Page 44 of Roots of Redemption (Hicks Creek #4)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Sutton

T he sun is relentless as I drive down the dusty road to the Nance Ranch.

My truck kicks up a cloud of dirt behind me, and the smell of sagebrush fills the cab.

It’s been three days since I administered the medication to his herd.

The medicine should have started working by now, and except for the few of Dad’s that we’ve had to reevaluate the meds on, no one else has stated there were any problems.

When I pull up to the barn, I see Mr. Nance standing by the fence, arms crossed, and a scowl already etched onto his face.

I expected a much different greeting from him. Especially since last time I was here, I saved his herd from being culled and him from going to jail. Why is he looking at me like that?

I steel myself, grab my bag, and step out of the truck.

“Morning, Mr. Nance,” I call, trying to keep my tone friendly.

He doesn’t respond; he just glares at me as I approach.

“I’m here to check on the herd,” I say, stopping a few feet away.

“Doc Lucy does my herd checks.”

“I understand. She’s feeling under the weather and asked me to check them today. Since we started the meds a few days ago.”

“Those meds killed my cattle.”

“Excuse me?”

“They’re all dead,” he snaps.

The majority of his herd is out in the pasture and looks fine, so I can only assume he means the ones that we medicated.

“One or two of the ten that we medicated?”

“Every last one of them,” he says, his voice dripping with anger. “And it’s your fault.”

“Mr. Nance, I… I don’t understand. The medication should have worked. It’s been tested, and I’ve used it on other herds with no issues.”

“Well, Dr. Reed seems to think otherwise,” he says, his eyes narrowing.

“Dr. Reed? The same man that had you in handcuffs?”

“Yeah. He came back out the day after you medicated. Him and a real nice lady came to apologize for their actions. That lady is a vet in Montana, too. She went out to check the ones you medicated, said you didn’t treat them right.”

“She went out to the herd? By herself?”

“Yeah, Dr. Reed and I started talking, and then she was done and so, yeah she was out there by herself.”

“Was she in the hazmat gear?”

“No,” he laughed. “Said all that was pointless. Doc Reed told me about you. He told me you didn’t know what you were doing. Said you probably overdosed them or gave them the wrong dosage altogether. He said that’s why you weren’t in Billings anymore and came back here.”

My jaw tightens, but I keep my voice steady. “I assure you that I’m still in Billings and that you cannot overdose someone on antibiotics. I’m not sure where he’s getting his information, but it’s wrong. I’ve never had a problem with my diagnoses or treatments.”

“Well, you’ve got a problem now,” he spits. “A big one. You’ve killed my herd, and I’ll be damned if I let you get away with it.”

“Mr. Nance, I’m truly sorry for what’s happened, but I need to understand why. Can I look at the herd and your protocols?”

“No, you’re not stepping any further onto my property than you are now. You’re a hack.”

“Can I do a necropsy on one of the cattle? It might help us figure out what went wrong.”

“A necropsy?” he barks out a bitter laugh. “You’re not touching my cattle again. You’ve done enough damage.”

“Please,” I say. “I want to help. This doesn’t make sense, and I need to figure out what went wrong.”

“What went wrong is you,” he growls. “Now, get off my property. And don’t think I won’t be telling every rancher in the county about your malpractice. You’re done here, Sutton.”

I feel the sting of his words, but I refuse to let him see me break. I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. “If you change your mind about the necropsy, please let me know. I’ll leave my number.”

“Don’t bother,” he says, turning his back on me.

I turn and walk back to my truck.

This doesn’t make sense. Why would his cattle die? They were presenting the same symptoms as Dad’s and Wade’s, and the medication didn’t kill them. Dad noticed some of them weren’t getting better as fast as the others, so we changed it up. Did Mr. Nance not notice it, and this is the result?

Dad’s cattle got sicker not long after Dr. Reed and his crew were at our ranch. Did they dose them with something else?

As I drive away, I replay the conversation in my head, trying to make sense of it all.

Something doesn’t add up, and I’m determined to find out what it is. I start to call Doc Lucy, but my phone lights up with Ronnie’s number instead.

“Grrrrrrrrrrrrr,” I groan.

He’s the last person I want to talk to right now.

“Hey, Ronnie,” I answer as I pull out of the driveway and steer back toward my dad’s ranch. “What’s up?”

“Sutton,” he begins, his voice coming through the speakers of my truck. “How’s life in Podunkville?”

I roll my eyes, even though he can’t see me. “It’s fine, Ronnie. Busy. You know how it is. Cows don’t exactly take the weekend off.”

“Right, right,” he says, but there’s a pause that tells me he’s gearing up for something. “Listen, I’ve got something I need to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?”

“Sure,” I say, leaning back in my chair. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve been talking with the rest of the board members over at the National Center for Bovine Research and Development,” he starts, and my heart skips a beat.

“We’re looking for a new lead veterinarian for the advanced research program.

Someone who can head up the studies on vaccine development and disease resistance. And your name came up.”

I take my foot off the gas pedal as I stare back at the console as if I can see Ronnie. “Wait, what?”

“You heard me,” he says, and I can practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“We want you, Sutton. You’ve got the field experience, the research chops, and the background to prove it.

Let’s face it, you’re wasted in our lab and out there in the middle of nowhere.

You shouldn’t be doing any sort of fieldwork. ”

“Ronnie, are you serious?” My voice comes out higher-pitched than I’d like, but I can’t help it. “That’s… that’s my dream job.”

“I know it is,” he says, his tone softening. “And you’re perfect for it. I’ve been telling them that for weeks.”

“But…” I struggle to find words. “I mean, how? Why now? Why me?”

“Why not you?” he counters. “You’re brilliant, Sutton. You’ve always been brilliant. And you’re meant for more than chasing cows through muddy pastures and patching up torn ligaments. You’re meant for this. For something bigger.”

I’m silent for a moment, my mind racing. “I’ve only been a veterinarian for four years. They usually want ten years minimum. What’s the catch?”

He laughs. “No catch. My dad has always sung your praises. They’ve been watching your work since day one. It’s double what you’re making now, plus a relocation stipend to cover the move. They’ll even help you find housing near the lab.”

“Double?” I echo, still in disbelief. “Ronnie, that’s… I don’t even know what to say.”

“Say yes,” he replies simply. “This is what you’ve always wanted, Sutton. You’ve worked your ass off for it, and now it’s here. Don’t overthink it.”

I bite my lip, my excitement warring with doubt. “Did you tell them that I’m in Hicks Creek right now figuring out this mess?”

“They’re aware, but I’ll send someone out to cover you. We need you there ASAP.”

“Ronnie, I can’t. I’m not leaving before I get this figured out.”

“They’ll find someone else,” he says dismissively. “You can’t hold yourself back because you’re worried about letting people down. This is your life, Sutton. Your career. You’ve got to think about what’s best for you.”

“I need to think about it. This is… a lot.”

“Of course,” he says, but there’s a note of impatience in his voice. “Take a day or two. But don’t take too long. Opportunities like this don’t come around every day.”

“I know,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

There’s a pause, and then he adds, “And hey, look at it this way: we won’t have to work together anymore. I’m sure that’s a bonus for both of us.”

I laugh despite myself. “Wow, Ronnie. Way to ruin the moment.”

“Just keeping it real,” he says.

“Thanks, Ronnie,” I say after a moment. “Really. This means a lot.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he replies. “Thank me when you’re in your new office, leading groundbreaking research and changing the world. That’s where you belong, Sutton. Not in some tiny town fixing cows.”

I nod, even though he can’t see me. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good,” he says. “I’ll check in with you in a couple of days.”

“Okay. Talk soon.”

“Talk soon,” he echoes, and the line goes dead.

I stare at the road ahead of me, my hands trembling slightly. My dream job. The opportunity of a lifetime. And all I need to do is say yes.

Am I really ready to leave Hicks Creek all over again?