The Gatekeeper's Sons

Chapter 11A

A few weeks passed since Therese had identified the man she saw the day of the shooting, and, after mostly lying around in bed and spending time with her pets, she finally returned to the woods with Clifford. She didn't go as far as usual, but she went a little ways, and Carol stood on the back deck watching her in full view. The police were no longer standing guard at the house, and Therese could finally take Clifford out to do his business without a leash and without him barking and growling and driving her mad. The wild animals, which had not come around while the officers were here, returned to eat the sunflower seeds Therese sprinkled across the deck and railing.

Jen had called several days ago and had begged Therese to come and groom the horses with her, and Therese decided today she felt like going.

Carol turned on to the gravelly drive leading up to Jen's house. Clifford leaned his head out of Therese's open window, his tongue hanging happily from his mouth, his stubby tail wagging. Clifford loved to come to Jen's and run around the ranch, though he wasn't allowed in the pen. He knew Jen's family and their horses, and they knew him, and so everyone got along just fine. Therese loved to come too. She looked at the big log cabin, similar to her own, on the right of the property, and the barn and pen to the left. On the opposite side of the pen from the house, two pastures spread out to the north at the base of the mountains. A stream cut across the entire property behind the house and pen, and through the center of the pastures. Tied to the base of the front wooden steps of the house was a lone goat, which bleated as Jen opened the front door and skipped down the five steps to the ground.

Jen's blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, and she wore a white tank top and old blue jeans and boots. Therese felt a wave of jealousy at Jen's beauty but shrugged it off as soon as Jen called to her in her friendly voice, "Hey there! You're finally here!"

When Therese opened her car door, Clifford sprang out to meet Jen. The goat bleated its objections, and Clifford cowered away from it.

"Hey there, boy!" Jen pet Clifford when he greeted her with his front paws on her legs. Then Clifford ambled down to his favorite hangout: the stream at the back of the property, which was full of trout.

Therese turned to Carol. "Thanks for the ride."

"Sure. Call me if you want a ride home. First I'm running into Durango to get a few more groceries, but I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Therese stepped out of the car, but before she closed the door, Carol asked, "You sure you don't want me to run you by the cemetery later? You still haven't visited your parents' graves. It's been over a month since we buried them."

"I'm sure. I'm not ready to do that yet." She wished her aunt wouldn't have brought this up now. She'd been close to happy and excited, but now she was filled with dread.

"Okay. Bye, sweetheart."

Therese closed the car door and turned to her friend. "It's nice to be out of the house. Thanks for inviting me."

"Hey, listen. My mom was wondering if you want a job. The two brothers she hired this spring had a death in the family. She hired a new temp a week ago, but she still needs one more hand, just until she can find someone more permanent. Up to it?"

Therese shrugged. It would be a lot of hard work, which could be both good and bad. "Would she need me every day?"

"Pretty much. She pays ten an hour." Jen led her across the gravel drive past the barn toward the partially sheltered pen where the dozen horses hung out.

"I don't know. If she can't find anyone else, maybe." Then to Clifford, who had come back to check on her, she said, "No boy, not in the pen. You know better."