Cowboy Doctor
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Rebecca Winters
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Chapter One
“Last on the program is Dr. Rocelin Clayton, who worked closely with Hannah for the last three years, right up to her death.”
Pastor McKinney nodded to Roce, who walked to the lectern.
The Presbyterian church on Spruce Street was filled to overflowing. People from all over had come to pay their respects to the eighty-three-year-old veterinarian who’d practiced here in Missoula, Montana, for over fifty years.
Roce stood before the audience, some of whom he’d helped after Hannah had taken him into her practice. This was a sad day for him. The only other time he’d ever spoken at a funeral was at his father’s, almost two years ago. He was forced to clear his throat several times before speaking.
“A paragon has left us, and no one is more bereaved than I am. Dr. Hannah Larabee, owner of the Larabee Veterinarian Hospital, was not only a legend in these parts, she was the best boss a man could have hoped to work for right out of veterinary school.
“I didn’t get the opportunity to meet her beloved Tom, her veterinarian husband who started the hospital with her. He died two years before I was hired. Hannah’s sudden fatal heart attack is proof that she gave her all to the animals big and small that God put on this earth for our comfort and enjoyment.
“Not long ago she told me that she never met an animal she didn’t like, and that when she got to heaven, she planned to visit every one of those creatures who’d already passed on.”
His eyes smarted.
“I bet that right now they’re all standing in line to see her again. It’s possible that, at this very moment, she’s talking to them in her loving voice, commiserating with them about the ailments they’d suffered on earth.”
He heard gentle laughter from the audience and saw a lot of people wiping their eyes. The church was filled with animal lovers from western Montana who knew exactly what he was talking about.
“We’re all going to miss her and the great blessing she was to this community. Her family has to be so proud of what she accomplished on this earth.
“If we were all as good as Hannah, what a beautiful world this would be.”
When he took his seat, the pastor stood before them once more. “We’ll now sing our parting hymn—it was known to be Hannah’s favorite—‘Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd.’”
During the singing, one line stood out to Roce: “Dear are the sheep of His fold.” That sounded like Hannah.
After the prayer, everyone followed the funeral procession to the cemetery. Roce rode with his mother and Toly. His youngest brother had a rodeo to get back to in Omaha and was in town for only a few more hours. His other two brothers, Eli and Wymon, trailed them in their cars with their wives. Hannah had touched all their lives.
Roce hadn’t felt this lost since his father had died. With Hannah’s death, the time had come for him to go his own way and make decisions, whether he wanted to or not. This was a day he hadn’t thought would come for several more years. If Roce didn’t buy the veterinary hospital and take over, Hannah’s family would put it up for sale and someone else would be in charge. They might not want to keep Roce on. In order for him to buy the practice, he would have to take out a big loan.
But in his heart, his secret hope had been to open his own hospital on the Clayton Cattle Ranch outside Stevensville, Montana. Besides serving as vet to the ranch, as well as the people in Ravalli County, he could help out his mom and brothers with ranching activities. To do that, he would have to discuss it with the family, and he didn’t know how they would feel.
Even if it were possible, he had to consider that moving to the ranch would mean he’d lose clients who lived in Missoula, a half hour away. To start a new practice on the ranch would take time. And there was the question of where to build a new structure that wouldn’t impose on the family.
Whatever happened, he would have to put his small condo in Missoula up for sale. The location near the hospital had made life easier when there’d been emergencies that had called him out in the middle of the night. It wasn’t fully paid for, but he needed as much money as he could put together no matter what direction he chose to go. All these thoughts bombarded him as they drove away from the cemetery.
Later, after they’d dropped Toly off at the airport and he was alone with his mom on the drive back to the ranch, she turned to him and said, “Roce—your talk had everyone in tears. I’m so proud to be your mother. But now that we’re alone, I can tell there’s something serious on your mind, so let’s talk about it.”
He smiled. “What do you think you know?”
“That you’ve come to a fork in the road. Your dad hoped you’d become our ranch veterinarian. When the time came, he had a spot all picked out for you.”
Roce’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. This was the first he’d heard about it. “What area would that be?”
“The old sheep station house.”
His thoughts reeled. “The bungalow right off the highway?” Long ago there’d been no road there, only trampled ground from bringing through the sheep.
She nodded. “When they built the highway, the house was boarded up, and blocked off by the fencing.”
“Why didn’t Dad do something with it?”
“He wanted all our homes and outbuildings to be centered together, higher on the mountain. But when you became a vet, he told me he hoped to make renovations on the station so you could open up your practice on our property. As you can see, it would be the perfect place for a hospital, with easy access to the highway. Let’s take a look at it.”
Roce was in shock. He’d almost forgotten it was there. A bank of trees camouflaged most of it. At her urging he drove past the entrance to the ranch and on to the boundary of their property. After parking on the highway shoulder, he got out with his mom and walked over to the fence.
Roce rested his arms on top and took a good, long look at the one-story log house they could see through the leaves. His mother stood next to him. “All you’d have to do is remove part of this fencing and a few trees. Then a new road into the parking area could be constructed, with a sign that says Clayton Veterinary Hospital.”
While his mother kept talking, Roce’s heartbeat began to pick up speed.
“Besides equipping a new surgery, you’d have to put in new plumbing, and the building needs new paint. Your brothers and I have been talking. With their help, you could be in business in no time.”
He cleared his throat. “I couldn’t ask them to do that.”
But all the time she was talking, he could see adding an office next to the surgery. He would have to install electronic locks for the front and back doors because of the drugs he would have to keep on the premises.
“Your family has volunteered, Roce. Remember when you helped Wymon build a second story on his house? Now they want to pitch in for you on a second story. A bedroom and bathroom upstairs? I’m thinking you could live here a long time, and still keep your horse in the barn with ours. And at a future date, you may want to build your own ranch house for the family you’ll have one day.”
After all these years his mom was still holding out that he’d find the right woman for him, but Roce feared the woman of his dreams didn’t exist. He hated to shatter his mom’s hopes of that happening, though, especially when she’d just offered this gift out of the blue. So many emotions overwhelmed him. He pulled his mother into his arms and gave her a long hug.
Two months later
THE SATURDAY DRIVE from Polson to Hamilton, Montana, turned out to be beautiful. It was June 2, and the warm weather had arrived in Bitterroot Valley. Tracey Marcroft opened the window of her white Honda, drawing in a deep breath of pine-scented air.
As she took in the vision before her, she didn’t care that the breeze tangled her hair. After the last nine months, she was finally free from the responsibilities of teaching school, and was looking forward to her summer job at the Rocky Point Dude Ranch. She loved her sixth graders, but couldn’t wait to work with families who’d come out here on vacation to horseback ride, another one of her passions.
During spring break, she’d interviewed with John Hunter, a man who’d made it big in oil and owned the dude ranch. The patriarch of his large family had been a close friend of her grandpa Ben’s before moving from Polson. He’d been the one to show her the facilities and he’d made her feel very welcome. The stories he’d told about him and her grandfather in their younger years riding around Flathead country had fascinated her.
She liked John and his wife, Sylvia, a lot, and was thrilled when they offered her the job, along with her own little cabin. Besides the fact that John praised her for the way she rode and handled the horses during their ride, he’d seemed especially pleased to hear that she taught school and understood kids. They had plenty of families with younger children who could benefit from her expertise.
Tracey was indebted to her grandfather for suggesting she get in touch with John for the job. She’d always been close to her grandpa, who’d been living with her family for the last two years since her grandmother had died. Tracey wanted to be an asset to the dude ranch and make him proud. Hopefully, three months out here in a different part of Montana would give her a new lease on life.
A year ago this past Christmas, she’d expected her boyfriend, Jeff Atkins, to return from his deployment overseas so they could plan their wedding. They’d met in college at the University of Montana in Missoula.
But he’d been killed in an ambush, along with two other men in his platoon. Since then, she’d been trying to get over the pain. Her parents and her older brother, Max, had done what they could to comfort her. But time had to do the rest.
It was two in the afternoon when she reached Stevensville. She felt hunger pains and pulled into a drive-through behind a line of tourists to grab a hamburger and a soda.
While she waited, she phoned her best friend, Barb, who was married and worked as a paralegal in Polson. Tracey hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to her. During their talk, Barb promised that she and her husband would come visit over the July Fourth holiday. Pleased that she’d be seeing her friend next month, Tracey hung up after getting her meal.
She drove out to the highway again for the last twenty-minute leg of her trip. While munching on her fries, Tracey rounded the long curve in the road, marveling at the sight of the magnificent Sapphire Mountains flanking the valley. In her mind’s eye, they were filled with heaps of dazzling blue gemstones. When she’d been a child, that image had delighted her imagination. It still did.
A little farther on she saw a sign for Clayton Veterinary Hospital, and slowed down while she finished off her fries. Funny that she hadn’t seen it in the spring, when she’d first driven this way. To her recollection, there’d been a bank of trees all along the highway.
Set against a backdrop of pines was a small, yet charming log cabin. There weren’t any cars in the parking lot, but she glimpsed a horse trailer at the side of the house before she sped up.
The setup reminded her of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book Little House in the Big Woods, one of Tracey’s favorites in the series. She’d always been an avid reader. Throughout her young years she’d imagined herself as Laura, riding around on her own horse.
Tracey had gone through several horses in her life, her current one being Spirit, her gelding, who was getting very old and needed regular checkups with her family’s vet in Kalispell. Her mom and dad were taking care of him while she was gone this summer.
When she reached Hamilton, she took a left. She’d learned that the Hunter family lived in their own homes in town when they weren’t on duty at the ranch. It was only a two-mile commute to the dude ranch sitting on five hundred acres of prime land.
The large foyer with its office and check-in counter divided the big Western ranch house into two parts. One side contained the common areas, consisting of an activity room, dining room and kitchen, plus a great room with a fireplace that rose to the vaulted ceiling. The other side had been remodeled into bedrooms to house forty people at a time.
Tennis courts and a swimming pool with a cabana had been built at the side of the ranch house. The stable, barn and corral lay behind the whole facility. To the side of the corral were a dozen small cabins for the summer staff.
There were sheds housing fishing gear, white-water rafts—everything the vacationer could ask for. As John had explained, the Bitterroot River offered rafters and floaters a trip down one of the most scenic waterways in Montana, traveling through the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountains. From those vantage points, the view of the wide, lush valley was unforgettable.
The ideal setup appealed to Tracey, who pulled up in front of the ranch house to let John know she’d arrived. It wouldn’t be open for summer vacationers until the day after tomorrow. That gave her time to get more acquainted with the facilities, particularly the horses.
She got out of the car and walked inside. A cute brunette woman in her early twenties was manning the front desk. She broke out in a smile when she saw her approach.
“You have to be Tracey Marcroft.”
“Yes.”
“I’m Fran Hunter. I’m married to Wes, who’s John’s grandson. At breakfast he said you’d be coming today. He told me and Wes, and I quote, ‘She’s the most beautiful young woman you ever saw, and she can ride a horse like nobody’s business!’”
Tracey chuckled. It was hard to know what to say after that. “He sounds as full of it as my grandpa Ben, but thank you. I’ve been looking forward to meeting the rest of your family.”
“We’re a big one.”
“So I’ve gathered. I’ll try to learn names fast.”
“Don’t worry about it. Granddad is waiting for you in his office. Just come around behind the counter.”
Pleased that she acted so friendly, Tracey did her bidding. The door at the end of the hallway had been left open. She saw John seated at his desk. He was on the phone but waved at her to come on in.
A lean, lanky man with a ton of energy, he had a wonderful head of salt-and-pepper hair. “Welcome, my dear,” he said, after hanging up the phone. “Sylvia and I are thrilled you’ve joined us.” He came around to give her a hug.
“I’m the one who’s excited. Grandpa Ben sends his love with this.” She put a brightly wrapped box on his desk. “He said it’s chocolate-covered cashews.”
“My favorite. He remembered. Thank you.” His eyes twinkled. “I plan to give him a call later and let him know you arrived. For the rest of today and tomorrow, I want you to get more acquainted with the place and staff. Fran, Wes’s wife, is a sweetheart and runs the front desk most of the time. She’ll take care of you. Go for a swim, visit the barn and stable. Do whatever you want.”
“Thank you.”
“My son Sheldon and his wife Janet organize the trail rides with the forest service and are in charge of procuring our horses. Among them we have six ponies for our littlest riders.”
“Oh—I can’t wait to see them!”
“They’re a hit with everyone. My grandson, Wes, Sheldon and Janet’s son, runs the stable. I’ve told Wes to let you pick out the horse you’d like to ride while you’re here this summer.”
“I can’t wait. Just so you know, I’ve brought my own saddle and gear.”
“Wonderful. Fran will give you the key to your cabin. It’s number two. My wife and I will see you at dinner at seven.”
“I’d love that.”
When she went back to the counter, Fran introduced her to another of John’s sons named Thad. You couldn’t mistake him for anyone else. He had the same lanky look as his dad. “Uncle Thad is head of security. He deals with any emergencies or illness situations, and maintains all our equipment and cabins.”
Tracey shook his hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“We’re glad to have you on board. If you have any concerns, come see me.”
“I will.”
“See you at dinner.”
After he walked away, Fran said, “Later on I’ll introduce you to everyone else. Uncle Thad’s wife, Noreen, is head of housekeeping and laundry. You’ll also meet my grandma Sylvia and my aunt Deanna. They’re in charge of food and run the kitchen. Deanna’s husband, my uncle Paul, oversees all the other activities like fishing and river rafting.”
“I’m afraid my head is spinning with so many names.”
“There are more. Along with Wes, you’ll be doing trail rides with Colette, who’s married to Rod. He’s Uncle Paul and Deanna’s son. But you’ll figure it all out soon enough.”
“I understand you all live in town.”
“Yes, but we have a rotation system so we have plenty of staff on duty 24/7.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Let me assure you we’re close enough to the ranch to be here on a moment’s notice if necessary. Wes’s grandfather made it possible for Wes and me to get into a small house after we were first married. I had imagined we’d be living in an apartment for several years, so we’re very lucky.”
“My grandfather sings his praises. I think that’s wonderful.” Tracey and Jeff would have moved to an apartment first, but it didn’t happen, and she needed to stop living in the past. That’s why she’d wanted this new job here for the summer.
“Wes’s parents are so generous, too, and have made everything great for us. I’ve married into the best family in the world. But that’s enough talking about me. I hear you’re an elementary school teacher. I admire you for being able to handle a roomful of children all day long.”
“It’s a challenge, but I love it.”
“Do you have a boyfriend back home who’s going to miss you?”
Tracey’s eyes smarted. “I was engaged to be married, but my fiancé was killed while serving in the military. I’m still trying to get over it.”
A hand went to Fran’s throat. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry to have gone on and on about me and Wes.”
“Don’t you worry about anything. It happened eighteen months ago and I’m doing much better.”
“I’m glad to hear that. If you ever want to talk, I’m available. I met Wes at junior college. We dated and I fell in love with him. But there were several long periods when he didn’t call me. Both times I thought it was over and could hardly bear it. I remember those times, and I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Don’t say another word. I’m just happy you two got back together.”
“It was like a miracle. One day he showed up at my dorm and we ended up getting married. But I’m keeping you from getting settled, so I’ll drive with you to your cabin. It’s number two.”
“Thank you.” Fran was a very compassionate person. Tracey liked her. They left the ranch house and got in her car. She started the engine and, following Fran’s directions, drove them past a corral holding half a dozen horses to the log cabins in the distance.
Only then did it dawn on Tracey how lucky she was to be working for the Hunter family. It made her realize how much John Hunter must revere her grandpa, letting her come work for them as he had. She would do everything she could to fit in, and Fran was already making it easy.
She pulled up in front of her designated cabin. Fran got out and opened the door while Tracey carried in her luggage. The first thing she saw in the little living-room-slash-kitchen was a yellow vase filled with white daisies placed on the round dinette table. A card peeked out of it. She put down her bags and opened the envelope.
“Welcome to the Rocky Point Dude Ranch. I hope the experience here will help mend your broken heart. —John.”
Hot tears burned her eyelids. Tracey didn’t know her grandfather had confided in John about Jeff. She was so touched she could hardly talk.
“How lovely.” Her voice faltered.
“Granddad says you’re the very special granddaughter of his oldest, best friend.”
Tracey turned around. “I can’t thank all of you enough for your kindness.”
“It’s a pleasure. Can I do anything else for you?”
“I’ll be fine. Do you want me to drive you back?”
“Oh, no. I need the walk. We’ll see you in the dining room at seven for a special dinner to kick off the summer season. And remember, come on over to the ranch house anytime if you need someone to talk to. I know there are times when I do.” Fran put the front door key on the table before leaving.
That sounded like a lonely statement to Tracey.
While mulling it over, she walked into the bedroom with its two twin beds, dressers and closet. The other door of the main room led to the bathroom. She liked the blue-green-and-white-plaid decor of the cabin.
A painting of the Sapphire Mountains hung on the log wall over the small couch. With a mini fridge, microwave, TV and internet, she would be perfectly happy here.
The first thing she did was sit down at the table and call her parents. Most of all she wanted to thank her grandpa and tell him about the daisies John had left for her. After a tearful conversation with him while she expressed her gratitude, Tracey freshened up and drove her car over to the barn to unload her saddle and gear.
A sandy-haired guy who looked to be college age caught sight of her. “Hey—need help?” He walked up to her with a smile you couldn’t miss. “I’m Grady Cox.”
“Hi, Grady. I’m Tracey Marcroft and will be helping on the trail rides. If you could show me the tack room?”
“Let me carry your saddle.”
“Thank you.” She brought the rest of the gear and followed him through the long barn to the end room. “Were you hired for the summer?”
“That’s right. I’m a student at Montana State. This will be my third year working with the horses. Occasionally I help on the trail rides, too. Are you from around here? In college?”
She chuckled. He worked fast. “I graduated from the University of Montana two years ago and teach elementary school in Polson.”
He shook his head. “I never remember having a schoolteacher who looked like you. This has to be my lucky day.”
She smiled, but she wasn’t attracted to him, and put her gear away, not wanting to give him any encouragement by responding. “Mr. Hunter told me Wes is in charge of the stable. Is he on duty? I need to pick out a horse I can ride while I’m here.”
“I’ll help you do that while he’s gone.”
“Will it be all right?”
“That’s my job. Do you have a preference?”
“Not really. I’m sure Mr. Hunter wouldn’t have anything but the best horses.”
“You’re right about that. Why don’t we walk to the corral? Any one of the quarter horses out there would be a great choice for you. I’ve been exercising them. Of course, we have more here in the barn if you want to look them over, too.”
“Thank you.”
She was glad he had other things to do and left her alone in the corral. For the next hour, Tracey examined each horse and walked it around. She took her measure of the three mares: a sorrel, a black and a bay. The three other horses were geldings, all of them buckskins.
When she’d finished, she walked into the barn to look over the other horses before she made a decision. When she came to the dun gelding, she knew the splendid horse was the one she wanted, and Tracey walked him out of his stall to the corral.
But as she was leading him around, she noticed his right front leg was limping a little. That wasn’t good. She lifted his hoof to inspect it. When she applied pressure to the sole, the horse let out a distressed grunt.
“You poor thing.” She patted his neck to settle him before calling to Grady, who’d gone out to the corral. “Come and look. This horse is in pain.”
He walked over with a frown. “That’s Wes’s horse.”
“Oh! I thought all the horses were available.”
“Sorry. Not Chief. I should have said something. He’s off-limits.”
“Still, he’s limping and needs attention.”
“I’ve never noticed him do that before. Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“You’d better take him back to the stall. I’ll talk to Wes about it as soon as he shows up. He went to town several hours ago.”
“I’m afraid something should be done soon,” she said, as she slowly walked him back inside. “Chief needs a vet, don’t you, boy?” She hugged his neck.
Grady watched her, looking uncertain and upset. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“Tell you what. I’m going back to the ranch house now to talk to John about this.”
“Maybe you should wait for Wes.”
Why did he seem so hesitant? “What if he can’t get back right away? The horse needs help. John will know what to do.”
Surely Grady Cox didn’t want to see the horse suffer. You needed to be proactive to keep animals safe and healthy. She’d learned the same thing working with children. When something went wrong, you didn’t wait. “Thanks for your help, Grady. See you later.”
“For sure. I assume you’re staying in one of the cabins for the summer, too.” His eyes played over her with the kind of male interest she didn’t want. Since they’d be forced to work together over the summer, she needed to establish a boundary now.
“Yes. I’ve already settled in.”
Without hesitation, she hurried to her car and drove to the ranch house. When she walked in, no one was at the front desk. Tracey took the initiative and walked around the counter to John’s office. To her frustration, he wasn’t there, either.
She went back outside to her car. Dinner wouldn’t be for another hour. The only thing to do was return to her cabin and change. Because they were having a special welcome dinner, she decided to wear her denim skirt and a Western blouse with snaps.
Though she couldn’t bear to see an animal in pain, she had no choice but to wait until then. Hopefully, Wes might have returned and Grady would have already told him about Chief. By now she hoped their vet would have been called.
At five to seven she drove back to the ranch house, where the family had started to gather in the big dining room. She spotted John behind the counter and rushed over to talk to him.
He gave her a big smile. “Have you had a good afternoon?”
“It’s been terrific, but I’m worried about one of your horses.” She told him what she’d discovered. “Wes wasn’t there, but I pointed out the problem to Grady.”
His brows met. “Grady didn’t know he was limping?”
“No. He seemed surprised.”
“Well, you’re absolutely right. Chief needs a vet, but I don’t know that much about the one we’ve just inherited. Our old vet passed away recently. Still, I’ll call him now. Come in the office with me before we have dinner.”
Tracey followed him down the hall, gratified because he recognized the emergency situation and would take care of it. She sat down and listened while he looked up the number on his computer and made the phone call.
In a minute he hung up and shook his head. “Dr. Cruz isn’t available until Monday.”
“Does he practice here in Hamilton?”
“No. Darby. It’s only fifteen miles away, but I’m going to have to find someone else. There’s a good vet in Anaconda.”
“Isn’t that kind of far from here?”
“Yes, but I have to start somewhere.”
While he searched on the computer, she suddenly remembered something.
“John? On my way to Hamilton I passed a sign that said Clayton Veterinary Hospital. It’s right off the highway about fifteen minutes from here. Have you ever heard of it?”
He blinked. “I didn’t know it existed. You’re sure about that?”
“Yes. I slowed down because I didn’t remember seeing it when I came here for the interview in the spring. It has to be brand-new.”
“That’s very interesting. If that vet is a Clayton, then it’s probably their ranch’s vet who handles large animals.”
“What ranch is that?”
“The Clayton Cattle Ranch. They’re well-known around these parts. It’s worth a call to see if someone there can check out Chief this evening. He’s too valuable a horse to lose.”
John called information and before long she heard him talking to someone else. John outlined the situation before he handed her the phone. “Dr. Clayton wants you to tell him what you saw.”
With her heart pounding, she took it from him. “Hello? Dr. Clayton? This is Tracey Marcroft. I was out in the barn earlier. As I led Chief out to the corral, I noticed he was limping. I lifted his hoof and the second I touched the sole, he grunted in pain.”
“That sounds like it could be a solar abscess, a serious infection that can lead to acute or severe lameness,” he replied, in a deep male voice she felt resonate through her system. “Did you notice anything else?”
“No. At first I thought it might be something wrong with the shoe, but that wasn’t it.”
“Anything more you can think of?”
“His demeanor wasn’t normal. His ears weren’t up and he wouldn’t look at me.”
“Excellent observations. If that hoof can be healed in time, the horse owes its life to your quick thinking.” For no good reason his compliment caused a tingly sensation to sweep through her. “Let me talk to Mr. Hunter again.”
“Of course.”
She handed the phone to John. They talked a few more minutes and he gave the other man directions to the dude ranch before hanging up. “The doctor will be here in an hour.” He squeezed her hand. “Bless you for catching this, Tracey. Let’s hurry in to dinner, and then we’ll meet him at the barn.”
