Tyler choked back a curse. He leapt from his horse, yanked his hat from his head and tossed it over the saddle horn, and strode around Charlie and the mare. He caught Laney’s arm. “You’ve done what? Are you out of your mind, woman?” he roared. She flinched at his loud and angry voice.
Her body tensed, and she stared up at him, a determined look blazing in her eyes. “It’s called physical therapy. It’s a low impact way of strengthening injured muscles and tendons.”
Tyler shook his head. He failed to comprehend her words. He was still stuck on the fact that she’d taken the stallion into the water to swim.
“Do you understand the dangers of taking a horse into deep water? You could have been killed, dammit.” His grip on her arm tightened, and he shook her slightly for emphasis.
“It’s the only thing I could think of under the circumstances,” she retorted heatedly. Her eyes shone with defiance. “I think it was helping. Ideally, he should be in a stall for a few weeks and his exercise monitored so he doesn’t reinjure himself. If you’ll stop being so angry for a minute, come with me and I’ll show you.”
“Like hell am I allowing you to take that horse into the water again,” Tyler countered forcefully.
Laney threw her hands in the air. “Fine. Then you do it.” Her eyes ignited in anger. Rather than back away from him, she leaned forward, her heated stare reminding him of the day she challenged his foreman when he wanted to blister the sick colt. He’d been proud of her then, for defending what she thought was the right thing to do to get the horse well. She was acting in the same manner now.
Dammit! He couldn’t fault her for her passion with the horses. She’d been right at every turn when she voiced her opinions about his animals. Tyler gritted his teeth, and eased his hold on her. Desire and admiration for his wife kicked him in the gut. Hadn’t he himself called Laney a guardian angel for his horses?
“Let me take a look at Rap,” he said slowly. “Show me where you think he’s injured.”
Her body instantly relaxed, and her face softened in a smile. The relief that swept over her was more than he could bear. Tyler’s anger melted away, and he groaned silently. Could he ever be completely angry with her? She had him wrapped around her pretty little fingers without even trying. He doubted that she was aware how much of a hold she had on his heart.
“There’s a storm headed our way. We’d better hurry so we don’t get caught out here before it hits.”
Tyler glanced up at the sky again. The storm was moving in their direction fast. He stepped away from Laney and hobbled the horses’ front legs. Wordlessly, he reached for his wife’s hand, and led her toward his herd. She hadn’t said a word, but the look of relief in her eyes didn’t go unnoticed.
Rap seemed almost eager for Laney’s attention when they approached. He stuck his nose in her shirt, and she giggled, patting the stallion’s neck.
“I brought you your usual treat,” she murmured, and produced some crumbly corn bread from her pocket.
Tyler stared at her. It was obvious that she’d been to see the stallion on several occasions. What other secrets did Laney harbor? His gaze followed the movements of her hand as she stroked the horse. Pure love shone in her eyes for the animal. His gut tightened. He’d glimpsed that same look last night on that dance floor; a look that had been for him. Warmth flooded him, and he fisted his hands at his sides to keep from pulling her into his arms. His self-control was about to break.
Completely unaware of the effect she had on him, Laney stepped to the horse’s hind end, and reached her hand under his belly to the inside of his left leg.
“Feel along the inside of his left stifle, Tyler. You’ll notice some heat.” She glanced up at him, a worried frown on her face. “It seems worse than it was the last time I was here. I was so sure he was getting better.”
Tyler’s hand followed her strokes. She was right. There was some heat just above his knee. He shook his head. It never would have occurred to him to check for lameness at a horse’s knee. It seemed like an uncommon place for an injury.
“If you observe him move, he drags his hind foot just a little. It improved when I first started the swimming regimen, and with consistency and time, he should recover fully.”
She ran her hand all along the stallion’s limb, then stopped at the fetlock. She drew in an audible breath, and kneeled to take a closer look, then stared up at Tyler.
“What is that?” she asked. Rap lifted his leg when she touched the fetlock.
Tyler bent forward. A ring of hair was missing from the area just above the hoof, and the skin looked raw.
“That looks like rope burn.” He frowned. He met Laney’s gaze.
“Someone is hurting this horse on purpose,” Laney said, disbelief in her eyes. She stood. “Who would want to hurt him, Tyler?”
“I don’t know,” Tyler said quietly. His mind raced. First a mysterious dead colt at Ian’s place, and now this? Was someone purposely sabotaging his operation? Who had he’d angered enough to want to do harm to his animals, or who could possibly gain from it? Ian Frazier came to mind. His horse had won the race that day. Could he have intentionally harmed Rap to assure his own victory? Tyler shook his head in dismissal. Ian’s ranch was afflicted by the horse grippe, too.
“What are you going to do?” Laney asked.
“I don’t know yet. For right now, I’m keeping this information to myself. Don’t mention it to anyone.”
His hand covered Laney’s. She stiffened, and her wide eyes gazed up at him. Tyler straightened, and wrapped his fingers more fully around her hand.
“You will tell me how you’ve learned to do all the things you know,” he said slowly, and stepped closer. A loud clasp of lightning illuminated the sky in the distance, followed by the ominous rumble of thunder. Several of the mares scattered around them. Tyler looked up, then back at Laney. “Just as soon as we get back to the ranch.”
He stroked his thumb across her wrist, then cleared his throat. There would be no swimming today, but they still might get drenched if they didn’t get back to the house soon.
Tyler unbuckled the halter from around Rap’s head, and turned the animal loose. The stallion trotted off toward his mares. Now that he looked closely, Tyler did notice a slight drag in the horse’s limb, just as Laney had said. The woman was a downright mystery. How the hell did she know so much about horses, and things he’d never heard of?
“Tyler, look!” Laney’s startled words tore his eyes from the stallion. She pointed off toward the periphery of the herd. Many of the horses had scattered when the thunder rumbled, leaving a clear view of a mare lying on the ground, her swollen abdomen heaving heavily.
“She’s the last mare to foal this season,” he said. What a bad day to have a foal. He glanced again at the darkening sky.
Laney pulled from his grasp, and headed toward the mare. Tyler couldn’t help but smile at his wife. She was doing it again. Always concerned for the horses. He simply stood and watched her cautiously approach the laboring animal. Mares had foals on the range all the time. Hopefully this one would be done before the rain started.
“Tyler,” Laney called over her shoulder. “Come quick.”
Tyler frowned. What the hell was wrong now? He cursed under his breath, and sprinted after Laney. The mare groaned, her belly heaving in a contraction, and clear liquid oozed from her. Tyler dropped to his knees behind the animal, and rolled up his shirt sleeve. He didn’t have to feel far to know what the problem was.
“She’s breeched,” he said quietly, and met Laney’s concerned gaze. “Run and grab the rope from my saddle, Laney. I might need it. ” She nodded and bolted for their saddle horses.
Raindrops pelted his face by the time Laney returned with the lasso. He felt for the foal’s legs, and grabbed hold of the tiny hooves.
“She’s going to make it, right? And the foal?” Laney asked, her eyes full of concern. Raindrops rolled down her face, and she swiped away some strands of hair that clung to
her cheeks.
“Do you have any magic up your sleeve for this sort of thing?” Tyler asked, half-joking.
“No,” Laney shook her head. “My experience is with race horses, not with foals and foaling.”
“Just stay by her head, then,” Tyler suggested. “Try and keep her calm. With the next contraction, I’m gonna pull.”
Tyler gritted his teeth. Breech births often didn’t end well. He’d only seen a few. Most of the time, foals were born on the range without a hitch, but a breech birth was much more difficult on the mare, and this one appeared to have been laboring for some time. He shot a quick look toward his wife. Unintentionally, by riding out here this morning, Laney very well might have saved the life of two more of his horses.
The mare’s stomach contracted at that moment. She groaned loudly, and Tyler pulled slowly.
“That’s it, girl, keep pushing,” he murmured. Water ran into his eyes, and he blinked it away, shaking his head. Why the hell had he left his hat with his saddle?
Minutes passed, and Tyler waited for the next contraction. Tiny hooves finally appeared, and he continued his gentle tugs to aid the foal through the birth canal. The mare grunted as she pushed again, and Tyler freed the foal’s hips from the mare’s body. The worst was over. With one final heave and push, the mare expelled her slippery mass.
Tyler’s eyes shot to Laney, who was still kneeling at the mare’s head. Their eyes met and held. His lips twitched in a slow smile, and her face instantly lit up, even through the rain. His gut clenched, and his heart sprang to life at the admiration and wonder in her gaze.
Chapter 22
Laney led Mariah and the other mare into the barn that housed some of the saddle horses. She swiped some water from her face with her forearm. Even if she had taken Rap into the river to swim, she was sure she wouldn’t be as drenched as she was at the moment. She shivered, and her cotton shirt and denims clung to her uncomfortably like a second skin. She hastily pointed Mariah’s nose to one of the empty stall, then walked the mare into the next box over. Tyler’s mount, Charlie snorted loudly behind her. The gelding was obviously glad to be out of the downpour.
Laney removed the nervous mare’s halter from around her head, and darted out the stall, closing the door. She tossed an armful of hay into the manger in Mariah’s stall, and uncinched the saddle from around her belly. She flung saddle and bridle on the ground in the barn aisle, and rushed to Tyler’s side. He was as drenched as she. Grabbing hold of Charlie’s bridle, she waited for Tyler to dismount the gelding. Their eyes met. Water dripped in a steady stream from his hair and into his face, and she reached up and swiped it away.
“Let’s get this foal to his mama, and see if he’ll nurse,” Tyler said quietly. He pulled the soggy newborn bundle from atop Charlie’s back, and carried it to the stall, where its mother paced and nickered frantically.
“At least she’s eager for her baby,” Laney called over her shoulder, and led Charlie to his own stall. She was anxious to see if the foal was all right. The colt hadn’t stirred after his birth. Tyler had vigorously rubbed the animal with his saddle blanket, but the newborn had failed to stand on his own.
“Let’s get them back to the ranch,” he had shouted over the sounds of the wind and rain, which had started coming down from the sky in sheets. “He’ll never survive this weather.”
Laney had ponied the mare while Tyler rode with the foal across his lap.
Drenched to the bone, Laney’s hands trembled from the cold. She couldn’t feel her fingers anymore, and her lips quivered uncontrollably as she unsaddled Charlie. She threw some hay in the gelding’s stall, then darted back to where the mare was stabled as quickly as her shaky legs would carry her. Tyler placed the colt in the straw next to its mother, which sniffed at the shivering bundle. The little horse struggled to rise to his spindly legs, and fell back into the deep straw with each attempt.
“Is he going to make it?” Laney asked softly. She lit several of the lanterns hanging on the stall posts to give them some light inside the dark barn, then stood just outside the stall with her hands wrapped tightly around her middle.
“He’s trying,” Tyler remarked. With the foal’s next attempt to stand, Tyler supported its body until the little dark horse finally stood on his own. Its legs splayed wide apart, and its entire body quivered. With Tyler’s guidance, the colt took its first tentative steps toward its mother, which continued to nicker at him as she sniffed her newborn.
Tyler guided the baby horse toward the mare’s belly. The foal seemed to know exactly what he needed to do, and eagerly stretched his neck toward its mother’s udder. Laney stood in the doorway to the stall, and marveled at Tyler’s gentleness with the newborn. She stared at him while he cradled the foal. Her heart surged with a love so intense, it almost hurt.
He’d taken immediate charge out in the valley after she alerted him to the laboring mare. Calmly and methodically, he’d aided the horse in the birth, then made a split-second decision to bring mother and baby back to the ranch. He’d set his hat on Laney’s head when they mounted their horses, an action that proved unnecessary. The wind blew the hat off moments later. Neither of them bothered to retrieve it.
Tyler held the little foal protectively across his lap on the way home, shielding the newborn from the pelting rain as best as he could. He was an incredible man, a knowledgeable and sensible horseman, and the kindest guy she’d ever met.
Laney understood fully that he struggled with his nineteenth century views whenever she said or did something that he didn’t understand. To his credit, he allowed her to say what was on her mind, and considered the things she said. It had to be incredibly difficult for him to go against the things he knew, and the way things were done in this time. Why hadn’t he ever told her to mind her place as a woman in this time? She’d observed him banter with his wranglers, but there was never any doubt that he was in charge of his ranch.
Tyler glanced over his shoulder toward Laney at that moment. The wide grin on his face when his eyes met hers melted her insides. Water droplets dripped from his hair and down his face. Adrenaline rushed through her, heating her extremities before settling deep within her. She couldn’t stop from staring. His soaked shirt clung to his upper body, the contour of every hard muscle outlined beneath the fabric. Laney smiled tentatively, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. Her body shivered anew, and she hugged herself more firmly.
“Looks like he’s gonna make it. He sure is a little fighter,” Tyler said, and released the foal. He straightened to his full height, and turned toward her. His eyes roamed over her, and lingered on her shirt. A smoldering fire ignited in the dark depths of his gaze. Laney’s mouth went dry. Her clothes must be just as revealing as his.
The smile on Tyler’s face faded, and was quickly replaced with tightly drawn lips. Laney had no chance to wonder at his change in demeanor. In two swift strides, he stood in front of her, and enveloped her in his embrace.
“You’re freezing cold,” he whispered against her cheek.
Her arms instinctively wrapped around his middle, and her hands hooked over his broad shoulders. She pressed her body to his, welcoming the warmth that seeped from his skin through his own wet clothing.
Laney barely heard his words. Her cheek rested against his firm chest, the beating of his heart pounding in her ears. His solid arms wrapped tighter around her. His hands rubbed at her back. She lifted her head, and stared up at the man who made her knees go weak just by the way he held her in such a protective embrace.
“You were amazing with that mare and foal,” she whispered through chattering teeth. Water continued to drip from his hair onto his face, and down his cheeks. Several stalls away, the munching sounds of content horses chewing their hay was in sharp contrast to the wind howling outside. The eaves creaked above them, and rain pelted the roof.
The dark, penetrating look in Tyler’s eyes as he gazed down at her sent a renewed rush of warmth through her extremities, making her arms a
nd legs feel as pliable as putty. She unhooked one of her hands from his shoulder and reached up, swiping away the water drops from his face. His chest heaved against hers.
Tyler’s arms uncoiled from around her back, and he cupped her face between his hands. Wordlessly, he stared into her eyes. The raw look of longing, desire, and love that reflected in his gaze made breathing difficult. His thumbs swiped at droplets of water that dripped from her wet hair, and he tilted her head more fully up toward his. Slowly, he lowered his face to hers.
Laney closed her eyes. Her mouth parted slightly and her lips tingled in anticipation of his kiss. Her fingers raked through the hair at the nape of his neck, drawing him toward her. Her heart was about to slam through her chest.
When his lips touched hers, a moan escaped her throat, and she leaned more fully up toward him. Light and gentle for the briefest of seconds, Tyler’s lips crushed down on hers, and he claimed her mouth with the same fierce hunger as he’d done that first night. There was no anger in his kiss this time, however. He released her face, and his arms wrapped once again around her back. He yanked her up against him as if he meant to draw her inside himself, and almost lifted her off her feet. Laney coiled both arms tightly around his neck, unwilling to let him ease his kiss. She met his heated onslaught with wild abandon, his name dying in her throat.
Laney couldn’t get close enough to his solid body. She melted against him, every inch of her pressed to some part of him. Tyler’s chest rumbled with a groan, and he adjusted his mouth more firmly over hers. His hands slid up and down the length of her back, scorching her skin with his touch. She was no longer cold. A burning need consumed her from the inside out.
Tyler clamped his hands at her waist, and pulled her even closer to his lower half. He drew his head back slightly. Panting, he kissed her lips again, then along her cheek and down to her neck before he lifted her off her feet. Laney wrapped her legs around his waist, and kept her arms firmly around his neck. She gasped when he buried his head between her breasts, and kissed her damp skin. When had the top buttons on the shirt she wore come undone? Ripples of pleasure raced through her, and she choked out his name.
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