“I think she just remembers me.” His voice is full of warmth, and it almost feels too personal for a moment. I’m glad my back is to him. “She was mine, back when I still lived here. I was actually the one who broke her, back when I was a kid. I never had a bond like that with another horse.”
My hand stills as surprise washes over me. I never knew she was Wayne’s.
“Do you still ride?” I ask.
Something about this conversation feels intimate in a way I wasn’t expecting. I’ve never seen this side of Wayne before.
“I haven’t since I left home,” he says sadly. “No time out in Billings, and no space either. It’s one of the few things I really miss from living here. I went for a ride with Milky almost as soon as I got back.”
Milky shifts as I brush over a pebble, and I wince in sympathy. It’s stuck halfway between the shoe and the sole, and I can tell immediately that it’s what’s been causing her the discomfort.
“She’s got a rock stuck in her shoe,” I say, as I flip the hoof pick in my hand so I can use the metal pick to slowly ease the rock loose. “Keep her steady for me.”
Wayne whispers quietly to the mare as I slowly wiggle the pebble free. It clatters to the ground beneath us, and I swear Milky breathes a sigh of relief.
“There’s not much damage. No abscessing or swelling.” I brush the remaining mud away and take a closer look at the slight indent left behind. “I’ll put some antibiotic cream on it and keep an eye on it, but she should be fine in a few days. If she gets about a week off from riding, she should be all good. She doesn’t need to be stall-bound.”
I slide the hoof pick back into the bag on my belt and grab the tube of ointment. Wayne praises Milky as I smear a healthy glob of the cream into the dent and the surrounding areas. I guide her hoof back down before straightening up and turning to Wayne.
His face is so soft and affectionate, and the warmth in his eyes doesn’t falter when he looks away from Milky and meets my gaze.
“Thanks for taking care of her,” he says, with a hint of awkwardness in his tone—like he’s self-conscious about speaking like a normal person. “We went out on the creek trail yesterday, and I’m pretty sure that’s when it happened. I wrote it on your board, I hope that’s okay.”
Now that I think about it, the handwriting was different on the whiteboard in the office. I keep track of all the animals on it, but I leave a section free for everyone to jot notes down if they need me to look at someone specific. It’s easier than trying to find each other on the ranch, especially when things get busy. I just assumed it was one of the ranch hands who’d written it.
“Yeah, absolutely.” I don’t know why it’s such a surprise to know he actually cares about the animals here, but I always assumed he was kind of ambivalent. “I’d rather know than wait for it to become an issue. And it got taken care of today, so that’s great.”
He unclips her from the cross ties as I pack the rest of my things back into my medicine bag. I was expecting this to be a bigger issue than it was, especially considering how feisty she can get. I reorganize my bag as Wayne leads her back to her stall and gets her settled.
“So how long have you been a vet?” he asks, as he grabs a flake of hay for Milky.
I’m still unsettled to be having an everyday conversation with this guy. It’s a whole new side of him. But I feel surprisingly comfortable responding.
“I started as a tech in my senior year of the high school,” I say, watching in disbelief at how natural he looks as he pets down her forelock. “I’m finishing my practicum in bovine surgery this year, but I got my license to practice with large animals last year. It was rough to start out, but I like working with large game. It’s a lot more relaxing than working with companion animals. Less, people to deal with.”
“I hear that.” He grins. “I could use a few less people in my line of work.”
He turns his attention back to Milky when she pokes her head out of the stall and rubs his hand down her face. Thinking more on it, I recall that Jenny did say he’s been way more involved in everything the last few days, going through all the contracts they’ve been working on, and keeping track of the finances. Based on what I’m seeing today, though, he’s even been picking up the slack around the ranch, getting his hands dirty and putting in real work.
I’m not quite sure what’s gotten into him recently, but seeing him take some initiative and act less like a frat boy is kind of attractive.
“I have a feeling your clients are almost as annoying as mine,” I say with a laugh.
He chuckles, shaking his head.
“At least mine only ignore me about their finances and what to admit to in court,” he says. “I can’t imagine the shit all the old hats in town gave you when you started practicing. They’re pretty stuck in their ways.”
“They were all pretty good, actually,” I say, smiling fondly. “It’s the younger folks that think they know everything. Most of the roughnecks like me well enough. They’re protective of me, especially since they’ve known me since I was in high school.”
“God, I can’t imagine working that hard back in high school. I didn’t even know you were doing all that,” he says. “That’s really impressive.”
“I mean, you didn’t know anything about me in high school,” I point out, keeping my voice teasing. “We only ever talked when you were bullying me.”
Wayne winces, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. He looks ashamed and uncomfortable, but hewasa pretty massive jerk. I let him sit in that self-consciousness for a bit. He can deal with it for a little while. I had to deal with it all through school.
“You’re right, and I’m sorry,” he says, finally. “I’ve been a dick for pretty much the entire time we’ve known each other.”
That’s a hell of an understatement, but I’m just surprised he’s actually acknowledging it. “Thanks,” I say.
