****
The stables were large and stunning. The barn had been divided internally with walls to create a complex of stables, store rooms and staff facilities. Ten stables ran along one long outer wall of the barn, like a traditional set-up, with another identical line of ten stables facing them. The stables along the barn’s outer wall provided access to individual small yards. Gabe had to be making a freakin’ mint to afford all of this! Vanessa thought.
“Wow, this is beautiful! How many horses do you have now?”
Gabe continued walking and said, “I could probably run about 70 in all my pastures and stables, but for practical purposes, I work with up to 25 in retraining. Five of those are well into their retirement, so they won’t leave this ranch.”
His voice changed on his last words and Vanessa’s heart panged. “Wow, that’s so—amazing of you to do that. I’m sure these horses couldn’t have asked for a better retirement!”
He stopped at a stable and turned toward her, running his hand through his wavy brown hair. “Here’s the horse that I’m worried about the most, Jezzy. She started to get unsteady, and in the last 24 hours, she hasn’t moved much.” Under the lights, Jezzy was a brilliant glossy chestnut with two white socks on her hind legs, but despite her incredible athleticism, the mare hung her head down between her front legs and sighed heavily into the soft bedding.
Vanessa peeked over the stall and clicked her tongue, the universal horse-speak for “Hey buddy, take a look at this,” but Jezzy didn’t even lift her head. “Do you mind if I step in?”
Gabe stood aside and Vanessa unbolted the door. She popped her medical bag on the bedding and plucked a stethoscope from its pocket.
“Any other symptoms?” she asked as she surveyed the stable for scratch marks and signs of struggle. Unless someone had swept the sawdust before she got there, Vanessa was of the opinion that Jezzy stopped moving the moment she had been put to bed the night before.
“Well, loss of appetite, disorientation, and sensitivity to touch…that’s about it. It came on so suddenly; I have no idea what else I may have missed.”
Vanessa spoke softly to the mare as she gently approached its shoulder. The mare trembled under her touch, which sent a strange ripple down the horse’s side and flank. She took the stethoscope and wiggled the eartips into her ears, holding the cool metal disc against the horse’s ribs. After several long moments of silent counting, she moved the stethoscope over a vein, counted again, and then finally walked down the length of the horse to hear its digestive tract.
Taking off the instrument, she examined the mare’s gums and teeth, as well as her nostrils and eyes before checking her temperature. Murmuring gently to the horse, she swept her hands over the animal to check for bites and stings. Taking a final sweep of the mare’s glossy neck, her fingers picked up a thickened ridge. “Hey Gabe, take a look at this.” He slipped into the stall and sidled up behind her, his radiant heat burning her back and neck. She guided his hand over the neck, focusing on a hard nub of flesh. “You feel that?” she kept her voice low.
“Yeah,” he whispered as his fingers circled the mound. Vanessa moved her hand off of his and waved him back.
“I need to get on my laptop and see what I can find. Her temperature is normal and her stomach is making the usual noises for a hungry girl, but her breathing and heart rate are languishing. It’s too soon to say what I’m looking for. Do you mind if I take a look at the food and medicinal supplies?”
Gabe clenched his jaw, “Why? What are you suggesting?”
Vanessa nibbled her lip, “Nothing yet, but I need to eliminate some question marks. I can’t diagnose until I know for sure.”
He nodded, his composure falling under the realization that this was a much more serious illness than he'd first suspected “Fair enough. I just want to get this figured out as soon as we can. These horses mean the world to me.”
Vanessa wasn’t sure what to think, but it was getting a little hot being so close to a man like Gabe, and she needed a breather. His presence alone was distracting. His solid gaze was making her face flush; she hoped he didn’t notice. The last thing she wanted was a romance; she didn’t move to Ridge Creek to meet a man, but to work—only. Gabe led her to the feed room, grabbing a set of keys that opened the medicine cabinet from under a fake brick.
“Who else knows about the keys?”
“Jimmy and me, I—” he paused, the color draining from his face, “you don’t suppose that someone…” He rushed to the cupboard, unlocked it and flung the doors open.
Vanessa could see the usual set of ointments, drops, pastes, supplements and washes that a person with livestock would need. A pile of syringes and their packaged needles were sitting neatly on a higher shelf.
“I can’t see anything here that a horse would happily ingest and cause the same symptoms we're seeing, and I don’t see any injectable items. You missing anything?”
Gabe shook his head, and after several more minutes of reviewing the contents, they closed the cabinet and locked the door.
“Let me have a look around. It shouldn’t take me more than 10 to 15 minutes.” Vanessa began rummaging through the feed bins and checking empty sacks. Gabe’s cell phone started to ring; he walked down to the stables to take the call.
The barn was pristine, and everything had its place. The bins filled with chaff and feed were dry and free from mold, and the bales of hay were off the floor on pallets. She was bending over a pile of buckets trying to smell any tell-tale signs of rot when Gabe’s voice brought her spiraling back.
“You see anything interesting?”
“Actually, I’m not sure,” she responded, although she knew well enough that Gabe was reviewing her assets.
Vanessa had spotted a paper strip scrunched up in the corner; she grabbed it, but couldn’t read it properly—it was torn and water-damaged. She tucked it into her pocket to examine later.
“No, don’t think so,” she said as she stood up, fixing her clothes.
Gabe was reclining against a wall, his thick muscular arms crossed lightly over his chest. Vanessa walked straight past him to gather some composure.
Looking over her shoulder she said, “I think I’m gonna go back to the office for a bit to do some research and grab some extra sample tubes. I’ll come back tonight to do a blood test on all the horses.”
He followed behind her and smirked as if he could sense her discomfort. He was too tall, too muscular, too big—too everything. Vanessa felt like she could suffocate in his maleness, and damn, he knew how to fill out a pair of tight blue jeans. She stopped at the barn door, letting Gabe open it. She was so absorbed watching his body flex and twist under his clothes that she licked her lips; Gabe caught the movement and his eyes tracked the ridge of her mouth. In that moment, she knew the chemistry was real; passion was bubbling hot to the surface. Her stomach flipped on itself, and Vanessa wasn’t sure whether she could run away or ride it out.
Gabe was mesmerized by the fluid motions of his new, shapely vet; she was a tiny little thing, but had some wicked curves. Unfortunately, she was obviously a city girl; he had learned to steer clear of them. But now, watching Vanessa’s face flush and her eyes widen when she looked at him made him restlessly hot. It was almost too much when she licked her pouty bottom lip; it had him thinking he might have to make an exception for his new vet.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he said. He was a gentleman, after all.
She shook her head. “It’s okay, I can find my way back.”
“I insist.”
Her shoulders slumped as if she knew he wasn’t giving in and she nodded. He walked beside her, carrying her laptop bag in one hand, his other hand on her lower back; he couldn’t resist touching her. He could feel the sway of her hips and wondered what it would be like to have her underneath him. It was then that he realized he was overstepping even his personal fantasy, so he dropped his hand. If he wanted to win her over, it would take more than a few looks. Normally he didn’t have to try hard; women would fling themselves at him, but he had a feeling Vanessa was going to make him work.
He kept his stride slow to stay near her and he drew a mental blank. He wanted to talk to her, to get to know her; but for the first time in a long time, Gabe found himself at a loss for words, his charm evaporated. “So, where did you move from?”
She glanced up at him, “Los Angeles.”
“Ah, so this is a big change for you then.”
“Yep, but I really like it so far. I haven’t been here long, so I’m really hoping to make a good impression.”
“I’m sure everyone is going to love you—eventually. But I’ll be honest, small towns are hard to fit into. When you first arrive, everyone seems real helpful—almost too helpful. They have their own ideas about city folk, so I would suggest you play that card low for a while. The townsfolk can be fickle.”
“Sounds like you’ve went through this...initiation before.”
“Yep, about six years ago, but I’ve never looked back. It was a walk in the park compared to the rubbish I dealt with before I came here.”
Vanessa relaxed at their easy conversation and stopped by her car. “Where are you from originally? I would have thought you were born and raised here.”
“Originally from Philly. Believe it or not, I worked in a high-rise downtown, overseeing a huge investment firm. I just couldn’t deal with the hustle of it all anymore, so I got out of the business. My investments allowed me to build this ranch; this is home now.”
She graced him with a small smile. “Maybe one day I’ll feel that way about Ridge Creek, too.” She opened her door and slid her bag and laptop onto the passenger seat before climbing into the driver’s side. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Hopefully I’ll have something for you by then. Can I go straight to the stables, or do you want me to let you know I’m here first?”
“I’ll be in the stables grooming the horses, so come around back when you get here.”
She nodded and started her car. With a small wave, she made her way around his circular driveway and he watched her go. She may have been a city girl, but he could see she was made for the country life. He decided the best way to get to know her was to show her the ropes. She would make an excellent contribution to the community—and his bed. She was stunning, intelligent and held her own; a frightening mix that excited him like no other woman had before. He was completely and utterly under her charm.