He pulled out his phone and made the call. Roce listened and was surprised to hear his brother ask his friend to do a search on Dr. Cruz, too. After a few minutes, Wymon hung up and looked at Roce.
“He’ll get back to me if he finds any information.”
“It’s probably a long shot. In any event, I owe you, bro,” Roce said.
“Happy to be of help. Let me know how things turn out when you drive there in the morning. If anything goes wrong, I’ve got your back.”
“Thanks.”
They rejoined the others for dinner. Toly phoned from Oklahoma to say hello to everyone. Their brother was a former tie-down roper turned expert team roper on his way to winning the pro rodeo finals in Las Vegas in December. After they’d all had their chance to talk to him, Roce went home with Daisy.
Everyone begged him to stay, but he had Tracey Marcroft on his mind and couldn’t concentrate. Depending on her work schedule, he might be seeing her early in the morning. If he didn’t, he’d leave a message for her at the dude ranch front desk and ask her to call him when she could.
Before he went to bed, he had a call from Luis, the Clayton ranch foreman. “What’s up, Luis?”
“The boys brought a cow down from the pasture who needs to give birth, but can’t. She’s in the barn.”
“I’ll be right there.”
He hung up and patted Daisy’s head. “Got to go. Take care of the place for me. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The second he walked into the stall with his bag, he realized the calf’s buttocks were coming out first instead of its front legs and head. This was a breech birth.
He petted the mom. “I’ll help you.” But it would be a struggle because she couldn’t push it out by herself.
After doing all the preparations, he had to reach into the uterus to reposition the calf and push as far as he could. Eventually, he located a hind leg. He flexed the hock enough to bring the leg up to the roof of the uterus.
“Ah—there’s the foot.” He brought it up over the pelvic rim, then repeated the process with the other leg. Reaching for his calving chains, he put a half-inch knot above the fetlock and below the hocks.
“Here we go.” He pulled hard with the cow’s contractions. Suddenly the calf was free and he cleared the airway to get her breathing.
“Look at that,” Luis said with a smile. “She’s fit as a fiddle. If your dad could see you now, he’d be bursting with pride.”
“Thanks, Luis.”
Roce returned to his house near midnight. To his relief, he’d been able to save the calf. Breech births were tricky, but now mom and baby were doing fine. It was always a good feeling.
He showered and went to bed, excited for morning to come. Until he fell asleep, all he could think about was Tracey. She had the most perfect mouth. He longed to taste it. The rest of her was pretty perfect, too, from her softly rounded chin to her shapely legs.
He couldn’t understand for the life of him why Wes Hunter would have been so upset that Tracey had taken Chief for a walk without his permission. Roce thought there had to be more to his animosity than just that. Clearly, Wes didn’t want another vet looking after Chief. Maybe that was the key, and he blamed Tracey for suggesting Roce’s name to his grandfather.
Then again, it was also possible that he resented someone outside the Hunter family being hired to do the trail rides. If they were an exclusive club, then Wes could be angry with his grandfather for hiring her.
Whatever the answer, Roce intended to get to the bottom of it. For him the situation had become personal.
Because she has become important to you, Clayton.
Chapter Four
Tracey’s work schedule consisted of eating breakfast with the rest of the staff cafeteria-style anywhere between 6:00 and 7:30 a.m. After that, she was to report to the stables at eight, ready to help with guests and take on assignments as laid out by Wes.
After her shower, she put on a dark green pullover and jeans, and arrived in the dining room. Roce would be coming to check on Chief at six thirty and she didn’t want to miss him.
Grady walked in at twenty after six. Though four other girls who worked for the ranch were seated at various tables, he made a beeline for Tracey with his tray. “I was hoping to see you in here.”
“How are you, Grady?”
“Terrific. It’s your first day on the job. Are you excited?”
“Yes. How about you?”
“It’s a means to an end.”
“What do you plan to do when you’ve graduated?”
“Hopefully, go for an MBA.”
“Good for you.” She finished her bacon and drank the rest of her coffee before getting to her feet.
“Hey—where are you going?”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I need to get to the barn early to see about the horse I’ll be riding.”
“Wes told me he chose Fancy Pants for you.” That didn’t surprise Tracey. “She’s a nice, docile mare.”
“She seems to be, but I haven’t ridden her yet.” She’d decided not to ride her until today because she didn’t like being manipulated.
“What’s your hurry? We don’t have to be there until eight.”
“True, but I want to take my time getting her used to my saddle and bridle.” She put on her cowboy hat. “I’ll see you later.”
Tracey walked back to her cabin to freshen up before heading for the barn. As she was on her way out the door she heard her phone ring. Her heart raced when she saw the caller ID.
“Roce?”
“Hi!”
“Are you already at the ranch?”
“I’m just driving in and wanted to pass on some information to you before we see each other. Wymon’s friend at police headquarters contacted him early this morning. Nothing showed up on a Dr. Cruz from Darby.
“But Wesley Hunter, twenty-five years old, from Hamilton, Montana, and Ramon Cruz, twenty-five, also from Hamilton, had some minor infractions for drunkenness two years earlier. And here’s the worst part—three months ago Wes was arrested on a stolen horse charge but didn’t serve jail time.”
“You’re kidding.”
“John Hunter has to be covering up something to allow his grandson to still be working on the dude ranch. I don’t like it, Tracey.”
“Neither do I. You knew something was wrong. You have amazing instincts.”
“Wymon’s friend said you’d have to get a court order from a judge to see the details of that arrest and the outcome. This guy not only has a serious police record, but a hot temper to prove it, as you’ve found out.”
Tracey gripped the phone tighter. “He was rude to all of us, but especially toward his grandfather. Frankly, I was appalled at the way he treated him two nights ago.”
“It was ugly, but now we know Wes Hunter has real problems and we need to be careful around him. I’ll be there in five minutes.”
Her heart did a double flip when she walked outside and saw his red truck pull up near the barn. Perfect timing. A dozen horses, including Fancy Pants and two ponies, had already been taken out to the corral. All were bridled and saddled except for the mare. That meant Wes was up and on the job.
Roce jumped down and waited for her to join him. When his eyes played over her, she could hardly breathe. “Green is a great color on you, but then you look good in anything.”
“Flattery this early in the morning?” she teased with a pounding heart.
“When it’s deserved.” He picked up his bag. “Are you ready?”
She knew exactly what he was asking. Anything might happen when they went inside. Some sort of confrontation with Wes was inevitable. “I’m anxious to see how Chief is doing.”
Together they entered the barn. There was no sign of Wes as th
ey walked to the third stall. She blinked.
It was empty!
Angry heat suffused her face. Where had Wes taken Chief? Where was the stable manager hiding? She bet Grady was in his confidence, since he’d known she’d be riding Fancy Pants. He hadn’t said a word at breakfast except to try and assure her that the mare was a gentle horse. If she didn’t miss her guess, he’d wanted to detain her, possibly to give Wes time to take the horse away.
Tracey felt her blood pressure rise. If John had told Wes that she had done some barrel racing in the past, then he’d chosen the mare as an insult. So many negative thoughts converged in her mind at once, she was at a loss.
When she lifted her eyes to Roce, he shook his head as if to tell her not to react. In the next breath, he pulled out his cell phone. She knew he was calling John. After a brief conversation, he hung up.
“Mr. Hunter wants me to come to his office.”
“Then you have to go.” She was afraid this meant no more visits with Roce to brighten her mornings. Already she felt deprived.
He studied her for a moment. “What time are you off work each day?”
“Five o’clock on weekdays, two o’clock Saturdays. Sunday is my day off.”
“I’ll give you a call this evening.”
“Please do, Roce. I’m dying to know what’s going on.”
“You’re not alone,” he muttered, the first sign he’d shown that he didn’t like this situation any more than she did. “Enjoy your first day.”
That would be impossible now. “Good luck, Roce,” she said.
He walked one way while she headed for the tack room to get her gear. Once she’d lugged everything out to the corral, she saddled and bridled the mare. After a few turns around the corral it was clear this horse was meant for someone who hadn’t been on one before or who was nervous around horses.
Tracey rode her outside the corral so the horse would get used to her weight and signals. As far as she knew, there wouldn’t be any long trail rides today. But the tourists could ride around the five-hundred-acre ranch and enjoy the gorgeous mountains.
Before long she went back to the corral. By now, John’s other grandson, Rod, and his wife, Colette, had emerged from the barn on their horses. The three of them talked while they anticipated the tourists who would show up at eight. If the couple knew what was going on, they didn’t show it. Wes followed on foot and leaned against the corral fencing.
He shot Tracey a glance. “How does the mare feel?”
Was he trying to intimidate her, or was it an attempt to be friendly? She couldn’t tell.
“Nice and docile,” she said, repeating Grady’s words.
“Good. We’re not completely full today so you’ll only have to deal with one family. I’ve made the assignments. The Briscoes from North Carolina have two kids who’ve never ridden before. You’d be the right choice to take them around.”
“I’d be happy to.” She refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much she disliked him. “How old are they?”
“Nine and ten. They should do well on Patty Cake and Raspberry, the roan and the chestnut out there.”
“Those ponies are so cute.”
She didn’t hear his response because several families suddenly came hurrying toward the corral. The children ran ahead and climbed on the fence to get a better look at the horses. This was Tracey’s cue.
She walked over to them. “Hi! I’m Tracey. You must be the Briscoes. What are your names?”
“Sarah,” said the little girl.
“Pete,” the boy replied.
“I hear you’ve never ridden a horse before.” They shook their heads. She eyed their parents, who were coming up behind them. “Why don’t you all come with me and I’ll help you find the right horses.”
“Can we ride the ponies?”
“They’re out here just for you. That chestnut-colored one is Patty Cake. The red roan is Raspberry. When we reach them, give them one of these.” She reached in her pocket for the horse treats and unwrapped them. “If you put one on your palm, the pony will take it and eat it. Then you’ll be friends for life.”
Their father’s wide grin gave her a lift. She knew she was going to enjoy the time spent with this family from the East. After a fun ride with the children, she’d get to talk to Roce. How amazing that last Saturday morning, she didn’t even know the doctor cowboy from the Clayton ranch existed.
* * *
AFTER ROCE TOOK a seat in John’s office, the older man leaned forward. “I’m aware of what has happened. At five thirty this morning, Wes loaded Chief in one of our trailers and drove him off the ranch. Sheldon happened to be up early and followed him to Dr. Cruz’s surgery in Darby.
“It grieves both of us that Wes overrode my decision for you to treat Chief. My grandson’s inexcusable behavior has resulted in an unpleasant situation for all of us. Sheldon and I will be dealing with Wes before the day is out.”
“I’m fine with that, but I’m curious—why didn’t he want me to at least finish the treatment?”
“It’s a long story. One of Wes’s closest friends is Dr. Cruz’s son.”
Roce nodded. “So, it’s an allegiance thing.”
“Partly. I also think Wes feels he lost face by not noticing Chief’s limp, and is determined to show me he’ll make it right. But be assured, I’ll pay you the full amount regardless of how long you were here.”
Roce felt the man’s sincerity, but felt sorry for him, too. “I’m not worried about that. These things happen in families and are usually straightened out given time. Tracey didn’t realize Chief was Wes’s horse.”
John’s head lifted abruptly. “Wes told her that?”
“Yes.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m saddened that Tracey has to be involved in this. Under the circumstances, I’m going to have to tell you something in strictest confidence, because you deserve to know everything.
“Wes grew up expecting his father and me to give him whatever he wanted. He thought he deserved a car at sixteen, which didn’t happen. Later he believed he was ready for an important position at Hunter Oil. Yet he had to drop out of college because he couldn’t keep up his grades. During that period he also developed a drinking problem.
“Sheldon talked him into working here on the dude ranch, suggesting that he’d be able to run it one day. We thought that was the incentive he needed. For a time, it seemed to work. He quit drinking and married Fran. I’d hoped he was on track for a good life at last. But three months ago he was caught stealing a valuable broodmare off a ranch in Conner, about a half hour from here.”
That was serious. “For what reason?”
“Who knows what goes on in his mind? To sell, maybe? But due to the Ravalli county sheriff’s quick intervention, he was caught and the mare returned. I called my attorney to represent him in court.
“There’s something terribly wrong with my grandson to think he could steal a valuable horse and get away with it. No doubt he had help, but the detective assigned to his case hasn’t been able to implicate anyone else.”
“So Dr. Cruz’s son is in the clear?”
“Ramon had an alibi for the night of the theft.”
“You’re in a very painful situation. I’m sorry, John.”
The older man nodded. “As I’m sure you know, being a veterinarian, Montana’s Senate Bill 214 requires that a person convicted of livestock theft pay a minimum fine of five thousand dollars. The bill also says that if a jail sentence is deferred, offenders must contribute a mandatory 416 hours of community service. In addition, any equipment used in the crime, like a truck and horse trailer, is confiscated.
“Because this was Wes’s first offense, my attorney prevailed on the judge to let him do his community service with me for the whole
summer, 416 hours with no salary. His sentence also included going to therapy once a week.
“In the fall, when he can start working for wages again, he’ll have to pay his father back for the five-thousand-dollar loan, plus buy him a truck and trailer. The equipment he stole was Sheldon’s, and it was confiscated.”
Though this detailed explanation answered Roce’s questions, he was more concerned than ever for Tracey now, as she had to deal with Wes on a daily basis. He was obviously dealing with some deep-seated issues. “What a shame, John. You have my word this information will stay between the two of us. Thank you for calling me. It meant a lot. If you ever need me on an emergency basis, I’ll be happy to come. See you again soon.”
After leaving the ranch, he stopped at a store in Hamilton to do some grocery shopping and fill the gas tank. Once back home, he phoned Wymon and told him everything. He trusted his older brother with his life.
“Wes Hunter is a bad customer,” Wymon declared.
“I’m afraid John thinks he is, too, but is still trying to help him all he can. I just wanted to thank you for making that call to your friend. I’m concerned that Tracey has to work with him every day.”
“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned her name. What aren’t you telling me?”
Roce’s pulse picked up speed. “Have you got a whole day?”
There was a pregnant pause. “I never thought I’d hear that come out of you.”
He closed his eyes for minute. “Neither did I.”
“Well, what do you know.
“That’s what I said the first time I saw you and Jasmine together. I hardly recognized you. My big brother in love was quite a sight.”
“It appears your move to the ranch was inspirational in more ways than one.”
“I’m still reeling. Just promise me—”
“Don’t worry.” Wymon broke in on him. “It’s your secret to tell when you’re ready.”
“These are early days.”
“That’s what I kept telling myself after finding every reason under the sun to be with Jasmine.”
Cowboy Doctor Page 5
