Diamond in the Rough (Diamond J #2) (13 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The Orphan

Aidan stuck the fencing pliers in his back pocket after he’d tightened the last strand of woven wire to the corner post. Claude waved from cab of the tractor as he pulled up. “Thanks for your help! Woulda taken me all night to check this fence. Want a ride up to the house and then I’ll run you home?”

“Sure.” Aidan grabbed hold of the fender, stuck his booted foot in the metal stirrup and swung up next to Claude. The older man eased his foot off the clutch and the tractor lurched forward. Aidan held on tight and let his body sway with the movement. Claude wheeled the machine around and headed down the hill toward the old white farmhouse. As the bright headlight swept across the tree line, two eyes reflected the light. They were small and close together, about half the height of the woven wire fence.

Aidan grasped the older man’s shoulder to get his attention, then pointed into the darkness. He shouted to be heard over the tractor’s engine. “There were eyes in those trees. Can you swing back that way?”

Claude slowed the machine and spun the wheel back to the left. The eyes were still there, glowing in the darkness. Bert shouted, “Coyote?”

Aidan shook his head. “Nope. Coyote would’ve run by now. Stop for a sec.”

Claude stepped on the clutch in and the tractor rolled to a stop. Aidan dropped to the ground, then walked cautiously toward the eyes. Mountain lions had been spotted in the area over the past couple of years, but he’d never seen one himself. That didn’t mean he took the risk lightly, though. He walked carefully, heel to toe, quiet, but ready to run if the animal lunged at him. The eyes were round and bright. Not narrow like a coyote or a wild dog. They blinked at him, still reflecting the bright light from the John Deere.

As he got close, he heard a sound in the tall grass ahead of him. A low, sad moo.

“Shit!” He hurried forward as fast as he dared, not wanting to scare the creature. If it was what he thought it was . . .

The eyes turned away, then back. He slowed down. Crept forward. As he moved, a dark shape emerged from the shadows, a lump that slowly turned into a body with legs. The big ears swiveled forward and back, barely discernible in the moonlight. The round eyes remained focused on him.

“Easy, there.” Aidan made cooing noises and the animal made a bleating sound, almost like a sheep. He reached out and touched the young calf and it cried out, scared to death, frozen by fear. “You all alone out here, huh? Those bad men took your mama, didn’t they?”

He scooped the calf up in his arms and lifted it with a grunt. It weighed little more than a full sack of grain, probably not even a hundred pounds. Couldn’t be more than a day old. He stepped carefully, and held the calf close. The little thing’s heart beat a staccato rhythm against his chest.

Claude jumped down from the tractor and met him when he grew close. “Holy cow!”

Aidan laughed. “Not holy cow - baby cow!”

Claude’s yellowed teeth showed as his lips split into a grin. “I’ve still got a cow.”

“That you do.”

Claude held out his arms. “Want me to take ‘im and you can drive the tractor up?”

Aidan shook his head. “I’ve got him. He’s not heavy at all. Meet you up at the barn.”

The calf struggled in his arms, bucking and kicking. One of the little hooves connected with his left knee and Aidan pitched forward into the dirt, dropping the little guy in the process. Aidan was on all fours and tipped his head up. The animal looked him in the eye, opened his mouth and bawled. It began as an angry sound, but ended in a pitiful, mournful moo. The calf blinked one big brown eye, then lowered its head and sighed. Its front legs were braced wide and it shivered, in spite of the warm temperatures. Aidan’s shirt stuck to him, but the night breeze was crisp and cool where his skin was slick with sweat.

Aidan gathered his feet under him and stayed at eye level with the calf. He held out his hand, palm down. The calf snorted, watching him warily, then let out a plaintive sound. The animal took one wobbly step forward. Aidan rubbed the creature’s nose, which was soft as velvet and warm to the touch. The calf took his fingers in its mouth and began sucking eagerly.

“How long have you been out here alone?” Aidan asked. He gathered the calf into his arms and straightened his legs, lifting the critter as easily as a sack of grain. He hurried toward the barn, worried that the calf might’ve been alone for several hours. The way it sucked on his fingers tugged at his heartstrings. The animal continued to shiver in his arms, but quit struggling, which made the trek to the barn easier than the first part of the trip had been.

The big barn door stood wide open, spilling yellow light into the barn lot. The tractor was parked inside, and Claude waited at the open door, peering into the darkness. He brightened and hurried toward Aidan.

Claude held out his arms, “I can take him.”

Aidan shook his head. “I got ‘im. Where do you want the little guy?”

Claude motioned toward the barn. “Just get him inside for now. We can put him in one of the stalls for now.” He slid a stall door open with a squeal of metal on metal.

Aidan stepped into the stall and leaned down to set the animal down.

Claude grabbed a bucket from the hook on the wall and said, “I’ll go get him fresh water.”

Aidan frowned. The calf was young. Without its mama, it’d have a tough row to hoe. Claude returned with the pail and offered it to the animal. The calf stuck his nose in it and snuffled, but didn’t seem to drink much. It nudged Aidan with its nose.

Claude examined the animal. “It’s a girl. Maybe a day or two old. Haven’t even had a chance to put an ear tag in yet.”

Aidan said, “You got milk replacer to feed her?”

The old farmer shook his head. “Not here. I’ll go to town and get some first thing in the morning. Guess the wife and I can take turns feeding her every couple of hours. Too bad she’s not a little older. Stronger.” His features pulled downward as if the gravity of the situation was too much for him.

The calf stood in the center of the stall, looking very small, with its legs braced wide. Her big ears shook. Aidan reached out and stroked one of her velvety red ears and she made a mewling sound, then turned her head and butted his hand. He ran his hand over her face and she took his thumb in her mouth and began to suck hungrily.

Aidan sighed and looked at Claude. The older man looked miserable. His eyes were sunken and dark, and the corners of his mouth drooped. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving a shock of thinning gray sticking up. Poor man had aged ten years in a very short time.

Aidan turned his attention to the shivering animal in front of him, still sucking on his thumb. He couldn’t remember if they had any milk replacer back at the Diamond J or not, but even if they didn’t, either Beau or Charlotte would be able to whip something up.

“Listen,” Aidan began, “Why don’t I take this calf home and take care of her. I’m pretty sure we got milk replacer back at the Ranch.”

Claude cocked his head to the side and rubbed the gray stubble on his chin.

Aidan could see his old friend waffling, and assured him, “It’s no trouble at all. And you got enough other things on your mind right now.”

Claude glanced over his shoulder, in the general direction of the house. He said doubtfully, “The wife hasn’t been feeling very good here lately. It’d be hard for us to take care of a bottle calf right now.”

Aidan took that as a go-ahead and scooped the little calf up in his arms again. As they walked toward the door, Claude cleared his throat. “Can’t tell you how much this means to me. Ain’t as young as I used to be. Those middle of the night feedings—”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Aidan said. He’d been dragging animals home to nurse back to health since he was a kid. A bottle calf’d be fun.

And it’d be a great excuse to invite Gina and her little boy out for a visit. With a jolt, he realized how natural it felt to include her son in the thought. Maybe he truly was ready to settle down.

The calf snuggled in the passenger floorboard of Aidan’s old truck. Aidan shivered a bit in the late night air. He’d given up his shirt to wrap around the baby, but it was worth it as he glanced down at those big brown eyes that blinked back at him, curious and trusting.

“No worries, Lil’ Bit.” Aidan flipped the heat on low. “I lost my mama, too. You’re gonna miss her, but trust me — you’ll be okay.”

He pushed the power button and the latest Rhett Butler song came on the radio. The calf’s head wavered a bit, as if her neck wasn’t strong enough to support the weight. Her large eyes blinked slowly, then she snorted and laid her head on the hump between the foot wells. He grinned as he turned his attention to the road and pointed his truck back toward the Diamond J.

She slept until he pulled into the driveway and parked. He slid out of the truck and hurried around the front of the vehicle, then carefully opened the passenger door. The calf woke with a start and let out a sharp cry as she jumped and kicked furiously, instantly in preservation mode.

Aidan dodged the hard little hooves and spoke to her in a low, soothing voice. Gradually she calmed enough that he was able to stroke her. She swung her head around and looked at him as he gathered her in his arms. She struggled weakly, then seemed to accept her fate. She was surprisingly strong, given her size, but he could feel the underlying weakness. Adrenalin fueled her, but that wouldn’t last long. She needed nourishment and warmth if she was going to survive.

He strode across the gravel toward the barn, his boots crunching in the rock. He ducked into the barn, glanced into a stall to make sure it was empty, then lowered the calf to the ground. Horses snuffled and snorted at the sounds and scent of the newcomer. Before he could slide the door open, the calf scrambled away, legs going every which way. Aidan’s head swiveled from the getaway artist to the empty stall, then back again. The little critter didn’t know where she was going, but she was determined to go.

One of the horses whinnied shrilly as if urging her on. Her hooves scrabbled in the dirt, kicking up tiny puffs of dust. She bumped into walls, but headed in the general direction of the big open door.

“Damn!” Aidan cursed as he hurried after her. She was surprisingly fast and he broke into a jog. She slowed when she reaching the gaping darkness of the doorway. Aidan took advantage of her hesitation and lunged for her. She ducked away from him, set her feet in the dirt and cut the other direction. He zigged, she zagged. He stumbled and caught himself before he sprawled in the dirt. He looked up just as the calf darted out the door.

He put one hand on the doorway and pushed off as he followed her. He blinked in the darkness and looked around. A grunt sounded to his right and he spun in the direction of the noise. Beau appeared out of the darkness, the struggling calf in his arms. She let out a plaintive moo, obviously irritated that her escape had been thwarted.

A smile split Beau’s tanned face. “Does this escapee belong to you?”

Aidan’s shoulders drooped and he nodded as he held out his hands to take the calf from his boss. “She was left behind after Claude’s herd was stolen.”

Beau’s grin widened. “And you decided to take her in.” It was a statement, not a question. He handed the calf off, then frowned as he leaned close to examine the baby.

Aidan shrugged. “I couldn’t leave her there. Claude’s already got so much on his mind, and he’s too old to be up and down all night long feeding a bottle calf.” Aidan hefted the calf in his arms to get a better hold on her. She snorted her irritation as he turned back toward the barn.

Beau fell in step beside him. “At least she looks healthy.”

“Yeah, seems to be. She needs milk.” Aidan stopped in front of the empty stall. “I was going to put her in here. That okay with you?”

“Sure,” Beau said. He moved down the aisle and stepped up on the ladder. “I’ll toss a bale of straw down for you.”

Aidan stepped into the stall and set the calf down, careful to stay between her and the open door. As soon as she was down, he tugged the door closed to keep her from escaping again. He looked up as Beau appeared overhead.

“Heads up!” Beau called, then dropped the bale down. The calf jumped when the straw hit the ground with a thump. Her eyes widened and she backed into the corner until her hindquarters were wedged in tight.

The calf stood with her legs braced widely as she regarded the offending yellow cube with large, suspicious eyes. He pulled his pocket knife from his jeans pocket, flipped it open and cut the twine to release the straw. He closed the knife carefully and tucked it back in his pocket before pulling the bale apart. He shook the flakes open, creating a soft, warm bed for the little calf.

The door squeaked as Beau pulled it open. He slipped into the stall and handed Aidan a big plastic bottle. “Found this in the tack room. Thought you might be able to use it to feed your little munchkin.”

Aidan took the offered bottle. “We got any milk replacer?”

Beau shook his head. “No, but I bet Charlotte’s got whole milk in the ‘fridge that could get her through the night, until you can get to town to get some real milk replacer. And give her a raw egg. It’ll help with the stress.”