Doc chuckled as he tied off the last of the sutures. “You two make a good team.” He looked back long enough to throw a wink my direction.
Sudden heat nipped at my ears.
Jocelyn laughed. “I think I’ll retire from my short-lived career as a cattle doula, thank you very much. While the babies are adorable, the birthing process is, uh, not.” She looked down at her hands and the front of her clothes.
Not much I could do about her clothes, but we both could use a good scrubbing.
As if reading my mind, Doc indicated the barn with his head. “Go on. I’ll release mama here and make sure she mothers up to the calf, cleans him, and he gets to his feet and starts nursing.”
Jocelyn followed me to the free-standing sink along the far wall of the barn. I turned on the water then stood back so she could wash up first. Suds formed past her elbows as she lathered soap on every available inch of surface along her arms. She rinsed then stepped out of the way to give me a turn.
“I’ve never witnessed anything so…” She wiped her hands on a blue towel that had seen better days while she searched for the right word.
I scrubbed soap between my fingers. “Terrifying?”
“Incredible.” She handed me the towel after I turned the faucet off. “I mean, yes, eww, but also aww.”
My movements slowed. “Are you saying you’ve never seen an animal give birth before?”
She shook her head.
“Not even a pet?”
“I’ve never had a pet.”
Never had a—
A doggie sneeze sounded from the corner, followed by a noisy yawn. Scout rose and stretched then ambled over to Jocelyn, plopping down again at her feet. The traitor looked up at her with adoring eyes as if to sayI’ll be your pet.
Jocelyn tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say thank you. For letting me experience that. I’ll never forget it.” She turned to go then stopped. “Almost forgot the whole reason I came out here to begin with.”
Took me a second to remember as well. “Domino.”
“Right. Is it weird for a person who’s never had a pet to fall so completely in love with a horse”—Scout whined and she looked down at him with a smile—“and a dog?” She looked at me expectantly.
Shoot. What should I say in return?
She waved a hand. “Never mind. That’s not what I wanted to talk about either. The thing is, I don’t actually have five-thousand dollars on hand. I can get it though, so don’t think I’m backing out of our deal. Or Betsy said something about people leasing horses, but I told her Domino wasn’t a Toyota.”
“He’s more of a Ram classic.”
The corners of her eyes crinkled. “Funny.”
“I’ll talk it over with Nate, but I’m sure he’d be thrilled with the idea of a lease.” I, on the other hand, had come to the opposite conclusion. Her continued presence at the ranch would be nothing more than sweet agony, and I had no intention of torturing myself. Which was why I needed to succeed where I’d failed thus far in putting as much space between the two of us as possible until she returned to the city.
17
Jocelyn
“Can you hang back for a second, Jocelyn?” Jayden looked up at me from the stack of papers he shuffled on the large oak dining table we’d commandeered yet again to hold another staff meeting.
I got it. We were here on a corporate retreat, after all, so a modicum of mini-seminars and gatherings were expected, but I couldn’t help it if my patience for Jayden’s lack of leadership skills had worn thinner than a middle-aged man’s receding hairline.
I schooled my facial muscles into blasé compliance so as not to alert my boss to my rising irritation in his lack of abilities. “Sure thing.”
Bill gathered his briefcase, and Sam followed him out, talking about how nice it would be to bring a fishing pole back to the river. Donald glanced back at me then shuffled his gaze to Jayden, his brows pulling together to form a ridge over his eyes. Tonya pushed him on the shoulder, and the two exited. Henry dashed out without a backward glance.
Jayden’s sigh travelled around the room like the pace car at a Formula 1 race. When the breath of air made it full circle, his words shot from his mouth. “I hope you won’t report Henry to HR.”
