by Hebby Roman
“Sofia, you’ve been right all along, we can’t do what we need to do for Aaron if we’re worried about us or what might happen or…” He stopped himself and cleared his throat. “I think we better get going. Time’s a’wasting and it gets dark early.”
He started to touch her arm but thought better of it. “One thing, after the competition, I want you to see Tidwell’s latest report. I think you’ll be pleased. Stay for that, okay?”
He watched to see if she’d register surprise, but she didn’t. Just as he’d expected.
Instead, her eyes lit up and she said, “I’d love to see the report. Do you think I could talk to Mr. Tidwell next week?”
“Probably. I’ll get the two of you together before Christmas break. But for now, we need to get going.”
Sofia nodded and turned away. She climbed back to the same place as before on the top rail of the pasture fence. It appeared all the cowboy-type contests were held in this particular pasture with its chutes and surrounding paddocks for keeping the horses and cattle.
She turned the two stopwatches over in her hands. Gar had surprised her by asking her to time an event again. She nibbled on her lip, going over his instructions in her head.
At least, calf roping, unlike calf wrestling, didn’t sound dangerous. As Gar had put it, the contest was difficult to master, needing a special set of skills and the ability to put them together in split-second time.
Despite him having her keep time, she hadn’t missed his frosty manner. And why, oh, why, had she asked him to go riding? Aaron might be doing better but that only solved part of her problem. Her home and livelihood were in New York. Their relationship had nowhere to go.
She glanced at the boys in the padlock, exercising their horses and working with their lariats. Watching her son on his sleek bay mare, Duchess, made her proud. She wished her father could have lived to see his grandson. Unlike her mother, she knew he wouldn’t have cared how Aaron had been born, just that he would have been proud to call Aaron his grandson.
She gazed at the boys’ faces. No sign of that troublemaker, Lucas. She was more than a little glad he wasn’t around today.
Then the first boy, Gil, the one who’d won the calf wrestling contest, got ready in the chute, clutching his lariat with one hand, while holding his dun gelding at the ready.
Gar was back at his usual place on the right side of the pasture, to make certain the calves didn’t wander, she supposed.
He nodded at Gil and called out, “Kyle, you got the first calf ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
Sofia clutched one of the stopwatches in her right hand, intent on timing the ten seconds.
“Let her rip!” Gar shouted.
The calf came bounding out of the chute, she clicked the watch, and kept her head down. As soon as the ten second mark passed, she threw up her hand and reset the watch.
Gil came galloping out of the chute, and she hit the second watch, timing Gil’s effort.
He overtook the calf, roped it, and slid down from his horse to tie three of the calf’s legs together. When he threw up his hand, she stopped the second watch and restarted the first one. Six seconds ticked by in a flash.
The calf thrashed around but stayed down.
“Time!” she called. “Eighteen point five seconds for Gil.” She reset both watches.
Another boy took his place, and the action started all over again. Most of the boys, including Jimmy, missed their throws and had to hope for the next round. Only Gil and one other seventeen-year-old, a boy named Carson, managed to down their calves. But Gil was still winning, based on his time.
The next to the last boy was her son, Aaron. She tried to keep her mind on the exacting task of timing, but she couldn’t help but watch in awe as he overtook his calf in record time, dropping the rope over its head with minimum effort. Then he tied the calf’s legs so fast, his hands were a blur.
She stopped the second watch, didn’t dare look at the time, and hit the fob on the first watch. Six seconds streaked by.
“Time!” she shouted and glanced at the other watch. “Fifteen point six seconds! Record time!” She stood up, with her new boot heels hitched over the middle rail, and pumped the air with her right fist. “A record time for Aaron!”
Silence surrounded her. She glanced around sheepishly, realizing how silly she must look, especially to the boys. She subsided and sat down again but not before she glimpsed her son, staring at her.
The smile on his face extended from ear-to-ear. He nodded and touched the brim of his borrowed hat with one finger. Then he winked at her.
Her heart filled with joy and hope, stretching wide in her chest, like a self-satisfied cat, basking in a sunny spot.
“Timekeeper, you ready? One more contestant to go for this round,” Gar called out.
She made certain both watches were reset and nodded.
The last boy, Brian, moved his horse into place. The calf came bobbing out of the chute, appearing to be in no particular hurry. She waited, holding her breath as the ten seconds ticked by, wondering if the animal’s slow start would give Brian an advantage.
At the last possible second, the calf worked itself into a rolling gallop, veering to the left, across the wrong side of the pasture. She stopped the watch and threw up her arm.
Gar muttered something under his breath and took off after the calf at a run. Brian, obviously confused as to what he should do, turned his paint horse toward the calf but kept his horse to a half-hearted trot.
Then suddenly, Gar went tumbling, head over feet. He hit the ground like a load of bricks and lay there, unmoving.
She screamed and vaulted off the fence, hitting the ground running.
Chapter Eight
Sofia sat, staring at the clock on the wall. The walls were deadly-white, enlivened with a few pictures of landscapes, mostly ones with bluebonnets in them, which she’d learned was the state flower of Texas. The air smelled astringent, giving off that peculiar antiseptic hospital smell.
There were a few scattered people, managing to look both bored and worried, while they were glued to their cells and perched on the hard-plastic chairs. A revolving set of harried nurses and admins manned the two desks up front and escorted patients to the back. Overhead, mounted on the wall was a huge TV, tuned to a round-the-clock news channel.
Why were all hospital emergency rooms alike?
She’d seen a couple of emergency rooms when Aaron had been a toddler with an ear infection and high fever, and the time he’d fallen from the parallel bars at school.
At least, this time, she wasn’t alone. With Kyle’s and Kiki’s help, they’d managed to get Gar into the SUV, deciding it would be quicker and easier than calling an ambulance. Easier, because when he’d come around after a few minutes, he didn’t want to go to the hospital, claiming his ankle was sprained. As for hitting his head on a rock, he’d dismissed it.
She didn’t know much, but she’d seen the unnatural way his ankle was turned, along with a lot of swelling, as if his foot would burst through his cowboy boot. And he’d been unconscious for about five minutes. Not long, but more than enough time to be cause for concern.
The waiting was the bad part. According to the wall clock, they’d been sitting here for almost three hours. She clasped her hands, twisting her fingers together, mimicking the knot in her stomach. She prayed Gar’s injuries weren’t serious, but then, you never knew about concussions or broken bones.
The outside door opened and a red-headed cowboy stepped into the waiting room, doffing his Stetson. It was Kiki’s husband, Cole Anderson. Sofia remembered him from the Riverwalk.
Kiki let out a squeal and went running to him. They hugged and kissed. Kiki brought her husband over, and they greeted him. She led Cole to the seat beside her, and they sat together, holding hands.
Kyle got up and pulled out his cell, muttering, “Wally should have reported in by now. I’m worried about the time. Except for
the dorm Moms, most of the staff goes home around six. And it’s past time.”
Kiki nodded. “Yeah, you better call. If you want, now Cole is here, we could go back to the ranch and make sure there’s coverage for tonight.”
“That’s not a bad—”
“Mr. Kyle Goodwin?” A man in a white coat and holding a clipboard had stepped into the room. He looked like a doctor, but these days, it was hard to tell. “Are you next of kin to Mr. McCulloch?”
That sounded ominous.
As far as she knew, Gar didn’t have any close family nearby. One time when she’d admitted to feeling lonely with her mother in Argentina, he’d mentioned he didn’t have close family, either. It was why he’d inherited the ranch when his first cousin had been killed in a motorcycle accident. Gar had been his closest relative.
Gar’s grandfather had had a son and a daughter. The son, Gar’s uncle, had inherited the ranch, and the girl, Gar’s mother, had married the local sheriff. Gar’s uncle had married late and had only one son, Gar’s first cousin. Gar didn’t have any siblings and both of his parents had passed. There were plenty of distant cousins, most of them still residing in McCulloch County, but he’d never been close with his extended family.
Like her, Kyle looked startled at the doctor’s choice of words. “Mr. McCulloch doesn’t have family here. Just friends and employees.”
The doctor-looking guy sighed. “But you brought in Mr. McCulloch. Correct?”
“Yes, I brought him.” Kyle glanced at the rest of them. “Along with these people.”
The white-coated man came over and stood in front of them. “Alright, I’ll let everyone know what we’ve found.” He balanced the clipboard in his left hand and offered the other one to shake hands. “I’m Dr. Blevins, the emergency room doctor.”
They each shook his hand in turn and introduced themselves.
“Your friend has a fractured right ankle, along with a concussion. Based on his CT scan, I don’t see any issues with the concussion. He’ll be staying the night anyway, and we’ll keep him under observation.”
“That’s good,” Kiki and Kyle murmured together.
“Dr. Drummond from San Antonio, is our orthopedic surgeon. He has hospital privileges here. Luckily, tomorrow is his day to come. Otherwise, we’d need to send Mr. McCulloch to San Antonio for an operation. With this kind of facture, we shouldn’t wait. This way, he can recover from surgery and be closer to home.
“I’ve contacted Dr. Drummond and emailed him the X-rays. He will be operating on Mr. McCulloch’s ankle. Based on the X-rays, he’s broken both his fibula and talus, delicate bones, which will probably need to be screwed in place with a plate. Dr. Drummond can give you the details tomorrow. Will you be here in the morning to speak with the doctor?”
Sofia offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving that Gar would be staying in Bandera for surgery. If he’d been sent to San Antonio, she could have watched over him, living with Liana, but she knew he’d hate being so far from the ranch.
The others gasped and glanced at one another with their mouths hanging open. They obviously hadn’t thought Gar would need surgery. Neither had she, but she wanted to help.
“I’ll be here for Mr. McCulloch,” she spoke up. “I’m on vacation, and everyone else has to work. Mr. Goodwin and Mrs. Anderson both work for Mr. McCulloch at his ranch.” She nodded her head towards Cole. “This is Mrs. Anderson’s husband. He works at another ranch in the area.”
“I see.” The doctor looked at her. “But you’re not family. Correct?”
“No. I’m, uh, a good…” Then she had a sudden inspiration. “I’m his fiancée. Does that count?”
Dr. Blevins smiled. “Yes, Miss Rossi, was it? That will be fine. Be here at six a.m., second floor. The surgery should take a couple of hours.”
“Yes, doctor, I’ll be here.”
“Well, there’s nothing more any of you can do tonight. He’s being moved to a room next door in the hospital.” Dr. Blevins checked his watch. “You can see him if you want, but it’s getting late. I’d prefer he ate something and then rested.”
“I’ll wait until tomorrow,” she said.
The doctor nodded and left them.
Despite what the doctor had said, she wanted to see Gar and assure herself he was okay. The yearning was strong, but she’d defer to the doctor. She could imagine how hard it would be to keep Gar in the hospital, as independent as he was.
She hated to think how she would explain why she was posing as his fiancée, but she hoped he would understand. Shaking her head, she turned to find the others in a huddle, discussing the ranch.
“We’ll all have to chip in,” Kiki said. “Gar was a loner and with the holidays coming, I don’t see any other way to keep Shady Oaks running.”
“I think you’re right,” Kyle agreed. “I was going to visit my sister and her family in Del Rio for the holidays, but I’ll cancel. It’s the least we can do for Gar.”
“The Comanche Dude Ranch, where I work, is closing this year for the holidays. I’ll tell my boss what happened and take off early, so I can help out,” Cole said.
Kiki clutched her husband’s arm and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Wally will probably be able to help out, as well.” Kyle scrubbed his face with one hand. “Tomorrow is the last day of school. What I’m worried about are the dorm Moms and the cafeteria ladies. The dorm Moms always pull extra time during the holidays because they need to be on hand when the boys aren’t in class. And with Gar laid up, he won’t be able to cook on Sundays…” He shook his head.
“I can cook on Sundays,” Sofia offered. “I did it before.”
“I’ll come and help,” Kiki said. “And I’ll speak with the dorm Moms and see if they have friends who can work on a temporary basis and make some extra holiday cash.”
“We can do this,” Sofia said.
She didn’t add she was thinking about moving from Liana’s extra bedroom to Gar’s ranch house. She wasn’t sure if she could help as a dorm Mom, with her son enrolled at Shady Oaks—it might be a conflict of interest.
As for Gar’s convalescence, Kyle was right. Gar wouldn’t be able to get around easily. There were stairs, in and out of his house, not to mention around the ranch. And someone would have to take care of his personal needs, like cooking and helping him wash… and dress…
Oh, dear. Maybe staying with Gar and being his personal helper wasn’t such a good idea.
“Gar’s housekeeper, Olivia, might know of someone who could help out around his house,” Kiki spoke up. She furrowed her brow, as if considering. “Of course, we’d have to find two helpers. They’d need to work twelve hour shifts and with the holidays… it might be tricky.”
“Never a good time, when someone gets hurt, darling,” Cole tossed in.
She smiled at her husband. “You’re right, never a good time.”
Kyle punched on his phone. “I need to call the ranch—get things in motion.”
The outside door whooshed open, but Kyle wasn’t paying attention. Instead he had the phone to his ear. “I hope Wally answers.”
“Answers what? I’m here, Kyle. What do you need?” Wally Thurman strode into the room. He held a brown paper bag and his Stetson in one hand.
Sofia knew him by sight, but they’d not been introduced.
Kyle threw his arm around Wally’s shoulders. He was shorter than Kyle and slighter built with blond hair and brown eyes.
“I’m sure glad to see you,” Kyle said.
“I told you I’d be along as soon as I got the boys calmed down and talked to the dorm Moms about this weekend. How’s Gar?”
“Not so good. His head’s alright, slight concussion. Not surprising, we always knew he had a hard head.”
Wally chuckled.
“But he has to have surgery tomorrow morning on his ankle, screws and a plate. The emergency doctor didn’t elaborate, but I’m sure he’ll be in a cast for a w
hile.”
“Not good news. You’re right. Especially, considering how it happened.”
Wally leaned over and put his Stetson on an empty chair. Then he opened the brown bag and took out some strips of what looked like a thick wire.
“I want you to take a look at these, Kyle. Found them in the pasture. Gar tripped over one of them. Weren’t no armadillo hole, as we first supposed. There were several of them, placed around the perimeter of the pasture—not in the central part where the contests are held.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what to make of them. Were they there to trip up the contestants or Gar? One thing I do know, had to be one of the boys, up to some kind of mischief.”
He gave Kyle the wires. “They’re wire clothes hangers, sawed off and bent into wicket-looking things. I’ve never seen the like, except maybe in my younger days, when me and my brothers played croquet.”
Kyle took the wires, all of them shaped in an elongated U, and turned them over. Some of the ends of the wire had bits of dirt and grass clinging to them. “These were spread all over the pasture?”
“Nope, that’s the weird part, if someone wanted to mess with the contest. They were only along the right and left-hand perimeters.” He shook his head again. “It’s the darnedest thing. And I checked the barn, once I found these. A metal saw and a pair of needle-nose pliers are missing.”
“Did you tell the dorm Moms to search the boys’ rooms?” Kyle asked.
“Yep, put them to it, when I discovered these things. I wanted to hang around and help, but I knew you were expecting me. Thought they might need a man in case—”
“You could have called and explained,” Kyle interrupted.
“How could I explain these wicket-thingies over the phone?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Kyle stared at the rigged clothes hangers. “Kinda hard to imagine.”
“What about the security camera set-up?” Sofia asked. “Wouldn’t the cameras have picked up who might have put these out?”
Kyle turned to her. “Nope, not in the barn pasture. The security cameras are set up for the perimeter of the ranch. Gar doesn’t like spying on the boys. He uses the cameras to catch runaways before they get too far.”
