Page 13 of Roots of Redemption (Hicks Creek #4)

Chapter Nine

Sutton

I can’t believe I had to pass Wade when I was drenched with sweat, a puffy face from crying, and struggling for air from sprinting to forget about my dad’s assholery.

I bet that was a sexy-as-hell picture.

“Not that it matters. The man is a jerk,” I say out loud to myself as I check my reflection in the large full-length mirror in the bedroom.

It’s hard to be sexy when you live your life in coveralls and boots at work.

I look around the guest house, taking in all the rustic charm of it. It’s not really a guest house. It was originally Mr. Callahan’s parents’ home, if I remember correctly. It’s been completely remodeled now.

My house in Billings needs this kitchen. Caleb and Wade did an amazing job .

I walk out of the house onto the covered front porch. Two rocking chairs sit to either side of the front door, and a hammock stretches between two posts.

I hope that I’m able to take advantage of that while I’m here.

Today’s going to be busy—more checks on the herd, more research, more trying to figure out what’s been plaguing the ranches in the community. I’ll be grateful for my morning run and the stillness in the air right now throughout the day.

More racking my brain for what this outbreak could be tied to. I tested just about everything I could to rule it all out, but nothing has come back yet.

In the past, when something in the soil was the culprit, it was usually pretty clear to me that’s what it was. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived on a ranch all my early life and saw it before, but it doesn’t look like that.

“I don’t think it’s lepto, not black leg…” I say as I check things off in my notes app on my phone. “Those are all soil-related. I guess I can’t confirm it’s not without the results from the lab, but preliminary guess.”

I stop for a minute and breathe in. There’s nothing off about the air, either.

If it were something airborne, I think I’d sense that, too.

Daddy always said I had a weird sixth sense about these things, and I finally understand and accept that he’s right.

I grew up thinking everyone could smell rain or a thunderstorm, or if an illness is in the air. But they can’t.

Most people would probably take a giant inhale and complain about the smells. Being downwind of the cattle or the hogs is not a particularly glamorous thing. And as weird as it probably sounds, it’s comforting to me.

It feels like home.

Yes, I’m around cattle a lot. My specialty is bovine medicine, but I’m in the lab back home more than on the ranches.

I love my fieldwork, too, on the rare occasion I get to do it, but even that isn’t the same.

I forgot what it’s like to wake up, step outside, and hear the comforting sounds of the ranch in full motion, the sounds of the animals, the smells, the organized chaos of the day.

I missed this more than I realized. It may be the Callahan Ranch, but it’s very similar to home and surprisingly less hostile right now.

As I head toward the pasture, the sound of the screen door creaking open behind me makes me turn.

Just as I’d hoped, Mrs. Callahan steps outside, her familiar figure framed by the soft glow of the morning light.

She doesn’t say a word, just opens her arms wide, a silent invitation I haven’t seen in years.

My throat tightens, and before I know it, I’m walking toward her, stepping into her embrace like I used to as a child.

“Mrs. C,” I say, my voice soft but full of emotion. “It’s so good to see you.”

She pulls me close, her arms strong and comforting, and I feel a warmth I didn’t realize I’d been missing.

“Oh, Sutton,” she says, her voice thick with affection.

She pulls back just enough to look at me, her hands resting on my shoulders.

“Look at you. So beautiful and so grown up. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.

I’ve been following your career, and you’re… you’re doing great things.”

Her words make my cheeks flush, and I smile, ducking my head slightly. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

She fusses over me for a moment, brushing imaginary dust off my shirt and tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “Now, tell me,” she says, her tone turning playful, “are there any handsome cowboys in your life?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Not a single one.”

Mrs. Callahan clicks her tongue in mock disapproval. “Well, that’s a shame. A girl like you is such a catch. I’m sure that special one is out there for you. May even find him on this ranch.”

We both laugh, and it feels like I’m a kid again, standing in this same yard, listening to her gentle wisdom.

“I don’t date cowboys, Mrs. C,” I chuckle.

“That’s what they all say at first,” she teases. Suddenly, she sighs and her demeanor changes. “How’s the herd? Boys said we lost another few overnight.”

“Still working on figuring things out,” I admit.

“But I’m hopeful we’ll get to the bottom of it soon.

I’m working hard on eliminating possibilities.

I got some good samples yesterday and have someone en route to pick them up today.

I set up some protocols with the guys, and if I can get them to listen, I’ll figure it out sooner than later. ”

She nods. “You will, Sutton. If anyone can, it’s you. If anyone can keep these ornery cowboys in line, that’s also you.”

“I have a knack for it. I guess it comes from being the only daughter of a man who wanted a son…and the only girl around working the ranch.”

“Your daddy adores you; don’t let him make you believe differently,” she says softly. “He’s just a little too rough around the edges for an old cowboy.”

I suck in a breath and tears prick at my eyes. Just like Mama, Mrs. C is making excuses for my daddy’s bad behavior. It’s hard for a man to change or even know that he should when people aren’t holding him accountable.

I want to say as much, but it’s not worth it. They don’t know the same man I do. He doesn’t treat them like he treats me, like I can never do anything right or good enough.

“It’s how he was raised.”

“Cowboys don’t show emotions, makes ’em look weak.”

“He don’t know no better.”

“Be glad he don’t beat ya all day long like my daddy did.”

“Aw, that’s just how he shows love. He holds you to a higher standard.”

“Ain’t your daddy’s place to show you love; it’s your mama’s.”

“He’s around cattle and cowboys all day; he don’t know how to speak to a woman.”

“He’s grieving your mama. They were a match made in heaven and you should give him some grace and just ignore what he said. He ain’t mean it.”

Those were just some of the ridiculous things people said to me when they saw Daddy yell at me or heard me complain about him.

It’s just the way of the cowboy according to our little small town.

I might have believed that if I didn’t see Mr. Callahan treating Wade differently.

If I hadn’t seen Dez’s dad treat her like a princess.

When I went to my first sleepover and saw that dad loving on his daughter and wife, being kind to his children and their friends, I thought I was in an old fifties’ sitcom.

That’s when I realized my dad was an asshole, and it only got worse.

I bite my tongue and shake my head. All those comments people have made to me in the past as to why my daddy acted the way he did.

“Aren’t all cowboys?” I say lightly.

If I don’t make a joke about it, I might cry.

“They’re all soft on the inside once you get to know them. I guess that’s why it’s even more special to fall in love with one. The rest of the world sees their harshness, but you…you get to see that softer side.”

She makes it sound so romantic, and…I’ve never known it to be more than heartbreak.

People could say what they wanted, but I never even saw my daddy be soft with my mama.

He was rough and gruff, and I don’t know why she took it all those years.

He never laid a hand on her, but his coldness and distance had to have been debilitating, but she never let it show.

Wade wasn’t the only cowboy I fell for in Texas. There were a couple of others whose traps I fell into, all emotionally unavailable men who did their best to live up to the stereotype Marshal Matt Dillon set for them all: love a good woman, but never settle down.

“I should get to the barn.”

“Oh, and I’m making an apple pie just for you, so you better be inside for lunch. You know if you’re on the grounds, you best not be missing any meal.”

Her declaration makes me smile, and I nod. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

She pulls me in for another quick hug before letting me go, and I head toward the barn, my heart feeling a little lighter.

As I approach the pasture, I see one of the ranch hands inside the fence with the herd, moving around without taking any of the necessary precautions. My stomach tightens with frustration. Standing nearby, leaning casually against the fence, is Wade, watching the scene unfold like it’s no big deal.

“Hey!” I call out, my voice sharp as I quicken my pace. “What’s going on here?”

He straightens, his expression unreadable as I reach the fence. “Morning, Doc,” he says, his tone almost flippant.

I point toward the ranch hand in the pasture. “Was I not clear about the protocols? Until we eliminate all possibilities, everyone needs to follow them to the letter.”

He shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest. “I understand. I’m doing the best I can with limited resources. We’re taking all the precautions we can, but I don’t have scrubs or hazmat suits, Sutton.”

“Then you should have brought that up yesterday when I was explaining the protocols.” I take a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm.

“I did tell you the suits were on backorder. He’s wearing Ziploc bags on his boots right now—that’s the best I could do.”

I close my eyes and let out a long breath. I’m so used to ranchers fighting me on everything that I try to enact that I’m not really listening to what Wade is saying.

“I’m trying to save your ranch, Wade. Your herd. We have to be able to communicate. If you don’t care, then maybe I should stop trying to help.”

“We’re doing the best we can with what we got, did you not hear me?”

Before I can respond, Benny steps in, raising a hand in a gesture of peace.

“Doc, I’m sorry,” he says, his tone genuine.

“I promise us rednecks are doing the best we can with our ingenuity. I know Ziploc baggies probably ain’t as good as the booties, but they work.

Our jobs depend on it, and we know it. We’re taking it seriously. ”

I nod, some of the tension easing from my shoulders. “Thank you, Benny. I appreciate that.”

Wade doesn’t say anything for a moment; he just watches me with that same unreadable expression.

I turn my attention back to the pasture, focusing on the work that needs to be done.

As I start gathering my equipment, I roll my eyes.

I’ve been in the ranching community for my entire life; you’d think I’d remember how to deal with these jerks a little better.

“We disinfected all the troughs, and we got the cattle separated in terms of how serious their symptoms are,” Wade says as he gestures toward one of the pens.

“What are you doing about the run-off from the sickest cattle to those with the fewest symptoms?” I ask over my shoulder as I take out the swabs.

Wade sighs. “I’ve been corralling it off with boards, but I didn’t share that with the rest of the guys, and I don’t know if they thought about it. I’ll make sure I fix that.”

“Hey, Benny, can you start loading the healthy cattle in the chute for me? I want to swab their nostrils, take some blood, and stool samples.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Benny says before running off to do what I asked.

“How many chutes do you have?”

“We’ve got about three working squeeze chutes for vaccines and checks.”

“Can you set them up? I want to be able to move efficiently with my checks and not be waiting around for the next heifer to go in the shoot. I’ve got a lot of cattle to check for just one person.”

Wade hollers at Jared and Tommy, instructing them to get the chutes ready, then he turns to look at me.

“Caleb said that you told him he could do herd checks with you today,” Wade says.

“I did. Doc Lucy has her own practice to run and needs to focus on that, so it’s just me. He would be a great asset for me. I planned on asking you about it after lunch. I wasn’t positive if he really wanted to do it.”

“He’s excited about it. You don’t have to do that, though.”

“Do what?”

“You can tell him no. Don’t feel like you have to say yes to him.”

“Have you ever known me to do something because I feel like I have to?” I say as I roll my eyes and move to the feed bins.

“Like I said, I can use an assistant, and he wants to learn it. Not only will him learning it help you in the long run, but he will also be helping me with these ranchers who all think that I’m the scum of the earth for following my own path. ”

“Well…” he starts.

I narrow my eyes and shake my head in disgust.

“Y’all are so quick to judge me for following my dreams. Did it ever occur to any of you that I chose my profession so I could come back to this God-forsaken town and give back?

This…what I’m doing right now was always the dream, but dreams change when the very people who were supposed to love and support you no matter what don’t. ”

I don’t wait for him to respond. I was already finished with everything I needed from his herd today, anyway. I grab my things and storm back into the barn.