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At the same time, we both said, “Rhys.”
We’d bred my horse Daisy nearly a year ago, and we were expecting her to give birth any day. My phone nearly slipped from my hand in my excitement.
“Rhys, what’s up?”
“Daisy’s in active labor. I think this foal is finally on its way.”
“Really? You’re sure?” We’d had a false alarm a few days before.
“As sure as I can be. Things seem to be moving along quickly, especially for a first-time mom.”
“We’ll be right there.” No way in hell was I going to miss the birth of this foal.
Grant and I dressed quickly. I started to run out the door barefoot in just a t-shirt and jeans.
“Wait. It’s cold out there,” Grant called.
“Boots take too long.”
“Here.” He handed them and my coat to me and scooped me up in his arms.
“You can’t carry me all the way to the barn.”
“The hell I can’t. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
We were both laughing as we entered the barn.
“Shh.” Rhys rolled his eyes as Grant set me down. “You don’t want to spook Daisy.”
I pressed my lips together and crept closer to the birthing stall we’d set up for my beautiful chestnut mare.
I was still holding my boots, too eager to see her to put them on. Daisy was lying on her side, and I could see her belly moving up and down with labored breaths.
“Are you sure she’s okay?”
Rhys nodded. “She’s doing great.”
“How long do you think?”
“You know it’s hard to predict, but if all goes well, I’d say we’ll have a foal in an hour.”
The time seemed to pass much too slowly. Periodically, Rhys or I checked on her, but she was doing great on her own. I was almost halfway through a two-year applied science in veterinary medicine degree. I was getting experience with horses as well as cows, pigs, and other farm animals. I hadn’t decided yet if I would do more training after this degree, but I loved what I was learning, and I finally felt like a true contributor to the ranch.
Grant might never want me truly assisting with the more nefarious side of our business, but he was happy for me to work with the animals.
Finally, after three hours of waiting, Daisy delivered a beautiful little girl who looked just like her. I was in awe as I watched the foal struggle to stand and then nurse for the first time. Grant stood next to me, holding my hand in a tight grip. I turned to look at him and saw tears shimmering in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, swiping his free hand across his face. “She’s beautiful and healthy, and we’re really doing this.”
This being breeding horses, which was what Grant had always wanted to do. “We are.”
“And you. Seeing you so happy and knowing you are finally doing what you want, I… I feel a lot better about keeping you here.”
I glared at him. “I chose to be here. You know that. I thought you’d gotten over feeling guilty.”
“Yeah, I hadn't.”
“But now?”
