Buzz had hired Shannon to work this event. Maybe he could offer some insight that might give Jack an angle to solve this problem. "What's the deal with the new vet?" he asked, his voice casual. "She's not the friendliest one."
Bollinger propped a muddy boot onto a rock. "Thought you knew her from school."
"She was much younger."
"Rough life, I guess. Way I heard it, she came here when she was thirteen, looking like an angel but all starch. Her daddy was one of those men who would take supper money to gamble on some new get-rich-quick scheme. Her mama was a looker like her though. They were chasing one of the desert's legends. A rockfall buried them. Their bodies were never recovered."
"I remember hearing that," Jack said. "They were on some harebrained scheme to find a Spaniard's burial site. There was some big hoopla about digging out their bodies, but no one was sure about the location, and the daughter wanted to let them be."
"You know more than I do then," Bollinger said.
Only because Buzz's words had opened a floodgate of memories. Ones he'd like to forget. Like the betrayal in her eyes at school in the lunchroom when his friends mocked her and twirled their fingers around their ears to imply she was crazy.
"I moseyed around town asking questions about her before I hired her," Buzz said. "Grady said she was the best helper he ever had. When she left here, she put herself through college and veterinary school. One thing that bothered me a bit was someone at the cafe said she was just a little off, if you know what I mean."
"That's not true," Jack said quickly.
"You sound like Grady. He said the rumors were just cruel lies."
"She's got a daughter," Jack said. "Is the dad around?" Shannon would be a formidable enough adversary by herself.
"I don't know anything about that. I was only interested in what kind of person I'd be hiring"
Jack had already figured that out. Shannon was as tenacious as a Gila monster. "I'm surprised she came back here. The pay can't be very good."
"I wondered about that too. She told me her school bills were crippling, but she's got a free place to live here."
Bills. Maybe if he was lucky, Shannon could be bought off.
SHANNON WRAPPED THE HORSE'S SWOLLEN LEG AND RAN GENTLE HANDS over the mare's fetlock. "You'll be all right, girl," she whispered. The horse nuzzled Shannon's hair as if to say thank you.
Shannon packed up her supplies and headed toward the far training paddock. At least she had something to keep her mind off the amazing turn of events that had disrupted her life. She longed to know Faith better, to see her girls laugh and play together. She didn't have the faintest idea how to accomplish that. She skirted a cactus and stood on a rock for a better view. The trainer hadn't seen her yet, that's the way she liked it.
She hadn't seen the man's face, but something about him seemed familiar. About five-eight, he was thin with lots of nervous energy that he focused on the mustang. The young mare strained against the long lead as she galloped along the sand in a circle around him. Shannon was about to turn and walk away when she heard a distinctive crack behind her. She spun back and saw a bullwhip flip through the air and land on the rump of the mare. The animal screamed and danced away from the whip.
No! Her fists clenched, Shannon leaped from the rock and bolted for the paddock. The guy's back was to her, and he was swearing so loudly he couldn't hear her approach. He raised his whip again, but before he brought the rawhide down on the mare, Shannon reached up and snatched it from his hand.
"What the " The man whirled to face her. Red suffused his swarthy face, which was twisted into an angry grimace.
Shannon retreated in shock. She'd had no idea he was here.
With his gaze locked on hers, the anger faded from Tucker Larue's eyes. "It's you," he said. "I wondered when you'd come to see me."
"Tucker?" she said, struggling to keep her tone even. No, not now, not here.
Bollinger propped a muddy boot onto a rock. "Thought you knew her from school."
"She was much younger."
"Rough life, I guess. Way I heard it, she came here when she was thirteen, looking like an angel but all starch. Her daddy was one of those men who would take supper money to gamble on some new get-rich-quick scheme. Her mama was a looker like her though. They were chasing one of the desert's legends. A rockfall buried them. Their bodies were never recovered."
"I remember hearing that," Jack said. "They were on some harebrained scheme to find a Spaniard's burial site. There was some big hoopla about digging out their bodies, but no one was sure about the location, and the daughter wanted to let them be."
"You know more than I do then," Bollinger said.
Only because Buzz's words had opened a floodgate of memories. Ones he'd like to forget. Like the betrayal in her eyes at school in the lunchroom when his friends mocked her and twirled their fingers around their ears to imply she was crazy.
"I moseyed around town asking questions about her before I hired her," Buzz said. "Grady said she was the best helper he ever had. When she left here, she put herself through college and veterinary school. One thing that bothered me a bit was someone at the cafe said she was just a little off, if you know what I mean."
"That's not true," Jack said quickly.
"You sound like Grady. He said the rumors were just cruel lies."
"She's got a daughter," Jack said. "Is the dad around?" Shannon would be a formidable enough adversary by herself.
"I don't know anything about that. I was only interested in what kind of person I'd be hiring"
Jack had already figured that out. Shannon was as tenacious as a Gila monster. "I'm surprised she came back here. The pay can't be very good."
"I wondered about that too. She told me her school bills were crippling, but she's got a free place to live here."
Bills. Maybe if he was lucky, Shannon could be bought off.
SHANNON WRAPPED THE HORSE'S SWOLLEN LEG AND RAN GENTLE HANDS over the mare's fetlock. "You'll be all right, girl," she whispered. The horse nuzzled Shannon's hair as if to say thank you.
Shannon packed up her supplies and headed toward the far training paddock. At least she had something to keep her mind off the amazing turn of events that had disrupted her life. She longed to know Faith better, to see her girls laugh and play together. She didn't have the faintest idea how to accomplish that. She skirted a cactus and stood on a rock for a better view. The trainer hadn't seen her yet, that's the way she liked it.
She hadn't seen the man's face, but something about him seemed familiar. About five-eight, he was thin with lots of nervous energy that he focused on the mustang. The young mare strained against the long lead as she galloped along the sand in a circle around him. Shannon was about to turn and walk away when she heard a distinctive crack behind her. She spun back and saw a bullwhip flip through the air and land on the rump of the mare. The animal screamed and danced away from the whip.
No! Her fists clenched, Shannon leaped from the rock and bolted for the paddock. The guy's back was to her, and he was swearing so loudly he couldn't hear her approach. He raised his whip again, but before he brought the rawhide down on the mare, Shannon reached up and snatched it from his hand.
"What the " The man whirled to face her. Red suffused his swarthy face, which was twisted into an angry grimace.
Shannon retreated in shock. She'd had no idea he was here.
With his gaze locked on hers, the anger faded from Tucker Larue's eyes. "It's you," he said. "I wondered when you'd come to see me."
"Tucker?" she said, struggling to keep her tone even. No, not now, not here.
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