Dreams Come True (4 page)

They finished their pudding and the girls got up.
“Go on you two.  David and I will be washing the dishes and doing the ironing while you are out.”  David roared with laughter.  Victoria smiled as they walked out of the house.
“They get on well.”
“Nicola gets very bored at home.  Here she is busy from sunrise to sunset.  Always something to do.”
“It sure is a different life.”
“They learn a lot.  I know it is pretty short notice.  David why don’t you leave Victoria for the week?”  David smiled.
“I could.  But what about clothes?”
“We can make a plan.”
“She would love it Amanda.  You don’t mind?”
“Of course I don’t mind.  We really have the lambs that have to be sorted out.  Nicola loves helping.  I think Victoria would benefit.  And there is always a watchful eye.”  David smiled and nodded.
“I can bring her a few things tomorrow evening.”
“I think so.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh I think I have to thank you.  I won’t have to worry that she is on her own and bored.”  David chuckled.
“Gosh I didn’t expect that.  Is there something I can bring when I come over tomorrow evening?”
“Yes.  An overnight bag.”  David chuckled.
“Actually.  Rather spend the night.  Then you don’t have to rush.  Leave in the morning.  If you would like.  There are lots of spare rooms available.”
“Sure?”
“Of course.” 

They finished tidying the kitchen.
“Would you like to go for an afternoon stroll?”
“Now that sounds like a plan.”  Amanda chuckled.
“I would like to go and check on my little ones in the surgery.”  David smiled as they walked across to the surgery.  Amanda smiled as she opened the door.
“My world.  Where my friends don’t argue.  And they understand me.”  David chuckled.  They walked through a door and David smiled.  She walked to a little cage which had a wire door.  She opened it up and stroked the cat.
“How are we Phyllis?”  She smiled and stroked her.
“I see you are a whole lot better.  They will fetch you tomorrow.”
“What happened to her?”
“She had a fight with one of the dogs.  But she got her own back.  After having her leg bitten.”
“Ouch.” 

Amanda closed the cage and
walked to another little cage.
“How are you Jessie?”
“Pups?”
“Yes.  She is a very small breed.  And six was a bit of a worry.  So her folks brought her in.  She managed very well.  Just needed a tiny bit of help with number six.  Didn’t you sweetheart?”  He smiled as he put his hand in the cage and he stroked the dog.
“They are beautiful.  Never seen anything so small.”  Amanda chuckled and nodded.
“And tomorrow she can go home.  They have a lovely basket ready and waiting.  They will be very surprised when they get here tomorrow.”
“On a Sunday?”
“Yes.  Just like a hospital.  The day doesn’t really matter.  But I keep to office hours in the week.  As normal.  But sometimes I go on a call out.  But that is normally somewhere local.”  David smiled and nodded.

They walked out of the rooms.
“David this is quite a long break from school.”
“Yes.  It is.”
“And you do realize your Victoria is going to love her stay.”
“Yes I can already hear what is going to be said on the weekend.”  Amanda chuckled.
“We can play it by ear.  Nicola is here for the entire holiday.”
“If she drives you nuts you just give me a call.”  Amanda chuckled.
“I am so busy at times.  I have the housekeeper who keeps tabs on Nicola.  And the ranch hands make sure that she does not get under foot.  I have a good crew.  They watch out for her.”
“Knowing that they have to answer to you.”
“Nice thought.”  David roared with laughter and nodded.  Amanda chuckled. 

“How safe are you out here?”
“Safer than out there.  We close the gate at night.  The fences are electrified.”
“The entire ranch?”
“Yes.  Cattle rustling is huge.  We don’t have that problem anymore.”
“You had that problem?”
“Yes.  Quite often.  We would do a count in the morning and find fifteen sheep missing.”
“Strange number.”
“They don’t care how many they can load on the back of a van.  Since I had the fencing put up we don’t have that problem.  But I bet they got a nice surprise the last time.  We found a piece of shirt blowing in the wind.”
“On the wire?”  Amanda nodded.  David roared with laughter.
“But the fencing gives quite a kick.”
“And more so if you think the warning boards are for show.”  David grinned and nodded.
“Shocking!”  Amanda roared with laughter.
“What about your animals walking in to the fences?”
“No.  We have a double row of fencing.  The actual fence.  And then just in front of that.  Much lower but the animals don’t go through.”
“Your friends probably think it is a land mine strip.”  Amanda roared with laughter.
“They haven’t been back.”
“Thankfully.”  David chuckled and nodded. 

They both watched as a van came flying down the road.  It suddenly slowed down and drove up to the surgery.
“Miss Amanda!”
“Arnold?”
“The lamb is stuck!”
“Should have called.”  Amanda ran in to the rooms and came out with her stethoscope around her neck.  She quickly pulled on her gloves.  Victoria and Nicola came sprinting.  They all stood around as Amanda climbed on to the van.  She listened to the heartbeats and nodded.  She slowly started to help the sheep.  David hopped on the van and held the sheep.  Arnold got up and stood the other side.  Victoria stared with huge eyes.
“What can we do?”
“A huge soft pillow from one of the baskets in the surgery.  When this youngster arrives I would rather prefer a soft landing.” 

Victoria and Nicola sprinted in to the surgery and
fetched the pillow.  Victoria grabbed the paper towels which were on the counter.  They put the pillow down and Victoria put the paper toweling on the pillow.  Amanda smiled.
“Okay Sheila.  Now!”  The sheep gave a little bleat and Amanda pulled.  The little lamb landed on the cushion.
“Leave her gents.  She needs to clean the lamb.”  David smiled as the sheep turned and started to clean her lamb. 

Arnold sighed.
“I saw the numbers plummeting.”
“Arnold this is David MacGuire.”  David smiled and shook his hand.
“How are the rest of them doing Arnold?”
“Doing well.  No other problems.”
“She will be fine.  As long as she grooms her and she stands up and latches on.”  David sat on the side of the van.  They all watched as the little thing struggled to get up.  She was soon on her legs nudging her mother for a drink of milk.
“Arnold we need to take a very slow drive home.  Don’t want her little legs broken.”
“You coming for the ride?”
“Yeah.”  Arnold hopped off the van.  Victoria and Nicola climbed up.  David moved in to the back of the van and held the sheep.  Amanda sat the other side and did the same.
“You two catch her if she slips.”  Victoria smiled and looked at David.  He smiled and nodded.

Arnold drove as slow as he could.  David soon stood and held the sheep.  They arrived at the ranch and a few hands came to help.  They soon had the sheep and her lamb on the ground.  The little lamb nudged and drank.  Amanda smiled.
“She will be fine.  No harm done there.”  Arnold smiled and nodded.  He took out a little bundle of notes and handed them to Amanda.
“Thank you Doc.”  Amanda smiled and nodded and put the money in her pocket. 

“The
four wheeler fixed?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Thanks.”  She took the money out of her pocket and stuck it in Arnold’s pocket.  He chuckled.
“It was a spark plug.”  Amanda chuckled.  She walked over to the four wheeler and David sprinted.
“Hu uh!”  She gurgled with laughter.
“Yours?”
“Yes.”
“Come on ladies.  You can run along behind us.”  They gurgled with laughter as they all hopped on to the four wheeler.
“Miss Amanda I can see you all home.”
“Not a problem Arnold.  They can bite on to the tires.”  David grinned.
“Nice meeting you David.”
“And you Arnold.”  Victoria and Nicola chuckled as they stood on the four wheeler holding on.  Amanda stood behind David.  He slowly rode out and waved. 

He took it very slow along the road.  A van came driving by and everyone waved. 
Nicola and Victoria giggled all the way home.
“The spark plug was replaced.  But I am worried about the shocks!”  Amanda roared with laughter.  He grinned.  He pulled up to the ranch house.  Everyone hopped off.
“Take it down to the shed please Nicola.”
“But of course!”  Victoria chuckled as the both of them hopped on.  David shook his head as Nicola rode down to the stables.
“Shed and stables.  Did I say stables?”  David watched as Nicola hopped off and they swapped.  Victoria rode from the stables to the shed.
“All I see is sparkling teeth.”  Amanda chuckled.
“There are a few.  And it was not the spark plug.  But Arnold would not say.”
“And that is why he paid you and you paid him.”  Amanda chuckled and nodded.
“If I asked, he would find an empty spark plug box and charge me the price of that.  But I know he would have stripped that engine and found the fault.”
“Decent folk.”  Amanda nodded and smiled. 

David smiled as they walked in to the house.
“I think a nice cup of coffee.”  David walked in to the kitchen.
“Let me get that for you.”
“Thanks David.”  He smiled as he took the mugs and poured the coffee from the pot.
“Thought about sleeping over?”
“I have.”
“And?”  David nodded and smiled.
“I think so.”  Amanda smiled and nodded.
“I hope you don’t think I am being too forward.”
“No.  Not at all.  A lot of people would pussy foot around the issue.  Like Victoria staying for a couple of days.  Extend the invitation if you want to.  If not then don’t raise the hopes.  I rather prefer someone to say what they are thinking.  Get it off their chest.”
“I prefer it that way.”
“It is the same as when I give a quote.  I wait for days sometimes.  Then I get the go ahead.  Or I have to follow up and then they turn me down.”  Amanda nodded.
“I don’t shoot from the hip.  I give everything a lot of thought.  But when I make my mind up then I stick to it.”  David chuckled and nodded.

The girls ran inside.
“Whoa did you see us!  Victoria can ride a four wheeler.”
“And what did we bump in to?”  Victoria gurgled with laughter.
“We honestly didn’t.”
“I thought you rode to Timbuktu the length of time it took to park a four wheeler.”  Victoria gurgled with laughter.
“Hey Dad have you seen the time?”
“I have.”
“So is there still time to go for a ride on the real horse?”  Amanda smiled and looked at David.
“I guess you can.  But not for too long.  I would like you to be able to move your limbs tomorrow.”  The girls roared with laughter and ran out the front door. 

Amanda switched the oven on and they both sat down.
“Gosh is it like this all the time?”
“All the time.  I often find I have an extra pair of hands when I am busy doing a little operation.  You just learn.  Ask for the scalpel.  Ask for the clamps.  Then you ask for the burger and chips and there is a roar of laughter.”  David chuckled as he listened.
“Yes I can honestly say life is never dull.  Life is never boring.  And life is certainly not quiet.  You get to enjoy the lights out period.”  David grinned and nodded.
“And at home I make sure to leave a light on.  Just in case.”
“We don’t have that here.  If there ever was a burglar I think he would probably find himself pinned down with four shotguns aimed at his head.”  David chuckled.
“This is their home.  And let me tell you.  They protect it.  Not only is this where they work.  But my hands all live on the ranch.  The married couples in the married quarters.  And the singles in the single quarters.  They watch out for each other.  They really do.  If one gets out of hand he is taken to one side and spoken to.”
“Beaten up?”
“No.  Really spoken to.  They are like a big family.  You have your older generation.  Then the younger ones.  And the inbetweeners.  If anyone gets out of hand the older generation do the talking.”
“That helps.”  Amanda nodded.  She stood and took ingredients out of the cupboards and put the three bananas and a bowl in front of David with the masher.

He peeled and mashed as he spoke.
“And have you ever had a problem with brawls and things?”
“Not a problem as such.  Sometimes it does happen.  The next morning you see the blue eye and the scrapes.  But they kiss and make up in the morning.  Everyone comments on the pretty make up and then the laughter begins.  Sometimes the worst of enemies become the best of friends.”
“I guess.”
“They are kept in line.  I have a ranch manager.  Jimmy.  He doesn’t take any nonsense.  They all know.  If you get out of hand you are off the land.”  David nodded and smiled.
“Good to know.”  Amanda nodded.
“In everything in life there are rules and regulations.  The same applies.  This is a business.  But they make it their home.  Behave and you are welcome.  Misbehave and you are not.” 

Amanda took the
bowl of bananas from David and mixed them into the mixture and poured it in to the loaf tin.  David got up and held the tin.  He scraped the batter in to the loaf pan.
“Thanks.”  She opened the oven and put the loaf tin in to the oven and put the timer on.  David made another cup of coffee. 

They both sat down.  David chuckled.  Amanda smiled.
“What?”
“I didn’t even realize what I was doing.”
“Well you were a great help.”  He chuckled.  He took Amanda’s hands in his.
“I am enjoying this.  I am enjoying being here.  And I am enjoying your company.  Being able to help.  In a little way.  But I am enjoying the conversation.  Being a part of it all.”  Amanda smiled.
“It is nice to have the company.  It can get a little lonely out here sometimes.  I shut the world out.  But sometimes you do need someone to answer when you start chatting.”  David chuckled and nodded.
“Can you hear those two?”
“That was a very quick ride.”
“I think I heard a different kind of horse leave the stable.”  Amanda chuckled and nodded.  He left her hands and she smiled.