About Menagerie
by BA Tortuga
31 pages / 12800 words
ISBN: 978-1-60370-039-9, 1-60370-039-0
Available file types - lit, pdf, prc, html
Guy works hard, wrangling both cattle and tourists for a Wyoming dude ranch. The problem? He's a bit lonely, and figuring he hasn’t got many good years left in him for finding someone.
That's when AJ shows up. He's a young veteranarian, taking over practice for the old doc who's fleeing to Florida to warm his old bones. Turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to all of them, inclosing the menagerie of strays AJ takes in after he arrives.
The two get to know each other, get to liking each other, going from friendship to a little sweet romance just in time for winter. Just in time for Guy to figure he's not so old after all. Just in time to keep each other warm for in the place they've made with each other, menagerie and all.
Sample
Trying not to fret was just making Guy fret more. Lord knew, it wasn't like the vet was late, or anything. Just new, and Guy had never met the fella who replaced Old Doc Hardamon and wasn't sure how long it would take and that poor little filly was in a bad way. She'd gotten all tangled up in a fence, thanks to some idiot kids from New Jersey and the only thing kept him from ripping their little heads off was the need to take care of the horse. Animals were more important than spoiled kids whose parents paid them no mind any day.
Guy petted the poor girl as she shivered, talking low and soothing, avoiding the bad spots as he went. Bless her, she'd done a real good job of tearing herself up. He squinted out the doors, hoping that new doc showed up quick.
A little black pickup pulled up and a youngun stepped out -- no, more uncurled than anything else -- bag in hand. The kid stopped once to ask Hank a question then headed right towards him. Lord. That kid couldn't be old enough to be a doctor, could he? Guy would just have to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Right over here," he said when the kid was close enough to hear. "I've got her patched temporarily, but she really did a number on herself."
Pale eyebrows drew together and the kid nodded. "What happened? Oh, poor thing, what did you get into?" The doctor bent down, murmuring and unafraid, hands gentle on her flank.
"She hit a snow fence going full tilt, couple of kids chasing her, throwing rocks. Got tangled right up and panicked." He kept his voice low, holding the filly's head.
"Oh, now that's just not right." The doc worked quick, irrigating the worst of the wounds and closing them up, moving with the filly as she stomped and shifted. There wasn't a bit of hesitation, or uncertainty in those oversized hands. The kid was good, and damned if Guy wasn't impressed.
The soft low voice murmured and chattered, the doc keeping the filly distracted as she got sprayed with antibiotic and given a shot. "She's gonna be sore tomorrow, but most of the cuts were superficial. I'll want to come out day after tomorrow to look at that shoulder."
The gloves were snapped off those huge hands and one was offered to him. "AJ Kershner. Pleased to meet you."
"Guy Mason. Good to meet you, too. You getting settled into Doc Hardamon's rounds?"
They shook hands, and he jerked his head toward the bunkhouse. "You want a cup of coffee?"
"Oh, yeah. That'd be nice. I wouldn't mind seeing my new patients either, if you have the time. Don -- Doctor Hardamon -- told me y'all'd keep me busy." The doc's stuff was packed up, quick and easy, the filly checked over one more time and given a bit of carrot from one deep pocket.
"Yeah. You get this many greenhorns about a bunch of animals and things go crazy." Shaking his head, Guy led the way. They'd get coffee and he'd sign the release to add today to their monthly bill and then he'd walk the new Doc through the barns. "Which makes me sound like I don't like the folks that come here, and I do right enough, I'm just peeved at those kids."
"With good reason. Little beasts ought to know better than to hurt critters." The doc ran his hand through his shaggy mass of hair, pushed up his glasses. "How many mounts do you keep here?"
"Depends on the season and the money, I guess. Right now it's high season, so upwards of fifty, I'd say. The rest run in a herd most of the year and we bring 'em in as we need em." Damn, that coffee was strong. He poured out for both of them, leaning against the pitted counter in the tiny bunkhouse kitchenette.
"Do you give them feed and hay?" The doc pulled out a notepad, started jotting stuff down. "And do you hire out to have their feet cared for? Everyone 'round here recommends Emily Pecina, but I haven't met her yet."
"We've got one wrangler who can do basic farrier work, but we call Emily if something comes up that Lane can't handle." The new Doc wasn't bad to look at and surprisingly easy to talk to. Guy wasn't usually so easy around someone new. 'Course the way AJ'd cared for that little filly went a long way.
The doc drank the coffee without a flinch, nodding. "I'll have to meet her, get her in to look at my bunch of beasties."
"I imagine you've got a pile of them." Well, now, the Doc was more likeable by the minute. Anyone who could drink Fred's coffee without a twitch was strong.
"Lord, yes. Seems like every lost or half-broke critter in the state heard a new sucker... er... vet was about." He got a grin, full-out and simple, the wire-rim glasses shifting on the long nose.
It was all Guy could do not to gape. That smile was pure D lethal. "Yeah. Happens that way, I bet. You'll be wanting to see the facilities now."
"Yessir, I would, lest you're too busy. I can make arrangement to come another day." The doc rinsed out the coffee cup just like he lived there, drying his hands on his jeans.
"I got the time. Boss usually lets me cool off for a bit when an animal gets hurt for no reason." Way to go, Guy. Sound like a maniac.