Once a Father Read Online Free

needed the other to hear. They could take turns. There was so much, and it was confusing and evenif there were no answers it seemed as though the questions should be voiced.
    What’s going on with our bodies, Mother? You don’t know? If you don’t know, who does?
    Disorder, that’s what. One wonky part throws the whole system off, right? One misstep causes temporary tailspin. Take a deep breath and wait for the spinning to stop. Take the time to get everything in line. What Mary liked best about the army was order. Clarity. Why couldn’t she bring the clarity home with her?
    Home? What was that?
    Start with something simple, Mary.
    She leaned her hip against the edge of the counter. “I want to try it.”
    â€œTraining a horse?” Audrey turned the burner on under the milk. “How long does that take?”
    â€œYou get ninety days.”
    â€œYou mean…” Breathless pause. “…you’re not going back?”
    Was that hope or fear? It was hard to tell with Mother. Either way, Mary knew the feeling, and it was damn prickly. She lifted one shoulder. “I’d have a training partner.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about, girl?” Both women turned in the direction of the voice. “That dog food farm down the road?”
    Speaking of prickly. Dan Tutan either stormed into a room or appeared out of nowhere. Either way,he enjoyed taking people off guard. He would have made a hell of a c.o., Mary thought. George Armstrong Tutan.
    â€œI was talking to Mother.”
    â€œAnd I was joking with you, Daughter.” Father’s smile never touched his eyes. “I know the Drexler girls are your friends. I don’t much like what they’re doing over there, but since they’re my girl’s friends, they can raise all the dog food they want. I’ll even borrow ’em my sausage grinder when it comes time to butcher.” He raised an instructive finger. “That was another joke.”
    â€œOf course.” Who would have guessed?
    He moved in close enough to get a peek into the kettle. Audrey stepped to one side, stirring, stirring, stirring. Mary held her ground.
    â€œYou’re not making vanilla, are you?”
    â€œStrawberry,” Audrey said.
    â€œGood.” He glanced at Mary as he turned away from the stove. “Why didn’t you bring one of your dogs with you? Show me some of their tricks.”
    â€œThey’re working dogs.”
    â€œThe army doesn’t give them any leave time?” Her father chuckled.
    â€œShe sent us a wonderful training video,” Audrey said as she tested the milk with her finger. “She’s in it, working with the smartest dog I’ve ever seen.” She flipped the burner off, glancing at Mary as shemoved the kettle. “I watched it on the computer. He doesn’t like computers.”
    â€œThey don’t like me.”
    â€œWe should all watch it together,” Audrey suggested. “Mary can tell us more than what they say on the video. I mean, more about what she actually does and how those dogs…” She rummaged in the refrigerator and backed out with eggs and cream. “We could have our ice cream while we watch, and I could pop some—”
    â€œThey’re trying to take over that whole area west of the highway,” Dan said, never one to let a bad joke go to waste. “All that Indian land I’ve been leasing over there.”
    â€œIt’s mostly badlands, isn’t it?” Mary said. Part of her wanted to fall back and ignore his remarks, but the rest of her wanted to take a position and push back.
    â€œHell, no. There’s a lot of grass out there, and the Tribe wants to turn it over to those girls and their welfare program for horses.”
    â€œYou hardly use that land. It’s as wild as those horses are.”
    â€œThat’s how much you know about cattle ranching. What’s gonna happen to this place