Page 6 of Head Over Spurs

“You should be upstairs, in bed. That’s whatbedrest means,” Brett growled in agony, kneeling beside where his wife was stretched out on their living room sofa. Laurel reached out for his cheek lovingly, comforting him. As if he had been the one that spent the night admitted to the hospital.

Such a tiny woman, and yet she had the strength to carry the heavy emotions of everyone at this ranch on her shoulders.

“I’m laying down. So, Iamresting. On a couch, but it is the same thing. And I want to be a part of this discussion since I’m the one leaving the team high and dry.” She spoke with authority; Riley couldn’t imagine her being challenged further.

As his right-hand when caretaking for the horses, she worked closer with Riley than anyone else. And he was plenty familiar with her calm determination. In fact, he admired her for it.

“What did they say was wrong?” Cooper asked from where he leaned against the fireplace mantle. He might be the tallest person in the room, but he was also the youngest. And very much like a little brother to Brett and Laurel.

In a lot of ways, this team was a family. And while theyaccepted Riley, he knew he didn’t have the same ties. As far as he was concerned, it was an honor to be included in this meeting. There were only a handful of the team gathered to check on Laurel and the baby, making a plan for how to fill the gap left with the immediate bed rest mandate.

Laurel shifted to look over Brett’s shoulder at Cooper. “It’s a mild case of preeclampsia. Baby and I will be monitored more closely, but the biggest thing is just keeping my blood pressure down.”

“That means you’re okay?” Coop asked, his voice an octave higher.

“I’m okay. I just feel bad leaving everyone scrambling. And I know we all decided to decline Floyd’s offer to take over again. So, what other options are there right now?”

“I didn’t agree to that,” Floyd muttered. He had been the wrangler before Riley, and team lead before Grey. The ranch might be Hayes owned in name, but while Brett was away serving in the Navy, it was operated by Floyd Wilder—three men doing the jobs he did alone. He still cared for the horses part time, so Riley could get a break throughout the week.

“There’s another way to solve this. We’re going to respect your semi-retirement. And this baby is going to need you refreshed and at your best when the time comes to babysit.”

Their gray-haired elder grumbled, crossing his arms. Laurel had played the baby card; Floyd wouldn’t argue with that.

Before another word could be said, she winced, reaching to place a hand low on the side of her pregnancy bump. Without missing a beat, Brett reacted, rising to sit on the edge of the couch beside her, as if unwilling to have any kind of distance between them. He covered her hand with his own, fingers splaying out to cover over twice the distance that her hand could.

“What’s happening?” he asked tensely.

“It’s just that my bladder is being crushed. Everything is out of space in there.” She took a deep breath and weaved her fingers through his.

A pang struck Riley in the chest as he watched the couple. To be that close with someone, that connected, it would be wonderful.

“Back to the topic at hand,” Laurel grunted, turning to Grey and Maddie next. “Could you two help Riley out?”

“Y’all this isn’t a problem,” Riley jumped into the conversation. “I can handle the duties on my own until you’re back.”

“That’s going to be awhile,” Brett pointed out. “There’s still time left in this pregnancy, then the months to bond after. We thought we’d have time to figure out a maternity leave plan, but…”

“You’ll be out there day and night, nonstop,” Laurel cut in. “No way. That’s not fair to you.”

“It’s not a probl?—”

“I know someone who’s available for the summer.” All heads swiveled to follow Maddie’s voice to where she sat on Grey’s lap in an armchair by the fire. “And she’s an expert. She’s even worked as the farrier at her family ranch. I can call her right now and she can be here by tomorrow.”

Grey nodded, tightening his arms around her in satisfaction. “That’s a good idea, sweetheart. I say give her a call.”

“Agreed,” Laurel chimed in.

Rising, Maddie crossed the ranch house and stepped onto the back porch. Through the window, Riley watched her lift her phone to her ear and begin talking. Of course, hope teased at his heart strings that somehow this horsemanship expert and farrier also happened to be a traveling photographer with silky, copper-gold hair and the most contagious laugh he had ever heard.

But how could he not think of Jules after learning that shewas friends with Maddie? That she’d been so close to him this whole time.

After getting back in range of the internet last night, he had reactivated his old social media from his rodeo days and found Maddie’s account through Cooper’s. And there she was, the face that graced his dreams so many nights for the past year. Juliette Graham.

With a smile on her face, Maddie tugged the French doors open once again and stepped back inside. “Alright,” she said, “Jules is in.”

“Did you say Jules?” Riley straightened in his armchair, his head jolting up at the name he’d just been thinking about.

“Mhm, who I told you about yesterday.”

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