by C J Murphy
“It’s just a flesh wound, Chicken.” The Black Knight skit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail was a frequent quip thrown out when she hurt herself.
Taylor grabbed Chance and made her sit on a nearby rock, where she began to pour sterile water over the laceration.
Chance winced. “Ow, that smarts.”
“I’m betting you’re going to need stitches in this. You’ve got a hell of a scrape across your cheek too. Lean your head over.” Chance pulled off her helmet and allowed Taylor to flush out the abrasion.
Chance looked up to see Steve and Amy beside Cassie, tears of relief running liberally down their faces. “She’s a lucky little girl. About fifteen feet to the left and she’d have been another thirty feet down.” She watched as Cassie was loaded into a basket so the rescuers could carry her back out to the landing zone. “It’s going to take at least an hour to walk her out of here. Better get some fresh relief staged along the way. Luckily, she probably only weighs ninety pounds or so.”
Taylor smiled. “Already staged. I had Max get Kelly and Jill to bring them over to where they left the rest of the horses. We’ll ride back out to the ambulance and get you checked out. There’s Sarah coming up.” Taylor motioned with her head to the tripod. “How come she doesn’t look like she took a header off the rocks?”
“Well for one thing, there was more help to get her over the edge, smartass. If you’re done mother henning me to death, I’d like to go check on Cassie.”
Taylor handed over her hat. “You’re as patched up as I can do for now. You’ll need a trip to Urgent Care for stitches in that arm, Chance. No arguments or I’m calling Mags.”
“Good Lord, don’t do that. I’m betting she’s already at my house listening to all this traffic.” They made their way to Cassie’s side, where Amy hugged Chance and Steve shook her hand.
“We can’t thank you enough, Sheriff.” Amy covered her mouth when her voice broke.
“Cassie did all the work. I was just along for the ride. Take care of yourself, kiddo. Let me know how you’re doing, okay?”
Cassie gave her a thumbs up and closed her eyes as the crew started to carry her out through the laurel bushes and trees.
Chance rubbed the top of Zeus’s head. “Let’s go home, boy.”
Zeus barked, and both Taylor and Chance started walking behind the personnel carrying Cassie. A crew behind them began to pack up the equipment.
Chapter Three
IT TOOK CHANCE NEARLY an hour to make it back out to the staging and incident command post. Numerous agencies had mobilized, as well as a local television reporter from the nearest station, almost three counties away. As soon as Mya Knolls saw her, the unmistakable gleam of attraction shone in the seductive woman’s eyes. Chance had dated her for a very short time, and Mya made it no secret she was more than ready to try again.
Mya’s dream was to be a reporter in a large city on the east coast. Her ambition was well known, even if her sexuality was not. Chance knew there was no future with someone whose dreams pulled her far away. Chance was a true homebody and had spent enough time away. As Mya came toward her, Chance swung down from Kelly’s back and put up her hands to stop her.
“Go see my public information officer, Mya. I have no comment at this time.”
Mya put her hands on her hips and grinned. “I think we’ve gotten past the point of needing a go between, Chance. I think I’ve earned hearing it from the source.”
“Well, this source isn’t talking. The PIO is.” Chance tried to hide her annoyance at Mya’s flirtation. When she was working, Chance kept things all business. She would never be accused of using the uniform to attract anyone. This was her profession, and she intended to keep it all business when she was representing her office.
Mya glared at her and swung her blonde waves off her shoulder as she turned on her low heels and walked away from Chance and Taylor. She stumbled in the gravel when a heel got caught. She righted herself and tried to appear unfazed.
Taylor let out a low whistle. “She might have been a bitch, but even I’ll admit she is easy on the eyes, my friend.”
Chance glared at Taylor. “I wonder if Penny would agree with that statement.”
“Hell yes, she mentioned that more than once on our double dates. If she only had the personality to match.” Taylor shook her head. “Let’s get you over to the medical tent. See if they can clean out that laceration on your arm.”
Chance had resigned herself to the fact she’d soon be sporting stitches, or at least skin glue, to close the wound. She was busy listening to some traffic on the radio, as they led the horses to the rehab area. She felt a sharp elbow to the ribs from Taylor.
“Check that out.”
Chance scowled and rubbed her side. “Check what out?” She looked in the direction Taylor’s head was leaning. A woman in dark-green canvas pants, work boots, and a light-green polo shirt was bent over the horse hoof between her knees. She was digging something out from beneath the shoe. The chestnut gelding nickered, as the woman released his leg and patted his side. When she stood up, her gaze locked on Chance. Jacqueline St. Claire stood with the hoof pick still in her hand. She didn’t move for several seconds, then broke the stare down and returned to the horse she was helping.
“Jax,” the word escaped Chance’s mouth before she had a chance to put up her internal mask.
“I hear that’s the new vet Jacqueline St. Claire. Word is she’s old Doc Hendricks—”
“Niece.” Another word floated past her lips without conscious thought. Chance was eighteen again and floating on an inner tube in the Cheat River. A gorgeous woman in a red, white, and blue bikini top and cutoff jeans floated beside her. She wore Chance’s ball cap. Her black hair pulled through the hole in the back. The ponytail was so long, it dipped into the water. Her shapely arms draped over the sides; her fingers barely trailed the water. Long, tanned legs floated in front of her. Mirrored aviator sunglasses Jax had stolen from the dash of Chance’s truck covered pale, almost ice like, green eyes.
“Chance?” Taylor interrupted her pleasant trip down memory lane with a slight touch to her arm.
“Wha…?”
“Are you okay? You’re as pale as the sheets on Mag’s clothesline. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I have. I haven’t seen that woman in thirty-six years.”
Taylor whistled and looked back to the makeshift corral. “I’m guessing there’s some history?”
“You could say that. Come on, I’ll introduce you.” Chance led Kelly, with Zeus hot on her heels. Taylor followed with Jill in tow.
“With the look she’s giving you, I think I’d better go find my fire gear. Holy shit, Chance.”
“Let it be, Taylor. That was a long time ago.”
“I don’t think it’s me that needs reminding.”
“Shhhh.” Chance couldn’t hold back the smile pushing up the corners of her mouth. “Jacqueline St. Claire, as I live and breathe.”
“Chance Fitzsimmons. I was wondering when I’d see you. When Uncle Marty called and said the equine team was going out for this, I thought it couldn’t hurt to tag along in case one of them got hurt. Looks like it wasn’t only the horses that sustained injuries on this incident.” She pointed to Chance’s elbow and the blood drips landing on top of her boot.
“Just a scratch. I’ll have medical look at it. Jax, this is Taylor Lewis, my chief deputy. Taylor, this is Jacqueline St. Claire, or as I knew her, Jax. Do you still go by that or did you go all formal at the University of California Veterinary School?”
“It’s still Jax. Jacqueline is my mother and too damned long to write on paperwork day after day. Nice to meet you, Taylor. How are you, Chance? God, it seems like a lifetime since I’ve seen you. How long has it bee—?”
Chance cut her off. “Thirty-six years since you headed off to school.” She looked the woman over as discretely as she could. “I thought maybe I’d hear from you back then. Although, I can’t give you too m
uch hell, I spent about twenty years away from here as a smoke jumper. One too many close calls took me out of commission.” She held up her left arm where the scar tissue was still corded and raised.
Jax’s hand flew to her mouth. “Chance, are you all right?”
“You know me. Takes more than this,” she motioned with her head, “to keep me down. We got rolled over up in Montana. They don’t make those baked potato bags for two. I was hanging out a little.”
Jax stepped forward and gently put a hand on Chance’s arm. “Marty said you were a smoke jumper. He told me you’re the county sheriff now. Congratulations.”
Taylor laughed. “You might want to offer condolences instead.” She looked at Chance. “I’m going to go check in over at command, see if they need any help. Jax, with the horses we use for the department and the dogs, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of you.” Taylor tipped her hat and walked Jill away from the two.
Chance shook her head and settled her Stetson a little straighter. “Shocked as hell to see you here, Jax.”
Jax laughed. “Why don’t you let me clean up that wound and wrap it again for you? We can chat.”
Chance squinted at her. “Aren’t you a vet? Zeus seems to be fine. You can check him over if you’re looking for something to do.”
“He’s very handsome. Belgian Malinois make great K9s. Nice to meet you, Zeus.” She held out her hand and let him sniff.
“You know your breeds. I’d be lost without him. He knows me better than I know myself.”
“I don’t doubt that. There’s a special bond formed when you work that closely. I witnessed it when I was on the SWAT team out in California as a tactical medic. Hence my ability to clean human wounds.”
“Tactical SWAT team?”
“You know how it is. Dad wanted my brother to follow him into law enforcement. Mom wanted me to be a doctor. I tried to find a foot in both worlds after Jennings.”
“Jax, I’m sorry about your brother. I truly am.”
Jax’s brother and his wife had been killed in a freak accident while hiking on part of the Appalachian Trail. They’d left their two small kids with Jax’s parents.
“Hard to believe that was twenty-two years ago. The twins are all grown up. Jessie went into the air force, and Jackie is a stay-at-home mom with two little ones of her own. They were only five when Jennings and Lynn died. Dad and mother raised them as if they were their own. Second-chance family you know?”
“I know it about killed your Uncle Marty and Aunt Mary. Mags kept a close eye on them. Now you’re back here to take over his practice?”
Jax smiled and put her hands in her back pockets. “I am. I needed a change, and Marty wanted to retire. I spent a lifetime out in California in the rat race. I’m looking for a slower pace and clients who appreciate my services.”
“Well, speaking of that. I’ve got a mare with a sore foot. Might be a stone bruise, but I’m betting abscess. After this all dies down, will you take a look at Sabrina?”
Jax reached out for Chance’s hand. “How about I take a look at you first, then we talk about me coming to see Sabrina?” Chance followed her to a stool just inside the makeshift stall partitioned off with ropes and tarps.
“Sounds like a plan. Where are you staying?”
“Uncle Marty’s for now. I need to look for someplace of my own. I love him, but I’m not sure I can live with him very long. He’s pretty set in his ways.”
“Your Uncle Marty…set in his ways? That’s the understatement of the year. Ouch!” Chance flinched, as Jax tried to pull away the covering on her wound.
“Sorry, let me soak that dressing with some sterile water.” Jax stepped away and returned with a full kit.
Chance looked over the clear plastic pouches. “You sure this is for humans and not for horses?”
Jax shook her head. “Whether I use it on my four-legged or two-legged patients, sterile water is sterile water. Now be quiet, you big baby.”
Chance let her soak the dressing Taylor had applied and gently pull it from the skin. With a syringe, Jax squirted the water all around the wound, before she pulled out a small piece of stone with a pair of tweezers.
“You’re going to need this debrided and some stitches. Does the scar tissue bother you much?”
“Diminished sensitivity. The dressing was stuck to the open part of the laceration. It has some sensation in certain areas. The nerves got pretty toasted.” Chance continued to watch Jax work.
“I can’t even imagine the pain when it happened.” Jax began to apply another dressing over the wound, then wrapped a roll of cling around it.
“Well, with it being third degree and having a lot of morphine, I made it through. It was the recovery that hurt like hell. The debriding and the grafts were a bitch.” She picked up her arm and turned it over to examine the bandage job.
“You really do need stitches.”
“I’ll go to Urgent Care once I know everyone is out of the woods and all the equipment is back in service.”
Jax placed her hand on Chance’s cheek. “I’m glad you survived your injuries.”
“Yeah, me too.” Chance rose from the stool. “So, about Sabrina?”
“How about nine tomorrow morning? I’ll bring my mobile office and take a look.”
“It’s a date, Doc.”
“Oh no, that’s Marty. I’m just Jax. And about that date, I’ll take you up on one sometime, if you’re still single.”
Chance toed the ground and met Jax’s sparkling green eyes. “I’ve been waiting a long time to take you on another date.”
A voice from her radio broke the gaze. “Comm Center to SD-1.”
“You know where the stables are?” Chance reached for her radio.
“I do. See you tomorrow, Sheriff.” Jax waved her off. “Go.”
Chance grinned and keyed her portable radio. “SD-1 to Comm Center, go ahead.” She raised a hand to wave to Jax and walked toward the center of the activity.
The command center was still buzzing, as Chance walked in. She glanced at the command board and noted that all personnel were reported back at staging. She made her way to Incident Commander Ike Roth, chief of the county fire service. There were four stations located in strategic areas around the county. Each was run by a deputy chief, with Ike handling command of the larger incidents that required countywide resources.
“Chance, did you get checked out by the medics?” Ike gestured toward her arm with roll of paper.
“Jax took a look at it. It’s going to require stitches. It’s fine for now. All my people out?”
“Yeah, the last horse rode in about five minutes ago, carrying the tripod. No major injuries, some small scrapes. The girl was flown down to Ruby, and we have someone taking the parents back to their car. One of our folks will drive them down to the ER. Lucky kid. This could have been disastrous. I’m glad you made it out there when you did. Sorry you got banged up.”
“Comes with the territory. Need anything else from me?” Chance looked at her watch. She was going to have someone drive to the stables to get her truck and trailer to take the horses back.
“No, but if you’re looking for a ride, Taylor will be back in about fifteen minutes with the trailer. She was thinking the way you taught her.” Ike winked.
Chance grinned at him. “And now you know why she’s Chief Deputy at thirty-seven.”
“Smart woman. Find good people and let them do their job.”
Chance wandered through the command center checking in with everyone. She turned at the sound of a horn. Chance watched Taylor pull the fifth-wheel horse trailer into the lot. Zeus barked a greeting, as Taylor stepped from the truck.
Taylor walked over to where Kelly and Jill were tied. “How about we get these girls home and you can get to Urgent Care before it closes?”
Chance shook her head in agreement. “I’d say that’s a good idea.” She loaded Zeus in the truck and helped Taylor secure both horses inside before climbing into the front seat.
“I want you to take tonight off, Taylor. You’ve been up all day. I’ll call in someone from the reserve, or maybe Carl will want an overtime shift while he’s on vacation. He didn’t go anywhere that I know of.”
“I’ll take you up on that offer, Sheriff. Penny’s texted me six times about asking you for the night off. You’ll make her a happy woman by making me stay home tonight. Let’s head to the barn.”
“Wagons ho, my friend.”
Chapter Four
MAGGIE AND DEE WERE BOTH waiting at Chance’s house when she drove in. She let Zeus out of the back and watched as he ran over to accept a vigorous rub down from Dee.
“Traitor.” Chance laughed. She held her hands up. “Before you ask, I’m fine, and yes I’ve seen a doctor. Faith put seven stiches in my arm. You wouldn’t have brought dinner, would you?”
Dee walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Mother Hubbard over there isn’t about to let you waste away, Five Points. She brought your favorite.” Dee smiled and took two steps away from Chance. “Chicken broth and a milkshake.”
Chance jabbed her right fist out, catching Dee in the shoulder. “Funny, smart ass.”
“Just making sure they didn’t remove your funny bone. She’s got a giant steak and baked potato for you, and a fucking piece of dried up chicken for me.”
Maggie stood with her hands on her hips. “Hey, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”
Dee walked up and wrapped her arms around Maggie’s waist. “My mother is dead, but I do kiss my wife with it.” Dee pulled Maggie into her arms and gently brushed their lips together.
“Yuck, mushiness.” Chance teased.
“Go get a shower. Dee will take care of Zeus. I’ll have dinner on the table in fifteen minutes. If you aren’t back by then, Zeus will enjoy the steak.”
Dee put her fists on her hips. “You’ll give Zeus the steak instead of me? What the hell?”
Maggie patted Dee’s cheek. “Zeus doesn’t have high cholesterol and didn’t suffer a heart attack less than a year ago. You’ll eat chicken and live to see another twenty years with me if I have anything to say about it.”
