Gabe’s jaw went slack, and he stared, dumbfounded. Josh tried to act surprised and did a passable job.
“You’re right,” Gabe said, and raked his fingers through his dark hair. “This is unexpected. I guess congratulations are in order.”
Vi attempted a smile. “I appreciate it.”
“You’re going to want time off when the baby’s born?” Gabe was clearly struggling to understand. He shot a glance at both Cole and Josh. Neither of them made a comment.
“I saw my doctor yesterday,” Vi said. “She recommended—insisted, really—that I work fewer hours and rest more.” Finally, she glanced briefly at Cole and Josh. “As Gabe knows, I have a history of miscarriages. I’m hoping you’ll agree to let me work half days for the foreseeable future. Naturally, you don’t have to pay me for the time off.”
Gabe didn’t hesitate. Neither did he confer with Cole or Josh. “Of course. And we’ll give you full pay.”
“I can’t ask that of you.”
“You aren’t asking. We’re offering. And that includes after the baby’s born.”
Cole noticed Josh struggling to stay quiet. Dos Estrellas wasn’t in a financial position to carry an employee who wasn’t working full-time. Yet Vi had been with the ranch for over ten years. She deserved special consideration for her loyalty.
“No.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she shook her head emphatically. “I won’t accept pay if I’m not working. But I do have vacation and sick time coming.”
“We’ll figure something out,” Gabe said.
“If I...if anything happens, then of course I’ll come back to work full-time as soon as I’m able.”
“Nothing will happen.” Gabe didn’t ask her to elaborate. “When are you having the baby?”
“Seven months. December.”
Gabe furrowed his brows in concentration, as people did when they were mentally counting backward. He, too, must have heard the gossip from Leroy, for he looked directly at Cole and didn’t appear happy.
Cole waited for Vi to say something, naming him as the father, or for Gabe to straight out ask. Neither happened.
Vi continued after consulting her notebook. “The doctor says I can still work. Just no riding and no heavy lifting. I realize that describes about half my job. But I can still run errands, do the paperwork, make phone calls, meet with the vet. I can either work mornings or afternoons or split my shift with a break in the middle. Whatever’s convenient for you.”
“Let’s see how it goes,” Gabe said. “Take each week, each day as it comes.”
“I want to make this as easy on everyone as possible.” She read from her notebook, then cleared her throat. “I have a suggestion, if no one minds.”
“Fire away.”
“Since you’re busy at the Small Change and Josh is tied up covering for you, I thought maybe Cole could take over some of my duties.”
“Me?” He sat up straight. “I’m not qualified to be livestock manager.”
“I’d still be in charge,” Vi said. “Oversee your work like I do now.”
“We’ll all help you, Cole,” Gabe said, as if it was a done deal.
“Sounds good to me,” added Josh.
“Now, wait a minute—”
Gabe cut him off. “You’re the best candidate. You have the most time and you’re one of the ranch owners.”
Cole didn’t like being reminded he had a responsibility to the ranch. He damn well knew it.
“We could possibly find someone else,” Vi said. “I know one or two people looking for work. But you’d have to pay them, and can you really afford another expense?”
Gabe turned to face Cole. “We can’t.”
For a moment, Cole pictured himself flying out of the chute on the back of a bronc, ten feet off the ground, with one hand holding on to the bucking strap for dear life. His harsh breathing and pounding heart drowned out the cheers of the crowd. Then, all at once, the buzzer sounded.
Slowly, the picture faded as reality set in. There’d been so many changes to his life recently. Moving to Dos Estrellas. Cattle ranching. Vi and the baby.
Something told him this was only the beginning. If he was going to back out, now was the time.
“All right. I’ll do it.”
Cole surveyed the manmade pond, noting that the water level had dropped two inches in the past two days. A total of fifteen inches in the past two weeks. Four months ago, a decrease in the level would have been expected, as Arizona had experienced its worst drought in decades.
But the drought had ended in February with a record-breaking deluge, followed by two more storm fronts passing through. Water levels shouldn’t be a problem. The other livestock ponds on Dos Estrellas were at capacity, providing an ample supply of fresh water for the herds, both mustangs and cattle. The cause of this pond’s depletion had yet to be determined, and Cole didn’t have a clue.
He’d been relieving Vi of her more demanding duties for just under a week, having heard the concerns about the pond before today but not paying much attention. Now he was in charge, which was like expecting a first grader to solve a complex calculus equation.
He could call Vi and ask her opinion, except he didn’t want to appear incompetent. Which he was, at least as far as livestock ponds went.
“Here. Check this out.” Joey, one of the hands Cole frequently worked with, squatted next to the pond’s edge and pointed to a spot in the dark, murky water.
Cole tied Hotshot to a low-hanging paloverde branch. If he didn’t, the horse would probably gallop off to join the mustangs grazing peacefully over the next ridge. This pond was in the heart of Cara’s sanctuary, close to where Cole had first glimpsed Hotshot. He’d been impressed with the horse’s potential, enough to seek out Cara the moment he returned to the ranch and ask to buy him.
She’d refused, striking a deal with him instead. In exchange for Hotshot, Cole helped her train other mustangs, preparing them for either adoption or use in her equine therapy program. Designed to benefit special-needs children, the program was officially launching at the end of the month.
Incredibly, it had already generated enough income from early enrollments to support the sanctuary through the end of the year, including paying the ranch a modest monthly rent. Little by little, they were chipping away at the mountain of bills, reducing it to a small hill.
If only Cole had more time. Training horses, especially roping and cutting horses, was his favorite pastime, next to rodeoing. But covering for Vi had become his first priority. She continued to be sick most days and was always tired.
“What is it?” he asked, going over to stand beside Joey.
“A leak.”
“You’re joking.”
“’Fraid not.”
“A pond can leak?” Cole had never heard of such a thing. He studied the spot Joey had indicated and noticed a small whirlpool, like water draining from a sink basin. Now and then a bubble or two rose to the surface.
“Somehow, the gravel bed’s developed a crack,” Joey said. “Water’s seeping into the surrounding ground.”