The office phone rang, and Maggie stood. “I’ll let you get back to work, dear, but think about church. God misses you.”
I swallowed hard, picking up the phone, but her words stayed with me.
“Our relationship with the Lord is like a plant. If we don’t water it, it dies.”
Was my plant dead? Could I even bring it back to life at this point? I wasn’t sure.
Chapter Twenty-One
Seth
I could barely get out of bed this morning. My entire body ached, but not the normal ache of an almost 30-year-old cattle rancher. This felt like the flu or something. Every muscle in my body screamed, my knee joint biting back at me so sharply when I tried to stand that I hissed. Maggie was in Connecticut visiting Derek, and I was on my own for meals, so I managed to make my way out to the kitchen, and a wave of dizziness washed over me.
What in the world?
It was five thirty a.m. and I had a big day on the farm ahead of me. Ten of my heifers were about to give birth. I was making my way into the milk industry, hoping to expand the business, and I was starting out with these ten heifers. But I wasn’t sure I could make my meeting with my foreman, Russel, today. He was more than capable ofhandling things himself, but I liked my work and being involved in the daily activities.
I shot him a quick text.
Me:I think I have the flu. Can you handle today?
Russel:You got it, boss. Rest up.
I relaxed a little. Russel lived on-site at the back of my property in a ranch house I’d built five years ago for him when I’d offered him the position. He worked hard, was respectful, and came from a family of five generations of cattle ranchers. He was a wealth of knowledge, the only reason I could leave town or fall ill and not have the ranch fall apart.
I went to make my coffee, and when I reached out to hold the mug, I nearly dropped it. My finger joints were on fire and weak.
What in the world?
I still felt dizzy, so I sat down and felt my forehead. No fever. What else made you feel so achy with no fever?
I ran my fingers through my hair in a nervous gesture and paused when I felt a lump.
“Oh no,” I breathed. After walking over to the guest bathroom, I grabbed a pair of tweezers and tried to lift them up to the engorged tick in my hair, but my elbow ached, and I lowered my arm. “Dang it.”
I’d been bitten by ticks plenty of times; it was part of the job. But tick bites that came with symptoms like this were bad news. I’d need to get it out quickly, though it had probably been attached for a few days to be this big and causingsymptoms. I’d have to go into town and see a doctor to get antibiotics.
Maggie wasn’t here. Russel was busy. And I didn’t want to bother a ranch hand with something so personal.
Upon reaching for my phone, I dialed Ella. She sounded like she’d been dead asleep. I normally didn’t have her start work until eight a.m.
“Hey, sorry to wake you. I…might need some help. I’m not feeling well. I have a tick embedded in my scalp, and I think?—”
“I’m coming over,” she said quickly and hung up.
I ended the call and sagged in relief. My whole body felt like it was on fire. I had a buddy who’d gotten Lyme disease from one of these things and it ruined his life for many years. He was on disability for a while and couldn’t work. I remembered his advice. “If you ever feel like you have the flu but you find a tick, get on antibiotics right away.”He hadn’t, and he regretted it.
Ella knocked on the door just as I was swallowing two Advil. I slowly walked over, squinting at the light I’d just turned on, and opened the door.
Ella was still in her PJs with her hair tied into a topknot. She looked beautiful.
“You okay?” She peered at me with concern.
I nodded but then winced because my neck felt stiff.
She stepped inside and shut the door, going into mother-hen mode. “Lie down on the couch. Do you have a thermometer? Tell me your symptoms?”
I rattled them off.
