Page 11 of Unyielding
I normally wasn’t one to unload my problems on people, but if we were talking about the vet practice, then weweren’ttalking about my attraction toward her, so I embraced the lesser of two evils. “Uh, yeah, sort of. She told me that she thinks I’m qualified to take over, but the final decision will be based on more than just my skills as a vet. She said I need to ‘connect’ to the community.”
Shannon frowned. “You’re a local, born and raised. That has to count for something, right?”
I leaned forward onto the split-rail fence and sighed. “You’d think, but she said that my family isn’t really a part of the ranching and farming community, which means that I’m still an outsider, in a sense.Youknow thatIknow ranch life from my summers working here, but the rest of the community just thinks of me as the son of those weird, arty people who never come to town events. Which doesn’t give me any advantage. Ruth said that I need to get buy-in from Poplar Springs, and honestly, that feels impossible. The hands-on nature of my job keeps me too busy to go door-to-door, campaigning to get everyone to like me.”
The idea of having to play politics left me with a sick feeling. It seemed like such a waste of time. There was never that kind of expectation when I worked at the clinic in Salt Lake City. Sure, there was some bureaucracy. Way down the list of positive reasons for returning to Poplar Springs was that I could run my practice the way I wanted to, but the way Ruth had presented it, it sounded more like a juried trial.
The corner of Shannon’s mouth kicked up. “That seems biased, but Ruth is old school. Besides, you’re very likable; I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”
I hid a smile at her compliment. “Iamworried. I want this. Bad.”
I refrained from saying that I needed it too. There was unloading, and then there wasunloading.I was going to stay true to my word about keeping things professional with Shannon.
Shannon went silent for long enough that I turned to face her to see if something was wrong.
“I can help,” she finally blurted out. “With the ranchers, at least.”
“What?” I said, caught off guard. “Shannon, no, you don’t have to do that. I know you’re busy here. But thanks for the offer.”
“I’m not busy enough, and that’s the problem.” Shannon looked single-minded. “Josh told me that he’s not happy with the breeding program numbers, and the truth is, I don’t blame him. I’ve fallen behind. He’s let me have free rein with it up to now, but he’s decided to draw a line. There’s a mare I really want to buy, but he wants to use the money for another trail horse since that program has really taken off. He gave me until the end of the season to prove that I’m turning things around and…” She frowned like she smelled something bad. “…modernizingthe program. If he can see positive changes, I can use the funds to buy my horse. If not… I get the feeling that I’ll be in for a fight to keep getting funding from him at all.”
I wasn’t sure what she was getting at. “Okay…”
“But that’s why I need your help. Josh wants to see changes, and I could really use your advice. We can solve each other’s problems!” she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and sending a jolt through me. “I have great relationships with the ranchers and farmers, and you have experience at cutting edge breeding facilities, so we can work together to get what we need. It’s a fair trade for both of us. I’ll talk you up to everyone with just enough sugar to let folks know that I think you’re more than competent, maybe make some introductions to people you don’t know well, and you can give me some advice about how to update my business.”
I went silent as I considered the offer. I knew how well-regarded the Cafferty family was in Poplar Springs, and how much weight Shannon’s approval could carry, especially with the ranching community. And I was also confident with my breeding knowledge. I’d already had a few improvement ideas for Shannon just strolling through her barn the day I came to check on Belle. So, what was holding me back from an immediate yes?
Her.
I realized that agreeing to the deal would mean that Shannon and I would have to spend more time together than I’d ever imagined, and I wasn’t sure how I could make that happen, considering I could barely focus when she was around. But I had to admit that the offer sounded like a good idea. If we played it right, we’d both walk away from it with exactly what we wanted.
“So? Are you in?” she asked, smiling at me in a way that made it impossible to say no.
I stuck out my hand. “I think you’ve got a deal.”
Shannon placed her hand in mine, giving it a momentary squeeze, then let go like she’d touched an electric fence. I felt it too, a zing that coursed all the way up my arm and felt like trouble.
She cleared her throat. “I need to come up with a formal battle strategy, but I’m thinking we should start with?—”
“Bob Lumley.”
We said it in unison, then laughed.
“Ruth said the same thing.”
“Great minds,” Shannon said with a shrug. “He’s not only the town mayor, but he has the ear of every rancher in the area and the local Cattlemen’s Association group doesn’t do anything without his input.”
“And I already have a few thoughts for you,” I offered gently. I knew that breeding was a sensitive business, and people held their techniques dear. I’d have to find the right way to introduce ideas to get her on board.
“Already?” Shannon asked, eyes wide. “Wow, is my practice that bad?”
“No, not at all,” I said in a soothing voice. “Your grandmother built a wonderful program, your mom took it to the next level, and you’ve done a fantastic job with their legacy. But I’ve seen all sorts of streamlining techniques that will make your life so much easier and make operations run more smoothly. It’s not about changing the core of what you’re doing, it’s about making the ancillary stuff more efficient.”
Shannon looked relieved. “That’sexactlywhat I want. How did you know that?”
“Well, I found out that there’s two camps in the breeding world; the ‘get it done by any means necessary’ folks and the ‘let’s do what’s right by the horses’ people. You’re in the latter group, and I like that about you. It’s a commitment to the animals, not the dollars.”
I thought she’d be pleased with my words, but to my surprise, she frowned. “Not if you ask Josh.”
