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Katherine was working in the barns the following morning when her father came in. He looked off and confused for some reason. She didn’t give it any mind, as she knew that look on his face, and interrupting whatever was going on would not end well for her. She tried to keep her thoughts positive but didn’t like how toxic things felt out here on the farm.
“Hey,” Troy’s voice cut into her thoughts, causing her to spin so fast she fell on her bottom.
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, gallantly putting a hand out to pull her up. “I thought I would take a walk this morning, and somehow ended up in your neck of the woods.”
“Who are you?” Her father demanded behind Troy, causing them both to turn.
“Hi,” Troy replied, reaching out a hand, “I’m Troy Henson, and I’m a friend of Ben Baize from Little Bend. I am also friends with your daughter and thought I would stop by and see her home. She is so proud of the animals and the work you do out here.”
“You aren’t a friend of my daughter, but a spy for Living River Ranch,” he groused. “I want you gone now.”
Katherine was shocked. Her father was sometimes a bit brazen when he became focused, but he was never outright rude to someone he just met. He had been born and bred with the Midwest cordiality beat into him. She just stared, mouth agape at his behavior.
“Dad!” Katherine said firmly, “Troy is a friend of mine, and I’d love to show him around the farm today if you have no objection?”
“He’s one of them,” her father said, “and he better be gone before I get back with my shotgun,” he said, heading out of the barn.
Katherine just gazed after him for a moment before she took off after her father. Something had to give, and this version of her father had to be taken to task. She had no idea why he had turned this aggressive, but she was worried. She turned back toward Troy, “Please go; I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
Before he could respond, she finished running to the house. As she hit the front door, she swung into the kitchen. “Mom, we have a problem.”
Her mother wiped her hands on the dishrag looped through the cabinet handle by the sink. “What is up, sweetie?”
“Troy stopped by this morning after taking a walk. Dad threatened to get his shotgun and told him to be gone when he got back.”
Her mom shook her head, “that is not possible. Your father would never,” she stopped when her husband appeared in the doorway with said shotgun in his hand.
“Casimir, what are you doing?” she demanded, moving forward with concern radiating from every pore of her face.
“I’m going to run that interloper from our land. He is after our Katherine, but she is married to Maxwell. He shouldn’t be here, that is wrong what they are doing,” he shouted.
Katherine felt her blood pressure skyrocket. The tears welled in her eyes, just as Maxwell walked through the doorway.
“Casimir,” Maxwell whispered. “What is going on?”
“That man Troy is after your wife,” he said.
Maxwell looked at Katherine and then her mother. He exhaled lightly, “Casimir, I think you are confused. Katherine and I aren’t married.”
“Yes, you are,” her dad responded, looking confused as he rocked oddly on his feet. Maxwell reached out and grabbed the shotgun as her father collapsed to the floor.
“Oh my gosh,” her mother said and surged forward.
“Call the ambulance,” Maxwell shouted as he bent to put a hand in front of her father’s face. “he appears to be breathing, though it is shallow.”
“What is going on?” Her mother asked as if someone could give her an answer.
“Mom, please remain calm,” Katherine said, as 911 connected with her.
She told the operator the details of what had happened. Before the conversation ended, she was grateful to hear the distant sounds of sirens as Troy jogged back through the door.
“What happened?” He said, with huge eyes that captured Katherine’s.
“He got even crazier when he came inside, and then he collapsed,” she said, relaying the events.
“I heard the sirens and jogged back. I’m sorry, but I was worried I caused some escalation,” he said, as he bent down next to her father. “Anything you need of me,” he asked Maxwell.
“No, he’s breathing,” and the paramedics should be through that door in moments.
True to his words, the knock came a mere second later, followed by deep footsteps. Then the kitchen was filled with activity, and so much noise Katherine cringed a bit. Her father didn’t regain consciousness, which worried everyone, including the medical personnel. They loaded him without hesitation into the ambulance and were on their way with a tap on the vehicle’s back door. Her mom, Maxwell, and she headed for the truck.
“You want to come,” she asked Troy, who looked unusually pale suddenly.
“No, I’ll check in later. Your family should go,” he said and turned back toward Living River Ranch. Katherine stood watching him walk away with his rounded shoulders, shaking her head; she decided that was an enigma she would need to save for another day.
As she climbed into the truck that Maxwell had already pointed toward town, she squeezed her mom’s shoulder. Her dad was one strong man, and she hoped this day would end with a good outcome. Maybe this was an explanation for the difference in her father of late. As they took off toward town, she watched Troy wander into the snow-covered fields. A solitary figure that looked so alone in that vast sea of white, she wondered what was going on in his head at that very moment.
