Where There's a Will

by Brenda Sinclair

  She met Adam’s eyes. “Thank you, sir. This is perfect. Sleeping in here, I’ll be more than prepared to give you my best every day.”

  Adam nodded. “You’re welcome, Willie. No need for cooking, just eat with the other hands in the cookshack next to the bunkhouse. If any man grouses about your cabin assignment, tell them you’re part of the horse-breeding hands. Most of those fellows in the bunkhouse work for my brothers’ cattle operations.”

  Leonard smiled. “We’ll assure them that you insisted we be segregated due to our duties. Wouldn’t want to disturb their sleep coming in at all hours after tending an ailing horse.”

  “Drop your bags and we’ll tour those barns,” Adam declared. “I need to check on a mare laboring at the moment. I fear she might be in for a rough time of it.”

  Willow deposited her bag on the bed in the slightly larger of the two bedrooms and joined the men at the cabin’s front door. “What do you mean?” She’d noticed several Thoroughbred mares when she walked onto the ranch, many of them obviously carrying a foal.

  “It’s her first foal, and she seemed a bit nervous last time I checked on her.” Adam led the way down the stone path toward a large barn to their right.

  Willow stared at him, horrified. “Did you leave her all alone?”

  “Of course not! Davie is with her.”

  “That’s good. The mare should be around someone familiar. Someone she feels comfortable with. Otherwise, she might stop the birthing if in the initial stage, and we don’t want that happening.”

  Adam nodded. “Don’t know that Davie has much experience with birthing though. When I hired him, he claimed his talent was more of a groom with a bit of experience as a trainer.”

  “Could I take a look, sir?” Willow met her boss’s eyes, somewhat relieved the mare hadn’t been deserted. She’d helped deliver colts and fillies on the family ranch since her early teen years, learning from local animal doctors and from experiences gained through working alongside her talented father who’d been a first-rate horseman in his own right.

  “Certainly.” Adam continued along the way to the barn.

  Willow smiled when she spotted a magnificent sable-colored stallion in the corral. “Who is he?” she blurted, unable to disguise the admiration in her voice.

  Adam chuckled. “That is Major, and he’s mine. Don’t even think about asking to ride him.”

  Willow’s shoulders slumped. “I bet he’s as comfortable to ride as sitting in a rocking chair.”

  “A rocking chair moving as swift as the wind,” Adam clarified, chuckling. “I’ve been offered a lot of money for him, but Major is definitely not for sale.”

  “I can see why,” Leonard chimed in. “You’re one lucky man.”

  Adam waved them inside the barn they’d arrived at. “Go ahead, Willie. Tell me your opinion.”

  She most certainly would. Whether her new employer liked what she had to say, or not.

  Chapter 2

  Willow entered the horse barn, taking a moment to observe her surroundings. The building appeared cleaner than the Pick Axe Saloon had been, after she’d spent an hour cleaning it. The stalls were built of sturdy wood with well-maintained tack evident and substantial feed and bedding provided close at hand. No doubt, the Double M horse-breeding operation could only be considered top of its class.

  “Where’s the mare?”

  Adam waved his newly hired ranch hand toward the back of the barn. “Last stall on the right.”

  Willow strode down the wood plank aisle and as inconspicuously as possible peered over the stall’s half door. “She’s dripping milk. That’s a good sign.” The mare paced the stall while the fellow she assumed was Davie stood off to the side. “I wish I could go in there, but I don’t want her bothered by a stranger.”

  “She’s a mite nervous and Davie’s been on the ranch for several months now,” Adam warned.

  Willow turned on him and whispered. “Of course, she’d be nervous and frightened. Maybe quite terrified. She’s never birthed before and probably hasn’t much idea what’s happening. Move out of my way.” She stepped around Adam and quietly called, “Davie, come here.”

  Adam glared at Willie, then shifted his attention to Leonard. “Giving me orders? Is he deliberately trying to get himself fired?”

  “Would appear so. But Willie’s the kind of fellow to take matters into his own hands.” Leonard glared at her.

  “Sorry, boss, no excuse for rudeness. But this mare’s not doing too well at all.” Willow backtracked.

  “I can see that,” Adam muttered, through gritted teeth. “If you recall I was the one who first told you that the mare was in labor.”

  Willow rolled up her sleeves. “That’s right, you did. Well, thank goodness for that. We’ve got work to do. Her membrane just ruptured. Leonard, fetch me some hot water and soap in case we need it.”

  Adam stood, hands on hips.

  “What’s her name?” Willow demanded.

  “Midnight Star.”

  “Where’s the water at, boss?” Leonard inquired. “Appears I’m doing my brother’s bidding.”

  Adam’s arms dropped to his sides. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  Willow blew out her breath when the two of them disappeared down the aisle. In hindsight, she should never have spoken so harshly to her new boss. But she didn’t suffer fools well, and he’d totally underestimated the condition of this mare. The poor animal was laboring heavily, and being it was her first foal, anything could happen.

  “What do you want?” Davie stared at the new hand from the other side of the stall door.

  “My name’s Willie Hughes. Pleased to meet you, Davie.” She shook his hand.

  “How do,” he muttered.

  “Davie, you need to calm Midnight Star. Talk to her soothingly. Give her a gentle rub. Tell her she’s a good girl and that she’s doing fine.” Willow drew her hands down her trousers, frustrated she needed to remain outside the stall.

  “Can do.” Davie approached the mare standing with her tail raised. He talked to the mare while rubbing a gentle hand down her sides, until she started walking around the stall again.

  Willow ducked out of sight. “Just let her pace. It will help with the birthing.”

  “All right. Can’t say I’ve had much experience with mares laboring. Mostly let more knowledgeable fellows handle this part,” Davie admitted.

  “That’s all right. Midnight Star will do most of the work. We’ll just be here to lend a hand, if needed.” Willow risked a peek over the side again. She’d seldom seen a more beautiful Thoroughbred with a medium brown coat and a distinctive white star above her forehead. The mare had stopped pacing and lay down on her side in the straw.

  Davie bent down and slowly stroked the mare’s neck. “You’re doing fine, Midnight Star. That’s our girl. You’ll be a mama real soon.”

  “Good, Davie. Now slowly move away again and just watch from the corner of the stall. Leave her to it. We should be seeing a little hoof any time now.” Willow’s stomach growled with hunger and if she righted herself from a bent position too quickly, dizziness from near exhaustion played tricks with her equilibrium. She didn’t relish the idea of fighting to successfully birth a breech foal tonight, but she’d do it, if necessary. There was no time for an internal examination now, but hopefully, the foal had slipped into birthing position correctly.

  “We’re in this together, Davie. Don’t worry. The contractions will move the foal out and Midnight Star will be a new mother before I’m leaving here.” She sounded more confident than the situation warranted, knowing nothing about this particular mare.

  “Good to know. You done this before, Willie?”

  “Since I was a teenager. Helped birth dozens of foals.”

  Davie whistled low. “Makes me feel much better. Must admit I was feeling about as nervous as this mare before you arrived.”

  “Here’s the water and soap.”

  Willow startled, having been so preoccupied with
the animal under her care, she hadn’t heard her boss approach the stall.

  “We’ll set it down here. Probably won’t require it, but just in case.” Willow took the bucket from Adam and braced it against the wall near the stall door. “Where’s Leonard?”

  “I sent him to the cookhouse for his supper.” Adam dropped a large faded towel onto the floor beside the bucket.

  For the next few minutes, Willow observed the mare lying on her side. When the mare struggled to her feet, two tiny hooves in the placenta were clearly in view. The horse paced for a minute and then slumped down onto her side again.

  “We should see the head soon.” Willow caught herself holding her breath. She knew the birthing stages by heart but waiting for each one in turn always took a toll on her nerves. At least, seeing the front hooves emerge meant there wouldn’t be a breech birth involved.

  Suddenly another contraction brought the head into view. Willow noticed the mare was laboring heavily. “Won’t be long now. Hopefully, another few minutes and the foal should be completely born.” She glanced at the other ranch hand whose face had paled considerably. “You all right in there, Davie?” she whispered loud enough to catch his attention.

  Davie slowly nodded his head. “I… I think so.”

  “Don’t you go fainting on me now,” Willow warned him. “I may need you to sneak over there and rip open the placenta and uncover the foal’s nose.”

  Davie visibly swallowed hard. “All right. I… I can do that.”

  “Wait until I tell you it’s time.” Willow hung one arm over the stall door. The mare’s laboring had advanced past the point where she could stop it. But Willow didn’t want to cause the mare any undue stress by having a stranger appear in her stall. “At least, with the hooves and head out, everything should go well as long as the placenta doesn’t prematurely detach. Or not all of it expels.”

  “The little hooves have torn open the bag. I see the foal’s face and nose.”

  Willow smiled. “That’s good. Just stay where you are then. Midnight Star is doing fine.”

  “She seems a mite busy, and she doesn’t look as frightened as before. Maybe she realizes her baby is on the way,” Davie speculated.

  “Most likely,” Willow agreed. “She’ll be all right, I think. Once the foal is born, motherly instinct should take over.”

  “You seem to know what you’re doing,” Adam admitted, arms crossed over his chest, standing alongside Willow.

  She’d forgotten he was there, but he’d spoken softly and hadn’t startled her. “Thank you. Attended more equine births than I can count. Midnight Star is doing great.” Willow smiled as the entire foal came into view after one final contraction. “And we have a new baby,” she whispered. The foal appeared exhausted, as did its mother. But both seemed none the worse for the experience.

  “Just let them be. They’ll rest for a little while and then they’ll both want to stand. The foal will find its legs in time, but within an hour anyway.”

  Davie moved along the stall wall, stopping beside the half door. “I wonder if it’s a colt or filly?”

  “The mare’s comfortable with you.” Willow met Davie’s eyes, still wide with wonder. “If you want, slowly move over to the foal, pull more of the sac off it, and take a peek.”

  Davie sidled over and gently tugged the sac farther down and smiled. “We have a colt, Mr. McLennon,” he whispered.

  Willow met Adam’s eyes, watching as a broad smile appeared on his face.

  “Congratulations,” she whispered blinking back the tears threatening to cloud her vision, a common occurrence for her after witnessing a successful birthing. No matter how many foals she helped deliver, she’d never considered it anything less than miraculous.

  “Thank you.” His voice sounded thick with emotion.

  A half hour later, Willow stood back with Adam and Davie, observing the mare on her feet, licking her new son and looking pleased with herself. The placenta hung from her body still, but it should pass within a few hours providing the contractions continued. All appeared normal, but Willow wasn’t leaving until the colt had suckled and the placenta presented itself in full.

  “He’s a beauty!” Adam stood just inside the stall. “Thanks for talking Davie through this, Willie. You’re definitely the man I want in charge of Double M horse birthing.”

  “Thank you. Just doing what you hired me for. In time, the mares will get to know me. Then I’ll take a more active part in this.” Willow hoped she sounded manly enough that Adam wouldn’t suspect she wasn’t Willie Hughes, veteran horse wrangler. She had the experience all right, no one could deny that. She’d been caring for horses since she turned ten years old and her father finally trusted his daughter to help with the care and feeding of the Thoroughbred horses on the family ranch. She’d learned from the best, worked alongside exceptional horse folk, and considered herself to have earned a reputation equal to or better than the men who’d trained her.

  “Thank goodness,” Davie exclaimed, heaving a heavy sigh. “I never want responsibility for that again.”

  Adam chuckled. “Now, it wasn’t that bad, Davie.”

  “Everything couldn’t have gone better,” Willow added.

  Davie shook his head. “If you say so. I’m heading to the cookshack. I need grub.”

  Leonard appeared shorty after Davie departed, carrying a plate of food and a cup of coffee. “The old fellow doing the cooking sent this over for Willie, after he heard about the birthing from Davie.”

  “Sourdough Sammy has cooked here since the Double M Ranch began. Michael Miller, the original owner, hired Sammy. Apparently, they were good friends. Sammy’s a thoughtful fellow.” Adam waved her out of the stall. “Thanks to Willie’s coaching, we have a new colt on the ranch. Go eat your grub. I’ll watch Midnight Star and the colt until you’re done.”

  Willow dunked her hands in the water, plucked the towel off the floor, and dried her hands. “Thanks, boss. Won’t take me long.”

  “You’ve earned it. That colt represents a considerable investment in time and money. You did a good job here tonight.” Adam slapped her on the back. “I won’t forget it.”

  Willow almost crumpled to the floor from the impact of the manly slap on the back she received. She feared Adam had knocked something loose in her spine. She hated the pretense of being a man, especially when on the receiving end of these seemingly ridiculous male rituals. Let me show my appreciation by knocking you halfway into next week.

  “Thanks again, boss,” she muttered, grabbing the plate from Leonard. She tucked into the meal of hearty stew with potatoes and root vegetables. Her backbone had been talking with her navel for the last few hours, she’d been so hungry. She hoped the placenta soon passed completely. She wanted nothing more than a good night’s sleep in that comfortable-looking bed she’d left her bag on in the cabin.

  And she needed to forget how wonderful her new boss looked. Every time she glanced his way, her heartbeat raced. He stood as tall as her brother at six foot four inches, with a slim build but muscular chest. With dark wavy brown hair and those intense blue eyes, he couldn’t be more handsome if he tried. You’re Willie Hughes, she silently reminded herself. Get your handsome new boss out of your thoughts.

  When she finished the meal and downed the coffee, Leonard took her plate and empty cup back to the cookshack. She returned to the stall and leaned on the half door, joining Adam in keeping an eye on things.

  Two hours later, the colt had suckled and done his first business. The placenta had passed intact, limiting the risk of infection or other problems. She heaved a sigh. This birthing couldn’t have gone better.

  “Get some sleep,” Adam encouraged his new hand. “I’ll assign one of the ranch hands to check on them throughout the night. If we need any help, I’ll send someone over to the cabin to fetch you.”

  “I’ll come if you need me,” Willow assured her boss. “Don’t want anything happening to that little fellow or his mother.”

&nb
sp; “I’m certain they’ll be all right. You did a good job.”

  “Midnight Star did most of the work. She’s a beautiful mare and her colt is identical in color, except for the star marking.”

  “He’s a beauty all right. Goodnight, Willie. See you in the morning,” Adam called, as Willow made her way down the aisle and out of the barn.

  After taking a moment to find her bearings, Willow trudged over to the cabin she would share with her brother, every bone in her body aching. As she climbed the three wooden steps leading to the small veranda, she thought it odd that all the curtains had been drawn, with only the faintest light from within penetrating the heavy material. For some reason, her brother wanted to ensure privacy. The moment she walked inside the cabin, she spotted the metal bathtub set up in the middle of the kitchen floor, filled with steaming hot water.

  “Thought you might appreciate a bath,” Leonard muttered as he headed for the door, preparing to leave. “The least one brother can do for another.”

  Willow’s hand flew to her mouth and she met his eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered and blinked back tears.

  “Don’t forget to lock the door behind me. Don’t want any ladies coming by and peeking at all those male parts of yours,” he whispered, winking at her.

  She laughed at his joke. “Right. Can’t have that.”

  “Leave the water when you’re done. I’ll take a quick dip myself when I return and then dump it out back of the cabin.”

  “Thank you so much, Leonard.” Willow locked the door behind him and stripped out of her clothes in record time. One day, her kind-hearted, thoughtful brother would make a remarkable husband for some lucky woman. She hoped to find someone equally wonderful for herself. As she lowered herself into the tub and reached for the homemade bar of soap, an image of Adam McLennon popped into her mind.