Healing Horses—And Hearts

After seeing Tessa Grant calm his storm-spooked horse, Ethan McClure is impressed. But does the new vet have what it takes to prove her mettle with Ethan’s local horse-rescue group? Ethan can’t deny her healing touch with animals...or her powerful effect on this rancher. But Tessa is busy trying to get her footing after leaving Kentucky to start over in this mountain town. When she learns a family secret that turns her world upside down, Tessa’s ready to push everyone away. Unless Ethan can help her embrace forgiveness—and forge a path to her heart along the way.

“Here’s the report,” Tessa said, breaking in to his thoughts.

Ethan’s hand brushed hers when he took the pages. A jolt raced through him, as if he had grabbed a live wire. His gaze flew to hers. Her eyes widened and a startled “oh” escaped her perfect mouth. The surprise in her eyes told him he wasn’t alone in the reaction.

“Thanks again for your help with William and Kevin.” Her eyes softened with gratitude, making Ethan’s chest tighten.

“Be careful of Kevin. Despite the charming smile he so easily flashes, he’s a con man. I can’t guarantee he won’t be violent, so if it comes to your life or the horse’s, you’re more valuable.”

The expression in her eyes mellowed. “Thanks for the warning.”

Would she thank him if she knew why he knew that truth about Kevin? His past mistakes wouldn’t make a difference in their professional relationship, and apparently that was the only kind of relationship they’d have. Anything else would only lead to disaster.

LEANN HARRIS

When Leann Harris was first introduced to her husband in college she knew she would never date the man. He was a graduate student getting a PhD in physics, and Leann had purposely taken a second year of biology in high school to avoid taking physics. So much for first impressions. They have been married thirty-eight years and still approach life from very different angles.

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Leann taught math and science to deaf high school students for a couple of years until the birth of her first child. When her youngest child started school, Leann decided to fulfill a lifelong dream, and she began writing.

She is a founding member and former president of the Dallas Area Romance Writers. Leann lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband. Visit her at her website, www.leannharris.com.

Fresh-Start Ranch

Leann Harris

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

—Psalms 2:12

This is for my lovely daughter, Jennifer, whose prayers for her mother saw me through a dark time. You are exceptional.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

Excerpt

Chapter One

Even though he’d only been gone for a few days, Ethan McClure sighed as he pulled into the drive leading to his family’s ranch. But his relief turned to curiosity as he took in the old, beat-up brown pickup parked out front. He’d never seen that wreck before. Who did it belong to?

His mind still on the unknown truck, Ethan saw his dad hurrying from the barn. Ken McClure froze at the sight of his oldest son. “You’re home.”

Obviously. But the note of alarm in his father’s voice put Ethan on edge. “What’s wrong?” He climbed out of the truck, his luggage forgotten.

“Don’t worry, son. Ranger’s goin’ to be fine. Tessa’s got everything under control.”

Ethan’s stomach dropped. “Tessa?” He looked again at the beat-up truck, wondering what its owner had to do with his favorite horse. “Who’s Tessa? And what’s wrong with Ranger?”

Ranger whinnied, drawing Ethan’s attention. Everything else forgotten, Ethan raced toward the barn, his tension zooming into high gear. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the barn’s interior.

“It’s going to be okay, big guy,” a woman crooned.

That didn’t sound good. Down the rows of stalls, he saw Ranger. A small person was in the stall with him.

His father ran in behind him.

“Who’s that?” Ethan demanded, not taking his eyes off Ranger.

“That’s Doc’s new partner, Dr. Tessa Grant.”

Off balance, Ethan glanced at his father. “When did that happen?”

Ken swallowed. “She got here last week when you were in Boise.”

Ethan knew that Doc Adams had finally made the decision to bring another vet into his practice, but Ethan hadn’t realized it would happen that quickly. He’d been gone less than a week.

Ethan and Ken strode together toward Ranger’s stall. His horse raised his head and nodded in greeting.

Ethan grabbed the bridle and rubbed Ranger’s nose. “Hey, big guy.” The woman stepped back from Ranger and met Ethan’s gaze. Golden-brown curls framed her pixie face and her huge green eyes found a path straight into his heart.

Ethan jerked, though he wasn’t sure if it was from his intense reaction to their eyes meeting or his surprise at the idea of this tiny woman as the new vet. Short and slim, if she didn’t have a stethoscope around her neck, Ethan would’ve thought the woman standing beside his horse was a teenager, not a grown woman and certainly not someone who worked with large animals. “What’s wrong with Ranger?” The tone of the question came out gruffer and harsher than Ethan expected. His father pointedly frowned at him.

The woman’s brow shot up, and she stood up straight. “He’s fine.” Her tone made him think of the times his mother had scolded him for addressing her in a disrespectful tone when he tried to get out of chores. “He just got spooked by the weather last night. He has a few scrapes from flying debris, and I think he ran into the barbed-wire fence. He’ll be fine.”

Ethan looked at the wounds and nicks on Ranger’s side.

“The storm last night just came up without any warning,” his father explained. “A tornado touched down at the Barlows’ ranch. They lost one storage shed. Several of our horses were out in the north pasture. First thing this morning I was able to get Ranger, Sadie and Ringo rounded up, and brought them in. Doc Adams and Dr. Grant have been out all day checking with the other ranchers, seeing to the different needs of the animals.”

The woman shook her head. “That storm was something else. We had bad weather in Kentucky, but yesterday was—I felt like I was in a metal barrel with someone banging on it with a hammer.” She held out her hand. “You must be the Ethan I’ve heard so much about. I’m Dr. Tessa Grant, Dr. Adams’s new associate.”

He felt as if he was in that same storm, disoriented and waiting for the next blow. “I am.” His hand enveloped hers, but that small hand had a surprising number of calluses on it. “I did see some evidence of the storm as I drove in. Ringo and Sadie okay?”

“They’ve got a few cuts from flying debris, but they look fine.” She patted Ranger’s withers. “This guy took the worst of it.”

Ethan bristled a little. He didn’t know this person from Adam and no one touched his horse. “Maybe we should wait for Doc Adams.”

“No need—I’ve this under control.”

“He’s kinda high-strung.”

“I know.” She went back to work, cleaning the last of the horse’s wounds, but he thought he heard her mumble, “He’s not the only one.”

His father shifted. Ethan wasn’t going to apologize for being concerned about his horse. He also was having trouble wrapping his brain around the fact that the woman was a vet—a big-animal vet, no less. How could she do the job? She wasn’t big enough or strong enough, as far as he was concerned. He turned to his father and opened his mouth, but his father’s warning expression stopped him. But much to his embarrassment, he could only stare in amazement as Ranger stood docilely by while the lady vet finished working on him.

Ranger head-butted Ethan’s hand, wanting attention. Ethan rubbed the big guy’s nose. “Usually, Ranger’s not so cooperative with exams,” Ethan heard himself say. “He likes to give Dr. Adams a run for his money.”

“You should’ve seen Tessa handle Ranger when she first got here,” Ken eagerly explained. “She worked on Ringo, then Sadie before seeing to Ranger. He got jealous, and finally Ranger couldn’t take the suspense anymore and turned to her.”

“Really?” Amazed by his father’s comment, Ethan knew his horse liked to be a pistol, dishing out a bad attitude. Doc and his dad had been on the wrong end of Ranger’s mischief. But he didn’t like being ignored, either. Small or not, the vet must have some horse sense if she’d figured that out right from the start. Or had she gotten lucky?

“I wouldn’t have believed it myself unless I saw it with my own eyes,” Ken added.

The woman studied him. Ethan knew doubt showed on his face. The telltale tightening of her right hand told him he wasn’t the first to question her skill.

“When I was growing up,” Tessa explained, addressing Ken, “the stable manager I worked with was a genius with horses—that ‘horse whisperer’ kind of thing. He was truly amazing. He taught me how to get acquainted with horses. I haven’t found a single horse who’s given me grief.” She glanced over her shoulder. “A lot of owners, but not the horses.”

Ethan didn’t doubt that other owners had trouble with her. He wondered if she had the strength to help with a distressed pregnancy, a breech foal or an angry cow that was on a rampage. Could she wrestle a branch out of a cow’s throat like Dr. Adams did a couple of years ago?

“You need anything else, Dr. Grant?” Ken asked.

“I don’t think so. I’ll leave some salve for the horses and drop by next week to see how things are progressing.”

Ken nodded. “You coming, son?”

“I’ll just stay here and help Dr. Grant with Ranger.”

Ken laughed and walked out of the barn.

Ethan watched carefully as Dr. Grant finished with Ranger. She had a way with his mount as if she had some connection to him. She gave Ranger plenty of affection, murmuring sweet words and pats. His horse ate it up as if no one had ever praised him. Those sweet words charmed more than his horse—Ethan felt himself respond to that affectionate tone, too. It’d been so long since that bright morning, standing in the church, waiting for his bride that never showed.

He mentally jerked himself out of the painful memory. “So what made you come out here to New Mexico?”

“I graduated from Purdue, same as Dr. Adams. I got the call from him about six weeks ago. He asked if I wanted to practice in a rural setting and pass up the glamour of an urban practice. He said he needed a young associate.”

Her story made sense. Ethan and his dad had noticed that Dr. Adams wasn’t moving quite as fast as he used to. A couple of months ago, one of their cows had kicked out and Doc hadn’t moved quick enough to avoid that hoof. Doc had to spend a few hours at the house, an ice pack wrapped around his leg.

“I laughed and told him I’d love to practice out here, but did he realize my size. He said that he knew, but asked if I was willing to give it a try. I jumped at the chance,” she added, turning to put away her things. “I wasn’t interested in working in a practice that only dealt with dogs, cats and assorted pets.” She pulled her stethoscope off her neck and put it in what looked like a tackle box.

He waited for the rest of her answer. “Why not?”

“My love is horses. I grew up in Kentucky and we had a full stable.” Her wistful smile told him she was recalling good memories. “I loved working with them. Hasn’t anyone told you that horses have a special place in little girls’ hearts? I knew early on that I wanted to be a vet and work with horses. I had a lot of my professors and other people try to talk me out of it, but sometimes you just know what God wants you to do.”

He eyed her size. When his gaze met hers, he saw the determination glowing there. Before he could say anything or stick his foot into his mouth again, his cell phone rang, saving him from having to eat shoe leather again.

* * *

Saved by Mountain Bell before he uttered the comment she hated: Aren’t you too short? And a girl?

Tessa ran into that attitude far too often, first from her mother and close friends, then from the other students in vet school. She learned quickly to respond to their doubts with a smile, a joke, but knew she had to work twice as hard as her male counterparts to prove herself. So why did doubt from this tall—over six feet—handsome man with chestnut-color hair and piercing gray eyes jab her in the heart? She knew how to deflect those comments, so why had she mumbled that crack about Ranger’s owner?

She knew God had called her to be a vet, given her the talent. Despite the odds against her, God had been with her through the lean times after her father deserted the family and they’d lost the family horse farm because of his gambling debts. God had been there with her in school, helping her through the nasty and despicable comments and opposition she faced from professors and fellow students. And He’d been there when she’d learned her fiancé wanted to marry her as his ticket through law school. She survived it all, so why’d this tall rancher suddenly get to her?

Her wounded heart needed to stay behind the walls she’d built and not be tempted by a good-looking cowboy.

“You believe in me,” she whispered to Ranger, stroking his neck. The horse turned his head as if agreeing with her.

Her phone rang. She pulled it out of the pocket of her jeans and flipped it open. “Dr. Grant.”

“Tessa, this is Dr. Adams. The local horse rescue group is seizing some horses this afternoon. I can’t get there since I’m scheduled for surgery in a few minutes. Since you’ve worked with rescue groups before, I want you to go out to the Moores’ ranch where the seizure will occur and oversee it.”

“Okay, but I don’t know where that ranch is located.” She glanced at Ethan.

“Is Ethan there at the ranch?”

“Yes.”

“He’s the head of the local rescue group. The group’s lawyer is calling him now. He can show you.”

She looked at him. “Okay, I’ll follow him.” Hanging up, she waited for Ethan to finish his call. When he did, he turned to her.

“I need to go.”

“I know. Dr. Adams just called and wants me to help with the seizure and document it. Since I am not familiar with this area, I’ll need to follow you out to the Moore ranch.”

“You’ve worked with a rescue group before?” His tone made it clear he still doubted her skill.

“Yes. In high school I worked summers with the local vet. We went on several rescues. I kept active in the organization through college and then in veterinary training. I’ve done rescues in Kentucky, Ohio, Montana and Wyoming.”

“Good, because we’re going to put your expertise to work. We’ve got twenty horses that need our help.” He studied her.

If he thought the size of the rescue would worry her, he thought wrong. “Lead the way,” she answered, without a moment of hesitation.

He studied her for a moment before coming to some decision. There he nodded, turned and walked out of the barn. Tessa hurried to put the last of her equipment in her medical bag and raced out after him. Ethan had already pulled his truck out of the driveway. A moment of panic shot through her. Was he going to leave without her? She hurried to his truck. The driver-side window was down. He stopped by her.

“I’m going to drive around the barn and hook up the trailer.”

“You need help?”

He gave her an odd look. “I’ll do it. Just be ready to leave when I drive by.”

“You’ve got it.”

She raced to her trusty, dented, secondhand F-150 truck, put her bag in the bed and hopped into the cab. She started the ignition and turned the truck around and waited, frowning a little at the noise the engine was making. Her baby, although eighteen years old, hadn’t failed her yet, but its time was coming. She couldn’t keep duct-taping the seats and hoses much longer.

Ethan’s truck rumbled by, turning her thoughts to the drive ahead. She still wasn’t as familiar with the roads around this part of New Mexico as she’d like. It didn’t help that a lot of the ranches she visited were off small easy-to-miss roads. Doc had given her an old dog-eared map of the area, telling her to use it because it showed all the roads in the area which might not show up on any modern device.

She’d doubted Doc’s warning and accidentally left the map at the office yesterday. Once she discovered that, she’d told herself that her modern technology was better. The GPS device had been a graduation gift from her mother. But Tessa learned quickly the spotty reception in the canyons in this rural area made the new technology undependable. The device failed her completely, leaving her driving around the area for close to two hours, until she pulled into a ranch and asked directions. The couple, the Cousinses, smiled, commiserated then gave her directions. She wouldn’t repeat the mistake a second time.

After twenty-five minutes, Ethan’s truck turned off the road onto a private drive. There were six other pickups with trailers parked around the interior gate. The ranch house showed signs of neglect, as did the stables. One man, who seemed to have come from the house, yelled at the others to go away, a shotgun cradled in his left arm.

“If you don’t leave, I’m going to start shooting,” the man shouted.

A handsome woman in a business suit and high heels stepped forward and waved a piece of paper in the air. “William, we have a court order to seize the horses.”

“I don’t care what you’ve got. You make one move to take my horses, you’ll be sorry.”

The woman turned around and saw Ethan. She strode to his side. “Got any ideas?”

He stiffened. “Have you called Joe?”

“Of course. I called the sheriff’s office before we left,” she snapped. “Joe should be here any minute. We wouldn’t have approached William, but he came charging out of the house like a mad bull.”

The expression on William’s face hadn’t changed. He wanted a fight. “Let’s wait,” Ethan muttered.

“Where are the horses?” Tessa asked, coming to their sides.

The woman looked at her.

“I’m Dr. Adams’s new associate.” Tessa introduced herself, answering the question on the woman’s face. “Dr. Grant.”

“Mary Jensen, the lawyer for this local rescue group.” She offered her hand to Tessa. Turning, she looked back at the dilapidated stables. “Some of the horses are in the stables, and there’s a paddock in back of the house where the rest are kept.”

They heard a distressed whinny come from inside the miserable excuse for a stable. The man, William, glanced over his shoulder, then looked back at the group. Clearly, he was torn whether to go to the animal or hold off the group.

Tessa moved toward the man. “I’m a vet. Dr. Grant. Can I offer you any assistance?” Tessa knew a cry of pain when she heard one. Was the man more concerned for his animals than the people trying to take them away? With his confusion clearly etched on his face, he looked back at the stables, then at her.

The horse whinnied again.

The man’s face lost all color, and he looked back at the stables.

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

The moments stretched out as they all stood silent, waiting, waiting for his decision. Tessa prayed.

“Yeah, my mare needs some help,” William said at last. “She’s been down too long and the foal ain’t coming.”

“Would you let me help?”

He looked around the group, his jaw tense. “Only you.”

“That’s fine.” She looked back at Ethan. “Will you bring my medical kit?”

“Sure.” He walked back to her truck.

The man opened the gate and motioned her in. Closing it behind her, he walked her into the stable. He rested the shotgun by the open door.

“My mare’s in the last stall on the left.”

Tessa hurried to the stall. The white horse was on her side on a pile of hay, her eyes rolled back in her head. The hay wasn’t clean and the mare was seriously underweight.

“Hello, girl. I’m here to help you,” Tessa crooned. “Will you let me?” Tessa stepped to the mare’s side. The horse didn’t raise her head. “What’s her name?”

“Lady.”

Gingerly, Tessa knelt by the mare’s bloated side. She ran her palms over the horse’s flank to see if she could feel the position of the foal.

A hard knot was there right above the horse’s back hip. “Okay, momma, I’m going to see if I can feel your baby’s feet.” Tessa turned to the owner. “How long has she been down?”

“Don’t know.” He shrugged. “When I walked in this morning to check on her, she was like that.”

“I need my medical bag.”

The man disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with her tackle-box medical kit. She threw open the lid and poured the cleanser over her hands. “Okay, Lady, let’s see how your baby’s doing.”

Tessa tried to find the foal’s hooves, but instead found the tail. She sat back on her heels and looked up at the owner. “The foal’s breech.”

The man lost his color. “I don’t want to lose that baby. She’s sold.”

Tessa tried to get her mind around what she’d just heard.

“I need for you to save that foal.”

Lord, give me grace. It sounded as if the man was more concerned with his money than the horse. “I’m going to try to turn the foal, but—” Nothing else needed to be said.

“William, this is Sheriff Teague,” came the voice over a bullhorn. “I’m here to enforce the court order.”

The owner disappeared. Tessa didn’t pay attention to the conversation outside. She looked at the mare and prayed.

* * *

Ethan watched as William came out of the stables. He held the shotgun in his right hand.

“Put that thing down, William, before you hurt yourself,” Sheriff Joe Teague ordered.

William looked at the people standing around. “This isn’t right. You shouldn’t be taking Ma’s horses.”

“You can take that up with the judge.”

Ethan carefully watched William. He had been in Ethan’s sister’s graduating class. As a teenager, William hadn’t really fit in with either the kids in the rodeo circuit or the kids who were on the college track. He’d been a loner and apparently still didn’t know his calling.

They heard another whinny followed by Tessa’s voice. “Easy, girl.”

William turned and started toward the stable. “You better hurry before my mother gets back, because she’ll object.” He disappeared into the stables.

The sheriff turned to the gathered crowd. “No sense in moving that mare until she’s delivered. Let’s get the rest of these animals loaded.”

Ethan knew exactly where he needed to go. He walked into the stables and saw William standing at the last stall at the back of the structure. When he looked at Ethan, William’s ashen face sent alarm bells going off in Ethan’s head.

He rushed to the stall and saw Tessa on her knees. Sweat plastered the curls to her face and neck. Her eyes met his. He saw her concern and seriousness of the situation, but he also saw a woman who knew what needed to be done.

“Can I help?”

“The foal is breech and I need to turn it.”

“What do you need for me to do?”

“Talk to this sweet lady and calm her while I work to turn the foal.”

Could she do it? He didn’t know, but they were about to find out.

As they worked together, they were able to rotate the foal so the front legs were in the right position. Ethan helped Tessa, keeping the mare calm.

“That’s it, Lady. You’re doing a great job.” Tessa looked at Ethan. “One of the foal’s legs is still folded partially under the body. I’m going to try to straighten it out.”

The mare looked at Tessa, her liquid brown eyes focused on the doctor.

“I’m trying, girl.” Tessa didn’t panic but worked at trying to straighten out the one leg. Tessa reached it and grabbed the second hoof and pulled it forward. Lady gave a sigh.

In the next instant, both legs and a head appeared. Lady took over from there, and gave the final push.

Tessa sat back on her heels and smiled. “We—” she looked at him, then Lady “—did it.”

Chapter Two

Tessa settled the blanket around the filly’s shivering form. The miracle of birth always brought tears to her eyes. No matter how many births she attended, they were always awe inspiring. Ethan steadied the mare as she struggled to her feet.

Tessa’s eyes met his. Satisfaction glowed there.

“Thanks for the help,” she murmured. Oddly, they had worked well together, anticipating each other during Hope’s birth.

William’s voice floated into the stables. “Ma, they have a court order.”

“I don’t care,” came the shrill reply. “They don’t have the right. I’ve sold that foal and ain’t goin’ to give back the money.”

Tessa met Ethan’s gaze. His lips pressed into a line of disgust.

The sheriff appeared in the doorway. “If you’re ready, I’d like to get out of here ASAP.”

“We’re ready,” Tessa answered.

“I’ll carry the foal,” Ethan told them, “and that should take care of the mare. She’ll follow.”

“Put a bridle on her,” Tessa instructed as she cleaned up. “It will help later.”

“So you plan on taking the horses to the vet’s place?” Sheriff Teague asked.

The clinic couldn’t handle all the horses long-term, but there might be another place the rescue group used. For now it would be easier to assess the horses’ state of health at the clinic. She could also document their condition and take pictures, which she hadn’t been able to do because of the emergency. “Is there another facility the rescue group uses?” Tessa asked.

“No.” Ethan looked around for a bridle. When he didn’t spot one, he found a piece of rope and fashioned it into a halter to go over the mare’s head. “The last time we did a rescue, Doc kept the horses at his clinic, but then there were only twelve horses. The next day we found foster homes for the animals.”

Ethan walked to Tessa’s side and scooped up the foal. The filly wouldn’t make it onto the trailer on such shaky legs.

“I’ll grab my medical bag and Momma’s lead.”

Ethan waited until Tessa had gathered her tackle box before he walked outside. On unsteady legs, the mother horse followed her baby. Tessa caught the trailing end of the rope as a precaution.

Out in the yard, an elderly woman lunged at Ethan. Sheriff Teague stepped in her way.

“He can’t take the foal,” the woman argued. “She’s spoken for.”

Ethan walked into his trailer and set the foal on her feet. The foal stumbled around, trying to catch her balance. The mare followed. Ethan tied her to the inside O-ring, anchoring the rope.

“Stop him,” the woman yelled.

“Take it up with the judge, Doris,” the sheriff replied.

She came face-to-face with Ethan. “You take care of that foal.”

Tessa stared in amazement at the woman. She hadn’t taken care of the mother horse and now was worried about the foal? Something wasn’t right.

“The doc will take good care of her,” Ethan answered, but his tone, understanding yet firm, surprised Tessa.

The woman shook her finger at Ethan. “You be sure.”

“What you need to worry about, Doris, is calling the county court and seeing when your hearing is scheduled. You can complain to the judge,” the sheriff interjected.

Doris snarled at him.

Ethan turned his back on the woman and walked Tessa to the cab of her truck. Tessa wondered if the woman might rush them.

“Don’t worry,” Ethan whispered. “Doris talks big, but she won’t do anything outright in front of everyone.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve known her all my life.”

Tessa was pretty sure she knew what that meant—Doris would have someone else do her dirty work. “I’ll see you back at Doc’s office.” He turned, starting toward his truck. He paused, turned and gave her a thumbs-up. “You did a great job delivering that foal, Doc.”

The praise shocked Tessa. He didn’t wait for a response, just headed toward her truck.

But as they drove back to the clinic, she thought about Ethan’s words. She wasn’t the only one who’d done well. It’d been touch-and-go there. As they worked to save the foal, he’d accurately anticipated her needs before she voiced them.

They made a good working team.

The thought shook her to her core and set her protective instincts on alert.

* * *

Ethan walked down the center aisle of the hospital barn, looking for Tessa. He carried a cup of hot, fresh coffee. He would relieve Tessa and take the next shift of watching and hand-feeding Momma and her babe. It was close to four in the morning. Once they’d gotten back to the veterinary hospital, Tessa and Dr. Adams had worked evaluating the horses, starting IVs and seeing to the needs of the most critical of the animals. They documented their work so it could be used in court. Not once had Doc Adams had to direct Tessa. She knew her stuff. One of the other volunteers had commented that Doc’s new partner knew her way around a horse. Word would quickly spread about her abilities.

After initial evaluations, she checked each horse a second time, then took the second shift of feeding Lady, the foal’s dam. They’d sent all the other volunteers home after the horses were settled outside in the paddock.

Doc had taken the first shift of watching mare and foal. Now it was Ethan’s turn to take the shift from four to seven. He stopped at the door to the stall. Tessa sat on a three-legged stool beside the sling of hay attached to the sidewall of the stall.

Tessa’s eyes were closed. But despite her tired, vulnerable appearance, he knew his perspective on her had undergone a major change. After what they’d been through yesterday, looking at Tessa now, she didn’t look like a high school freshman he first mistook her for. Instead, what he saw was a petite woman who had a dazzling smile and a voice that could calm the most nervous horse or stressed person. He also saw a determined soul. The lady knew her stuff. But what he felt went deeper than appreciation for her skill.

He hadn’t been prepared for his pull to her, after he got over the initial shock of finding her tending his mount. He was gun-shy about commitments after his disastrous engagement to Mary.

Of course, it didn’t help that Mary had suddenly reappeared in his life a month ago as the replacement lawyer for the rescue group, poking at the old wound. Over the years, while he’d seen her in passing, since her parents owned the ranch next to his family’s ranch, he hadn’t had to talk to her. But in the weeks she’d been here, dealing with her had opened up old hurts, shame and embarrassment. He was way too raw to consider romance again.

A delicate snore drew his attention back to Tessa.

The mare woke and started to nibble the hay and caught several strands of Tessa’s hair. Tessa woke with a jerk. The horse lipped another few stalks of hay. Tessa reached up and rubbed the horse’s nose. “That’s right, Momma, eat the hay, not the vet’s hair. We want a healthy momma and baby, not a bald vet.” Turning her head, Tessa noticed him. “Is that coffee for me?”

“It is. I’ve already finished my cup and thought you might need some fortification.”

“A man after my own heart.” The instant the last word fell from her lips, her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink. The words made him feel a little awkward, too, but he couldn’t help but smile when she looked so cute.

“Huh, I mean—”

Shaking his head, he said, “I know what you meant.” He handed her the mug. Cradling it between her hands, she sipped the brew.

“That’s so good.” She took another sip. “Thanks.”

He didn’t think anything about his actions. It was simply a gesture he would’ve made for anyone who’d worked as hard as she had, but he doubted he would’ve felt the same happiness at her thanks if the person doing the thanking was Ollie, the old grizzled foreman at his brother’s therapy ranch. What was going on with him?

“How’s this girl doing?” he asked as he fed the mare another handful of hay, eager to change the subject.

“So-so but steady.” Tessa stood and checked the bag of fluid. “I need to get another one of these.” Setting down her cup on the stool, she disappeared around the door of the stall.

She soon returned to the entrance to the stall with a new IV bag. She quickly changed out the bag. Another yawn seized her.

“Why don’t you grab a couple hours of shut-eye? I’ll watch these two.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate the help, but don’t you need to get back home?”

“I talked with my folks around midnight, updating them on the rescue. I told them I’d probably spend the night here, helping. It’s not the first time Doc and I have been babysitting sick, rescued animals.”

She studied him, and he knew she was evaluating him. Apparently, he passed the test because she nodded. “Thanks.” She disappeared down the aisle.

The foal made her way to her momma and began to nurse. Ethan had to smile at the new life that Tessa and he had a hand in. They worked well together.

And that made him antsy. He didn’t want to let another woman into his life. Not yet, maybe not ever again.

* * *

A few hours later, Dr. Adams appeared in the stall opening. “You ready to eat some breakfast?”

Ethan looked at the sleeping foal. She seemed stronger, but still favored her right front leg. “I am. The horses seem to be doing well.”

“Good. The rest of the horses are faring well, too. Come on into the kitchen and have some breakfast. I’ve got a feeling that it’s going to get busy sooner than we want. Other ranchers will be coming today to get horses to house.”

With a final glance, Ethan stood and stretched. He joined Doc outside the stall and closed the door behind him. As they walked through the screened-in breezeway that ran from the barn past the operating room and offices to the house, Ethan nailed Doc with a look. “Imagine my surprise yesterday, when I walked into my barn and found this unknown person handling Ranger.”

A mischievous smile crossed Doc’s face. “That so?”

“Yup.”

“Your dad knew Tessa and I had divided up the calls after the storm,” the older man offered innocently. “Your folks were here right after Tessa arrived. Your mom fixed up the spare room for her. Besides, you knew I’d hired a new vet.”

Doc scored a point. “True. I remember you saying you hired a Dr. T. Grant who graduated from Purdue. No one mentioned the T stood for Tessa, not Tony or Terry, nor did you mention when Dr. Grant would get here.”

“Does it matter, Ethan?”

Ethan blushed. “No, but—”

Doc opened the door to the kitchen. “But what?”

“I wasn’t expecting a girl,” he sputtered, feeling supremely stupid.

“Catch up with the times, son. Tessa graduated in the top 10 percent of her class, and when I learned she grew up on a horse farm in Kentucky, I knew we’d be lucky to have her. I just prayed that she’d be willing to come out here. New Mexico is beautiful but in a different way from Kentucky. If this land doesn’t call to your heart, then you won’t be happy.”

Ethan grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured himself some coffee. What Doc said was true. If you didn’t feel easy with this rugged land, then you wouldn’t be happy, as evidenced by the vet who came for six months to sub for Doc when he went home to see his family. When Doc returned to the clinic, he asked the young vet if he wanted to stay and join Doc’s practice. He politely declined and went back to Wisconsin. Doc tried a couple of other times, but to no avail. If Tessa truly did settle in, Ethan knew it would be a load off Doc’s mind. But was Tessa really the right choice for their community?

“Put some bread in the toaster,” Doc ordered from his position by the stove. There were eggs in a skillet and bacon on a plate next to him.

Ethan knew this kitchen as well as he knew the kitchen at home. He’d spent many an hour in here with Doc talking. “Since you came from that part of the country, weren’t you worried about her coming?”

Doc served up the eggs. He made three plates and brought two of them to the table. After placing several strips of bacon on the third plate, he brought the rest to the table. “I gave it a fifty-fifty chance. Horse country in Kentucky is some of the most beautiful I’ve seen.”

“So why’d you come out to New Mexico?” Ethan asked. Up to this moment, it had never occurred to him to ask.

His eyes took on a faraway look. Ethan thought Doc might not answer him. Ethan had shared with this man the darkest secrets of his life, and Doc had not betrayed that confidence. But as Ethan thought about it, Doc had shared sparingly about his life before he came here.

Finally, Doc said, “I needed a new beginning.”

The answer shocked Ethan. He wanted to ask more, but looking at the older man, Ethan knew not to push.

Doc dug into his eggs. “This land has a beauty that I’ve come to love, and I hope Tessa will come to love it, too.”

As they quietly ate, Ethan’s mind filled with questions about Doc’s past.

“I was glad to have Tessa yesterday,” Doc said, picking up his coffee. “She proved herself with the storm, then with that rescue. Do you think I could’ve done better with that foal?”

Ethan thought about it. Could Doc have done better? “Hard to say. You might’ve been able to position that foal better.”

Doc nodded. “I know.”

“You know what?” Tessa asked from the doorway. Her voice rang clear and strong.

Ethan shoved the last of the eggs in his mouth. Let Doc handle that response.

She sniffed the air. “Is that coffee I smell?”

“Yup,” Doc answered. “And eggs and bacon.”

She quickly stepped into the room. Dressed in a pair of jeans, boots and a white long-sleeved shirt, she nearly knocked Ethan’s socks off. “Good,” she said, “because I wasn’t up for cooking anything this morning, but smelling the coffee and bacon, my stomach told me it’s time to eat.” After filling a mug, she threw a piece of bread in the toaster and brought her plate to the table. “So what do you know?” She looked from Doc to Ethan.

“Ethan was just saying you knew exactly what to do to care for those rescued horses yesterday. And you did a great job with the birth.”

Her fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Her gaze moved from Doc to Ethan. She placed the food in her mouth and nodded.

“Ethan says he thinks you did a nice job delivering the foal.”

Tessa turned to Ethan, surprise in her eyes. He saw what his faith in her meant and felt ashamed that he hadn’t actually said any of those things.

“It was a team effort.” Tessa buttered her toast. “We need to watch Hope’s leg. She wasn’t too sure standing on it last night. The strain of the birth might’ve damaged that ligament in her foreleg.”

Cupping his coffee in both hands, Ethan said, “I didn’t notice much of a limp when the foal started nursing this last time. I might’ve been a little sleepy, but things might already be working out.”

“Good.”

The phone rang. “The day begins,” Doc muttered as he stood and answered the phone. “Hello. Yes, Mary, we’ve done the initial evaluation of the horses. All of them made it through the night.” Doc looked from Tessa to Ethan. “You need the report that soon?” He frowned. “Okay. Drop by tonight and we’ll have the report. Also, I’ll have a list of where each of the horses will be housed.” After saying goodbye, he hung up.

“Mary wants a written report on the condition of each horse. She’ll print out the pictures she took so we can petition the judge for custody.” Doc sat down beside Tessa. “Have you written any reports for court fights?”

“Yes.”

“Good, because I’m all thumbs and can’t type worth spit. Can you have a report for Mary by five today?”

“Low man on the totem pole, huh?” A grin followed the question.

Doc threw his head back and laughed. Tessa smiled.

“You nailed it.”

As Ethan looked from one vet to another, he had the oddest feeling of hearing an echo. There was a similarity. He shrugged it off, telling himself he was just tired.

The sound of tires squealing to a stop followed by the slamming of car doors stopped the jocularity.

Instantly, Ethan and Doc were on their feet, heading for the door.

“Grab the cordless phone,” Ethan shot over his shoulder, his stomach tight, “and be prepared to call the sheriff.” Ethan followed Doc outside.

“What’s wrong?” Tessa asked.

“No rancher would’ve come to as reckless a stop in front of the animal hospital. It’s trouble.”

It turned out to be William Moore and his mother. William held a rifle and his mother looked as if she was spoiling for a fight.

He’d been right—they sure looked like trouble.

Chapter Three

Tessa didn’t wait for Ethan to tell her to call. She dialed 911 and told the dispatcher what the problem was while keeping an ear out for the conversation outside.

“Mornin’, Doris,” Doc called out, his voice congenial.

“It will be when I get my horses,” she snapped.

Doc walked toward her. “You’ll be happy to know all the horses made it through the night. It was tough going, though, getting your mare and her foal through those hours. We took turns hand-feeding them.”

Doris glared at him. “I didn’t need your help. My mare would’ve done just fine. It was all that commotion that your team stirred up that gave her trouble.”

Just how much in denial was this woman? It wasn’t unusual for people who neglected animals not to see what they’d done, but Doris brought it to a whole new level.

“William, go get the horses,” Doris commanded.

William’s eyes widened. “But Ma—”

“Don’t Ma me. Get the horses.”

Tessa scrambled outside into the parking lot. “If you move either of those horses, you might kill them.”

Doris’s attention focused on Tessa. “What are you talking about?”

“The mare might not make it back to your stable. And the foal, her leg was in the wrong position when she was born. She has a slight limp. If they’re left here, we can oversee their medical condition and help at this critical junction. It’s their best chance to survive and fully recover.”

For the first time, the hostility in Doris’s expression softened.

“She’s got a point, Ma.”

“Dr. Grant is right in her assessment, Doris,” the older veterinarian confirmed. “The best choice for your animals is to leave them here. Do you want to see how they’re doing?”

Doris put her hands on her hips and glared. “Of course.”

“Come in and see for yourself.” Doc motioned Doris into the breezeway.

Ethan stepped to William’s side. “Why don’t you put that rifle down before someone gets hurt?”

Relief swept across the young man’s face. “Ma thought we needed the show of strength.” He looked at his mother. She nodded and he put the rifle on the floor behind the seats in the cab.

William moved behind his mother with Ethan and Tessa trailing behind.

Doc walked down the breezeway to the barn. “This way, Doris.”

She shook her finger at Doc. “Okay, but I’m not giving up on getting my horses back.”

“I’d expect nothing less,” he answered.

Doris and William walked through the barn door.

“You handled that well,” Ethan whispered to Tessa.

“You’re surprised?”

“Nope.”

Tessa didn’t know how to take his answer. He didn’t wait for her but caught up with William. Tessa followed after, trying to decide how she felt about Ethan McClure.

The man seemed to be a bag of walking contradictions. He went from skepticism to approval. He questioned her qualifications yet took directions well from her last night, didn’t hesitate and did his turn nursing the horses without complaint. His skills were excellent, but that didn’t surprise her, his being a rancher. Had he changed his mind about her or would he at some point call her ability into question again?

She couldn’t get a good read on him and that made her jumpy.

Doris stopped and looked into the stall. Lady nibbled the feed, while her foal rested on a pile of clean hay in the corner of the stall.

“They’re looking fine to me,” Doris commented.

Tessa joined them by the stall door. She prayed for the right words. “That’s because we stayed with them all night. Lady’s had two IVs.” Doc must’ve removed the IV from the mare. “We can treat them medically. Since Dr. Adams and I are here, we can oversee any complications. We’ve got fluids, antibiotics and high-grade feed for them. That foal needs some TLC for her leg. No one is going to want a horse that can’t be ridden.”

Doris wavered.

“And you’ll have your time in court to argue for getting them back,” Ethan added. “It would be to your advantage to cooperate with us, Doris. I’ll be sure to tell the judge you did.”

The older woman’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded grudgingly. “All right, but you be sure to do that.”

“I will.”

They walked outside and discovered Sheriff Teague there.

“Everything okay out here?” Joe asked, getting out of his patrol unit.

Doris frowned, but she didn’t respond.

“Everything’s fine,” Doc Adams answered. He turned to Doris.

She didn’t comment, just glared at them, then climbed into the truck, slamming the passenger-side door. William got into the driver’s seat and they sped off, leaving a cloud of dust.

As Tessa watched the truck disappear, she knew deep in her gut this wasn’t going to be the last time she’d have a run-in with Doris and her son. She just hoped that Doc—and Ethan—would be there to calm things down when trouble came knocking again.

* * *

Tessa sat in the clinic office the next day, staring at the report she’d just finished. She clicked the print button. Too many times she’d had to write similar reports. Doc had called Mary back and told her the report would take another day, due to the increased workload at the clinic that had them scrambling. Tessa could easily see why Doc Adams needed another vet to help.

Standing, she walked to the printer. Each time she participated in a rescue and saw how people neglected their horses, her heart broke. But God had given her this eternal hope that no matter how bleak, He could shine a light into any darkness, as witnessed by Hope’s birth.

She heard a car engine outside, then car doors slam.

As she gathered the pages from the printer, she heard the screen door creak open. She strode out of the office into the waiting area. Looking through the window, she saw a horse trailer.

Unease crept up her spine. Doc had left for one of the ranches north of the clinic about forty-five minutes ago.

Scout, the clinic’s dog, started barking, followed by the sound of another distressed whinny. Tessa raced into the barn. William and another man stood by Lady and Hope’s stall.

“What are you doing?” Tessa demanded in her best command voice.

The men whirled. “Who are you?” the stranger asked.

“I’m Dr. Grant, one of the vets here.”

The man’s mouth curved into an oh-you’re-a-girl-and-I-can-charm-you smile. “You’re too cute and young to be a vet. Why, you can’t be more than sixteen.”

His grating attitude left her cold.

William jumped in. “No, she’s the vet who delivered the foal. I saw it with my own eyes.”

The other man’s brow rose. “Ah, beautiful and skilled.”

She wasn’t buying his line. “What are you doing here, William? I thought we’d resolved this issue yesterday with you and your mother.”

“Aw, don’t call Willy that. He’s a good ol’ boy and not the stuffed shirt his old man was,” the stranger interrupted.

Tessa stepped past Mr. Charm into the stall. “What are you doing, William?” she asked again. William glanced over her shoulder at the stranger.

“Willy wanted me to see my investment,” the man offered, his voice coming from behind her.

Tessa turned to face the stranger. She stood by William’s side. “I’m sure William told you that you’ll have to take that up with the court.”

He shrugged and took a menacing step toward her. “I’ve already paid for the foal.”

William shifted his weight from one foot to another. Tessa noticed the panicked look on his face. She squared her shoulders and put authority into her words. “I’m sure the court will take that into account.”

The stranger’s fake smile melted and his eyes went cold. “Why bother the courts?”

Tessa understood perfectly that the stranger was trying to intimidate her. She opened her mouth to respond, but another voice cut in.

“Because, Kevin, the sheriff’s already seized the animals. And if you’re trying to take the foal, you’ll be breaking the law, subject to arrest and then they’ll have an access into all sorts of information about you.”

The man whirled to face Ethan. Tessa had never seen a better sight than the tall rancher. She breathed a prayer of thanks.

“Ah, Ethan McClure, the hero of Cibola High School’s football team, coming to the little lady’s rescue,” the stranger sneered.

Tessa’s eyes narrowed, ready to correct the situation, but Ethan spoke first.

“If you’ve got a bone to pick, take it up with the judge. But be warned, Kevin, you need to bring your lawyer, because Mary will be there representing the rescue group, pressing our case.”

“Mary Jensen? You mean the little lady who left you standing at the altar? That Mary Jensen?” Kevin ended his taunt with a satisfied grin.

The comment rocked Tessa back on her heels. Ethan didn’t flinch, but Tessa noticed his hand clenched as if he was holding back his anger. “My history doesn’t change the facts. You’re not taking that foal anywhere.”

Kevin’s smirk turned into a glare. “We’ll see about that.” He looked at William and nodded to him to leave. As Kevin walked by Ethan, he stopped. “You’re not quite as righteous as folks think, hey, buddy? I know our hero has feet of clay.”

Ethan didn’t respond, but held his ground.

Kevin laughed. “I’ll see ya.” He winked at Tessa and walked out of the stables.

The tension holding her upright eased, and she took a deep breath. The shock of Kevin’s words still reverberated through her. Mary and Ethan had been engaged?

“You okay?” Ethan asked, coming to her side.

She gave a shaky laugh. “Yeah, but William’s determination to get Hope just seems—oh, I don’t know—so intense...desperate.” She thought about the things that Kevin threw at Ethan. What was going on? It was none of her business, she reminded herself. She had to stay focused on the horse.

“That bothers me, too.” Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s something there that doesn’t seem right. It’s like when my sister decided to wear one of my belts and put it back in the closet in my room, but she put it in the wrong place. It took me a day to understand what was bothering me.”

Tessa’s eyes went wide with surprise. “Are you kidding me?”

“No, I think William’s up to something.”

“I wasn’t talking about that. You knew when your sister borrowed your belt?” Kevin had thrown some pretty heavy accusations at Ethan and he was talking about his sister wearing his belt?

His eyes cut to hers, and his mouth twitched, disarming the tension. “She was bad about borrowing things. I’d walk into the kitchen and find her wearing one of my shirts or sweatshirts or belts. Or my brother’s stuff.” The way his brows knitted into a frown made her want to laugh.

“Wow.” Talk about ignoring the issue. She thought about calling him on it but she didn’t feel it was right to push.

“My example was to point out when something feels wrong.”

“I see.” She agreed with that, as far as it went.

He shrugged. “The foal seems to be walking without a limp,” he commented, changing the subject.

Her mind snapped back to the present. “That’s what I hoped would happen. She’s also nursing well.” Tessa ran her hands down the mare’s side. “Momma’s also doing well. The IV fluids helped.

“This lady has a will to live. Babies will do that to a mother.” When she looked up, meeting Ethan’s gaze, her last sentence took on a new meaning. They both understood Tessa wasn’t only referring to fillies.

He looked away and there was an odd tension between them. Uncomfortable, she asked, “So, what brings you here to the hospital? Did God whisper in your ear I was going to need backup?”

Ethan shifted uneasily as if guilty. “No. Mary had some papers that needed to be signed by me on society business. And since the clinic is on the way, I wanted to check on Hope and Lady, just in case the judge asks me about them. This judge sometimes likes to question different people about the animals’ conditions.”

That was a valid reason. “I just printed off the report, if you’d like to look at it.”

“I would. Mary wanted me to remind you she wants you there in person at the hearing, in case the judge has any questions.”

That wasn’t an unusual request. “I can do that, but you’ll have to tell me where the courthouse is located.”

“It’s in Los Rios. The hearing is ten-thirty.”

“Okay, I’ll be there, but I’ll need directions.” And she didn’t want to repeat her mistake of getting lost on the rural roads. She only had to fall in a hole once to learn to be wary. Kind of like falling in love. She didn’t need to repeat the mistake twice.

* * *

Ethan followed Tessa into the office. Doc Adams had brought in a battered metal desk and put it on the other side of the office from his messy rolltop desk. The computer monitor with hard drive underneath looked out of place in this room, which could’ve come straight out of a picture from a 1930s veterinary office. On the opposite wall, sitting on the metal desk, was a slick laptop. Tessa’s diploma rested on the floor, waiting to be hung. Obviously, she hadn’t had time to finish settling in. Between the two desks was a long table pushed against the back wall, with the printer on it. Underneath were several boxes.

“I haven’t had time to unpack yet,” Tessa explained, walking to the metal desk. “I’ll need your email address so I can send you future reports.”

“Agreed. I’ll put you on the email loop for the Society. Now most of our ranchers have email, but I’ll send you their phone numbers in addition to their email address.”

“Thanks.” She walked to the printer and picked up the report. Meanwhile, Ethan mentally ran over the information he expected the report to contain.

For the last day and a half when Ethan had been working at the ranch, he’d recalled Hope’s birth. What an incredible moment. They’d snatched victory from the mouth of tragedy. When his parents asked about what had occurred at the seizure, the words came tumbling out full of enthusiasm and praise for the new vet, surprising his folks as well as him.

After he finished, his mother simply smiled her I-understand-what’s-really-happening smile, while his dad shook his head. Their reactions puzzled Ethan but he’d been too distracted by thoughts of Tessa to dwell on them for long.

He felt as though he’d known Tessa forever. That didn’t make sense. He wasn’t ready to feel such a strong sense of connection to a woman. He’d talked to God while riding out to check fences, but he hadn’t come to any understanding of his feelings, even when he discussed his reaction with Ranger. He was glad his horse couldn’t talk and comment on his odd behavior.

Adding to his turmoil, this morning Mary called, needing him to drive to Albuquerque to sign papers. He’d gone, but the tension in Mary’s office was so thick, he knew that it was going to be a rough year while he was head of the rescue group. He couldn’t fault Mary’s legal expertise, but they’d never discussed what had happened the morning of their aborted wedding. Driving home from that tense meeting, he thought seeing Hope and Lady would be a good way to unwind. His anticipation had turned to alarm when he walked into Doc’s medical barn and clapped eyes on Kevin Raney.

Ethan had had the unfortunate experience to meet Kevin years ago. Kevin had been traveling the rodeo circuit. He didn’t rope or ride or participate in any of the events. What he did was provide drugs, drink, betting on rodeo events and poker games for the young men and the cowboys who worked the circuit. After a particularly ugly fight that had broken out among several cowboys, sending them to the hospital, Kevin had been barred from coming on the fairground or rodeo property. Later, Ethan had heard Kevin had spent time in the New Mexico state prison system.

So, what was Kevin doing with William?

“Here’s the report,” Tessa said, breaking into his thoughts.

His hand brushed hers when he took the pages. As if grabbing a live wire, a jolt raced through him. His gaze flew to hers. Her eyes widened and a startled “oh” escaped her perfect mouth. The surprise in her eyes told him he wasn’t alone in the reaction.

The moment ended with the outside door slamming. Doc Adams appeared in the doorway.

“Hey, Ethan, what are you doing here?” He looked from Ethan to Tessa.

Ethan took a step away from Tessa and turned. “I was driving back from the city and wanted to see how Hope and Lady were doing.”

Doc gave him a funny look.

“After meeting with our lawyer,” Ethan further explained, “I needed to spend some time with horses.”

Doc’s brow arched. “I see.”

Doc’s cryptic answer made the thirty-five-year-old Ethan squirm like he did the summer Doc had confronted him when he was sixteen and in a whole lot of trouble.

“It was fortunate he came,” Tessa interjected. “There was a little difficulty with William and Kevin Raney.”

“Oh?”

Tessa explained how Ethan’s presence had resolved the situation with the men, making Ethan feel ten feet tall. Doc threw Ethan a glance. They both knew what trouble Kevin could be.

“Good thing you showed up,” Doc said.

Did he hear something in Doc’s voice?

“Yeah, it seems I’ve been doing that lately. I’ll see you on Friday at the courthouse.” Ethan walked out of the office.

“Ethan,” Tessa called to him, following him outside.

Stopping by his truck, he turned to face her. “Yes?”

“Thanks again for your help with William and Kevin.” Her eyes softened with gratitude, making his chest tighten. “When you got here, I was wondering what I could do to stop them from taking Hope.”

Her words sent a chill down his spine. “Be careful of Kevin. Despite the charming smile he so easily flashes, he’s a con man, who’s spent time in the state penitentiary some time back. And from what I’ve seen, I doubt that he’s changed since he got out.”

“Why was he in jail?”

“He ran a bookie operation.”

“Gambling?”

“That’s it.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.” The cold tone of her words could’ve frozen a side of beef in the middle of summer. “I’ve seen the destruction caused by it, so I’ll make sure Kevin doesn’t get his hands on Hope or Lady.” Ethan was surprised by the vehemence of her reaction. Obviously, she had had some sort of run-in with a bookie.

“Don’t try to take Kevin on. I can’t guarantee he won’t be violent. If it comes to your life or the horse’s, you’re more valuable.”

The expression in her eyes mellowed. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”

Would she thank him if she knew why he knew that truth about Kevin? But there was no reason for her to know. His past mistakes wouldn’t make a difference in their professional relationship, and that’s the only kind of relationship either of them seemed to want. No doubt that was for the best. Anything else would only lead to disaster. He’d been down that road before and didn’t like where it led.

* * *

The tiny town of Los Rios sported a beautiful courthouse, constructed in the late twenties, built in the Southwestern style using adobe and giant crossbeams.

Ethan had plenty of time to admire it as he sat beside Tessa and they listened to Mary Jensen summarize what they’d found at the ranch. Tessa had finished her testimony. When Mary was done the Moores’ lawyer argued that the family had fallen on hard times. They hadn’t meant to starve their animals.

The judge told them he would be back with his verdict in a few minutes. When he returned, he addressed the Moores.

“Doris, this is not the first time you’ve been before this court. But, this case is judged on its own merits. Seeing the pictures and listening to Dr. Grant, I’m awarding all the horses to the Rescue Society.”

“You can’t do that,” Doris yelled, jumping to her feet.

The judge glared at her. “My ruling stands.”

“What about the foal I sold?” she shot back.

“You’ll have to pay the buyer back. If they aren’t happy with that solution, have them file with the court for relief.” The judge left the chamber.

The older woman turned, glaring daggers at the opposition table.

Tessa leaned close to Ethan and whispered, “Is she going to be trouble?”

“I don’t know. She doesn’t take defeat well.”

Tessa looked at William, whose face had lost all color. “What about her son?”

Ethan didn’t answer immediately.

“What do you think?”

“I hope he’ll accept the verdict.”

Tessa didn’t like the sound of that.

“We’ll just see,” Doris muttered to herself. With a final defiant glare, Doris left the courtroom with William trailing behind her.

Ethan walked to the prosecution table and talked to Mary. From their body language, it was an awkward exchange. Mary Jensen was tall, probably five-ten, slender, with long blond hair and deep blue eyes. She was just the right height for the tall rancher who stood over six feet tall. With dark hair and steel-gray eyes, Ethan looked perfect with the golden woman. They were both smart, capable, cared strongly for the same causes. Tessa could see why they would have gotten together. So what had gone wrong?

“You ready to go?” Ethan asked, coming to Tessa’s side.

Tearing her mind from her speculation, Tessa gathered up her notebook and purse. “Sure, I’m ready.”

They left the courtroom, heading for the elevators. Mary stayed inside the courtroom, packing up her briefcase.

After Ethan pushed the elevator button, he looked down at his watch. “I ate at six this morning and the cantina across the street has a great lunch special. You want to join me?”

Tessa opened her mouth to refuse when her stomach growled. She flushed.

“That’s a yes if I ever heard one.”

She was still tempted to refuse, but her stomach growled a second time, drowning out her pride. She’d eaten her breakfast earlier than Ethan and was hungry.

“Lead the way. But it’s just a business lunch. We go dutch.”

Ethan nodded. “Absolutely.”

It was what she expected and demanded, so why did she feel disappointed he gave in so easily?

Chapter Four

“I couldn’t believe Doris thought she’d get her horses back.” Tessa reached for another tortilla chip and popped it into her mouth.

Ethan watched Tessa down the chips. The cantina stood directly across from the courthouse in the southwest corner of the square. As they’d walked across the street to the restaurant, he’d explained the Wednesday special was flautas, and they were some of the best he’d ever eaten. They’d both ordered the special.

Tessa picked up another chip and dipped it into the house salsa. “How she thought any judge would give her back those starved horses is beyond me. She had some prime horseflesh, an Arabian and a retired thoroughbred, and she starved them.” She punctuated her comment by waving her chip around. A bit of the salsa landed on the table in front of Ethan.

Tessa stared at the blob. “Uh, I’m sorry.”

“No problem.” Ethan wiped the spot with his napkin, holding back a smile. The lady had a passion for horses and he liked it. And shared it.

“If she wanted to sell Hope, why not take care of the mare? What she did makes no sense.”

He shrugged. “Doris didn’t much care for her two children, neglected them, so why would she care for her horses?”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” William and Shanna had often showed up to school in torn and dirty clothes.

Tessa fell silent.

The waitress appeared with their lunches. Ethan watched as Tessa tasted her food. After she swallowed, she grinned. “Okay, I have to agree with you. These are good.”

As they ate, Ethan discussed how he’d notify the different ranchers caring for the horses that their organization now had legal custody. “I’ll leave Lady and Hope with you, of course.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

He could tell something was on her mind. “Is something wrong?”

His question snapped her out of her musings. “No.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

He continued to study her. “Are you sure? Were you afraid I’d want to house Lady and Hope somewhere else?”

“No.”

“It seems like something—”

“It’s nothing.” She waved off his concerns.

That was the worst denial he’d ever heard. “You might as well spit it out.”

She thought about her question, pursing her lips. “There just seems to be a tension between you and Mary. And with what Kevin blurted out the other day—” Her cheeks flamed.

Well, he’d asked for it. Why not tell her? Everyone in this part of the country knew of his embarrassment, most people probably witnessed it. “Well—”

“Don’t worry about it,” she hurriedly added. “It’s not my business.” Her weak smile tried to smooth over her gaffe.

She’d touched a raw spot. But with Mary back here, the talk would be everywhere and Tessa would hear about what happened sooner or later. He’d rather be the person who told her. “I was engaged to Mary.”

“People break off engagements every day.”

“True, but they don’t leave the other person standing at the altar. Mary did.” Well, you certainly softened that, didn’t you?

“Oh.” She turned a deep shade of red.

“All the people in this area were in the church that morning and witnessed it.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

He shrugged. “It was years ago. We were young and thought we were in love.” He recalled with stunning clarity that humiliating morning, when he stood in the church with all his friends and neighbors gathered, waiting for the bride. After thirty minutes of waiting, her maid of honor showed up. She announced Mary wasn’t going to show and handed him a letter.

Standing before all the people he knew and had grown up with, he remembered reading those devastating words. Mary had written that she loved him, but not enough to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him. She felt she was too young and didn’t want to get married. Besides, she wanted to go to college and see the world outside their little area of New Mexico.

Growing up on neighboring ranches, he and Mary were always at the same local events. They began to hang together and slowly became best friends after Mary’s brother ended up face-first in a mud puddle at a local barbecue. They laughed at the same things and shared similar views. Everyone in the community thought they were a couple, and they were comfortable with the label.

He was a year older than Mary, and when he graduated from high school, he went straight to college. He didn’t know if it was his going away and talking with other girls or that Mary had found someone new, but he noticed distance between them that first Thanksgiving he came home. He thought to solve the problem by proposing to her, which he did at Christmas.

The wedding had been set for the weekend after her high school graduation. Looking back, he realized Mary’s calling off the wedding was one of the best things that could happen to him. He just wished she’d done it in a less humiliating way.

“Lot of people thought Mary and I were a perfect couple, but we were so young. I don’t think we really knew what we wanted. Everyone told us we were in love, and we didn’t know any better than to believe them.” Looking back now, he could see that they’d just convinced themselves that they loved each other enough to marry.

“It must’ve been hard.”

Something in her voice alerted him. He felt she understood his mortification. “Yeah, I took my share of licks here at home. Luckily in college, no one knew. And on the bright side, it certainly made graduating from college much easier without a wife to care for.”

“I understand that. A couple of my classmates were married, but they were men. Their wives worked to help them through school. One guy was working and putting himself and his wife through school. He had to drop out for a year because of exhaustion.” She fell silent, but he saw her thinking about something.

“Did you leave behind any special someone?”

“No.” She said it with a vengeance.

“So, what’s the story behind that ‘no’?”

Her head came up and her shoulders tensed. “What do you mean?”

He raised his brow and his mouth turned down, letting her know he’d told the truth, now it was her turn.

She thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “My senior year in college, I got engaged. We both applied for scholarships. I got one, he didn’t. His solution to that was that I continue with the vet I was working for and support us while he went to law school. When he got his degree, he’d put me through veterinary school.”

Ethan wanted to laugh, because he could guess what her reaction to that proposal would’ve been. “I assume you didn’t take him up on his offer.”

Her mouth twitched. “I considered it, but when I saw my fiancé having coffee with another woman, holding her hand and looking like a lovesick schoolboy, I knew what the score was. He was simply looking for someone to fund his law degree. And it wasn’t going to be me.” She toyed with her fork, pushing around her flauta. “It kinda took the bloom off the rose for me. After that, I was too busy in veterinary school to date. With my scholarship, I wanted to keep up my grades. I guess you could say I was single-minded on graduating.”

He could understand her attitude. At least Mary hadn’t tried to use him.

“Once the guys in school knew I was there for an MD and not an MRS, I didn’t have problems with them wanting to date. They still wondered if I could cut it, along with my professors, but they watched, observed, then were okay with me.”

He wondered if she lumped him in with that group of uninformed males.

The waitress appeared and they paid their checks. He walked her back to her car parked before the court building.

“Thanks for the help, Dr. Grant.” He flashed a big smile.

“I think you can call me Tessa.”

As she drove away, Ethan was surprised by Tessa’s reaction to his being-left-at-the-altar story. She hadn’t offered any platitudes, and no wonder. His experience with a broken engagement had been bad, but Tessa’s experience was worse.

He found himself admiring Tessa. She fought for what she wanted and believed in and was even stronger after her broken engagement.

She might be only five feet tall, but she threw a mighty big shadow. And he felt himself responding to that amazing woman. With his history, though, he doubted she’d be interested in him. And oddly enough, that saddened him.

* * *

“How’d things go at the hearing?” Dr. Adams asked as Tessa walked into the clinic office. He sat at the rolltop desk, reviewing file folders. Doc still preferred the handwritten files that he wrote himself. None of his records were electronic.

“The Society was awarded custody of all the horses.” She put her briefcase on her desk. “Ethan said he’d notify the different ranchers caring for the horses of the decision.”

Doc turned in his chair. “Well, Lady and Hope are getting stronger every day. I expect that with good care and feed, the other horses should do as well.”

“I hope so. Those horses were in bad shape. It might take a month to six weeks to get them in any type of shape to adopt.”

Leaning back, he replied, “I agree,” then asked, “How did Doris take the verdict?”

“She wasn’t happy. I expect we might have trouble from her.”

Doc sighed. “I don’t doubt that. The woman is the most stubborn individual I’ve ever seen. Once she gets something in her head, she’s like a dog with a bone. We’ll need to be on our guard.”

“I don’t doubt that from her reaction in the courtroom. Her son had to drag her from the court.”

“Sounds like the Doris I know.” He studied her and she tried to control her flush. “Did something else happen?”

“Nothing else that has anything to do about the court case.”

“Oh?” He stabbed her with a look.

She didn’t want to admit her misstep with Ethan but the question in Doc’s eyes made her squirm. She’d learned early on how to put on a brave face to the outside world while things at home were falling apart. Her father’s drunken episodes were never talked about at home or in public. After her dad disappeared, her mom and Tessa started back to church and found acceptance, love and compassion. With prayer, Tessa learned to trust others, although sometimes it was a struggle.

But Tessa knew trust between vets in this small a clinic was imperative and she needed to fess up. “I kinda stepped in it with Ethan. Last time Kevin was here he taunted Ethan about Mary. I noticed how tense they were at the hearing and asked him if what Kevin said was true.”

A slow smile appeared on Doc’s face. “How’d that go?”

“After I got over feeling stupid, Ethan told me about his broken engagement. I told him about mine.”

“Oh?”

“It’s an old story. My fiancé wanted me to pay for his law degree. I was to put my degree on hold, even though I was the one with a scholarship.”

“Obviously, you didn’t take the deal.”

She laughed. The first time she’d ever laughed at the subject. “You’ve seen that play before?”

“I have.”

“But when Ethan was talking about Mary, I got the feeling that there’s something more—” She shrugged. “I shouldn’t try to analyze him. I’m an animal doctor, not a psychiatrist.”

Doc nodded. “Good call. I watched Mary and Ethan grow up. They were good friends, but there didn’t seem to be that special spark that you want in a spouse.” He shook his head. “Look at me. I’m not a shrink, either, but common sense said they just needed to stay friends. It took a while after that ‘almost wedding’ for the talk to die down. Luckily, Ethan was away at school, and Mary was gone for more than ten years. She only recently has come home. Ethan hasn’t said anything about it, but there’s a tension. I know both Ethan and Mary are horse people, and they’ll put the horses first and work together.”

Tessa understood that passion. Growing up, she’d loved her horse. When her father lost their ranch, she asked the new owners if she could continue to board her horse there and work off Blue’s board and feed. Eventually, they hired Tessa as a stable hand and paid her to work. She didn’t go to high school football games or dances or her junior or senior proms. She spent those nights in the stables talking to Blue. Shaking off the bittersweet memories, she said, “Let me get changed and I’ll check on Lady and Hope.”

As she walked out of the room, she caught a glimpse of Doc’s face. He smiled, a big satisfied smile.

Now, what was that all about?

* * *

Ethan slipped in the back door of the family ranch house that led to the kitchen. His mom stood over the sink peeling potatoes.

“Hey, son, how’d the court case go? Did the rescue group get custody?”

He leaned over and kissed his mother’s cheek. In her mid-fifties, Lynda McClure was still a vibrant woman. She wasn’t afraid to work outside with her children and husband on the ranch, but she also liked for her husband to take her into Albuquerque to see an art exhibit. Her zest for life made her seem years younger than her actual age. She was also a woman who could smell out a lie at thirty feet. Her children knew they couldn’t pull anything on her, so it always amazed Ethan that she’d never probed his secret.

“It went well. The court awarded us custody.”

“Good. I’m sure Doc’s testimony helped.” She pointed with her potato peeler. “Hand me those carrots.”

He grabbed the bag and handed them to her. “Doc didn’t testify. Tessa did.”

“Oh?” She turned toward him. “How’d she do?”

“She did a great job. It was obvious the woman has experience in the courtroom testifying.” Thinking about Tessa’s testimony, he remembered the way she’d covered all the angles that the judge wanted to know. Judge Sanders had even commented afterward what a thorough job she’d done.

His mom’s eyes narrowed. “That good, huh?”

Ethan immediately realized his mistake in showing too much interest. His mother’s antenna was up. “Yes.”

Lynda turned back to the sink, but he could feel his mother’s smile.

“Don’t get any ideas.”

She didn’t turn around. “I didn’t say anything.”

“No, but I know you. You’re thinking it.”

“You’ve turned into a mind reader, Ethan McClure?”

He heard the mirth in her voice. “I know you’re itchy to get your last chick married off.”

Turning toward him, she pointed her potato peeler at him. “I think my son protests too much.”

Ethan knew he was cooked. He leaned over and kissed her cheek again, hoping to distract her.

“What’s that for?”

“Just because.”

“What else happened?” his mother asked.

“Nothing.”

“Your ears are turning red.”

He grabbed a carrot and walked out of the kitchen and started toward the barn, not willing to talk about the lunch meeting afterward.

“Chicken,” he heard his mother call out.

He smiled at his mother’s accusation, and kept walking. Slipping into the barn, he saw one of the men who worked for the ranch. “Hey, Josh, how’s it going?”

Josh Monroe had worked for their ranch for the past ten years. Before him, his father had worked on the ranch. Josh had ridden the rodeo circuit, but had been stomped by a bull and had to retire. He and his wife now lived in a house a mile or two from the main ranch house. When Ethan married, he planned to build his house not far from the main house, but close enough that he would be at the main house in five minutes.

“Everything’s fine.”

They spent several minutes discussing the different horses and Josh’s plans to ride out to check on the cattle in Colorado Canyon and make sure all the calves were faring well.

Afterward Ethan walked out to the corral behind the barn. His horse, Ranger, and the rescued horse his family was looking after were out there. Ethan grabbed a couple of carrots. He called out to the horses and held up the carrots. Ranger immediately came and grabbed his treat. The other horse waited, watched, then when the gelding decided that Ethan wasn’t a threat, he walked to the fence and took the carrot.

“You’re looking better, guy. A little food and some TLC, and you’ll be bouncing right back. I guess I need to give you a name.” He studied the chestnut with black stockings, tail and mane. “You’ve got guts and a will to live, so how about Will?”

“You talking to the horses?” his dad asked. He walked to the fence and looked out at the horses.

“Well, this guy doesn’t have a name, and since the rescue group won custody, I thought I needed to give him one if he’s going to be here awhile.”

“I’m glad the hearing worked out. I heard Tessa dazzled the judge.”

Ethan’s head jerked around. “Who told you that?”

Ken’s right brow arched. “Do you have to ask?”

He shook his head. “Mom. Well, the horses were starved. The evidence spoke for itself.”

“Your mom got a different impression.”

Ethan was sure she did. Turning, he leaned his arm on the fence. First his mother questioned him and now his father. What was going on here? Were they tag-teaming him? “If you knew about what happened, why’d you ask me?”

Ken looked out at the horses. “Why so grumpy?”

Ethan scowled, and stared at the rescued horse.

His father slapped him on the back. “You seemed unsure of Dr. Grant when she first showed up at the ranch. I’m just surprised you gave your mother a good report.”

Ethan knew what his father was implying. “Well, you have to admit that you wouldn’t have reacted any differently than I did if Chance had been the one who was being examined. I recall a certain farrier you threw off the ranch because you didn’t like how he treated your horse.”

“So what’s that got to do with Dr. Grant?”

Ethan shook his head. His dad wasn’t going to admit anything. “Yes, Tessa has proved herself competent with the birth, and her previous experience with horse rescue paid off at the hearing. She scored one for the good guys. But—”

“I’m glad you think so,” his dad interrupted, “because Saturday, your mom has organized a dinner for the new doc to introduce her to all the local ranches. Both your brother and sister and their spouses will be there.”

“When’d this happen?”

Ken lowered his head and stared at Ethan. “Son, when has your mother ever told me about social stuff? She tells me where I’m going and I show up. It makes my life a lot easier. Remember that if you ever decide to make the plunge.”

Ethan looked back at the horses in the corral. His dad slapped him on the back again. “I think your mother needs you up at the house.” His dad turned away and whistled as he strolled back inside.

Ethan’s gaze remained on the horses. For some reason, he felt unsettled, as if everyone else knew something he didn’t. What was going on? His world had settled into a predictable pattern now that his younger brother had readjusted to life after his time in the army and losing his leg. It had been rough going, but now Zach was happily married with a wonderful wife and newborn baby.

Beth, his sister, had also taken the plunge into matrimony. Watching her grin and smile at her husband was both a joy and a pain. She’d been after him to find a wife. So he had both siblings in lovers’ paradise, but he was alone, still living at home. Of course it didn’t help that his ex-fiancée had reappeared in his life, silently pointing out to the community that Ethan was still single. He looked pathetic.

In his defense, he was taking over the reins of the ranch from his father, but on paper, things didn’t look good. A thirty-five-year-old male living at home with his parents.

Normally, he didn’t care what folks said, but inside he suddenly felt itchy. And he didn’t know how to scratch that itch.

Lord, I don’t know what’s happening, but—give me guidance.

The image of Tessa’s smiling face as she held Hope moments after that filly’s birth appeared in his mind’s eye.

“Son, you comin’?” his father yelled.

“Yup, I’m comin’.”

Chapter Five

Tessa climbed out of Dr. Adams’s truck and stared at all the cars parked in the driveway of the McClures’ ranch. Tessa turned to Doc. “I thought this was just going to be a family dinner with the McClures.”

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