Another emergency? A chance to see Sam? It was ridiculous that the two thoughts held equal weight. She needed to figure a few things out here. Like why she couldn’t get this guy out of her head?
She exited the ranch truck, which she’d driven in case it snowed again, and went straight to the barn. Sam was in a pen, tending to a new calf. He glanced up when the door opened, then pulled a long tube out of the calf’s throat. The mother was still down.
“Yep, the incompetent vet is here, saving the day.” Sam rolled up the tube as he spoke.
Jodie approached the pen and Sam looked at her through the rails. “Lucas said none of the heifers were ready.”
“Cows are contrary creatures.”
She eyed the tube, but didn’t ask questions.
“Just a precaution,” Sam said. He climbed the rails and dropped onto the other side, the tube and an empty bag in hand. “I’ve got to check this other cow.”
Jodie started for the door. She had groceries to bring into the house, and since there was no emergency, she had no reason to hang around. She’d gone only a few feet when Sam let out a shout and the corral panels rattled. She whirled around, expecting to see him lying on the ground and the cow stomping him, but instead he had both hands pressed to his side, cursing and grimacing in pain. The cow was a few feet away, switching her tail, her eyes fixed on him in a belligerent bovine glare. Jodie had no idea what had just happened.
“Are you all right?” she asked, thinking even as she spoke that that was one stupid question. No, he wasn’t all right.
“Ever heard of a cow kick?” he said through clenched teeth. “Get Lucas, okay? I need some help with this heifer.”
“Get out of the pen, Sam. She doesn’t look friendly.”
The cow was eyeing him in a way that was not at all pleasant. Sam exhaled heavily, then, keeping one eye on the animal, whose tail swung back and forth rhythmically, he painfully climbed over the panels. Jodie automatically went to help him down off the rails, her hands dropping away from his solid back when he regained his footing and once again put pressure on his side.
Jodie’s pulse was racing and she took a deep, steadying breath. Everything had happened so fast. She had never thought about how quickly the doctor could become the patient when a nasty cow was involved. The heifer snorted from her stall as if to emphasize the point.
“You’re not going back in there,” Jodie said.
Sam nodded in agreement, his hand still pressed firmly to his injury. “We’ll put her in the squeeze chute.”
“How badly did she get you? Let me see.”
“I thought you didn’t like blood.” Her eyes flashed to his face. She must have looked like she was going to either pass out or render first aid, because Sam’s expression changed. “No external bleeding,” he said. “Just one hell of a hematoma.”
“She didn’t hit anything…vital.”
He stared at Jodie for a moment, then a pained smile twisted his lips. “I think I’d know.”
“I didn’t mean… I meant an organ or something, not your…”
Sam met her eyes and the faint flicker of awareness between them was no longer so faint. Jodie felt a tumbling sensation deep inside. It had been so long since she’d found a man attractive—really attractive—and even longer since she’d slept with a guy.
“I’m fine,” he said. “I just need Lucas to help me get this cow into the squeeze.”
“Let me see what she did,” Jodie insisted, “for legal reasons. I can’t have you suing me later for injuries received on my property.”
“That’s your modus operandi, not mine.” But he gamely lifted his jacket and pulled his shirttails up out of his overalls, exposing his side.
She swallowed hard when she saw the ugly purplish swelling where blood was gathering under the skin. “You need to get some ice on this.” She swore the bruise was growing larger as she watched.
“It’ll be all right.” He spoke
She exited the ranch truck, which she’d driven in case it snowed again, and went straight to the barn. Sam was in a pen, tending to a new calf. He glanced up when the door opened, then pulled a long tube out of the calf’s throat. The mother was still down.
“Yep, the incompetent vet is here, saving the day.” Sam rolled up the tube as he spoke.
Jodie approached the pen and Sam looked at her through the rails. “Lucas said none of the heifers were ready.”
“Cows are contrary creatures.”
She eyed the tube, but didn’t ask questions.
“Just a precaution,” Sam said. He climbed the rails and dropped onto the other side, the tube and an empty bag in hand. “I’ve got to check this other cow.”
Jodie started for the door. She had groceries to bring into the house, and since there was no emergency, she had no reason to hang around. She’d gone only a few feet when Sam let out a shout and the corral panels rattled. She whirled around, expecting to see him lying on the ground and the cow stomping him, but instead he had both hands pressed to his side, cursing and grimacing in pain. The cow was a few feet away, switching her tail, her eyes fixed on him in a belligerent bovine glare. Jodie had no idea what had just happened.
“Are you all right?” she asked, thinking even as she spoke that that was one stupid question. No, he wasn’t all right.
“Ever heard of a cow kick?” he said through clenched teeth. “Get Lucas, okay? I need some help with this heifer.”
“Get out of the pen, Sam. She doesn’t look friendly.”
The cow was eyeing him in a way that was not at all pleasant. Sam exhaled heavily, then, keeping one eye on the animal, whose tail swung back and forth rhythmically, he painfully climbed over the panels. Jodie automatically went to help him down off the rails, her hands dropping away from his solid back when he regained his footing and once again put pressure on his side.
Jodie’s pulse was racing and she took a deep, steadying breath. Everything had happened so fast. She had never thought about how quickly the doctor could become the patient when a nasty cow was involved. The heifer snorted from her stall as if to emphasize the point.
“You’re not going back in there,” Jodie said.
Sam nodded in agreement, his hand still pressed firmly to his injury. “We’ll put her in the squeeze chute.”
“How badly did she get you? Let me see.”
“I thought you didn’t like blood.” Her eyes flashed to his face. She must have looked like she was going to either pass out or render first aid, because Sam’s expression changed. “No external bleeding,” he said. “Just one hell of a hematoma.”
“She didn’t hit anything…vital.”
He stared at Jodie for a moment, then a pained smile twisted his lips. “I think I’d know.”
“I didn’t mean… I meant an organ or something, not your…”
Sam met her eyes and the faint flicker of awareness between them was no longer so faint. Jodie felt a tumbling sensation deep inside. It had been so long since she’d found a man attractive—really attractive—and even longer since she’d slept with a guy.
“I’m fine,” he said. “I just need Lucas to help me get this cow into the squeeze.”
“Let me see what she did,” Jodie insisted, “for legal reasons. I can’t have you suing me later for injuries received on my property.”
“That’s your modus operandi, not mine.” But he gamely lifted his jacket and pulled his shirttails up out of his overalls, exposing his side.
She swallowed hard when she saw the ugly purplish swelling where blood was gathering under the skin. “You need to get some ice on this.” She swore the bruise was growing larger as she watched.
“It’ll be all right.” He spoke
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