Casey's Courage by Neva Brown Read Free Book Online Page A

boss so much trouble. But she agreed to his plan.
    Tres called Brad. Over dinner they talked about Casey’s needs and who might be willing to go to the ranch for an extended period of time. Brad mentioned two qualified people but was not sure they would consider being so far away from the city lights. Finally he said, “I’d like to go work with her but Vera, my younger sister, has just come to stay with me while her husband is overseas doing a tour of duty in the Middle East.”

    Tres heard a hint of homesickness in Brad’s voice. The ranch had been home to him for a little over five years during the time he had tended to J.D. “Would your sister be averse to living at the ranch?”
    The spark of interest in Brad’s eyes brightened. “I’m not sure. She’s a licensed vocational nurse and needs to work since her husband’s just an enlisted man.”
    “With her training, it sounds like she’d be ideal to help Casey relearn personal hygiene and how to take care of herself. You could do the physical, occupational, and speech therapy the doctors say she has to have. Could we meet with Vera and the three of us talk about the possibilities?”
    Tres left their meeting feeling like everything was coming together for Casey’s care. But when he told Pauline about his plan, she burst into tears. “We can’t go there. I need to go home where Maria can help me and I can have my things. Casey will just have to accept she’s handicapped and stop acting so spoiled. Besides, we can’t afford a nurse and therapist.”
    Tres couldn’t believe what he was hearing, then it dawned on him that she didn’t know the expenses were all being taken care of by insurance or by Jody Witten’s father as per the judge’s orders. Throwing firecrackers under Casey’s horse had been the last straw for the judge. Jody had been in trouble and in his court way too many times just because his father always paid to get him off the hook. The only way to keep Jody from going to prison this time was for Mr. Witten to come up with a financial offer for Casey that the judge would approve, along with probation and a long list of other constraints. The judge had done very well in seeing to Casey’s best interests.
    Tres felt a stab of sympathy for Pauline. “I’m sorry you have been worried. All of Casey’s medical expenses are taken care of and you don’t need to stay with her at Spencer Mansion if you don’t want to. There’s more than enough help to take care of her.”

    “I’m just too sick. I haven’t been able to do anything for years. The nurses have helped me while I’ve been here and Maria takes care of me at home.”
    “I know,” Tres said quietly. “Nobody expects you to take care of Casey. Vera and Brad will be living in with Casey. Besides, everybody else who works at the Mansion will help her if the need arises.”
    “I’m so sorry we are being so much trouble,” Pauline said. “Jake didn’t know what to do with her, so he just went back to the ranch and the horses. He expects me to tend to things here, but I need to go home.”
    Tres’ anger boiled as he realized Casey’s parents didn’t know what to do with their daughter because she had always been an obedient, helpful human being who had lived with them and done their bidding, never disrupting their way of life. “Since insurance is taking care of the expenses, let’s get Casey set up at Spencer Mansion with all the help she needs, and you can go home for some rest. Maria can take care of you. When you feel up to it, you can visit Casey.”
    “But we hate to bother you. You have more important things to do.”
    His urge to give the woman a lecture on what is important nearly got the best of him, but he clamped his mouth shut.
    “It’s no bother. After all, she was riding a Running S horse when she got hurt. We want to help her get well.”
    Pauline sighed as if a huge load had been lifted off her shoulders. “If you’re sure, it really would be a