BOAB CH32

They pulled around the last bend and the drive opened up in front of them. A small, neat white clapboard home sat off to the left and to the right were acres of hog pens. Although they were in good repair, having been recently repainted it appeared, there was no way to disguise what they held. Hundreds of hogs were lying about in the early morning sun. Stepping out of the truck, the smell over powered her and she had to bend over and take a couple of deep breaths just to get rid of the dizzy spell. Standing up slowly she noticed the old man hobbling towards them.

Leaning heavily on his cane, his John Deere tractor hat was askew and his too large jeans were held up with suspenders. He moved slowly but surely, knarled fingers grasping the cane tightly as his other hand waved them down. His toothless grin lit up his face and she admired the wisdom in his light blue eyes, "Hiya Mal, who'd ya brung me?" he asked, his old man voice high and breathy at the same time.

"Hi Roscoe, this is my newest assistant, Roxie. Roxie, this is Roscoe Burley."

She stuck her hand out, fully intending a gently grip from his obviously arthritis stricken hands and was quite surprised when he took her hand in a full, strong grip and shook her hand vigorously, "Well, aren't you just as pretty as summer day?" he cackled. "Come on honey; let me show ya my farm." He led her towards the pens and left Mal behind. "Mal knows where he's goin honey, he don't need us." The two of them slowly made their way between the pens, large and open the walkways were completely clear of debris. Each pen had a wooden sign with the amount of hogs in it, along with their breed and whelping date. She was impressed at how organized everything seemed to be, especially since she hadn't seen anyone else there to help.

"Do you have anyone here to help you with this Mr. Burley?"

He laughed slightly and said, "You can call me Roscoe honey and nope, I'm 97 years old and have been running this farm by myself for over 60 years. My wife, may she rest, died about 35 years ago and we were never blessed with children." He looked wistfully across the pens and continued, "I never saw the need for any help, now, I can't drive anymore, damn doctors…what do they know anyway? So, I do have a young man come help me when it's time to take the hogs to the market, but other than that, I do it all by m'self."

Brennan was impressed, they continued through the maze of pathways until they got to the a big partially opened shed at the rear of the pens. "Which Hannah is it?" Mal asked, snapping on gloves from his bag and handing a pair to Brennan.

"There's more than one?" She asked pulling on her own gloves.

Roscoe laughed and wheezed at the same time, "All of my sows are named Hannah," he explained, "It's easier to keep track of just the one name y'see. Mal, she's the Duroc over in pen 4, got her back cut up pretty bad and I'm sure it's painin' her somethin' fierce." He was obviously concerned about her and Roxie wasn't sure how to react to the conundrum, he raised the pigs for slaughter, but was concerned when one was hurt. It was challenging for her rational mind to accept it, if he was concerned about them getting hurt, he shouldn't raise them for slaughter was her rationale. However, she wasn't a farmer so maybe it made sense to him.

Mal slid open the gate and maneuvered over to the hog in the corner, she turned and grunted up at him and he and Roxie knelt on either side of her, helping to stand her up, he whistled low through his teeth, "Wow Hannah, you did yourself up good this time didn't ya?" Her back was crisscrossed with cuts of various depth and some were deep enough to see deep pockets of fat and gristle. "Are you going to be able to help her?"Roxie asked with concern in her voice, looking over the beginning signs of infection in the wounds. "The best thing to do in my opinion would be to put her out of her misery, I admit." He told her quietly, looking over his shoulder, "I'll go talk to Roscoe and see what he wants me to do, she's his pig after all. But, I don't think that me sewing her up is really going to make much of a difference."

Mal made his way back to where Roscoe was leaning on his cane watching them while they attended to his sow, Mal leaned on the fence and pulled his mask down and Roxie watched him speaking quietly to the old farmer. Roscoe pulled a hanky from his jean pocket and wiped his eyes and blew his nose, nodding to Mal. For his part, Mal had put his hand on the man's withered shoulder and she could see just how hard it was for him to recommend euthanizing the animal, but given the extent of the cuts, it was really the best option. Nodding to him Mal came back and said soberly, "I'm going to go ahead and euthanize her, Roscoe is pretty upset, once I get the line in her leg, would you mind going to stand with him? I'll call his guy here shortly to meet us out here, and we'll take her back to the office and handle the rest of it for him." She looked up and saw that Mal was visibly upset too, it was just a pig but he cared and that made him even more of a champion in her eyes. "Are you okay Mal?"

He smiled and said, "Yes, it's just hard to see him get so upset, he's attached to each and every one of these critters." She patted him on the arm and helped him get the line attached to Hannah's leg before she walked over to where Roscoe was standing, looking out over the vast pens of his farm. She took her own mask off and stood next to him, he looked up and smiled and she could see the tears in his red rimmed eyes, "I bet you think it's silly for an old man to cry over a pig dontcha honey?"

She smiled softly at him, "Not at all Roscoe, I think that you care very much for what you do and these hogs are your family in a way, so to see one in this position is very hard for you. I can respect that." She put her hand on his shoulder and he reached up and covered it with his own. Too soon Mal came up behind them both and said quietly, "I've made arrangements for her to be taken to the office Roscoe, you won't have to do anything. Did you want me to look at anyone else while we're here?"

Roscoe turned and smiled up at the younger man, "Mal, you're a good man, no, you take this pretty lady here and go on about your day, I'm gonna get started cleaning out the back pens and then maybe do some fishin', I appreciate your comin' all the way out here, and you just send me that bill now." He stopped and offered his hand to Roxie again, "You're a real nice lady and I'm glad to see you're helpin' out our Mal here, you take care Miss and come see me again sometime." He tipped his old baseball cap and hobbled off towards a yellow backhoe, wiping his eyes again as he looked towards the sow pen.

Mal nodded after him and the two of them made their way back to the truck, "Virgil will be here in about an hour to get her loaded up and then he'll bring her to the office, we'll cremate her for Roscoe." He said as they got inside, he started the big truck up and offered her a handy wipe for her fingers, "Here, take this, thanks for standing with him, he's a good man."

"I liked him; he's got a good, kind heart. He reminds me of a friend of mine." She was thinking of Booth, his heart was bigger than anyone she'd ever met, and she was only now just discovering those depths, becoming intimate with him had opened up more and more doors to his soul than she had expected, and although overwhelming, it was something she was keen to explore, although not at the expense of the case. He nodded and the two of them headed out to the Chase ranch. Driving along in silence for a few miles he said out of the blue, "So, tell me, what the deal with you and Tony is?"

Surprised at the question, she looked over and said, "What do you mean, the 'deal'? I just met the guy."

He grinned and winked at her and said, "I've overheard some of the things the girls have been saying and from what I gathered went down at the Horn last night, things got a little heated between the two of you. I was just wondering if there was something going on there you might want to talk about?"

Brennan knew instantly that he was fishing and as much as she did want someone to talk to it was about her and Booth not Roxie and Tony so she replied, "He felt like we were closer than we are and that Jesse may have overstepped his boundaries, since I'm not tied to either one of them, I merely told him that I would date whomever I wanted whenever I wanted and if he wanted to be one of the cowboys I was interested in, he would need to back off. I'm sure he wasn't overly happy about it, but he accepted it, because when I left he was gone."

"Are you worried about what he might do?" He asked his eyes on the road ahead.

"Tony? No, I'm sure it was just the beer talking, he's a nice guy and I am attracted to him, but I'm also not looking for a relationship right now, I just want to do my job and have fun with my friends, you know?"

He nodded in agreement and said, "I understand, and its none of my business to be sure, but watch out for Jesse, he's got a hot head sometimes and he's been known to let fists fly when he doesn't get his way. I think Tony could hold his own, but I'd hate to see it come to that. You're kinda comin' in blind where some of these guys are concerned, and although I'm the last person to comment on personal relationships, I don't want to see you get hurt. Especially since you and I both know you aren't going to be here permanently."

She was silent as she let what he had said sink in, "Thank you Mal, I wish I could say that I would be here for the long term, but eventually I do have to get back to my own life. If I'm in the way or you want me to leave please let me know, I don't want to jeopardize your practice or anything by my hiatus from the real world." She looked over at him and caught his glance.

"Tempe, you stay as long as you need to stay. I'm not going to tell anyone who you are, neither is Cordelia. We understand the need to escape. The girls in the office are your allies and they've accepted you as well, so you do what you need to do. I'm just glad you agree to go out in the field with me, it's nice to have someone to talk to." He smiled at her.

"Thank you Mal."

He pulled into the driveway and up to the gates with the entwined C's at the entrance to the Chase ranch and waited for the gates to open. She looked out over the familiar spread and was surprised to see that all three boys were already here, Connor and Travis were watching Clay walk around the paddock on a long lead and a horse that was, in her opinion, much too big for the small boy.

Mal pulled the truck to a stop and the two of them got out, "I'm glad to smell fresh air again," She said with a grin. "I'm just glad the smell didn't follow us." Mal responded.

They walked up to where the boys were and Mal greeted them, "Hey guys, you ready to go?"

Clay stopped the horse and walked him over to where the others had gathered, "Hi Dr. Reynolds! Look, I'm riding Maximus today! Miss Chase said that she thought it was time I started riding larger horses and gave Scoot a break cool huh?" Mal smiled up at him and said, "Clay that is really great! It won't be long before your Aunt Stefanie will be getting you another horse, although Scoot will most likely be the right size for you for some time to come."

Conner and Travis were chatting quietly among themselves and Brennan was watching the kids and Mal interact when Cordelia came out of the barn and she watched Mal look up and all of his attention was instantly on her. She led Scoot over to where the boys were, and smiled, "Mal, hello there, you're earlier than I expected. I was going to change."

He smiled shyly and said, "You don't need to change for me Cordie, you look just fine."

Even Brennan could pick up on the obvious tension in the air and tried to divert some of the attention, "So, Travis, Conner what are you guys going to be working on for the parade?"

Travis was off and running telling her about the float they were going to be helping with and the ideas they had and how they were going to get it all done and who was going to help. She listened with rapt attention and was about to suggest a couple of minor changes when Clay suddenly broke in and said, "You're Roxie!"

Startled she looked up and said, "How did you know that?"

He grinned as Conner helped him off the larger horse and Leo came straight to his side. "Because Tony talks about you all the time and he said you were the prettiest cowgirl he'd ever seen and you were new here and worked for Dr. Reynolds and since I've never seen you before I realized that you are her." He stuck his hand out and she took it in hers as he said, "I'm Clay, and you work with my Aunt Stefanie. This is Leo." He nodded to the small mountain standing next to him and she smiled, he reminded her so much of Parker Booth. "It's nice to meet you Clay, and yes, I am Roxie. So, Tony talks about me huh?"

Clay stepped closer and leaned against Leo, riding the bigger horse although fun had put a lot of pressure on his leg and he was needing the support the giant dog had to offer, "Yes Ma'am, he likes you a lot. He told me so over dinner the other night." He got a goofy grin on his face and said, "He really likes you, his face turned all red when he said it too."

Mal and Cordie laughed and Brennan looked up to catch the grins on their faces, she knew her face was red too, not only did he remind her of Parker Booth in his mannerisms, he also channeled him in his enthusiasm for getting his dad a girlfriend. "Well, I like Tony too, he's a nice cowboy." She said smiling down at the boy. Mal interrupted the awkward silence and said, "Well boys, let's get you to the arena, I've got some patients to tend to this afternoon."

"Cordelia, is Clay's grandma coming to get him and the boys or does he need a ride home too? I could take your spare trailer?"Mal asked as he held open the gate and Travis maneuvered his wheelchair out while Conner just clambered over the top rail. "His grandma is coming over for him, so he'll be fine. Won't you Clay?" She ruffled his hair and he grinned and then looked down, absently stroking Leo's ear. "I wish I could go too." He mumbled.

Roxie knelt down in front of him which earned her a huge face cleaning from Leo, pushing him aside she said, "Clay, if it's okay with your Aunt, maybe you can come too, I could call her?" She had no way of knowing whether Stefanie would agree or not, but it was obvious he felt left out.

"Would you call her?" He asked, his face bright with the possibility of being able to join his friends after all.

"Sure, I'll call her right now." She pulled her phone out and stepped away and called Stefanie.

"Stefanie?"

"Roxie?"

"Yes, listen I'm at the Chase ranch with Mal and the kids and Clay was here for a riding lesson, would it really be that bad for him to go to the arena with the other boys?"

"I don't know, he's a lot smaller than Conner and although Travis is there, he's in a wheelchair. I don't want him to get hurt or be in the way. Plus, I can't get him home tonight." She didn't want to deny Clay the time with his friends, but she also knew that her mom didn't like to drive at night, and she had iron clad plans she couldn't break even if she wanted to. Her nephew was important to her, but there were times when she needed to step away from the role of 'Aunt' Stefanie.

"That's okay, I'm sure we can get him a ride home, I'm not doing anything tonight, so push come to shove, I could bring him back to the motel, Mal can use Miss Chase's spare trailer, so we can get Scoot back to the motel."

"What about Leo?" Stefanie asked knowing without being told that the big dog was there with them, "Clay doesn't go anywhere without that damn dog and the boys aren't going to want him around all the livestock, it makes the broncs and bulls nervous."

Roxie put her hand over the bottom of the phone, "Will Leo stay at the motel if we drop him and Scoot off?"

Clay looked at his best friend. He didn't want to leave him behind, but he would be giving up the chance to go see the cowboys in action and he'd be helping with the parade, he simply never got these kinds of opportunities. "He'll stay." He said with confidence.

"Leo's taken care of Stef, so is it okay?" Roxie held her breath, she didn't want to overstep any boundaries.

After a few minutes of silence Stefanie came back on the line, "Okay, I'll call my mom. Thank you Roxie for thinking of him and I'll give your number to my mom just in case." She disconnected the phone and Roxie turned to the assembled group, "Head 'em out and load 'em up boys, you're going with us Clay!" She gave thumbs up and he jumped in the air as much as he was able to, "Alright! Thanks Roxie!" The look on his face was thanks enough in her opinion; she couldn't believe something as simple as a child's smile could make her feel so good.

Mal and Cordelia began to get the spare trailer hooked up and Roxie helped Conner get Clay and Travis into the back of the truck, and the wheelchair secured in the bed. Settling in, she waved goodbye to Cordelia as Mal pulled out onto the driveway and on their way to the arena. The three boys chattered in the back as Leo stuck his big head out the rear window, eager to catch every scent between the Chase ranch and the motel. While Malcolm navigated the dirt drive to the main road, she texted Booth, 'Clay will be at arena w/Travis & Conner. Come see him if you can. Bones.'