Page 42 of Roots of Redemption (Hicks Creek #4)

Chapter Thirty-Six

Sutton

T he phone rings just as I’m finishing my coffee. I glance at the screen and see Dad’s name. My stomach tightens slightly; he doesn’t usually call unless it’s important.

“Hey, Dad,” I answer.

“Sutton, I need you to come over and take a look at some of the cattle,” he says without preamble.

“I’ll be there in a few,” I reply, already grabbing my keys and heading for the door.

When I pull up, Dad is waiting by the gate, his weathered face etched with worry.

“They’re in the north pasture,” he says as I climb out of the truck. “Something’s not right.”

I follow him out to the pasture, scanning the herd as we approach. A few of the cattle look sluggish, their heads low, and their breathing seems labored. My heart sinks—it’s more of the same symptoms we’ve been seeing.

Which they shouldn’t be having with the medication.

“Dad, when did this start?” I ask, kneeling to get a closer look at one of the steers.

“Couple hours ago,” he replies. “Didn’t think much of it at first, but it’s not getting better.”

“And they were for sure medicated?”

“Yup, I marked all of them when I dosed them.”

“Okay. I did expect this, just because all the symptoms haven’t been textbook. We’re going to need to come at this with a little bit more.”

“Sounds good. Just tell me what I need to do differently.”

“I’ll have to see what meds Doc Lucy has and what I need to order. We’ll get them quarantined separately from the other quarantined, so we can keep it straight.”

Dad and I start to work together to build another quarantine area. As we get it finished, I see the different colored tags on a steer and remember that I meant to ask him about the different colors and brands. I stand and turn to face him.

“Hey, Dad, these steers—” I point to a few with different brands. “They’re not ours. Where did they come from?”

He hesitates, scratching the back of his neck. “Bought them at auction a while back. There’s a new livestock auction company in Tamlin. Prices are better than most others, so a lot of the ranchers have been going there.”

“When did you buy them?”

He frowns, thinking. “Bought them a few months ago.”

“Had the symptoms started already? I’ve been here, what, three weeks?”

“They hadn’t started, but now that you mention it, the symptoms started not long after.”

I take a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Do you have the paperwork from the auction?”

“Yeah, it’s in the office. Let’s go look at that so I know for sure when I bought them.”

“This might be where the illness started,” I say, my voice tight. “I need to see that paperwork.”

“They said they had a seven-way vaccine, on top of lepto, brD, and Mannheimia haemolytica vaccines.”

“So, your standard vaccines with the addition of the lepto. Tanner’s herd had symptoms of lepto. Do you know if he got cattle from there, too?” I ask.

“I’m sure he did. I don’t know for certain, but most of the smaller ranches need that price break Tamlin gives in order for us all to be competitive.”

We walk back to the house, and he pulls out a folder from his desk. I flip through the documents, scanning for any details about the cattle’s health history.

“The employee who gave me the paperwork said the cattle had all been through their quarantines, vaccinated, the whole nine yards,” Dad explains. “Said there was no need to quarantine them again.”

My eyes widen. “You didn’t quarantine them?”

He shakes his head. “There was another rancher I met there, some city slicker that just moved to Tamlin. He was behind me in line, said he didn’t see any problems with the cattle he bought, and this was his third auction.

With me running without ranch hands anymore, it was easier to let them in with the regular herd. ”

Shit.

I gasp, my mind racing. “Dad, this is probably where the illness came from. These cattle might have been carrying something, and now it’s spread to the rest of the herd.”

His face falls. “Damn it. I thought I was being careful. I know better.”

“They gave you false information.”

Looking closer at the paperwork, my stomach drops further.

“Dad, the vaccines they claim to have given these cattle—they don’t even treat respiratory diseases.

They’re not what they told you they gave, and they’re not effective for what we’re dealing with.

I mean, I don’t even recognize the pharmaceutical company’s name, and that’s not normal. ”

He swears under his breath, his hands balling into fists. “What do we do now?”

“I’ll handle it,” I say firmly. “We’ll start treatments immediately and get Doc Lucy involved if we need to. But I’m going to need to contact that auction company and figure out what the hell is going on.”

“I think every ranch in Hicks Creek has purchased from them. Might be why we have the outbreak, and it’s not related to one ranch in particular.”

“That’s possible, but I’ll still need to test to make certain,” I sigh.

“Just let me know what I need to do, too,” he replies as he stalks off.

As I drive back to Wade’s ranch, my mind is spinning with everything I need to do. This new information changes everything. I pull into the driveway, grab my phone, and start making calls as I walk into the guest house. I pull out my laptop and start making notes and orders.

There’s a knock on my door about thirty minutes later.

I don’t have time for this. Maybe they’ll go away.

There’s another knock, harder this time.

“Sutton,” I hear Wade call out. “It’s important.”

Is it important, or is he going to yell at me again?

I let out a long sigh and groan as I get up from the table.

“Did you buy cattle from an auction house in Tamlin?” I snap at him without so much as a greeting.

“Dad and Benny did.”

“Do you have the paperwork from it?”

“Yeah,” he says slowly.

“Can you go get it for me? I need to take a look at it. I’m sorry if I’m short, but I’ve got a lot I’m trying to do right now.”

He walks in and holds up a bag of food from Miss Betty’s Diner as if that makes up for the way he behaved earlier.

“Yes, I will do that, but first things first: I brought you food as a peace offering. It was a good thing I went into town, though. I ran into Sheriff Clark while I was at Miss Betty’s. You’ll never guess what he told me.”

He stops and looks at me as he sets the food down on the table and starts pulling it out.

Looks like he is expecting to eat with me.

He gestures toward the food and sits without me inviting him.

“If you’re expecting me to guess what the sheriff told you, I’m not really into guessing games right now.”

“Sheriff said that he got a lot of calls about Dr. Reed and his colleagues coming out to the other ranches and asking questions they had no business asking. They’re supposed to be checking in with him, and they’re not.”

“I told you that.”

“I’m aware. I’m sorry that I blew that off. Sheriff said that he doesn’t believe Dr. Reed or his colleagues have anything to do with the ag office.”

I cock my head to the side. Also, what I’ve already told him, but what information does Sheriff Clark have for him to also believe it?

“All it took for you to believe me was Sheriff Clark saying it. Seriously?”

“No, I’m just relaying what he said. I didn’t say that I didn’t believe you, I said that we had bigger things to worry about.”

I inhale slowly. “That’s what I heard.”

“He asked if I’d call or text him the next time they show up out here so he can ask some questions.”

“I can let you know if he shows up at my dad’s, too.”

“Sheriff thinks there’s someone on the inside that they’re working with, or just town gossip is letting them know things they shouldn’t, so he doesn’t want anyone else to know.”

“Okay, well, I won’t tell Dad then, but I’ll make sure he thinks I need to talk to Dr. Reed.”

“Perfect.”

Wade starts eating.

Is he serious right now?

“Wade, it’s sweet, and all that you brought me this food, but I’m not in the mood for forgiveness, and this doesn’t excuse your behavior. I have other things to worry about right now, and this is an intrusion.”

His eyes are wide with surprise as he looks back at me, a french fry halfway to his mouth.

“I’m sorry that I acted in such a confusing way earlier and that I also talked down to you. It wasn’t my intention. I was so happy that you were okay, and then…then I was upset that you put yourself in danger. I love you, and I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt.”

Did he just say I love you?

I misheard him.

“Wade,” I start, trying not to show the panic in my voice.

He puts his hand up, before he stands up and crosses over to me.

“I’m sorry. I’m a work in progress. I’ve never felt like this about anyone, and it’s all new to me. I don’t want to keep messing up, and I’m trying not to, I promise.”

“I need to figure some things out. I don’t have time to…” I can feel the panic from those three words starting to rise, and I need to get out of here before I freak out in a way that I can’t take back.

“I’ll go,” he offers. “You’re right. I intruded by not telling you that I brought food and needed to tell you something. I assumed that you’d be available.”

He starts gathering his things. And I immediately feel bad for not stopping him. At the same time, I can’t open my mouth to say anything.

I can feel my breathing starting to quicken just as he’s out the front door.

How can this man tell me he loves me?