Pet Peeves Read online

  “Hey, Billy,” Jamal said, using his cajoling voice. “Come on back here, buddy.”

  Billy just looked at him.

  Jamal stuck his hands in his pockets, looking for something he could use as a bribe. He had a stick of gum, and that was all. It was probably enough, though. He held it out. “See? You can have this.”

  Billy was not impressed. Instead, he took two steps farther along the log.

  The river was fairly swift at this point, and Jamal pressed his lips together. Another few feet, and Billy would tumble down into the water. “Come on,” he said again. He unwrapped one end of the gum, hoping Billy would be able to smell the mint. “See? All yours. Yes, I know I usually don’t let you have gum, but you can have it this one time, okay?”

  Billy went to move, but his hoof got tangled in a branch protruding from the log, and he couldn’t come any closer. He let out a little “baa,” as if to say, “See? I’m trying to behave myself.”

  Jamal ran a hand down his face. Options … what were his options …

  “I brought the rope,” Miss Patti said, coming up behind him and speaking softly.

  He turned to face her. Sure enough, she held the rope, and she wore a determined look on her face.

  “Tie one end around your waist, and loop it around that tree,” she went on. “I’ll be the anchor on this end.”

  Jamal shook his head. “Miss Patti, I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “You’re not asking. I’m insisting.”

  Every second that passed was a second wasted, and Jamal knew they had to act quickly. He tied the rope around his waist, but he looped it around a rock for the anchor. He was not going to pull sixty-year-old Miss Patti into the river with him if he fell.

  “What about the kids?” he asked. “If I go in . . .”

  “They wanted to watch, but their teachers are leading them back to the barn now,” Miss Patti said. “Miss Honey is going to tell the first ranch employee she sees what’s going on so we can get some help out here for you.”

  Jamal was impressed. They’d thought of everything in those few quick minutes. “You’re the best,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “That’s for luck. Don’t be letting me fall in now.”

  “Of course not.” She sounded so sure, he could almost believe it himself.

  He edged out onto the log, one step at a time. Billy looked at him doubtfully. “It’s okay,” Jamal said. “I’m coming. You’ll be all right.” Billy tried to take another step with his stuck leg, but it didn’t work.

  As Jamal drew nearer, he could feel the log beginning to slide. It wasn’t wedged down as tightly as it had looked. It could spin out from beneath him at any moment.

  “Hold on there, buddy,” he said, but at this point, he wasn’t sure if he was talking to himself or to Billy.

  Behind him, he heard the sound of an engine. He risked a glance back to see Wyatt and Wes, two of the Weston brothers who owned the ranch, climbing off a four-wheeler and running toward him. Wes pulled off his shirt as he ran, then his boots as he got closer to the water. Only taking a quick look at the situation, he dove into the water, then grabbed some roots growing out of the bank and wedged himself in place. Jamal could see that if Billy fell, Wes would be there to catch him. He didn’t want to think about himself falling—he’d just started to realize how dangerous this was. Adrenaline had carried him this far—he didn’t know what it would take to get him the rest of the way.

  Wyatt grabbed another rope from the back of the four-wheeler and tossed the end of it up into the tree above Jamal’s head. When the end snaked down, Wyatt called out, “Tie this one around your waist too.” Jamal did as he was asked, relieved when Wyatt held tight to the other end. He’d made a pulley of sorts out of the overhanging tree branch to keep Jamal steady. Miss Patti stood by quietly, not getting in the way, but alert.

  “I hope you know, Billy, that not everyone would go through all this for you,” Jamal said as he came nearer. “The Westons are good people, and when we get back to the pen, I think you should stay there as a big thank you to them.”

  Billy bleated again, but Jamal doubted he’d been listening.

  Inch by inch, Jamal slid his feet along. Then he decided he’d better sit and scoot. He lowered himself carefully, continuing his journey on his rear end. Wes shouted encouragement from below. Wyatt didn’t say anything—but that was hardly surprising. He was the quiet one in the family.

  Just as Jamal reached Billy and managed to untangle the animal’s leg, the log rolled out of place and into the water below. The rope around Jamal’s waist snugged up and held him dangling in midair, a goat in his arms. The log looked like it just missed Wes—Jamal hoped that was really the case.

  The next thing Jamal knew, he was being pulled backward—the rope Miss Patti had brought was still around his waist, and Wyatt was using it to change his angle to the water. A moment later, Jamal’s feet scraped the bank, Wyatt grabbed him by the belt, and everyone tumbled backward into the grass, Billy throwing an awful tantrum.

  “Wes all right?” Jamal asked as soon as he could draw breath enough to talk.

  Wyatt crawled over to the edge. “Yeah, he’s fine. Coming now.”

  Wes hoisted himself onto the bank, breathing hard. “Well, that was fun,” he said, reaching out to rub Billy’s head. “You’re a troublemaker, aren’t you?”

  “So’s Jamal, for going after him,” Miss Patti said wryly.

  “I couldn’t just let him fall in the water,” Jamal defended.

  “And that’s why Jamal has a job taking care of our animals for as long as he wants it,” Wes said. “We wanted someone we could trust, and he’s definitely proven it.”

  Jamal felt good at the praise, and even better knowing that he had job security. He wished, though, that it hadn’t come at the price of a little goat nearly losing his life.

  ***

  When they got back to the ranch, Miss Patti joined the rest of the group from the daycare, who had been taken over to the Kids’ Korral for games until the situation at the river was resolved. Jamal washed up and took a few minutes to pull it together—that whole experience had rattled him, and he didn’t want to show the children that he was upset. Billy was put in an empty chicken coop, which Jamal could only hope would work, and everything seemed to be under control.

  With another deep breath, Jamal opened the door to the Kids’ Korral and was immediately surrounded by children, some from his daycare group and some who belonged to the ranch.

  “Did you die, Jamal?” one girl asked him earnestly. “Did Billy die?”

  He chuckled. “No, I didn’t die, and Billy’s just fine too.”

  “Miss Patti said we shouldn’t have let go of the rope. We’re sorry.”

  Jamal grabbed one of the chairs from one of the little tables in the corner and lowered himself onto it. He was so tall, and the chair was so short, that his knees almost went up to his ears. “Now, listen, everyone. It’s very important to obey the rules so we can all be safe, but I don’t want you to worry about me or about Billy anymore. I want you to have fun today, all right? We have a new colt that we didn’t get to see yet. Do you know what a colt is?”

  Some of the children shook their heads, but the red-haired girl called out, “It’s a baby horse!”

  “That’s right—it’s a baby horse. Should we go see it?”

  It wasn’t hard to convince them, and as they walked over to the horse pen, they stayed with the group and didn’t try to wander off. Jamal spoke to Miss Patti as the children were gathering apples to feed the colt. “The kids don’t think it’s their fault Billy ran off, do they? I mean, yes, they chased him, but it’s not their fault he was loose or that he went out on the log. I don’t want them feeling responsible for what happened.”

  She patted his arm. “Bless you for thinking of that. I’ll make sure we talk about it before they go home today.” She paused and looked at him closely. “Are you all right? That wasn’t a tiptoe through the tul
ips you just had there.”

  Jamal grinned. “I’m all right. I was a little rattled, but it’s over now. I’m just glad we got that silly goat back where he belongs.”

  “And I’m glad we didn’t see our favorite goatherd taking a dip in an icy river.” She patted his arm again and then turned her attention back to the children.

  Jamal pulled out a pocketknife. “Now, we have a little problem, everyone. See, there are twelve of you who want to feed the colt, and just one of him. If he eats twelve apples, what do you think will happen?”

  “He’ll fart!” came a young voice from somewhere to the right of the group.

  “He just might fart,” Jamal replied, deciding not to fight it. “He’d definitely have a stomachache. I know you all want to feed him, so we’re going to cut up some apples so he gets twelve pieces instead of twelve whole apples, okay? That would be better for him.”

  He handed each child a slice of apple, then showed them how to offer the fruit on their palms. The children giggled when the colt’s lips brushed their hands, and Jamal laughed as he watched them.

  “You’ll make a wonderful father someday,” Miss Patti said at his elbow.

  “I hope so,” he replied. He meant to sound lighthearted, but it came out more serious than he intended, and he cleared his throat.

  After the children fed the colt, Jamal led them over to the pump to wash up, and then they went to collect their lunches. They were all quite glad to see that no one had stolen their food, and they carried their boxes over to the picnic tables on the stretch of grass beyond the parking lot.

  Jamal’s assignment was officially finished at this point, but he walked over with them to make sure they all got settled in all right. The children were busily tucking into their sandwiches when Wade walked up holding a bakery box.

  “Remember how I said I don’t steal lunches?” he asked, and the kids nodded.

  “Well, I actually help make lunches sometimes.” He reached into the box and held up a wrapped cookie. “I have regular cookies, sugar-free cookies, and gluten-free cookies in here.” He turned to Miss Patti. “Can everyone have one, or should I go grab something else?”

  “That’s perfect,” she said, beaming. “You thought of everything.”

  “Well, I thought of the cookies. It was actually Miranda at the bakery who thought of the food allergy thing.” Wade set the box on the table, waved goodbye to the kids, then turned to Jamal. “You all right?”

  “I’m fine. Just had a little adventure is all.”

  Wade nodded. “My brothers told me you kept a cool head. Good job.” He clapped Jamal on the shoulder, then walked off in the direction of the office.

  “You need a cookie before you leave us, Jamal.” Miss Patti held the box toward him, giving him first dibs. He chose out a double-chocolate crunch, then told the children he’d see them next time.

  “But I go to real school soon. I won’t get to come back with Miss Patti,” said one of the boys, a smear of peanut butter on his cheek.

  “I tell you what. I’ll see if I can get some day passes for you, and you can come back with your family.” He looked up to see eleven other expectant faces. “For all of you.”

  “Hooray!” they shouted.

  “I don’t think my sister wants to come. She’s scared of ammimmals,” one of the girls said.

  “She should come. It would help her,” the girl sitting next to her replied.

  The children went back to eating their lunches, and Jamal told Miss Patti he’d be in touch about those passes. He’d never given away twelve at a time before, but he didn’t figure it would be a problem. Wade was a soft touch—the cookies proved that.

  He ate his as he walked across the parking lot. A glance at his watch told him that he was running late—his adventures with Billy the Kid had thrown him off schedule. He stopped by the closet in the barn, grabbed a pair of coveralls and some gloves, and continued on to Jaclyn’s. He had a promise to keep.

  Chapter Three

  After Kerry’s plane landed, she caught a shuttle heading out toward her destination. The driver was friendly, but she wasn’t really in the mood for chitchat—it was one of her pet peeves—so the drive was pretty quiet.

  She couldn’t get over how green everything was in Idaho. The grass, the trees, the mountains—she’d never seen so much green in one place before. It was like the whole place had been splashed with chlorophyll.

  She was driven right up to the building where the registration desk was housed, and the girl behind the desk got her checked in within a matter of minutes. “Here’s our list of activities,” she said, sliding a card across the counter.

  “I hope taking naps is on this list,” Kerry said.

  “It’s not, but it should be. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kerry had booked a room there in the bunkhouse rather than going with one of the private cabins. Truth be told, she would have preferred a cabin, but those were a little more than she wanted to spend. She was salting away as much of her income as she could—she didn’t know how much longer her mother’s health would hold out, and she wanted to be prepared for that eventuality. The cancer was in remission, but cancer went out of remission all the time.

  Thinking about her mother, she realized that she’d never taken her phone off airplane mode. As soon as she got to her room, she kicked off her shoes, plopped on the bed, and checked her messages. Three texts from her mother, all concerned about her trip and how it had gone, and one text from a number she didn’t recognize. Curious, she opened it.

  Hi, Kerry. Andie asked me to text you so you’d have my number. Can’t wait to meet you when you get to the ranch.

  Oh, great. So much for hiding in her room and flying under the radar the whole time she was here. He had her number now, and she’d be rude if she ignored his message. It was so frustrating—why did people feel like they had to do things just so other people wouldn’t think they were rude? Was being rude so terrible?

  She flopped back on the bed and noticed how amazingly comfortable it was. In fact, the whole room was really nice—not what she’d expected from a bunkhouse on a ranch. This was like, high-quality hotel. She sent her mother a quick text, decided to answer JJ later, and closed her eyes. A nap sounded like heaven. She was here to relax, after all. Relaxing into her nice, cozy bed …

  Twenty minutes later, she sat up, frustrated. She had no idea how to take afternoon naps. She wanted one—wanted it badly—but her brain just wouldn’t stop churning. Had her assistant remembered to email the approved proofs back to the photographer? Had her mother remembered to take her noon medication? Had the formula for the new mascara been tested yet, and when would she be sent the specs so she could start coming up with the ad copy?

  Argh.

  She’d go take a walk. That would help.

  She put her shoes back on, made sure her room key was in her pocket, and headed out. The blue of the sky, contrasting with the white of the clouds, was so beautiful, she had to stop and admire it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d paused to look up. She was so busy looking down—at her phone, at the sidewalk, at her steering wheel.

  She’d been given a map of the ranch when she checked in, but it would be more fun to explore, so she chose a direction and walked that way. Heavenly smells as she rounded the corner of the building made her think that she’d found the dining room—she could tell already that she’d enjoy eating here.

  What was this over here? A whole street laid out like an Old West town. That was pretty awesome. She climbed the steps to the porch of the building marked “General Store” and went inside. A young woman wearing a dress styled after the mid-1800s was shelving some mugs near the front of the store, and she turned and smiled as Kerry walked in.

  “Hi there. Welcome to River’s End Ranch,” she said. “Can I help you find anything?”

  “No, I think I’ll just browse for a bit,” Kerry replied.

  “All right. Just let
me know if you have any questions. My name is Heidi.”

  “Thanks, Heidi.”

  Kerry wandered up and down the aisles. In one corner, they had some basic grocery items, and she picked out some yogurt to go in the fridge back in her room. There was a whole aisle devoted to candy, and another display of River’s End Ranch merchandise—mugs, T-shirts, hats, bumper stickers. She’d have to come back before she left and grab some of those.

  She set her yogurt down on the counter, along with a cute notebook she’d found with fairies on the cover, then grabbed some gum. Heidi rang everything up and slid her purchase into a bag.

  “Are you staying here at the ranch?” she asked as she put the receipt in with the other things.

  “Two weeks,” Kerry replied. “I’m told it’ll be good for me.”

  Heidi laughed. “Oh? And what’s ‘wrong’ with you, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “I’m an uptight workaholic with an aging mother and I haven’t taken a vacation in about three years,” Kerry replied.

  “I see. Well, let me tell you—you’ve got to visit the spa. Holy cow … they give the best massages. And you need to try a Western Wonder burger over at the diner. The chocolate cake in the dining room is a must, and did I mention the massages?”

  Kerry chuckled. “Yes, you did. I’ll make that a priority.” She gathered up her bag. “Thank you.”

  “No problem. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

  Kerry turned to leave, but then she paused. “I do have a question. Where would I find JJ?”

  Heidi wrinkled her forehead. “I don’t know anyone named JJ.”

  Well, that was weird. “I was told he worked here.”

  Heidi shrugged. “I don’t know everyone here, to be honest, and they’ve brought in a ton of new people with the television show. He could be here and I just wouldn’t know it. Sorry I’m not more help.”

  Kerry nodded. “That’s okay. Thanks again.”