tell if it was OK.
“What makes you think she’s not right?” Ciara asked.
“Just a feeling,” he said. “I know it sounds lame, but I’ve had Sapphire for about seven months. She was in a bad way, the foal came as a surprise, but I fed her up and nurtured her back to health. I’ve spent a lot of time with her. As I said, as a vet, you wouldn’t understand. But it’s a feeling I have.”
“So you have a strong bond with her?” Ciara could feel herself softening to him. That spelled danger.
“Yes. Very.” He rubbed Sapphire’s head and the mare rubbed him right back, as if comforted by his presence.
“Have you changed anything about her routine? Feed, friends, horses get very attached to others. You haven’t brought her in away from the herd she mixes with?”
“No.” He looked over his shoulder. “She’s friends with the old pony over there, Minty. He was here when I took on the farm. I put them together because he would be quiet and not bother her. They have become fine friends.”
Ciara stared at Sapphire for a few minutes. “I can examine her internally, but with nothing concrete to go on, it’s a hard call. I don’t want to hurt or upset her, or the foal.”
“Is there nothing you can give her? A pick-me-up?”
“I don’t want to treat her with the wrong thing.” Ciara moved around to the front of Sapphire, becoming very aware of the man’s presence, so close to her. “I just need to check her gums, see if she’s anaemic. The foal is taking a lot of goodness from her.”
He shifted one step to the side, still too close for her beating heart. And then he did something she hadn’t expected; he breathed in her scent. She closed her eyes, waiting for his reaction.
Chapter Two – Ryan
There was something about her, despite the ridiculous mask she wore over her face to stop him looking at her. It had started as a slight tingle along his spine, something he had never experienced before around a woman. It was deeper, more profound than pure sexual tension. He was sure of that; after all, she had a facemask on, and there was nothing remotely sexy or alluring about that, especially since she kept her face averted from his.
He had longed to take hold of her and make her face him, but he didn’t want to behave inappropriately towards her. She had come out here to treat Sapphire, a mare he had found tied up in a field of mud a few months back, beaten by her owner. He had paid well over her market value, just to be able to get her back to his ranch.
It had taken him some time to nurse her back to health, and then to regain her trust. But they had made tremendous progress together. He was about to start riding her, figuring she would be amazing to take up over the green mountain pastures to round up his cattle, when he discovered she was pregnant.
Now he knew there was something wrong with her; he simply needed this vet to quit messing around and take her job seriously. He knew he sounded crazy saying he just had a sense there was something wrong. But what else could he say? “I know these things because I have animal senses?”
He breathed her in, catching him by surprise. Maybe she would understand. Because her scent told him all he needed to know. It also made it clear why she had behaved so oddly. She was his mate, and she was avoiding letting him know that.
But why?
Chapter Three – Ciara
The pull of him was almost too much. He knew, she had no doubt about that. But what was he going to do about it? If she just carried on and didn’t mention it, maybe he wouldn’t either. She could treat his mare and then leave; no one would know. Would it really be that simple?
“She doesn’t appear to be anaemic,” Ciara said, lowering the mare’s head. She patted the horse on the neck, feeling the strong heartbeat as she ran her hand over her chest. Sapphire turned to her, an acknowledgement in her eyes. Ciara tried to shut her out. She was no use to Sapphire at this moment,
“What makes you think she’s not right?” Ciara asked.
“Just a feeling,” he said. “I know it sounds lame, but I’ve had Sapphire for about seven months. She was in a bad way, the foal came as a surprise, but I fed her up and nurtured her back to health. I’ve spent a lot of time with her. As I said, as a vet, you wouldn’t understand. But it’s a feeling I have.”
“So you have a strong bond with her?” Ciara could feel herself softening to him. That spelled danger.
“Yes. Very.” He rubbed Sapphire’s head and the mare rubbed him right back, as if comforted by his presence.
“Have you changed anything about her routine? Feed, friends, horses get very attached to others. You haven’t brought her in away from the herd she mixes with?”
“No.” He looked over his shoulder. “She’s friends with the old pony over there, Minty. He was here when I took on the farm. I put them together because he would be quiet and not bother her. They have become fine friends.”
Ciara stared at Sapphire for a few minutes. “I can examine her internally, but with nothing concrete to go on, it’s a hard call. I don’t want to hurt or upset her, or the foal.”
“Is there nothing you can give her? A pick-me-up?”
“I don’t want to treat her with the wrong thing.” Ciara moved around to the front of Sapphire, becoming very aware of the man’s presence, so close to her. “I just need to check her gums, see if she’s anaemic. The foal is taking a lot of goodness from her.”
He shifted one step to the side, still too close for her beating heart. And then he did something she hadn’t expected; he breathed in her scent. She closed her eyes, waiting for his reaction.
Chapter Two – Ryan
There was something about her, despite the ridiculous mask she wore over her face to stop him looking at her. It had started as a slight tingle along his spine, something he had never experienced before around a woman. It was deeper, more profound than pure sexual tension. He was sure of that; after all, she had a facemask on, and there was nothing remotely sexy or alluring about that, especially since she kept her face averted from his.
He had longed to take hold of her and make her face him, but he didn’t want to behave inappropriately towards her. She had come out here to treat Sapphire, a mare he had found tied up in a field of mud a few months back, beaten by her owner. He had paid well over her market value, just to be able to get her back to his ranch.
It had taken him some time to nurse her back to health, and then to regain her trust. But they had made tremendous progress together. He was about to start riding her, figuring she would be amazing to take up over the green mountain pastures to round up his cattle, when he discovered she was pregnant.
Now he knew there was something wrong with her; he simply needed this vet to quit messing around and take her job seriously. He knew he sounded crazy saying he just had a sense there was something wrong. But what else could he say? “I know these things because I have animal senses?”
He breathed her in, catching him by surprise. Maybe she would understand. Because her scent told him all he needed to know. It also made it clear why she had behaved so oddly. She was his mate, and she was avoiding letting him know that.
But why?
Chapter Three – Ciara
The pull of him was almost too much. He knew, she had no doubt about that. But what was he going to do about it? If she just carried on and didn’t mention it, maybe he wouldn’t either. She could treat his mare and then leave; no one would know. Would it really be that simple?
“She doesn’t appear to be anaemic,” Ciara said, lowering the mare’s head. She patted the horse on the neck, feeling the strong heartbeat as she ran her hand over her chest. Sapphire turned to her, an acknowledgement in her eyes. Ciara tried to shut her out. She was no use to Sapphire at this moment,
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