Page 86 of Josephine and Clay

I glance over my shoulder. “You laugh, but cows appreciate transparency.”

“Do they?”

“Well… I do.”

That earns me a brief smile.

For a while, there’s only the work. Heat pressing against my neck. Dust clinging to my jeans. The calf’s warm body under my hands. The intense presence of Boone near my shoulder, quiet but attentive.

After a few more minutes, I shift back on my heels. A quick wave of dizziness cuts through me, sharp enough that I pause.

Boone notices immediately. “You alright?”

“Yes.” The word is too fast. His expression doesn’t change, but his attention sharpens. “I’m fine,” I add, because apparently my survival instinct is repetition.

“You need water?”

“No.” Then, because Dr. Harris would give me that look, I amend, “Maybe.”

Boone turns toward Tommy. “Grab a bottle from the cooler.”

“I can…”

He’s already gone.

I press my lips together and look back at the calf. “I don’t usually require this much supervision.”

“Didn’t say you did.”

“You implied it.”

“No, ma’am.”

Tommy returns with water. I take it because refusing would be foolish, and because my body has recently proven it cannot be trusted without oversight. The first sip helps more than I want it to.

The calf shifts.

All of us still.

“Come on,” I murmur.

She braces her front legs, tries to push up, wobbles, then drops back down.

“Not yet,” I say quickly. “That’s alright.”

Boone’s jaw tightens.

“She has strength,” I tell him. “That’s good. We’ll give the fluids time to work. Keep her shaded, encourage nursing, monitor whether she stands. If she worsens or won’t take fluids, call me immediately. I mean immediately, not in twelve hours when everyone has decided worry is more practical than action.”

One corner of his mouth lifts. “Understood.”

“I’ll leave written instructions.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

I stand carefully this time, grateful when the world stays where it belongs. Then I remove my gloves, clean up my supplies, and write notes against the hood of the truck because flat surfaces are a luxury in fieldwork.

Boone waits beside me. “You’re new in town?”