The book has a big cow head on the cover. I take it from her, flicking through the pages absently. “What do they say?”

“Well, that just because it’s antibiotics for livestock, it doesn’t mean that it’s safe for humans. It hasn’t been tested, and the amount needed would be different. Basically it’s still an antibiotic, but what it will do is anyone’s guess.”

“I’m not too worried about that,” I admit, closing the book. “Every medication we take is expired anyhow. We’ll let Dottie and Samir decide if they want to roll the dice on trying the antibiotics. If they don’t, then we’ll go out looking some more for human-grade antibiotics.”

“Or…” Aggie prompts.

That makes me pause. “Or what?”

“If you wanted to trade with the fort, it kinda sounds like you know where an entire herd of beef cattle is. I’m just saying.” Her brows go up and she gives me an expectant look.

Oh.

Oh, that makes so much more sense than my plan. “I might have let the cattle go before we left…”

“Well then you can just find them again, can’t you? They’re cattle. They always return to the scene of the crime.”

“Do they?” I really don’t know anything about cattle.

Aggie shrugs. “Eventually. Plus, if there’s as many of them as you said, I can’t imagine it’d be that hard to find.”

“Maybe you’re right. It’s an option, at least. We’ll go back tomorrow and talk with them about options. See how Dottie’s feeling.”

“She’d better be feeling better or I’m going to kick her ass,” Aggie grumbles.

“You and me both.”

Aggie pauses, then strokes the cat in her lap again. It lifts its head so she can keep scratching its ears, but Aggie’s attention is focused entirely on me. “Do you want us to stay there?”

I fiddle with the edges of the heavy book in my lap. Maybe if we do “trade” the cattle we can throw in a few books on how to take care of them. Heck, we have a bag full of medicine for the cattle, too. I’m thinking about the possibilities so much that I miss the weight in Aggie’s words. “What do you mean?”

“At the fort? I know we’re old, me and Dottie. I know we’re extra mouths to feed, and it wouldn’t be the first time that we put too much stress on those around us. We aren’t going to get younger or healthier. This is about what you get when you’re our age. A day you can get out of bed is a good day, you know? This won’t be the last time someone needs medicine. We’ll understand if it’s too much for you and Murr. Heck, I get it even if you just want privacy for the two of you. I’m just saying that it won’t hurt my feelings if you tell us we need to go.”

Is that what she’s worried about right now? Seriously? I reach over and take her hand in mine. The cat on Aggie’s lap gives us an indignant thump with its tail, as if we’re ruining her massage. “Don’t be ridiculous. You and Dottie are family. If we have to go out every day to get medication, then that’s what we do. I want you two to be happy. If you’re happy with us, I’m thrilled. If you’re happiest in a fort, I would make sure you’re safe and secure there. Family is family.”

She gives me a soft smile. “I just don’t want us to be a bother.”

Over her head, a large, golden hand thumps down on top of our joined ones. “Family,” Murr adds. “No bother.”

I laugh. “What Big Meat said.”

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CHAPTER 103

DAKOTA

The next morning, we return to the fort, our “car” carried along by Murr. I have the bag full of cattle medicine with me, along with the book Aggie had found on raising livestock. I’m tense the entire flight back to Fort Dallas, because I’m worried we somehow haven’t done enough. That these drugs won’t work. That we’ll never be able to find the cattle again. That Dottie will refuse it all and blame me for dragging her to a place she didn’t want to be.

“Quit fidgeting,” Aggie says to me as we descend for the landing, Murr flying over the barrier wall of the fort. “You’re making me nervous.”

I clasp my hands around the pack in my arms, locking my fingers to keep from twitching. “I just want everything to go well.”

“It will or it won’t. Twiddling your thumbs and making me crazy isn’t going to solve anything.” Her words are harsh, but she reaches over and puts her hand on my wrist. “You’ve done what you can. We’ll try this, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else.”

“Thanks, Aggie.” I give her a weary smile.

She pats my arm. “Don’t thank me. You know if Jonah’s going to have one of the puppies, he’s going to need to come and visit several times to see which dog he has a feel for. That means Thess and probably Samir, too, if he can steal away from the fort long enough. You’re not going to be done with fort people even when you’re done with the fort, I’m sad to say.”

The thought of visitors doesn’t bother me. I suspect if Rabbit’s crush has grown over the last day or two, we’re going to be seeing a lot of Jonah.

Rabbit. My daughter. I get all tense again. Did she miss me? Was she scared being parted from me? God, I hope she wasn’t scared. I chew on my lip, worried. Did anyone at the fort harass her?

Calm down, I remind myself. Or maybe it’s Murr trying to subtly influence me. Either way, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I relax, just in time for the car to land on the ground with a gentle thump.

We exit the car and gather our things, and I notice we’re not too far from Jonah and Samir’s house. We’ve been set down in a smaller clearing between houses, most of the trash and debris pushed to the sides. I automatically take my cape off and hold it out for Murr, and when he shifts, he dresses quickly. There are people watching us from their doorways, but their expressions seem more friendly than wary. Aggie waves at everyone as we troop over to Jonah and Samir’s house and knock on the metal door.

Rabbit answers the door. She looks beautiful, her thick hair drawn into two tails over her shoulders, and she’s wearing her favorite hoodie.

I burst into tears and wrap my arms around her.

“Jeez, Mom,” Rabbit says, awkwardly patting my back. “I’m fine. I’m not the one that’s sick.”

“Yes, but you’re my baby,” I say between sniffles. I hug her again before letting her go. “How was it? Are you okay? Was everyone nice to you? Did anyone give you grief?”

She rolls her eyes and looks so much like a teenager that I want to cry all over again. “Everything was fine. I’ve been hanging out with Jonah and Dottie. Come on in.”

We enter the tiny dwelling, and the stuffiness of it hits me again. The interior feels crowded, especially now that a full-sized hospital bed has been moved in for Dottie. The head of it is propped up and she has another IV of clear liquid attached to her arm. Her eyes are closed, her head resting on her pillow, and she looks wan and tired. Jonah is seated farther back at the dining table, and there are two cups of tea in front of the chairs, as if Jonah and Rabbit were having some cozy time before we interrupted.

“Dottie’s sleeping,” Rabbit says in a low voice.

“Dottie’s not,” Dottie says, opening her eyes. She gives us a smug look. “Dottie just doesn’t feel like talking to people today.”

Aggie bustles forward to her friend’s side, her cane thumping on the rug-covered floor as she moves. “You look like shit. Where’s the doctor?”

“Busy helping someone have a baby,” Jonah says. “He’ll be back soon enough.”

“Did you find antibiotics?” Dottie asks. Rabbit skirts around her bed, touching the older woman’s arm before squeezing her way past to sit with Jonah again. Murr and I remain near the entrance, mostly because there’s not much more room to move around.