Page 8 of Tough Love

She doesn’t answer, of course. If I have learned anything about her over the past four days, it’s that she is the strong, silent type, apparently. I pull into the drive of the quaintest little townhouse I have ever seen. Its blue paint and white trim are gorgeous. The planters that hang from the windows on either side of the red door make me smile. “Wow.”

A good start to my next chapter. Made it here safely, check. Country cottage that feels like home, check. I turn off the ignition and climb out of the car. Kneading my hands into my lower back, I shut the door and slide my phone into my back pocket. Key’s under the front mat, the email from Sally, the receptionist of the clinic I will be working for, had said. I step up onto the small white porch and lift the coarse-fiber welcomemat. Sure enough, a single house key sits on the white-painted wood.

I slide it into the lock and open the door. The inside is as gorgeous as the outside. I walk into the foyer. The wall to my right is lined with brass hooks. A small, dark wooden side table stands underneath. The entrance opens to a living room and kitchen. The white farmhouse-style kitchen is gorgeous. There is a glass back door and a set of stairs to the left of it. I wander through the house, exploring.

Every room that I find makes me squeal.

“I can’t believe this is all mine!” I reach the top of the stairs. A queen canopy bed sits in the center of the largest bedroom I have seen in the last decade. A bathroom is joined to it on the left. With a tub! Ugh... Holy mama, these country bumpkins might be onto something.

I flop on the bed, arms out and eyes closed. With a laugh, I open my eyes and look to my vibrating phone.

Sally.

You have a call out first thing tomorrow morning. Harry Rawlins, mares for a checkup. Twelve mares, foaling date mid-late November. Don’t be late. He is a stickler for punctuality. 8am sharp. Rosewood Ranch, 40 miles out of town. Hillview road.

P.S. Welcome to Lewistown! Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow after the Rawlins’ visit. :)

Holy shit.

I squeal and kick my legs and swing my arms in the air. Time to get this city girl unpacked. I jump off the bed and take the stairs two at a time. An hour later, I am unpacked and headedto the downtown area to grab some groceries. With the last four days catching up to me, I yawn. It’s around eight when I decide tomorrow’s worth turning in early for.

The alarm I set blasts my eardrums. I groan and roll over, still slightly stiff from days of driving. I roll out of bed and pull on my jeans and a button-down shirt with my boots from the internship, comfortable but steel-capped and sturdy. I head to the kitchen and make a coffee before locking up and driving to the clinic.

I walk to the back, where the night shift nurses still have the door unlocked, and walk in to grab some gear. With all my supplies gathered, I double-check the address and tell Gwen. She is on it right away, and we set off, two girls heading for the hills of Montana.

Chapter Three

HUDSON

“Send him around again.” Harry stands on the bottom rail, arms resting on the top rail, spouting orders as usual. I toss the lariat behind the colt, and he takes off around the round yard. He has learned go, stop, and come to me. Quick learner, this little guy.

“Good. Should have him running along in a few weeks.” Harry slips from the rail and walks toward the homestead. “Oh, Hudson, the vet will be here in half an hour. Take him to the mares for their monthly workup, then I want that fence line sorted out. Reed can help you.”

“Yes, sir.”

I send the colt again before stopping in the center of the yard. Letting the rope loosen, I wait for him to come to me. He slows and, after a quarter way ’round again, he turns and walks to where I stand. “Good boy.”

I rub a hand up his forehead and over his eyes before pulling a treat from my back pocket—a couple of slices of carrot I stole off the counter while Ma was chopping vegetables for tonight’s supper. He gently takes them from my flattened hand.

A dusty Cherokee pulls into the drive at the homestead. Not the usual vehicle Dr. Randall brings. Must be a rental. And he’s early... Unless my half-an-hours have shrunk?

I lead the colt back to his paddock, let him loose, and turn back, shutting the gate. A woman steps out of the car. I stop short. DefinitelynotRandall. Her curly light brown hair whips around her face in the breeze. After hauling a large bag from the trunk, she walks to the front door.

Who on earth is that? Some friend of Reed’s? The only thing my brother likes better than his shiny machines is a pretty girl. Maybe she has come to move in—serves him right. I chuckle and make my way back to the house to wait for the vet.

The woman stands just inside the doorway, bag still in her hand. For one of Reed’s girls, she looks a little too smart. Her curly brown hair sits around her shoulders, the morning sun turning it golden brown. She glances at me when I move further into the room. Her brown eyes find mine.

Holy fuck.

A smattering of freckles sits over her cheeks as she smiles at me.

And... my gut flips. My mouth gapes. I snap it shut and clear my throat. Pa’s gaze alternates between her and me.

Harry shakes her hand. Something doesn’t add up. Why is he shaking her hand?

“Thanks for coming out, Dr. Howard. Hudson here will show you up to the mares.”

Argh. Jesus.

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