Page 23 of A Reckless Memory

Aggie noticed my quizzical look. “My real estate agent boarded them before me right after they were seized.”

Dr. Jake’s grin went to a thousand percent. “I told Tanya to give me some time to find a taker, but she tracked you down.” He shook his head and eyed Aggie. “I’ll be honest—I wasn’t so sure about handing off five cases to a stranger. You seem like you’re familiar with horses, at least.”

I snorted. Familiar? Aggie used to pester me and Eliot. That mare’s going to foal early. You gotta watch her.

Daddy worked with him the other day. You’re gonna hafta help him unlearn bad habits—I’m talking about the gelding, not Daddy. We’ve given up on Daddy.

That one won’t ever be good around kids. Too high-spirited.

Aggie nodded matter-of-factly. “I had to think about whether I was really going to do this.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” the vet crooned like he was placating her. “A lot of people love animals and just jump in.” Spoken like that was exactly what she’d done.

My teeth were starting to ache from clenching my jaw. I worried Aggie would preen at what his tone said should be a compliment, but her expression was flat. She used to be sensitive to her brothers treating her like she didn’t know anything. If she still possessed that skill, maybe she wouldn’t end up under Dr. Jake and his croon.

Dr. Jake opened his vest and took a business card out of his shirt pocket and produced a pen from somewhere inside his vest. He scrawled something on the card. “This is my personal cell. Call me if an emergency comes up. Otherwise, you can get ahold of the office to get the chiropractor’s referral and schedule their teeth floating. They’ll walk you through what all that means.” He glanced at me. “You look like you know horses too. Ever worked with equine chiropractors?”

“Once or twice.” Or a thousand times. I flourished a grin. “Anything can be Googled, right?”

Dismay passed through his expression before he caught the light tease in my tone. He laughed. “Right. Do you need a farrier’s contact?” He was speaking to me. He dug a business card out of his vest.

“Yes, please.” Aggie plucked the card I assumed had the farrier’s number that was aimed my way and stuffed it into the pocket of the same coat she’d been wearing yesterday. “I don’t know anyone around here.”

The dress-and-leggings look was new. So were her ankle boots. When we’d dated, I hadn’t seen her in anything other than cowboy boots, even when we’d gone out.

“I’ll text you. How about that?” His grin should be stomped into the ground. The sorrel mare, Shelby From The Block, would do the job for me. She’d shied away from me and Dr. Jake but was more relaxed around Aggie. After being moved from pasture to pasture after months or years of neglect, I didn’t blame her. She startled easily and distrusted anyone with a set of balls.

There were worse traits a horse could have.

“That’s fine,” Aggie said. “Thanks for coming out.”

“I can help you get them caught up.” His curious gaze landed on me.

Aggie had introduced me as her new rescue manager, but Dr. Jake had been the same as every vet I’d worked with—get the job done, chat later. In his case, flirt later.

“Yes, Ansen’s a horse trainer, so he’s an all-in-one package.”

Dr. Jake’s scrutiny narrowed. “You’ve worked with rescues before?”

“No, but I’m also not getting them ready to rack up the lifetime earnings, and I don’t have owners breathing down my neck about upcoming competitions, so it’s a nice change. Aggie will give me and the horses the time we need.”

I didn’t realize how I meant it until I said it. Her daddy had been one of the worst about rushing training windows. Turnover was income. It was one of the reasons why I wanted my own place. My own business. Time and patience were a couple of the things Aggie and I had talked about when we brainstormed starting our own training business together.

I never thought I’d be her employee.

If I dwelled on it, I’d rage. Or get depressed. Or fuck—just carry on. I couldn’t change the past, and in a way, it was a relief to be done running from it.

Aggie’s gaze was on me, and I met it fully. I meant what I said. She’d give me the range to do the job these animals needed from me. It was why I had stayed. Even a desperate man had limits.

“All right, then.” Dr. Jake gave Aggie one last too-familiar smile. Hers was professional but distant.

Good.

“Call me. Anytime.”

I bristled at his smooth tone and glared at his back while he swaggered to his truck. The horses could probably sense my saltiness toward the flirtatious vet. His invite to call was about more than business.

I’d used the same line before.

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