Thomas dismounted from his horse. There was chaos on the ranch, the hands running back and forth with buckets of water. Rosaline was standing at the back door, nervously bouncing Robbie as they watched the scene.
“What’s going on?” Thomas called to her, panic rising in his chest. Had Jack made good on his word and come to the ranch? Perhaps the man decided not to wait after all. He hurried towards her.
“It’s the cattle. Your father went out this morning after you left. Some of the herd have fallen ill. I don’t know what to do.” Her voice was choked with tears.
“Just look after Robbie,” he said, gently touching the boy’s cheek before he started off at a run towards the corrals.
Arthur was on his knees with a bucket of water in the middle of the pen. He was using a wooden spoon to ladle water into the mouth of a listless cow that was laying on her side.
What’s happened Pa?” Thomas called out to him after hopping the wooden fence in one swift motion.
“They’ve fallen ill. We need to separate the sick ones from the healthy ones. We can use one of the empty pens for quarantine,” Arthur hurriedly explained. “I have the hands moving the other herds already.”
Thomas nodded and called out to the hands. “Take the cows out of the barn and move them to the stable. We will have far better room in there to see to the sick cattle. Fill the throughs in the barn, we will have to see them through the night if they aren’t drinking. We will take it in shifts.”
The lads scrambled to carry out his orders as he assessed the number of cattle that had fallen ill. He cursed under his breath. This was all he needed right now.
His moment of reflection was short-lived as the herd began to panic amidst all the commotion, and they had to scramble to calm them down to prevent any of the sick animals from being trampled.
***
Thomas stood in the middle of the barn with arms crossed tightly over his chest. They had managed to move the dairy cows to the stable, and fresh hay had been brought in for the sick animals to lay on.
The ranch hands had been sent home to rest. He would take the first watch tonight to make sure that none of the animals became dehydrated. Rosaline had insisted that she too take a turn to nurse them, a suggestion that Thomas had declined. She needed to see to Robbie.
“Thomas,” he heard her voice call gently to him.
He turned to see Rosaline standing behind him. “You should be resting, it’s been a long day.”
“I wanted to see how you were doing out here.”
He turned back to the cattle. “We haven’t lost one yet.” He cursed God under his breath. “If we lose these animals, we are done. The ranch won’t survive. God keeps punishing me.”
Rosaline walked up to him and gently lay a hand on his arm. “God is not punishing you, Thomas. These things happen so that God can see the veracity of our faith.”
He clenched his jaw in anger but bit back his words when he saw the sincerity in her beautiful green eyes. Deep down in his heart, he felt that her words held some truth. Even if it wasn’t in the way she meant, Thomas knew that he was being tested.
“Blessed are those who believe without seeing, Thomas. Jesus told us this. I believe with every fiber of my being that we will pull through this as a family.”
She looked deep into his eyes, her earnest gaze making his pulse race. Thomas felt the urge to lean down and kiss her lips. Instead, he drew back and gently shrugged off her arm. “You should go and get some sleep,” he said without looking at her again. He didn’t want to see the hurt expression he knew would be written all over her face.
He listened to her footsteps as they grew fainter. It was better for Rosaline if she didn’t get any closer to him, he reassured himself. Something tugged at his heart when she referred to them as a family. They were becoming a family, he admitted to himself and that more than anything, scared him to death.
***
The lamp lit the path to the barn. Thomas had slept for a few hours and was now making his way back to the barn. As he approached, he could hear Rosaline’s gentle voice. Holding back he stood behind the open door and watched through a crack.
The crochet blanket from her bed in the nursery was wrapped around her shoulders and her hair hung down to her waist, the way it had been when Thomas had interrupted her prayers the night before.
She was praying as she walked from stall to stall, gently touching the head of each sick animal. “Heal them, Lord. From the top of their heads to the tips of their hooves. I plead the blood of Jesus over this herd and this ranch.” She came to a stop in the middle of the barn where Thomas had been standing earlier that evening and she lowered herself to her knees.
“Father, please help Thomas in his unbelief. I want nothing more than to see him happy,” she prayed.
Thomas felt a lump growing in his throat. He didn’t deserve her care and her prayers. He looked up at the stars strewn across the black sky.I don’t know why you brought her here, but I do not want this. I can’t have feelings for anyone else. You have taken far too much from me already. She will not be another person who gets taken from me, hevowed, before quietly making his way back to the house.
***
Thomas awoke to a hurried voice calling his name. He opened his eyes to see his father shaking him, and Rosaline standing in the doorway with Robbie on her hip.
