Page 75 of Ashes of the Past
He turns and walks back to his car, leaving John staring after him, fists clenched.
“Don’t let him get to you,” I say. “They always look for an easy answer.”
John shakes his head. “I just don’t like the way he was looking at me like he’d already decided I was guilty.”
“Listen to Jack; he’s always like this. I try to remind myself that he’s seen a lot from his viewpoint, but he’s always an ass about things,” Jorge interjects.
“He could have some more tact, that’s for sure,” I say with a chuckle.
“He should have asked you or Nick some questions,” Jorge says with a shake of his head. “He’s not the final say, though. The insurance company will take a look at my report and the police report and pay it out.”
“It’s insulting that anyone could think that I would do this. And for him to say that the ranch is struggling financially, where does he get his information?” John asks gruffly.
He walks off, shaking his head and muttering to himself.
“You’ve dealt with that guy before?” I ask Jorge.
“Yeah, they carry the insurance for most of the ranches in town. He’s from the city and doesn’t know anything about ranches, so he’s out of his depth and shows it often. He’d do a lot better in life if he admitted that instead of attacking everyone.”
Before I can respond, Nick jogs over from the far side of the pasture, his face pale. “Jack, we’ve got a problem.”
“I’ll let you handle that,” Jorge says quickly as he shakes my hand and then heads to his truck.
“What kind of problem?” I ask.
Nick swipes a hand over his face. “Some of the cattle are acting strange. Stumbling, lethargic. It looks like toxicity, maybe. It doesn’t seem like the respiratory disease again.”
My stomach drops. “What the hell?”
John walks back over, straightens, and his face goes hard. “How many?”
“Half a dozen, maybe more. I don’t know how bad it’s gonna get.”
I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Doc Sutton’s number. It rings twice before she picks up.
“Sutton.”
“Doc, it’s Jack. We’ve got cattle showing signs of toxicity. Lethargic, stumbling. We need you out here now.”
“I’m on my way.”
I hang up and glance at John. His expression is grim.
“First the barn, now the cattle,” he mutters. “This ain’t a coincidence.”
“No,” I agree. “It’s not.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Brynn
Ilock the register and rub at the tight muscles in my neck as I glance around the shop, making sure everything is in place before I close up. The scent of roses and eucalyptus lingers in the air, mingling with the faint traces of lavender I used in an arrangement earlier. Olivia rode the bus home today—she loves the small freedom of it, and I know she’s safe with my dad. Still, I miss her chatter as I go about my end-of-day routine.
The bell over the door chimes, and I glance up, expecting to tell a late customer that we’re closed. Instead, Rachel stands there, holding a takeout bag and raising a brow at me.
“I figured we could catch up,” she says, stepping inside and locking the door behind her. “I also figured you needed some time away from the ranch. And before you lie to me, I know you better than anyone.”
I huff out a breath, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “I should get home to…”
