Authors: Julie Pollitt
Finding Kate (6 page)
“You want me to write a feature story on a cattle drive?” Kate asked Trevor as she coughed between words.
“There’s just one catch,” he said.
“And that is…?” Kate said, rubbing her forehead as if she was helping the idea penetrate into her brain.
“You have to be on a horse.”
“Oh, no. That’s not going to happen.” Her vision darted back and forth across the room.
“Trust me, you’ll love it.”
“How about I ride behind the others in my car?” That sounded like a good, safe alternative.
“You wouldn’t feel like you’re part of the drive that way. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“I can’t get on a horse. They’re huge.”
“You can do this. I know you can.”
Kate knew he wouldn’t make her go on the cattle drive if she didn’t want to. But he was famous for talking her into doing things that challenged her comfort zone. Each time, she’d been thankful for it.
“Let me call you back. We can talk more,” he said. “That’s Victoria on the other line.”
“Okay, I’ll—“
Her cell phone flashed “End Call.” Apparently, Victoria took precedence. Strangely, it didn’t bother Kate as much as it would have a week ago.
***
“Where am I?”
Will stood up from his chair, hurried across the room to Emma’s bedside, and slid his hand into hers. “You’re in the hospital. You gave us quite a scare.”
The color hadn’t returned to her face. “I remember talking to Kate in my kitchen. Everything after that’s a jumble.”
“Doc says you’re doin’ a lot better. Your vitals perked up this morning.” Will glanced at the monitor, lines bumping up and down in a variety of colors.
“I can’t check out yet. The Wintervale Days annual celebration is next month. I’ve never missed one so far.” Emma smiled at Will.
That woman could turn fear into humor faster than anyone he knew.
“Did I miss the cattle drive?” She raised her eyebrows.
“It’s today.”
Emma wrapped her wrinkled hand around the railing on the side of the bed and tried to sit up.
“Oh no, you don’t.” He gently held her shoulders down. “You’re not going anywhere.”
She relaxed into her pillow. “But if I can’t, I want you to go.”
“The other riders can cover for me.” He grabbed the chair, slid it closer to Emma’s bed, and sat down.
“I’ll be just fine. I bet I have the best docs watching out for me here.”
“I still wouldn’t feel right about leaving.”
She tapped his hand with her fingers. “You look forward to this drive all year. Besides, you’re one of the best wranglers out there.”
He looked at the floor and scooted his boot around, flipping the brake up and down on the bed
.
“Fine. But I’m coming right back after.” Being away from her would make him impatient, worried.
“Just take a shower first.” Emma winked.
“It’s a promise.” He squeezed her hand. Guilt set in for leaving, but he knew Emma wanted him to go on the drive. He could get back to the hospital by late evening and stay by her side.
***
Kate drove a short distance from town before spotting the cattle-filled pasture, and swerved into a makeshift dirt parking lot already filled with pickup trucks.
The sun broke through the morning clouds, shining in waves across the emerald pasture. A mass of brown-and-white cows grazed among the grass, eating and mooing. She grabbed her camera and stepped out of the car.
A young woman in black leather cowboy boots and a denim jacket approached with an outstretched hand. “You must be Kate. I’m Nancy. Trevor called and said to watch for you. He was right, that is a shiny red car. Nice.”
“Thanks.” Kate tried to stifle her nerves and appear calm.
“I can show you to your horse and give you a rundown of how everything works on a cattle drive.”
Kate slung her camera strap over her shoulder. “I hope you’re going to tell me how I can watch the drive from the sidelines.” Kate chuckled at her own joke.
“Not a chance. You have to experience this firsthand. Besides, what good would a story be if you’re not in the thick of it?” She tucked a strand of blonde hair back into the ponytail poking out from under her cowboy hat.
At this point, Kate’s knees could signal an SOS in Morse Code as they knocked together.
“We’ve got a horse saddled for you. Follow me.” Nancy zigzagged between parked pickup trucks and walked toward the pasture. At least ten horses were hitched in a line along the fencepost. A grouping of cowboys holding mugs and chatting stood close to a food cart. They stopped talking long enough to watch her walk by.
“This one’s yours.” Nancy ran her hand along the flank of a short, chubby brown horse like it was a fine leather jacket. “I figured this might be your first time. Mabel will take good care of you.”
“Mabel?” Kate laughed. “With a name like that, she shouldn’t buck too much, right?” She inched up to the horse, half expecting her racing heart to leap from her chest and splat onto the ground.
Mabel whinnied and rocked her head up and down. Kate muffled a scream and pulled her hands close to her chest.
“She’s harmless. I promise.” Nancy scratched Mabel’s mane.
“Let me help.” Will’s deep voice boomed behind her. She turned and saw him and Trevor both walking toward her. Her stomach settled at bit, but she wasn’t sure which man’s presence dispelled her fears more.
“I’ll do it,” Trevor said, budging past Will. “I know how she feels about this.”
Will stepped in front of Trevor. “Maybe, but I’ve got a lot more experience than you do.”
“I’m the one who talked her into this, so I feel responsible for her. Besides, she knows me better.” Trevor jokingly elbowed past Will.
Will placed his hand on Trevor’s shoulder. “I said I’d help her.” He smiled and winked at Trevor.
Feeling flattered these two men were arguing over her,
Kate crossed her arms and leaned back. As she did, she felt the warmth of the horse behind her. While the men continued arguing, she hiked up her leg, slipped her foot into the stirrup, and grasped the saddle horn. Nancy leaned down and helped boost Kate upright in the saddle.
“Kevin Costner makes this look a lot easier than it is,” Kate giggled. She raised her hands above her head and wiggled her arms like a champion. Mabel moved beneath her and she threw her hands back on the horn, gripping it tight.
She looked down at the two men staring at her. “Let’s get going. We have a cattle drive to do.”
“I’m proud of you,” Will said. He patted the horse’s shoulder and walked toward his own mount.
“See, Kate? I knew you could do it.” Trevor looked up and smiled. “You’re capable of a lot more than you think.”
***
The sun scorched Kate’s skin, sending prickles of pain to her exposed neck. She hadn’t covered it with a bandana or wide-brimmed hat as the others had. Her backbone ached from the movement of the horse, and her sore legs hung loose over the saddle, in spite of Nancy’s warning to keep her feet in the stirrups. She now understood why cowboys ended up walking bowlegged.
But her heart felt surprisingly free as she sat atop the horse. The hum of the cattle mooing actually soothed her. The deep green Wintervale valley stretched for miles in every direction.
The wranglers moved in constant motion, corralling cattle whenever they shifted directions, steering them back to the assigned path with a surprising amount of help from cattle dogs.
Dust stirred in the dry air, casting a light brown haze.
“What do you think so far?” Will said, riding up next to her.
“I could get used to it.” The mountains in the distance were majestic and breathtaking. “The views are amazing here,” Kate said.
“I bet Chicago is beautiful.”
“It is, if you can see past the buildings. The quiet solitude here is mesmerizing. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“Too bad you have to go back to the city in the fall.” Will said.
“Right.” Part of her felt at home. In the short time since arriving in Wintervale, she felt a peace she’d never felt before. Maybe the quiet calm of the country had something to do with it.
Who was she kidding? She didn’t belong here. Sure, riding a horse was incredible, but she was a city girl. Kate wanted to fit in here. But as she looked around at the others riding, she felt like an outsider. She’d watched them all morning. They helped each other and had a camaraderie she hadn’t experienced before.
Will wiped his face with a handkerchief. He handed her a yellow bandana. She took it with thanks and wiped her sweaty brow. Then she tied it around her neck, adjusting the camera strap. By now, she must’ve taken one hundred pictures. She couldn’t wait to sit down someplace air-conditioned, with a seat that didn’t move beneath her, and write the story. With the solid lead she already had in mind, she knew it would be a great story.
Trying to stave off the thoughts of returning to Chicago, she asked Will, “How is Emma doing?”
“She’s got a bit of her spirit back. That woman’s a fighter. Unfortunately, it’s just a matter of time.”
His face softened as he talked about Emma. She wondered if tears were mixed in with the sweat. Kate knew brain cancer usually spelled the end. She just prayed Emma’s death wouldn’t break Will’s heart. His willingness to watch over her proved how much he cared for the woman.
“We’ve got a stray on the west side!” One of the wrangler’s voices came through on the walkie-talkie Will carried.
He stood up in his stirrups and scanned the area. He spotted a calf and pointed. “He’s heading toward the river.” His fingers clutched the radio and he said, “I’ll get him. I just hope it’s not too late.”
Will pulled back on his reins, heading west toward the stray calf. He slid the tips of his fingers into his mouth, letting off a high-pitched whistle.
A dog shot out from behind some cows and ran up alongside Will’s horse.
“Attaboy, Max.”
Will winked at Kate. “You want to see him get the calf?”
“Definitely.”
With a nod at the other wrangler, Will galloped away from the drive. Kate yanked on the reins to follow. Mabel jerked right, throwing Kate off balance in the saddle. She edged her left foot back into the stirrup and righted herself.
Will bolted ahead. Not wanting to get left behind, Kate flipped the reins against her horse’s neck. Mabel lunged forward. The thrust tumbled Kate’s body backward. The reins slipped from her grasp. Her thighs squeezed the sides of the saddle as she scrambled to grab the saddle horn.
“I thought you were a calm horse,” Kate muttered, bouncing up and down. Her camera, strapped around her neck, flipped behind her and hammered against her back. A jolt of adrenaline coursed through her body. Everything she knew about horses came from western movies. That knowledge wasn’t much help at the moment.
The ground beneath Kate blurred as Mabel picked up her speed. The horse’s hooves thundered against the earth. Kate fought against momentum to lean forward in an attempt to reach the reins. The reins flopped alongside the horse’s head, repeatedly eluding Kate’s grasp. Unable to grab anything but mane, Kate gripped a handful of horsehair. Her fingernails dug into her palms. The next good bounce yanked Kate backward, but she held on tight.
Interpreting her yank as instruction, Mabel slowed to a halt. When Kate caught her breath she saw they’d stopped a few yards from the wayward cow. Max nipped at the calf’s heels, veering him away from the riverbank.
Kate let her horse trot closer to Will and Max. The dog continued barking at the calf until the errant animal turned in the direction of the herd.
“Good boy Max,” Will hollered.
Kate’s legs shook and her lower lip trembled. She took a deep breath and tried to keep the tears at bay. She wished she could dismount, but was afraid the horse might leave her behind. Her legs felt weak, and walking back wasn’t a possibility.
Will led his horse up to hers. “You handled that well.”
Kate was surprised Will had noticed, being so focused on rescuing the stray. She uncurled her fingers to find nail marks embedded into her palms.
Will leaned over, grabbed Mabel’s reins, and handed them back to Kate.
“Thank you,” she said. “This is a lot harder than it looks.” Kate exhaled. She appreciated the fact that he tried to help in whatever way he could, although he remained busy with the herd.
“We might may a cowgirl out of you, yet,” Will said. He winked and rode off behind the stray calf.
***
The wranglers led the cattle into the summer pasture behind Nancy and her husband’s ranch with no further complications. The cows mooed as they spread out to graze. The field was green and large, a delicious feast for the herd.
Nancy rode up on her horse and met Kate by the fence. She hopped off and swung the reins around the wooden post. Her face looked like a raccoon with a touch of dirt lining underneath where her sunglasses sat. “How’d it go?”
Kate slid off her horse. She was so grateful to be on solid ground she wanted to kiss the dirt. “I can barely walk.” She rubbed her backside. “But at least I have a story to write.”
“You’ll get used to it.” Nancy grabbed the horse’s reins and wrapped them around the post, hitching Mabel next to the other horses.
Kate looked at Mabel. “Thanks for not throwing me,” she whispered. “But I don’t think I will be getting used to this anytime soon.”
Trevor strolled up behind her. “Let’s grab something to eat.”
Kate swiped her grime-covered hands along the front of her jeans. “After I clean up I’d actually like to visit Emma in the hospital.”
“Can’t you go see her tomorrow?” Trevor’s chin poked out and indicated a struggle between irritation and pouting.
Now that she thought about it, she was awfully hungry. She nearly gave in, until she spotted Will, standing beside his horse staring at them. Will would undoubtedly join the rest of the wranglers at Nancy’s table.
“I do want to see her this afternoon,” she told Trevor. “Besides, I need to get my pictures downloaded and my story written for the paper.”
“Okay.” Trevor shrugged. “Give me a call when you’re done. We can have a late supper together.” Trevor took off his baseball cap and stared at the ground. Did she detect a bit of self-pity on his face? Was he jealous over the time she spent with Will? He had no reason to be. Will barely knew she existed.
“I’ll call you.” Kate slid her hand into her pocket and retrieved her keys. Noticing that Will had his sights on her, she threw her arms around Trevor and gave him a long, intimate hug.
***
Kate tapped her fingers on the kitchen table as she waited for the wireless to connect to her computer.
The
Chicago Herald
’s home page inched onto the screen. Kate clicked on the fashion column link and rested against the back of the chair waiting for it to load. When it finally did, she soaked up every word. The first fashion show of the summer came and went and Kate missed it. The Internet locked up, and an ad for a stunning pair of heels stopped halfway down the screen. “I need faster service.” She’d never see all the pictures at this rate. There was no choice but to go into town and find a faster connection.
In the meantime, she could at least transfer her photos. She connected the cable from her camera into the computer. Pictures of the cattle drive popped up.
Kate clicked through the shots taken earlier that day. She stopped at an image of Will surrounded by cattle. He sat atop his horse in his dusty jean jacket, mud-caked chaps, and worn leather boots. His unshaven face was tanned from the sun. He looked like a poster cowboy, and her heart fluttered a bit at the thought.
His photo would make the perfect cover shot for her article.
He’ll love being on the front page of the newspaper.
***
“I heard you rode a horse today,” Emma said, pushing herself into a sitting position in her hospital bed.
“I don’t know if you’d call it riding or hanging on for dear life,” Kate laughed.
Emma motioned for Kate to sit next to the bed. She moved closer and Emma rested her hand on Kate’s forearm. “I want to show you something.” She reached for a picture frame on the table next to her bed. “Isn’t that the most handsome man you’ve ever seen?”
Kate smiled at the black-and-white photograph. “I’m guessing that’s your husband.”
“Walt and I were married almost forty years before he died.”
Kate felt a lump stick in her throat. “How have you dealt with his death?”
“Not well at first. I asked the Lord so many times why he took him so early. I never heard him answer. So, I began to question my faith. Wondered what I’d done to deserve it and why God had forgotten me.”
The nurse walked into the room and placed a tray of food in front of Emma.
“Thanks, hon.”
After the nurse left, Kate asked, “How did you get past that?”
“I read my Bible.” Emma tore the cellophane covering off the fork and spoon and placed them on her tray. She removed the plastic dome lid from her plate, allowing the aroma of mashed potatoes, gravy, and cubed steak to penetrate the room. “I finally figured it out.”
“What did you figure out?”
Between bites of dinner, she replied, “God never forgot about me. He was right there all the time. I was the one who went missing. His words were on the pages of my Bible promising comfort and hope. When I immersed myself in his word, I began to feel his peace.”
“So you aren’t angry anymore?”
“Oh, I’m still upset that Walt is gone. But I can’t let that rule my life. I always go back to the Bible.”
Emma took her last bite of potatoes. “That’s when I realized that God experienced a far greater loss when he sent his son to die for us. He understood my loss from his own experience.”
Kate had heard those words before and she believed them. But she’d never thought about them from this perspective.
Kate wheeled the tray beside the door and returned to Emma’s side. She wanted to embrace Emma and say something. Nothing would be enough. Emma didn’t need them. She had already given it over to the Lord.
“Someday soon I’ll see Walt.” Emma smiled and closed her eyes as if she were picturing the scene now.
Kate often wondered what it would be like in heaven. She felt a firm conviction that once Emma stepped into that realm, Walt would be standing on the other side ready to wrap his arms around her.
A knock on the door startled Kate, tearing her from her thoughts. She turned in time to see Will come into the room. Emma grinned at him as he approached her bedside.
Emma lifted her hands to Will’s face as he leaned down to kiss her. “Looks like you have more color in your cheeks,” Emma said.
He sat down in a chair on the opposite side of the bed from Kate, and tipped his hat.
“She ate all of her meal too.” Kate pointed to the empty food tray.
Will’s focus remained on Emma. Kate could see the love he had for her. She admired that in him. Kate didn’t want to intrude on their time together, so she stood up to leave. “I’d better be going. Will, I’ll see you at Emma’s in the morning.”
Will stood up as she started to leave the room. “A couple of guys from the drive offered to take care of things over there for a few days so I could keep an eye on her. So, you won’t need to go over to Emma’s place anymore.”
A twinge of sadness filtered through Kate. Although she didn’t particularly like getting up early, she had enjoyed helping Will take care of Emma’s ranch. “I enjoyed helping. You’re a great teacher.”
“I wish I had . . .” Will paused.
Kate wasn’t sure why he stopped talking. The silence was awkward. “Wish you had what?”
“I wish I had a chance to show you more.” Will stared into her eyes.
Kate was a little stunned at his comment. She wasn’t sure he knew she existed more than to have her over to help feed chickens.
“I know you and Trevor are close,” Will added, “and I see the way you look at him, so I hesitate to say more.”
“I-I-“ Kate couldn’t get the words to come out of her mouth. She wasn’t even sure what to say. She liked the fact that he was showing interest, and she wanted him to say more. But what about Trevor? She did have him to consider.