Page 6 of No Bones About It

With another sigh, she straightened her shoulders and stepped outside. It was going to be a long day.

CHAPTER 3

See A Man About A Pig

Garrett stood in the paddock and wondered what the hell he was doing. He should haul his ass back to his own paddock, his own horse. If she was a vet, she could handle the mare by herself.

He didn’t move.

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe her. She’d been prickly as hell when she’d held the gun on him. His first impression that the horse had been abused by her hand had dissipated almost instantly.

Her anger had been all aimed at him and his intrusion onto her property as a potential threat to her animals. Her wording and inflection had given her away. She cared about this horse.

The ridiculous goats bouncing around the paddock had helped him decide as well. No creature could be that happy if abuse or neglect was happening. The littlest one kept nibbling at his boots.

The sheep and the cows in the other paddock appeared content. As did the half-dozen cats he spotted everywhere. And the donkey in the smaller paddock off to the side. Although the donkey was giving everything around it some serious side-eye, it appeared healthy. It didn’t even flinch when the peacock and peahen wandered over. Hewondered what other kinds of creatures his neighbor was housing on the rest of the property.

Garrett didn’t remember any of his friends talking about the vet, and he didn’t know her name yet, but from everything he saw, she ran a good place. It wasn’t as nice as the property beside him being empty, but he’d cope. This was probably the source of the dog barking he’d heard this morning. The sound had been close by, but if his land had been empty for a while, the dog was probably used to wandering around. As long as Garrett stayed on his own land, he’d be able to avoid it.

He was about to head back when he felt her return. His training in the Army had made him aware of his surroundings and the changes in air movements. Scents and sounds, too. But it hadn’t been anything other than a gut reaction that said,she’s here.

He refused to look until she appeared in the paddock, that trim and gorgeous body now covered in denim and flannel. Shame.

She eased across the paddock, speaking gently and firmly as she moved. “I’m going to have a look at that leg and hoof, Onigis. You know no one is going to hurt you here. Well, you may not know it yet, but it’s true. We’re all here to help.”

The woman passed him a mug, and the scent of coffee nearly had him weeping in gratitude. She took a sip of her own mug, then placed it on a fence post and kept talking to the horse.

The mare danced in place but didn’t rear up or run off. The woman appeared to believe the animal had been deliberately hurt before, setting his teeth to grinding again.

The vet didn’t slow or alter her approach. She ran her hand down the mare’s neck and continued to speak softly. Garrett remained alert and ready to move. Horses were easy to spook, and their reactions were never a hundred percent predictable, even when they’d been treated well and trained. A thousand pounds of unpredictable animal meant the humans had to be alert, especially if this animal had suffered at the hands of one.

The woman’s body language showed confidence along with a healthy respect for an animal that weighed about the same as a grizzly.

She touched the horse firmly and kept speaking to get itused to her voice. Finally, she lifted the horse’s leg and ran what looked to be a thorough and gentle examination.

Garrett didn’t relax until she moved away from the horse with soft words and more pats. When they made eye contact, hers widened as if surprised to see him still there.

She walked toward him. “She looks to have some tendon damage. Nothing serious yet, but if they’d continued to race and train her, she’d be lame.”

“Should you confine her to a stall to limit movement?” That was common practice with tendon issues. It kept the horses from wandering too far.

The woman’s frown was immediate. “That would be ideal, but she’s afraid of the stall, afraid of being inside.” She gestured at the goats. “I’m hoping these guys will talk her into using it soon. The stall I’ve got here is for exactly her kind of condition.”

He turned his head to take a better look at the addition to the paddock. A shed had been converted into a stall with one side opening into the paddock. The door was open, and the inside looked clean and inviting for the horse.

He looked from it to the animals and back. “Support goats?”

Her laugh was full of joy. “They like to think so. Popcorn, especially.”

“Popcorn?” Why had he asked?

She nodded. “Popcorn. Butter. Raspberry. Empathy goat troop extraordinaire.”

He’d bet his truck that Butter was Popcorn’s kid, and that Raspberry was the one who made the weird sound along with her bleat.

The woman didn’t lose her smile as she turned to him, and he nearly had his knees knocked out from under him. That smile could get him to do a hell of a lot of things.

She gestured at the horse. “I’m going to head into the barn to get some liniment and wraps for Onigis. Why don’t you tell me who you are and why you’re here on my land?”

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