Shoreline Drive by Lily Everett

cleared her throat. “That’s okay, Sam, no need to cover for me. I’ve mentioned you to Merry and her sister before.” She paused, her eyes focused on Merry’s face. “When I told you about how I got my start learning about therapeutic riding and equine-assisted therapy.”
    Ben saw the moment the light bulb flared bright in Merry’s brain. “Sam! With the horse-rescue program! He helped you during rehab.”
    Holding her head high and her gaze steady, Jo nodded. “That’s right. Sam’s the best—he’s one of the good guys, I promise you.”
    That had Merry flushing faintly and offering Sam a sheepish smile. “Oh, geez. I’m sorry for the way I yelled at you, before.”
    Sam shrugged. “No worries. I’ve had worse, believe me. Now Doc, what do you think? I can’t promise you’ll get out of this with no broken bones—Java is a wild and woolly one.”
    Relieved to be called back to his main purpose, Ben allowed everything to drain from his consciousness except for the overriding need to figure out where the animal’s pain was coming from and how to make it stop.
    “First, a little more context from you,” he said briskly, setting his medical kit on the large chest to the left of the stall door. “I understand you acquired the animal very recently, but tell me everything you know about the conditions he’s been kept in. The more complete a patient history I have, the more I’ll be able to focus my attention on the likely danger areas.”
    Ben’s head was bent over his notebook, all his attention absorbed in organizing his notes and the questions he’d need to ask to be sure and get all the relevant details—so when Merry’s slender hand landed on his arm, he was startled. The wink of his grandmother’s diamond on her ring finger shot through him like an arrow made of heat and anticipation.
    Gripping his elbow with surprising force, Merry tugged until Ben turned to face her. “Ben, wait. I have a bad feeling about this. It sounds really risky.”
    “This is what I do,” he reminded her even as the concerned frown between her drawn brows warmed him down to his core. “That horse needs my help.”
    “I know.” She flinched as Java punctuated her unhappy words with a ferocious snort and another slamming kick to the wall of the stall. “And I know you’ll do everything you can to help him. But surely there’s a procedure for this kind of thing—I mean, that poor horse is out of his mind with terror. Can’t you tranq him or something, just to make him be still?”
    “I can’t risk a tranquilizer before I have a better idea of his general condition,” Ben told her, as gently as he could. She seemed honestly worried, which was a novel enough experience on its own to have Ben’s heart racing. “Plus, he’s clearly severely malnourished, which could affect the strength of whatever drugs I give him.”
    Merry ducked her head, dropping her hand away from his arm. Ben immediately missed the pressure of her fingers. “I get it. It’s fine, do your thing.”
    “I’ll be careful.” That was the most Ben felt he could safely promise, and it was enough to make Merry meet his eyes. Reading the lingering fear there, Ben risked a small, teasing smile. “Don’t worry—you’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”
    Behind them, a short, sharp gasp reminded Ben that they were not, in fact, the only two people in the world—let alone the only two people in the Windy Corner stables. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Jo Ellen’s eyes riveted to her daughter’s left hand.
    Crap. The timing could be better, Ben knew. This was all happening a little more quickly than he’d anticipated.
    “Ah,” said Sam Brennan, in his deep, even-tempered drawl. “Looks like congratulations are in order.”
    “Merry?” asked Jo faintly. “What’s going on?”
    *   *   *
    When Merry was thirteen, she’d been caught shoplifting underwear from Victoria’s Secret. Facing her mother’s white, tense