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Leaning back, I raise an eyebrow at her. “You know that you’re about to be the only thing everyone’s talking about, right? At least at the Waters table, that is. Probably most of the other tables in this town, too.”
“Oh, please. My scandalous departure to go to college is old news. Jensen and I are old news. Trust me, my life’s just not that interesting these days. I’ve been back for almost a week and no one’s even noticed.”
“And have you gone anywhere except your house and this clinic? Because I know for damn sure if you’d showed up at the diner or anywhere else in this town, I’d have heard about it by now.”
She shakes her head and won’t meet my eyes. “No… but I didn’t need anything.”
“Uh-huh. Your nose is about as long as this little horse’s right now.”
“Shut it, Waters. Or I’ll give you a noogie like your brothers used to.”
“Alright. Alright. Just have a look at the little horse, and I promise I’ll stop talking about my brother. Not that people are going to stop talking about you and him anytime soon, now that you’re back.”
“Shut it. Or I’ll get this little girl to kick you right in the junk.”
“She already tried. She didn’t want to get in the back of my pickup.”
Haley frowns, looking from me to the little horse and back again. “How did you get her here, then? Did you just happen to have a horse trailer with you?”
“I wish. No, she rode like a princess in the backseat. I had to lift her in. It may not have been the tidiest before, but it’s basically a barn stall now. I had a tarp at the back end, but the sound of it scared her. She got hay and grass and dirt everywhere else.”
“Gross. You’re a good man, Jameson Waters.” She smiles at me and then turns back to the little horse. “And you’re a good girl, aren’t you?”
Leaning against the exam table, I watch as Haley circles the little horse, running her hands along her flank, up and down each leg. She picks up one foot after another.
“No shoes. And these hooves need a farrier ASAP. Looks like she has something stuck in her back hoof here. Can you grab me the long-handled tweezers from the top drawer over there? We don’t keep hoof picks in exam rooms at the clinic. For obvious reasons.”
“Apparently you need to start. Who knows how many pocket-sized horses there are in Western Springs these days?” I mutter, grabbing the tweezers like she asked. “It looked like she wasn’t putting all her weight down on her back left foot.”
Haley works on the hoof for a couple of minutes while I pet the little horse’s face and hold her steady.
“There. I got it.” Haley drops the hoof and we both watch to see how the little horse is standing. “Looks like she’s putting weight on it now.”
Haley keeps walking around the little horse, poking and prodding. She looks in her ears for tattoos. She shines a light into her eyes. And finally, she checks her teeth. “She’s not that old. Maybe eight or ten. This little girl has a long life ahead of her. But she needs to put on some weight. I don’t ever want to see ribs like this on an animal. She’s obviously comfortable with people, because she’s not putting up any kind of fuss with me poking and prodding at her. But she’s been neglected. And not just being underweight. Her feet aren’t in great shape. Her teeth have some damage, like she was trying to eat something she shouldn’t have been eating. Maybe chewing on a metal bar or something? But she’s a sweet girl. What are you going to do with her?”
“That’s why I was bringing her here. Can you tell who she belongs to?”
Haley looks pissed as hell. She always had the fire to go with all that red hair. “Whoever let her get into this shape doesn’t deserve to get her back. But I didn’t see a tattoo or a brand. A microchip is a long-shot, but I’ll check for one. We don’t usually see them in anything other than dogs, cats, and the occasional rabbit. I’ll go grab the scanner while you think about what you’re going to name her.”
When Haley comes back, she has a little plastic remote thing in her hands. She waves it over the little pony’s head and neck. “No microchip. I guess she’s all yours, Dad.”
“I can’t keep her. Can’t you board her or something?”
“No, I’m sorry. But we’re not set up to do that right now. And I’m not sure if that’s a service we’re going to offer again. It’s a ton of work and not very much money. Why don’t you take her back to the farm? You must still have horses. Because I know Jensen still has one, even if I haven’t seen the man in years. Does Lily still board Violet out at your farm?”
“He’s definitely that predictable. Yeah, we’ve still got a few horses out at the farm. Including Violet.” I let out a long sigh. “You really want me to take her home? I’m not like stealing somebody’s horse? The last thing I need is some guy showing up on my doorstep with a shotgun calling me a horse rustler.”
“I mean, I can contact the animal shelter. They can try to find out who she belongs to. And they’ll find somewhere to put her if they have to. But she’ll be a hell of a lot happier in your family’s barn with a couple of other horses nearby than she would be in a concrete cell next to barking dogs at the shelter. I would take her, but I just don’t have anywhere to put her. I’m staying with my brother in town until I find a place to buy. Can you please take her home? I can’t bear the thought of this little girl scared and alone at the animal shelter.”
“Yeah, okay, I’ll take her home with me. Can I at least get some more sheets or towels for the back of my damn truck?”
Haley grins at me and pats me on the back. “Yes! We’ve got a whole pile of old towels in the back room. I’ll grab you some.”
Leaving the vet clinic with an armload of old towels and a horse the size of an overgrown dog, I feel a little bamboozled. Jarret’s going to be pissed about the newest resident of Waters & Sons Farm. Jensen’s going to be pissed about the newest resident of Western Springs. And Lily’s going to fall in love with this little girl in the back of my truck the second she lays eyes on her. So, that’s something. Actually, that’s all that matters.
When I get back to the farm and park next to the front porch in the line of pickup trucks with a little horse sticking her head out the back window of my truck, I have the misfortune of running into my dad and Jarret standing right next to the house.
“Son, did you know that you’ve got a horse in the backseat of your truck?” Dad asks me with a big old grin on his face.
