Page 34 of Home Changes
Kate nodded, grinning. “Sure am.”
“Of all the things in the world,” Seth said, shaking his head. “Small world. Blessing said to say hello.”
“Oh, you’ve met her. She’s …”
“Unusual,” Seth supplied.
“She has the sight,” Kate said. It was a challenge for him to doubt it. He didn’t.
He nodded. “Probably.”
Chester, seated off to the side with Gomer at his feet, raised a brow. “Thought we were here to get the dog checked, not flirt with the vet.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Kate, do you know my father, Chester Hansen?”
Kate extended her hand with a warm smile. “Mr. Hansen, we haven’t officially met, but I’m Tegan Wells’ wife.”
Chester stood, took her hand, and gave it a brief shake. “Here to get the dog’s paw looked after. My fault he got it cut.”
“Oh, is that so?” Kate bent down and offered Gomer her hand. “Hello there. You look familiar.” She looked up at Seth. “Is this Gomer?”
“Sure is. A little gray around the muzzle, and he’s stiff with arthritis. I have a sixty-day supply of meds, but I need to make sure we’re on the best routine. Here’s the list of what he’s on.” He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. “When they retired him, I made a trip back east to get him. I have a soft spot for this dog.”
Gomer offered his paw instinctively when Kate extended her hand, taking the medication sheet with the other before she chuckled and ruffled the scruff behind his ears.
“Well, I have a soft spot for him, too.”
Seth crouched beside her. “He cut his paw in the pasture almost two weeks ago, now. It was healing just fine, then I noticed some swelling. It’s hot to the touch, and the salve I’ve been using isn’t helping.”
He pulled a small jar from his pocket and handed it to Kate. She studied the label, then stood. “That’s a good general solution, but we may need to need to go with a full antibiotic. Let’s get him up on the table and take a closer look.”
It took only a few minutes to examine Gomer’s paw. Kate cleaned the wound, applied a more potent antibiotic ointment, and wrapped the paw securely.
“I’ll send the prescription refill over to the pharmacy in Belle,” she said as she finished the wrap. “I have a couple of days’ worth I can give you until you can get to Belle. You’ll want to watch for swelling, but this should take care of it. As far as the arthritis meds, they’re what I would prescribe. Keep him active, but no running or jumping. Anything hard on his joints will make him hurt more. I’d like to take x-rays sometime soon to get a baseline. Maybe you could stop in one day next week.”
“Thanks. We’ll do that.”
Kate smiled. “It was great seeing you, Seth. We’ll have to get you out to the house for dinner sometime. You do remember Tegan, right?”
“I vaguely remember him. I was a lot older than you guys.”
She rolled her eyes. “Older by what, five years?”
Seth laughed. “Yeah, but when you’re a senior, the freshmen seem a world away.” He scratched Gomer behind the ears and stood. “Thanks again, Kate.”
“Anytime.” She looked at him, a little more seriously this time. “Seth, do you have a minute?”
“Sure. Dad, can you take Gomer to the truck? Time to go see Delbert.”
Chester nodded and stood slowly, taking Gomer’s leash. Seth watched them, the image of loyalty and quiet dignity framed by the open stockyard door and the endless sky beyond.
Chester grumbled as he shuffled down the hallway, Gomer glued to his side like they’d been partners for life. “I’m not disabled,” Chester muttered. “Delbert’s dumber than a box of rocks.”
Kate chuckled as she opened the door for them. Seth followed, grinning at his father’s theatrics.
“But he’s your best friend,” she pointed out with a teasing smile.
Chester sighed dramatically. “Says a hell of a lot about me, doesn’t it?”
