Page 1 of April is for Asher

CHAPTER1

ASHER

“Dammit, Ruby!”I bite out as I pay for my to-go coffee.

“Oh, hush you. I’m three for three and it’s your turn!” She swats at me playfully with her bright red manicured nails, only I’m not playing.

“I don’t want my picture and information plastered all over the town website!” I tell her, trying to make her understand I’m not kidding.

This is the fourth month in a row she’s done this. Now, with Miles and Kinley getting together, I fear she won’t ever stop. None of us mountain men want to be in the spotlight and featured on the town website for everyone to see. There is a reason we moved to the mountain, and it wasn’t to be closer to people.

“Come on, look at Jackson, Ford, and Miles over there. They are so happy. I just want that for you too and the rest of the Mustang Mountain Riders,” she says, referring to the motorcycle club the guys and I are in.

I glance outside where the guys are waiting on me with their girls. They are happy, but I don’t know how much of that Ruby had to do with it. Ford and Luna have known each other since they were kids, and Miles's girl literally jumped in his car out of nowhere. Jackson’s with Miles’s younger sister. So, unless Ruby controls all things, she can’t take credit for that, but I won’t fight with her. Not here like this, anyway.

The guys and I keep saying we will talk to her, but one thing after another comes up. Though it’s now just moved to the top of my priority list.

“Take it down. You had your fun.” I point at her to get her attention and leave the money for the coffee as I grabbed my to-go cup and headed out the door.

At least I won’t be the only single guy at the meeting today. Miles was able to grab Jonas and his brother Jensen, too. I love these guys, but I wasn’t thrilled to be doing wedding planning stuff. Even if it’s for these men who I’d do anything for. If I had to guess, they needed pure manpower today to see what could be accomplished. I’m not sure because I zoned out when the wedding talk started.

“By the look on your face, I guess you saw you are Mr. April?” Luna cringes.

“You knew?” I growl, and Ford gives me a look that says to knock it off. We may be brothers in arms, but he will protect his girl to the end.

“It just hit our emails while you were inside. I’m pretty sure us here in town are the last notified when it goes up,” Emma says with a sad smile.

Of course, we are getting it out far and wide first because she knows we won’t be happy. She is a smart, old bird. I will give her that.

“Great,” I mumble just as my phone rings.

Answering it, I find my dispatcher at the mustang refuge on the other line. She’s a volunteer and works from home. The sound of her baby crying fills the background as well.

“Asher we just got a call that there is a horse, they think one of the wild mustangs that was hit by a car. It’s still alive.” She goes on to give me the information and says she already has one of the volunteers on their way with the trailer for transport.

“There is a horse that has been hit on the side of the road. I’m going to need some help,” I tell the guys.

“We are in,” Jensen says and nods to Jonas. Any reason to get out of this wedding stuff, I’m sure, and I can’t blame them.

“Well, the girls can come with us and you two can go help too,” Miles says.

Jackson and Ford nod as we head out.

“Perfect let’s go,” I say and we waste no time getting in my truck and following the directions my dispatcher texted me.

The directions lead us into the base of the mountains where the mustangs like to run. Not that we could miss it. There are no less than eight cars pulled over and a number of people surrounding the horse, which is only stressing her out.

“Come on guys, do you want people crowding you when you are injured? Back the fuck up,” I tell them, not giving a shit who I offend. I come from the rodeo circuit, and they cuss worse than a cowboy with a nail through his boot. Most of these people are tourists, probably on their way to Glacier National Park. The locals know better and give wild animals plenty of room.

The guys and I get to work. They have helped me many times and jump right into it. Ford goes right to crowd control and gets them back across the street and away from the horse to give her and me some room.

Jackson, who has a way with animals, starts working on calming her down. Right now, she seems mostly dazed and confused. Jensen jumps up to help guide my volunteer with the trailer in place as I assess the mare’s injuries with Jonas's help.

Even though I’ve been a large animal vet for several years, it never gets easier seeing them like this. I have to put my emotions aside and focus on the animal and what’s best for her.

Without a doubt, she’s been hit by a car and has many open cuts and a lot of blood, but I don’t think it’s anything from which she can’t recover. But I need to get her back to the refuge where my clinic is and get her tranquilized and calm to really get a look. She is one of the wild mustangs and is afraid of people. Giving her a mild sedative, I want to help her relax enough to hopefully get her in the trailer.

Almost two hours later, we finally get her stable and back to the refuge and I’m able to look her over.

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