Page 54 of Keep You Safe
“Placenta?” Jude asked as he set down his veterinary kit and gloved up.
“Not yet,” I reported as the filly made a first attempt at nursing, another great sign.
“That long of a labor, I’d like to stick around until the placenta is out.” Jude made a quick examination of both horses.I snuck away to clean up, changing into a shirt I kept in the barn office for emergencies like this. The four of us stood around, watching as the foal nursed, and eventually, the placenta was delivered without much fuss.
“That’s really something.” Adler continued to marvel at the foal, who was less wobbly by the minute. “A miracle.”
“It is.” Jude nodded as he took care of the placenta and helped me with the cleanup effort. “Never gets old.”
“The filly needs a name.” Adler’s eyes sparkled, and I groaned.
“No obscure TV show names, please.”
“Oh, come on. Lorelei and Rory were inspired choices.” Kat chuckled. “Go on, Adler, come up with a name. Gray and I have had dozens of chances. Time for some fresh ideas.”
“Wow.” Adler bit his lower lip, thinking for several moments. “She certainly made a dramatic entrance. But look at her now, strutting around like she won the Daily Double. That’s it. Winnie.”
“Perfect. Gray won’t argue with a well-placedJeopardyreference.” Kat laughed again.
Next to her, I stiffened, not wanting to let on exactly how much of the show Adler and I had watched together and how much I loved that time we spent together. I gave a tight nod. “Yep. That’ll do.”
“I’ll keep an eye on Mama Fern and Winnie here if you want to run Jude back to town,” Kat offered to me. “And then you sleep. You’ve had a long day.”
“Eh. They’re all long.” I shrugged, and my shoulder brushed Adler’s. I hadn’t realized he was standing so close. The smart thing would be to leave him to Kat, walk right on by. But I was feeling more than a little dumb. “You gonna stay and watch, or you wanna keep me awake for the drive back?”
“I’ll keep you company.” Adler’s gaze caught mine. Kat had advised sleep, but slumber wasn’t anywhere near the top of my list of wants.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Adler
Snow fell softlyas Grayson drove Jude home. Jude lived outside of the town limits of Lovelorn, close to the county school the girls attended. I rode in the back seat, letting the two of them chat, while I browsed pictures of Winnie I’d taken on my phone. I’d always loved horses—wooden, plastic, toy, pony rides, and the real deal. But after watching Winnie’s birth, my passion for horses reached a deeper, more spiritual, almost mystical level. I’d spent years feeling like I was in the wrong place—wrong state, wrong family, wrong friend group. However, in that moment, I’d finally felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
“Damn.” Grayson took a turn onto a different country road with more caution than usual. “Roads are getting icy.”
“You’re both welcome to crash at my place.” Jude made the offer offhandedly, like he knew full well Grayson wouldn’t take him up on the suggestion.
“Nah. Gotta get back.” Predictably, Grayson was quick with the reply, even as his speed slowed further in deference to the falling snow and icy roads. “Chores don’t take snow days.”
“Amen to that.” Jude gave a knowing laugh as we arrived at a small house with a truck under a carport and a large barn behind. “I won’t ask you in because the roads will only get worse.Drive safely going back.” He turned toward me as I exited the truck to take his place in the passenger seat. “Keep him awake.”
“Will do.” I didn’t dislike Jude, even if I did envy his easy closeness with Grayson, the way they could talk in shorthand about animals or town happenings.
“I’m fine to drive,” Grayson assured me as I buckled up. “Not that tired, honestly. More wired.”
“Me too.” I offered a grin as I warmed my hands by the truck heater. “Watching the foaling was so exciting.”
“It’s a rush for sure.” To my shock, Grayson smiled back before turning his attention to the road, going well under the speed limit. “Every damn time I hold my breath till the foal stands up.”
“Was rodeo like that as well?” I was asking to make conversation, but also because I wanted to get to know Gray better. I couldn’t make up for all the years of familiarity he shared with Jude, but I wanted to know all I could about the man who fascinated me endlessly. “An adrenaline rush every event?”
“Yep.” He kept his eyes on the road, both hands on the wheel, taking it slower as snow whipped over the windshield and swirled on the road. “Never got old. Each time in the chute was like a riot of horseflies in my gut, nerves threatening to bring up whatever lunch I’d choked down. But then I’d do it, and I’d immediately start thinking about the next ride.”
“I’m so sorry you lost that world.” Sympathy made my voice softer. He was a damn good foreman, but I wouldn’t have minded knowing his younger, wilder side. I could imagine he’d been a sight to see on a bronco. I also knew a bit of what it meant to have to figure out how to live with fewer thrills. “Being high felt like that too. Anticipation. Rush. And then the fall afterward. I’m not sorry to leave that rollercoaster behind, but I get losing out on an adrenaline fix.”
“Eh. Like drinking and partying, rodeo probably wasn’t the healthiest.” His harsh exhale revealed far more regret than his measured words. “And other things can provide a high.”
“True. Newborn horses.” I ticked items off an imaginary list. “Skinny dipping. Knowing the answer to Final Jeopardy. Letting a horse gallop on a cold morning. Fresh-baked cookies. Sex.”
