Cowboy Doctor

“No. Darby. It’s only fifteen miles away, but I’m going to have to find someone else. There’s a good vet in Anaconda.”

“Isn’t that kind of far from here?”

“Yes, but I have to start somewhere.”

While he searched on the computer, she suddenly remembered something.

“John? On my way to Hamilton I passed a sign that said Clayton Veterinary Hospital. It’s right off the highway about fifteen minutes from here. Have you ever heard of it?”

He blinked. “I didn’t know it existed. You’re sure about that?”

“Yes. I slowed down because I didn’t remember seeing it when I came here for the interview in the spring. It has to be brand-new.”

“That’s very interesting. If that vet is a Clayton, then it’s probably their ranch’s vet who handles large animals.”

“What ranch is that?”

“The Clayton Cattle Ranch. They’re well-known around these parts. It’s worth a call to see if someone there can check out Chief this evening. He’s too valuable a horse to lose.”

John called information and before long she heard him talking to someone else. John outlined the situation before he handed her the phone. “Dr. Clayton wants you to tell him what you saw.”

With her heart pounding, she took it from him. “Hello? Dr. Clayton? This is Tracey Marcroft. I was out in the barn earlier. As I led Chief out to the corral, I noticed he was limping. I lifted his hoof and the second I touched the sole, he grunted in pain.”

“That sounds like it could be a solar abscess, a serious infection that can lead to acute or severe lameness,” he replied, in a deep male voice she felt resonate through her system. “Did you notice anything else?”

“No. At first I thought it might be something wrong with the shoe, but that wasn’t it.”

“Anything more you can think of?”

“His demeanor wasn’t normal. His ears weren’t up and he wouldn’t look at me.”

“Excellent observations. If that hoof can be healed in time, the horse owes its life to your quick thinking.” For no good reason his compliment caused a tingly sensation to sweep through her. “Let me talk to Mr. Hunter again.”

“Of course.”

She handed the phone to John. They talked a few more minutes and he gave the other man directions to the dude ranch before hanging up. “The doctor will be here in an hour.” He squeezed her hand. “Bless you for catching this, Tracey. Let’s hurry in to dinner, and then we’ll meet him at the barn.”

Chapter Two (#ua26c428b-bac2-554a-ade0-6686e0f6624d)

Roce hung up the phone and wheeled around on his stool. “Our first new patient, Daisy! Who would have thought it would happen on a Saturday night? It has to be some kind of miracle.”

He tossed the border collie–Lab mix a treat. Roce had inherited her from Hannah, whose family didn’t want the dog she’d adopted. After the funeral, Daisy had kept looking for her. It had torn his heart out and he’d decided to keep her for himself.

When he’d moved to the ranch, he’d brought her with him and they’d become fast friends. His whole family loved the dog, especially his brother Eli’s little girl, Libby. She was the daughter from his first marriage, before he’d married his present wife, Brianna.

Libby had regular visitation with her birth mother in town, but when she lived with Eli and Brianna on the ranch, she begged for her uncle Roce to bring his dog to the house.

After first leaving Missoula, Roce had stayed at the main ranch house with his mom. Libby came over all the time to play with Daisy. But when Roce moved into the renovated house down by the highway two months later, she’d wept buckets. He told her she could come to see Daisy anytime she wanted, but she couldn’t be consoled.

Once he’d made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he pulled on a navy long-sleeved hoodie over his jeans. After finding his doctor bag, he made certain he had all the necessary supplies, including Epsom salts and plenty of bandages.

Daisy made whimpering sounds because she knew he was going to leave. He tossed her another treat. “I’ll be back later.” He could hear her bark as he left the house and got in his dark red, four-door pickup truck.

Twenty minutes later, he turned onto the road leading up to the Rocky Point Dude Ranch. An impressive spread filled his vision. He wound around toward the barn he could see in the distance. As he pulled up to the entrance, he saw an older man and a woman with a knockout figure and long legs waiting for him.

Roce had gone through more attractive women in his life than he cared to admit. Maybe something was wrong with him that he hadn’t experienced that affair of the heart like his married brothers. But one thing was certain: when he jumped down from the cab and approached them, he knew that Tracey Marcroft was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen in his life.

In the fading light, her shoulder-length blond hair had a metallic sheen to it. Not silver, not gold, but something in between. Her eyes gleamed the lavender-blue color of larkspurs, flowers that grew in the meadows on the Clayton ranch. For a moment, his breath caught at the heavenly sight.

“Dr. Clayton.” The older man in the Stetson stepped forward and shook his hand. “I can’t thank you enough for coming. Wymon’s your brother, right?”

“Yes.”

“My son Sheldon and I met him at the rodeo last year.”

“Wymon’s head of the ranch now.”

“It’s a small world.” He shook his head. “Dr. Cruz, the veterinarian I’ve been using since our old one died, wasn’t available, so I took a chance on you.”

“Thank you for calling me. I’m pleased to be of help, Mr. Hunter.”

“I have Tracey here to thank for finding you. She just arrived for work today and happened to pass by your hospital on the way.”

Her gaze flicked to Roce. “It surprised me. I didn’t remember seeing it when I was here in the spring,” she explained.

“You wouldn’t have. I just set up my practice on the ranch last week, after moving from the hospital in Missoula.” He glanced at Mr. Hunter. “Why don’t you show me the horse so we can get him out of his pain?”

“Chief is in the third stall.”

As he followed the two of them inside the lighted barn, he found it impossible to keep his eyes off Tracey, and the way she moved wearing those cowboy boots.

Mr. Hunter showed him to the stall that housed the dun-colored animal. Roce lowered his bag and approached it. “Chief is a fine-looking quarter horse. They make ideal family horses, don’t they?”

“You’re right about that.”

Roce ran his hand gently over his back and down his right leg. “It’s all right, Chief.” He moved around in front of him. “Let’s take a look at that sore hoof.”

When he lifted it, the horse grunted, just as Tracey had said. By the way he held his body, Roce could tell he was in a serious amount of pain. His lower lip had gone tense and he didn’t blink. He was too uncomfortable.

With a little probing, Roce found the offending object. “This horse has a hot nail embedded in the wall. I have to get it out. If I could fill a bucket with warm water...and I’ll need my bag.”

“I’ll fill one,” Mr. Hunter declared.

“Here’s your bag.” Tracey brought it to him and knelt to open it. When she looked up, their eyes held. That’s when a wave of emotion foreign to anything he’d ever known swept through Roce’s body, with such power he was left shaken by the impact.

It was a miracle that he could concentrate on what he was doing while this beautiful woman, who smelled divine, stayed at his side and anticipated his needs.

He removed the nail, releasing the pus. It took a good hour to flush out the wound and soak the hoof in Epsom salts and water. Finally, Roce was able to wrap Chief’s foot.