“My God, Luke Wilde.” She smacked him on the shoulder gently. “What were you thinking?”
“Not even a kiss first?”
“No, not yet. What were you doing?”
“Racing.”
She sighed. “Racing.”
He looked down at his right leg, just below the knee. I didn’t like the look of the leg of his pants protruding. I didn't want to look at it either. Blood seeped through, dark on the denim.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t fuss over me.” Luke waved her off, but his wife wasn’t having it.
Clara ran up to where I sat with Turbo, her expression serious and focused. Her eyes widened, and sadness flicked across her features the moment she took in the sight of Turbo. “Mav, that's not good.”
“I know. I know. Can you help him?”
Turbo’s labored breaths were like a pendulum swinging back and forth, letting us know we didn't have much time. He was in shock.
“I’m not sure.”
“I don't know what to tell Luke.”
Luke's groan of pain as Doc and Mackenzie helped him to his feet cut through me. But then he said to Clara, “Make sure he's not feeling any pain, okay?”
She nodded, tears shining in her eyes. “I promise. I’m going to do what I can to help him.”
Then he looked at me and made a silent but unmistakable request that I stay until the end. If this really was the end. Because he couldn't. I was glad I didn't have to say anything. My chest was tight. My throat constricted. I nodded and laid my hand back on Turbo’s neck, gently easing the creature that we all loved.
“I’m gonna run back to the van and get what I need, okay?” Clara said.
“Okay. I'll stay here.”
“Don't let him get up until I can really assess him, but I don't think he's gonna try.”
I nodded again, hating the tears in my throat. Turbo huffed and shifted, flicking his tail, and by the time Clara came back with her kit, he was restless.
“Well, that’s a good sign. Turbo, are you being dramatic?” The lighter tone in her voice had my heart racing.
Palpating his legs one at a time, she tutted and shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re just embarrassed that you fell.”
As if in answer, Turbo snorted. Sighing and shaking her head, she nodded at me and said, “Back up a second.”
In under a minute, she had that horse on his feet, favoring his left leg just a little, but standing. “What the hell?” I couldn’t keep the awe from my voice. “He was faking it?”
“Turbo gets embarrassed easily. You weren’t here when he went through a phase of playing dead every single time anyone but Luke tried to ride him.”
I laughed, relief flooding me. “Fuck, I really thought we were gonna lose him.”
“Well, he’s coming with me for a brief stay at the Sunrise Vet Clinic boarding house. He definitely did something to that leg. I’ll know more once I get some imaging on him.”
Leading him slowly down the hill, she murmured softly to the horse. Once he was loaded into the trailer, she waited for me with a sweet smile on her face. “You want to ride back with me? I have room for Tabby in the trailer.”
Honestly, I didn’t want to be alone while the adrenaline of what had just happened raced through my veins. So I secured Tabby in the stall next to Turbo and then got into the passenger seat. We drove over the bumpy pasture on our way to the dirt road, her apologizing quietly to the horses in the back every time the trailer rattled.
“Thank you for being here.”
She gave me a soft little smile. “Of course. It's my job. It's the worst part of my job, but at least he’s okay.”
“I’m sorry I've been distant these last few weeks.”
“It’s okay. Things got kind of weird. I shouldn't have told you what was going on.”
“I want you to tell me things. I just want you safe. Taken care of. The idea of some stranger giving you a baby . . . it made me uneasy.”
“I get it. I mean, honestly, it makes me uneasy too.”
I reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “The offer’s still open, all right? You call the shots. I'll do it however you need it done. I want you happy, and if I can help you, then I want to. Besides, I'm only here for another three months.”
“How long will you be staying in Texas this time?”
“Not sure. I’ve got some things I got to take care of. And I've got some thinking to do about my future, you know?”
“Let me think about it a little bit longer.” She worried her lower lip. “I’ll let you know soon.”
“We're really lucky to have you here, Clara. All of us are. I hope you know that. You’re family to us. Even if we don't really understand what family is.”
“You know better than you think you do.”
“Maybe.”
She pulled up to the bunkhouse and killed the engine. “I’ve got to get Turbo to his suite and schedule him an X-ray, and later, I have to stop at Ryker Ranch to do some vaccinations. Maybe we could get dinner tomorrow?”
“Of course. What time?”
“Six-thirty. I'll meet you at the Silver Spur.”
“It’s a date.”
Her cheeks went just the slightest shade of pink, and I wondered if the word date made her uncomfortable.
“Sure. I'll see you there.” She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, just the softest brush of her lips. “I’m so sorry about Turbo and Luke getting hurt.”
“Me too.”
“Keep me posted about him. That break looked real bad.”
“I will.”
I got out of the car and watched her as she left, my heart in my throat. Emotions tumbled through me. The chief among them, gratitude. Gratitude that she'd been here, that Turbo hadn't died. It rushed through me, leaving my stomach twisted. When I walked into Sutton’s house after putting Tabby away, I found him and his wife Sera sitting together, their expressions sad and tense. I relayed Turbo’s condition, and they both visibly relaxed.
“Any word on Luke?” I asked.
“Mackenzie called. Doc took him straight into the hospital. He's got a compound fracture. He's gonna need surgery. He'll be out of work for at least eight weeks, probably longer.”
“Well, it's a good thing I'm here for three more months, then.”
Sutton’s eyes locked on mine. “So you decided you're going back to Texas after all?”
I nodded. “For a little while. Yeah.”
3
Clara
Thank God I was able to get Turbo off the ground and into the trailer with Mav’s help. X-rays showed that while it had looked bad externally, he'd make a full recovery with some rehab and isolation. He was a beautiful horse who still had lots of years of life left in him. I didn't want to see anything happen to him.
Sitting on the couch, mug of tea in hand, I stared down at the multitude of pamphlets my doctor had given me. Artificial insemination was cold and clinical. I knew that. I wasn't under some illusion that we would end up meeting and falling in love. My donor was going to be my donor, and that was it. But right now, the thought of picking someone out of a list of potential baby daddies made my skin crawl.