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After several hours, there was nothing more they could do. They had to leave the horses and farmer behind to wait it out. It was a horrible feeling, driving away, not knowing if the horse would live or die.
Hunter hadn’t turned on the radio when they got back in the truck, so the ride had been silent for the hour-long drive home, both of them stinking of horse sweat and their clothes half-soaked with the water and mineral oil solution.
He’d pulled up in front of the clinic where her truck was parked.
She had opened her door and was about to step out when she paused. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”
Hunter just kept staring ahead out the windshield. “The horse or his owner?”
“Either. Both.”
Hunter shrugged briefly. “It’ll be a long night. It’s hard to say goodbye to the ones you love.”
She frowned. He said that like he had some experience with it.
“You getting out?” He finally turned her way, looking annoyed. “I don’t have all night.”
Her eyes narrowed and she held up her hands. “I’m gone.” She’d gotten out of the truck and slammed the door behind her.
She turned around so the shower spray blasted her face. God, she could use some ice cream. She’d grabbed a plate of steamed vegetables and some brown rice from the fare set up for dinner on her way upstairs and been proud of herself. Look how good I’m being. These pounds are going to keep flying off. Her fat pants were finally starting to fit more loosely with all the hard work and running around she was doing now.
But… ice cream.
She wondered if there was any left or if the boys had demolished it all already like last time. Mel shopped on Thursdays but that was no guarantee there’d be any ice cream left now that it was Friday.
She turned off the water and flipped her hair over to twist a towel around it. She dressed in record time, pulling on leggings and an oversized tee and socks. Then she jogged downstairs and toward the kitchen.
Maybe none would be left. Then there wouldn’t be any temptation. She’d already had her allotted sweets for the day. Two sticks of gum earlier. She didn’t need ice cream. That would blow all her extra ‘cheat’ calories for the week… and she’d sorta already spent them on Tuesday with the two Snickers bars she’d shoved in her face after an especially stressful afternoon of farm calls with Hunter.
It was fine, though. She’d just have one scoop of ice cream. If there was any. No big deal. Just a little something sweet to kill her craving.
She crept down the stairs, on the lookout for any of the guys. They’d all but tackled her when she’d come in earlier, trying to get her to sit and eat dinner with them.
They seemed especially thick about grasping the concept that she didn’t want to sit down with a bunch of fit, attractive men when she smelled like the back end of whatever cow, horse, or pig she’d been spending the afternoon with. Even when she wasn’t arm deep in the animal herself, she inevitably ended up walking away from the farms and ranches they visited reeking of animal, mud, and manure.
She got to the bottom of the stairs and heard the guys screaming at the flatscreen. It sounded like a game was on. She bit her lip and stepped even more lightly. The bottom of the staircase was visible from the big open den, but if she was really careful—
She darted from the staircase to the foyer, breathing hard once she got to the wall that hid her from the den. Oh thank God, they hadn’t seen her.
She opened the front door, cringing at the small creaking noise it made. But she slipped out and shut it behind her. Whew, she made it. She ran around the house to get to the back door. It was unlocked and she stepped into the kitchen.
Ah, and there it was, the industrial size freezer in all its glory. She threw open the door and then felt a rush of exhilaration when she saw inside.
Ice cream, ice cream, and more ice cream. Mel had really outdone herself this week. There were all different flavors along with three large buckets of vanilla. She grabbed one of the buckets and then looked closer at the individual pints. There was coffee. Cookies and cream. Cookie dough—her favorite. Mint chocolate chip. Gross. She put that one back. Double dutch chocolate. Um, yes please.
Before she could think any better of it, she’d grabbed a spoon and had the tops off of all the containers. Then she was shoving large spoonfuls of ice cream into her mouth.
She would just taste a little bit of each one. She hadn’t had ice cream in so long. And didn’t she deserve a treat? After what she’d been putting up with from Hunter? But even thinking his name made her cringe and take another spoonful of ice cream.
Wow, the cookie dough was really to die for.
She was smart. You didn’t get into Cornell without being smart. She bet Hunter’s first few weeks on the job he’d made mistakes too.
Yeah, but he probably knew enough to tie up whatever animal he was treating.
She jammed her spoon into the ice cream. The chocolate mixed with the cookie dough tasted even better.
And why was he so determined to ignore her and treat her like crap, anyway? Was it just that he thought she’d make a bad veterinarian and he didn’t see the point in even investing the energy to teach her anything? Or was it because she’d been so bad in bed that even the memory of their one night together was enough to put him off his lunch at the sight of her.
