Sarah held up her hand to stop him. She was still singing for the horse and turned back to Ace. “It’s okay. He only wants what’s in my pocket.” Sarah took out a roll of the cherry candies the boys loved and peeled one off for Ace. The horse took it and nuzzled her neck.
She rubbed his big head and addressed the vet. “Doc, get the shots prepared as well as the sutures for Ace’s hind leg.”
She met Luke’s worried gaze. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this. I grew up on a horse ranch. I’ll take care of Ace. I noticed you have two horses saddled outside. I presume those are for the boys to ride. Why don’t you take them out and have someone help you get them up in the saddle and riding.”
“I’m not leaving you with Ace. If he gets upset again, he could really hurt you.”
“You and I both know if any of you come near this horse, he’ll just go off again. He needs to be tended to, and I appear to be the one he trusts at the moment. I’d really like for you to take the boys out of here while I do it.” The last thing she wanted was for her boys to see her get kicked if Ace got upset when she checked that hoof and cut. She was willing to take the risk for the beautiful animal.
It didn’t hurt to show Luke she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and do the work.
The vet planted his hands on his hips. “Good God, Luke. You can’t allow this woman to tend Ace. She’s not a vet. What if she hurts him?”
Sarah rubbed Ace’s neck. “I know what I’m doing. Take the boys outside, and I’ll be there soon.”
Luke shook his head. “I’ll stay. Jerry, my manager, can take the boys outside to ride.”
She didn’t want anyone but Luke with her boys. “Look at them. They trust you. I trust you with them. Trust me with Ace. You take care of my babies, and I’ll take care of yours.”
He clamped his jaw tight. “Damnit.”
“Mama, Luke swore.” Jack looked up at Luke with a disapproving frown.
“He’s just mad. You guys go and see the horses outside. Luke will let you ride, then we’ll have our picnic.”
“Mama, is Ace going to hurt you?” Nick gave her those big worried eyes that made her heart melt.
“Ace was just having a tantrum.” Ace decided to punctuate that statement by stomping his hooves and shaking his head up and down. “What does Mama do with boys who have tantrums?”
“You make us calm down, and if we be good, you sing,” Jack said.
“If we’re bad, you send us to our room for a time-out. We don’t like that. I like it better when we get ice cream.” Nick hid his face in Luke’s leg.
She hoped Luke remembered what the boys said the next time Margaret told him a bunch more lies about her.
“Mama likes giving you ice cream better than tantrums, too. Now go have some fun.”
“I think Luke needs a time-out for swearing, Mama. Are you going to send him to his room?” Jack asked.
“Only if she’s coming with me,” Luke said under his breath, but she caught the hushed words.
The other three men tried to suppress their laughter, but it rang out, despite their effort.
Luke held her gaze, his direct and intense, to let her know he meant those hushed words.
She could almost feel a caress heating her skin, though they stood yards apart.
He may be looking out for Margaret’s interests, but he also had an eye on her. She appreciated that he saw more than faults.
But could she trust that the attraction was real and not a means for him to get close to her so he could try to find things to use against her?
Luke sighed out his reluctance and uncertainty, but finally scooped up both boys. “Don’t make me regret trusting you.” He carried them out of the stables.
Seeing her boys safe in his strong arms endeared Luke to her even more than how much he cared about his horse.
And she appreciated his reluctant trust.
She’d do everything possible to help Ace and do it without incident because she didn’t want to disappoint Luke.
Chapter Eight
Sarah went straight to work on Ace, brushing him and singing to him once again. Calm, he stood still and watched her move around him. As she passed one of the guys, she took the lead rope from him and nodded for him to back away, leaving only one man holding him, giving Ace some room to breathe and the space he needed to feel safe.
She kept singing and brushing and rubbing her hand over him. When she finally had him completely calm, she addressed the vet for the first time in ten minutes.
“Do you have all the shots ready?”
“Yeah, I’ll just begin—”
She held her hand up to stop him. “Just stay where you are. I’ll give him the shots.”
“Excuse me.” His authoritative voice boomed though the massive stables. “I’m the doctor here, and I don’t appreciate you usurping me, especially in front of Luke.”
“Obviously this horse doesn’t like you or want you near him. Now, step back. I’ll give him the shots.”
“You’ll do no such thing. I won’t allow you to harm this horse by improperly giving him injections.”
“Step back, Doc,” a man still holding a rope on Ace and supervising ordered. “Let her be. You heard Luke. He wants her to take care of Ace today.” The man turned to her. “I’m Jerry.”
“Sarah.” She gave him a smile, appreciating him backing her up.
The doc threw his hands up in the air and let them fall. “Luke’s crazy letting this woman near Ace like this.”
Jerry looked him in the eye. “We’re all here watching, so if something goes wrong, you can be the first to tell Luke, ‘Told you so.’”
Sarah picked up all four shots and, as quickly as possible, expertly gave each one to Ace. The horse didn’t even flinch, and she rewarded him with another cherry candy. He accepted it and nuzzled his nose at her neck again. She moved on and checked each of Ace’s legs, stroking her hands over his strong muscles and tendons, searching for any tender spots. Nothing came of it, so she moved on to cleaning out each of his hooves, still singing Ace into a calm trance.
When she reached his back left leg Jerry spoke up. “That’s the hoof we think is giving Ace trouble.”
She bent to pick up the hoof. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Doc move forward to have a look himself. Before she could tell him to back off or grab hold of the horse’s leg, Ace kicked out, hitting her right in the thigh, and moved his big body, blocking her from Doc’s approach. Sarah went down hard, clutching her thigh, tears streaming down her face.
Jerry moved forward and Ace shifted again, just missing stepping on her as she lay on the ground holding her throbbing leg. The intense pain radiated up her hip and back and down to her foot.
All the men moved then. To save herself, Sarah called out, “Stop.”
Thankfully everyone froze.
Ace stood very close, still and watchful.
Sarah took the opportunity to roll onto all fours. She pressed up to her feet. No small feat; the pain seared up and down her leg. “Doc, are you stupid or simply hard of hearing? I told you to stay back.”
His eyes went wide. “You’re blaming me.” He pointed to his chest, not one bit sorry for what he’d caused. “You have no business being around this animal.”