Cattleman's Courtship

“He had to go to Hunt’s place and you know what a zoo that is.”

“So, not until this afternoon.” Cara sighed. Her workload just got heavier. She had a few appointments after lunch and she hoped no emergencies cropped up in the meantime.

Anita gave her an apologetic smile. “I know you’ve had a busy morning, but I have to run to the bank and deal with an overdraft. Do you mind covering the office for me?”

Cara didn’t want to, but she didn’t feel like telling Anita that. “If I get an emergency call, I’ll have to call you back,” Cara warned.

“Yeah. Sure.” Anita flashed her a smile. “You’re a dear. I’ll make it up to you sometime.”

Cara nodded as she closed the lid of the kit. Anita already owed her two lunch hours and a coffee break, but Cara wasn’t about to get fussy about collecting on them. Once Gordon arrived, her job here was done.

Then, two minutes after Anita left, the buzzer to the front door sounded.

Of course, Cara thought, wiping her hands.

Trista Elderveld stood in the foyer, holding aloft two plastic bags and a tray of coffee. Her trim suit made her look far more professional and put together than Cara knew she actually was.

“Hey, girlfriend,” Trista said with a quick grin. She put down the bags and coffee and gave her old friend a hug. “I’m so sorry to hear about your uncle.”

Cara returned the hug. “Thanks. It’s so good to see you again.”

Trista pulled back and tugged at Cara’s hair. “I like the longer length. Looks romantic.”

“I was going for ‘easier to care for,’” Cara said, deflecting Trista’s loaded comment. “What do you have there?” she asked, pointing to the bags on the counter.

“Coffee and sub sandwiches from Hortons.”

Cara’s stomach groaned as she caught the scent of roasted onion. “You are a lifesaver. I just got back from a call at the Chapman ranch and thought I’d have to miss lunch.”

“Really?” Trista angled her a curious glance. “And how did that go?”

“I was working. That’s how it went.” Cara’s stomach reminded her again that she hadn’t eaten anything since the banana she gobbled down on the way to work this morning. “Why don’t we go eat in my uncle’s office so the front doesn’t smell like a deli.”

“Did you see Nicholas at all?” Trista asked as she followed Cara down the hall to the back office. “Did you talk to him? I heard he went to the hospital with you and your aunt.”

“We’re not talking about Nicholas, okay?” Cara said, keeping her tone firm, just in case Trista didn’t get the hint.

“Changing subject, now.” Trista unwrapped her sandwich. “How’s your uncle doing?”

“He wants to come home already, but the doctor wants to keep an eye on him for a while.”

“You doing okay, jumping back into large animal after treating puppies and guppies at your last job?” Trista asked with a grin.

“It’s a nice change of pace.” Cara took another bite and sighed with satisfaction. “No one makes sandwiches like Hortons. Thanks a bunch for doing this.”

“I had an ulterior motive,” Trista said, popping a pickle in her mouth. “I had stuff I needed to talk about without your aunt or uncle around. Anita told me Bill is gone on a call, so I hoped I could catch you alone.”

“Sounds mysterious,” Cara said, pushing an errant onion back between the slices of bread.

“Not so mysterious.” Trista finished her sandwich, balled up the paper and tossed it in the garbage can. “I’m getting married.”

Cara almost choked. “What? When?”

“A couple of weeks.”

This time Cara did choke. Trista bounced across the room and pounded her friend on the back.

“What’s the supersonic rush, girlfriend?” Cara gasped as she reached for her water bottle, struggling to gain her breath and composure.

Trista rubbed the side of her nose, then sighed. “Well, I’m pregnant.”

Cara almost coughed again and was about to say something when her friend held up her hand.

“Before you say anything, you need to know that this isn’t, well, wasn’t a regular thing.” Trista was blushing now and Cara was still speechless. “It just, well, happened. And we were talking about getting married anyway, so this just hurries up the process.”

Cara sat back, still trying to absorb this information.

“Lorne’s a great guy,” Trista hastened to explain. “And I know he and Mandy used to be engaged, but that was different because she never liked his parents and they never really liked her.”

Which sounded exactly like Nicholas’s father, Cara thought.

“…but I love him and I know he loves me and I know we’ll be happy together.”

“That’s good, I guess,” Cara said, wishing she could be more enthusiastic about the situation.

Trista’s smile trembled a moment and her eyes shone as if with tears. “I wish you could be happy for me. I know I’m happy in spite of how things are going.”

Cara got up and gave her dear friend a quick hug. “If he makes you happy, then I’m happy for you.”

“He will and he does,” Trista said, her eyeblink releasing a tear. She brushed it away and sniffed lightly. “I love him more than I ever thought I could love someone, and he’ll be a great husband and a fantastic dad.”

Trista’s enthusiastic defense of Lorne created a genuine smile in Cara.

Trista sniffed again, then looked back at Cara. “So now, I’m wondering how long you’re sticking around?”

Cara felt a peculiar warmth as she guessed exactly where this was going. “I guess long enough to be at your wedding.”

“So will you stand up for me at my wedding?”

Cara’s smile blossomed. “Of course. For all the times you stood up for me when I first came here and for all the times you stuck up for me, yes, my dear friend, I will stand up for you.”

Trista laughed aloud. “I’m so glad. You know your being here is an answer to prayer.” Then a horrified look crossed her features and she held her hand up. “Not that I think your uncle’s heart attack is an answer to prayer, but the fact that you’re here and that you’re not leaving and—”

“I know what you meant,” Cara said with a melancholy smile as her own emotions veered from a tinge of jealousy to genuine pleasure. “And I would be honored to be your maid of honor.”

Trista heaved a satisfied sigh. “I’m so, so glad. I know the wedding is sudden, but we both knew we wanted to get married and figured why waste time on a long engagement, which worked out perfectly because that means you’re here for the wedding and everything seems to be falling into place…and I should stop talking so much, shouldn’t I?” Trista gave a short laugh as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “You know I always talk a lot when I’m nervous and I was so worried you’d say no.”

“Why would I do that?” Cara tossed her own sandwich wrapper in the garbage can and leaned back to smile at her friend.