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“Come on, just one more big push,” I whisper.
Thunder gives a grunt, and I see the muscles in her belly spasm. Hard.
“She’s out,” Nora says.
I glance back, and sure enough, there’s a second foal lying in the stall. It’s small, but when it holds its little head up, it looks… fine.
I whistle. “Hell of a horse you got here!”
Thunder whickers, clearly taking the compliment.
I straighten, letting Thunder move to her babies. She seems baffled for a minute, looking at both of them, then noses one, then the other, to stand. Shakily, they both do.
I nod to Nora. “Let’s call the vet.”
“The vet won’t come in here without help,” she says, looking at the three horses.
“Don’t tell me they’re afraid of Thunder, too?” Nora shoots me a look, and I laugh. “Come on,” I say, gesturing to the stall door. “Seems to me Thunder has this handled.”
Cautiously, Nora edges around the mare and comes out into the barn with me. We close the door lightly. The gelding and another mare have their heads poked out over their stalls. I pet one, then the other, letting her sniff my hand.
“When’s she due?” I look at the mare.
“We don’t really know,” Nora says stiffly.
I turn. “When did you breed her?”
“We didn’t. On purpose,” she mutters.
A lightbulb goes off in my head. “Storm, you asshole,” I murmur, petting the mare. “I take it she was out in that far pasture near Wild Spur?”
“Maybe.”
I shake my head, looking at Nora. “Look, I won’t take the foal from you. It was an accident, one that is partly my fault. I need to keep Storm on a better schedule and make sure that the ranch hands know where he is at all times.”
Giving me a very suspicious glance, Nora frowns. “Even with the fence?”
“Even with the fence.”
Steadying for a minute, she gives a sharp nod. “Good. Okay. Um…”
I freeze. “Yes?”
“Thank you, Clint,” she whispers. With that, she turns on her heels and sprints for the house.
I pet the horses one more time before I head out to find Richard.
Delivering foals is not my preferred activity. It’s always scary. Always something that gets my blood going, and after, I pretty much always need a drink. I’m hopeful that I can talk the guys into going to the one bar in town tonight, because I need a little winding down after all that.
Delivering foals is not fun. But Nora’s gratitude? I could get used to that.
CHAPTER 10
Nora
“You’ll never guess where I am,” Kendall says to me on the phone.
I’ve showered about a hundred times, but I still feel gross. I’ve helped cows and horses give birth before, sure, but it doesn’t mean I relish the experience. Definitely chose to not go to vet school for a reason.
