to burn.