Page 120 of The Honorable Texan
“You’ve studied philosophy,” Mr.Johns said quietly.
Rey nodded.“Yes, I have.”
The older man, with thinning hair and glasses and a faintly stooped posture, moved away from Meredithand smiled.“I took several courses in it, myself.You have a degree, haven’t you?”
“I do, in business.A master’s, from Harvard,” Rey volunteered, something that Meredith hadn’t even known.
“Mine is in medicine.Veterinary medicine.I’m…”
“I know.You’re Dr.Alan Johns,” Rey said, shaking hands.“Your daughter is staying with us on the ranch in Jacobsville, baking biscuits, while she recovers.”
Dr.Johns winced and flushed.“They told me what I did to you,” he said, glancing shamefaced at his daughter.“I swear before God, I’ll never take another drink as long as I live!”
“You won’t get the chance,” Rey said.“I intend to watch you like a red-tailed hawk.”
“Excuse me?”Dr.Johns stammered.
Rey studied his boots.“We don’t have a vet on staff.We have to call one down from Victoria, because our vets are overworked to death.It would be nice to have our own vet.We pay competitive salaries and you’d have your own house.”
Dr.Johns sat down quickly.“Young man, I…!”
Rey lifted his head and stared him in the eyes.“You made a mistake.People do.That’s why they put erasers on pencils.You can work for us.We’ll keep you straight, and you won’t have to take some sort of menial job in Houston just to make ends meet.You’ll like the ranch,” he added.“We have a good crew.”
“Someone might know what I did,” Dr.Johns stammered.
“Everybody knows already,” Rey said, and shrugged.“It’s no big deal to us.We’ve got one man who came back from cocaine addiction—let me tell you, that wasa story and a half—and another one who was a habitual DWI for six years until we hired him and helped him get straight.”He smiled.“We don’t hold a man’s past against him, as long as he’s willing to stay straight and work hard.”
Dr.Johns was having a hard time keeping control of himself, and it was obvious.“Young man, I’ll work without a salary, if that’s what it takes.And I promise, you’ll never have cause to regret giving me a job.”
“Not unless you keep calling me ‘young man,’” Rey said with a grin.“I’m Reynard Hart, but everybody calls me Rey.”
“Glad to meet you,” the older man said.“Rey.”
Rey nodded.“How much longer will they keep you?”he asked, and glanced at the woman with the clipboard.
“Another week should do it,” she said with a big smile.“And how nice, to see him with a settled environment to look forward to the day he leaves!I believe in minor miracles, but I don’t see many.This is certainly one.”
Rey gave her a complacent smile.“Miracles only happen for people who believe in them,” he said, chuckling.
“Thanks, Rey,” Meredith said huskily.
He only shrugged.“How could I ignore the father of the only woman who ever proposed to me?”he said, matter-of-factly, and with a smile that made her blush.
“You proposed to him?”her father asked with raised eyebrows.
“Several times,” she said with mock disgust.“But he has to wash his dogs, so he can’t marry me.”
Dr.Johns laughed heartily.
The counselor relaxed.This was going to work out.Dr.Johns was never going to end up in rehab again, she was certain of it.She only wished she could say the same for more of her poor patients.
* * *
On the driveback to Jacobsville, Meredith was on top of the world.“Not only does he get a new job, but one doing what he always loved best, working around large animals.”
“He likes cattle, does he?”Rey asked absently, enjoying Meredith’s animated company.
“He grew up on a cattle ranch in Montana,” she explained.“He was even in rodeo for six or seven years before he went to college.”
