Wild Fire (The Fairy Tale Match Series)

by Danielle Rose-West

  “But he isn’t stopping you seeing him, so it’s a start,” Laura pointed out.

  “What are you two whispering about?” Jake asked, tugging Laura towards him and slipping his arm around her shoulders.

  “Nothing of consequence,” Kerry replied evasively. Jake raised an eyebrow at her, but let the matter drop.

  They headed into the house, with Laura flowing straight to the kitchen to sort out something for dinner. She was just gathering ingredients together when the door swung open and Bill charged into the room.

  “Where’s Jake?” he demanded without any greeting.

  “He’s in the other room. Why, what’s wrong Bill?” Laura asked alarmed. She’d never seen Bill look so grim.

  “What’s going on, Bill?” Jake asked as he came rapidly into the room, having heard the urgency in Bill’s voice.

  “We need to get hold of Dr Willby right now. Something’s wrong with Charger.” He didn’t wait for Jake to react, he grabbed the phone and began to punch in the vet’s number.

  Jake grabbed his hand. “It’s no good ringing him. He’s not there. Don’t you remember, he had to leave town for the week to visit his daughter.”

  “Then what the hell are we to do? Who’s covering for him? Charger is really sick. His breathing is laboured and he seems to be having pain in his abdominals. If we don’t get help fast, we’re going to lose him.”

  “As far as I know, Dr Willby left a young locum to cover. I’m not sure he’s up to dealing with anything really serious. He’s only just qualified as a vet.” Jake ran his hand through his hair in frustration, fear evident in every line of his face.

  “Then call Dan!” Laura cried as she rushed forward. “For crying out loud, he’s a vet. No matter what else has gone on, he is trained to save animals. He’ll come. We can’t lose Charger, we just can’t!” Tears ran down her face, her heart hammered in her chest with the shock of Bill’s words. Charger had come to mean a great deal to her, the thought of something happening to him was completely unthinkable.

  “Call him,” Jake told Kerry as she entered the kitchen, her face white with worry. She grabbed her phone from her pocket and rang Dan’s number. He answered almost immediately.

  “Hey Love, I wasn’t expecting you to call tonight. How is everything going there with Jake?”

  “We don’t have time for this,” Kerry gasped out, trying not to break down. “Can you come over? Charger is sick and he needs help. Dr Willby is out of town and I don’t think the guy covering for him will be any help. He’s too inexperienced. He won’t survive without you, Dan. Please come.” She broke down crying.

  “I’m on my way.” Dan’s phone went dead.

  “He’s coming,” Kerry told them.

  “You wait here for him and bring him out when he gets here,” Jake told Kerry, as he, Bill and Laura headed out to the stable. Laura gasped in horror at the sight of the big black stallion. Sweat coated his usually shiny black coat. His breathing was loud and ragged in the silence of the stable. His whole body shook uncontrollably. She’d never seen a more terrifying sight.

  “Oh God, what the hell happened to him? He was fine this morning!” Jake cried his face going ashen at the sight of his beloved horse.

  “I don’t know. I literally just fed him about an hour ago, but he didn’t eat as much of his food as normal. I came back to check on him and this is what I found.” Panic laced the edges of Bill’s words.

  “Can I go into him?” Laura asked, her face drenched with her tears. “He sounds like he’s in pain.” She broke down, holding on to Jake as he held her close, stroking her hair to comfort her.

  “You can if you want to, sweetheart.”

  She opened the stable door and moved to the stallion’s side. Touching his soft nose, she talked to him gently, placing her head near his, trying to comfort the ill horse. He nuzzled her briefly before stamping back, giving a scream of pain. Laura couldn’t bear to see him like it. It was breaking her heart in two.

  “Where the hell is Dan,” she sobbed. “What’s wrong with him Jake?” She turned fear filled eyes to him, only to see her fear reflected back from his.

  “I don’t know,” he replied, stepping into the stall with her and trying to calm Charger down. “It’s possible it’s a bout of colic.”

  “Colic? That’s just wind right? It’s not too serious?” Laura had only ever heard of colic referred to by parents that had small babies suffering with it after meal times. They never seemed overly worried about it.

  “In a horse it can be very serious. Left untreated it can be fatal.” Jake’s face looked white with strain.

  Shocked, Laura began to try to stroke Charger, but he was inconsolable. He began to look as if he wanted to lie down. That terrified Jake, knowing that if Charger went down it could be a short time before he gave up completely and died. He began to wonder if he should try walking the horse around, just in case this was a severe case of colic. Some of the symptoms seemed to fit, but some didn’t. He raked a hand through his hair, despair hitting him at the possibility of losing Charger. He wasn’t just their prize stallion, he was so much more.

  Suddenly Kerry ran into the stable with Dan behind her, carrying his bag. He looked grim as he took in Charger’s condition.

  “I’m going to have to ask you to step out of the stall and let me have room to examine him,” he told them. Laura and Jake stepped out, allowing Dan to move inside instead. They waited anxiously as Dan examined the horse. Nobody could think of anything to say, the sounds of Charger’s pain ripped through every one of them. Dan went methodically through checking every aspect of the horse, listening to his heart carefully, checking his abdominals and running through a thorough examination. Finally he stepped back from the horse, running his hand through his hair.

  “Is it colic?” Jake asked, panic and irritation clear in his voice.

  “There are some indications that colic is present, but I don’t think it’s just that. I’ve seen something like this once before.” He broke off as he rummaged quickly through his bag. “If I’m right, he’s going to need treatment straight away.” He waved his hand distractedly at them. “Please, I need to concentrate. I’ll explain later.”

  He went back to sorting through his medication, ignoring the anxious spectators outside the stall. Kerry began to cry, turning away. Laura, tears pouring down her face, went to comfort her.

  “It’s serious. I can tell by the look on Dan’s face,” Kerry whispered to Laura, her voice cracking with her emotions. “Oh Laura, what will we do if we lose Charger. He is irreplaceable. Jake will be devastated. I honestly don’t know how we’d come back from it.”

  “Don’t think like that. Dan is taking care of him. He’s going to be fine.” Laura wished she felt as confidant as she sounded. She hugged Kerry to her, looking over her shoulder at Jake. He looked terrible. She was afraid he was ready to collapse himself. It seemed like an eternity until Dan stepped back out of the stall, his face deadly serious.

  “It’s serious, isn’t it?” Kerry demanded, stepping forward with a fearful look. “Are we going to lose him? Please, just give it to us straight.”

  Sighing deeply, Dan turned to address them. “I don’t know. I hope I got here in time but we will have to watch him carefully for a while. I’ve given him medication for his various symptoms. I’ve also administered a laxative to clear his system of anything he may have eaten. He is a very strong horse, but we’ll know more in the next few hours. If he can make it past a day, I think he will be okay. The thing that’s worrying me is the cause of his illness.”

  “Which is?” Jake prompted, his face set like stone.

  Dan paused briefly before he answered. “I am almost completely sure he’s been poisoned,” he stated in a quiet voice. “Most likely he’s consumed a toxic plant of some kind.”

  “What?” Bill yelled. “That is impossible. We check every place our horses graze to make sure there are no poisonous plants. We’ve never had a case where a horse has eaten
something they shouldn’t.”

  “I’m not saying you haven’t been thorough with the care of the horses Bill.” Dan ran a hand through his hair again, reminding Laura of Jake. “But it would be worth checking the pastures and any other places you may put the horses for grazing. Charger ate this plant somewhere and we have to find out where before any other horse grazes on it too. It’s not impossible that something went unnoticed. There may have been a plant growing in one of the pastures you didn’t know to check for.”

  Bill and Jake cursed, while Laura and Kerry stared at each other in silent horror.

  “Where was Charger today?” Jake asked Bill. “Can you retrace his movements? We need to see if we can find what he ate.” He turned to Dan. “What are we looking for?”

  “It’s hard to say. I’ll print out a list of poisonous plants that could be responsible for Charger’s symptoms along with their pictures so you can see what you may be looking for. Has anyone got a computer I can use?”

  Kerry nodded. “I’ve a laptop you can use. It’s in my office.”

  “There is no point trying to find anything tonight,” Laura pointed out. “It’s getting too dark outside to see anything. We’d best check in the morning.”

  “She’s right,” Bill said reluctantly. “We could all too easily miss something in the dark.”

  “But it’s the barn raising preparation tomorrow. How are we supposed to get things ready and search for this plant?” Kerry pointed out.

  “We have no choice,” Jake sighed. “We can’t leave the horses at risk. We’ll just have to manage.”

  “I can get this list compiled, but then I want to stay with Charger to keep an eye on him. I need to be here if anything else develops or he takes a sudden turn for the worse.”

  “I can get you something to sit on in here, if that would help?” Bill offered Dan.

  “That would be great.”

  “I’ll stay with Charger while you’re gone.” Jake moved over to the front of the stall, reaching his hand towards the horse. Laura moved to his side, touching his lower back in comfort. They barely noticed when the others left the stable.

  “Shall I make some food for everyone?” she asked quietly.

  “You can ask if anyone wants anything, but I doubt I can get anything down right now. Thanks anyway.” He kissed the top of her head. They stood together in silence, watching the stallion carefully for any signs of trouble. Bill snuck in and placed a chair for Dan in the stable, before leaving quietly. Shortly before Dan arrived back, Charger began to clear his system.

  “Good, the laxative I gave him is working,” Dan said as he came up beside them. “Hopefully he hasn’t eaten enough to cause any permanent damage. Either way, this should get it out of his body quickly.” He handed a paper to Jake. “Here is what you need to check for tomorrow. Kerry is printing off more to hand out to everyone who’ll be searching. It must be a really careful search. You can’t afford to leave anything to chance.”

  Jake nodded, taking the paper from him. “Thanks.” There was an awkward moment as both men looked at each other. Laura could sense the tension between them.

  “Would you like anything to eat,” she asked Dan, trying to break the strain.

  “That’s not necessary. I had already eaten before I came out.” Dan smiled at her. Jake’s eyes narrowed. Dan held up his hand. “Look Jake, I know none of this changes anything between us. I want you to know I have no designs on Laura. I love Kerry.” Jake snorted in disbelief. “It’s true, whether you choose to believe me or not. Right now I am here to save Charger and make sure no other horse is under threat. Can’t we just have a truce for the time being until this is sorted out.” He held out his hand.

  Jake stared at him, his expression like stone. Laura poked him in the ribs with her elbow.

  “It’s a good suggestion,” she told him firmly. “We need his help right now and it would be better if we didn’t have all the stuff from the past getting in the way. Can’t you just put it away for now? For Charger?”

  Jake sighed. He grasped Dan’s hand and shook it. “For now, we’ll forget the past. But don’t think for one moment that this makes us friends again or that I approve of you being with my sister. Are we clear?”

  “I never thought that for one moment.” Dan returned Jake’s stony stare before turning his attention back to the horse.

  The evening passed slowly; the atmosphere full of anxiety and worry. Laura made everyone a snack despite the protests and practically forced it down throats. As the hour drew late, Laura began to find it impossible to keep her eyes open. The nap she’d taken earlier in the day didn’t completely make up for her lost night of sleep. Jake noticed her head bobbing towards her chest and forced her to go to bed with a promise to wake her if anything developed.

  Laura was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, her whole mind and body shutting down after the stress of the last couple of days. She slept long and deep until the early morning sunshine hit her eyes the next day. Waking up slowly, it took her several moments before she remembered what had happened with Charger. Leaping out of bed, she showered and dressed at top speed, desperate to find out how the horse was doing.

  Flying down the stairs, she made straight for the stable. Dan was already in with Charger, giving him another examination. He looked extremely tired, his clothes a rumpled mess and his hair sticking up in all directions. Jake stood outside the stall, not looking any better. She was sure neither man had slept much overnight, if at all.

  She gave Jake a quick hug and kiss. “How is he?” she asked quietly.

  “Dan’s checking him over now. He had quite a night, but this morning he is looking better.” He crossed his fingers in the silent gesture for hope.

  Dan came out, closing Charger’s stall behind him. “He is definitely doing better this morning. I would take him out of this stall now and set him up in a clean space. I feel confident enough that he is going to make it. We haven’t had any other symptoms show themselves and he’s steady. There is no sign of him declining. So far it’s looking really good.”

  Kerry came in at that moment, just in time to hear the prognosis. She gave a happy laugh of relief, tears filling her eyes. She threw herself into Dan’s arms and kissed him deeply. “Thank you. Oh, what would we have done without you? You were marvellous!”

  Jake scowled fiercely at the display. Laura gripped his arm. “Let it go; you promised,” she hissed in his ear. “We do have a lot to thank him for. Just remember that!”

  Jake growled low in this throat, but refrained from saying anything else. Bill wandered in and Kerry filled him in. He shook Dan’s hand in gratitude. Laura went back to the house to make everyone breakfast, while Jake sorted out moving Charger to a new stall. Soon they were all seated around the kitchen table. Dan had taken a quick shower and borrowed some fresh clothes that Jake had ungraciously given him to wear after dire threats from both Kerry and Laura. As the ravenous appetites were satisfied, plans were made for the search that needed to take place that day.

  “I’ve called everyone in to work on this that can be spared from the preparations for the barn raising tomorrow,” Bill informed them. “We’ll split into teams and divide the search area. It is going to take us hours, but we’ve no other choice. I’ve given instructions that no horse is to be let out into any area until further notice.”

  Jake nodded his approval.

  “Do you want me to stay here today and help?” Laura offered. “I could call Martha and fill her in. I’m sure she’d understand.”

  “No need. We’ve got people to help with this, whereas Martha has nobody to replace you. It will be tight, but I do believe we can still get everything done for tomorrow,” Kerry assured her. “I’ll keep you updated of any progress we make and you can always help after your shift at the diner.”

  “Okay,” Laura felt reluctant to leave when everything was so crazy but she didn’t want to let Martha down. She grabbed her things and headed out to her car. To her surprise
, she found Walter waiting for her.

  “Hi,” he greeted her with a warm smile. “I wanted to catch you before you left today. I’ve been worried about you.”

  “I’m fine,” Laura said puzzled. For a moment her mind couldn’t register what Walter meant.

  “I tried to call in to see you yesterday, but no one was at the house.” His tone sounded accusatory. “I could hardly sleep wondering if you were okay or if you’d had another fight with Jake.”

  Finally the penny dropped and Laura remembered that the last time she’d seen Walter had been after her huge row with Jake. It seemed like another lifetime after last night.

  “I’m fine,” she assured Walter. “Jake and I had a really good talk yesterday and we’ve sorted things out.”

  “Just like that? After the way he treated you? Laura, you are much too soft. How can you let him get away with this?” Walter sounded angry.

  “It wasn’t ‘just like that’ as you put it,” Laura felt her own temper begin to rise. She didn’t have time for this. “Frankly, it is none of your business anyway. You’ve been a good friend and I do thank you for it, but it’s my decision, not yours. I want to make things work with Jake. You’ll just have to understand that.”

  Walter’s face crumpled as if she’d mortally wounded him. “I am only trying to look out for your welfare,” he said, his voice full of hurt.

  She immediately felt horrible. It wasn’t his fault she’d been under the strain of worrying about Charger. “I’m sorry Walter. Last night wasn’t a good one. You may not have heard that Charger was really ill. We had to call the vet in. I’ve been so worried about him and Jake. I guess I got a little cranky.”

  Walter looked concerned. “No, I didn’t hear anything about Charger. What happened? Is he okay? I thought Dr Willby was away this week. Who came last night?”

  “Dan did and yes, Charger is okay. I think he will be fine. You’ll probably hear all about it this morning. I’m sorry, but I have to go right now or I’ll be late.” She moved to unlock her car.