LIAM STOPPED HIS pickup near a few cows grazing in the pasture directly uphill from Jace’s barn.
“Thanks for driving.” Jace rolled down the window to get a better look at the cattle. “Can’t believe my truck won’t start.”
“You just need a new battery,” Liam assured him. “We can pick one up in town later on.”
Ranger, Liam’s Australian shepherd, sat between them, looking at the cows with mild interest. He might look the part of a herding dog, but the truth was, he was pretty useless on a ranch. Liam’s dad had called him the laziest ranch dog in all of Texas and he probably wasn’t wrong. Ranger was good company, though, and the perfect road trip dog, as Jace had learned on his drive out to California. Ranger was content to look out the window, feel the wind in his ears and take a short walk at the rest stops. He didn’t need more than his food and bed to be happy.
“I’ll get out here,” Jace said. “Why don’t you keep on driving to that far fence line?” Jace pointed across the pasture. “See what’s going on with that clump of cattle. I’m going to check out a few of these cows and see if I need to bring them down to the barn tonight.”
“You don’t let them calve out here?” This was all so different than home. Jace’s cattle got VIP treatment every day of their lives.
“We’ve got a lot of mountain lions in the area. I don’t want them thinking my ranch is a beef buffet.”
“Gotcha.”
Jace stepped away from the truck. “I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”
Liam nodded and kept driving on the rutted track, noticing how Ranger immediately scooted over and took up the whole of the bench seat. “Couch potato.” He scratched the dog’s velvet ears, and Ranger sighed and put his head down, totally relaxed despite the bumpy road under their wheels.
Guiding his truck down the slope of a wash, Liam noted the trickle of water, remnants of last night’s rain. Late March in Northern California reminded him a little of a Texas springtime. Rain might wash across these hills in dramatic sheets, but it quickly gave way to blue skies again. Jace had mentioned that they sometimes got big storms at this time of year, but in the few days that Liam had been here, there’d only been some mild showers. And today, the thermometer in his truck read seventy degrees and the sky glowed such a rich blue it seemed like someone had gone up there and painted it that way.
He guided his truck up the other side of the gully and his thoughts drifted back to yesterday evening, running into Trisha in the grocery store. She’d been so cute in her dark jeans and tennis shoes, everything about her so neat and tidy. The problem was, she’d looked at him like he was a skunk who’d just wandered indoors.
Liam understood that he wasn’t a total catch. On the surface, he was just a guy who loved ranches and rodeo. And if you went deeper, he had a leg busted to bits and the resulting penchant for painkillers. Though Trisha didn’t know that. She didn’t know anything about him because he’d fled like a coward in the dawn without leaving his name, or a phone number, or even a thank-you. Not one of his finer moments.
He could see why Trisha might not be happy to see him. But the way she’d acted in the grocery store yesterday evening, she’d seemed almost scared of him. Liam had been racking his memory ever since, trying to remember how he’d behaved that night in San Antonio. Had he come on too strong? Had he done something he shouldn’t have? He hoped he’d acted the gentleman, but it was hard to remember the details. He’d been flying on Percocet that night, mixed with just enough alcohol to get a big buzz going.
Looking back now, he knew he was lucky he’d gotten through that lethal combo alive. That knowledge, that he’d been so careless with his God-given life, still scared him. It’s what made him hit bottom with his addiction. That and the realization that the painkillers had been reworking his entire value system, so stealing was okay, a one-night stand was okay and life itself seemed less important than getting high.
He’d been inviting death, but something about Trisha that night had made him want to live. She’d saved him, turned his life around with her sweet smile, but she had no idea. Seeing her recoil at the sight of him here in Shelter Creek was a shock to his system. For some reason he’d thought, if he was ever lucky enough to see her again, that she’d smile at him. That she’d somehow know how much she’d helped him.
He’d been deluding himself, of course. That was his baggage, his mistake in building her up as this angel who had changed everything for him. She had no idea about any of that. In her mind, Liam was just the cowardly guy who’d disappeared at dawn.
She’d made it clear in the store that she didn’t want to talk about the past. But the apology he owed for his behavior was burning on his tongue and needing to be said. Maybe he’d write her a note if that was his only choice. He’d have no peace until he explained how sorry he was. Running into her here in Shelter Creek was probably totally random chance, but it felt like the universe was handing him an opportunity to make amends.
Not for the first time he wished that things had been different that night. That he’d been sober and free of the painkillers. That he’d asked her on a nice date instead of bringing her up to his room. If he’d done things right back then, maybe everything would be different now.
No use wishing, though. He’d sown his misfortune and now he had to reap the harvest—her obvious wish to avoid him.
Liam parked his truck and bade Ranger to stay. The Australian shepherd yawned lazily, indicating he had no problem following the command. Liam noticed that the cattle near the fence were facing the bushes, moving restlessly. Something had them scared.
Exiting the truck, he grabbed his rifle from behind the seat and the box of ammo he kept with it. It only took him moments to load the gun. He held it at his side as he walked carefully up to the cattle. One cow was flat out on the ground. She was in labor and it looked like things weren’t going smoothly. But that didn’t explain why her buddies were so upset.
Liam scanned the scrub on the other side of the fence and spotted it. Coyote. A big one, sitting almost casually just a few yards away, watching the cow intently. It was probably waiting for that calf to be born, or for the right moment to go for the helpless cow’s throat.
It was a part of ranching he hated, but it had to be done. Liam raised the rifle, got the coyote in his sights and fired.
The sound of the shot echoed off the hills and the cattle bolted, leaving the cow struggling to get up from the ground. Liam approached her and put a hand to her shoulder. “It’s okay, girl.” He kept his voice low and soothing, and she settled back down on her side again.
Rubbing the cow’s back, Liam scanned the area where the coyote had been and saw it on the ground. For a moment he was sure he’d killed it, but as he watched, it lurched upright and hopped away on three legs, its front paw raised. Wounded. Suffering. It wasn’t okay to leave it like that. Liam stood and raised the gun again.
“Liam, stop!” At Jace’s shouted command, Liam lowered the rifle, set the safety and turned toward his boss.
“Coyote,” he said as Jace ran up. “I nicked it. I need to finish the job.”
“Don’t,” Jace gasped, winded from his sprint up the hill.
“What do you mean?” Liam pulled his gaze away from the spot in the bushes where the coyote had disappeared. “It was going for your cattle.”
“This isn’t Texas, Liam. We don’t shoot coyotes around here.”
Liam didn’t even know what to say to that. Just stood there gaping at Jace like a landed fish. Finally, he pointed to the spot where the coyote had been and located a few words. “It was just waiting for the right moment to kill.”
“Probably just curious. They like smaller prey.”
“Like the calf she’s about to drop.” Liam knelt to check on the cow and Jace dropped to his knees next to him.
“This doesn’t look like it’s going so well.” Jace pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to see if the vet can get up here. Maybe she can help your coyote, too.”
Liam gaped. “Calling a vet for a coyote?” He almost laughed, then remembered that Jace was his boss and probably wouldn’t like being laughed at. “They’re just pests.”
“Oh, they’re pesky, all right.” Jace put up a hand to stop Liam’s response. “Hello, Emily? I’ve got a situation on my ranch. Can you get up here? It’s a cow with a complicated birth, and possibly a wounded coyote, too.”
Jace listened for a moment and then said, “I’ll meet you at the barn and guide you out to the pasture.” Hanging up, Jace gave his attention to Liam. “Can you stay here with the cow? Maybe take a look around for that coyote, too, and see if it’s gone to ground nearby. If it has, don’t kill it until Emily gets a look. Unless it’s hurt real bad... Then you should finish it off.”
Liam nodded, trying to take it in. Folks around here called the veterinarian to help coyotes? They just let them sit there and threaten their livestock? He truly was not in Texas anymore.
Jace stood and clapped a hand to Liam’s shoulder. “I’m sure you did what you thought was right. But the gun is a last resort in these parts.”
Liam nodded, not trusting himself to speak. During the two days he’d worked for Jace, ranching in California hadn’t seemed all that different than at home. But now he realized he was in another world, with a very different set of rules. Every rancher he knew back home considered it a good day if he reduced the local coyote population.
“Mind if I use your truck to go meet the vet?”
“Not at all. Let me just get Ranger out.” When Liam opened the door, the dog sat up and pushed his cold nose in Liam’s face. It was slimy but comforting. “Come on, Ranger. You don’t have to walk far. You can lie by this cow and scare off any other coyotes that might want to mess with it.” Ranger would probably roll over for a belly rub if a coyote showed up, but Liam kept hoping some sort of herding instinct would emerge from the dog’s DNA one of these days.
Ranger jumped out of the cab and lay down near the cow when asked. He looked around the pasture with a far more alert expression than usual. Maybe he could scent that wounded coyote. Or maybe there were even more coyotes lurking out there in those bushes beyond the fence.
Jace nodded his thanks when Liam handed him the keys to his truck. Liam watched his boss rattle back down the lane toward the barn, then knelt by the cow again, rubbing her belly. She was calmer now, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Her breathing was harsh in the quiet afternoon. “Don’t give up, little lady,” he told her, stroking her neck. “Help is on the way. Just hang in there and we’ll get you sorted.”
Giving her one last pat, Liam reminded Ranger to stay and went toward the barbed wire fence. He eased himself carefully between the wires. The grass was pressed down where the coyote had been and Liam saw a few small spots of blood. Maybe it was just a slight wound. Man, he was off his game to have missed it like that. Normally he could hit whatever target he aimed for, square on.
He wasn’t a fan of coyotes. He’d seen them do too much damage and cause too much suffering. But he had to admire the way they survived, the way they worked together, the way they hung on, no matter if there was wildfire or drought or a bounty on their heads.
And he hated to make any creature suffer needlessly.
Liam made his way carefully around the bushes that dotted the hillside. No sign of the coyote. The brush was dense in places, almost impenetrable, a perfect hiding place for any animal.
Eventually he heard the sound of engines and emerged from the bushes to see his own truck arriving, followed by a white pickup. Jace and the vet were here. Liam climbed back through the fence and went to the cow. She was breathing unevenly, and she was quiet, like she’d given up on pushing her baby out.
A woman climbed out of the white truck. She was tall, with sandy-blond hair, and as Liam watched, she slung a big black bag over her shoulder and hurried toward him.
“You must be Liam. I’m Emily, the vet. What do we have here?”
“I think the calf is stuck.”
“Right.” Emily dropped to her knees next to the cow and put a hand to the animal’s neck. “She’s weak. We need to move quickly. Can you help Jace and Trisha unload some supplies from my pickup?”
Trisha? Liam’s heart lurched in an uneasy beat. Didn’t she work with Vivian at the wildlife center? Why was she here?
He jogged toward the vet’s truck and sure enough, there was Trisha in the truck bed, loading a couple plastic storage bins into Jace’s arms.
When she caught sight of Liam her eyes went wide with alarm. “Why do you have a gun?”
He’d forgotten he was still holding it. “Coyote.”
“You’re the one who shot a coyote?” Trisha’s hands went to her hips. “What is wrong with you?”
Jace walked by, his arms loaded with storage bins, and caught Liam’s eye. “Brace yourself. She’s not happy.”
Nothing about him made Trisha happy, Liam thought grimly. That night in San Antonio, she’d seemed almost ethereal in her sweetness. But so far here in California, she’d pretended not to know him, spilled milk all over him, refused to talk to him, and now she was looking at him like he was the lowest life form she’d ever encountered.
“I was doing my job.” He walked to his truck to put the rifle away, his pride bristling like the barbs on the thistles that grew around here. What was the deal with these people? Were coyotes sacred or something?
Trisha continued to glare at him until Emily called over her shoulder, “Trisha, grab the disinfectant, will you?”
“Sure.” Trisha bent down and struggled to lift a huge plastic jug full of soapy-looking liquid.
Liam might be annoyed, but his daddy had raised him a gentleman. He went to help her.
“I’ve got it.” She managed to pull it out of the truck, but staggered beneath its weight.
Liam put his hands beneath for support, his fingers inadvertently brushing hers. “Let me help you.”
She stepped back hastily. “I’m fine.”
He let go, watching her stagger along, barely making it to the veterinarian’s side without dropping the container. Jace was there and he took the jug from her and received a sweet smile of gratitude. Apparently she didn’t mind help, as long as it didn’t come from him. A flicker of jealousy had Liam turning away, calling Ranger to get him out of the vet’s way. He knelt to scratch the dog’s soft ears and Ranger flopped at his feet as if he were too tired to resist gravity any longer.
Jealousy. Why? That night with Trisha might as well have been a dream, it was so removed from everyday life. And she wanted nothing to do with him now. They had no hold on each other, no obligation or real connection. So why did he feel like they should?
As Liam watched, the vet reached into her bag, pulled out a piece of plastic sheeting and looked at him. “Will you put this on the ground by the cow’s tail?”
Rising quickly, Liam grabbed the tarp and spread it on the ground while Trisha rummaged in the duffel, pulled out a stethoscope and handed it to Emily.
Emily glanced between Liam and Trisha. “You’ve met my assistant, Trisha?”
Liam watched Trisha’s face grow a shade paler beneath the baseball cap she wore over her ponytail. She really didn’t want anyone to know about their connection. Maybe she was married? She didn’t wear a ring, though. “I met her out here the other day.”
His lie earned him the faintest flicker of relief in the tight lines of Trisha’s face. “I thought you worked for the wildlife center with Vivian?”
Trisha nodded. “I do. I work for Emily, too.”
“You’re busy.” Maybe he’d hoped to make her smile with his admiration, but her mouth stayed in a tense line.
“Trisha’s superwoman,” Emily said. “I don’t know how she does it all. Two jobs and—”
“It’s nothing,” Trisha interrupted her boss, and Liam saw that her cheeks had gone rosy. “Let’s focus on this poor cow.”
“Absolutely.” Emily glanced at Jace who was standing just behind her. “I’m thinking that the calf’s legs are tucked back. Okay with you if I take care of that?”
Trisha produced a clipboard and pen from the bag and handed it to Jace, on cue. These two ran a tight ship.
Liam watched as Jace scrawled his name on the form, allowing Emily to get to work. While Jace signed, Emily pulled on a pair of long gloves and coated them in gel. Then she lay down next to the cow.
Liam averted his eyes while she pushed the calf back and got it situated. He’d seen calves being born many times, had even needed to jump in and handle the delivery on occasion, but somehow it all seemed a lot more awkward with Trisha right there. She was really under his skin if he couldn’t even witness a cow giving birth.
He wasn’t needed here, so he walked over to the fence and looked out over the scrubby fields. The sun was dipping down toward the horizon and that poor coyote was suffering out there. Liam heard a sound, a whimpering noise, and turned back toward the cow in alarm. Was she in trouble? Maybe the diagnosis was wrong. But Emily had a smile tangled up with the grimace on her face.
“I’ve got it,” she was saying. “His legs are set. We should be ready to go.”
Liam heard the sound again, kind of a squeak, coming not from the cow but from somewhere uphill. There, where the hill got so steep that it was more like a cliff, rising up far too sharply for a horse or cow to navigate.
Could it be his coyote?
“Good girl!”
Liam turned at Jace’s shout to see him and Trisha crowded around Emily, watching as she shepherded the calf down onto the plastic sheet, a slippery mess but kicking, moving, alive.
Liam jogged over to help. Trisha pulled the lid off a tub of clean rags, and Jace grabbed one and started rubbing the baby down. Emily cleaned the calf’s nostrils and checked its breathing, then sat back on her heels, an expression of relief softening her features. “It never gets old, does it?” she said to Jace.
Jace grinned, showing the megawatt smile that had graced a few billboards in his rodeo heyday. “It never does. Liam, get over here and let’s see how the mama is doing.”
Liam joined him by the cow’s head. She was exhausted, but her eyes were clear and she was looking over at her calf with interest.
“I think she’ll be getting up soon.” Liam stood and Jace did, too, and in a moment, sure enough, the cow rolled onto her belly, got her legs under her and stood.
“Good mama,” Emily said.
Liam glanced at Trisha. Her face was lit by a sweet, rapt smile as she watched the mother nuzzle her new baby, blowing her grassy breath over its face and body. The cow’s big tongue came out and she licked her calf, starting the essential bonding process.
Liam felt his shoulders slump with relief. “I guess one thing’s going right today,” he muttered to Jace.
“You did what you’ve been taught to do,” Jace said quietly. “You came here to learn different ways, right? Well, one way we’re different is that we try to manage predators without killing them. I should have warned you about that.”
Liam pointed toward the hillside. “I heard some sounds coming from up there just now. If you don’t mind, I’ll walk up and investigate. It might be that coyote.”
Trisha had overheard, apparently. Disdain carved a line between her eyes. “You mean the one you shot?”
Jace intervened. “Trisha, Liam was doing what he thought best.”
Jace’s reasonable tone didn’t seem to have much effect on Trisha. “If we find it, I’ll be the one trying to help it survive.”
Liam figured it was time to fight his own battles. “Look, Trisha, I’m sorry to upset you. But it was threatening the cow. That’s why I shot it.”
“Why didn’t you just scare it away?”
Her self-righteousness was starting to grate. “I did what I’ve always done. They’re a threat to livestock, they breed like crazy and at home we shoot them on sight.”
“That’s wrong!” There was so much anger in Trisha’s eyes, Liam half expected to see blue sparks shooting out of them.
Emily joined them and put a hand on Trisha’s arm as if to restrain her. “Let’s focus on a solution here. Liam, where did you look for it already?” Emily shaded her eyes against the setting sun as she scanned the brush where Liam had searched earlier.
“All through that area over there. I looked under bushes, all around, but I couldn’t spot it.”
“They’re hard to spot when they don’t want to be found.” Emily sighed. “The thing is, even if we find it, an adult coyote doesn’t rehab well. They can panic in captivity.”
“We can try, right?” Trisha gave her boss a pleading look. “We’re doing great with the fox. Maybe we can trap this coyote and get him healed up. Liam says he heard something up the hill there.”
Emily nodded and headed for her bag. She pulled out a flat plastic case. “I’ll bring the tranquilizer gun just in case. Let’s see what we can do.” She quickly assembled the gun. “Jace, can you stay here and keep an eye on baby and mama?”
Jace nodded. “Will do.”
Trisha grabbed what looked like a folded tarp and a small medical bag from Emily’s truck. Emily looked at Liam, her eyes kind enough that he could tell she didn’t blame him too much for what he’d done. “Show us where you heard the noises.”
He led her and Trisha toward the barbed wire fence, feeling like a tightrope walker crossing a chasm. He’d already messed up today. Now he dreaded seeing what condition that coyote might be in. He’d never meant it to suffer.
At the fence he stepped through the wire and then turned to hold it up so it would be easier for Trisha to step through.
“I’m fine,” she said curtly. “You don’t need to do that.”
He dropped the wire, but not before he caught the slight smile on Emily’s face. “Go easy on him,” Emily murmured to Trisha. “He’s from Texas.”
Liam fell into step next to Emily, who at least wasn’t looking daggers at him the way Trisha was. “I don’t really get why you all want these coyotes around. They’re a danger to livestock and pets. Even people sometimes.”
“There are ways to manage them so they don’t bother the livestock,” Emily said. “And predators are an important part of the ecosystem.” Emily froze, then put her hand out, motioning them to stop. “Maybe we can save that lesson for later. I think I heard something.”
They all stood quietly. Liam heard the breeze rustling the bushes, the call of a blackbird farther down the hill. And then it was there. A squeak so small it was almost a whistle. Another sound, a tiny yowl.
“We’ve got a den,” Emily breathed. “That coyote may have been the mother.”
The look Trisha sent Liam’s way could fell men far tougher than he was. If she hadn’t completely hated him before, she certainly did now.
“I bet the pups are right at the base of the cliff, behind those bushes.” Emily started forward. “Let’s walk as quietly as possible.”
Liam hung back, letting Trisha follow Emily. They knew what they were doing, while he had no clue. He couldn’t help noticing the way Trisha favored one leg as she climbed the hill. What had happened to her?
Not his business. She clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Except it was a strange kinship, both of them injured that way. His own leg ached a little as he climbed the steep slope.
Liam focused on keeping his footsteps silent as they climbed the hill. A mother. He’d wounded a mother coyote, leaving her pups to suffer. He thought of other coyotes he’d shot, back in Texas. He’d never considered the ripples he’d made in their world. The idea of pups being left to starve didn’t sit so well.
Emily stopped at the base of the cliff, then carefully pulled aside the bushes. “There it is,” she whispered as Trisha and Liam approached. “A good place for them to hide.”
Sure enough, behind the bushes, dug into the cliff face, was a tunnel. And emerging from inside were the high-pitched yowls and yelps.
“Notice the prints?” Emily pointed to the earth around the tunnel, covered in doglike tracks. “These pups are pretty big for this time of the year. Must have been an early litter.”
“I wonder how many are in there.” Trisha knelt to examine the prints more closely. “It’s hard to tell.”
“Let’s move away,” Emily directed, so Liam walked several yards back down the hill, Trisha and Emily following. He stopped by the fence and waited for them to catch up. When they did, Trisha had tears in her eyes.
“Emily,” she said, “I just remembered. A male coyote was hit by a car near here last week. The one Liam shot might be their only parent.”
He’d orphaned them. The guilt seeping in was disconcerting. These were coyotes and yet, he felt awful. Meanwhile, Trisha was layering blame on him like mortar, cementing him firmly into the bad-guy category.
Liam waited for Emily’s answer. The vet looked back at the bushes shielding the den. “We need to get a camera set up here. If they’re part of a pack, that might not have been the mother you shot, Liam. Or if it was, she might return. Or another pack member might adopt the pups.”
Liam took heart at her words. Maybe he hadn’t wreaked total havoc on the babies’ lives.
“Trisha, can you call Maya and let her know what’s going on? Ask if we can get a camera out here.” Emily turned to Liam. “Maya runs the Shelter Creek Wildlife Center. Her husband, Caleb, is good friends with Jace, so you’ll probably meet them soon.”
Great. So now he was going to upset his boss’s best friends. Plus, Jace’s wife, Vivian, also worked for the wildlife center. Liam had already seen how protective Jace was of Vivian. He was surprised Jace hadn’t fired him on the spot when he shot the coyote.
His brother Wyatt and his dad should have explained a little more about Jace’s ranching methods before they sent Liam out here. He’d been expecting to learn about grass-fed beef and organics. He hadn’t known he was in for a hard lesson on wildlife management. Or that he’d become the villain in a coyote family’s life story.
They walked back to where Jace stood watching as the calf drank milk from its placid mom. Ranger lay close by, his head raised at a proud angle, as if he’d had a hand in making all of this work out.
“Nursing already. Looks like you’ve got a good, strong baby boy here, Jace.” Emily patted the cow’s shoulder with a satisfied smile. “We found a den up there.”
Jace glanced up the hill, though there was no way to see the den from where they stood. “How many pups?”
“More than one, that’s for sure.” Trisha turned to Emily. “We can only give it about twenty-four hours before we have to intervene, right?”
Emily nodded. “About that. Two days at the most. If the parent doesn’t come back, we’ll have to consider trapping the pups and bringing them to the wildlife center. Do you have adequate housing for coyotes there?”
Trisha’s frown crumpled the pretty arches of her brows. “We’ve talked about it but we don’t have it yet. It’s not easy to build. We have to dig out a bunch of soil, then build a cage with a wire floor or the coyotes will just dig out.”
“I’ll build it.” Jace nudged Liam in the arm with his elbow. “This weekend. He’ll help.”
“I will?” Liam glanced at Jace and saw the stern look in his eyes. “Yes, I will.” Really? He was going to spend his first days off in California building accommodations for coyotes? He’d been hoping to drive around the area and get to know it a little. Check out the coast, which was only about a twenty-minute drive west of here. But clearly all that would have to wait. Jace was the boss.
“You don’t have to.” Trisha’s words came out in a rush and her cheeks were pink. “Jace, that’s so kind, but we have a carpenter we’ve relied on before. We can just use him.”
Jace shook his head. “That money can be better spent on something else. This problem originated on my land, so we’re going to fix it. Right, Liam?”
Liam nodded, resigning himself to not just building a coyote shelter, but doing it under Trisha’s disapproving eyes. “Absolutely.”
“We might not need it, though, if the parents come back.” Trisha’s face was downright flushed now, and she looked like she might cry. Was he so intolerable to her that she didn’t even want his help?
“Well, if we get lucky and you don’t need it now,” Jace said, “I suspect you’ll need it down the road. Coyotes are known for getting themselves into trouble.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Emily added. “The wildlife center should be ready, in case we need to move these pups.”
Trisha blew out a soft breath, like she was giving up. “Okay, then. Tomorrow’s Saturday—how about we meet up in the morning, at the Wildlife Center? Emily, could you come and advise us on the design?”
“As long as there are no emergencies at the clinic. Speaking of which—” she glanced at Trisha “—we’d better get back.”
“I’ll talk to Vivian,” Jace said, “and figure out what supplies we’ll need.”
“We’ll be in touch,” Trisha assured him. She and Emily gathered up their gear and loaded it in their truck.
Liam knew better than to offer to carry things for them now. These ladies were tough and they seemed to want to prove it, every moment. He turned to Jace instead. “Do you have a plan for getting these two down to the barn?”
“They’re bonding well, so I figure we can put you and this baby in the back of the truck. If we drive slowly enough, Mom can keep up just fine. Do you have any hay or pellets, in case she needs some encouragement?”
“I’ve got pretty much everything in this truck.” Liam pulled the lid off the plastic feed tub he kept in the truck bed.
“Including a rifle.” Jace’s dark brows creased together in concern. “I’ll ask that you keep it unloaded and the case locked. I’ve got three curious kids in my care. I don’t want any accidents.”
“Of course. Absolutely.” Liam felt like he needed to apologize, but he wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. If he saw a coyote around his livestock at home, would he still shoot it? Probably. He settled on “I’m sorry to cause you trouble today.”
“We’ll get through it.” Jace took the container of pellets from Liam and fed a few to the mama cow. “Look, I know how it is where you’re from. I worked on your family’s ranch, remember? But around here, local people love wildlife. And folks really like the tourists who come out here on weekends to see it, too.”
“So it’s part of the economy?”
“Just like the wineries and the scenery. I know it’s hard to understand. Trust me, I had a real hard time with it when I first bought this ranch. But the best thing you can do, if you run into wildlife around here, is stop and think about a way for both of you to go on your way safely.”
“Got it.” A part of him was still incredulous. How could any cattle rancher in his right mind encourage coyotes to hang out on his property? But, hey, it wasn’t his problem. He was just here to visit and learn enough to satisfy his dad, then he’d be heading home.
Except there was Trisha, who was not just the sweet thing he’d imagined that night in Texas—she was also strong and tough and not afraid to speak her mind. Liam had to resist the urge to ask Jace about her. Or to tell him everything—about Trisha, about their night together and about how she seemed to hate him now.
But his mama had raised him a gentleman. He might want to talk about it, but it wasn’t just about him. Trisha was entitled to her privacy. So he picked a different topic. “What happened when you first bought your ranch?”
Jace shook his head slightly, as if he still couldn’t quite believe what he was about to say. “When I bought this land, it had been abandoned a long time. Wildlife had taken over. Those tule elk you see grazing around? Turns out the best pastures on this property were their only option for water in the summer and fall. Then Vivian discovered an endangered salamander in that same valley, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. Anyway, it’s a long story, but eventually the town bought that valley from me and it’s a wildlife preserve now. Folks around here might seem a little overenthusiastic about wildlife, but they walk their talk, you know? So most ranchers try to find a way to coexist.”
“Like bringing your cows down to the barn before they calve.”
“Exactly. Except this girl here got started a little earlier than I expected. Just shows that even the best-laid plans go awry.”
Liam pictured that coyote, suffering right now because of his bad shot. “They sure do.”
Jace must have caught the gloom in his voice, because he put a hand to Liam’s arm. “Hey. It might be too late to do anything for the coyote you shot, but at least we’ll build that pen and do right by those babies.”
It was some comfort, but Liam was still struggling to wrap his mind around the situation. “What will you do when those coyote pups grow up, get set free again and start hassling your cattle?”
“I’ve been meaning to get some livestock guardian dogs. Maybe it’s time I made that happen.”
Liam gaped at him. “Let me get this straight. You’ll raise these coyote pups up, send them back to the wild, then spend the rest of your days trying to scare them off?”
“That’s pretty much it.” Jace grinned. “Welcome to California.”
“I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to it.”
“You never know. It just might grow on you.”
“I doubt it.” Liam grabbed the old horse blanket he kept in his truck. He laid it out, wool side up, in the truck bed. “I’ve got that square peg, round hole feeling.”
Jace grinned. “I’ve had that ever since I moved here and became a parent. Don’t worry—you’ll get used to it.” He clapped Liam on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get this calf riding in style. You got any rope we can use?”
“Sure.” Liam climbed into the truck bed and searched his storage box until he found a length of rope. Jace lifted the calf and laid it on the blanket. Gently, they tied the little guy’s feet together so it wouldn’t hurt itself trying to get up. Then they folded the blanket over it for warmth. Liam sat down next to the calf, keeping a firm hand on its shoulder.
The cow hovered close by, mooing anxiously as she kept an eye on her baby. Jace scattered some pellets on the tailgate for her and she settled down, reaching for a few bites.
“Looks like we’re set.” Jace opened the door of the cab and Ranger heaved himself up from the grass and hopped in. The truck made slow progress across the pasture toward the barn, mama cow walking right behind. Liam held the calf tight, its body wiggly and comforting against his. There was something nice about bumping down the dirt track in the dusk, with only one task: keep this little calf safe. Liam knew how to do this. He knew the rules.
Ever since he’d left rehab, he’d been on shaky legs. Feeling like everything he thought he knew about himself was wrong. Until his injury, he’d never imagined he’d get addicted to anything. But somehow he became a guy who lied and stole, just so he could have one more pill.
Coming to California, working for Jace, was supposed to be a way for him to find his feet. But right now his feet felt less trustworthy than ever. His most basic instincts didn’t work here. Trying to explain himself to the woman he’d treated badly. Wrong. Defending a ranch from predators. Wrong.
A wave of homesickness washed over him. Not for Texas, really, but for the familiarity. For the small amount of confidence working on his family’s ranch brought him.
No use crying over it, though. He’d just have to find his footing. He’d help get the coyote pups set, and he’d find that coyote he’d hurt. And he’d smooth things over with Trisha. Because when he made mistakes he made things right again, no matter how long it took.