Come to think of it, he hadn’t come in for a haircut recently, either, but she’d thought it was just due to calving.

“Oh yes, slipped on a step a few weeks ago. Right foot, too, so it’s twice as bad.” Hannah shook her head, tsking. “Those big nephews of his took him to the hospital in Casper and got him fixed up, and he’s stranded up there for now. Normally one of them goes and gets groceries, but he called me earlier today and asked me to do him a favor, what with them being so busy and all. I just didn’t have the heart to tell him I was busy, too.” She waved a hand in the air. “I’ll make it work, though. Somehow.”

Becca glanced at the clock. She didn’t have another appointment this afternoon and walk-ins were few and far between at the moment. “I’m not all that busy. You want me to get the groceries and take them up there?”

“Would you? That would help me so much!” Hannah beamed at her as Becca pulled the cape off her shoulders. “He gave me a list. It’s nothing too big, just coffee and sugar and a few other staples.”

Becca smiled as Hannah pulled a paper out of her pocket. “I’d be glad to.”

“You are such a sweetheart, Becca,” Hannah gushed, handing over the envelope with the grocery list written on the back. “That Greg was a fool to let you go.”

Becca kept smiling through that, somehow. Someday, she hoped Greg’s name would never be brought up again. Today, it seemed, wasn’t that day.

*   *   *

A few hours later, Becca parked in front of the Swinging C Ranch behind a few trucks on the long gravel driveway. She’d been up to the ranch a couple of times in the distant past as a young girl, but not recently. It looked the same as it ever did, right down to the milling herd of cattle munching on hay in a nearby pasture. There wasn’t a lot of snow on the ground, being that it was spring, but it was slushy and muddy, and she tiptoed her way toward the porch while carrying two big paper bags, along with her purse. She’d brought the groceries requested, plus a few treats from the local bakery since it was near the end of the day. Doc had a sweet tooth, and what better to go with some coffee than fresh doughnuts? His mood had to be down considering he had a broken foot during the busiest time of the year. She’d also brought a hair-trimming kit so she could fix him up while she was here.

After all, she had nothing else to do with her evening other than watch Real Housewives, and being a good neighbor seemed like the right thing to do.