Page 7 of Knocked up By the Mountain Man

I nod, considering his suggestion.

“You’re right. We need someone with more experience, someone who can figure out what’s really going on. Especially since a couple of the horses don’t seem to be doing well. I’m hoping it’s not the same thing, but just in case.”

“I can make some calls,” Carl offers. “See if there’s a specialist who can come out here quickly. If that’s what you recommend, then I can get it organized…”

“Do it,” I agree without hesitation. “The sooner, the better. Daisy and the other animals can’t wait much longer.”

Carl pulls out his phone and starts dialing, while I stay with Daisy, stroking her neck and trying to keep her calm.

It feels like an eternity, but finally, Carl approaches me with a hopeful look.

“I got in touch with a Doctor Hammond from Lewistown,” Carl says. “He’s one of the best equine specialists around and agreed to send someone to help. Someone with the same expertise as him. One of his employees. Someone he trained himself.”

It’s no guarantee, I suppose, but it’s something. It gives our animals a chance. I just hope it all works out in the end.

“Good. I’ll let Wyatt know about it,” I murmur. “I don’t know if he’s still working. He’s hungover, so he might be in the guest house already, sleeping it off.”

I glance over to the building. The light is on.

Yeah, he’s back home and no good to me until the morning.

I sigh to myself. Wyatt is great, and one of the best friends I’ve ever had, so I’m not about to get mad at him. Especially when I know he’s been through a lot, but at some point we’regoing to have to get on the same page. Eventually, I’ll be the one running run this place and there will be an adjustment. Whenever my fatherfinallydeems me good enough to be in charge.

Ifhe ever decides that.

Sometimes, I’m not so convinced that he will. Sometimes I fear this is all a game to him.

One that I can’t win.

3

CLARA

Honk, honk, honk.

Honk, honk, honk.

Urgh, I hate that alarm.Despiseit. But I need it to be this freaking loud, or I’d sleep right through it.

I’ve done that far too many times for my liking, and it makes me let people down. There’s nothing I hate more than letting people down. Particularly my boss, Daniel.

After everything he’s done for me, I can’t be late. I just can’t.

“Shit, come on.” I practically roll out of bed in an attempt to hurry myself up. But hitting the floor with a hard thump isn’t exactly the best start to the morning. It doesn’t help me feel my absolute best. “Urgh, get on with it, Clara.”

I haven’t slept long, or well, it seems, because my brain is fogged up with restlessness. I could easily crawl back under the sheets and sleep for another few hours, but I have too much waiting for me. I’m not a teenager without a care in the world anymore... although I’m not sure if I ever was that, even at that age. Living with my uncle and everything...

Well, until I left in the dark of night with just a backpack for company.

I shudder, grateful that part of my life was behind me. It’s something I’ll never go back to. Thankfully, because I was eighteen, when I ran away, and legally an adult, one without a cell phone, no one could track me down.

Although, I’m not sure if anyone even bothered to come looking for me.

Maybe Wyatt had for a while, but probably not for long. I’m sure he understood why I needed to get away. I’m just surprised that he never wanted to leave Silver Ridge himself…

It’s not likely that my uncle even noticed me missing, and if he did, he was likely glad to have me gone. That’s why I didn’t bother moving away too far, because it didn’t really matter. The short distance to Lewistown had been enough. I had escaped, I was safe from them all.

“Don’t think about that shit anymore,” I remind myself as I rub my eyes hard. “The present needs you now.”

---