by Vivian Arend
Ahead of her, two swayed-back horses lifted their heads at her approach, alert enough to notice her, but not wary enough to run away.
She edged toward the fence, trying to avoid the snarled barbed wire looped around itself in a clumsy repair job.
“Shit.” Melody reached down to untangle herself from where she’d stepped into a concealed loop, hidden in the mess of weeds.
Charlie waited patiently at the end of the open trail, her tail wagging as she eyed the horses.
“No,” Melody ordered. “Stay.”
Charlie sat, but her eyes remained on the two equines in front of her.
Melody put her full attention to the mess she was in, attempting to escape without leaving herself battered and bruised. By the time she was free, though, her jeans were ripped and her new gloves had proved too thin to save her from multiple puncture wounds.
It meant when she finally made it into the pen she was already in a bad mood. But no matter if she’d walked in there singing like the bluebird of happiness, what she found would have been enough to send her temperature soaring.
The horses were nearly starved, boney ribs visible as they stared listlessly at her. As if all hope had been sucked from them and they didn’t dare imagine she might be there for their sake.
Normally when Melody visited ranches, horses came forward to greet her. They’d nudge her pockets looking for treats or hoping to be scratched. If they weren’t the social type she’d be ignored, the grass underfoot far more interesting than some human interloper.
These horses had eaten every blade of grass within the fenced area, and what they could reach on the other side of the wire. Melody poked her head inside the shelter, which was as close to four sticks and a shingle as any outbuilding she’d ever seen. It was barely any protection from the wind, and no protection from the rain they’d been experiencing over the past few days.
In the corner where a couple of boards were nailed together was a sodden pile of hay, mold growing in spots, so musty and decayed even the mice hadn’t touched it.
Melody turned to the horses, shaking her head, furious on their behalf. “Don’t you worry, I’m going to find out who did this and make it right.”
Maybe she should have thought it through more, but she was far too upset to be rational. Steve had mentioned Sean’s name before, so that’s where she headed, pulling into the yard just as the Daltons were walking down the cobblestone path to their truck, the two of them dressed up as if they were headed to a fancy party.
Emily frowned for a moment before forcing a polite smile. “Melody. Is everything okay?”
Melody barely heard the question she was too focused on Sean who wore his typical sneer. “Stopped by to ask a question. I thought I saw a For Sale sign on the quarter to the south of your barn. Do you own that land?”
What she got was a far-from-polite response from Sean. “There are no signs posted anywhere in that area. What the hell are you talking about?”
“I could’ve sworn I saw one,” Melody lied. “So, you don’t know who owns the land?”
“We do,” Emily answered. “But I assure you, it’s not for sale. We don’t have any—”
“What do you want,” Sean interrupted his wife, brow furrowed as he focused on Melody.
That was all the information she needed. “You have horses on that land, and from their appearance, you’ve been neglecting their care. I suggest you change that immediately, or I’ll put in a report to the authorities.”
Emily’s face registered her shock. Sean just looked more pissed off than usual, which was saying something. “You can’t come on to my land and threaten me. I take good care of my animals, and there’s no way you can prove otherwise.”
Melody opened her mouth to give them the facts when he shouted at her before she could get a word in.
“Those horses have food and they’ve got water, and that’s all I have to provide.” He caught hold of his wife, leading them both around Melody as if she were a steaming pile of manure. “So I’ll thank you to mind your own damn business. Now get off my land. I don’t want to see you on it again. Not here, and not by the horses—not unless I phone you and ask you to come out, which isn’t damn likely. If I see you or anyone associated with you poking around in my business, I’ll call the RCMP and get you arrested for trespassing.”
He put his wife in their vehicle then stood and glared until Melody reluctantly got in her truck and left, still vibrating with anger.
She tried calling Steve but got sent to his voicemail, so she headed home, desperate to figure out what to do. Normally she would have contacted Mathis, and right then she sorely missed the old man.
Her anger only got worse when she checked the regulations to discover Sean was right. While the animals’ condition proved he’d been neglectful, there was legally nothing she could do. They had water, they had food—though the hay wasn’t edible feed for any beast. Sean could claim the damage had happened in the “short time” since he’d dropped by last.
And with his final threat of trespassing in place, she couldn’t even arrange to get food delivered.
Her hands were tied, which was frustrating beyond belief. And the longer she waited for Steve to call back, the more she wanted to scream.
Fuck this day.
She called Allison and hoped her friend was ready to be dumped on.
Chapter Nineteen
It took until after eight p.m. before he and his brothers were happy with their plans. They might have finished sooner, but right in the middle of their meeting, Randy fielded a phone call from Kate, getting caught up on everything that was happening in Edmonton.
They were back to having far too many balls in the air, but at least Steve wasn’t the only one trying to keep them there. “If we need help, we’ll go to the cousins.”
Thank goodness, everyone was in agreement.
“Mike has a good head on his shoulders. If you need any advice out in the field when I can’t get to you, go to him first,” Randy said. “Or ask George, or one of the crew over at the Whiskey Creek spread.”
The unspoken comment was obvious. Uncle Ben was the only one of Randy’s brothers he didn’t want involved in the decision-making process. Steve had to agree, but he hoped they’d be able to get along without any help.
“If we’re done, I need to give Melody a call.”
“And I’m heading to town,” Trevor said. “Lee? You want to come in with me?”
Their little brother shook his head. “I’m going to hang out with Dad for a while.”
“Now, don’t you go feeling like you have to babysit me,” Randy grumbled. “I’m not scared of being alone in this big house by myself.”
Lee raised a brow. “What makes you think I’m staying for your sake? You have no idea how many leftovers are in the refrigerator. I plan to raid the pantry and watch movies on your outrageously huge Blu-ray screen.”
Their dad grinned. “I knew there was a reason why I liked you best.”
Steve was still laughing when he got into his truck and put through his call to Melody. “Hi, sweetheart. Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner, but we had a family emergency to deal with.”
Her response came softly, as if she was exhausted. “I’m over at your cousin’s if you want to join us.”
Steve assumed she meant Gabe and Allison’s. Probably. “Limit my targets, please?”
“Oh, right. I’m a little distracted. I stopped by to visit with Allison, and they’ve been putting up with my mopey ass ever since.”
“Sorry to hear that. How about I come over there and take care of your mopey ass for you?”
“If you feel like being a martyr, come on down.”
He drove the extra ten minutes past his house to Gabe’s place. Melody’s truck was in the yard, and four of them were gathered around the small fire in the fire pit.
Rafe moved quickly out of the chair next to Melody. “I guess I’ll head home now.”
“See you tomorrow,” Gab
e said with a wave. “And don’t worry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Steve gave his cousin a thump on the shoulder as they passed then sank to his knees beside Melody to offer her a kiss. She curled her hands around his shoulders, sighing as he pulled back to examine her face closer. “You okay?”
She shrugged. “Pissed off. Nothing new there, right?”
He moved into the chair Rafe had abandoned, watching as his cousin pulled himself up on his horse and headed over the dark fields toward the rental house. Steve glanced at Gabe and Allison. “Anything I need to know about what’s going on with Rafe?”
Gabe shook his head. “Ben’s being…”
“A butthead,” Allison offered.
“I was going to say difficult, but your description works.” Gabe stretched his legs in front of him, glancing at Steve and shaking his head. “You think it’s something that comes with the territory? Do you think when we hit a certain age, we’ll lose track of what’s important to younger people?”
“What makes you think Ben ever gave a damn about what was important to you or Rafe, or anyone else for that matter?” Allison slapped her hands on her thighs, anger flashing in her eyes. “Same thing with the rest of the crew that’s giving Melody grief. The issue isn’t that they’re older, it’s that they’ve never had an original idea their entire life, so any kind of change just makes them crazy.”
“Who was the bastard, today?” Steve asked Melody, hoping that Barry hadn’t tracked her down.
She explained briefly, which made both her and Allison’s comments all the more clear.
“Damn.” There had to be a way to deal with this. “Maybe if they don’t see us drop off the feed, no one will get in trouble.”
“Right, because no one who knows that I gave him hell and that you and I are going out will possibly put it together.”
“We could go and haul the horses out,” Gabe suggested. “Wouldn’t take more than five minutes.”
Allison laid a hand on his thigh. “I think that’s called horse-rustling, and it’s still frowned upon in these parts.”
Even as Steve’s frustration rose, Melody relaxed back in her chair. “We’re not going to do anything illegal, because in the end, if something does happen, it’s going to reflect on Mathis, and that’s the last thing I want.”
“We could—”
“Steve. Stop.” Melody turned her big blue eyes on him and shook her head in regret. “I’m about three hours ahead of you. I know how you’re feeling, but after having gone through the options, we have zero choices. Once Mathis is back he’ll put the fear of God into Sean. I know he will.”
She didn’t look very happy about waiting, but as she said, it might be the only solution. He vowed to check with his father, though, before he gave up hope. “And the snarky comments you’re getting?”
“Not important. I won’t melt. The only way to deal with these shitheads is to ignore them. I refuse to comment when they say my skills are lackluster, or they suggest I should go play doctor with a My Little Pony set.”
“Really? Jerks.” Allison poked the fire harder than needed, sparks flying skyward. “I agree with you in principle. There’s nothing you can do, so ignoring them is the best bet. But you have to promise that every time someone is stupid, you give me their name. If they come into the restaurant, there’s going to be a whole lot of nasty dinners served.”
Laughter rippled for a moment amongst the group even though it was clear she was joking. “Don’t put your business at risk,” Melody warned. “Although that’s a very entertaining thought.”
“If I’d known sooner, I would’ve dropped Sean’s dessert in his lap tonight.”
“Just the offer makes me feel better.” Melody chuckled. “What would I do without friends like you?”
She squeezed Steve’s fingers as she spoke, and in spite of the increased workload he was facing, and his shared frustrations that life wasn’t going smoothly for Melody, he couldn’t help but feel things were pretty damn good.
It didn’t seem as if a countdown clock was ticking ominously in the background. It sounded a lot more like two people finding a way to be together, no matter what.
He liked the change.
Somehow she was going to make this day memorable. At least that’s what Melody vowed as she hurried through breakfast. There was a lot going on in her life that was good—she needed to focus on that.
She opened the front door and headed down the steps, coffee mug in one hand and a treat for Charlie in the other. Her dog rose, trotting toward her from the small shelter Steve had dropped off a couple of days earlier.
“Good morning, Charlie. Have you been a good girl?”
Charlie stopped to stretch, wagging her tail even in the awkward position. The sight made Melody smile, and she knelt to offer her dog a quick scratch behind the ears.
“I need to get my work roster, but how about I take you to the park for a few minutes first? We may as well start the day right.” The pause in routine made both of them happy, even though they didn’t stay long.
Callie was already at the front desk, handing over the worksheets for the day with a smile lighting her face. “Nobody should be any trouble today.” She spoke quietly, glancing toward Tom’s office.
Well, that was a surprise. “How did you manage that? Did a whole bunch of people cancel appointments?”
The receptionist organized papers on her desk, her self-satisfied expression building. “I figured by now you’d need a break from the testosterone poisoning. Every time someone with a good attitude called last week, I tried to book them for today.”
“You’re an angel.” Melody scanned her way down the list before grinning at Callie. “I’ll come back at lunch to pick up what I need for the afternoon. No use in hauling it with me.”
“I’ll package everything up if I have time between patients,” she offered.
Another thing to be grateful for—Callie had a heart of gold.
Most of the morning went by quickly, and the contrast was nearly heartbreaking. Walking onto a section of land where people smiled at her instead of scowling—that small gesture made a huge difference.
She hit the last stop before lunch, hoisting the heavy box she’d loaded her supplies into and making her way precariously toward the barn.
The farmer rushed forward, grabbing the box away. “Don’t you be carrying things like that. It’s not right.”
Melody laughed before she could stop herself. “Roger, a lot of my work requires heavy lifting. Honest, I can do it.”
He shook his head and headed to the barn, muttering over his shoulder. “You need to take better care of yourself. No use in overdoing it.”
And for the next hour as she worked with the calves, he kept getting in her way, especially when she went to lift them. His unsolicited help made it difficult for her to do her job, but there wasn’t much she could say. He honestly seemed to want to help, no matter how often she repeated she didn’t need his assistance.
Strange? Yes. Awkward? Definitely, but when she compared his behaviour to the men who made nasty comments or outright insulted her, or those whose hands had a tendency to wander off the animals and onto her…
She’d put up with Roger’s weird behaviour over those any day.
Still, it felt good to be done and head back to the clinic for some normal time.
She dropped the empty packaging and syringes in the back for Callie to deal with before making her way into the small staff room. Tom had the office door shut, a low rumble indicting he was probably on the phone.
Thank goodness. She didn’t need to deal with him right now.
“Callie, someone’s been dropping drugs into the water system, or something. I’ve never seen so many guys acting so strangely.”
She’d just refilled her coffee cup from the urn when Callie snatched the cup away. “No more of that. It’s not good for you.”
Melody eyed her with suspicion and a touch of annoyance. “It’s a good th
ing that wasn’t my first cup of the day, or you’d be bleeding right now.”
Callie shook her head. “You’ll have to get used to doing without coffee. The caffeine isn’t good for you.”
“Getting between me and my coffee isn’t good for you, either.” What the heck was going on? She reached for the urn to fill another cup. “Did you find time to gather what I need for the afternoon?”
“Some of it. We’ll have to change a few of the appointments. Maybe you and Tom should change some of your assignments. You shouldn’t be involved in any contagious-disease situations. Not in your condition.”
Not in her condition…
Melody caught hold of Callie’s arms to force a face-to-face confrontation. “Honey, you’re not making sense. What the hell are you talking about?”
“Well, I didn’t want to say anything until you told me, but the news has been flying all around this morning. Are you planning on working your entire pregnancy? Because you’ll have to consider—”
“What?” A loud whoosh rang in Melody’s ears as the pieces fell into place. “I’m not pregnant.”
Callie’s mouth hung open. She frowned. “Are you sure?”
A laugh escaped as the ridiculousness of the situation struck her. “Yeah, I’m pretty damn sure. Who the heck said I was pregnant?”
The receptionist thought hard. “Tom came back from coffee at the café, so I assume he heard someone mentioned it this morning.” Callie made a face. “Okay, now I feel like a fool. I set up the easy day for you before I heard anything, by the way. Just thought you needed a break. And then you were pregnant, but you’re not… Yup, I feel like a fool.”
“Don’t worry about it—I don’t blame you at all. But no wonder Roger was being stupid.” Just another crazy thing to have to deal with. If someone at the café had announced she was pregnant, by now it would be all over the countyside. “Jeez. I’m going to have to walk onto every job and announce ‘Hi, I’m not pregnant, so you don’t have to treat me like glass.’”
