Page 7 of Honoring Freedom
“Warning, Daddy will use you for more than taking care of animals. You’ll also see to overseeing any strife among the crew. Probably even stitching up injuries a time or two.”
With a narrowed gaze, he accepted the shirt and pulled it onto his shoulders, buttoning it with more care than the last one. “You mentioned strife. Has there been tension in the ranks?”
She gave a slight shrug. He guessed she was taking care to hold her cards close to her vest with how much she told him. “If you could lead a unit of soldiers into battle then you should be capable of teaching a bunch of unruly cowboys new and improved equestrian and cattle care. Even Daddy sees the advantage of modern medicine. That’s why he hired you, I’m sure.”
"Vanhoose said that you and your sisters have been using contemporary methods with the horses lately." He reached for his belt hanging on the hook and slid it through the loops along his waistband. “Sam told me he wants to adopt new methods. He said the crew needs a leader.”
“It has felt like an uphill battle. Daddy is quite traditional, and there are certain things he will never grasp. I'm torn between feeling elated that it required a doctor to persuade him to adopt new methods and feeling slightly resentful that only amaledoctor could make him see reason.”
“I understand your viewpoint, but Sam values you and your sisters' opinions. Change is gradual, and modern techniques often take time to demonstrate their benefits. Sam has never been very patient. And let’s face it, Vanhoose is a damn good vet, but his methods and techniques are outdated.”
He stared at her and she shifted her feet. “What?”
"Are you done giving me a lecture now? I have to get to the ranch before Sam loses his last bit of patience.”
Frustration returned in her features. “Do yourself a favor and stay out of my way, Keller.” She swiveled and made her way down the hallway.
When he heard the slamming of the screen door he laughed.
If he planned to survive back in Sagebrush Pine, he needed to keep his mind off Freedom and focus on keeping the livestock and horses healthy. Sam had spoken to Keller about a few hands being lazy in their duties. He assured Sam that he’d never accept lackadaisical methods. Keller prided himself on his reputation. That’s where he and Sam saw eye-to-eye.
Working a ranch was an exhausting job, but he never minded demanding work. In fact, he craved the challenge. Long hours kept his mind off the years he spent in the Rangers and the men that never came home. Men who meant as much to him as any of his brothers. On that fateful day when he’d almost lost his own life, two of his buddies hadn’t been so lucky. The worst thing was, he’d missed both their funerals because he was still stuck in the hospital recovering from his life-threatening wounds. Three surgeries and two months of physical therapy later, he was shipped home in the back of a cargo plane and left to figure out where he would go from there.
With the help of a good therapist, a mild sleeping pill, and eating healthier, because he did like junk food, the nightmares became less frequent. The aches and pains in his body had even improved.
“I’ve changed in a lot of ways, Free. You wouldn’t like me at all now. Best we avoid each other,” he mumbled to himself and grabbed his boots from underneath the bed, shoving his feet inside.
He made his way into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the ceramic bowl that his Ma had made years ago. He started munching on the fruit when Keifer came strolling in, looking quite like the cat who ate the canary, reaching into the refrigerator for a protein shake. When he realized Keller was eyeing him, he shrugged. “Got something to say?”
“Why don’t you move upstairs? Plenty of bedroom space and then I won’t have to listen to things I don’t want to hear,” he muttered and tossed the half-eaten apple into the trash.
“She’s right, you know?” Keifer drained the shake container and crushed it between his palms.
“Who are we talking about?”
“Freedom. Sagebrush Rose isn’t big enough for the two of you.”
“You listening to my conversations now?” Keller said with a shake of his head.
“You listening to my shenanigans?”
“Point taken. Thin walls. But you should keep your focus on the city girl you got down the hallway. Something tells me she can be a handful.”
"Relax. I know what she likes," Keifer said confidently.
"I’m leaving. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Keller murmured, pushing through the back door and stepping out into the blistering morning. It was going to be a scorcher, in many ways.
Keifer opened the door and caught Keller at his truck. “Help a brother out. Get me hired at Sagebrush Rose.”
“We’ll see,” Keller said, waving as he climbed into his truck. The engine roared to life, rattling the windows. It was the same Dodge he bought before he enlisted, and despite its aging engine, he couldn’t let it go—not yet. The simple man that he was, he opted for used over new.
He didn’t lack much in life but occasionally pondered what the future held.
He thought of a strawberry blonde beauty. Back in the day, he'd figured he knew exactly what his future looked like. He imagined spending his life with her. Man, he used to be a foolish kid who saw everything in vibrant Technicolor. Nowadays, things felt a lot blacker and whiter with no shades of grey.
Getting shot and facing death could do that to a person. Make a man start wondering what the universe had in store for him. Whether he wanted to face the reality of the situation or not, he’d be seeing a lot of Freedom in the days to come. Keller wasn’t the type of man to ignore the elephant in the room. The only question that loomed large in his mind was did he still care for her?
He pulled out and immediately slammed on the brakes.