Cowboy rescue, p.1
Cowboy Rescue, page 1
Cowboy Rescue
Barb Han
TorJake Publishing
Copyright © 2020 by Barb Han
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Editing: Ali Williams
Cover Design: Jacob’s Cover Designs
Created with Vellum
To my family for unwavering love and support. I can’t imagine doing life with anyone else. I love you guys with all my heart.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Also by Barb Han
About the Author
1
Jack McGannon leaned a hip against the side of his pickup truck, then crossed his legs at his ankles. He fished his cell from the front pocket of his jeans, questioning why he’d volunteered to take this assignment. Traffic had been a nightmare on the highway. Weather was moving in. Seeing the condition of the mares he was about to rescue was going to be a gut punch.
This so-called animal sanctuary became a prison after the owner retired, turning the family business over to a son who couldn’t care less about the animals, the property, or the house from the looks of it. There had to be a special place in hell for folks who abused or neglected innocent animals.
The storm brewing outside had nothing on Jack’s mood, which was darkening by the minute. But then he hadn’t been in the right mindset since receiving an unsettling text from one of his exes yesterday.
Jack fisted his free hand, thinking he definitely should have taken a pass on this one.
Before he could thumb through his contacts for Texas Parks and Wildlife, Warden William Sparks came around the side of the seventies ranch-style home. In his late thirties, most would describe him as tall and lanky with a runner’s build. He stared at the ground, a scowl on his face.
The second he glanced up and saw Jack, he heaved a sigh and managed a smile. It was then Jack saw something move on the front porch. From this distance, he couldn’t tell what it was.
“Afternoon, William,” Jack said to his law enforcement division contact.
“Afternoon?” William cocked an eyebrow and glanced at his watch. He looked official in his department-issued all brown uniform. “I’ve barely had breakfast.”
Jack chuckled and shook the man’s hand. He guessed to some folks ten a.m. qualified as morning. “Activity starts on the ranch at four, so, yeah, ten feels late.”
“Well, I guess there’s probably a lot of truth to that but for us ‘normal’ folk, ten o’clock is still squarely in the morning.”
“I haven’t seen ten o’clock as a morning in…” He laughed. “Probably my entire life.”
He was a natural fit for early mornings but there were parts of being a McGannon that weren’t so natural. Like the whole being perfect part or when it made him a target for someone looking to cash in on his name.
“Good to see you again,” William said, his tone serious now.
“How long has it been?” Jack didn’t normally volunteer for pickups. He usually waited for the animals to arrive at the ranch and then rolled up his sleeves to help.
“My people are rounding up the mares. These are the last two of the bunch. My office appreciates your help in taking in animals, or finding homes for them.” Jack made eye contact and held it. “I’ll warn you. These two are emaciated. I can count their ribs and see their hip bones…” William took a few seconds before continuing. It was obvious how much he cared about animals. “They’ve been started on good quality hay in small quantity and have been given oral electrolytes and probiotics.”
“I don’t understand some people.” Jack gestured toward the broken-down ranch-style home. Volunteering to be the one to pick up the pair of mares had given him an excuse to be off property and in the northern Austin area.
“That makes two of us.” William shook his head. “But these horses just hit the ranching jackpot, if you don’t mind my saying. They’ll be treated like royalty from here on out.”
Jack personally planned to see to it. The family vet had already been alerted and would be ready to go once Jack got the mares home.
“Hold tight,” William said. “I’ll bring the horses around.”
Jack moved behind his trailer, opened it up and set up the ramp for the mares. He glanced over at the porch again. A dog? He took a couple of steps closer to get a better look. Thick fur and a hot Texas sun weren’t exactly friends. This one looked like a Bernese Mountain and Rottweiler mix. The guy barely lifted his head up despite looking like he’d been fed. That part was a relief. Too many times animals came to the ranch that had been nearly starved to death like the mares.
William brought the horses around, so Jack turned around and moved to the trailer. True to William’s word, the mares were pitiful looking. More of that anger surfaced. Jack worked to contain it.
After loading them, he closed the back doors and slid the lock to secure them. He needed to get them back to the ranch where Derek Jacobs would be waiting.
The Bernese mix lay dutifully on the porch.
“What’s going to happen to that one?” He nodded toward the animal.
“I reckon he’ll go to the shelter. It’s not ideal and you know how much I hate taking them there,” William said.
The dog moved and Jack saw a glint of metal. “What’s that on him?”
“Chains. Sydney has my bolt cutters.” William barely finished his sentence before Jack stalked to the pickup. He opened up the toolbox and grabbed his Kobalt fourteen-inch cutters.
“No. No. No. I’ll take him with me. Maybe the familiarity of the horses and ranch life will give him comfort.” The Bernese looked so sad. And maybe it was just that same internal brokenness that Jack could identify with that made him feel a draw to the animal. Either way, whether the Bernese wanted to spend the rest of his days resting and lounging around or working, it didn’t matter a bit to Jack. He went into it for the long haul.
Before William could respond, Jack was stalking toward the chained-up animal. He muttered a few curses as he walked straight up to the animal.
“Might be tough to get him to move. I get the sense he’s been living on that porch for most of his life,” William stated. “And he’ll most certainly have fleas. You sure you want to deal with that on your ride home?”
“He’s been through enough already. I’ll cope with the fleas if I can give him a better life.” Fleas could be dealt with. Walking away from a dog that was chained on a porch wasn’t something Jack could live with. He took a risk in getting up close and personal with a strange dog. The Bernese looked defeated. More of that anger surfaced.
“Just checking,” William said. “Plus, I had a feeling you’d say something like that. I don’t think he’s moved since we’ve been here.”
“Is he old?” Jack positioned the cutters and then with a grunt, sliced through the chain.
“Doesn’t seem so. As you can see, he is gentle, though. A vet could give a better idea of his age, but I wouldn’t say that he’s much older than four or five. It can’t help being left out here in the heat. And his fur is matted.”
“Nothing a little shampoo can’t cure.” Same as with the fleas. It’d be easy enough to wash him. Jack might not know what to do about the texts from his ex, but animals were second nature to him. He called to the dog to gauge how difficult it was going to be to get the Bernie to move.
The guy didn’t even lift his head up.
“Hey, boy.” Jack’s chest took a hit when the saddest brown eyes stared up at him. The dog’s head didn’t move but his tail wagged, and that was a good sign.
Considering his ears didn’t rear back and his disposition didn’t change one bit, Jack had a lot of confidence in moving forward. True enough, up close his hair was matted. And, yes, there would be fleas. Jack had no doubts about it. A quick flea dip would help with those.
Jack fished his cell from his pocket. He snapped a pic of the Bernese and sent it to Derek, alerting him to a need for a once-over on the animal. Those eyes would haunt him forever, especially if he walked away.
“Hey, buddy,” he started after replacing his phone. “How about you come home with me? What do you think?”
He searched for any signs of life in the dog and was heartbroken when the animal seemed ready to accept whatever happened. His spirit had to be pretty broken to allow that.
The Bernese didn’t have on a collar, just a chain around his neck. Since all the other animals had been seized from the property based on neglect, it was an easy case to justify taking him home to the ranch.
Getting him to stand up of his own free will was important to Jack. It would also rule out any physical injuries that might need to be looked at right away. Derek was on notice and would make sure all the necessary supplies were available. But the dog wasn’t budging.
What Jack needed was a treat. Since he didn’t carry around a treat bag in his pocket, he figured a pinch of meat from the sandwich Miss Penny had packed and insisted he bring would have to do. He could pinch off a piece or two of ham and see if he could get the dog to follow him to the truck. Normally, Jack drove a Jeep. This truck belonged to the ranch and was the best hookup for the trailer.
It had a big sticker on the back that said McGannon Herd, which he didn’t use for his personal vehicle. Being a McGannon already placed a big enough target on his back. He didn’t feel the need to blast his whereabouts. It was also the reason he didn’t have any social media accounts. Not that he was the type to use them. Jack needed to be outside. He’d rather have reins in his hands than a device. He needed to breathe fresh air and feel the sunshine on his face. And right now, he needed to head back to the truck and grab that sandwich.
“No luck?”
Jack shook his head as he opened the passenger door.
“I have a secret weapon, though.” The still fresh sandwich was right where he left it.
A few seconds later, he was within spitting distance of the Bernese…holding out a treat. Bernie seemed like a good name. Yeah, Jack liked that name. “What do you think? Bernie?”
Bernie with the big brown eyes didn’t have much in the way of a response. So, Jack held out the bit he pinched off within a foot of the big guy’s nose. And…nothing.
Jack flattened his right hand and held it even closer, so the dog could get a good whiff in case the wind had shifted. The move got Bernie’s attention. Head to one side, he licked Jack’s hand, then nibbled the bite.
“Good boy, Bernie.” He needed to get used to his new name. New name for a new life.
Jack tore off another pea-sized treat. Bernie got the hang of this quickly, scooting closer to Jack’s hand this time.
“Do you want more?” Jack took a step back and pinched off another piece. He held it on the palm of his hand.
Bernie moved, forcing himself to stand with what looked like great effort. Possible hip dysplasia, Jack thought. It wasn’t uncommon in extra-large dogs. Leaving it untreated was akin to abuse. Jack had every bit of understanding for folks who couldn’t afford veterinary care; his mother had started a charity for those situations. And there were rescue operations that would help; there was literally no reason to leave a dog to suffer with all the resources out there. And, sometimes, surrender was the kindest option. This place, though, was riddled with neglect.
White-hot anger tore through Jack at the animal’s suffering. He also had a dilemma. He could open the trailer and put the ramp down, so Bernie could load up in the back. Or, he could risk picking Bernie up to place him in the passenger seat.
The trailer was a four-stall, and the horses were secured in the front two. Jack didn’t like the idea of Bernie being back there even though it would help with the flea problem later. He could make a bed out of horse blankets, but Bernie could end up being jostled around. The other idea was a little riskier.
“Hold on there.” William caught onto Jack’s plan.
“I won’t push him. If he doesn’t want me picking him up, I won’t do it.” Jack had left the passenger door open. He glanced at William. “Do you mind grabbing a couple of blankets from the backseat and making a bed for him on the passenger side?”
“Sure thing.” William did the favor.
“Thank you.”
“Be careful with him. We both know a hurt animal is cap—”
“He’s fine. Promise. I won’t do anything stupid.” He moved closer to Bernie. “Hey, buddy. All I want to do is get you safely inside the truck. What do you think about it?”
Given Bernie’s sheer size, he could deliver a sharp bite. Jack had no intention of needing rabies shots. The image of a long needle in his stomach took hold, causing his body to shiver involuntarily. He had no idea if rabies shots still required those needles and had no intention of finding out today.
As long as he was careful, and Bernie wasn’t giving any signs of agitation, Jack could move forward. The dog would only bite out of fear or protection. It was plain to see this guy didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Jack managed to maneuver close enough to secure a hand underneath Bernie’s front section. All that got was a face lick. Good response.
“Almost there,” he soothed. It was the hindquarters he worried about. He used as calm and consistent voice as he could, knowing full well animals often took their cues from humans. Especially domestic animals. “You’re doing great.”
Scooping the dog up, Jack tensed, half-expecting the worst. He moved quickly to the vehicle and placed Bernie on top of the folded blankets. He eased his hands out from underneath the hefty animal.
“Ever think about changing professions?” William blew out a breath like he’d been holding it the entire walk over.
“Nope.”
“If you ever do, my office could use a few good people like you.” William was only half-joking, based on the knowing look he gave.
“You know me. Ranching’s in the blood. Animals are part of the job.” While most ranchers used trucks to herd cattle and ATVs to check fences, McGannon Herd Cattle Ranch still rode horses. A few of the hands had converted to electronic or gas-powered, but Clive McGannon was a renaissance man. He’d taught his sons and nephews the old-fashioned way and they’d embraced it. There was something about starting his day in the saddle that righted the world.
“Hope this creep gets locked away for a long time.” Jack nodded toward the house. There were a few choice words that came to mind, words much stronger than creep. Jack bit his tongue.
“We should be solid on this one.”
Jack clenched his back teeth. William wasn’t lying. Jack could literally count the mares’ ribs as he’d loaded them. Disgusting. His faith in humanity was at an all-time low at the moment.
“You’re good to come all the way out here, Jack,” William said.
“Don’t start that kind of rumor. You’ll ruin my bad-boy reputation,” Jack teased. He wasn’t so sure about the good part. He stuck his right hand out between him and William, who took it and gave a good shake.
“It’ll kill your dating life,” William shot back.
Too soon, Jack thought. Besides, he’d done a great job of that on his own and the comment stung more than he wanted it to. He walked over to the driver’s seat, climbed in, and was back on the road toward home where he belonged a minute later.
There weren’t a lot of vehicles on this stretch of road, so seeing a hitchhiker out here caught his eye. She had on jean shorts and a tan-colored cotton shirt with her cowgirl boots. Her long legs weren’t the only things that he noticed. She wore a wide-brimmed hat that looked incredibly familiar. Boots and a backpack never looked better on a person. Thick, wavy hair that fell halfway down her back blew in the breeze.
Out of nowhere, she turned and tucked her hand in her pocket.
Pulling up beside her, he asked, “Natalie?”
2
“Never mind,” Natalie told Jack, mortified that she ran into him of all people. Wasn’t that the perfect example of how her luck had always run? Since Murphy’s Law was a heck of a lot more predictable than Texas weather, she chalked the current situation up to a cruel twist of fate.
“You had your thumb out. You must need a ride somewhere.” His deep voice had the kind of low rumble that washed over her, bringing body parts to life that didn’t need reviving. Not that it took a lot to be awestruck by Jack McGannon. He had the kind of rugged good looks that had women lining up for the chance to spend time with him.
“Not anymore.” She didn’t dare look at him. Not while he still had a face of hard angles and sharp planes or the kind of penetrating eyes that made her think he could see right through her.
She kept walking and he kept pace with his truck. Not exactly his truck. This one was the family owned and had thrown her off when she’d seen it coming. Jack drove a green Jeep. One that blended into the Texas scenery. So, the truck threw her.
