“People have taken notice that the most eligible rancher in town has fallen for the smart, single doctor. It’s all the talk.”
I roll my eyes. “Small towns.”
“Quite a few women wondering what Sutton has that they didn’t have,” he says with a cheeky grin.
“The ranch comes first. But with Sutton, I’ve never had to have that conversation.”
“World of difference now, isn’t it?”
“It is, it’s…easy.”
“Always was with my wife. Even on the days that the rest of the world was exploding in chaos around us, she still made everything seem so easy.”
“She was an incredible woman, Benny,” I reply as I pat him on the back.
Benny and his wife were married for over twenty years before she passed away from cancer. She fought hard and was the epitome of strength.
“She really was. You don’t find women like that often, especially not the ones who understand this life we love. Sutton is a woman who will hold you down in a storm but also cause you to grow in the process.”
I nod, knowing that he’s right.
She’s something special, that’s for sure.
The saddle creaks beneath me as I shift my weight, adjusting my grip on the reins. Benny rides a few paces ahead, his horse’s hooves crunching softly against the dry grass. The morning sun is climbing higher, warming the chill out of the air, but the quiet stillness of the open range keeps a certain edge of calm over everything.
We’ve been out here for hours, checking the fencing for breaks and bringing back a few strays we’ve found scattered across the pasture. It’s uneventful work, but my mind isn’t quiet. It keeps circling back to Sutton.
Her face, the way her brow furrows when she’s worried, the set of her jaw when she’s determined—it’s all there, taking up more space in my head than it should. She’s been carrying so much on her shoulders lately, and I can’t help but feel like Ishould be doing more. I pull my horse up beside Benny as he reins in to check a trail cam mounted on a post.
“Anything?” I ask, squinting at the small screen as Benny cycles through the footage.
“Not much,” he replies, his tone casual. “Couple of deer, some raccoons. No sign of the predator, though.”
I nod, relieved but still wary. Whatever it is, it’s bold enough to come close to the herd, and that’s not a risk we can afford. Things have settled with the herd. The new symptoms don’t seem as severe, and we didn’t lose any cattle overnight. That’s a big deal. Maybe we’re at the tail end of this and Sutton has figured it out.
We ride on, the silence between us comfortable. Benny hums a tune under his breath, and I let my mind wander again.
I wonder how the bank meeting is going. Hopefully, Sutton can dig her dad out of that mess. I’d heard more than a few people in town had similar problems.
By the time we make it back to the ranch, the sun’s high overhead, and the heat is starting to settle in. Jared is waiting by the barn, waving us down as we approach.
“Wade,” he calls, his tone urgent. “There’s a Dr. Reed here to see you. Brought a couple of people with him. They’re asking about the sick cattle.”
That’s the Ag doctor that Sutton had mentioned. What’s he doing here?
I suck in a breath, my stomach dropping. I know he caused a lot of unnecessary chaos at Bob Nance’s place, and I’ve heard the havoc ag officers can reek in general. If he wants to shut down my entire ranch, he has the capability to do so. The appeal process doesn’t work in my favor, and they’d never repay the money lost.
This man can basically play God if he sees fit. If he wants to say I need to cull the entire herd, I would have to abide or riskjail time. Sutton was able to save Nance, but would she be able to do the same for me? Dr. Reed will have all his bases covered this time.
I swing down from my horse, patting its neck before handing the reins off to Benny. “Sutton around?” I ask, already scanning the yard.
Jared shakes his head. “Her truck’s here, but I haven’t seen her. Figured she’d be the one handling this, but they’re asking for you. Tommy knocked on her door, but she didn’t answer.”
I pull out my phone and fire off a quick text to Sutton.
“Dr. Reed is here. You around or with Doc Lucy?”
No reply.
