“Yep.”
Scott knew that Joseph was a man of few words and had his day not already been shot to hell, he probably would have grinned. As it was, he simply stated, “We’ve had problems here this morning. I don’t know if Jason filled you in, but Dr. Collins, the veterinarian, needs to deal with two of Lizzie’s goats that were poisoned and died.”
He watched as Joseph’s jaw ticked as though tight with anger, but the large man simply nodded.
“I wasn’t sure if one of Jason’s mechanics could see if he could get Sam’s truck started now or if it was going to have to be towed. Since you’re here, I’m assuming all the mechanics were busy.” Another nod from Joseph was the only response. “Well, since it’s going to have to be towed into the shop, I’ll follow so that I can take Sam back to the vet’s practice to get another vehicle. We’ll still have to dispose of the goats.”
“Don’t worry about following,” Joseph said. “I can get the vet to the office and can also deal with the goats.”
Joseph walked over to Sam’s truck and called out to Scott, “Keys?”
Sam stepped forward and, pulling the keys out of her pocket, handed them to Joseph.
The large man’s gaze raked over her before asking, “Where’s the vet?”
Arching an eyebrow, Sam straightened and firmly stated, “I am.”
Scott had the feeling that Joseph was rarely shocked, but the look on the other man’s face gave evidence that Joseph was surprised.
“You’re Sam? The veterinarian?”
With her hands on her hips, Sam cocked her head to the side and asked, “Which stuns you more? That my name is Sam? Or that a female can be a veterinarian?”
Joseph scowled and turned without answering, walking back to the tow truck. Once inside, he maneuvered it so that he would be able to hook up her truck.
Glancing toward Scott, Sam snorted. “The man doesn’t say much, does he? And what little he does say, he manages to put his foot into his mouth.”
Scott considered himself to be a peacemaker, and under better circumstances might have tried to smooth things over between the taciturn tattoo artist and the irritated veterinarian. But as shitty as the morning had been for Lizzie, all he wanted to do was make sure things were right with her.
“You can trust him, that’s all you need to know. I’m going to head back inside to check on Lizzie. Let me know if you need anything else from me.”
A few minutes later, in the kitchen with Lizzie, he looked up as she called to him. She was standing at the kitchen sink, staring out the window, her fingers pressed to her lips as another tear slid down her cheek. Hurrying over, he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, looking out the window to see what had caught her attention.
Joseph had walked to the field and had picked up one of the goats in his arms, cradling its lifeless body carefully, giving evidence that he understood the precious burden. He laid it gently into the back of Sam’s pickup truck before going back into the field and, with just as much care, bringing the second goat’s body.
“Sam’s clinic is between here and Baytown,” Scott began. “They must be planning to stop at her clinic so that she’ll have the proper way to dispose of them before towing her truck into town.”
Nodding, her head bumped into his chin. “That’s really nice of them to do that for me.”
“They’re both nice people. Maybe they’ll recognize that in each other.” Turning Lizzie in his arms, he pulled her against his chest and held her tightly. Glancing over her head, he saw that she had fixed a little breakfast and was determined to see if she would eat. Nudging her toward the table, he said, “Come on, sweetheart.” Thrilled she did not resist, he vowed to not only take care of her but find out who was threatening her and the farm.
Lizzie went through the motions of her day, glad that most of her tasks were so rote she could have done them with her eyes closed. And yet, today more than other days, she spent more time with her animals. Rubbing their heads. Giving little treats. Snapping pictures with her phone. She was anxious to shear Mark Antony but knew that Scott was right to wait another day. She was weary down to her very bones and feared she did not have the strength for a strenuous endeavor.
By mid-afternoon, Sam had called to tell her that she had sent off blood samples, and while it would be several weeks before a definitive answer was in, her examination of the goats indicated plant toxicity.
“I want to thank you for everything you did today,” Lizzie said, once more standing at her kitchen window, looking out over the farm.
“You know it’s part of my job,” Sam replied. “A sad part, but I’m willing to help in any way I can.”
“Did you get your truck fixed?” A little snort came from the other woman, and Lizzie’s ears perked up.
“Yes, the grumpy bear got my truck to Jason’s, and he’s already got it working. I should get it back tomorrow.”
“Grumpy bear?”
“I know I shouldn’t call Joseph that because he really was very kind this morning.” Sam began. “But throughout the entire ordeal, he barely said a word to me. I think if he could talk only in single words or grunts, he would.”
“I’ll be sure to thank him when I see him again,” Lizzie said. “Let me know as soon as you hear anything else.” Gaining Sam’s assurance, she disconnected, and for a moment thought of Joseph. Shaking her head, she had to admit that Sam had given an apt description. While she might not have called Joseph ‘grumpy’, he certainly was a bear of a man. And the sight of him standing next to the tiny veterinarian now caused her lips to curve ever-so-slightly.
Soon afterward, Scott came through the back door, having completed a preliminary check around the barn, Rufus bounding ahead of him. Kneeling to rub the excited dog’s quivering body, she allowed him to lick her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Hey, boy, let me have some of that.”
She looked up at Scott and placed her hand in his as he gently assisted her to stand. With his arms wrapped around her, she reveled in his embrace, deciding that her face buried against his chest was one of her favorite places to be.
“You’ve got to be exhausted, babe,” he said. “Go upstairs and fill the bathtub. I’m going to lock up down here and get Rufus settled.” Kissing the top of her head, he added, “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
She could not think of anything she would rather do at the moment, so she nodded against his chest before leaning back, peering up, and asking, “You’ll come as soon as you can?”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead and she closed her eyes, loving his gentle touch.
“I promise, I’ll be right up.”
She gave his waist a squeeze, then let him go and stepped backward. He pulled out his phone, and she knew he was checking the security cameras. No longer wanting to face the evidence of her property needing to be watched, she headed upstairs.
At the top of the stairs, she stood for a moment and pondered the rooms. Years ago, her grandparents had renovated the two bathrooms. The one in the hall that she and her mother had used was nicely appointed with the shower and bathtub together. Papa Beau had the bathroom attached to the master bedroom enlarged, and because her grandmother so loved to take a bath at night, he had installed a large, deep garden tub as well as the shower stall that he always used.