The following morning, a rental car service delivered another pickup plus a flatbed trailer to the hotel which could be returned in Oklahoma. There was already a flurry of activity when they arrived at the ranch at about 9:30.
Dalton met them as they got out of the truck.
"Good news, sir. We lost only six head to the storm. Seven horses and a dozen cattle got loose, but most are accounted for. The fences are being repaired. The neighbors found Bosco. He's in section 23." He laughed hard. "Yeah. He's had a good walk. We'll trailer them all back in a couple of days once all the fences are up."
"That's
good
news?" Peggy asked.
"Yeah. Six is a lot fewer than I expected." Eric said with a relieved sigh.
"Two cows were still... but they were too... So I had to, um..." Dalton paused, struggling to speak. "Um... The backhoe is out there now to--"
"I understand," Eric nodded, patting him on his shoulder.
Eric wondered if Dalton, a handyman, had ever had to euthanize an animal. He understood his distress. Hunting was one thing, dispatching injured livestock was another. Eric hadn't had to endure such an experience, either.
They observed at least a dozen people throwing debris into a dump truck. There were already blue tarpaulins on the roof of the ranch house, and they saw arcs from welders being used to repair the pipes of fences hundreds of yards away. The sounds of chainsaws came from several directions.
"What the hell?" Peggy said, surveying the scene.
"Sorry, ma'am?" Dalton asked.
"There's no way you could have gotten contractors out here so quickly."
"Contractors? I don't understand."
"Who are all of these people?"
"Neighbors. Why? Is something wrong?" Dalton answered, puzzled at her confusion.
Peggy grasped Eric's hand tightly.
"No. Not a damned thing," Eric answered for her.
"Oh. And a roofer will be here later this afternoon to check out the damage on the ranch house, but sir, I'm not sure what to do with yours. There's a few people in there cleaning up and moving things out of the rooms that got wet. What do you want me to do?"
"Don't worry about it. You've got your hands full already. And damn it, stop calling me
sir
," Eric said with a light chuckle. "Call me Eric like you did last night."
"Sorry, but I was just kind of freaking out a little."
"It's fine," he reassured him. "How long has everyone been up?"
"Since about five, same as always. We all managed to get a decent night's sleep."
"Good. I'm sure everyone will want lunch here in a bit. I'll see what I can do about that."
"Izzie and Alejandra are making lunch for everyone."
Eric chuckled. "I should have known she'd already thought of that."
A few hours later, Izzie stepped out onto the porch and whistled louder than any whistle Eric could ever muster.
"Mister Eric! Doctor Peggy!" she said, seeing them. "Come inside. I have lunch ready. Hot dogs, hamburgers
y papas... y cervesas
."
"Izzie, when was the last time I told you how incredible you are?" Eric laughed and hugged her sweetly.
"Every time you are here."
"Good. Don't
ever
forget it."
All four served more than thirty people which came through the kitchen to fill plates with heaps of food.
"Mister Eric, I think food price is more for a day or two," Izzie sheepishly said.
"
Está bien
, Izzie. Don't worry about the budget. What you... what
everyone
is doing makes me thankful," he responded.
After the masses were served, Eric and Peggy ate. He then went to the main house to clear as much debris as could be safely moved without heavy equipment. Two people placed makeshift lally columns on concrete blocks. Eric helped hoist and attach sets of 2x6 shoring beams into place on the columns to give the structure a little extra support in the damaged exterior wall until a builder had a chance to examine the damage and form a plan for repairs.
Peggy worked with Izzie and Alejandra to sort furnishings in the house which had been ruined or damaged. Peggy wanted to work alongside Eric, but couldn't risk injuring her hands clearing nail- or glass-ridden debris or pinching fingers in fence cables.
As dusk began to settle, Eric and Peggy sat together with more than a dozen others on the porch of the ranch house to eat a barbecue dinner Eric had catered in. They both felt some accomplishment with the work which had been completed. Aside from a few fences for which new materials would be needed, the vast majority of the cleanup was completed. The last of the branches of damaged trees had been chipped into the dump truck just as the dinner call was made on the radios.
Dalton drove up with Eric's rented truck. His wrecked Silverado had been pulled onto the flatbed trailer and secured with chains.
"Here you go, sir. All buckled down and ready to go."
"How's everything faring?"
"The roofers just left. They said they already have that color and style of shingle at a warehouse in Arlington, and they said it shouldn't take them more than a day to repair the roof. They think they'll be back the day after tomorrow. Their gutter guys can't get here for a few weeks, but there's no rush there, at least."
"How about the broken window?"
"It's covered with plywood. I know a glass guy I can call. One nice thing about those windows is that they can cut the glass right on the truck and just re-glaze the frame. Don't need to rebuild a sash."
Eric chuckled. "I guess age has its advantages sometimes."
"Any news on Mickey, Doctor Foreman?" Dalton asked.
"Yes. His surgeons removed his spleen, and they've got his arm in an external fixator."
Dalton displayed a puzzled expression.
"A fixator is something resembling Tinker Toys, but holds bone segments securely in position until they can knit. Along with his shattered arm, he was battered and bruised by hail. He regained consciousness and was aware of his surroundings after surgery, which is a very good sign. He was understandably uncomfortable, so they have him on medications to relieve his pain.
"I know it all sounds pretty bad, but it's actually encouraging news. When I talked to his primary on the phone, she told me they were prepping him to be taken to Dallas to a level two trauma center which can better manage his recovery.
"He's obviously a very strong man. I think he'll pull through it. It'll take a week or so to get a clearer picture." Relieved smiles came to the faces of those sitting around them.
It was close to eight o'clock when dinner was completed. Eric and Peggy helped Alejandra clean up the serving area.
"You should go home, Mister Eric. It is getting late for a drive," Alejandra suggested.
"I think you're right. I'd love to stick around and finish up outside, but I don't think I can delay getting Peggy back to Florida."
"There's not much left to do," Dalton said. "I can't do much more until I order some materials."
Eric nodded. "Give me a shout if y'all need anything, and, please, do me a favor. Get me contact information for everyone who helped out. I want to thank them personally make sure everyone's expenses get reimbursed."
"I can do that. Y'all drive carefully."
Three hours later, Eric and Peggy arrived at his house in Norman.
"You know what?" Peggy said as they entered. "I wouldn't mind a drink. Where's your liquor?" she said so deadpan it put him in stitches.
"Second cabinet from the left under the island"
She drew out a partial bottle of Jack Daniel's and found a full one behind it.
"Glasses?" she asked.
"Upper cabinet next to the fridge."
"You want one?"
"Yes, please. On the rocks. A Coke, too. They're in the fridge."
She pulled plastic cups and rocks glasses from the cabinet, filled all four with ice from the under-cabinet ice maker, then poured cokes into the big cups and doubles into the rocks glasses. She placed the empty bottle in the recycling bin. She brought his set to him and went back for her own, placing them on coasters on the coffee table.
She opened the one suitcase they managed to find in the wrecked house which was stuffed with as many clothes as they could recover. Margaret removed some pajamas, and changed clothes in the middle of the living room then flopped herself into the comfortable leather couch with a deep, audible sigh, propping her feet on the ottoman.
"Much better," she said after she took a deep sip of whiskey.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked, seeing Eric standing in front of her.
"You made yourself right at home. And I freaking love it," he said, swinging one of his legs over her outstretched pair. He leaned into her to give her a kiss. "I'll be right back."
He went to the master bedroom to change.
"Listen," Peggy said when he returned. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" he asked after a few seconds.
"Nothing. Silence. Calm."
"Yeah." He sighed.
"How can you not be stressed? I mean, look at me. I'm still a wreck from last night."
"Why do you think I'm not?"
"You just seem like you always do, all normal and stuff."
"Well, that's how you appear to me, too. No, I'm stressed, alright. Nothing like watching a good chunk of one's house disappear and seeing a good friend get hurt."
"Yeah. I've never in my life been as terrified as I was last night. I don't get it. We were crouched down like kids in a tornado drill at school, but inside a vault, completely immune to what was going on six inches away. But I was still scared to death."
Eric settled in next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She snuggled closely to him.
"I know what you mean. I had this weird metallic taste in my mouth for hours afterward. It was like I'd been sucking on a penny or something."
"Me, too. Adrenaline does that. This is going to sound like shit, but when Dalton drove up with Mickey, all that evaporated for a few hours. It was game time, you know? Even though Mickey is a grown man, I was in work mode. I had my mind where I needed it. I was totally focused on what I was doing, but my head starts spinning again when I'm idle."
He rubbed the side of her arm, and she scooched closer to him.
"We got through it. Everyone got through it. And, thanks to you and Dalton, everyone is alive. I don't think I've told you today how much I love you."
