6. Hold Your Horses
CHAPTER 6
Hold Your Horses
T he following morning, Garrett groaned and rolled out of his sleeping bag. “Sorry, Kitty, but I need a night in an actual bed tonight. You and the new guys are going to have to handle it on your own.”
As long as the two new horses showed up, and they all got along. He knew he couldn’t leave this horse on her own. She’d had enough change. He wanted her to feel safe.
After a shower, Garrett threw in some laundry and took his tablet outside to sit in Kitty’s paddock on a hay bale. If he truly wanted this to be a horse rescue and therapy center, he needed to think about a business license and all the other crap that went with it.
He hated this stuff, but he needed an idea of what he wanted before he roped Heath into doing most of it for him. The guy worked with start-up businesses all the time, so he would know the things Garrett would have to do.
His gaze drifted often to the property next door. He’d heard Kimi return after four. She was probably still sleeping, and he wondered if she needed to have someone check on her animals.
Plus, he wanted to see her again. Find out more about her .
He stowed his tablet in the barn, then crossed the fields and fences to her yard. To his surprise, he spotted Kimi in the far paddock, checking on the mare.
She hadn’t seen him yet, so he had time to watch her. Her confidence and sure movements with the animals were sexy as hell. As was her laughter when the ridiculous goats bounced around the area.
After she’d checked out the horse, she picked up her kit and spotted him. Her smile didn’t falter, which he took as a good sign. “Good morning.”
“Morning. After your late-night excursion, I thought you might need some help this morning. I’m surprised you’re up already.”
The smile slipped right off her face and out of her eyes. What the hell had she been up to the previous evening? Hoping to find an answer without sounding like a gossip, he phrased his question as a statement. “Vets must get some interesting calls in the middle of the night.”
She nodded but didn’t add any information. He’d been thinking animal call last night, but now he wondered if she was sneaking out to see someone. Which was dumb because she could date anyone she pleased. Unless it was a married guy.
Garrett rejected the thought immediately. Nothing about Kimi made him think she was that kind of person.
He stuck out his hand. “I think it’s probably time I introduced myself. I’m Garrett Briscoe.”
Her smile returned. “Hi, Garrett Briscoe, I’m Kimi Twinishe.”
“I found some of that out from Nina the other day and got the rest from Heath and my other friends last night.”
Her lips tipped up as she tilted her head to study him. “ Heath and your other friends ? You’re not Scooby, are you?”
“Good guess.”
She laughed. “The guys talk about you a lot. Troy has always told stories about the team and how he wanted the entire group here. Marcus is quieter, but he’s told his fair share of stories as well. I was really sorry to hear about how you lost Shaggy that day. She sounds like an amazing partner. You have my condolences.”
Garrett felt like the horse had kicked him in the stomach. Or a bull had gored him. No one ever talked about Shaggy to his face. No one brought up her death because they knew how it had devastated him. Yet here was a woman he barely knew, telling him how sorry she was about it all.
Kimi reached forward and squeezed his arm. She didn’t wait for him to respond before changing the subject. “If you were with that group last night, I bet Nina told you about my new friends out in the backfield.”
He nodded but couldn’t manage a smile yet. “Jenny, Chickadee, and Tadpole. That girl is a bucket of joy.”
Kimi’s face lit up. “She really is. I don’t know what she’s going to do in the future, but she’s going to change the world for the better. In fact, she already is.”
“Do you always take in strays?”
Kimi nodded. “If I can. I’m not letting an animal suffer when I have the room and the ability to help. This place is actually quite empty at the moment. I’ve got a surprise puppy to deliver to a birthday boy later. The cows are heading home today, too. I’m thinking of getting some chickens and more goats as companions for these three. Usually, we’ve got a half-dozen or more dogs around here, too.”
He breathed through the dog comment, glad there weren’t many at the moment. “I’ve got a few cats roaming my area. Are they yours, too?”
She shrugged. “Most of them are outdoor cats and go where they please. They keep the rodents away and feed themselves. I’m assuming you don’t mind them.”
“You’re right. In fact, I could use a few more if you get word of any. I’ve got two geldings coming in today.”
Another serious study from her. “What are you planning to do with the horses?”
He knew this was a test, and he was glad he would pass it. “These two are also rescues. I don’t know much about them yet. My former boss texted me that he had two who needed a place to go.”
“You’ve got experience in rehabbing them?”
He nodded. “I grew up on a horse ranch in Oklahoma. I trained horses there and in Tennessee after we got back from overseas. I’ve worked with abused horses in both places. ”
She nodded, too. “You have a good manner with the animals and I’m not surprised. You’ll do a good job with them.”
His chest swelled at her confident tone. His parents had died when he was a teen. He’d lost his grandfather when Garrett was nineteen and his grandmother a few short years later. Having someone believe in him was a big deal. The Army wasn’t big on warm and fuzzy moments. He hadn’t known he’d needed that until this very moment.
“I brought a lot of supplies with me from Tennessee because the center was closing up. I need to order feed and a few other things. Do you have local suppliers up here? I’d rather support local when I can.”
Her easy smile returned. “You’re going to fit right in up here. We’re all about the local and saving the world. I’m going to put in an order this morning because I need specific things for the pigs. Want to come into my office, and I’ll show you who I deal with?”
He nodded and followed her in. This time, he was prepared for the Gotcha Wall Of Fame so it wouldn’t knock him flat. And he’d keep his eyes open for any clues as to what his neighbor had been up to in the middle of the night.
K imi knew Garrett had questions about her outing the previous night. She didn’t need anyone noticing her comings and goings. Just her luck that he’d been sleeping outside to keep his horse company.
He was a good guy, and she didn’t want to lie to him. But she was at the beginning stages of her investigation, and she wasn’t sure what lines she’d have to cross to get the dogs away from John Mead and his fighting ring.
She would do a lot of things if it would save the dogs and shut down the ring, but she wasn’t willing to put anyone else at risk.
Tonight would be a good night to do more recon. Garrett would be exhausted after his own lack of solid sleep for two nights and the arrival of new horses.
But Kimi was exhausted as well. She’d trained herself to manage on little sleep during emergencies, but her body and brain had to play catch up at some point. Like tonight. If she was too tired, she would make mistakes. Getting spotted or captured was not an option.
After lunch, she loaded up the cows and returned them to the MacKay farm. The infection from one cow’s run-in with the barbed-wire fence had healed nicely, and she wouldn’t need any more special care. The second cow hadn’t been injured, but cows were happier with a friend nearby, so she’d taken both.
Jim MacKay was a fourth-generation dairy farmer and knew more about cows than anyone Kimi had ever met. His wife, Navya, had been Kimi’s accountant for years.
After the cow was back with her herd, Navya waved at Kimi to follow her. Inside the milking barn, she led her to a quiet corner where a momma cat was guarding her litter in a large box lined with cozy blankets. “Any chance you know anyone looking for kittens?”
Well, that was handy. “I actually do. They look almost ready to be away from their mom. How old are they?”
“About nine weeks. We came in for milking one morning and found her with the babies. We made sure they were cozy, but I think they’d be happier where they’ll get more attention. The cows keep us busy enough.”
Kimi found kittens did better if they stayed with their mom for four months. These little ones would be happy to be barn cats, especially if the mama had grown up wild, so she loaded the box into her truck.
Once she’d backed the trailer in, she unhooked the truck and parked it. Then she took the box full of felines into her office in the barn. The current barn cats might not take to the kittens just yet. She’d give them another few weeks of growth before introducing them to the others or to the ones in Garrett’s barn. The man didn’t need to be overwhelmed with kittens, but he could have as many as he wanted once they were old enough. She set out water and cat food for the mama and whichever kittens were curious enough.
Several of her barn cats sat on posts around the paddock where Onigis rested, and she stroked them on the way over. Because she fed them treats and food when they needed it, they all allowed her to touch them. She’d bet Garrett wouldn’t need any coaching to do the same. The cats would be happy to wander the two properties.
The familiar rattle and clanking of a horse trailer sounded from next door, along with the whinny of a nervous horse. She didn’t have any appointments or chores that needed immediate attention, so she headed to his property to see if she could help.
And, if she was being honest with herself, just to see the man himself. It had been a long time since any man had caught her interest. She’d sensed his innate goodness in their first encounter. Assholes didn’t deal well with animals. Knowing he was a friend of her friends made him more appealing. She’d heard stories about Scooby, his bravery, and his compassion for animals and people alike.
Kimi found Garrett standing at the back of the trailer. The gates were opened, and the ramp was down. The driver stood to the side while Garrett stood at the base of the ramp, talking quietly, getting the horses used to his scent and his voice.
She acknowledged the driver with a nod but kept walking until she was next to Garrett. He smiled at her. “Hey, boys. This is Kimi. She’s your new vet and next-door neighbor. She’s got a pretty mare named Onigis over at her property, just like I have Kitty right here. I bet you’re going to be good friends one day.”
But his gaze was on her when he said those words, and she knew he was talking about the two of them and not just the horses. A happy shiver ran over her skin at the thought.
“Why don’t you introduce yourself, Kimi?”
She wasn’t sure if it was a challenge or simply an invitation, but either way, she was up for it. “Hi, boys. As Garrett said, I’m Kimi. I’m a veterinarian, and I’m going to help make sure you’re healthy and happy here. If someone has hurt you before, we’re going to take care of that and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Do you have names you love, or are they associated with bad memories?”
Garrett frowned at that. “I don’t have much information. Dale here picked them up from an intermediary who knows CC, my former boss. I think we should start fresh with names in case they’ve got bad memories.”
The two horses faced the front of the trailer, so she couldn’t see their faces. Both were shades of brown with almost black tails. She couldn’t see any obvious injuries.
Garrett climbed the ramp. “I’m going to touch you now. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to run my hand over your flank to see how you react. Once we get a good look at you both, we’ll figure out some names for you.”
He stroked both horses with gentle touches and the soft voice that was a caress all on its own. Kimi’s imagination zipped over to how those gentle hands would feel on her skin, and she hauled it back to focus on the horses and their well-being.
Garrett took his time with the first animal and backed it down the ramp. He ensured the horse backed up further than necessary, a good practice for the animals. He led the horse into the empty paddock next to Kitty’s. There was enough space between the two that the horses couldn’t harm each other if either of them got scared.
While he walked the horse around the paddock, he motioned for Kimi to take charge of the other one. She climbed into the trailer and spoke to the gelding while patting its flank and neck. “Hi there, handsome boy. We’re going to join your friend. This is a good place, and you’re going to be happy here.”
The horse hesitated several times during the backing-up process. It was a scary thing for horses and she let him go at his own pace. When they reached the ground, she held him firmly and had him back up straight until they were well out of range of the ramp. She’d fixed more than one injured leg from ramp accidents when the humans rushed the process.
Dale opened the gate for her with a grin, and she took the horse into the paddock. This horse’s behavior matched the other gelding. Subdued. His eyes shifted continually around the area and didn’t settle in any one spot for long, checking for threats.
Looked like this guy might prefer to be inside, in a stall where he could see all of his surroundings and know no one was approaching from behind him.
Garrett held his horse to one side of the paddock while Kimi continued with a few more laps. Both horses were unusually submissive, often a sign of abuse. She buried her anger deeply and focused on the geldings. After another lap, she stopped near Garrett. “Want to try them inside now or leave them outside for a bit?”
He smiled softly. “I think they’ll both feel safer inside at night, but let’s leave them here for a few hours and see how they cope. Kitty is curious, and she might perk them up.”
They took off the halters, and neither horse reacted much. Nor did they move when the humans left the paddock. Dale came to watch them. “I’m glad they’re here. You’re both going to be good for them. CC knew what he was doing when he called you to take them. He also sent along a few goodies for you in the truck's bed.”
Garrett must have made a strong impression on his former boss. While the men went to deal with the goodies, she leaned on the rail and watched the horses. Kitty nickered softly, and the smaller gelding’s ears flicked toward her. “Atta girl, Kitty. You let them know they’re safe.”
Eventually, Dale left with his trailer, and Garrett joined her at the fence. “I’m thinking I’ll stay with the geldings in the barn tonight. Keep an eye on them in case they get scared.”
She nodded. “Good idea. We’ll see how they react when we put them in, but I’m thinking they’ll be less liable to spook when they’re inside.”
“And it might make Kitty more comfortable heading inside, too.”
“Maybe we should get you some therapy goats as well. Oh. I forgot to tell you. I picked up a mama cat and her litter of kittens today. You can have your pick in a couple more weeks.”
He laughed. “That’s great. All kinds of new guests today.”
She grinned at him. “We’re going to fill up your place in no time.”
His eyes flared. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but she was pretty sure she liked his train of thought.
Her timer app beeped on her phone. “Time to deliver a puppy to a birthday boy. If you want my help, send me a text when you want to try getting the geldings inside.”
He nodded, and she headed back to her property. Before she reached the fence, he called out. “Bring your sleeping roll if you want to spend the night.”
His words ricocheted through her, and she didn’t dare turn around. She waved to acknowledge she’d heard him and kept her flaming face away from him.
He meant they’d spend the night sleeping in the barn, keeping the horses company. In separate sleeping bags.
But her body reacted as if he’d issued a whole different kind of invitation. She was still smiling as she got the puppy settled in the truck. It was going to be a fun night.