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every year, surely it can t Rob cut him off. Vaccinations aren t a hundred-percent guarantee against the disease, he reminded him gently. There was a tense silence. Then Brett asked another question Cade had been dreading. So what s the next step? What treatment does she need? Rob ran his hand over the horse s mane and shook his head. She s too far gone, Brett. Tetanus can lie dormant for months but once the symptoms set in, the disease progresses quickly. Another silence and Cade could almost feel Brett s heart breaking. So we wait? He directed his question at Rob as Brett stepped inside the stall. Rob didn t reply as Brett ran a loving hand over the horse s stiff flanks, and Cade had to fight every instinct he had not to go in there and reach for him. After a few moments, Brett turned his face away from the horse and looked at the vet. Are we waiting? Rob hesitated and then slowly shook his head. I think it d be best if we put the old girl out of her misery. A lump formed in Cade s throat at the dooming words. He watched with an aching heart as Brett continued to pat down the horse, the usual harsh tone in his voice replaced by something softer as he soothed the distressed animal. Losing Dixie was a blow he didn t need to face right now. Cade shifted his focus to Rob as Brett continued to whisper in the horse s ear. What happens now? I have what I need in the truck, he said somberly. When Jimmy called and told me what was going on I thought I might need it. 90 www.samhainpublishing.com Coming Home Cade nodded stiffly. And what about the he faltered and then took a deep breath, what about the body? I can take it away on my trailer. There s a removal service I deal with just outside Steeplecrest. I can take care of all that. Sensing the vet was trying to make it as easy for them as possible, Cade made a mental note to thank him later on. Right now he didn t think he could speak as he watched Brett, usually so hard and unyielding, stroke the horse gently, saying goodbye. While Rob went to get his supplies from his truck, Cade turned away from the stall and swallowed past the lump in his throat. Jimmy was having a hard time of it too, rubbing at his eyes and clearing his throat with a cough. I m glad I was here, Jimmy said hoarsely. I just came by to pick up something I d left behind and I heard her. Glad you were here too, Cade forced out, summoning the strength to face the stall again. Despite Brett s soothing strokes, the horse s pain was palpable. Her eyes, which had always been so soft and intelligent, were watering. The lockjaw had set in and she didn t appear to be able to move her face. She looked like a different animal from when he d seen her that morning. She d been stiff then too, but he d put it down to old age. He wished it had clicked in his mind, but even if it had and they d called Rob then, it probably wouldn t have made a difference. Probably. Rob returned with a bag in his hand. He walked into the stall and got to his knees, unzipping the bag. Brett didn t turn from the horse but Cade didn t miss how his shoulders tensed further, the muscles bunching beneath his T-shirt. With a needle in hand, Rob stood and approached the horse. Are you ready? he asked, looking to Brett for permission to continue. Brett s curt nod was the only answer he got and, as Brett continued to whisper to Dixie, Rob inserted the needle beneath her skin and pulled back the syringe. Dixie didn t seem to feel the prick and Cade supposed she probably couldn t feel anything through the pain she was already experiencing. He looked on as her eyelids drooped. Slowly, her legs folded beneath her body and she dropped to the floor. Her eyes closed fully as if she were drifting into a sleep. Two minutes later, Rob stepped forward to check for a pulse. She s gone, he confirmed, getting to his feet. He turned sorry eyes on Brett and then glanced at Cade. We can wait a while before taking her out, but not too long or rigor mortis will set in. Thanks, Rob, Jimmy croaked out. But maybe we should get this done now, right boss? Brett turned and Cade had to look away from the raw pain swimming in his dark eyes. Yeah, Brett said quietly, let s get it over with. www.samhainpublishing.com 91 Ava Rose Johnson Moving the animal from the stall to Rob s trailer was no mean feat. Her weight bore down on them as they half-carried, half-dragged her across the yard. It made Cade s stomach turn to see the beautiful horse be treated this way, but he had to remind himself she was gone and what they were carrying now was dead meat, soulless. He stood with Brett as Rob drove away, carrying what was left of Dixie with him. Jimmy left too and when the lights at the back of his old pickup faded into the distance, Cade couldn t stop himself. He reached out and put his hand on Brett s shoulder. To his surprise and relief, Brett didn t shrug him off. They stood like that for long minutes until Brett turned and started back toward his house. Cade didn t hesitate. He followed him. 92 www.samhainpublishing.com Chapter Nine Brett didn t turn on the lights when they stepped into the kitchen. There didn t seem to be a point to illuminate the room. His eyes were tired and the thought of brightness made his head throb. He turned to the window where shards of moonlight were slicing through the glass and casting shadows over the floor and walls. That was enough light. They didn t need more than that. He stared at one triangle of silver that illuminated a picture frame on the wall. In the frame sat a picture of his parents, taken just after their wedding. As if their death had occurred only yesterday, the grief struck him between the ribs, a knife digging deep into his body and twisting cruelly. They were gone, he realized. And Dixie was gone too. Swallowing hard, he dropped his gaze to the floor. His vision blurred, his throat burned. The thud of boots on the floor behind him reached his ears and he lifted his head. At the back of his mind he knew he should ask Cade to go but he couldn t bring himself to form the words. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that he needed Cade here. If the man walked out of the house and left Brett alone, he didn t know what he d do. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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