We dont want that government fella here, shouted someone Tandy couldnt see. That sufficed to jar her out of her memories. And we dont need you enabling him, missy. You understand?
Mama! Scotty tugged on his mothers sleeve. Im scared. Why are those men yelling at you? I wish we hadnt moved here.
Shh. Dont be scared. She brushed the boys sandy-colored hair with a reassuring hand before turning her attention to her first accoster. Mr. Hunt hasnt shown up yet. How do you know he inquired if his old rental was available?
Not that I have to tell you, but Hunt arranged to have his mail delivered out to Spiritridge along with yours starting tomorrow. Roy Wilkersons wife works at the post office. She took his call and passed on the bad news. You need to send him packing.
I believe thats my decision. Tandy stood up, squeezing herself and Scotty past the man blocking the aisle with his bulk. She paused briefly to dismiss him with a scowl, along with the others in the room whod turned in their chairs to stare, apparently all in solidarity with their spokesman.
Lifting her chin, she said loudly, When my dad was sick and dying of prostate cancer, Wyatt Hunt made time to drive him to the hospital in Safford for chemo. Dad said Hunt alone helped Manny Vasquez with chores and rounding up and selling his herd. If for no other reason, that would convince me to rent a casita to the wildlife biologist again. In a last show of defiance she squared her shoulders, took Scotty by the hand and marched them to an exit door she stiff-armed open.
Youre making a big mistake, Hicks called.
Stick it where the sun dont shine!
Whatever else he may have shouted back got cut off by the slam of the heavy door behind Tandy.
She half carried her gangly son to the parking lot, where she unlocked and wrenched open the back door to her SUV. She lifted him into his booster seat, helped him buckle up and hugged him when he started to cry. Shh. I wont let them hurt us.
I dont like that bad man with the big shiny belt buckle. He hollered at you. I wanna go back to Honolulu and live with my cousins.
Tandys heart sank. Oh, Scotty, the ranch is our home now. She gently shut his door and rounded the hood to slide behind the wheel. She glanced back at him before jamming the key in the ignition of the aging Wagoneer that had belonged to her dad.
Whats a wolf man? Scotty asked, wiping his sniffling nose on his sleeve. Is he like a werewolf?
Heavens, no. Werewolves are folklore. They arent real. Tandy wrenched too hard on the key and the Jeep roared to life then sputtered and died. Where did you hear about werewolves anyway?
From Mark. Hes got a cool movie.
Auntie Lucinda let you kids watch that kind of thing?
Uh-huh. And vampires, too. And zombies.
Sheesh. Well, Mr. Hunt is a regular man. Hell be renting the casita next to Mannys for a month starting tomorrow, and hes one member of a team of wildlife biologists who brought Mexican gray wolves back into this area while your grandpa was alive.
Cool. Scotty swept his hand across his eyes, drying his tears.
As I understand it, Mr. Hunt needs to track those wolves, count their pups then vaccinate and tag them for a wildlife project.
But that man shouldnt have been mean to you. I hope the wolf mans nicer. Is he?
Please call him Mr. Hunt. Grandpa Marsh liked him a lot and spoke highly of him whenever we talked. Manny says good things about Mr. Hunt, too.
If hes not nice Ill have Mr. Bones bite him, Scotty said, brightening considerably the minute he mentioned the Redbone Coonhound. Shed gotten him from the local animal shelter in hopes of helping ease Scottys transition to life on a ranch.
We dont want Mr. Bones biting anyone. Tandy loosened her grip on the key and this time started the vehicle without incident. She couldnt help smiling to herself at her sons protective instincts. However, her smile soon faded. At thirty-one, she was plagued by plenty of mixed feelings over her abrupt but necessary departure from the military, where shed enjoyed her job and had earned a steady paycheck.
Scotty had no clue how their lives had changed when his dad, also an army sergeant, had phoned to say hed fallen in love with another woman. Dan was stationed in the Philippines while shed served in Afghanistan. Hearing long-distance that he wanted a divorce had stung. But when he had angrily insisted hed never wanted kids, leaving the army for the ranch shed inherited in Arizona had seemed the only choice for her and Scotty.
Cutting ties in Hawaii had been necessary because Dans sister, Lucinda, had cared for Scotty while both parents were deployed. Shed said to keep the peace in her family, she had to side with her brother. Compared to all that, having a group of old ranchers attempting to bully her felt minor.
Checking her son in the rearview mirror, it hurt seeing his tearstained face. Back when shed first learned she was pregnant, not long after hers and Dans whirlwind romance, he had mentioned not wanting kids. She shouldve divorced him then. And would have if he hadnt sweet-talked her into believing hed spoken in the heat of the moment. Only during the divorce had she learned hed been up for a promotion at the time. So, the jackasss change of heart had been because his CO wouldnt have promoted him if hed thought Dan would dump a pregnant wife.
She rolled down her window to let a breeze cool her anger. She shouldve said more to those ranchers. Like she ought to have seen through Dan. Oh, but why replow old ground? It was probably a godsend their jobs had kept them apart. Now she was well rid of him.
Still, she felt bad for Scotty. He missed his aunt and cousins. He wasnt as happy with their move to the ranch as Tandy had hoped. She wished she had more hours each day to spend being his mom. But boning up on raising cattle and building a herd demanded a lot of time.
And they could use the income from renting a casita to Wyatt Hunt. While itd been a blessing to inherit Spiritridge, most of the funds in her fathers bank account went to clearing his medical bills. Shed tapped her savings for the move and to buy cattle. And her dads elderly ranch hand, who she was happy had agreed to work for her, had been very frank about how long itd take her to turn a profit with a fledgling herd. Especially since she hadnt yet purchased a bull to turn out with her heifers.
Maybe she shouldve sold the ranch. At the time she just wanted to escape rejection and go where shed been blessed to have had an idyllic childhood. That carefree life was what she wanted for Scotty. And by damn, she wouldnt let angry, futzy old ranchers like Preston Hicks and his minions wreck that.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING, Tandy looked out her kitchen window and saw thick fog rolling over the basin. The white mist completely shrouded the usually dark Santa Teresa and craggy Galiuro Mountains that ringed the high desert where she ran her cattle.
She let the kitchen curtain drop and filled her coffee mug, further worrying they might get snow today. Shed turned her calendar to February, but having grown up here she knew it could snow as late as April.
Mama, do we hafta go feed cows? Im cold, Scotty said, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he came into the kitchen.
Mr. Bones padded after him; his dog tags clinked merrily as he trotted around the boy and went straight to his dish of kibble, which Tandy had already set out.