Falling for the Rancher

by Roxanne Rustand

  She fell silent, and the temperature in the barn seemed to drop thirty degrees.

  “I see,” she said finally as she looked into the two stalls where the horses had finishing eating and were now heads-down, snuffling around in the cedar shaving bedding. She snapped a lead rope on the palomino’s halter and led her back to the pasture, then took the gelding outside. “I’ve got to pick up Emma and head for home. Do you need anything else?”

  “No, but thanks.” He straightened and followed her out to her car. “I’ll get back to finishing up my hours at your place soon as I can.”

  “After discovering the wonders of YouTube educational videos, I now realize I can do the floors just fine by myself, which will keep my nights busy for a while.” She waved a hand dismissively. “And I’ll call around to ask some electricians for estimates on the lighting. Everything else can wait. Don’t worry about it—I’ve got a lot of other things to think about in the meantime.”

  Chapter Seven

  As Darcy predicted and he’d known full well himself—not that he’d wanted to admit it to her—Logan’s painful shoulder kept him awake all night and felt worse the next day.

  She picked him up the next morning since his truck was still at her place. After the drive to the clinic, his shoulder was even more uncomfortable. He grudgingly asked her to cover the 4-H horse exams after realizing with chagrin that the first one, a black Welsh pony owned by the Fowlers, was noticeably lame, and some of the steps of a lameness evaluation would be nearly impossible with his own injured shoulder.

  He quietly watched from the sidelines in the fenced courtyard behind the clinic as Darcy went through each of the flexion tests meant to isolate sources of pain in the joints and soft tissue.

  One by one, she lifted each back hoof and held the leg in a cramped, flexed position for sixty seconds, then watched as Kaycee led the gelding away at a trot. Then Darcy used a hoof tester on each foot.

  After she completed the rest of the exam, she smiled at the young girl and her father. “You have a lovely pony, Anna.”

  “Is Pepper okay?” The girl cast a worried look at the pony. “Can I take him to the workshop?”

  “Right now he’s too lame. I saw him last summer, and he was sore even then. We took X-rays of his feet, remember? We figured out that he easily grass-founders, so I talked about what you needed to do. Have you kept him off the pasture?”

  Anna nodded vigorously. “I bring him in the barn every night.”

  “But—”

  “That’s right,” her father interjected. “He’s out there only nine or ten hours at the most.”

  A pained expression flickered in Darcy’s eyes. “Was he sound over the fall and winter?”

  Anna nodded again.

  “That’s because your pasture was winter brown. He didn’t have rich green grass then—which is especially troublesome for a horse with this problem. His tendency for founder will always be the worst in the spring. Right now, both of his front feet are very warm and painful, and I can feel a strong pulse. I’m going to give him an injection to alleviate that pain for now and give you a tube of the pain medicine you used last year. And no more green grass for this boy. Promise?”

  Kaycee ran into the clinic and returned with the syringe.

  Anna looked away while Darcy administered the medication, and she dug her toe in the dirt. “Dad says he has to be in the pasture to eat, ’cause we don’t need to buy hay for him in the summer. It’s a waste of money.”

  Mr. Fowler cleared his throat, his face reddening. “Why let all that pasture go to waste, right? Horses are supposed to eat grass. Surely a little can’t hurt.”

  A muscle jumped along the side of Darcy’s jaw line. “Most horses,” she said patiently. “Not this one. If you want your daughter to be able to ride, he needs to be on a dry lot, with hay.”

  Muttering under his breath, the man grabbed the pony’s lead rope and marched him to the back end of the horse trailer, where the pony obediently hopped inside.

  “Marilyn is at the front desk and can give you a tube of bute for pain relief.” Darcy watched him shut the gate. “If he isn’t better within a week or two, give me a call.”

  “I never should have bought him in the first place. Big mistake.”

  “This little guy is a wonderful child’s pony,” Darcy said patiently. “He’s a rare find with his personality and show experience. He’s well worth any amount of extra care.”

  “Maybe you should buy him, then. I’ve just about had it with this whole business. I’d sell him to you cheap.”

  “Dad,” Anna wailed, “Pepper is my best friend and—”

  “Hurry inside and get that tube of bute,” her father growled. “Then get in the car, Anna. We’ll discuss this later.”

  Darcy exchanged weary glances with Kaycee after the truck and horse trailer pulled out onto the road and disappeared.

  “Some people are so mean. I wouldn’t want to be poor Anna,” Kaycee muttered. “I think she’s about to lose her buddy.”

  “Her dad isn’t mean,” Darcy said. “Not really. He just doesn’t know anything about horses, and for all we know, maybe he can’t really afford to be giving his daughter this opportunity.”

  “Yeah, well, I still wish the pony and Anna luck.” Kaycee glanced at her watch. “Oops—I’d better see if your eleven-o’clock client is in the waiting room.”

  Logan followed Darcy through the back door of the clinic. “You did a good job with that exam and the client. I’m impressed.”

  She lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug. “Nothing too difficult.”

  Curious, he leaned his good shoulder against the door frame when she stopped at the sink in the lab to wash her hands. “I thought you’d done just small-animal work.”

  “No. I worked in a mixed practice before coming here.” She pulled her lab coat on over her scrubs. “Plus I had horses when I was a kid and did quite a bit of showing until vet school, so at one time I even thought I’d go straight equine.”

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “Well, things don’t always work out the way you expect.” She hesitated. Looked away. “When I inherited my aunt’s house, I was grateful to find a job in town, no matter what kind of practice it was—especially since Dr. Boyd was such a great guy.”

  “But it sounded like you’ve dealt with Pepper before.”

  “Yeah. Boyd was okay with me seeing horses if I wanted to. But when he got sick I had to take over the clinic, so I was too busy to pursue it. What little I’ve done has been more of a favor to the locals, really.”

  She cocked her head and lifted her gaze to his. “I’m sure you’ll do very well here, but as you’ve now seen, there’s also a strong demand for the small-animal side. So I just don’t get it. You’re throwing away a successful, established side of this practice if you don’t let it continue.”

  He didn’t answer. But she was right, of course. She always had been. He’d known that before ever arriving in town.

  But keeping on an extra vet had never been part of his goals. She didn’t fit in his plans, and he only had to recall the situation in Montana to remind him why.

  Try as he might to avoid it, Darcy was already slipping through his defenses. And where would he be then? Even though she didn’t seem to be anything like Cathy, would he be second-guessing every move, every billing statement? Every country vet call that might be anything but?

  “Okay, then,” she continued coolly into the lengthening silence between them. “Fine. But just so you know, I’ve started looking into possible sites in town for my own clinic. I can’t afford to delay if I’m going to be without a job, so sometime soon we need to sit down and talk before I sign a lease somewhere else.”

  * * *

  Emma pushed aside her dinner plate and craned her neck to see Darc
y’s laptop screen. “That looks like an ice cream truck, Mommy.”

  Darcy laughed and gave her a quick hug, then scrolled through the next dozen photos in the online listing. “I guess you’re right. But it’s actually a mobile vet clinic.”

  Emma gave her a baffled look.

  “See the door in back? People can walk inside with their pets to see the veterinarian.”

  “Dogs go in there?”

  “Absolutely. People, too. I could drive it around the county and see clients in different towns. Or just park it here in Aspen Creek.”

  Emma eyes flashed with sudden fear. “I don’t want you to go far away. Not like Daddy.”

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. I’d be home every single night.”

  A tear traced down Emma’s cheek. “Daddy said he’d be back.”

  Yes, he had, but trust and honor hadn’t meant much to him, and he’d ultimately paid the price for it, rest his soul. And the one still suffering for his selfishness was his little girl.

  “Well, I’ve also been looking into some empty storefronts on Main Street, and maybe that would work out better. You and I might start looking at some of them on Saturday. But right now, I need to get back to working on my bedroom floor.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Um...no. But you can watch a DVD here in the kitchen if you want. You choose. When it’s over it’ll be time for your bath and storybooks.”

  * * *

  Darcy had damp-mopped the bedroom when she first got home from work to give it time to dry fully. Now, after a painstaking hour of rubbing stain onto the hardwood floor and wiping off the excess with a dry rag, she rocked back on her heels and studied the results as she peeled off her gloves.

  “You’re doing a great job.”

  At the sound of Logan’s deep voice behind her, she spun around, startled. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “I had to come back into town this evening and thought I’d stop in.”

  Darcy blinked in disbelief. She was never careless anymore. Not ever. One lesson had been more than enough. “Did I leave the front door unlocked?”

  “No. Emma saw me through the front window and opened the door. She said you were ‘finger-painting’ your bedroom and that I should take a look.”

  She laughed. “She must not think I’m very creative. It’s all one color.”

  “Looks great, though.”

  “I read that medium tones would hide scuffs better than dark. I hope that’s true.” She studied the floor. “Next I need to apply sealer, buff it and add the polyurethane.”

  “I should be able to help by the weekend.”

  She snorted. “I don’t expect that at all. Not for weeks. That shoulder still looks too painful.”

  “It’s a lot better already.”

  “Right,” she drawled. “Except that it’s been only twenty-four hours. I see you flinch when you move it.”

  “That’s just your imagination.”

  The twinkle in his eyes caught her unawares, and she glanced up at him in surprise. This wasn’t the cold, distant stranger who’d shown up several weeks ago, and if she wasn’t careful, she was going to start liking him a little too much.

  Jerking her wayward thoughts back into line, she tapped the lid onto the empty can of stain and rose to her feet. “I figure I can put the furniture back in this room by Wednesday or Thursday, then start on Emma’s room. The way it’s going, I might get all of the floors done in a few weeks.”

  “I hope the kitchen flooring isn’t a surprise. They can sure be a bear to take out. In the meantime, I brought you something to look at.”

  She belatedly realized that he was holding out some sort of catalog. She accepted it and studied the cover, suppressing the surprising sensation that raced up her arm at the inadvertent brush of their fingertips.

  “These are...um...cabinets?”

  “The resurfacing materials I told you about. Veneers for exposed cabinet sides, new doors, drawer fronts, hardware.”

  After days of mulling her options, she’d decided she was staying in Aspen Creek no matter what. But if she needed to establish her own clinic, she and Emma might end up in this little cottage for a long time to come. “These things aren’t cheap or flimsy, right?”

  “A friend of mine totally remodeled his home and used this company. The results were stunning. He chose the top of the line, though.”

  “So you just nail these pieces into place? I could probably do it myself, then, while that shoulder of yours is healing.”

  He shot her an amused look. “It might be just a little harder than that.”

  The laughter in his voice felt like dark velvet sliding over her skin and made her feel warm and shivery.

  And for the first time since Dean left her, she found herself wondering what it might be like to be enfolded in another man’s arms once again. Maybe even lose herself in a kiss...

  But she had no business even thinking about that. Not with anyone. Emma, her career and a stable, secure home were all that mattered now.

  Chapter Eight

  On Tuesday, ibuprofen throughout the day helped Logan see several horses that were brought into the clinic, though toward the end of the day, his shoulder was even more painful and he just wanted to get in his truck and go home

  But Darcy was right. There was one thing he couldn’t put off any longer. At five, he asked the staff to come into his office.

  Marilyn edged in, her face pale. Kaycee fiddled with her necklace and didn’t meet his eyes. But when Darcy trailed in after the others, she leaned against the wall, folded her arms and stared him down, clearly challenging him to do the right thing.

  He just hoped what he’d decided was the right thing. “As you know, I bought this clinic planning to change the focus, update the building and search for staff experienced in an equine practice.” He looked at each of them in turn. “I have reasons—good ones—for wanting to start fresh by interviewing and hiring new employees. It’s a common approach in situations like this one.”

  If anything, Marilyn grew even more pale. Darcy reached over and rested a hand on one of hers.

  Logan drew in a slow breath. “Some new owners let the previous staff interview, as well, and then make their decisions. That seems fair enough, but I don’t think it’s necessary here.”

  Kaycee scowled. “So here it comes.”

  “I’ve been here two and a half weeks now,” Logan continued. “I’ve had time to see your efficiency and rapport with the clients, Marilyn. And Kaycee, you’ve done a great job with the horses and owners who’ve been in this week. I feel we’ll all make a good team. How do you feel about working for me?”

  Marilyn and Kaycee nodded, the relief in the room palpable.

  Marilyn pressed a hand to her chest. “B-but what about Darcy?”

  “She and I need to talk further.” He looked down at a document on the desk. “One last thing. I need to have background checks done on anyone who works here—to safeguard our clients, staff and the reputation of the clinic. And that will include all of you.”

  * * *

  After the last scheduled client was seen and Logan had left for the day, Kaycee stormed into the lab.

  Darcy looked up from the X-rays she was reviewing of a dachshund with back pain. “What’s up?”

  “The more I think about it, the more I can’t believe it,” she fumed. “Background checks. Like we’re criminals or something. I’ve been here for over two years and Marilyn for twenty. Not only that, but we’ve both lived here all our lives. What in the world does he think he’d going to find on us?”

  “Nothing, I’m sure. And he probably knows it.” Darcy turned off the light in the viewing box and tucked the films into a folder.

  “It’s just plai
n humiliating. Do I have the choice to say no?”

  “If you did, you probably wouldn’t have a job.”

  Kaycee’s mouth pursed into a belligerent pout. “Maybe I don’t even want it.”

  “Whoa, Kaycee, Think about what you’re saying. Would you give up your good-paying job over this?”

  “I just think it’s wrong,” she retorted.

  “He’s setting a wise policy. Can you imagine the flack if he inadvertently hired someone in the future who was on a sex offender registry? Or who had some other criminal record? Imagine the risk—and the liability he could face if something bad happened later on.”

  “I’ll bet he isn’t so perfect, either. I wonder what’s in his background?”

  At hearing the anger in Kaycee’s voice, realization dawned. “Are you worried about...something in particular?”

  Kaycee’s eyes glistened with sudden tears.

  “Honey, I don’t know your whole story, and it’s not my business. But I do know you’re raising your brother and sister, so things must have been tough. You’re an amazing young woman to have taken on such responsibility at...were you nineteen?”

  “Almost.” Kaycee gave a single short nod and looked away. “I...did a few things when I was a teenager. Bad things.”

  “I can help you find a lawyer if you want to be sure, but I doubt very much that any minor juvenile offenses were transferred when you became an adult. I imagine the documents were sealed.”

  “I don’t have money for a lawyer,” Kaycee retorted bitterly. “Especially not now.”

  “If you want, I can ask around for some advice—without mentioning your name, of course. Maybe you wouldn’t even need to see a lawyer, unless there are problems with your records that need to be corrected. You could probably just start at the courthouse and ask someone in the juvenile office.”

  She shuddered. “Like that wouldn’t be totally humiliating. It’s a small town, and I know most of the people there.”

  “If you want, I could go with you. I can’t imagine you capable of doing anything seriously wrong, though. And I don’t think anyone could fault you for whatever happened in your past.”