by Taylor Rylan
“Yeah. I’m working late tonight, and I won’t be able to get back before pickup time. Sorry.” Bishop turned his blue eyes toward me again, and I just couldn’t. I needed to know.
“Your partner can’t pick her up? She won’t need to stay overnight—there’s still plenty of time to give her fluids and have her go home still.”
“I can ask Cody, but Adrian will be at work with me.”
“I thought…which one is your partner?” I asked, confused.
“Adrian.”
“And he’s the big guy that came in with you?”
“Yeah. Why?” Bishop asked but gave me a confused look.
“Okay, when you say partner, do you mean partner or partner?”
A slow smile spread across Bishop’s face, but it never fully bloomed before he gave Oreo another hug.
“Adrian is my partner. Cody is his boyfriend, and they live together.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Doc, you’re really confusing me. Why wouldn’t I be okay with that? There’s nothing wrong with them being in love.”
I could tell from the look on Bishop’s face that he had gone from concerned to irritated. “Are you and Adrian not romantic partners, then?”
“Oh! Fuck that. No. He’s my partner at work. Adrian is over-the-moon crazy about Cody. Yeah, no, there’s no romantic anything between me and Adrian. Why are you even asking?”
“Mostly because I’m nosy. But I was just trying to figure out the relationship dynamics of your triangle.” I put my stethoscope back around my neck and reached for Oreo. “Follow me,” I said and walked out of the exam room and turned right, headed for the treatment room in the back. I smiled at Rick, my very tan vet tech—damn, I really wanted to go somewhere warm and sunny.
“Oh, hey, Oreo,” he said as he walked up to us. “She back for doggy daycare?”
“Not right this moment. She has a cold. Would you start an IV and get some blood drawn and then give her a bag of fluids?”
“Sure thing, Dr. G. Come here, baby girl,” Rick said as he carefully took Oreo from my arms. Bishop tried to follow, but I stopped him with a hand on the middle of his chest.
“Just a minute. I’ll let you see her again, but I want to talk to you for a few. Can we go to my office?” I asked, hoping he’d say yes.
I walked to my office after Bishop nodded at me. He was right behind me, and when we entered, I went over to my desk but didn’t sit down in the chair. I sat on the desk in front of the chairs that were on the other side. “Please sit,” I said as I gestured to one of the chairs. Bishop walked over and sat down before he looked at me, confused.
“I owe you an apology. As I said earlier, I was being nosy but also, before Christmas, I both implied and said some things that were incredibly unprofessional, and I’m sorry for that. Oreo is a sweetheart, and I’ve gotten to know her well over the last year but I’ve only ever seen you maybe once or twice. That just seemed like a flag to me,” I said, leaning forward from my perch on the edge of my desk.
“I’ve always seen either Rick or Pinky out front. Although Pinky doesn’t work anymore since his hair is green now, huh?”
I couldn’t stop the chuckle at the comment about Ezra’s hair. He honestly did change it at least monthly.
“Well, Greeny doesn’t have the same ring as Pinky, and I love watching him turn pink when you call him that.”
Bishop shook his head, but when he looked toward the door, I could tell he was worried.
“She’ll be okay. Her temperature wasn’t too high, but she does show all the signs of a cold. Rick will get an IV started and we’ll get some fluids in her, and that’ll perk her up a lot. But if Cody is going to have her outside a lot, you’ll need to keep her home or something else. Why did you pull her out of daycare?”
“Because I’m a shitty pet owner who was always late picking her up. I didn’t intend to get a dog, but I wasn’t given much choice. But now I can’t imagine life without her. I’m trying, but it’s just me and I feel guilty leaving her at home all day.” Bishop ran his fingers through his platinum-blond hair, and when it stood up in all directions, I had to smile. Mussed-up hair was certainly a good look on him.
“Daycare. Even you said it. It’s there for a reason,” I said, trying to make him feel better about it.
“Yes, but my hours are crazy. Especially right now. I haven’t been home before eight in a week. I’ll figure something out though. Can I see her again? And I need to go ask Cody if he can pick her up. If I give Cody my card to pay, is that okay?”
“You can see her, yes. And I’ll be sure to tell Ezra that Cody or whoever will have your card. It won’t be an issue,” I said as I got up from my desk.
“Thanks, Doc. It’ll be Cody; I just need to make sure he’s okay with it. He only works until two, so he’ll have time to watch her. I just didn’t expect to have to ask him so much.” Bishop got up from his chair, and I stepped away from my desk. We walked to the door and went back toward the back of the clinic.
“At least you care enough to not leave her home,” I said as we walked up to Rick, who was setting up the IV bag for Oreo.
“She’s good. Slight fever, and those lymph nodes and tonsils are yucky, but she’s quite responsive,” Rick said while offering a smile to Bishop.
“Thanks. I’ll put her in a sweater when I get her home. Cody will pick her up later, hopefully, or I’ll see if I can get off work early. Well, on time for a change.”
“No rush. We’re here till six, sometimes later,” I told Bishop as he carefully pet the top of Oreo’s head. He turned his gaze to me and offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. What was going on with him? He was entirely too young to have what looked like the weight of the world in his eyes. What was causing so much sadness in his gaze?
Bishop — 7
I couldn’t lose Oreo. Yeah, I didn’t know what I was going to do with her when I’d first become her full-time owner, but in the past year, I’d become quite attached to the little sweetie, and she filled a void in my life. Albeit a small one.
“Cody feels terrible, man,” Adrian said as we sat in a conference room, going over notes and maps. I looked up at him and offered a genuine smile.
“I know, but it’s okay. The doctor assured me she’d recover. I’ve been thinking I need to put her back in daycare.” I held up a hand to stop Adrian. I knew what he was going to say, but Oreo was my responsibility, so I should be the one to take care of her. “No. I love the fact that your sister and her kids enjoy spending time with her, but it just comes down to the fact that she’s my responsibility. That and it adds an hour, minimum, to the time I get home in the evenings.”
“Well, maybe Cody can bring her to you in the evenings.”
“No. It’s okay. I can simply be the shitty pet owner and put her in daycare. It’s okay,” I said as I pulled a topographic map in front of me. We were missing something, and I knew it. But what? I was fairly new to the area and didn’t know the place as well as Adrian. But he wasn’t from Wyoming either.
“Wait. What? You have a kid? I’m lost,” Kirk said, and I looked up at him after placing my finger on the map in front of me.
“I have a fur-kid. Oreo.”
“You named your dog Oreo?” Alex asked.
“No. My dad named his dog Oreo. I now have Oreo. And I’m not really in the mood to discuss it with you so end of subject,” I said more harshly than intended.
“Wow, touchy. Whatever,” Alex said but went back to the report he was reading.
“We’re missing something. But what? We’ve been over these maps dozens of times,” Kirk said as he tossed his map down on the table and leaned back in his chair. I stared up at the ceiling, and I had to agree with him. I was frustrated as well.
“Okay. We’ve checked off any and all abandoned barns and properties around here. And it’s a big-ass county. They’re just not here. Are you sure the credit card hasn’t been stolen?” Adrian said as he looked over at Alex a
nd Kirk.
“Well, it’s possible, but I don’t think so. Yeah, lots of people will steal a card and then use it at Walmart, but the card hasn’t been reported as stolen. I think they’re here somewhere. But where?” Alex said, but he was more thinking out loud than anything.
“Okay, we’ve looked at the abandoned properties. What about the active ranches? Do you think they’d be there?” I asked as I leaned back in my chair. I didn’t think it was likely, but you never knew. After all, these assholes had the balls to steal thoroughbred horses. Three of them.
“I’ve thought about it and I just don’t know. You’d think your ranchers around here would know better. I mean, a lot of the larger outfits have a lot to lose,” Alex said as he tossed the pen he was holding onto the table.
“Okay, but maybe a smaller ranch. One that’s struggling?” Kirk chimed in.
“Maybe. I’d say that’s more of a possibility than the larger ranches. But where? The records show the card was used again this morning?” Alex said while looking at his partner. They didn’t exactly get along, and you could tell. There was a lot of tension between the two.
“What if it’s a decoy?” Adrian asked.
“What’s a decoy?”
“The card. What if they sent someone here with the card and in the meantime, they’re on their way somewhere else?” Adrian asked before getting up out of his chair. He started pacing behind me, something I was used to at this point. It was how he seemed to do his best thinking, and I wasn’t going to change something that seemed to work.
“We know the trailer entered the state. It was seen on security cameras in Jackson. But it was seen leaving Jackson, headed west. But it hasn’t crossed into Idaho or Montana that we know of,” Kirk said. Alex nodded in agreement.
“Okay, but isn’t it kinda cold for those type of horses this far north? I mean, they’re pampered usually, right?”
“Yeah, but we think that they’re eventually working their way to California,” Alex told us. I looked to my right when Adrian stopped and looked up at the ceiling. He usually did that when he had a thought. “Is he okay?”
“Yeah. He’s thinking. I’m used to it.”
Alex shrugged and picked his report back up. Kirk picked up a yellow notebook and pen and started making a list of some sort.
“What about Sulfur Springs? It’s just west of here, so it’s close enough that a Walmart run is possible. But it looks pretty open on the map.”
“I live there. It’s a small town, bigger than Crooked Bend though. There are a few ranches there, but they’re on the larger side. You’ll have to go to Crooked Bend to get to the majority of the smaller ranches,” Adrian said. He came over and snatched the map I’d just picked back up out of my hand before he left the room, taking the map with him.
“That normal?” Alex asked, eyebrow raised.
“Yep. He’s onto something. Give him a minute or two and he’ll be back with an idea,” I told him. Kirk simply smiled at me, and since I didn’t have a map any longer, I picked up the report Adrian had been reading.
“So, you have a dog? Is something wrong?” Kirk asked. I gave him a blank look, trying to figure out where that came from. “Earlier Adrian said Cody was sorry and you said she’d be okay.”
“Oh. Yeah. She caught a cold. She’s at the vet’s right now getting fluids. She’s stopped eating and drinking and I’m worried about her.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I hope she’s okay. What kind of dog is she?”
“She’s a Havanese. She was my dad’s, but I got her when I lost him and it’s still a little raw, which is why I snapped earlier. I’m sorry. I was being an ass and there was no reason for it.”
“I’m sorry. That’s gotta be difficult,” Kirk said.
“I’m sorry too,” Alex said.
“Thanks. It was hard and it’s still something I’m dealing with. Some days are easier than others.”
“I’ve got it! Grady’s Feeders,” Adrian said as he came bursting into the conference room. He had the map under his arm and his work laptop in his hands. He set the computer down on the table and turned it toward the three of us.
“Got what? Those are cattle. We’re looking for horses. Expensive ones,” Alex said.
“Yes. I get that. But what do you want to bet we’ve been looking in the wrong places? If you want to hide something, where do you do it?” Adrian asked.
“Umm, somewhere good?” Kirk suggested.
“Yeah, but usually in plain sight works best because people like us are idiots and don’t think along those lines. This is a feedlot? Where is it?” Alex said as he pulled the laptop closer to him.
“It’s in Sulfur Springs. And it’s the biggest one around. And I mean big. It would be easy for them to hide the horses there,” Adrian said as he touched a few keys on the keyboard and the pictures started scrolling, showing various images of the feedlot.
“How is being big good? Wouldn’t that make it more difficult?” Kirk asked. You could tell he hadn’t grown up anywhere near cattle or horses. It showed.
“No. It’ll make it easier. There’s enough going on there that they won’t notice three horses,” Alex said absently. “We can check this place out? Without them being suspicious?”
“Wait, I have an idea,” I said, chiming in. Three sets of brown eyes turned my way. That was a little unnerving, actually.
“What?” Adrian asked.
“It’s a feedlot, right? The feedlots back home had to have the cattle certified by a vet for travel. How difficult is it to find out who the vet is that does their certifications? If we find out, one of us can go out and peek around with him without looking too suspicious.”
“You want to bring an unarmed vet into this? Are you crazy?” Alex asked.
“No, he’s not crazy. It makes sense though,” Adrian said pointing to me. “The vet will be there no matter what. Like I said, this place is huge. There are trucks going in and out of there every few days for various deliveries. All we need to do is call the feedlot and find out who the vet is and then ask if we can tag along.”
“All right. I don’t like it though. I don’t want innocent bystanders involved,” Alex said. He’d started clicking his pen open and closed, and I was ready to snatch the thing away and toss it.
“Well, do you have a better idea?” I asked. Kirk got a smirky grin on his face, and Alex shook his head. When he glanced at his partner, Kirk quickly ducked his head. Hmm, yep, there was tension between those two.
I turned toward Adrian, and he had his phone up to his ear, a pad in front of him and a pen in his hand.
“So have you been partnered long?” I asked, curious. They’d been here for a week, but we hadn’t really chatted much yet. Mostly Alex and Kirk had been out scouring the area.
“About six months,” Alex said. Kirk got a pained look on his face, and that made me wonder. “How about you?”
“Not quite two years. Adrian had another partner before me, when he was stationed in DC.”
“Oh, I thought you were older than that,” Kirk said. I chuckled while Alex cringed. “That was rude, huh? Sorry, I just thought you were in your thirties.”
“Don’t be. I am. I’m almost thirty-two. I did three tours in the Marines before I got out and switched careers,” I told them. Kirk’s eyes got huge, and Alex got a devious look on his face. Yeah, I knew that look, and nope, I definitely wasn’t interested in a romp with the other deputy. I turned back to Adrian, who was ending the call. I raised an eyebrow at him in question.
“How well do you know Dr. Garrison?”
I groaned. Of course it was him. There was a fucking picture of cattle and horses on the side of his clinic. I shook my head at Adrian, not wanting to go there.
“Not well. And remember, he hates me. I’m a shitty doggy dad. You go,” I said.
“No. It needs to either be you or Kirk. I’m too old to be a vet assistant, and so is Alex,” Adrian said.
“Hey! I take offence to that,” Alex said.
“Oh well. It’s true though and you know it. It needs to be one of the younger guys,” Adrian said.
“Fine. But make it your boy there. Mine is too green behind the ears.”
“Dude, I’m really tired of you knockin’ on my age. I can’t help it I’m not as ancient as you,” Kirk said as he reached over and flicked Alex’s ear. Holy shit! The death glare Alex turned on his partner would have made me cower if I’d just met him.
“Okay, so I’m going to get to hang out with Dr. Grouchy. Yay. What do I need to do?” I asked, hoping to break the tension between the other two.
“Go ask him when he’s going to the feedlot again. Give him as little information you can about the case, but we need to get you into the feedlot so you can check things out,” Alex said as he laced his fingers together and rested them on his stomach as he leaned back in the chair.
“He’s just going to love that. You sure Kirk can’t go?” I asked, hopeful.
“Yeah, dude, you at least know him. Although, if he’s hot, I wouldn’t mind getting to know him,” Kirk said. Alex glared at his partner, and it took a lot of self-restraint to not jump across the table and strangle Kirk. Even I wasn’t that cocky in my early twenties.
“Fine. I’ll ask. What then? Just look?”
“Yep. That’s all we can do until we know if the horses are there or not. If they are, I’ll get a warrant and get Wildlife Services out here to seize them. But we need to get the thieves as well,” Alex told us. He was still lounged back, relaxed and easygoing.
“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. But don’t expect Dr. Grouch to like it. I’m telling you. The man hates me.”
“Why? Did you do something?”
“It’s a long story. One best left for another time. When do you want me to go?” I asked.
“No time like the present, right? Besides, don’t you need to pick up Oreo anyway? You could talk to the vet then and see what he has to say. It wouldn’t look suspicious to anyone if you’re talking to him in private,” Adrian said. I nodded, dreading the task I had to do. There were days I really liked my job. Others, not so much.
