Pamela Tracy - Katie's Rescue

“My uncle Albert lived and worked here before this was a here,” Luke continued. “Back in those days it was mostly a place to keep the few animals he had from his carnival days. Then he took in some rescued burros. My sister—”

“Bridget,” Katie noted. “I read about her on your website.”

He smiled. “My sister Bridget and I came down here every chance we got. Albert believed animals should just enjoy life. At first, he wouldn’t even let us touch the burros, but Bridget loved them so much that soon we were riding them. Especially Cheeky.”

“A camel,” Jasper supplied.

“The next few years were the happiest of Bridget’s life. On the weekends, her job was to take care of Cheeky. They were a perfect pair. See, Bridget liked quiet, and Cheeky is quiet. Plus, if something upset Bridget, Cheeky remained calm. The two of them would go out for a ride, and if Bridget got scared, Cheeky would turn around and head home.”

“Odd for a camel, I’ve never considered them friendly. Yet, the way you’re talking, it’s as if he knew?” Katie said.

“He knew.” Luke stopped in front of an exhibit and visibly relaxed.

Yes, the man was a keeper and, like Jasper and her father, more comfortable with animals than humans. He, obviously, was in his element, showing off his critters. What really surprised Katie was what Luke Rittenhouse hadn’t said. He hadn’t mentioned Bridget’s Down Syndrome. Either he was uncomfortable talking about it, or maybe it didn’t matter.

“We have two antelope jackrabbits,” Luke continued as they made their way back to the front of the enclosure, “but soon we’ll have more.”

Next to the jackrabbits stretched a huge, fenced grassy area. In the distance, Katie could see the burros. They were busy eating, although a few were kicking up their heels, nipping at each other.

A picture of a burro pulling kids in a cart had been on Luke’s webpage, clearly an attempt to attract kids—an attempt that was working.

The before-mentioned Cheeky and her father’s camel, Kobie, were next. Luke hadn’t mentioned Cheeky’s deformity, but Katie had read about it. Cheeky immediately came to the fence and shook her three-cheeked head at Jasper.

“She’s fallen in love with Jasper,” Luke said. “And he’s fallen in love with her.”

Already Jasper was slipping behind the fence to check on Cheeky, leaving Katie alone with Luke.

She studied Jasper carefully. Her dad had definitely known Jasper’s worth, but that didn’t mean he’d always appreciated it. He’d been displeased by how Aquila bonded with Katie, but that had only been one animal. He’d been more than displeased by how many animals preferred Jasper to him, which was why Aquila and Tyre hadn’t been in Jasper’s care in the first place. Unfortunately for Janie.

Unless Luke was a really good actor, Cheeky’s preference didn’t bother him a bit, and he knew how to appreciate Jasper.

“Antelope jackrabbits, burros, camels...” Katie said. “You really are staying true to the A-Z theme.”

“Not only A through Z, but AZ stands for Arizona, as well. We pay special attention to animals that are native.”

“Like a camel?”

Luke simply pointed to the information board in front of the exhibit. “A misguided military venture. I’ll tell you about it later when you’re up to it and we’re not in the sun.” He checked his watch. “And not crunched for time before the visitors arrive.”

Katie nodded. Her father was all about maximizing an animal’s performance. It seemed Luke was more into their history. “So, what D animal is next?”

“The desert tortoise.”

“And all this wasn’t enough to keep people coming?”

“People came, once. But then it might have been years before they came again. Think about it. A burro ride is fun, but not if the only thing you get to do is watch your kids take that ride. With today’s economy and mind-set, we have to provide both education and fun.”

She nodded.

“To properly care for the animals and to make a livable wage for my employees, I need gate receipts—which meant I needed bigger draws.”

Before Luke could say anything else about money or about the tortoises, his cell phone sounded. When he answered, Katie could make out the words drainage problem. Luke wasn’t fazed a bit. He barked out a few questions before ending the call.

“I’ve got to go see about something,” he said. “Are you feeling all right? I can—”

“I’m perfectly fine,” Katie assured him. She had the sense he’d stay with her if she only asked him to.

“You want to roam on your own, then, and meet me for lunch, say, so we can talk over what needs to be done?”

“I’ll do that.”

“You might want to talk to Ruth about a place to stay. Jasper’s been like a worried uncle and thinks you should stay with her. Ruth’s our senior keeper here, and she has a guesthouse on her property. I guarantee it will save you money. Plus, it’s only a mile away.” His phone sounded again. With a quick smile, he loped away.

The private tour was over.

Katie texted her little sister a quick note that she’d arrived safe. Then she checked her watch. She had maybe ten minutes before the front gate opened and the day’s visitors arrived. She’d rather try facing her fears again without a crowd watching.

Luke’s prediction came back to her: If we don’t do something soon, we’ll lose him. Aquila needed her.

It took Katie a few minutes to get her bearings in the park, but soon she was standing once again in front of Aquila’s enclosure.

That’s when she heard the scream. Her knees locked and before she could sit down, the world tilted.

* * *

SO FAR, KATIE VINCENT was a disappointment. At least in the potential-to-help department. In the beauty department, he wasn’t disappointed at all. The couch in his office had never looked so good. Tinker, his cat, didn’t agree, though. She gave Katie a look of disdain and settled down on one end, close to Luke.

“She didn’t faint because she’s scared,” Jasper said. “The girl has more grits than that. She must be hungry.”

“I hope that’s all it is,” Luke observed dryly. “She can’t weigh more than a hundred pounds.” And he should know. When they’d found her in a heap, Jasper had run to get one of Bridget’s carts, while Luke had picked Katie up from the walkway and gathered her close. She weighed less than Terrance the Terrible, more than the antelope jackrabbit and about what the full-grown javelina did.

She smelled better than all three.

But he didn’t need a woman who smelled good. He needed one willing to roll up her sleeves and get dirty. “She’s not going to be able to help with Aquila,” Luke said mournfully.

“You can’t give up yet,” Jasper said. “She just got here.”

“And she’s fainted twice!” Luke argued.

Meredith came in from the break room and set a glass of water on the table next to Katie.

“Hard to believe this is Bob Vincent’s daughter,” Fred the vet stated drolly. “Nothing got in that man’s way.”

“Katie’s very much his daughter,” Jasper protested. “She was always right there alongside her father, couldn’t have been more than four or five when she started, quite the little handler.”

“I’ve seen the videos,” Luke said.

“Her father was never one to miss a marketing opportunity,” Jasper said. “She was basically in charge of Aquila while Bob worked with Tyre. A visiting journalist snapped a photo of her with Aquila, and it made it into some big-time magazine. Bob got calls from all over.”

“Tyre was the aggressive one,” Luke remembered.

“Yes, Aquila’s litter mate. I told you about him. He’s the one who attacked Janie. Bob sold him years ago. Not sure exactly where he finally landed.”