by Donna Alward
She took the silky material in her fingers and tried to picture herself in it. She just couldn’t see herself in spaghetti straps with ruffles at her knees.
“Humor me and try it on. Consider it my thank you for making sure you don’t show up for a sex fest wearing your standard issue black briefs and white bra.”
“Ray seemed to like my bra, thank you very much.”
“No, he liked your boobs. Trust me. You’ll see a difference.” She took the dress off the hanger.
Wearing a dress would surely prove her point faster than arguing. Jacy stripped down, trying to ignore that Carly had been spot on about her underwear. She slipped the dress on, mortified that it came to mid-thigh.
“Oh, honey,” Carly whispered. “That’s the one.”
She shook her head, and pulled at the ruffled hem. “I won’t be able to bend over, and I’ll have to cross my legs when I sit.”
“That’s kind of the point. Men can be rendered stupid by a woman crossing and uncrossing her legs.”
“That’s above my pay grade. I just need him to think I clean up nice.” Her phone vibrated to life atop the box.
Carly clapped her hands and grabbed the phone. “I told you that would get him hard.”
The heat of her blush seeped from her cheeks to her ears and down her neck. “Can we not talk about his, um, business?”
“Hon, his business is your business now.” Carly turned the phone to show her what he’d replied.
His bare, muscled chest was as enticing as his smile. She grabbed it and covered the screen. “That was not meant for you.”
“Go on, you have to reply. Tell him you licked the screen or that he gave you lady wood. Or you could up the ante and send him a picture of your boobs.”
Jacy sat on the bed, hiding the screen from her best friend. The idea that Carly had seen the photo made her a little queasy.
“About time.” She typed quickly.
“I’m still learning to selfie. Took me a couple dozen tries to get that one.”
“Worth the effort.”
“Your turn.”
“I only do live shows.”
“You’re killing me.”
“I better go. I need you alive.”
“Twenty-one.”
Jacy sighed and hid the phone inside her box of tricks. With Ray, the flirtation came easy. Nothing felt stilted or forced. She hoped she could pull off this sex thing, because she’d hate to lose the easy way they had with each other.
“Look at that, sitting down in a dress and the world can’t see your cookie.” Carly smirked and held out a gift bag.
“It’s longer than I thought, but I don’t like being so bare up top.” She took the bag and peeked inside. Makeup.
“Don’t make that face on your date. It’s fugly.” Carly reached around and pulled the band holding Jacy’s ponytail. “Problem solved.”
Her hair fell just below her collarbones, making her feel a bit less bare. “I can’t believe I’m going to wear a dress.”
“That’s the easy part.” Carly handed her a mirror. “Pay attention. I’ll do one side of your face, then you’ll do the other.”
Jacy sucked in a breath. She’s rather catch an angry bull than deal with mascara.
Ray set his forearms on the stable door and leaned in for a better look. As if on cue, Candy lay down on the straw and her water broke.
Deke shook his head as he knelt down and wrapped the mare’s tail. “Sorry, man. I wanted to be wrong about this.”
“Dad says she always foals after dinner.” He scrubbed his face with one hand and reached for his cell phone with the other. With the vet three hours away, he didn’t have much choice but to stay. Not with the way Candy’s last two deliveries had gone. “I wish the vet hadn’t been a month off on the due date. Candy’s never been early before.”
“I’m hoping for a better outcome this time. She was so depressed last year.”
“Yeah, the old girl was so forlorn she let the first mustang she found knock her up.” He shook his head. “She planned this. We need to face it, our Candy is a love ’em and leave ’em type.”
“She does like the wild ones.” Deke stood and walked to the stable door. “Did you get the time when her water broke? The last time she didn’t progress for an hour before we went in. Maybe helping her sooner is a better idea.”
Ray nodded. “I’m going to make a few calls and see if I can find someone to help her.”
“You’re going to call your lady, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll have to get a rain check. She was raised on a ranch, so she’ll understand.” And he’d be tormented by two more weeks of her teasing. If he could make it that long.
“You should ask her to come.”
Ray leveled his gaze at the older man. “I’m not dating her to take advantage of free vet services. It’s too big a favor to ask this early.”
“It doesn’t hurt to ask.” Deke shrugged and turned towards the horse. The discomfort showed in her breathing, but her body lay calm.
Ray marched outside, the sky still bright. He’d planned this night like a scene from one of those romantic movies women liked, and instead he was going to give Jacy something more like a disappointing comedy where no one laughed. His shoulders slumped and he leaned against the wall of the shop. A part of him wanted to head into town and let Deke handle Candy. But it was a small part, one he’d stomped down since taking over the ranch at twenty-five. Shards of immaturity had been swept under the rug then, but on occasion, they still poked at him.
He looked at the last message on his phone and winced. The number two, sent moments ago. He dialed her number, wanting to hear her voice to make sure she understood that what was keeping him away did indeed have something to do with wild horses.
“Hi there, handsome.” Her voice lilted into his ear, so happy and light.
“Have you left yet?” He cleared his throat, not wanting to say what he needed to.
“I’m on my way now. Why?”
His throat tightened, making swallowing hard. “Babe, something’s come up.” When she didn’t respond, he knew he needed to explain more. “Remember Candy, the mare you said would foal in a week?”
“Oh, no, did she lose another one?” Her genuine concern eased his tension. She’d understand, wouldn’t turn it into some dramatic episode.
“Not yet, but her water just broke. So we’ll know soon.”
“What does your vet say?”
“He’s hours away doing herd checks in Bly, so the connection is spotty. He says to let her try and intervene if we have to.”
“What about your back-up vet?”
“At the Beaver football game. It’s fine, Deke and I have done this before.”
“Was her last birth vet assisted?”
“No, before the stillbirths, she had four healthy foals without anyone even knowing. She knows what to do better than we do.”
“I’ll be there in a half hour.”
“That’s not why I called. I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry about tonight. Could we try it again next weekend?” He pulled his tan hat off his head and then resettled it.
“I have the bison ranch.”
“I’ll come to you this time. Or maybe we could do a couple days at the coast.” He tried to think of something better to offer, to entice her. “I’ll come up one night after work and take you to dinner if you want.”
“Whoa there, cowboy. As much as I want to let you talk to see how much of your time you’ll offer up, I’m not being cagey. I’ll see what I can rearrange. But I’m in for a trip to the coast. Especially if it’s stormy and we can watch the waves crash while we stay warm behind a window.”
“I like the way you think. But I can never tell if you’re trying to tempt me or if my mind is just in the gutter.”
He
r sweet laugh slid through his mind, easing the disappointment. “Candy will have foaled and be comfortable by morning. Can we meet up for lunch?” he asked.
“I can’t. I have an appointment in the afternoon. When I look at my schedule, I’ll find some time, I promise.”
“Ray?” His mother’s yell from the house caught his attention.
“Jacy, thanks for understanding. I better get back to it.”
He turned off the phone and crossed the gravel to the house. “Something wrong, Ma?”
“We were just wondering how Candy is.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her cardigan.
“We? Or is Dad sending you out as proxy?” He braced his hands on his hips and stared up the steps.
“I asked a question, son. Answer it.” For as much as his mother looked soft and pliable, underneath the cozy veneer, she was tough as nails.
“Her water broke. I’m going to call around to a few breeders and see if I can get a lead on a vet. Remind Dad he was the last one to help her with a successful delivery.”
She sighed and wrapped her arms around her middle. “Give him a break. He doesn’t like to be seen like this.”
“He had a stroke, not some disfiguring accident. Besides, it’s just me and Deke. We could use his experience with her.”
“Ray, we taught you to never judge a man until you’ve walked in his shoes.”
He looked at his boots and then back up at his mother. “Mom, I live in his shoes.”
Chapter Seven
Jacy climbed out of the truck and circled around back to the camper, careful not to kick up dust in the gravel and dirty Carly’s boots. She opened one of the storage boxes that also served as a step up into the camper and grabbed one of her pairs of rubber boots. And then she cringed. All of her coveralls were drying in the laundry room at home. She looked down at the dress and shook her head. She tended to over prepare, but since she’d planned on spending the night with Ray and then racing back home, she hadn’t counted on him needing her in a professional capacity.
She slammed the box closed and opened the one marked equine. She lifted out the medical bag and added in supplies she might need. Just the basics for now. After she examined Candy, she’d restock and beg Ray for some clothes to ruin.
Gravel crunched behind her and she turned to watch a clean-shaven Ray walk her way. His plaid button-down was tucked into his snug jeans, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Heat bloomed on her cheeks as she realized how much tonight meant to him too.
He stopped inches from her and the world narrowed to his icy-blue eyes. He stared so intently at her mouth she wondered if he might kiss her. Instead, he took her hands in his and looked her up and down.
“I didn’t call to get you to come help, but I’m glad you’re here.” He shook his head, released her and took a step back. “You’re beautiful, Jacy. Did you wear this for me?”
“My reasons were purely selfish. I wanted you to look at me like that.”
He took another step back, his hands in fists by his sides. “I have never wanted to kiss someone so badly in all my life.”
“You should do something about that.” She took a step towards him, until he held up his hands.
“I want to, but I need you to be a vet right now. Candy’s not progressing. We tried to check her and it pissed her off, so she’s standing up and I can’t get her to lie back down.”
“I’ll give you a pass on dinner, but you should always kiss me hello.” She sat on the storage box and exchanged Carly’s dress boots for her rubber ones. “Before I leave, I want my kiss, plus a bit more as interest.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
“It really is.” She took her bag and they started towards the stable. “I want to check her, but after that could you grab me some clothes I could ruin?”
“Take my shirt.” He’d undone two buttons before she could stop him.
“If you have your shirt off, I might not be able to concentrate.”
“Really?” He grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
She hit his arm with the back of her hand. “You have the same problem.”
“I think I have a more serious case. We should start working on a cure.”
“Or helping your dad’s horse foal. It’s quite the dilemma.”
“I think most people would take the easier option.”
She shrugged. “It might be easier, but it wouldn’t be right.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” He led her to a large stall, the floor covered with a thick layer of straw. Inside, the beautiful roan swayed in obvious pain while Deke whispered to her.
“Is your dad here? He’d have the easiest time getting her back down now that she’s agitated.”
His shoulders stiffened. “I already asked.”
“Then I’ll ask him, and borrow something to wear from your mom.”
Deke snapped his gaze on her. “You don’t want to do that.”
“Why not? I’ll replace anything I ruin.”
Deke and Ray exchanged a look. Ray shook his head slightly and backed away. “I’ll try again.”
Ray hadn’t even made it up the porch steps before his mother opened the door. She stepped outside and moved to close it behind her. Her blue eyes went wide as he pushed past her and marched to the living room. Rick looked too cozy in his recliner.
“You need to come help with Candy.” He widened his stance and stared down his old man.
“There’s nothing I can help with.” He lifted his left arm a few inches to punctuate his point.
“If you don’t come with me, Jacy’s going to come in and ask you herself. Is that how you want to meet her?”
“I can’t do it!” His father’s face grew red as he shouted. His mother stepped between them.
“That’s enough, Ray. Now that Jacy’s here, I’m sure she’ll handle everything. Vets don’t like owners getting in the way.”
He stepped to the side, ignoring her usual attempt to diffuse things. “Mom, she needs some clothes to change into. She came dressed for our date.”
“I’ll bring her something.” She turned to face him and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Just grab something. I’ll take it to her.”
She tossed a look back at Rick and then huffed a breath and headed towards their bedroom.
Ray leveled his gaze again. “Let’s go.”
“Remember who you’re talking to.” With his good arm, he pushed himself up taller in the recliner.
“Remember who you are. You can’t keep your life on hold, waiting until you get to one hundred percent. I’m not asking you to do anything but try to calm a horse. Your horse.”
He shook his head. “By the time I make it over there, it will be over already.”
“I’ll carry you. Actually, that’s a great idea. You can come willingly or I’ll toss you over my shoulder.”
“Ray!” His mother rushed into the room. “That’s enough. We’re all worried about Candy, but let’s not take it out on each other.”
He took a deep breath, and wished the strokes hadn’t taken more than his father’s use of the left side of his body. The man he’d looked up to was hidden away somewhere in there, and he’d spent years trying to coax him back. Nothing worked.
Rick used the control on his recliner to lift it and help him stand. “We’ll do this three-legged, the way we did at Ryan’s graduation. Just like then, if I cough, you come help me.”
“Got it.” He braced his arm around his father’s back and then slid his boot beneath his dad’s slipper. He took the sweats his mom had brought out in his free hand. “Let’s do this.”
She held open the door as they found their rhythm. By the time they made it to the stables, Rick was breathing hard. Ray’s gut tightened as he wondered if he was doing the right thing, pushing like this.
“Good to see you, boss.” Deke cut a glance into the stall. “It’s not looking so good.”
“We can hear you,” Jacy’s voice filtered out from inside. “Ray, did you get your dad?”
They hustled to the door, finding Candy still swaying. Jacy stood behind her, exam gloves pulled up past her elbows. To say her dress was ruined would be an understatement. Rick coughed and they made their way into the stall. The horse walked towards them and Ray held his breath until the old girl rubbed her nose on Rick’s OSU sweatshirt.
“Kneel down and see if she’ll go with you.” Jacy instructed. “The foal is breech, and by the look of the legs, a couple weeks early.”
Rick started to kneel, taking Ray with him. Candy stepped back and then crumpled into the straw beside them. Rick sat and scooted closer, whispering to the horse. Jacy got to work, delivering the foal before he could figure out a way to help. She stayed with the colt, rubbing its face with a towel until it began to squirm.
Right there, in the mess of life happening around them, he knew he loved her. For her gentle calm in a crisis and the way she made him laugh, for the way he’d felt this last week and how she’d kissed him without holding back. He wanted to tell her and didn’t care who heard, but confusion twisted her features.
“When did she have her last ultrasound?” Jacy stood and peeled off her gloves. She pulled a stethoscope from her medical bag and knelt beside the mare.
“She didn’t have one.” The look she gave Ray could have turned him to stone. “We’re not horse breeders. She got pregnant the natural way, and no one was any the wiser until she went wide. With our horses, we let nature take its course.”
“Did she at least have her shots?” She moved the scope to different places on the horse’s belly, which had begun to seize with new contractions.
“Of course. We just don’t heavily monitor.”
“I’m not accusing you.” She got up and returned with fresh gloves. “Ray, can you keep the first one awake? It’s been a long labor, but he can’t sleep until we get him standing and he eats.”
His dad swore under his breath.
