Susan Mallery - The Rancher Next Door

He hadn’t known what to expect. From the sound of things, he thought every building would be destroyed. He turned in a slow circle. The yard and corrals were littered with debris-wood, broken branches, odd bits of trash-but the main structures were standing. He stared at the barn and then the house. A corner of the porch was gone, as if someone had come along and taken a bite out if it. One of the barn doors was missing while another hung on a single hinge. A small toolshed had been reduced to a pile of rubble, and a second outbuilding used for storage was completely gone. But otherwise, there didn’t seem to be much damage.

“How is it?” Katie called.

“Not bad.”

He bent and helped her up. Shane popped out next, with the puppies scrambling behind him. A couple of the guys lifted Hattie out. She stumbled on the uneven ground, then used her cane to steady herself.

His mother looked around and smiled with obvious relief. “I thought sure we’d lost everything. We were lucky.” Her smile faded. “I wonder how they made out in town. I’ll go see if the phone lines are working.”

Jack shook his head. “They won’t be. At least not here. Everything is aboveground. But try the cellular phone. The storm shouldn’t have any impact on it.”

“Are you going to go check on the men?” Hattie asked.

He nodded and watched her expression turn worried. Half a dozen cowboys had been out with the herd as the storm hit. They all knew what to do during a storm, but information wasn’t always enough. Without a safe place to wait, lives could be lost.

“I’ll take a truck,” he said. “I’ll cover more ground that way.”

“Take a radio, too,” his mother said. “I want to stay in touch with you.”

“Right.”

In case there was a problem in town. Nora was there, along with most of their friends. As Hattie hurried toward the house, he turned his attention to the men. He gave them instructions to check the horses and the rest of the outbuildings. When he was done, Katie put a hand on his arm.

“I’m coming with you,” she said. “You might need help with an injury. I’m a great medic.”

He started to protest, but then he realized he wanted her near him. The tornado wasn’t about to come back, and if it did, she would be safer here. Still, he couldn’t escape the sensation of wanting her within touching distance.

“Good idea. I’ll go get the truck. You head up to the house and grab the first aid kit. Hattie knows where it is.” He looked at Shane. “Can I leave you in charge?” he asked. “Will you be all right here?”

The boy grinned. “Sure. I’ll take care of your mom and you take care of mine.”

Jack ruffled his hair then walked quickly to the vehicle barn. He took the keys for the sturdiest four-wheel-drive truck and slipped behind the wheel. Katie tossed a duffel bag on the bench seat, handed him a radio, then climbed in on the passenger side. After giving Shane a quick wave, they were gone.

Jack headed for the main road through the center of the ranch. “We’ll follow the path of destruction,” he said. “I know where my men are supposed to be. I want to check on them first. Can you handle this?” he asked, returning the radio to her.

“Sure.” She fastened her seat belt, then turned on the radio. “I told Hattie we’d test it right away. Let me raise her and then-”

She stopped talking and sucked in a breath. “Oh, Jack.”

He turned to see what had caught her attention. His small house lay in ruins. Parts of it were missing, but most of it had been reduced to piles of broken boards and windows. He saw part of his sofa about ten feet from the rest of the house. A single unbroken mug sat where the front porch had been.

“You lost everything,” she said, sounding stunned.

Jack thought about the bits of furniture in the house. He’d built it about eight years ago, when he’d wanted a place of his own. He’d never bothered to decorate or make it much more than a place to eat and sleep.

“It could have been worse,” he reminded her. “I can always build another house if I want to.” Something bigger, but this wasn’t the time to go into that.

“You’re right. Let me get Hattie on the radio.”

Two hours later they’d accounted for all the men and had surveyed most of the damage. Sections of pasture had been ripped up, and most of the freshly planted alfalfa was destroyed, but loss to the herd was minimal.

“It could have been a lot worse,” Jack said.

“I know. We were all really lucky.” Katie looked at him, her expression concerned. “Could we head over toward the Fitzgerald ranch?”

“Sure.”

He turned the truck and headed west. Hattie had been able to reach Nora in town using the cellular phone, and most of the neighboring ranches by radio. There were a few damaged homes in town and a couple of dozen injuries. Suzanne had said the tornado had hit them pretty hard, taking out one of the barns and ripping up fence lines. Katie’s new house, and its subdivision, had been untouched.

Their route took them by the line shack they’d met at so recently. The rickety old building had survived the storm. But beyond the shack, miles of fence had been ripped out like so much knitting.

“Up there,” Katie said, pointing.

Jack saw what had caught her eye. Two men on horseback, herding cattle through a large break in the fence. He recognized Aaron and his oldest son, David.

As he watched, a half dozen steers broke free and trotted in their direction. Jack hit the gas and drove toward the animals. He tapped the horn, which made the cattle turn and jog toward the rest of the cows.

Aaron said something to David. He turned his horse and headed for the truck. Jack put the vehicle in park and stepped out.

“Fence lines seem to be down,” he said by way of a greeting. “I’ve got three or four men in the area. I’ll have them come over and get started on repairs.”

Katie’s father removed his hat and wiped his brow, then stared at the horizon. “This is my fence. I’ll take care of fixing it.”

Jack grimaced, but he wasn’t surprised by the older man’s answer. The Darbys and the Fitzgeralds had split responsibility of the shared fence line. For years each had been meticulous about doing their part and not one inch more.

“Daddy,” Katie said, coming to the front of the truck. “Is everyone okay?”

Her father glared at her. “What do you care? You’ve made your decision about who matters. Now you have to live with it.”

She sighed. “Daddy, don’t. Please. We’re family. We shouldn’t be mad at each other.”

“I’m not mad,” her father said in a tone that belied his words.

“Then prove it. Answer my question. Is everyone at the ranch all right?”

“No one was hurt, if that’s what you’re asking.” His voice was grudging. “I don’t have time to chitchat. I’ve got work to do.” He turned to ride away.

Jack stepped closer to her and lightly touched her shoulder. She glanced at him gratefully.

“The offer still stands,” Jack called after him. “If you change your mind about the fence or anything else.”

“I don’t need help from any Darby,” Aaron yelled and rejoined his son.

Jack watched them work. Why was Aaron making this so difficult, he wondered. It shouldn’t have to be this way. Katie read his mind. She climbed into the truck, then shook her head.

“I don’t know why he has to be that way,” she said as Jack settled next to her and started the engine. “You were just offering to help. With a couple of extra guys, they could have the fence finished in half the time. But he would rather have his cattle run all over than let you be a good neighbor.” She leaned back in the seat and sighed. “I love my father, but I don’t understand him. He will die to prove his private truth, regardless of anyone else’s feelings, regardless of pain or cost. What does that say about him? How can being right be so damned important?”