She replies by settling into my hand, purring loudly as her green eyes close to enjoy all the attention she’s getting today.
I gently hand her back to Mrs. Stevens. “Let me go get everything I need, and I’ll be right back.” I pull off my gloves and leave the room to get the vaccines from the cooler in the back.
Amy sticks her head through the swinging door as I’m preparing everything for Lola. “Hey, Ves, I just got a call about a horse at The O’Connor Ranch. Would you be able to drive up there and check her out?”
I look at my watch before turning back to my work. “I can head that way as soon as I’m done with Lola. Do you have directions?” I look at her from over my shoulder.
“I’ll have everything you need by the time you’re done.” She spins around, long, dark curls fanning out behind her.
I make my way back into the exam room with the tray of needed supplies. “Okay, Lola. Are you ready?” I ask as I pull on a fresh set of gloves.
Mrs. Stevens places her back on the table, and I pick up the syringe of de-worming. “How about we do the easy part first?” I place the end of the syringe against the kitten’s mouth and gently push down on the plunger, allowing her to taste the meat flavored medication. With one lick, Lola falls in love, leaving no trouble at all to get her to finish the rest of the dose.
“Good girl.” I coo, gently petting her head. “Was that good stuff?”
The kitten meows, wanting more.
“Okay, Lola, I’m going to give you the vaccine now. Hold still and it will be very quick.” I pick up the syringe and uncap it. Pinching the fluff of her neck, I insert the needle and push down on the plunger, injecting the vaccine. Lola meows loudly, but by the time she begins to lose her patience, I’m already done and releasing her to run back to Mrs. Stevens.
“All done.” I say as Mrs. Stevens picks Lola up against her chest.
“Thank you, Vesper. You’re the best vet in town.” She smiles wide before looking back down at the little kitten in her hands.
I laugh. “I’m the only vet in town.” I pull off my gloves, then reach out to pet Lola. “Hopefully, by the next time you see me, you’ll have forgotten all about that little poke.”
Mrs. Stevens starts making her way out of the exam room and into the waiting room. I join her at the counter. “Amy, Lola will need a six-month check-up.”
“Okay, would you like to go ahead and make that now, Mrs. Stevens?”
“Absolutely. We have to make sure we keep this little one healthy, don’t we?” she asks the kitten in her hands.
“It was good seeing you again, Mrs. Stevens. Tell Mr. Stevens I said hello.” I make my way behind the counter, heading for my office.
“I sure will, honey. And you tell your daddy that I’m making some of that pineapple upside-down cake he loves so much.”
I laugh. “You know if I do, he’ll be beating down your door for a slice.” I use my back to push open the swinging door that leads to the back of the building.
“That’s quite alright. We have enough to go around, don’t we, Lola.”
I smile at the love she has for her new kitten. “Have a good day!” I say as I slip past the door to gather my things.
I remove my white coat and hang it behind my office door as I make my way to the desk to shut down the computer and get my things. It’s already going on five, and The O’Connor Ranch is at least thirty minutes out of town. Luckily, it’s mid-spring, and daylight lasts a bit longer.
I climb behind the wheel of my SUV and place my purse and medical bag in the passenger side seat as I program the address into my GPS. Immediately, I roll down all my windows, letting the warm Colorado air blow through the vehicle.
I turn the radio up loudly as I drive through my small town—a town I’ve lived in my entire life, but also a town I love and never want to leave. I can’t help but notice the way it’s coming to life with the season. The trees have bright green leaves and the grass is lush and starting to grow thick. Our little main street has potted plants lining the business fronts; helping to bring beauty and charm to the town.
As I drive past County Line Road, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the rearview mirror. My strawberry blonde hair, blowing all around me from the air coming through the windows, and my green eyes are shining bright with the setting sun shining against them. I pull out my sunglasses and put them into place. Stopping at a stop sign, I pull the ponytail holder off my wrist with my teeth and tie my hair up into a messy bun. Looking both ways at the crossroad, I hit the gas and the car leaps forward, carrying me off to my destination.
Chapter 2
The sun is starting to set, causing the sky to look like a swirl of water colors—oranges, pinks, and purples. The mountain ranges up ahead are beautiful with the setting sun glistening off its peaks. The air is thick and warm and is consumed by the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the wet earth from the spring shower we had earlier today.
Some people might get bored staring at nothing but land and sky, but there is a beauty in it that I find comforting. I could never be bored of looking at this view. There are a couple of foxes running wild through the field to my left, and I can’t help but watch them. My eyes quickly bounce from the road, to the animals, and back. I’m so lost in watching them play and run that I almost drive right by the ranch.
“You’ve arrived at your destination,” the GPS tells me.
As I hit the brakes and slow down the car, the entrance of the property appears to my right side. There is nothing but big, fenced-in fields. Off in the distance, through the trees, I get a glimpse of a red barn. It takes another half a mile of driving, but finally, I find the entrance and turn right, into the gravel.
I make my way up the long drive that has thick trees on either side. Finally, the narrow road opens up and the red barn comes into view. Further back on the property is the house that has been completely re-done in cedar siding with navy blue shutters and metal roof. It’s big for an old farm house out in these parts and looks to have a porch that wraps the entirety of the bottom level. There are a couple of old, wooden rocking chairs lining the front porch, and multicolored flowers that are growing up the antique wagon wheels and shepherds’ hooks.
I put the car in park and shut off the engine. Grabbing my medical bag, I step out, looking around the property.
“You must be Vesper Lawrence, the vet I’ve heard so much about.”
I tear my eyes away from the immaculate property with well-manicured fields, wild flowers, and massive threes, and spin around to find a man in a cowboy hat walking toward me, holding out his hand to shake.
“Yes, I’m Vesper. And you are?” I step forward, placing my hand in his.
He removes his hat and bows his head. His short, dirty-blond hair a mess from being kept under a hat all day. “I’m Tyler Stern. I’m the ranch hand around here.” He offers a sweet smile, revealing his perfect teeth. His dark eyes seem to linger as he drinks me in. “I’m glad you could make it on such short notice.”
I wave my hand through the air as my face heats up from his stare, dismissing the thought. “It wasn’t a problem.” I return his smile and bite my lower lip, hoping my embarrassment isn’t staining my cheeks. His white t-shirt is clinging to his bulging biceps as he places his hat back on his head and crosses his arms.
“So…” I pull my eyes away from him and readjust the bag on my shoulder. “You have a sick horse?” I place my hand above my eyes, shielding them from the setting sun.
“No, she’s not sick.” He turns around and motions with his hand for me to follow him into the barn. “I think she may be pregnant.”
“Oh. When was she bred?” I ask, following him into the barn.
He leads me to the horse stall before he turns around to face me. “She wasn’t exactly bred. One of our stallions made its way into her pasture. We don’t usually breed until summer.” He places his elbow on the top of the gate, leaning against it in a cocky sort of way.
“And why do
you believe she’s in foal? Did you catch them in the act?” I giggle at my silly joke.
He smiles at my words but doesn’t laugh. “Not exactly. I did have to catch him and take him back to his own pasture though. And Lucy here usually has her estrous cycle every three weeks like clockwork.”
“How long has it been since you caught the stallion?”
“Just over three weeks.” He nods once and presses his lips tightly together.
I nod and turn around to place my bag on a nearby stool. Opening it up, I pull out my arm length gloves. “I’ll check her over, really quick.” I point at the horse and pull on my glove.
“Right.” He suddenly realizes what I have to do. “I’ll just be waiting outside.” He bows his head and makes a break for the door.
After checking over the horse, I take off my glove and thoroughly wash my hands and arms in the industrial sink at the corner. I grab my bag and pull it up over my shoulder, then push open the barn door and step out. Tyler is there waiting patiently, sitting on an old wooden bench beside the barn.
“Well?” he asks anxiously, standing and staggering from one foot to the other.
I nod. “She’s pregnant.”
“Shit!” he breathes out, grabbing his hat off his head and kicking at the rocks. “Boss man isn’t going to be happy about this. We breed in the summer so that we don’t have to worry about winter births.” He runs his hand through his dirty-blond hair, causing it to stand up even worse.
“I completely understand. A winter birth can be hard on a new foal. But it looks like you have a pretty nice set up here.” I look over my shoulder at the big, red barn. “You should have plenty of room to keep them indoors and warm.”
He smiles, causing his dark eyes to light up. “You don’t happen to have a due date, do you?”
I let out a soft chuckle. “Since you breed horses, I’m sure you know a mare’s average gestation period is eleven months. If she was impregnated three weeks ago, I’d say around the first or second week of next March.”
He nods and takes a deep breath as he leans against the side of the barn. “I don’t usually breed the horses. I just take care of them and the land.” He places his hat back on his head and flexes his jaw with worry. “We’re currently between vets at the moment. Would it be possible for you to come and check on her until we get someone new? We’re more than willing to pay you for your time, traveling expenses, and after hour visits, of course.”
I quickly think it over. I could never turn down an animal in need, and good healthcare early on in the pregnancy is vital for a healthy foal. “I can fill in when needed until you find someone to hire full time.”
He gives me a wide smile, causing his dark eyes to light up and grow wide. “Thank you, Ms. Lawrence.” He holds out his hand to shake.
“Please, just call me Vesper…or Ves for short.” I place my hand in his.
“Will do, Ves.”
I look up at him and see his cute grin starts to form, as he slowly licks his lips. I feel my face flush from the way he’s looking at me, but I’m not the type to fall for the cute boy-next-door type.
I clear my throat and point toward my car from over my shoulder. “I should get going. It’s going to get dark soon.”
“Oh, right.” He holds up his finger, telling me to wait a moment. He rushes into the barn, leaving me standing on the gravel alone. Within seconds, he’s back and holding out a piece of paper. “Here’s a check for your time. I really appreciate your help.”
I take the check and tuck it into my back pocket without looking at it. “No worries.” I turn to leave but suddenly stop and spin around to face him. “I’ll be back in a few days. I’d like to run some tests just to make sure her diet is balanced, make sure she’s getting all the vitamins and minerals she needs for a healthy pregnancy.”
He crosses his arms over his chest again, his biceps bulging so much I think they may rip his shirt. “Thank you, Ves. I’ll see you in a couple days.” He shoots me a wink, and it only makes my face flush.
I smile shyly and climb behind the wheel.
The whole drive home, all I think about is Tyler. The way his eyes seemed to darken when they landed on me. His sweet smile. Those massive biceps. But I push it all away from my mind. I’m not looking for a relationship right now. All I need to focus on, is getting my new animal hospital off the ground. We only opened a few months ago, and there is still a lot to do. I’d like to bring in more veterinarians, more techs, and clients. Maybe even expand to different areas of the state. But right now, it’s just me, my assistant, and my one, lonely animal hospital. Big dreams for a small-town girl. But I won’t let anything get in my way. I want to make a name for myself. I want to help as many animals as I can.
As I’m pulling back into town, I glance down at the time glowing on the dash—7:05. I’m late for dinner with my family, but I assume they are used to me working overtime by now. Within minutes, I’m pulling into the drive of the white, two-story house I grew up in. The windows are brightly lit up from the inside, giving the house a warm feeling, and the porch light is on, waiting to welcome me. There is always a season themed wreath hanging on the front door. This time, it’s covered in artificial flowers and butterflies.
I shut off the car and grab my purse before running into the house.
“Mom, Dad, guess what?” I shout as I rush into the kitchen, to find them taking dinner to the dining room.
Both of them turn in my direction. “What?” Mom asks, nervousness showing on her rounded face, causing the wrinkles around her emerald-green eyes to deepen.
“I just accepted a fill-in position at The O’Connor Ranch.” I shout, excitedly. “That’s the biggest ranch in the state. Can you imagine the clientele I’ll get if they put in a good word for me? Ranchers across the state could know my name.” I can’t hold back my enthusiasm now that I’m with my family, who’s always encouraged me to chase my dreams.
“That’s wonderful, Ves,” Dad says, placing the bowl of mashed potatoes on the island and closing the distance between us, pulling me against him for a hug. Dad is a big man, at least 6’5 and two-hundred pounds. He nearly squeezes the air from my lungs, but it feels good. I know how proud he is of me.
“That is good news, Vesper,” Mom agrees, her green eyes that resemble mine, sparkle as her lips turn up into a proud smile.
Dad pulls away, but keeps me at arms-length, leveling his brown eyes on me. “Are you sure you’re going to have the time that this new job requires, given the hours you’re already putting in at the new clinic?”
I shrug one shoulder as I pick up the bowl he set down. “It’s only one horse, and I’ll make the drive after hours. In fact-” I pull out the check and unfold it with my fingers, looking down to see many more zeros that I anticipated. My brows pull together as I study the number, confused.
“What is it?” Dad steps closer and looks at the check in my hands. “Whoa! They paid you in advance?”
My shoulders fall in relief. That must be it. This check isn’t for this one visit. It’s for monitoring the entire pregnancy of the horse.
“I guess so. I thought it was for one visit, but no way could they pay this much for a one-time thing.”
Mom leans over to view the number. “Oh my! That’s more than what our first house costs!” She looks at Dad with her wide eyes.
A giggle escapes my lips as I slip the check back into my pocket. Now that I know how much it’s made out for, it feels as if it’s burning a hole in my pocket. People get murdered for less than this, and I’m carrying it around in my back pocket like a five-dollar bill.
I try to push the thought away from my mind as we sit around the table eating the delicious dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and fresh steamed vegetables.
“How’s Aria?” I ask my mom. “I haven’t talked to her in a while. She never calls me back.”
She rolls her eyes. “You know your sister. Always too busy with work, school, parties and boys.”
“Oh, Dad,” I mumble through a mouth full of potatoes, wanting to change the conversation. “I saw Mrs. Stevens today. She said she was making her famous pineapple upside-down cake.”
His eyes lift from his plate of food and lock on mine. “Did she happen to say when?”
A loud laugh escapes my lips. “Why don’t you just have Mama make you one?” I motion toward her with my thumb.
She wipes the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “Nobody’s pineapple upside-down cake is as good as Mrs. Stevens,” she mocks. “According to your father anyway.” She takes a sip of her sweet tea, ice chips clinking off the glass. “I should just thank my lucky stars that he married me before he found out about her cakes. Otherwise,” she looks directly at me. “You may never have been born,” she jokes.
Chapter 3
I stay so busy at the clinic, that my days pass quicker than I thought possible. Before I know it, it’s time to head out to The O’Connor Ranch to check on Lucy. Before leaving work, I grab a little cooler, a syringe, and vials to collect some of Lucy’s blood to test.
Through the drive, I listen to music and enjoy the scenery, never tiring of the beautiful landscapes or the wildlife. When I pull into the drive, Tyler is standing out in front of the barn, brushing a beautiful white horse with gray spots. I exit the car, tossing my bags over my shoulder as I make my way over to him.
Protect Me Page 16
