Crashing Into Tess (13 page)

Shocked by Jake’s manner,
Tess focused on connecting
with Alchemy. “You’re going to be okay, guy,” she
soothed, giving him another shot of Dormosedan. The
copper colored quarter horse flinched and shifted his
weight. “You’re a real trooper.”

Her nervousness and tension had dissipated as she
worked, and she began to be pleased with the results. An
hour and a half after she’d begun, Tess heard a child’s voice
call into the barn.

“Daddy?”
“In Alchemy’s stall, Cass.”
“Hi, Daddy. Is Dr. Tess here for a trail ride?” Tess’s

heart sank at the eager anticipation in Cassie’s voice. Two
familiar amber eyes peeped over the stall wall. “Hi, Dr.
Tess!” Cassie called cheerfully.

Tess took a deep breath, smiling bravely, “Hi, Cassie.”
Jake’s voice was clipped. “Cass, Alchemy and Dr. Tess
need more time here in the quiet, and Van is probably still
cooped up in the house. Can you go get him and bring him
down here? I’ll help you with Sparky when Dr. Tess

finishes up.”
Tess’s insides twisted at the coolness in his voice.
Does
Jake want to keep Cassie away from me now, too?
There
was just one gash left under Alchemy’s belly. “I think this
is the last one that needs sutures, Jake,” she said quietly, her
face burning with humiliation. “I’ll use Furazine and tape
the rest.”
A half hour later, she pulled her surgical gloves off and
packed up her suture kit. Jake carried the lamp to the truck,
and she followed with her bag. Cassie was leading her pony
Sparky from the paddock. “Sparky looks great, Cassie,”
Tess called, infusing her voice with as much warmth and
encouragement as she could muster as she opened the cab
door to let Rhiannon run.
Jake helped Cassie tie her pony in the grooming stall,
saying, “You start grooming Sparky, Cass. I have to talk to
Dr. Bamberger a minute. I’ll be back to help you tack up.”
Jake approached her truck, handing her a letter with a
grim look. “I made a copy for you.”
While he brought the rest of her things to the truck’s
tailgate, Tess read the letter.
This is for real.
The knot in her
stomach tightened, worse than before, and she began to feel
nauseous.
Looking straight at him, she said, “I wish you’d called
me right away. I wondered why I hadn’t heard from you,
Jake. I knew nothing about the breathalyzer, and I
absolutely have not spoken to my insurance company.”
Flashing an annoyed glare, he stood stiff and
unyielding. She touched his arm, searching his face for
some kind of reprieve. “I know it seems unlikely, but I
don’t have an explanation for this right now, but I’ll do
what it takes to clear this thing up. I’m sure Alice can
vouch for you as far as that night at the bar.”
Jake exhaled. His face softened, and some of the
tension left his shoulders. “Look, Tess, you know I’ve had
my fill of lawyers.”
If you’ve had your fill of lawyers, you won’t want to
meet my parents.
Tess throat closed as the realization hit
her.
I was still on Mom and Dad’s policy, while I lived at
home. They found out about the accident and started
digging. It’s the only explanation.
“Jake, tell me about this police report,” Tess choked.
“Ron gave me a breathalyzer test after the ambulance
showed up. He told me it was inconclusive, but he had a
real smirk on his face when he said it. Ron doesn’t like me.
I hate to think he’d lie about something like this, but he
does like to push his weight around. .038 is below the legal
limit, but the way the report reads, alcohol impairment was
a factor our collision. It’s insane. I wasn’t drinking.”
“Alice served me ginger ale and water all night, she’ll
tell you,” Jake continued. “You know how badly I feel
about the accident, but this complaint makes me look the
very worst, irresponsible and willfully negligent.” He
shook his head, eyes tormented. “Are you sure you didn’t
tell anyone you suspected I’d been drinking?”
“Jake, I swear it. I had a concussion that night, but I
could still testify that you showed no signs of intoxication,
if it comes to that. Remember, you checked my pupils? And
there wasn’t alcohol on your breath, so that’s something.
The ambulance crew was there, too. You have plenty of
witnesses,” Tess said, keeping her voice down, so Cassie
couldn’t hear.
“Maybe, but the stink Vicki could cause over the report
is the last thing Cassie needs. My attorney will have it on
his desk first thing tomorrow. I have to challenge it
legally.”
“Look, I’ll go to bat for you, Jake, I promise. We’ll get
this straightened out, okay?”
“Thanks for that, Tess. Let cooler heads prevail, huh?”
he asked sheepishly, shooting her an appreciative
look.
“As far as Alchemy, I’ve given him a tetanus and IV
antibiotics. He’ll need to be checked on later tonight and
first thing tomorrow morning. Call right away if any
sutures pop. Here are some oral antibiotics. Give them
twice a day, until he’s healed. I’ll be out to remove the
sutures early next week, unless you’d rather have Doc do
it.”
Cassie called out from the grooming stall. “Hey Dr.
Tess, can you stay and watch me ride?”
Tess walked towards the barn, her heart locked in her
throat. “I’d love to, Cassie, but I better not today. Have fun
with Sparky and your dad, okay?”
“Don’t forget our trail ride next time!” Cassie called
out, smiling.
“Okay!” Tess waved, forcing the most pleasant smile
she could muster, backing towards the truck. “I’ve got root
beer and vanilla ice cream at the apartment, any time you
want to stop by!”
“I missed working at the vet office this week, Dr. Tess.
I’ll try to stop by soon,” Cassie promised.
“I’m always happy to see you, Cass,” Tess smiled,
ignoring the hot tears that threatened to well, trying to feel
brave.
Jake stood by Tess’s truck. “Thanks for your help with
Alchemy today,” he said tightly. “Look, you do great work,
and it was really fortunate for us all that you were here
today. I’ll make sure Cassie gets to the clinic on your shift
in the next week or so, okay?”
“Uh-huh, Jake, that sounds good.” Tired of faking it,
anxious to get off McGreer Ranch, Tess climbed into her
truck. Tears blurred her vision as she drove towards town.
The knowledge that Vicki could interfere with Jake’s
relationship with Cassie was like a kick in the gut.
And

As soon as she had cell reception, Tess pulled off the
road and dialed Noelle. “Mom, I’m looking at a copy of a
letter Jake McGreer received from his insurer, based on a
complaint about a police auto accident report. You or dad
don’t know anything about this, do you?”

“Your father and I received copies of medical
statements, so naturally we looked into it, dear. The police
report says the driver had been drinking and was presumed
speeding. As you know, you were insured on our policy. We
took action to protect you.”

Her voice burst with fury, “Mom, you seriously did this,
without even consulting me?”
“Tess, please calm down. We knew you had a lot going
on with your new job, and we didn’t want to trouble you.
We did what any good attorney would have advised, in
your situation.”
“But Mom, I didn’t ask for an attorney’s advice!”
Despairing, Tess was barely able to conceal her anger.
“This is my life, and your interference has really messed
things up for me here.”
“Be that as it may, you were hit and the driver was near
drunk. Were you hurt?”
“I’m not discussing the accident with you, Mom. I can’t
trust that you and Dad will respect my privacy.”
“Tess, that’s nonsense. What were you doing out at that
time of night anyway, in a strange place? I wish you’d
stayed in the hotel room in Colorado Springs, where you
said you’d been,” her mother answered frostily.
“Mom, this accident was most definitely not Jake
McGreer’s fault. His insurance company is under the
impression I’m gearing up for a lawsuit, which couldn’t be
further from the truth.”
“Well, dear, facts speak for themselves. Of course you
should recover a settlement, if you can.”
“Mom, you’re completely unaware of the facts, I assure
you.”
Her mother sighed. “Oh, Tess, why do you have a blind
spot for such inappropriate men?”
It felt like her mother had slapped her. “What is that
supposed to mean?” she asked, astounded, then incensed.
“Look, Mom, you spent all last summer humiliating me
with snide comments every chance you got, and you’re still
at it. I know you don’t want me here. You’ve made no
secret of your disdain for this place and my choices. But
this is my life, and these are my dreams, so please, can you
stop insulting me? I’ve tried to be patient, but it really feels
like you don’t respect me at all.”
“Tess, your father and I will call later from home,” her
mother said quickly, ending the discussion.
Great, and I was just finally letting her know how I’ve
felt.
Angry and upset, Tess picked up a pizza at Mamma
Boccini’s and took it back to her apartment. Sitting at
Alice’s little bistro table, she ate two bites of the first slice
and put it down, sickened with despair.
How could they do
this to me?
After she’d spent an hour crying to Samantha on the
phone, Tess opened her Endocrinology textbook, trying to
distract herself with the lymphatic system of
Suidae Suinae
Sus. At least I’ll be prepared, if the Carson’s sow doesn’t
improve. I can’t do much for my own life, but I can still fix
a pig in a pickle.

Her cell buzzed at eight. “Tess,” her dad said gruffly,
“Mom’s on the other extension. I need to start off by saying
that your mother and I have reviewed your legal position,
and we agree that you should sue the driver of the truck, no
matter that he’s a friend.”

“Dad, would you two please knock it off? Receipts for
medical payments were mailed to your house while I was
on your insurance policy, but they’re not yours to deal with,
at all anymore. I’m an adult,” she protested, her voice
straining with anger, “I’m the expert in my life. I can’t even
believe you or mom would make inquiries without
discussing your concerns with me, and now you are making
legal recommendations? There is absolutely no way this
will turn into a lawsuit.”

“Why would you take that position, Tess?” Noelle
admonished.
“Because the accident was unavoidable, Mom. I slid on
an icy road and ran a stop sign.”
“Tess, this man sounds like a yahoo cowboy. He’s
dangerous. He was drunk and speeding,” her father
interjected.
“Dad, I was almost completely in this ‘yahoo
cowboy’s’ lane when he hit me, and if he’d not been paying
attention, it could have been much, much worse. Jake
helped me. He insisted I go to the hospital for a CAT scan,
and he took care of my dog. He’s a very decent guy.”
“Tess, you didn’t tell us about a dog,” her mother’s
voice quavered.
“No, I didn’t, Mom. If I had, you would have harassed
me with the details of every disease and parasite the dog
could possibly expose me to my entire trip cross country in
an attempt to convince me that picking up a dog on the
highway is a bad idea. I picked up a dog, I moved to a place
you don’t like, and I survived a car crash. I’m a vet, an
actual professional, with an advanced degree. I’m not just
your little girl anymore, and it’s high time I get to decide.
And Mom, I have to tell you that the snotty, hurtful
comments you been making non-stop since June are most
unwelcome, too.”
“Now, just a minute, Tess. I will not have you speaking
to your mother this way.”
“Dad, I will try to forgive you both for sticking your
noses into my affairs, if you consider that had someone
other than Jake had hit me, I would not have gotten to the
hospital. In the off chance I was hemorrhaging, I’d be dead
right now.”
“You don’t know that, Tess,” her mother said
scornfully, “And it’s no reason to give this man a free pass
on drinking and speeding.”
“I do know it, Mom. Jake wasn’t drinking. He’s got
witnesses, including me. The cop gave him a breathalyzer
test, and then lied about his blood alcohol level on the
report. The police report is false, and it’s being used to hurt
Jake.”
“That sounds like nonsense. Honey, we are trying to
protect you.”
“You’re not protected me, Mom, not at all. You’re not
even listening. Please at least have the courtesy to hear
what I am saying. You’re causing me serious problems, and
I’m tired of your second-guessing. It might just have been a
bad habit while I was home, but now your meddling has
undermined everything I’ve worked for here. This is a
small town, and word travels fast. If this thing ever turned
into a lawsuit, no rancher in town would let me step foot on
their property for fear of being sued. The last thing I need is
a reputation as a litigious, arrogant east coast brat. People
around here know Jake McGreer, and they know Officer
Ron. That police report will not hold up in court, believe
me.”
“Your mother and I have been worried about you,
Tess,” her dad said, a warning note in his tone.
“Well, I’m worried too, Dad. About you,” she said.“You
assume that I can’t take care of myself, but how well are
you taking care of yourself? Have you taken the advice
your cardiologist gave you? Cutting out red meat? Starting
an exercise program to lower your cholesterol and blood
pressure? Are you still smoking cigars? This works both
ways, Dad. Please get serious about some lifestyle changes
of your own, okay?”
“Tess, I’m shocked,” her dad said, his voice muted.
“So was I when Jake showed me the letter from his
insurer, Dad!” She burst into tears. “Please, I’m very upset
now. Try to understand how terrible this is for me. I have
my own auto and health insurance now, I’ve taken a loan
for my own vehicle, and I really, really need to be in charge
of my own life. Thank you for all you have done for me in
the past, but please, please, let me take care of the yahoo
cowboys in Green Junction.”
“I’ve got it under control, I promise you,” Tess said,
trying not to hiccup into the phone. “I’ll call when I’m
ready to talk, but, please, don’t count on it being very soon.
I’m ready to say goodnight.”
“All right Tess. Good night, then,” her father answered
gravely.
Tess clicked off her cell, tears running down her
cheeks. She had a lot to try to explain to Jake.