Last Second Chance (A Thomas Family Novel Book 2)

by Kristi Cramer

  Go on, those eyes seemed to say.

  “I never thought I’d have anything to do with horses myself,” he said. “I know absolutely zero about you, but I’m willing to learn. Blue says you could be a great friend. I’d like that.”

  Tim couldn’t see what Janie was doing, but something made Roo shift uneasily. “Easy,” he said automatically. “I wish you could tell me what it would be like to be your friend. What is working from a horse like? Will we chase cattle? Run in the fields? On the prairie? Will you make me fall off?” He didn’t really know what to talk to a horse about, so he just asked Roo the questions he had been wondering in his head. Roo’s eyes encouraged him. “Does it hurt to carry people? Are we heavy? Just what is a Nokota?”

  He paused for a moment, continuing to scratch under Roo’s chin. In response, Roo lifted his chin and snorted. The puff of horse breath startled Tim, then he laughed. “You’re as delicate as a flower, you know that? But you are good-looking. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horse with colors like yours.”

  Chapter Eight

  As she prepared and administered the painkiller, Janie listened to Tim talking to Roo, and smiled to herself. For a guy who professed to know nothing about horses, he sure had a natural way of engaging with them. His voice was the ideal combination of soothing tones and cadence. By the way his ears perked forward, she could tell Roo was intrigued.

  From her own experience with Nokotas, she knew that having a human agenda usually backfired. It was best to engage with them on their level. She didn’t think he realized it but, for all his wary ways, Tim had transformed into a kid with his honest questions and sweet vulnerability. He was totally open to whatever happened next, and Roo responded to him.

  “All right,” Janie said. “I need to find Blue. Are you okay in here?”

  “If you think so,” Tim said, nervously glancing at her.

  “You should be fine. He’s not feeling well enough to get up to any hijinks. Just don’t let him get between you and the stall door, and keep lovin’ on him. Holler if you need anything. I shouldn’t be far away.” She wouldn’t normally leave a novice in a stall with a horse, but she knew enough about Roo to know that even if he had been feeling well, he was mellow enough to trust.

  As she rounded the corner, she saw Blue coming in from outside. “Hey,” she called. “Did you find anything out? I’ve never heard of a Nokota getting laminitis before.”

  Blue rubbed the back of his neck. “I just talked with Jeff. He said when he was bringing them in last night to get ready for grooming today, he noticed Roo over by the grain shed. He also noticed the gate open, but since Roo was facing the other way, he didn’t think anything of it. We checked the grain bins and they were shut up tight, but there was an empty feedbag hanging on a nail.”

  “Oh no. Not Storm Shadow’s?”

  “Yup. There were still traces of molasses in it.”

  Storm Shadow was a thirty-year-old gelding who needed extra sugar in his feed to help him keep the weight on. That much sugar ingested by a young horse would take down even the toughest Nokota.

  “Looks like Pete was trying to cut corners again. There was a burlap sack on the ground that he probably put on the feedbag to keep the flies out, but it wasn’t enough to deter Roo. Pete should know better than to try to make up two batches at once. And he will know it well by the time I get done with him.”

  “But who let Roo in there?”

  “The sneak must have let himself in. We’ve caught him opening gates before, and the folks at the Conservancy had made note of it, too. He’s too dang smart for his own good.”

  “I’ll say. I gave him a shot for the pain, but he doesn’t seem too bad off. I didn’t see that he’s colicky yet, but we’ll get him walking and hopefully avoid that. I’ve got some Styrofoam and duct tape out in the truck to make him padded slippers, and I’ve also got my hoof rasp.”

  Blue nodded. “I’ll be back to help in a minute. I need to go talk to Deke, have him find something for Tim to do. We were going to introduce him to Roo, but....”

  “Why don’t you have Tim help me out? I think it would be a great bonding experience.”

  Blue’s lip curled in a grimace of uncertainty. “You think that’s wise? He has zero horse experience. You need someone who knows what to do.”

  Janie put her hand on her brother’s arm. “He’s already shown some natural aptitude with Roo, he’s strong, and takes direction well. He’ll do fine. By the time we’re done, he’ll be bonded with Roo, so riding will be a natural progression. Besides, what better way to get the city slicker used to being around big animals? Someone will have to walk Roo multiple times a day, and I won’t be able to be here all the time. This way, you won’t have to pull one of the other hands off their chores to do it. Seems like a win all the way around to me.”

  “Well….” Blue rubbed the back of his neck again. “You make sense. But if you get any indication he’s not cut out for it, you let me know and I’ll get you someone else to help, okay? I don’t want either of you to get hurt because of his inexperience.”

  “You’ve got a deal, brother.”

  A few minutes later, Janie returned to the barn with the items she would need. Back in the stall, Tim was stroking Roo’s neck and talking. Janie always found talking with horses to be an intimate thing, so rather than listen in again, she cleared her throat to announce her presence.

  “Here we go,” she said, entering the stall. “Does it seem like the pain meds I gave him are working?”

  “Well, he’s straightened up a little, and his ears are forward, like he’s listening to me. So I’d say yes. At least a little.”

  “Good, because he’s not going to like what we have to do next.”

  “Ms. Thomas, are you sure it’s a smart idea to have me help you? Don’t you want someone with more experience?”

  “You’re perfect, Tim. Nokotas need to trust their humans, and this is an ideal opportunity for you to earn that trust.”

  Tim shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t even know what a Nokota is. I mean, I get that it’s a horse, but I don’t know what that means.”

  Janie laughed in surprise. “Oh! Well, I guess we have gotten so used to them here, we forget not everyone knows the details. So….” She paused, formulating her answer. “The short version of the story is that Nokota is a breed of wild horse that ran in the Little Missouri Badlands in the Dakotas. They got fenced in when the government created Theodore Roosevelt National Park.”

  “Thus the name Roosevelt’s Shadow?”

  “Yup. A few decades back, the Parks Department decided they were a nuisance and were going to get rid of them all. The Kuntz family bought as many as they could because they knew these horses were special. Research found that some of the bloodlines go back to the horses taken from Sitting Bull and his people when they surrendered at Fort Buford. Times have been hard, though, so the Nokota Conservancy has been selling horses to folks who are interested in helping preserve the breed, trying to save them from extinction. Since the Thomas family knows a little something about falling on hard times, we purchased a few. Lazy J currently has six, and we’re looking to buy a few more next summer.”

  “You talk like Nokotas are special or something. I mean, besides their heritage, what’s the deal?”

  “They are special. Roo was basically a wild horse when we brought him here, but he took to the halter like a bee to pollen. Jeff saddle-broke him over the winter and has been riding him some. Nokotas are generally pretty docile and, once they trust you, will do just about anything you ask. They’re smart, athletic, and often have unusual markings and colors. They’re really an amazing breed.”

  “And this foot problem? Lemon....”

  “Laminitis. It’s exceptionally rare in a Nokota. I can’t say I’ve heard of it happening before because, as wild horses, they have really adapted to a wide variety of foods. Laminitis happens when a horse gets into food that’s high in sugars. Normally, the quantity of these
kinds of food is limited. Pastures with sweet grass—what comes up after first rains—are closed off, and grain stores are kept separate. But this clever fellow apparently opened the gate to the grain shed on his own, helping himself to some extra special formula meant for a much older horse.” Janie patted the horse’s flank. “His digestive system couldn’t handle so much energy-rich food at once, and it basically overloaded his bloodstream with acid.”

  “But what does that have to do with his feet?”

  “Acidity causes inflammation in the horse’s body, but there’s nowhere for the swelling to go in their hooves, and the laminae—the shock absorbers between the hoof and the foot bone—get damaged. Imagine pulling your toenails away from your toes. It hurts like crazy. In really bad cases, the horse can die if the structure of the foot gives out completely.”

  Tim looked at Roo with newfound concern. “Is he going to be okay?”

  “Should be. We’ll start treatment, then take him for a walk to keep his blood circulating. That will help the healing process. Then we watch him throughout the day and probably tonight to make sure he’s not in any danger.”

  “How can I help?”

  Janie smiled, pleased with Tim’s attitude. “Well, I have to construct some cushy slippers for him to wear and trim his hooves a bit. I’m going to need your help to keep him standing still. He’s not going to want to put his weight to one side when we lift his foot. Right now, we need to get him out into the aisle where the light is better and we can cross-tie him. He’s not going to want to go because his feet are really tender, but the painkiller should help make it a little easier on him. We’ll go at his pace.”

  She snapped a lead onto Roo’s halter, then gave him a little tug to encourage him to step forward. Tim stepped back when the horse shifted, and he backed out into the aisle as Janie urged Roo along. The horse stretched his neck out first, trying to avoid taking that first step, but once he moved one foot, he quickly moved forward, trying to keep his weight off those tender front feet.

  ⋘⋆⋙

  Tim was used to standing around. At least this time, he had information to absorb and something to look after to make the time more interesting. Roo was an amazing animal, and Tim was starting to see a distinct personality as the three of them worked together as a team to see to his needs.

  After a stretch of time that Tim was too distracted to measure, Roo had some snazzy boots made of Styrofoam pads and duct tape, and Janie announced they were ready to go for a walk.

  “At first, we need to keep him on soft surfaces, so we’ll head out to the corral...since you made it nice and clean. For now, walk on the other side of me. Once you’re used to being around Roo, and vice versa, I’ll have you take the lead.”

  A little shuffling around in the aisle and they got turned around, then headed for the corral. Tim found himself watching Janie as much as Roo. He couldn’t help but admire her patience and calm self-assurance. In his experience, every woman he’d known had been an addict of some sort…alcohol, drugs, power, or work. Even the sister he grew up with had always been work-focused, be it school, boxing, or the police force. He was used to women who thought of themselves first. Only after they got what they wanted would they consider a man for more than just the ways he could give them what they wanted.

  Janie was unique in his world. Part of him knew that, somewhere, there must be other women as caring and selfless as she seemed to be, but he had yet to meet any. He knew it was the last thing he had any business even contemplating, but he caught himself wondering what kind of impression he had made on her. Did she see him as anything more than another ranch hand?

  The moment the thought crossed his mind, he dismissed it. Since this was only his second day, he couldn’t even really consider himself a ranch hand. And she probably cared the same for everyone around her.

  As they left the barn and led the horse out into the corral, Tim couldn’t help but eye her from the corner of his vision as the sunlight struck her face and revealed a light dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks. He forced himself to look away and made an attempt at small talk.

  “How did you get interested in being a vet?” he asked.

  “Growing up around here, it was hard not to be interested in animals,” she answered, a contentedness in her tone that he immediately envied. “I’ve been around horses and cattle since Momma carried me on her hip while feeding the livestock. Not to mention the other animals you find on a farm ranch. In addition to the main compound here, which we call the Homeplace, we’ve got the Little J Farm on the western end of the land, which is just for self-sufficiency. We have working dogs, barn cats, chickens, pigs, bunnies, even the occasional orphaned antelope and coyote. Although the coyote experiment didn’t end well.” She frowned briefly, then waved her hand. “Just a minor tragedy in the grand scheme of life. Some animals don’t take to domestication attempts. Anyway, it was a natural progression to get work at Hansen’s after school, and later, after Kylie was born, trying to make ends meet.”

  Tim’s gaze flicked over at Janie sharply, but she was too intent on monitoring Roo’s progress to note his intense appraisal. She has a kid? He glanced at her left hand to see if he could see a ring.

  “Doc Hansen really helped pull me through some hard times. When Kylie was old enough, he helped me take the classes that got me a license to practice. I wouldn’t be what I am today without his help.”

  “What about your husband?” he found himself asking. “Didn’t he help?”

  “No husband,” she said, sounding guarded for the first time since he’d met her, but she was looking away so he couldn’t see her face to know for sure. “Kylie and I are on our own, which is the way we like it.”

  That statement spoke volumes, yet seemed completely at odds with her manner up until the moment the word “husband” was mentioned. Rather than comment on that, Tim puzzled over it. In his experience, it was always better to let people volunteer information about their lives, so he retreated to a safer topic.

  “Well, you sure know what you’re doing. I mean, look at Roo. He’s really keeping up.” They had made the turn at the far end of the corral, and the horse was walking along with them, his neck stretched out and his ears angled forward, which Tim remembered was a sign of improvement.

  “Do you want to try leading him?” Janie asked, holding out the braided rope.

  Janie had coached him on some of the terms for the gear that related to horses—tack, he reminded himself—so he knew the lead rope was attached to the halter under Roo’s chin. He took the rope from her with a confidence he didn’t really feel. “We just taking him in circles?”

  “Not yet. Turns will still be painful. We’ll head back to the barn, then go out again in a short while.”

  Roo nudged Tim, causing him to stagger toward Janie, who nimbly stepped out of the way. “Don’t let him do that,” she said, her tone of voice only partly amused. “He’s testing you.”

  “How should I respond?”

  “Hold your ground as best you can. Don’t push back or strike out. He just wants to see if he can get away with anything. He can tell you’re afraid.”

  “I’m not afraid,” Tim said automatically, although he knew that wasn’t strictly true. “Much.” For some reason, it was not a difficult confession where Janie was concerned.

  “Well, if you’re worried about your ego, it doesn’t show,” she said, this time with real humor. “But horses are rarely wrong. It’s a good sign that Roo is feeling playful, though. The pain meds and slippers must be helping, but he’s not out of the woods yet.”

  “What next?”

  “We’ll get him back to his stall, then I’ll show you how to groom him. After a while, we’ll take him for another short walk. We’ll make sure his food is low sugar. I’ll show you how to soak his hay to strip as much sugar as possible out of it. You’ll have to do that a couple times a day.”

  “Me?”

  “Sure. Why not? I’m going to throw you into the
deep end and make you responsible for caring for Roo. You’ll either sink or you’ll swim.”

  “Um…. Thanks?”

  Janie laughed. “There’s no reason to teach you piecemeal. If it turns out horses aren’t your thing, we want to know sooner rather than later. There are other chores the other hands would be happy to make a greenhorn do.”

  “Like washing out cattle trucks?”

  She laughed again, and he couldn’t help but think he should figure out ways to make her laugh often. It was a sweet and joyful sound.

  “Yes. There’s mucking out stalls, bucking hay, irrigating the hay fields, mending fences.... All the things that aren’t as exciting as actually working the cattle.”

  They rounded the entrance to the barn and headed back toward the horse stalls, but Tim got the distinct feeling he wasn’t really directing Roo. More like accompanying him where he wanted to go.

  In the aisle, they came across Jax, Jeff, and another horse tied out in the aisle farther down from Roo’s stall. The two ran brushes and combs across the horse, raising a cloud of horsehair and dust.

  “Hey, Doc. Hey, Tim,” Jax said, his usual bright smile lighting his face. The smile faltered when he saw Roo’s feet. “What’s wrong with Roo?”

  “He got into Storm’s feed. We’re trying to head off a case of laminitis.”

  “No kidding? Is he going to be okay?”

  “Yes. I don’t think it’s as bad as I first thought. But I’ve got Tim here to help him out.”

  “Well, if I can help at all.... You know, look in on Kylie for you....” Jax let his words trail off, and Janie shook her head at the boy’s obvious love-struck expression.

  “Kylie will be at work. But since I can’t stay all day, you can help Tim if he needs it.”

  Tim tried not to let the panic he felt show. “You’re leaving?” Fail.

  Janie smiled. “Just for a couple hours. I have to go back to the clinic, check in with Doc Hansen, and bring a couple things back out. I’ve got a hot date with a cute pony tonight.”