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The moment I find them, I park as close as I can without startling Spirit, then grab my supplies. Elle’s kneeling beside her with her cheek pressed against Spirit’s belly. I notice the leg is bandaged, but I can tell it’s irreparable without even examining it. I’ve seen it several times before, and it’s not good news.
“Elizabeth.” I lower to the ground and wait for her to make eye contact with me. Her tearstained cheeks and blotchy face destroy me because I know this is hard for her.
“Did you bring casting supplies? I was going to give her more meds to make her sleepy but was waiting for you.”
“We can’t cast her.”
She wipes her cheeks and stares at me. “Why not?”
I lower my gaze to Spirit and gently touch the wounded area. The bones are shattered, and even if she stays off the leg by some miracle while it heals, she’ll never be the same. Most likely, she’d live in constant pain too.
“It’s not humane. You know that,” I say.
“What are you talkin’ about? We can fix this,” she pushes. “It’s a break…”
“She can’t be fixed,” I tell her. “The right thing to do is—”
“No!” she shouts. “Cast her! We can get her through recovery.”
I look at Gavin, who I’m sure has already tried to reason with her, but he stays out of it. Elizabeth isn’t thinking like a doctor. She’s too close to Spirit to see what’s best for her.
“Elle, I think…” Gavin finally speaks up. “I think Dr. Wallen’s right. Spirit’s in a lot of pain, and her leg isn’t fixable at this point. Her breathing is ragged, and she has a weak pulse.”
“What’s wrong with you two? Spirit’s young and healthy. She can get through this if you just gave her a chance to fight!” Elle snaps, then starts digging through her bag. “If you aren’t going to help me, then leave. I’ll do it myself.”
I lower to the ground, covering my hand over the bag. “There’s nothing you can do but let her go peacefully.”
Her narrowed eyes pierce mine as if she’s daring me to stop her from trying. “She’s Olivia’s favorite horse,” she chokes up. “We can’t let her die.”
My heart beats erratically when I realize why Elle’s so hell-bent on saving Spirit. Aside from her own bond with the horse, she’s concerned about the impact it’ll have on my daughter, and that means more to me than I can explain.
“We can’t let her suffer,” I counter, bringing my hand to her cheek to wipe away the tears. We’ve never been this close before, but it’s clear she needs the support right now. “You don’t have to do it. I will.”
She squeezes her eyes tight and briefly nods. “Can you give me a minute with her first?”
I stand, and so does Gavin. “Of course.”
We walk toward our trucks. “I’ll go grab the trailer so we can bring her back after.”
“Sounds good. Gonna need a few guys to help probably.”
“Yeah, I’ll take care of it. Text me before you go. I’ll leave you and Elle alone.” Gavin flashes me a sincere look.
The connection between Elle and me is undeniable. At this point, it’s so damn obvious, even I can’t fight it anymore.
“Thanks.” I pat his shoulder and watch as he leaves.
Elle lays down beside Spirit, her clothes covered in mud as she soothingly rubs her. She’s overcome with emotion, and I hate that I can’t fix this for her. I hear her muttering how sorry she is and realize I’ll have to eventually tell Olivia.
Chapter Seventeen
Elizabeth
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper again as tears fall down my cheeks. I’m an absolute mess and I hate that I’m not as strong as I typically am—especially with Connor here—but I don’t care. Spirit wasn’t just another family horse. She was special and connected me to the little girl who so easily captured my heart.
The moment I saw her leg, I knew.
Recovering from an injury like that would be almost impossible. Still, I wanted Connor to say she was fixable. That we could save her. That Olivia wouldn’t return to a horse she could no longer ride.
I swallow down the lump in my throat and try to calm down. I’ve lost animals before and have had to watch others say goodbye to theirs, but this is different.
After twenty minutes, Connor returns to my side with the meds. “Are you ready?”
“No,” I mumble but nod anyway. It’s not fair to allow her to keep suffering for my own selfish reasons.
“Good night, sweet girl.” I press my forehead to hers and close my eyes, unable to watch Connor inject her.
The first shot makes her sleepy so she won’t feel a thing. My chest squeezes as more tears fall, and I feel her rhythmic breathing slow down.
“Alright, second one,” Connor tells me.
Moments later, I open my eyes and meet his blue gaze. He grabs his stethoscope and presses it to her chest, then confirms with a nod.
