Page 61 of New in Town

Locating the injury on a forelimb, she sighs in relief that it’s lower on the limb. She has a solid splint procedure for this. Nothing seems too drastic, no bones puncturing the skin and no significant swelling. She feels confident that she can get Checkers off this mountain.

Finishing the splint, she sits back on her heels with a sigh. When a hand comes to rest on her shoulder, she can’t help but lean towards the warm, comforting pressure of it. Grey.

Glancing up, she feels some of the tension in her loosen at this sight of him. A voice in her head telling her to take a minute and lean further into him, melt against him, and kiss him until this all falls away around them.

“You’re so talented,” he murmurs, kneeling beside her. “You make this look effortless.”

A huff escapes her. “I’m glad it looks that way,” she replies, not telling him about how hard she focuses on each step. The way her body winds itself into a knot of tension under the pressure. She doesn’t share how much it was killing her to do this emergency work day after day at her last job.

“The only giveaway, is this right here,” he says, rubbing his thumb between her pinched brows. “But your secret is safe with me.” He moves his hand around to cup her jaw.

“We need to get Checkers up,” she whispers, fighting the urge to turn and plant a kiss into his palm. If she doesn’t focus, she may very well get caught under the horse. She stands and turns to Laurel and Riley. “Any spare leads?”

Riley moves to hand her a rope when Grey steps between them.

“She’s not doing this part.” He takes the rope from Riley instead and turns to Checkers’s head. “Back,” he orders them all.

Grey’s voice is deep and commanding, and she feels heat settle low in her core at the sound. She loves commanding Grey. This is exactly why she needed to keep her focus off him through this process.

He secures the rope to the halter and uses the rope to roll him from the cast position. With Checkers now on his chest, Grey pulls the lead rope around and over his legs. After repeating the motion, Checkers still doesn’t budge. Moving in front of the horse once again, Grey sighs and scans the distance he has between the horse’s muzzle and drop-off at the edge of the trail. She watches him judge the distance. It isn’t much space to move out of the way once Checkers’s front limbs come forward.

Riley has the same realization, taking a step forward. “Maybe you don’t try to get him up that way,” he suggests.

“Yeah, it’s not great. But there’s not much room to roll him either. I’ll be fine,” Grey replies, glancing back down into the trees once again.

Any relief she felt earlier is quickly dissipating. Glancing over at Laurel, the other woman understands the look she sees in Maddie’s eyes. Laurel reaches over and gives her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Angling himself up the trail as much as possible, Grey reaches out and brings his hand quickly against the soft side of the horse’s muzzle. He moves away quickly when Checkers brings his front limbs forward and rises.

Maddie peers around the horse anxiously until she sees Grey standing clear. Meeting her eyes, he shrugs, as if to say the task was nothing. A collective sigh of relief escapes them all as Grey and Checkers start making their way down the trail.

“Maddie, Laurel, go back and get the trailer. Meet us at the base of the trail,” he instructs as Riley prepares to pony Bullet. She bites her lip, wishing to stay close to Grey’s side. But that would leave Laurel alone, so she turns and moves to her ATV. Flipping on the headlights in the encroaching darkness, they retreat back down the mountain. The whooshing sound of the wind creates a bubble around them in the wilderness, and she savors the moment, letting herself feel everything she kept at bay while working on Checkers. She rolls her shoulders, attempting to roll out the stress, fear, self-doubt, and exhaustion.

* * *

“I don’t see how we can get married tomorrow,” Laurel whispers into the darkness of the truck cab.

She looks over at the blonde resting in the driver’s seat. They’re parked at the trailhead waiting for Grey and Riley to return with the horses.

“They’ll find Cooper,” she reassures Laurel.

“It’s already so dark, they should have been done searching by now. I haven’t even heard if they’re back okay. I mean, Cooper is like a brother to Brett. I don’t think he’ll stop. Which is good because this is Coop! But, it’s all just…” she trails off with a sniffle.

“I know,” she says, pursing her lips.

There’s movement in the glow being cast from their headlights, and then Grey emerges into the clearing. Maddie is relieved to see Checkers looking steady, her splint held up. She needs to get a more formal exam done, but they can get him safely in the stables for that.

They listen as the guys remove all tack from the horses and get them loaded into the trailer. The sound of the back doors opening announce their arrival, and Grey slides in behind Maddie. He reaches forward and trails his hand down her arm.

Moving to bring her hand up to his, she pauses when the walkie in the cupholder crackles. Instead, she reaches over and grabs it, turning the volume up. The crackle soon gives way to Brett’s voice.

“We’ve got him, we’ve got Coop.”

29

GREY

Look at me, he pleads with his eyes. She’ll have to, at some point. They’ll get the chance to be alone tonight, he’ll be able to explain everything soon.

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