Page 6 of Healing Her Cowboys
Chapter Four
Awoman who was a sight to behold stood before Atlas. Even with her scrubs on, he could tell she had luscious curves that only a real man could appreciate and explore for days. Her lips were full and slightly parted, just begging for someone to kiss them. The warm sun only made her brown skin more tempting to him. If he wasn’t in a hurry, he would have enjoyed the view of her a bit longer, but time was of the essence.
“Are you here to help with the mare?” he asked. Before hearing an answer, he grabbed her hand and led her toward the stables in the back of the ranch. “I think she’s breached. It’s been a long time since I’ve birthed a foal, and this is the first time I’ve had to do it alone since Brik left. I’m glad you’re here.”
“But I’ve never...” she tried to say.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “It’ll be a lot easier with you here to help me.” He could feel her hand resisting his, but he held steady.
The horse stables were big and sturdy with Brik and him adding a new paint job to it when they took over the farm. The blue paint and white trim matched the coloring of the main house and the smaller ranch hand houses at the back of the property.
He could hear Lori neighing in pain as they approached her. The poor horse was still curled up in the corner of the stall breathing hard. Hay surrounded her so she could have a comfortable birthing spot.
Atlas leaned down to comfort her. “It’s okay, girl. I’m here.” He glanced over at the woman. “Like I told May’s receptionist, I think the foal is breeched. Are you able to confirm it?”
When she didn’t answer, he looked back over at her. “Aren’t you going to check on her?”
She looked at the horse with wild eyes like she’d never seen one before. “I don’t know anything about horses,” she said.
“What? You work at a veterinarian’s office.”
Eyes filled with frustration landed on him. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I’m not a veterinarian. I’m just a nurse, a nurse for humans.”
His phone rang and the caller ID said it was from May’s office. He picked up, eyeing the woman he thought would help save his foal and mare. “May?” he asked.
“Hey, Atlas,” May said. “I just got your message. There’s no way I can send anyone over in time, so can you video me in?”
“You didn’t send anyone?” he asked.
“I just got your emergency message,” she said. “When would I have sent anyone? It doesn’t matter. Time is not on our side. Show me Lori.”
He looked at the strange woman again before turning the video camera on. He’d figure out who she was later. Now, it was about saving his horses.
Atlas listened as Lori diagnosed that the foal was breached but only partially. She rattled on instructions to prepare to turn the baby.
“Do you have a ranch hand to help you?” May asked.
“I can help, May,” the woman behind him said. “Just tell me what I need to do.”
“Reese? Is that you?” May asked. “Atlas turn the camera around.”
He let the camera fall on the woman, wondering who was on his property.
“You made it!” May said. “Atlas, I’ll introduce you later, but Reese can help. You’ll need lots of towels and some warm water, so let’s get to work.”
So the woman’s name was Reese. He was still curious about why she was there, but May’s voice kept him moving. He propped the phone so she could see their movements as they prepped the mare for delivery.
After May prattled out the large list of instructions, he and Reese worked together to get the mare comfortable while May supervised.
It took some time to reposition the foul so Lori could birth it, but they did it together. They let her do all the work naturally like May commanded. Reese worked in time to Atlas’s rhythm as they calmed the mare to allow her to push out her little one.
“Congratulations, Atlas,” May said when it was all done. “It looks like you have a new filly in the family.”
“A filly?’ Reese asked.
“A baby girl,” he and May said simultaneously. They laughed as Atlas toweled down the filly.
“Oh,” Reese said. Her cheeks looked a little warm with embarrassment. “I didn’t come here expecting this.”
