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“I’ll relieve you at dawn?” I offer.
“Sounds good.”
I don’t know where I find the strength, but I scoop Macy into my arms and manage to get myself upright without collapsing us both.
“She’s really something, isn’t she?” Dr. Garrison says, admiration in his voice. Despite knowing it’s a harmless compliment from a peer, my hackles instantly rise, causing me to cradle her body even closer. He glances from her to me, exhaustion in his smile. “Maybe you can convince her to take me up on my offer. My wife would really like me home for dinner a couple nights a week.”
“What offer?” Paps asks before I can.
“I need another vet at the clinic.” My heart beats faster at the thought of Macy having a reason to stay in Emerald Creek. I was hopeful we could work a full-time vet into the animal sanctuary plan, but this would give her stability while we wait to find out. “I can’t keep up as it is. I have no idea how you ran things on your own for so long, Doc. I’m in awe of you.”
“It sure would be nice having Macy around,” Paps agrees, fighting another yawn.
“All right, it’s time to get these two some rest. I’ll be back in a few hours,” I say to Dr. Garrison.
I ride with Paps in the golf cart, holding onto Macy. He offers to drop us off at the smaller house, but I refuse to let him drive back to the main house alone. For once, he doesn’t argue. That unsettles me.
“I’ll relieve you mid-morning,” Paps says, waving me off. “Call me if there’s an emergency.”
I carry Macy back to my place and strip us out of clothes that are covered in who the hell knows from a night of delivering and caring for a premature foal. Though Macy’s able to stand on her own, her eyes fight to stay open and her forehead keeps resting against my shoulder. I hold onto her as I turn on the shower and finish undressing us both.
“Wh—what’s happening?” she yawns under the stream of hot water.
“I’m cleaning us up so we can get some sleep, sweetheart.”
“That’s all?” She manages to look up at me and raise an eyebrow, her hand circling my half hard cock and squeezing once.
“Can you blame me? I’m in the shower with my favorite naked woman.” I work shampoo through her hair as her hand falls away and she rests her cheek against my chest.
Once we’re out of the shower, I manage to slip one of my t-shirts over Macy’s head and carry her to the bedroom.
On the couch, I spot a gaggle of animals—Barney, Gumby, Herby, and Gertie.
“I’m too tired for this shit,” I grumble, though deep down I’m touched the gang was worried enough about Macy to show up and stick around. How Gertie escaped her pen is a mystery I’ll probably never solve. The cute little demon will keep me on my toes, that’s for sure. “You’re lucky I’m too tired to put you back tonight,” I say to the goat. “Don’t eat anything.” I look to the senior Great Pyrenees and add, “I’m putting you in charge of the circus tonight.”
Barney lets out a yawn and closes his eyes.
I kick open the bedroom door, throw back the covers, and tuck Macy into them. I crawl in behind her and pull her back against my chest. She nestles in, sighing happily, and drifts off to sleep. “Guess it took Molly having her baby early to keep you from running outta my bed, sweetheart.”
I kiss her temple and close my eyes.
I could get used to this. I want to get used to this. Tomorrow, when we know everything is good with Molly’s new baby, I’m going to tell Macy about my plan for the animal sanctuary. Then I’m going to risk spooking the wild animal I’ve worked so hard to tame and confess that I love her. Maybe—just maybe—it’ll be enough to convince her to stay.
CHAPTER 15
Macy
I have no concept of time when I wake, wrapped in a blanket of warm muscle. My hair’s damp, and I’m wearing a shirt that smells a whole lot like a certain cowboy I’ve been sneaking around with—clean linen, sandalwood, and country air.
There’s an orange cat curled at my feet, somebody’s snoring on the dog bed beside us, and the light of a full moon is bathing a sleeping, shirtless Ryder in a sexy glow. It takes me a few minutes to remember everything, but it comes back in pieces. Molly going into premature labor, four of us working tirelessly to ensure a safe delivery, Molly rejecting her foal for so long we almost lost hope. And then there was the scare when the baby’s temperature fell too low. But thankfully, with all of us there, everything turned out okay.
I dread to think what might’ve happened had Molly been out in the pasture and dropped her foal without any of us even knowing. I’m the one who made the call to bring her into her stall after all that pacing yesterday. I wanted to ensure it was easier to monitor her. The relief I feel at having made that decision is indescribable. I’ve made lots of calls on the spot in my short career, most of them good, a couple of them wrong. But with Molly, I just knew.
In another world, another lifetime, I’d toss aside my ten-year plan and stay in Emerald Creek to embrace this country life.
Turning in Ryder’s arms, I face the man who stayed by my side through it all. He was a little rusty on his horse birthing knowledge, but he took orders like the dutiful soldier he’ll always be. I vaguely remember being carried into the house, his fingers gentle in my hair as he helped me in the shower, and then Ryder telling someone not to eat anything as he carried me to bed.
I comb my fingers softly over his stubble-covered cheek, memorizing his handsome features. In only a couple of days, I’ll be on the road back to Fort Collins, picking up life right where I left off. Possibly starting a whole new chapter that’ll cement my ten-year plan into reality. But before that happens, I want to commit this time with him to memory.
