The Lonesome Rancher / Finding Happily-Ever-After: The Lonesome Rancher. Marie Ferrarella

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      “I’m sure your mother would be willing to help you find someone.”

      Had that been the reason Louisa was so eager to have Jade here? Well, darn. Was his mother playing matchmaker?

      He shook off the thought. “Are you at least coming home to meet Mother’s new nurse?”

      “I’m sure you hired a competent person.” Commotion came over the line and his father said, “Look, Sloan, I’ve got to go. They need me back in the chamber.”

      As soon as Sloan hung up, the phone from the barn rang. “Yeah, Bud. What do you need?”

      “An extra pair of hands. Polly is having trouble with her foal. The vet is on his way, but it looks to be an hour or so before he gets here.”

      “I’ll be right down.” Sloan came around the desk and was headed out when he saw Jade Hamilton coming down the staircase.

      “Mr. Merrick, may I talk with you? It’s about your mother’s schedule.”

      “It’ll have to be later.” He hurried down the hall, past the dining room and through the kitchen. He grabbed his hat off the peg at the back door and turned around.

      “This is important.”

      “Do you think I don’t know that? But this ranch is my responsibility, too. Right now there are other pressing matters I need to look into.” He paused. Maybe he should show her what life was like out here. “Unless you want to help.”

      She looked up at him with those big green eyes. “At what?”

      He had trouble turning away, but knew he’d better. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. “I have a foal to deliver.”

      “You’re kidding. You want my help.”

      “You are a nurse, aren’t you?” He walked at a fast pace but she managed to keep up as he hurried down the road to the barn. “Polly is having some trouble. No vet around to help, so you’re all I got.”

      Before Jade could say any more, he nudged her inside the large structure. The place smelled of horses and fresh straw, but everything was neat and orderly, the way he liked things. They continued down a wide center aisle, past several stalls until they reached the large birthing pen in the corner.

      His mare was already down in fresh straw, and her breathing was labored. “Hey, Bud. Has there been any change?”

      The foreman shook his head. “She hasn’t made any progress.”

      Jade looked at the large rust-colored animal. Okay, she was out of her element with this, but she found she couldn’t just stand there, either. She stepped through the gate and went to the horse’s head, knelt down and began to stroke her neck. “Hey, there, girl. It’s not going too well, is it?” She glanced at Sloan. “Well, it’ll be over soon.”

      He felt a strange connection with her. As if they could handle this together.

      He quickly turned toward his foreman. “Bud, this is Mother’s nurse, Jade Hamilton. Jade, Bud.”

      “Ma’am,” he said in greeting.

      “Hello, Bud.”

      The horse raised its head and whinnied as if to say, “What about me?”

      Rolling up his sleeves, Sloan washed up and poured disinfectant on his hands and arms. He looked at Jade, finding she was helping. “Keep doing what you’re doing. I need her to stay calm.”

      Jade nodded.

      He knelt down by the horse’s tail and began talking softly to the horse. After another contraction eased, he reached inside the animal and soon said, “Got it. I have a front leg.” He worked hard over the next few minutes to help progress things. Sweat beaded on his face. “Yeah, there’s the other.”

      Jade kept talking to Polly.

      “Get behind me, Bud, and help.”

      The foreman wasn’t as big as Sloan, but he wrapped his muscular arms around Sloan’s middle, dug his boots into the floor and together they pulled. Their work began to pay off when the hooves appeared. “Come on, Polly, help us here,” Sloan groaned. There was another contraction and more of the legs showed, then a muzzle.

      “Well, looky here,” Bud said.

      “Come on, sweetheart.” Jade got into the act. “Let’s show ‘em what you can do.”

      With another hard tug from Sloan, the foal was out. He released the legs and let both mama and baby rest. “It’s a filly.”

      A cheer went up in the gallery as some of the ranch hands began to gather around. “Great job, boss.”

      “Great job, Polly,” Jade added as she continued to stroke the exhausted animal.

      Sloan’s gaze caught hers. “I guess this wasn’t in your job description, huh?”

      She smiled. “I guess not, but I’d call it an added bonus. I’ve seen my share of babies being born, but nothing like this. Thank you.”

      He seemed surprised by her words. “You’re welcome.”

      Jade climbed to her feet and brushed off her slacks, not caring she’d probably ruined her best pair.

      Sloan was washing off when he handed Jade a towel. “You want to do the honors?” He nodded to the filly.

      They turned toward the foal as she was starting to stand. Jade began to wipe the animal down. Then Sloan pulled her back as the mare decided to stand up.

      “Be careful,” he warned. “Polly is gentle but she’s also a new mama.” They moved toward the other side of the pen, and finished the job on the foal, then nudged her toward her mother’s tit to feed.

      “Good job, Miss Jade,” Bud said, coming up to her. “I think Polly liked having another female around.”

      “Thank you,” she acknowledged to the older man who looked as if he’d spent years in the sun.

      “Hey, what about me?” Sloan said. “I had something to do with the birthing.”

      “And you had my help, kid. Remember I had all the muscle behind you.” He smiled brightly, showing off the lines around his eyes.

      “And I was holding on to a slippery foal.”

      Jade could easily see the closeness of the two men. It was obvious how much they cared about each other. She hadn’t experienced many friendships outside her mother, and Jim Hamilton had been gone from her life shortly after Jade’s arrival.

      Renee had health issues by the time Jade reached high school. She hadn’t had the time for friends with her mother’s advancing MS.

      Even when Jade began her career, she’d still spent more time with her mother than friends, except Carrie Bradley. Even Carrie had caused СКАЧАТЬ