“I would have thought we’d already be seeing cattle,” Jack said as he got back in. “They usually hear us coming.”
“Not if they’re all down at the south end,” Duke said, and headed that way.
It wasn’t until they topped a small hill and started down to the grove of trees below that they saw the cattle grazing.
“Stop and let me get in the back,” Jack said. “They’re going to come running when they see us.”
Duke stopped again, and as soon as his brother Jack was back in the truck bed with another sack of cattle cubes, he started driving down the hill.
When they got closer, Jack started pouring feed out over the side, leaving a trail behind them as they went, then emptied another feed sack before they stopped.
Again, Duke got up in the back with him to count.
“Well, hell. I only count twenty-four, and there should be thirty,” Duke said.
Jack nodded. “I had the same count.”
“So we’re short six head,” Duke said, and took out his phone. “I’m calling Sheriff Ryman. It’ll take us a bit to get back to the house, and if we’re lucky, we won’t have to wait all afternoon for someone to come out. I want to fix that break, but he needs to see it as is. Maybe we need to just move the herd into the east pasture and take away the convenience.”
“The grass is short there,” Jack said.
“So we’ll start feeding round bales a little sooner than planned. It’s better than losing more cattle,” Duke said.
“Agreed. Get in,” Jack said. “I’ll drive back so you can talk.”
“And get you out of gate duty?” Duke said.
“Fair’s fair, brother,” Jack said, and jumped out of the truck bed and got in the driver’s seat.
Duke was already reporting the theft as they drove away.
* * *
While Duke was dealing with cattle rustlers, Cathy had finally managed to get herself into the shower. She’d done exactly what they told her not to do and unwrapped her ankle, but she felt dirty and gritty, and a spit bath wasn’t going to suffice.
She was exhausted and hurting by the time she was finished, but she was clean, and she had rewrapped her ankle.
She rolled herself back into the kitchen, took a couple more painkillers, then went back to the living room and collapsed into the recliner. She got her foot up and was almost getting comfortable when someone knocked at her door.
She groaned. Just when she was beginning to get easy. But before she could move, she heard a familiar voice.
“Cathy, it’s me, Dan Amos. Are you there?”
“I’m here. Give me a second,” she said.
“I know you fell. I can let myself in if you’re okay with that,” he said.
She was taken aback for a moment, and then realized that as the landlord, he had access to all of his rentals, and relaxed.
“Yes, yes, come in.”
She heard a key in the door, and then as the door swung inward, Dan and his wife came in.
“We heard through the grapevine that you got hurt, and came to see if you needed any help,” Dan said. “And I don’t think you’ve met my wife, Alice.”
“It’s a pleasure, Alice. Please, both of you have a seat,” Cathy said, pointing to the sofa nearest her chair, then eyeing the bandage on Dan’s hand. “Duke Talbot told me you came into the ER while he was waiting to bring me home. What happened to your hand?”
“Oh, carelessness mostly. I was replacing windowpanes in an empty house, and one of them broke in my hand. It’s not a bad cut, and because it’s in the palm, they just glued the cut rather than using stitches or staples.”
“It sure scared me,” Alice said. “Dan is my everything.”
“Ditto, honey,” Dan said. He gave Alice a quick smile and then shifted focus back to Cathy. “I know without a car you’re still afoot. What can we help you do? Do you need groceries or prescriptions filled?”
“I think I’m okay with all that,” Cathy said. “I had been toying with the idea of leasing a car. I should have acted on the thought sooner.”
“Can I bring you some supper tonight?” Alice asked.
“Thank you for the offer, but I already have food. Duke got some for me before he left, and Lovey sent fried chicken and potatoes and gravy for later.”
Alice smiled. “Lovey is the best, but I don’t like to think about you here all hurt and alone. I want to leave my phone number