by Carol Lynne
“Yeah.” Kyle chuckled. “Doc hates using it, but Gray insists on it.”
“Did he do a second one?”
Kyle took his hat off and brushed the wheat-coloured hair back from his forehead before resettling his Stetson. “Sorry, that I don’t know. I know he usually does them, but if he did a second ultrasound on Lady I wasn’t here.”
With a single nod, Ram dismissed Kyle. “Thanks.”
“Sorry. I hope I didn’t do anything wrong,” Kyle said on his way out of the stall.
“If there’s a problem, it isn’t yours.” Ram gave Lady one last stroke between the eyes before heading towards the house. He had a bad feeling.
* * * *
Gray took a sip of hot coffee before setting the cup onto the same desk his grandpa had used. It had been obvious from their earlier conversation that Ram was still mad about the previous night. When the front door slammed shut, Gray braced himself for a fight.
Ram appeared in the open doorway with fire in his eyes. “Is it only Thoroughbreds you care about around here?”
“Excuse me?” Gray wasn’t sure what horses had to do with Ram’s present mood.
“One of the mares is carrying twins.”
Gray shook his head. “Not possible. The doc’s supposed to ultrasound all the mares who’ve been bred.”
Ram jerked his head back towards the way he’d come. “Follow me.”
Without waiting for Gray to catch up, Ram stormed out of the house. Gray rose, took another sip of coffee and followed. The last thing Gray planned on doing was running to catch up with his manager.
Entering the stable, Gray stopped. “Where’d you go?”
“I’m in with Lady.”
Lady? Gray’s heart rate increased. Of all the mares on Sunset Ridge, Lady was his favourite. She may not have been worth a quarter of what the others were worth, but Lady had been born on the ranch. He entered Lady’s stall to find Ram checking out her back end. “What’s wrong?”
Ram dropped Lady’s tail. “Did your vet do a second ultrasound on her?”
“I don’t know. I can check her records if you’d like. Jim, the old manager, handled that. Why? Is there something wrong?” Gray asked again.
“I’d bet you a year’s pay this mare’s carrying twins.”
Gray’s stomach dropped. He knew how dangerous it was for horses to carry more than one foal. “I’ll get her file.” In the far corner of the tack room Gray opened the fireproof file cabinet. He searched alphabetically for Lady’s file but came up short. “What the hell?”
Gray knelt on the floor and opened the bottom drawer. In the back of the drawer was a hanging folder that was labelled stock horses. It was there that he found Lady’s information. Why it was filed incorrectly Gray would probably never know. He stood and set the file on top of an available saddle. Reading through Lady’s records, Gray couldn’t believe what he saw. Shit.
File in hand, Gray rejoined Ram. “Not good.” He handed the papers to Ram. “Jim and Doc decided not to spend the extra money on a second ultrasound for Lady since they didn’t consider her valuable.” He knew it was his responsibility as owner of the ranch to make sure the animals were well cared for. “I’ve no excuse for why things happened the way they did. I should’ve known earlier that Jim was no longer right for the job.”
“Before you go blaming yourself or your ex-manager, I’d take a good long look at the vet you have looking after these animals. I’ve not met the man, but as far as I’m concerned I don’t care to see him ever step foot on the ranch again. Surely there’s another vet in the area.”
Gray nodded. “I’m sure there is. Dad always used Doc Springer so it never occurred to me to go looking for anyone else.”
Ram handed back Lady’s file before returning his attention to the pregnant mare. “Kyle told me she didn’t want to go outside this morning. Looking at her now, I’m worried she’s getting ready to abort, although I didn’t see any signs of bleeding or discharge.” He rubbed the horse’s extended abdomen again. “If they’d done another ultrasound they could’ve aborted the twin before it had time to attach.”
“I’ll go make some calls,” Gray replied.
After looking around, Ram stepped forward and reached for Gray’s hand. “Sorry if I was out of line earlier.”
“I’m not. You just proved to me that I hired the right man for the job.”
Chapter Five
Gray waited on the front porch for Ben Moore, a veterinarian his neighbour had recommended. The guilt over Lady’s twin pregnancy was eating him alive. How could he call himself a responsible horse breeder if something like this could happen right under his nose?
The phone call with Doc Springer had got ugly. By the end of their conversation, Georgia had come into Gray’s office to see what all the commotion was about. It wasn’t often that Gray raised his voice. Arguing at the top of his lungs was completely unheard of for Gray, but he’d let his temper get the better of him.
A white Ford F-350 Super Duty pickup turned into the long drive. Gray hoped like hell Dr Moore was as good as his recommendation.
The truck slowed as it neared the house, but Gray motioned towards the stable where Ram waited impatiently. Ram was another issue. Gray couldn’t help but feel he’d let his new manager down. Although Ram had told Gray he didn’t blame him for Lady’s condition, they both knew it wouldn’t have happened if Gray had been more involved in the daily running of the ranch.
Ben parked his truck and opened the door before Gray had a chance to make it to the stable. Damn. Ben’s long legs and broad chest looked better suited to a football uniform than a black Stetson and Wranglers. The blond ponytail hanging down his back seemed even more out of place for the conservative area they lived in.
Gray smiled. He hadn’t even met the man and already he could tell he was going to like him. “Thanks for coming on such short notice,” Gray said, reaching out his hand.
Ben shook Gray’s hand and peered down at him. “I’m glad you called. I’ve driven by Sunset Ridge for a couple of years now and always admired the place.”
“I appreciate that.” Gray spotted Ram standing in the doorway. “Ben, I’d like you to meet Jack Ramsdale, my ranch manager.”
Ram stepped forward and shook Ben’s hand. “Ram, please.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ben replied. “I hear you have twins on the way.”
“Well, that’s what we’re afraid of,” Ram began, leading Ben into the stable.
Gray held back. It wasn’t that he was uninterested in the conversation, Lady was like a member of the family, but Ram still seemed mad at him for running after Raleigh instead of spending the night in the cabin. Maybe it was better to let Ram cool off for a while. Gray already knew enough about Ram to know the man didn’t stay mad for long. He suspected it was a trait that made Ram a good manager.
He stood outside the stall while Ram and Ben checked on Lady. Within minutes, Ben came to the same conclusion. “Let me get my ultrasound machine out of the truck so we can see exactly what we’re dealing with.”
As soon as Ben left, Ram walked over to stand in front of Gray with the stall between them. “Does Lady have a history of conceiving twins?”
Gray shook his head. “She’s never been pregnant. Dad didn’t believe in breeding the work horses, so we always kept the mares away from the stallions.” He ran a hand over his face. “I can’t say that I’m not concerned for the foals, but right now I’m more worried about Lady.”
Ram did something unexpected and brushed a kiss across Gray’s lips. “Don’t. We’ll do what we have to to make sure she’s safe.”
“I thought you were mad at me.”
“Not mad. Disappointed. Not necessarily in you, just the whole situation. It’s hard to be around you and not have permission to touch you.” Ram kissed Gray again, adding a little tongue play before pulling back. “I guess if I want to work here I’ll have to get used to it.”
A noise stopped Gray from reciprocating the t
ender gesture. He stiffened as Ben cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt,” Ben said.
“No problem,” Ram answered, opening the stall door for Ben. Before Ram returned his attention to Lady, he winked at Gray. “I can handle it from here if you have something else you need to take care of.”
Gray didn’t, but he wasn’t sure what kind of help he could offer. “I’ll go make sure the hands are lined out. Is the schedule on your desk?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Make sure you call me once you know something.” Gray felt Ram’s gaze like a physical touch as he walked away. It was one of those moments that had Gray rethinking his entire future. If he’d been out of the closet he would have openly sought comfort from Ram. Unfortunately, he was so used to living his life in secret he didn’t know how to survive any other way.
* * * *
It took everything Gray had to stand beside Ram at the small grave-side service and not offer physical comfort. He’d gone as far as brushing his hand against Ram’s, but even that made him paranoid.
The minister said his final words before gesturing to Ram. “Do you have anything you’d like to add?”
Ram cleared his throat. “Just that I appreciate you all coming. I have no doubt she’s holding Dad’s hand, looking down on me today with a smile on her face.” He let out an unexpected chuckle. “Although I’m sure she’s telling Dad I should’ve gotten a haircut.”
Gray glanced around at the small crowd of mourners and noticed most of them were also struggling with tears. Gray refused to let himself cry. His dad had always told him crying was a sign of weakness in a man.
After Ram had said his piece, he stepped forward and laid a hand on the light oak coffin. Gray could see Ram’s lips move but couldn’t hear what was being said. Several moments after approaching the casket, Ram turned and strode towards the line of vehicles.
Gray took a moment to lay a hand on the coffin as well. “I’ll take care of him,” he whispered to himself. Before going after Ram, Gray found Georgia among the mourners. “Would you make sure Raleigh gets back to school?”
“Sure.” Georgia squeezed Gray’s hand. “I’ll probably do some shopping while I’m in town so you should have the house to yourselves for a couple of hours.”
“Thanks.” Gray thanked several of the hired hands for coming before going in search of Ram. He found him leaning against his pickup. “Ready to go?”
Ram nodded before opening the passenger door. “Please.”
It wasn’t easy, but Gray managed to get his truck past the parked cars and out of the cemetery. The moment they were back on the open road, he reached for Ram’s hand. There wasn’t much he could say, but he wanted to offer Ram the support he hadn’t been able to give earlier. “Do you want to go over to your uncle Bob’s? I know they’re having some sort of dinner.”
Ram threaded his fingers through Gray’s. “I think I’m done with people today.”
“That include me?”
Ram shook his head but didn’t say anything.
“We’ll have the house to ourselves for a while. Georgia’s going to do some shopping after she drops Raleigh off at school.”
“No offence, but I’m too damn old to be sneaking around in your house while everyone else is gone. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go by Momma’s house.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Right now I don’t want to hide. I don’t want to pretend I’m someone else. I just want to be in the one place I’ve always been free to be myself.”
Gray turned a corner and headed for town. He’d known for a while that Ram was unhappy with his desire to hide their relationship, but never had it been thrown in his face so blatantly. They would need to discuss it, but Gray was smart enough to know it wasn’t the time. Ram’s emotions were too close to the surface, and Gray was already feeling defensive. Later, Gray promised himself.
* * * *
Two weeks later, Ram waited in the truck for Raleigh to get out of school. Although she’d been on her best behaviour around Gray, Ram doubted the little tigress had changed her stripes. Usually he would send one of the hands into town to pick her up, but a detention for talking had Raleigh at school after normal quitting time.
With a customer in town to look over the pregnant Thoroughbreds, Gray was needed at the ranch. Of course that left Ram. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in time with the song on the radio.
Despite having buried his mom two weeks earlier, Ram was in a surprisingly good mood. Things with Gray were slowly progressing. Lady had made it past the two hundred day mark without aborting her foals and Gray had successfully closed a deal that would bring a new Barb stallion to the Sunset Ridge. There were two more that Gray was dying to buy, but first he had to close a deal with a wealthy buyer from Kentucky.
Ram grinned to himself. Gray may not be as good at the day-to-day running of the ranch, but the man had a head for business and a passion for Thoroughbreds.
The passenger door opened, bringing Ram out of his thoughts. He put his seat belt on and started the truck.
“Where’s Gray?” Raleigh asked.
“Schmoozing, Andrew Carlson, that good ole boy from Lexington. He asked me to remind you to be on your best behaviour at dinner.”
Raleigh remained unusually quiet until they left town. Ram glanced at the beautiful girl and noticed the sorrowful expression on her face. “You okay?” he asked.
Raleigh shook her head. “Why does he always expect the worst of me?”
“Who?”
“Uncle Gray,” she whispered in a voice years younger than her actual age.
Raleigh turned her body away from him. Despite her new position he saw her wipe tears from her eyes. Ram felt as though the world as he knew it had shifted. He wasn’t used to seeing Raleigh vulnerable. Worse, he didn’t know if he could trust his instincts. It was entirely possible that Raleigh’s display of emotion was a trick.
“I don’t think Gray expects the worst, but you have to admit you’ve got a pretty good track record for causing trouble. This deal he’s working on is really important for the ranch. I think he just wants it to go smoothly.” Coddling someone wasn’t something Ram was comfortable with, but Raleigh’s tears were too much for him to handle. “I know he wants you there though. Although you may think differently at times, Gray loves you more than anything.”
Raleigh shook her head. “If he wanted kids, he’d have had them by now. I was dumped on him.”
Ram searched for something to say. “Your mom really screwed you up, huh?”
Raleigh spun around. “Why would you say something like that to me?”
“Because I think it’s the truth, and I believe you make it harder on Gray than you need to. I understand why you’re angry. Hell, if my mom had abandoned me I’d be mad, too. But I think the thing you fail to see is that Gray hasn’t gone anywhere. Sure he bitches from time to time and he punishes you when it needs to be done, but none of it takes away from the fact that he loves you and he’s the one who’s there when you need him.”
“Do you know she didn’t even bother to call me on my birthday this year?”
Ram pulled a clean bandana out of his back pocket and handed it to Raleigh. As she cleaned her nose, he tried to imagine what life must be like for a seventeen-year-old girl without her mother. “I should’ve introduced you to my momma. She always wanted a little girl, but God took the only one she ever managed to have.”
Raleigh’s black sculpted eyebrows drew together. “She died?”
“Yep, one of those crib death things that no one could explain. Her name was Jennifer. She was younger than I was by ten years.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, we all were. But the reason I told you about Jennifer is because you need to know that not all mothers are indifferent to their children.” Fuck. Had that really just come out of his mouth? “I’m sorry. That wasn’t the right thing to say.”
“Maybe it was. I’ve never had someone to
talk to about her. I know Uncle Gray’s mad at her for what she did, but she’s still his sister. Kinda like I love her even though I hate her guts.”
“So instead of turning into her, why don’t you rise above her? Do you believe that you have to be a fuck-up just because she was?”
Raleigh looked thoughtful for several moments. “You’re pretty good at this sort of thing. A lot better than Uncle Gray.”
Ram leaned towards Raleigh and grinned. “He doesn’t know a whole lot about women. I think you scare him sometimes.”
Raleigh let out a soft giggle. “Yeah, you may be right.” She tilted her head to the side. “Why do you suppose he’s never had a girlfriend?”
Caught, Ram shrugged. “Umm, I don’t know. Maybe you should ask him.”
“Are you kidding? Uncle Gray’s like a closed book when it comes to his personal life.”
Or a closed door, Ram thought to himself. He turned into the driveway and parked in front of the garage. “I think I’ve got just enough time to change before dinner.”
Raleigh opened the door but before she climbed out of the truck she turned to look back at him. “Thanks for the ride, and ya know, the other stuff.”
“You’re welcome.”
* * * *
After Andrew Carlson left, Gray went upstairs to check on Raleigh before his nightly trip to the garage apartment. He knocked on Raleigh’s closed bedroom door. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
When Gray opened the door, Raleigh was already dressed in her customary T-shirt and pyjama pants. “Get all your homework done?”
“Not quite, but I’ll be finished before ten.” Raleigh went back to her book.
Gray watched her for several moments. He’d been impressed with her during dinner. He wasn’t sure why she’d suddenly had a change in her usual behaviour, but it had impressed both him and Andrew Carlson. “Thanks.”
“For what?” she asked without looking up from her book.
“For dinner. I appreciated the dress. Very nice.”