If I told Lemon or Silas how I was feeling, they’d tell me to choose vet school over Blue. Well, Lemon probably wouldn’t. But Silas definitely would. I was a big girl. I could figure it out on my own. But I sure could’ve used Momma’s listening ear right then. And her advice.
I shoved the barn door open, and slid it just far enough to slip inside, before closing it behind me. It was too cold to leave it cracked even a little.
“Anna!” James, my four-and-a-half year old cousin-brother, waved when he saw me. He ran over and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward Fred and the group of people surrounding him.
“Oh, am I not walking fast enough for you?” I laughed.
“Come see! Come see!” James’s little cowboy boots kicked up dust with every step he took. His tiny Wranglers always made me laugh. And his wavy brown hair and cowboy hat. He was basically a mini clone of Silas—and not just in body. This kid would’ve ditched any and every activity to hang out with the horses, just like his dad.
“Ah, Anna.” Dr. Atkins waved, beaming proudly at me. The sixty-year-old gentleman had taken me under his wing in high school, giving me hundreds of hours of volunteer time, and every bit of knowledge my brain could possibly hold.
Holden, Silas, Ashton, and Gramps were there too. All wearing their boots and cowboy hats. Along with adorable towhead Liam, Holden’s three-year-old boy. I shoved my hands into my back pockets and walked toward them.
“AnnaMation.”
“AnnaTomic.”
“AnnaGeddon.”
My uncles called out.
“Hey, sugar pie,” Gramps said, stepping toward me, his warm eyes twinkling. He placed a whiskered kiss to my cheek.
“Hey, Gramps.” I squeezed him tight. Hugging Gramps always felt like safety and peace. “Hey, everybody.” I waved. They grinned. Good gracious, the men in my life were so good. How could I ask for better than the men in this room?
As if the universe heard my question, the barn door slid open and Blue walked in. My heart stuttered as he came toward us. But it always did that whenever I saw him. His smile was present but not enough for the dimple to appear. I frowned. The way he was walking, slightly hunched over, looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The round of greetings started all over. They slapped Blue on the back, made small talk about his upcoming bowl game, and just generally gave him a hard time.
I reached for his hand. “Can you stay a few minutes? This should be pretty cool.” He was on his way back to Knoxville. He’d stopped to say goodbye.
“Yeah.” He pecked me on the mouth. “Of course.”
My head tilted as I studied him. He looked worn out. “Are you okay?” I whispered.
He gave me a soft smile. “Yeah. Just didn’t get enough sleep last night.” Then he kissed me on the cheek.
Dr. Atkins looked up from where he was kneeling, getting supplies out of his toolbox. “Who’s this?”
I smiled. “Uh, this is Blue Bishop. My boyfriend.”
“Ooh,” Dr. Atkins nodded, with a surprised look. “Blue Bishop, the Knoxville Mountaineers quarterback?”
“Yes, sir.” Blue smiled but it looked forced. Still no dimple.
I rubbed my fingers over his knuckles. “Blue, this is Dr. Atkins. He’s the vet here in Seddledowne.”
Blue nodded. “I remember.” And then it clicked in my mind. Blue had gone with me a few times in high school when I’d volunteered at the clinic. Looked like his memory was doing better than mine.
James tugged on my hand. I let go of Blue and let him lead me to Fred. “Look.” He pointed to a massive bulge in Fred’s coat right over his left shoulder. It looked like there was a gallon of loose liquid just hanging out with nowhere to go.
“Geez.” I whistled. “Gramps, why’d you let it get so big?”
“Just woke up this morning and there it was.” He shrugged. “It looks like one of the other horses bit him.” He clicked his tongue. “Probably Maisy. She has a thing against poor Fred.”
“Sometimes it happens.” Dr. Atkins rubbed his hands together, his eyes dancing. “Been waiting for you to get here,” he said to me. “James helped me give Fred a local.” James puffed his chest proudly. Dr. Atkins smiled. “But I thought you’d like to make the incision. It’ll be good practice for vet school.”
Blue’s gaze flashed to me and I made sure not to meet it. My face heated and I turned quickly. I hurried over to the sink by the wall, turning the water up to full heat. Then I scrubbed my hands, getting between each finger the way Dr. Atkins had taught me. I ripped two latex gloves from the box he was offering and peeled them over my fingers, stretching to situate them just right. I held my hand out so he could place the scalpel handle in my palm.
