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But concerns about the drought would have to wait Right nohat mattered most was Jasper’s life
As Sky swung the pickup into a parking spot, a white Toyota Land Cruiser pulled up next to him Beau’s fiancée, Natalie Haskell, flew out of the driver’s seat to join Sky on a fast walk to the waiting room Doll-sized, she was dressed for her work as a vet in jeans and a tan cotton shirt
“Beau said I didn’t need to come, but I couldn’t stay away I’ve known Jasper all my life” She brushed back her er scattered rainbohere it caught the sunlight
Sky didn’t reply as he held the door for her There were no words for a time like this
The sht and looked it, hurried forward to pull Natalie in his ar comfort
Bernice, red-eyed and disheveled, huddled on a couch, needles clicking with each stitch of the brown afghan she was knitting Will’s ex-wife, Tori, a y blonde, sat next to her with an arhter, Erin Tears stained the girl’s pretty, young face Jasper was like a grandfather to her
A wall- an early- it any heed As he looked around for Will, Sky found hi if the sheriff’s ht wind of the shooting If Jasper didn’tfor a murderer
Unshaven and haggard, Will stood alone by theDark, blue-eyed, andSky come in, Will crossed the room to join him
For the past six years, since Bull Tyler’s paralysis in a riding accident, Will had run the Rimrock After Bull’s recent death, Beau had co Sky to e the horses full tie of the ranch—the how and why of things—that had sustained them all Much as Jasper would be missed by the ranch family, Sky suspected Will would miss him most
“He’s down the left hallway I’ll show you where” Will opened the swinging doors that led fro room to the ICU
“Do we knoho shot him?” Sky asked
“Jasper says he didn’t see a soul When the bullet hit, he lost control of the ATV, and that’s the last thing he remembers The doctor thinks he htened “He’ll have an oxygen h to talk to you Just make sure you don’t tire him”
“Don’t worry I’llsince accepted Will’s need to s Bull’s nature had been much the same
Alone now, Sky opened the door to Jasper’s roo his legs, the old man looked as frail as an ancient skeleton, ready to crumble at a touch Monitors and IV lines for Anchored by a clip, a catheter bag hung over the side of the mattress
Growing up a his Coe and death as a natural process To truss up an elder in such a way, denying hi But as he to question the wisdom of the doctors?