Chapter 5
Brynn finished processing the morning milk and turned to find Schuyler behind her. She gasped.
The petite redhead grinned. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
Brynn placed her hands on her hips. “Then why did you sneak up behind me?” She laughed and hugged her friend.
“It’s good to see you,” Schuyler said. “How are you doing?”
“Just busy with the fair.”
“Yeah, me too, but my business has exploded. There was an article in the paper about veterinary acupuncture and I’ve been incredibly busy ever since.”
The two of them walked out of the milk parlor and Freckles, the dog that Schuyler found and Brynn adopted, greeted them. Schuyler crouched down and rubbed Freckles, tail and hind end wagging, as Brynn scanned the area. Her three girls were grazing. She didn’t see a furry Scottish Highland cow anywhere. “Where is she?”
“She’s still in the trailer.” Schuyler stood and walked toward the driveway and Brynn followed. Freckles sauntered off with her cow friends.
Schuyler stopped. “She’s shy. And while she’s free of disease that would harm your cows, she’s not healthy looking. I wanted to prepare you. She’s thin. The woman who died had been ill for quite some time and I guess couldn’t take care of her.”
Brynn’s heart sank. Poor thing.
Schuyler opened the trailer and slipped inside. She exited leading the small cow. Brynn opened the gate to her field and turned to see the furry creature. “Thin” was not the word for it. This cow needed food—and plenty. She reached over to her and the cow backed off.
“Shy,” Schuyler said. “Give her some time.”
Brynn nodded. The cow’s big eyes met hers and Brynn saw the fear in them.
“How will she be with the other cows?”
“It’s hard to say. But I’ve seen cases like this and it just takes time. She’ll keep to herself awhile and your girls will respect that. Then, one day, they will all be buddies. Thanks for putting up the portable fence. That was a good idea. That way, they can all get used to each other for the day and still stay safe. I don’t expect any problems. Your girls are so well adjusted.” Schuyler wiped her forehead. “It’ll be another humid day. I hate this heat and so does she.”
“All that fur, she must be hot.”
“Yeah, and as you’re aware, cows hate the heat.”
“I need to read up on this breed.”
Schuyler walked toward her truck. “It’s an ancient breed. They are a beautiful animal, aren’t they?”
Brynn had seen the shaggy cows before in photos, usually in Scotland perched in a picturesque, grassy landscape. She’d never seen one in person. This skinny cow was not a good representative of the breed, but Brynn saw the beauty in her.
“What’s her name?” Brynn asked.
“Jewel. If you fatten her up, I should be able to find a good home for her.” Schuyler attracted strays and found good homes for them. She said it was a gift. Brynn believed her.
Freckles ran along the new fence and sniffed at the strange creature. Jewel backed off into the far corner. As if sensing her fear, Freckles wandered back to the crowd of cows on the other side of the field.
“Do you want to come in for coffee? Breakfast? Wes has something cooking, I’m sure.”
Schuyler stopped. “I wish I could. I’m needed over at the O’Neil place. One of their horses is sick.”
“Have you heard from Willow?” Brynn asked as Schuyler opened the door to her truck.
“Yes, she’s doing better. It’s Josh we need to worry about.” She heaved her tiny self into her truck. “He’s in trouble.”
“I don’t understand what happened,” Brynn said.
“Nobody does. Josh knows tractors. Been around them his whole life.” Her amber eyes flashed. “But he says he lost control of the tractor.”
“What?” Brynn’s heart thudded against her rib cage. “How can that be?”
Schuyler shut the truck door, the window still open. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“It’s an awful situation. I don’t understand it.” Brynn tried to imagine it, yet she didn’t want to.
“I know. But that girl of his, Chelsea? She’s got issues. Always has. It’s sad. A young girl like her hopping into bed with everybody she can.”
“What?” Brynn was shocked.
Schuyler nodded. “Low self-esteem, anybody?” She turned the ignition. “I’ll touch base later.”
Schuyler drove off waving.
Brynn turned to watch the little furry cow. She stood in the field, awestruck. Brynn wanted to comfort her but figured it was best to wait. She didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already was.
Brynn made her way into the house, where cinnamon scent wafted and drew her into the kitchen.
“French toast this morning,” Wes said as he put the plates on the table.
“Yum,” Brynn said. She moved to the kitchen sink and washed her hands, even though she’d already washed them in the barn, and then sat down at the table and checked out the food. “That’s an odd-looking French toast.”
“It’s stuffed with ricotta cheese I made,” he said as he sat down across from her.
“Fresh ricotta cheese! You’re getting to be quite the cheesemaker.”
He flashed a grin. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“Have you heard from Max?” Brynn asked as she cut her stuffed French toast.
He nodded. “Yes, he loves his internship. Says he’s learning a lot and having a great time in New York.” Wes’s brother, Max, was a business major and was enjoying the whole college experience. Wes had had a hard time with it and had wanted to be a chef, but his parents weren’t thrilled. Brynn counted his confusion as her blessing. When he saw her cheesemaking operation while he stayed with Brynn during his grandmother’s funeral, he fell in love with the place and being a cheesemaker. His parents supported his move—he was failing school and wasting their money. When Brynn bit into the stuffed French toast, her taste buds exploded with joy. She swallowed. “God, Wes, that’s delicious.”
“Thanks. Glad you like it. Tillie and Roy tried it out the other day and liked it, too. How’s the new cow?”
She swallowed the next bite. “She’s very skinny and very shy.” The cow’s sweet, shaggy face played in Brynn’s mind. “But I think she’ll be okay.”
“Busy day ahead,” Wes said, sliding over a sheet of paper containing the list of action items for the fair.
Brynn put down her fork. “First things first. We need to inspect the cheese shed to make sure the refrigeration’s correct.”
“I can do that. Why don’t you take care of calling all the contestants for the last-minute check-in?”
Brynn nodded. “Sounds good.” They had also volunteered to make pies to sell. “When should we bake? Tonight?”
“I’ve gotten two peach pies baked already. We need to make the chocolate ones.”
“Great,” Brynn said, and lifted a bite to her mouth. “We’ll make the chocolate ones tonight.” They planned to bake them last night, but she and Wes had gotten the call about the accident. A knot formed in her stomach. She tried not to reflect on the tragedy. But, with each passing moment, it was getting harder. None of it made any sense.
But then again, accidents never did. Did they?