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“Hmm…convenient. This is the last time. You better meet me next month.”
“Or what?” she scoffs.
“I’ll take you to court and fight for more custody. I’ve already spoken to my lawyer and drafted up the papers, so don’t test me, Vivian.”
“Don’t you dare threaten me!” she snaps.
I lean in and whisper-hiss, “Then stop givin’ me a reason to! Especially if you’re gonna be drinking and partying while you have Olivia.”
“Get. Out,” she seethes, reeking of booze and nicotine.
“This better not happen again, Vivian. I won’t stop at fighting for more custody. I’ll fight for full rights.”
She barks out a laugh with a manic expression. “Good luck. I’m her mother.”
“Then start acting like it.”
“Mommy, look!” Olivia interrupts at the perfect moment, and I force out a smile as she shows her the drawing. “It’s me, Daddy, and Elle. We’re riding horses!” Her eyes light up, and I choke back my emotions. Right now, I only wish I could swoop in and take her back to Texas with me. Though I doubt Vivian would do anything about it, I don’t want to put Olivia in the middle of our fights. Taking her out of school in the middle of the year wouldn’t be fair, especially since the one thing she needs is stability.
“Who’s Elle?”
“Daddy’s friend.”
“She works with me,” I clarify. “Her family owns one of the ranches I go to.”
“Very nice picture, baby,” she praises Olivia, then glares at me. “Looks like I’m not the only one exposing our daughter to strange people.”
I narrow my eyes at Vivian, refusing to argue in front of Olivia. Kneeling, I give my daughter a hug and kiss goodbye.
“You call me anytime you wanna talk, okay? Day or night,” I tell her, hoping she understands what I’m saying. If Mommy is drunk off her ass again, call me right away.
“Okay, Daddy.” She hugs me, and I push back the emotions that overcome me.
“Love you, sweetheart.” I kiss the top of her head and stand, forcing myself to leave.
“Love you too, Dad!”
It takes almost the complete four-hour drive back to Eldorado for me to finally cool down. Though I’m still pissed, driving somewhat helped settle my nerves. I still plan to let my lawyer know about this so we can keep a timeline and notes in case things do escalate. I’ve only ever wanted what was best for Olivia, which is why I agreed to this custody arrangement in the first place, but now I don’t think her living with Vivian is best.
Right at dark and before I make it home, my phone rings with Elle’s name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Dr. Wallen, I need—” she cries out when static takes over the call. “She got out, and I’m pretty sure her front leg is—”
The line goes out again.
“Elizabeth! I can’t hear you,” I tell her.
“Spirit!” she shouts, and by her tone, I can tell she’s upset. “She got loose and is bleeding out.”
Fuck.
That’s her and Olivia’s favorite horse.
“Where are you?”
“East side of the ranch by the creek.”
I’m not familiar with the location because the ranch is huge, but I’ll figure it out.
“Keep applying pressure to the wound. Do you have any supplies with you?”
“Just a few things in my bag. I hadn’t restocked it since Thursday, but I gave her some pain meds.” Her voice trembles.
I’m not always in the office when I get emergency calls and have to be prepared for anything, so I keep a stocked bag with me.
“Alright, I'll be there as fast as I can.”
I hang up and call Gavin. He gives me directions and explains what happened.
“Grayson and Ethan were moving the horses into the corral when Jasper, the new one, and Spirit started fighting. She’s been territorial lately. Jasper bucked, and when Grayson was trying to calm him down, Spirit’s lead rope slipped out of his grip. Before Ethan could shut the gate, she bolted. I went out to look for her, and that’s when I found her on the ground by the creek. I called Elle, and she’s been hysterical ever since.”
Shaking my head, I curse at the situation. Elle’s tough, but she’s compassionate and sensitive when it comes to injured animals. I can only imagine what she’s feeling since it’s her family’s horse.
“Are you there with her now?” I ask.
“Yeah, keeping Spirit restrained while she examines her leg.” Then his voice lowers. “It’s broken. I don’t know what she did, but the gash is bleeding profusely, and the bone is visible. The meds seem to be working to keep Spirit calm.”
Shit. This isn’t good.
And it’s probably why Elle is so distraught. She knows what it could potentially mean when a leg is broken.
“I should be there in twenty minutes. Tell Elle to just sit with her until I get there.”
“Will do.”
With a racing mind, I speed down the country roads. A horse can rarely recover from an injury like this, especially if it’s a clean break.
