Chapter 2: Willard O’Shea

Dr. O’Shea---I hate that name Willard. I was named after my mother’s father. He was a highway patrolman in West Virginia who was killed when mom was in high school. It was a traffic accident but since he was on duty at the time she got a scholarship to the University. After graduating she became an F.B.I. agent but when she met my dad, she switched jobs. She has worked in the county Sheriff’s office as a detective for years now.

My father is Mangas Coloradas. Trooper is my half-brother along with Dennis.

Now I did not inherit the genes of my father. I am not 6’ 4” tall with red hair. Nor am I a badass Marine like him and Trooper. I have black hair and stand 5’ 7” tall. I weigh 150 lbs. after a big supper. But I am smart, a genius with a 160 I.Q. That puts me right up there with Einstein and Musk.

Now don’t make assumptions. I am not a bleeding-heart liberal. I know the family secrets. The scalps my father took in Afghanistan and the ones Trooper took in Venezuela. I know all about the ones that hang from the poles in the basement. I am okay with it. Remember I may not look tough, but I have Apache blood in my veins.

I loved the farm and the cattle business, so I decided to become a vet. But not just a regular vet. No, I studied to be a theriogenologist. What the hell is that you ask? Let me explain.

I went to Auburn and completed vet school by the time I was 21. Then I moved to Ames, Iowa to study at Iowa State. They are doing ground-breaking work in my chosen field; you know that big word again. I received my doctorate and now I am a board-certified Theriogenologist. That word again huh?

Ok pay attention I’ll try to make this easy.

I inject a young heifer with a synthetic hormone that I developed. In about 2 months she is producing 20 eggs instead of her usual one egg. I take those eggs out of her and put them in a Petri dish. I then masturbate a bull and mix his semen with her eggs. Inside a month I have 15 or twenty fertilized eggs. I implant each egg in a different cow. See how valuable that is? No. Try to understand.

I obtained the eggs from an exceptional heifer. One with all the best characteristics of her breed. Then I fertilize her eggs with the semen of an exceptional bull. One whose genetics I want to pass on to his offspring. Instead of having one calve that is exceptional that year the heifer has twenty calves using surrogate mothers.

That eliminates the need for the ranches to keep bulls. Which means less problems on the ranch and more grazing land for the cow herd. I have refined the process even further. I can determine the sex of the calve. Let’s say you want all bull calves; I can make that happen. I am trying to bring cattle ranching into the 21^st century.

I hope I have explained that well enough. That is one of my problems. Sometimes I get too technical. I use words only I understand.

I am right on time for the meeting. That is one of my good traits, always on time.

Who is this divine creature sitting here with Angel? My mind goes numb.

“Ana, I would like you to meet my cousin, Dr. Willard O’Shea.”

She stands and offers me her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Willard.”

“Please call me Dr. I hate Willard.”

Ana Marie---I had a great breakfast this morning, bacon, sausage, eggs and biscuits. There was even milk gravy! I need the recipe for that! My chef is going to learn to make it.

I asked if this was a special meal for me. Joan said this was a normal breakfast for them. Then they laughed and said that they work out in the basement gym every day.