AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She felt heat climb into her face and turned her head away before Meadow could see it and ask any questions. “Good call moving Lonesome Rose to the front of the barn. Easier access if we do need to transport her to the surgeon in Bozeman.”
Like a worried mother hen, Meadow hurried to her mare. She opened the stall door and stepped right in.
“Just hold her head while I look at the leg. Your scent will calm her.” Demi eased into the enclosure that was filled with clean straw and was roomy enough that she could get out of the way if the horse got feisty.
She edged up to the horse, giving her a comforting pat on the flank as she did. Bending was easy now. But what happened if she decided to keep the baby? She would be a whale. She wouldn’t be able to bend over or move very fast. Caring for a big animal that outweighed her by a thousand pounds or more was risky enough without a baby growing inside her.
As soon as she saw the leg, her fears shifted. The leg wasn’t looking good. Dammit. It was even more swollen.
She crouched and began to remove the tight bandage around the horse’s leg. A noise of exasperation rose in her throat, but she knew better than to make a sound like that around a worried owner. Owners picked up as many cues from her as the animals did.
“Everything okay?” Meadow asked between the soothing words she used on Lonesome Rose.
Demi spent another minute studying the injury. Finally, she straightened and met her gaze. “Meadow, I’ll be honest. It’s not looking great.”
“Oh no.”
“I admit that I know a little about your problems on the ranch from Ivy.”
Meadow bowed her head. “The ranch finances are a bit messy right now. I knew Ivy asked for an extension on paying some invoices owed to you. If you need the money—”
“I’m not saying that at all. I don’t care about getting paid right now. I meant that I know you can’t really swing a surgery that costs tens of thousands of dollars, so I tried what I call a bit of a Hail Mary heroic and made the repair to the tendon.”
Meadow nodded. Some of the flush of embarrassment at her family’s situation faded from her face. “You don’t think it will work now?”
Demi bit down on her bottom lip, deliberating. She prided herself on thinking outside the box and using unconventional methods to help animals heal.
She nibbled her bottom lip, reminded suddenly how Ledger had traced it over and over again with his tongue. “There might be a way to help it along.”
“I’ll do anything. Just tell me what it is.”
“Some of the stitches came loose.”
Meadow sucked in a breath.
Demi rushed to assure her. “It’s not a total detachment like it was when I was here before. But we need to keep the stitches in place and tight.”
“How do we do that?”
“We need to lift the horse. Keep her from moving and reopening the stitches. The tendon will heal in time if it’s attached securely.”
“This will keep her from needing to see the surgeon?”
Demi spread her hands. “That still might happen. But it’s the best I can do.”
“Tell us what we need to lift her and I’ll get Zach to round it all up for me.”
She prowled around the stall, looking at the rafters and walls for places to best secure ropes and pulleys they would use to hoist the horse off the ground. Taking the pressure off that leg was key.
She started listing off items to Meadow, who quickly took out her phone and made notes. Within minutes, Zach Webb, the ranch manager, entered the barn carrying a heavy coil of rope looped over one shoulder.
The man wrote a new definition of the word rugged. His unsmiling mouth accentuated his five-o’clock shadow. Or maybe it was the other way around. His arms were streaked with dirt and sweat from the hard work he’d already put in at this early hour. And the tendons bulged as he lowered the rope from his shoulder.
“How many pulleys you need, Doc?”
Demi met his gaze. “Six to start with. We may need to add two more, along with more ropes. It just depends.”
He gave her a brisk, no-nonsense nod. “Be right back.” He strode out of the barn again.
