12. Close To The Bone
CHAPTER 12
Close To The Bone
W aking with Kimi snuggled in his arms made up for the lack of sleep. He figured they’d maybe caught an hour before they’d risen to tend the animals. They’d showered and checked all the animals together. The menagerie was mostly self-sufficient but appreciated human company.
Onigis stood near the shed-stable, which was a brilliant idea for horses who were afraid of the barn or the outdoors. He could see it working in both kinds of cases as a transition area.
The mare wasn’t limping noticeably, and when he mentioned it, Kimi nodded. “I think she was trained to ignore her injuries and suck it up. I’m not sure if she’s truly feeling better yet. The goats seem to have figured it out and don’t let her wander too far from the shed.”
“It’s quite a team you have here.”
She nodded. “I’d like to add to it. I’m thinking of a program for kids to learn more about animals. It would be great to introduce a therapy program, too.”
His feet halted. “I’ve been thinking of an equine therapy program for years, and that’s my plan for this property. For kids and adults with disabilities. There’s some excellent research out there about how much good it can do for both the humans and the horses. ”
Kimi grinned and reached up on her toes to kiss him lightly. When she dropped back to her toes, her grin widened. “I like being able to do that.”
Garrett lifted her until her legs wrapped around his waist. “Me too.” Then he kissed her until his knees almost buckled.
They managed to control themselves and continue checking the animals. He was surprised it took her until they reached the pigs before she asked him about the night before. Maybe she’d wanted to be away from the possibility of anyone overhearing them.
“What did you see last night? What made you realize they’d spotted us?”
He leaned against the fence and watched as the pigs moved through the paddock, rooting around in the dirt. The rheas in the next paddock appeared to be mimicking their movements. “That compound has more security than some army bases I’ve seen. The cameras appear to work on motion sensors. As you guessed, there’s an outdoor fighting ring along with several training areas loaded with equipment.”
That made her shudder, and Garrett wrapped his arm around her and kissed her hair.
“There were a couple of men with automatic rifles patrolling the area. Another man led out a pit bull on a chain and brought it to the training area nearest me. A pole had a baited weight attached to it. The dog jumped up and latched on with his jaws. Suddenly, the pit bull dropped to the ground and barked in my direction. I hadn’t moved, but the men sprung into immediate action, pointing at where I was, pulling out cell phones and aiming rifles.”
She squeezed him. “I’m sorry. If I hadn’t dragged you there, none of this would have happened.”
That caused him to shudder. “You can’t go back there alone, Kimi. Promise me you won’t go without me.” If she’d been alone and those men had caught her? He couldn’t deal with the fear rolling through him.
“But—”
He didn’t let her finish. Instead, he pulled back and put his hands on her shoulders. He bent down so they were eye to eye. “Promise me. Please. ”
Her gaze didn’t waver, and she finally nodded. “Okay.”
“Thank you. I think it’s time to bring in the authorities. If they got a look at your license plate, they’re going to figure out who and where you are. We have to be prepared for that.”
Her eyes widened. “I have to clean the license plate before Marcus sees it.”
She started to turn away, but he held her in place. “What do you mean?”
She sighed, but her eyes twinkled. “It’s not my first rodeo. I always paint the license numbers and letters, so it’s not my real license plate. And then I smear it with mud, so even that’s not truly visible. I try to make it look natural and it’s why I don’t clean my truck all that often.”
Garrett gaped at her as relief swamped him. “Forget James Bond. He’s got nothing on you.” If the people in the truck couldn’t get an accurate license plate, she was safe for now.
They returned to the garage where he saw she hadn’t been kidding. The parts visible beyond the mud didn’t have any connection to her true plate, but it looked natural. The woman was brilliant.
After they cleaned it up, Garrett patted the truck. “How do you feel about bringing in Marcus on this?”
She sighed and leaned against the truck, revving up yet another fantasy. He caged her in, and her eyes went from thoughtful to heavy with desire in a blink.
He leaned in to kiss her when they heard Nina’s voice calling for Kimi.
Kimi sighed. “It’s Saturday. I forgot. Nina is here to work.”
He kissed her quickly. “We’ll get back to that thought later.”
When they left the garage, Nina waved. The teen’s gaze moved between them, and he could feel her curiosity from across the yard.
Hoping to distract her, he turned to Kimi. “I was thinking of bringing Kitty over to visit with Onigis for a bit. Do you think she’s ready to see another horse?”
Kimi’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea.”
Garrett pointed at Nina. “You’re with me.”
As they climbed over the fence to his property, he questioned Nina to find out how much she knew about horses. She’d learned a lot. Apparently, the girl had soaked up everything she’d been told.
Inside the tack room, he had her go through the equipment and identify all the pieces. Then he asked her to pick out a halter that would be suitable for Kitty.
Without hesitation, she chose the one he’d been using. “If she’s comfortable with me, can I put it on her?”
“Good job putting the horse’s needs before your own. Once I’m sure the horses are comfortable with you, you can help groom them if you want.”
“I’d love that.”
He’d let the geldings out when he’d checked on them with Kimi earlier, so they were in the paddock as well. They were showing more personality every day, and he didn’t think there would be an issue with Nina in the paddock as well.
They took it slowly, with Garrett moving in first and talking to all three of them. As usual, Kitty kept to her own side. He moved to her side and stroked her neck. When he motioned, Nina climbed over the fence. She moved to where Kitty could see her and approached slowly, hands out to the side, while she smiled and talked to the horse.
“Hey there, Kitty. I found out you’re not named after a kitten but after a TV show. I still think it’s a cool name. Did you know Garrett likes Kimi?” She grinned at Garrett and then turned her attention back to the mare. “And did you know Kimi likes Garrett right back?”
Garrett resisted rolling his eyes and kept his face bland. When Nina reached the horse’s head, she moved slightly to the side and kept talking. Then she stroked the mare’s neck, and Kitty nickered happily.
“She likes me.”
He figured pretty much everyone liked this kid. She was irresistible. Once again, that small tug of envy for his buddy snaked through him. While Heath and Addy had a rocky past with all kinds of wild complications, they’d figured it out and were now a family with this teen who would keep them on their toes.
Shoving his emotions down, he stroked Kitty’s head and neck while Nina put on the halter. Kitty loved her new friend and behaved perfectly .
There wasn’t a gate between the two properties, so they walked Kitty up the driveway and checked for vehicles. Garrett had brought blinders and a hood with him just in case Kitty panicked but the road remained empty and it wasn’t long before they were in Kimi’s yard.
The goats bounced over and butted at Nina, waiting for pats, just like a pack of dogs. Kitty stood stock still while they bounced around her and Garrett as well.
Eventually, the goofy trio moved back to the paddock and bleated at Onigis, who stared at the new arrival. Kimi stroked her neck and murmured to the chestnut mare.
After a few minutes, Kitty walked forward to the fence and nickered. Onigis whinnied back.
It didn’t take long for Kitty to move toward the other mare, and they touched noses over the fence. He and Kimi shared a smile as she explained to Nina that it was a good sign.
Getting Kitty into the paddock was easy, and she moved directly to her new friend. When he was satisfied it was safe, Garrett removed her halter and moved to lean against the fence beside Kimi and Nina.
Contentment filled him. This wasn’t something he’d ever thought he wanted, but he did. Unable to resist, he lifted Kimi’s hand and kissed her fingers.
Nina’s dramatic gasp made him chuckle. The news of him and Kimi being a couple would spread like the wind, but he didn’t care. Kimi’s smile told him she didn’t either.
When Nina headed home a while later, he figured he’d be getting a visit from Heath sooner rather than later to check the news out for himself.
Kimi bumped his shoulder with his. “And so the grapevine begins.”
He laughed as he tucked his arm around her shoulder. “Do you mind?”
“Nope.”
Her instant response made him grin. He turned and caged her against the fence. “Good.” He was reaching to take off his Stetson to kiss her properly when the unmistakable sound of a dog yelping in pain shattered the air.
K imi wasn’t sure what hurt more, hearing the dog in pain or watching the sound reach right into Garrett’s heart and twist. She squeezed his hand and slipped through the fence, unsurprised when he followed immediately. This was a man who would push past his personal pain and memories to help others.
Her own heart tipped a little more as they raced across the yard toward the yelp as Snoops joined in the noise. The donkey brayed and kicked his back legs out, but she couldn’t see a foe. Garrett’s long legs had him taking the lead as Kimi realized Olaf was in the paddock with Snoops. Had the ornery old donkey attacked the dog?
Olaf lay on the ground near the fence. Snoops faced him and kicked at the woods on the far side, meaning he didn’t see the dog as a threat. A donkey’s rear legs were his biggest weapon.
Garrett leaped the fence in a single bound and was on his knees in the dirt beside the dog before Kimi reached the fence. When he lifted his head to look at her, utter devastation filled his gaze. “He’s been clawed. Looks like a bear got him.”
Not good. Bears were rarely a problem in the area, but having food out for her animals meant they sometimes wandered in looking for a free meal. Usually, they were pretty easy to wait out or scoot away.
She imagined Snoops hadn’t taken well to a bear invading his paddock and had lashed out. Poor Olaf had likely been caught in the middle if he’d tried to defend or help the donkey.
A quick look showed no bear in sight and Snoops was calming down. With no immediate danger, she turned her attention to Olaf and Garrett. His hands trembled as he rubbed the dog’s head.
The claw had slashed Olaf’s side and belly. There was a lot of blood, and she needed to get him into her surgery so she could see the extent of the damage. “I’m going to take him into the barn. I’ll give him some relief from the pain, then I can have a look at that wound.”
She started to scoop up the dog, who had to be sixty pounds, but Garrett shook his head sharply. Without a word, but with eyes filled with pain, he gently lifted the dog and cradled him to his chest.
They hurried to the surgery, where Kimi immediately scrubbed up. Garrett set Olaf down and she told him to scrub up as well. She might need the extra set of hands. If he wasn’t steady, she’d call in Lia. The town doctor was always available for animal emergencies as well. She’d been a surgeon in another life. Even though an injury had changed her career path, her knowledge was a huge asset, and she shared that expertise freely.
“Hey there, Olaf. You’re a very brave boy. Thanks for defending that cranky old donkey out there. We’re going to get you fixed up. First thing I’m going to do is put in an IV. It’ll sting for a second, but it’s the best way to get medicine into you. I’ll be right here with you.”
Garrett appeared in her vision, face drawn and as white as the sheet beneath the dog. He’d pulled on gloves as well, and he stroked the dog’s head as Kimi continued to talk through the procedure. It was something she always did for the animals under her care, but she also wanted Garrett to know exactly what was happening.
Once she’d administered the anesthetic and the dog was resting comfortably, she blew out a breath and focused on the injury. As she cleaned it, she sighed with relief. “The claw cut through the skin but didn’t tear any vital organs. I’m going to clean everything I can see. We don’t want him getting infected. It’s not as bad as it looks. I can fix you up, Olaf. You’re going to be okay.”
She quickly showed Garrett how to monitor the equipment. Her heart rate steadied as she settled into the familiar routine of saving an animal.
Her first prognosis proved to be correct, and there wasn’t any severe damage she couldn’t fix. She used her portable X-ray machine and checked out Olaf’s legs and chest area where dogs forced to fight were liable to get the most injuries. It was a relief when she found the leg she’d set had healed and there were no other broken bones.
It took a while to get the injuries cleaned, and the belly sewn up. She’d talked through most of the process, but Garrett hadn’t said a single word. He’d monitored the equipment, handed her tools when she needed them, and touched Olaf.
Kimi cleaned up the dog and herself, then had Garrett do the same. “He’s going to sleep for a while yet. I’m going to put a onesie on him so he can’t get at his stitches. If he won’t leave them alone, I’ll have to use a cone, but I’d rather not. He’s been on his own and feeding himself for a while. Wearing a cone might be too frustrating for him.”
And she was babbling because Garrett still hadn’t spoken.
Before she grabbed the onesie, she rounded the table and wrapped her arms around Garrett. He flinched at the contact and held himself stiff as a board.
She didn’t let go, simply ran her hands up and down his back in comfort. “I know that was incredibly difficult for you. Thank you for helping. He’s going to be okay. He’s going to make it.”
Slowly, Garrett’s body softened, and his arms lifted to hug her back. He buried his face in her hair and breathed slowly. Tears streamed from her eyes, but she made no move to wipe them away. She wouldn’t break the contact with Garrett.
Eventually, he moved to squeeze her more tightly. “Thank you.”
She squeezed back. “You’re welcome. And thank you to you as well. Solo surgery is never a good idea, and you didn’t flinch.”
“Army training at its best.”
She managed a small laugh at that. “Or just another thing you’re really good at.”
He huffed out a laugh that didn’t sound like it held much humor.
They stood entwined for a few minutes, and she felt his muscles and his breathing ease. Finally, he kissed her temple. “I have one question.”
“Okay.”
“What the hell is a onesie?”