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Suddenly an overwhelming peace overcame her. The heaviness that rested on her shoulders lightened and floated away. Calliope stopped her restless pawing and leaned into her.
“Pull!” James called out.
Constance kept her eyes shut tight.
“One more time.”
The men grunted and then Calliope shifted, pushing even more against Constance. Eyes flying open, Constance tipped her head to peer around Calliope’s large body to see James and Dax carefully lowering the foal into the straw that surrounded them.
The baby looked limp. Shouldn’t it be more alert? Something had to be wrong, but Constance couldn’t bear to go over and ask. She wasn’t ready to be told that Calliope had lost another foal.
“Connie, come here.”
Her jaw tightened, hearing James use her nickname from when she was a child. She wasn’t one anymore. She was an adult who had to deal with the hard slaps that life flung at her. “I don’t think I’m ready,” she murmured against Calliope’s neck. Her horse attempted to tug away from her, like she wanted to investigate for herself.
“Clio is going to be okay. Come see. He’s absolutely beautiful.”
Constance’s eyes flew open and she released her horse, as both of them came to inspect the newest member of the Callahan Ranch family.
Clio lifted his head and then fell backward into the hay. Calliope nudged him with her nose, nibbling at him and puffing air through her flared nostrils. The foal attempted once more to sit up and this time succeeded.
Constance gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. Emotion burned behind her eyes and in the back of her throat. He was going to be okay. She lifted her gaze to meet James’s, finding him smiling at her. Without giving him any warning, she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I can’t believe you did it.” Her heart beat so wildly that she was sure he could feel it with the way their bodies were positioned. Relief draped over her like a warm fuzzy blanket.
James extricated himself from her arms and chuckled. “Didn’t I tell you it would work out?” He glanced around the group, and she got the distinct feeling that he was concerned about how their interaction looked.
The flame of elation she’d felt during the last few minutes was doused with a bucket of ice-cold water. He was remaining professional. She was crazy if she thought he’d see her as anything other than the girl with the horse.
A twinge of disappointment sliced through her chest, but she smothered it, pushing it down as far as she could into the darkness of her mind. It was a crush. She’d get over it. She always did.
Constance scooted back a few more steps and tucked a strand of hair that had come loose from the bun behind her ear. She offered him a smile. “Thanks for your help.”
James nodded. “Of course. It’s my job.”
Only to Constance, it didn’t seem like just a job. James had just saved her horse’s foal. In her eyes, he was a hero. A ruggedly handsome hero with a jawline that could probably cut through steel.
Dax shook James’s hand and headed back toward where Sarah was still exercising her horse. That left James’s pretty assistant. She was young and attractive. Loose strands of her blonde ponytail framed her face and she wiped at her forehead with the back of her arm. She was smart, capable, and beautiful. Constance wouldn’t be surprised if James had feelings for a girl like that, though she didn’t really know his type.
She knelt down beside the foal and Calliope nudged her arm with her nose. Constance smiled and patted the horse’s nose. “You did a good job, Calliope. He’s absolutely perfect.”
Calliope nickered and tossed her head.
Constance chanced a glance toward James and his assistant. She hated the way her stomach swirled each time the assistant laughed and touched James’s arm. There was no telling what they were discussing, but Constance could tell they had a good rapport. They worked together. Why wouldn’t they?
The knots in her stomach twisted and lumped together with each passing second. Never had she felt so insignificant around a guy she liked. Good grief. What was wrong with her?
She let out a sigh, returning her focus to Calliope. Constance got to her feet and rubbed her hands down the animal’s back, leaning her body against the friend she had always been able to count on.
Her focus drifted toward the scrawny little rascal that was currently trying to get to his feet. After a few more tries, Clio finally succeeded, his legs stretched out at his sides like a tent.
A thread of pride strung through her insides, loosening the knots that had refused to untangle themselves. She glanced up at James, hoping to share the moment with him. But where she’d expected him to be smiling along with her, he was frowning. His eyes were locked on Clio’s hooves.
His assistant stopped talking, finally realizing he wasn’t paying attention. He moved in closer to Clio and knelt down beside him. James’s fingers gently prodded Clio’s hind legs then he glanced up at his assistant. “Do you see this?”
She nodded. “Is that what I think it is?”
“What’s wrong?” Constance blurted.
