“Nothing. N-nothing I said.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
He headed again for the corral where they’d put the mother and calf. It was in the rear of the far barn where she wouldn’t be upset by too much activity. Range cattle had little contact with humans and didn’t take kindly to being penned at the best of times. True to form, the mother cow grunted and moved in front of her baby, stamping the ground in warning.
Reid ran a practiced gaze over her and the feed box. Her muzzle was wet, so she’d obviously drunk some water. And a portion of the feed had been eaten. Not bad after getting roped, stitched, dosed and confined.
“How is she?” Kittie rested her arms on the top fence rail, the same as him, but she had to stretch to do it.
“Not bad, considering.”
“What would have happened if we never found her?”
Reid thought of the animals they lost each year. Life was hard on the range; he couldn’t sugarcoat it. “Could have died. The baby is too young to survive on its own, and the mother’s wound was infected. But even if you hadn’t located them, someone else would probably have come along.”
Footsteps came from behind them and Reid grimaced at the sight of Kittie’s father. “Mr. O’Donnell.”
“Hello, Reid. I haven’t seen much of you since we got here.” There was a faint emphasis on the I and a hidden query whether another O’Donnell had seen him before now.
Reid tipped his hat back. As if he’d be interested in a city runt with an attitude. “Stands to reason—I’ve been busy and I’m not your wrangler.”
“That sounds like something your sister would say.”
“Yup. Some things run in families.”
O’Donnell flicked a look at Kittie, whose attention was no longer on the mother cow and her calf. “I guess.”
“Dad, am I really, truly like Mom?” Kittie asked intently.
A smile softened O’Donnell’s expression. “Really and truly, sweetheart. She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”
“I... Whatever.” Kittie pressed her lips together and turned back to the corral.
“I’ve got work to do,” Reid said, deciding it was time to escape. “Don’t stay long, and don’t get near the mama or her baby. It’ll make them nervous.” With a curt nod to Jacob O’Donnell, he strode away.
All in all, he felt kind of sorry for Kittie. Her dad was rich, so she had plenty of money, but apparently her mom was dead, and he knew exactly how that felt.
Lousy.
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