“Please, Sam, tell me they didn’t suffer.”
Whenever an animal died, owners always begged to be assured that their pet had not suffered. Half the time, Samantha knew she was lying to them but figured the little bit of peace was a gift she could offer. In this case, having not examined the animals, she had no idea what to say, and shooting a glance toward the show of law enforcement nearby, she sighed heavily. “Lizzie, honey, why don’t you let Scott take you back to the house? I’ll take a look and… um… talk to the Sheriff. As soon as I know what we’re dealing with, honey, I promise I’ll come talk to you.”
She waited until Scott nodded his appreciation and one of their friends, Katelyn, took Lizzie’s arm, leading her back into the house. She walked into the pasture and knelt by the goats, the knees of her jeans instantly soaking up the heavy dew. Ignoring the wetness, she quickly ascertained that the goats were indeed dead. As she began her examination, Scott looked toward the others. “Colt, we gotta do something. This shit can’t keep going. First, the property. Next, the animals. When the fuck is somebody going to come after her?”
What the hell? She shot to her feet, staring at the tight faces of the men standing around. “Obviously, there are things going on here that I had no idea about. Colt? I’m gonna let you tell me what you need from me.”
Colt’s jaw was tight as he looked down at her. “Sam, I need to know the cause of death. Accidental or intentional.”
Nodding, she snapped on a pair of gloves and knelt next to the goats again. She began by examining their faces, pulling her phone out of her pocket to snap pictures. She withdrew blood samples, labeling them before placing them into her satchel. Vomit was on the ground nearby, and she scooped small samples, placing them into plastic bags. Moving to the other goat, she also took samples of fecal matter. Looking at the remains of cut plant limbs nearby, she pinched her mouth tight, anger filling her.
Standing, she turned toward the others. “Azaleas are the standard flowering bush of the south but well known to be poisonous to many animals, including goats. I remember Lizzie taking out all of the azalea bushes around the house when she decided to raise goats. Her grandfather hated to lose the pretty bushes that her grandmother had planted and loved, but he understood Lizzie’s need to make the entire area safe. Obviously, the goats are penned and don’t get to the house, but she didn’t want to take a chance.” She jerked her head downward to the clump of cut, half-eaten plants. “That’s the source of the poison right there.”
One of the deputies opened his mouth and said something stupid, but instead of replying, Samantha shook her head, letting Colt deal with him. Scott looked over and asked, “Why did the asshole put the plants out here when the goats were in the pen near the barn?”
“I’m afraid that’s for you all to figure out. I can’t begin to imagine what kind of person would poison defenseless animals.” Air left her lungs in a rush, and her heart ached. It never got easier dealing with a sick or injured animal, and yet she never thought of leaving the profession. Looking back at Colt, she stared at the large, handsome sheriff. She had always thought him to be a bit cold, uncertain if it was the burden of his responsibilities or simply his personality. But now that he was engaged, having fallen in love with a wonderful single mother and planned on adopting her son, Sam noticed a softness about him that had been missing.
“You okay, Sam?” he asked.
She blinked, shaking her head, wondering if lack of sleep was making her mind wander. “Yeah, yeah. I’m going to head to the barn and check out the rest of the animals to make sure there’s nothing else going on. Once you’re finished out here, let me know. I’ll take care of disposing of the goats after I talk to Lizzie.”
She collected her sample bags and placed them into her satchel before standing. Walking into the barn, it didn’t take long for her to ascertain that all of the other animals were fine and healthy. Her heart was heavy, but she could not help but smile at the antics of the goats as they bleated and butted each other out of the way to get to her.
She eventually made her way to the kitchen door and knocked. Gaining Lizzie’s permission, she stepped inside and accepted the cup of coffee that Scott handed to her with gratitude. Once settled around the table, Sam lifted her tired eyes toward Lizzie as the young farmer gushed her appreciation that Sam had dropped everything to come straight to the farm.
Shaking her head, Samantha smiled weakly and waved her hand. “Oh, Lizzie, I’m glad I could be here for you. I’m just sorry for the reason.” She took another sip of the strong brew and cleared her throat. “Okay, let’s get this done, and I’ll take care of the goats for you.”
She sucked in a fortifying breath, then explained the azalea clippings that she found and her assumption that someone had placed them there. “I’ve taken blood samples from both goats as well as samples from the vomit and feces nearby. This will let me know for sure if the azaleas were the culprit.”
Scott stood and offered his hand. “Dr. Collins, we appreciate what you’ve done more than you can know.”
“I can’t say it was my pleasure but it was my job. I’m glad I could be here for you.” She had met Scott a couple of times and wanted to remove the formality. “Oh, and by the way, call me Sam… everyone does.”
He nodded and turned toward Lizzie, his face filled with concern. Sam watched as he enveloped Lizzie in his embrace, and her heart squeezed with the exhibition of raw emotion between Scott and Lizzie. She turned away, placing her cup into the sink, a sense of loneliness threatening to overtake her. Clearing her throat, she offered a small smile before nodding goodbye.
Heading to her truck, her feet felt heavier as she forced her mind to the next part of her day. Planning to back up as close to the deceased animals as possible so that someone could help her move them into the bed of her truck, she climbed behind the steering wheel. The engine grinded and clunked over and over but didn’t start. Dropping her chin to her chest, she sighed. Damn, can this day get any worse?
She started to pull out her phone, but Colt waved her off, already on his. It was a simple gesture, but she was grateful for any help. Thirty minutes later, she was leaning against her truck with her eyes closed when the rumble of a diesel engine and the crunch of gravel had her look up to see a tow truck pulling into Lizzie’s drive. The door to the large truck opened, and a booted foot emerged. As the man climbed down, Sam’s gaze strayed from the foot up to a muscular, jean-clad thigh, up to a fabulous ass, and continued to wide, thick shoulders. By the time he turned around to face them, she kept staring, realizing that the front was every bit as glorious as the back.
He was a big man, and that was saying something considering that many of the men she knew were big. His dark hair was wavy and long, pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck. What captured her attention was the blonde streak near the front. On any other man, that could look ridiculous, but on him? Pure hot.
His jeans were worn, his black T-shirt was tight across his chest, and his arms were a sleeve of tattoos. Not one to give in to flights of fancy, something about this man instantly sent vibrations straight through her body, waking up the reminder she’d had a long dry spell when it came to a roll in the hay for something more than trying to give an inoculation to a goat who’d headbutted her.