Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
A side from the occasional document and check through the mail, four months had passed since her last contact with Reilly.
Life was hectic, but she liked being busy. She hired Scott Richards to work as a vet tech. Thankfully, he and Noreen worked well together. Tina Flatt became her receptionist. Tina knew everything about everyone. Tina could prove to be a minus instead of a plus.
Troy had worked wonders, and her house was ready to move in. She didn't feel as excited as she'd anticipated. Same as opening the clinic, a huge milestone for her, but it lacked something. They held an open house at the clinic, and the attendance pleased her. Not one person whispered about her.
She was making friends, but something held her back from making close friends. Was it a trust thing? Hopefully, it was an it will take time thing. Of course, she had her menagerie of animals. Bay was ready to give birth and with her having twins, it was nerve-wracking. She prayed all three would live.
A couple of months ago, she’d hired a man named John Black. He was a bit slow, and no one else would hire him. Most people had run out of patience with him. But he was a nice man who was twenty years old. His enthusiasm always made her smile. He took care of her animals. It didn’t matter how long it took for him to clean stalls and feed the animals. The horses, Spike, Bay, and Paint doted on him. She swore Bay batted her eyelashes at him. Tuni and Mini took to him right away. Spitten took a while, but he slowly warmed to John.
Even the new additions liked John better than her. Feathers the ostrich and Hippity the rabbit.
He had a real knack with animals.
Reaching Mr. Clay's ranch, she stopped her car. His horse had gotten loose, ran into the woods and cut her neck. Lynne got out of her truck, grabbed her bag, and walked to the barn. The sound of the horse shrieking hastened her steps.
“Oh my, she’s in pain.” Lynne opened the stall and slowly went in. Mr. Clay held a towel to the horse’s neck.
“It’s mighty deep, Lynne.”
“Let me give her something for the pain so I can examine her.” The whole time she worked to calm the mare, Mr. Clay hovered over her. It wasn’t the biggest of stalls.
“Mr. Clay, can I have you step out of the stall? I’m going to need more room.”
He did as she requested. After washing off a lot of the blood, she shook her head. “She’s been shot.”
“What?” Shock laced his voice. “I didn’t see a bullet hole.”
“It grazed her. She was lucky, but you’ll want to call Montana Fish and Wildlife to report it.”
“Will Butterball be okay?”
“I’m just going to stitch her up and put a bandage on her. It won’t take long.”
While she stitched Butterball up, she smiled. She had to call him Mr. Clay, yet he didn’t call her Dr. Walsh. He wasn’t much older than she was. People and their quirks.
She finished with Butterball, showed Mr. Clay how to put on the bandage in case it came off.
“I’ll be here tomorrow.”
Her phone rang. When she answered, John sounded upset. “The twins!”
“I’m on my way!” She called Scott on her way home. She’d need his strength.
Scarcely had she switched off the car when she rushed into the barn. Bay was certainly starting to give birth.
“You did great, John! Go into the trailer and grab the towels I left on the table. All of them.” She touched the mare on her neck. “It’s going to be fine, Bay. I can’t wait to see you with your two babies.”
John was back in a flash. “I’ve got the towels.”
“Put them next to me. Now, I need you to get one of the new buckets and fill it with fresh water and bring it here.”
By the time John finished, Bay had delivered one of the foals. It was tiny and it lay in the straw without yet trying to stand, but its breathing was good.
“Bay, I’m going to have to shift the other one,” she murmured. “Everything is going to be fine.”
Her phone rang. “John, could you take the phone and answer it for me? Tell whoever’s calling that Bay is having her twins.”
John took the phone and stepped out of the barn. “Yes, Doc Lynne is having twins. It’s a hard birth and the second baby isn’t out yet. Yes, I’m sure.” John ended the call and left the phone outside.
Reilly frowned. Was he mistaken in what he heard? Lynne was having twins? He called back three times, but it went to voice mail. Swallowing hard, he tried to remember if Lynne had looked pregnant the last time he had seen her. He hadn’t spent much time with her. He saw her four months ago. Twins were tricky, they came early, didn’t they?
He frowned. And just who was the father?
He grabbed his coat and Stetson and then jumped into his car. It didn’t make sense, but he had to know. Didn’t she have a horse that was pregnant? Why hadn’t he paid more attention to her animals?
By the time he reached Lynne’s house, he hoped she wasn’t there and was in a hospital. But he needed to check. He needed to know. She’d apparently fallen in love with someone else and that hurt.
The house was empty, but a light was on in the barn. As he ran inside, he heard her voice. He stopped at the stall and saw Lynne and another man tending… What was that horse’s name?
Lynne looked over her shoulder. Seeing her surprise, Reilly wished he hadn't come. She was perfectly fine.
“Reilly, look! Bay had her twins! Aren’t they adorable? Best of all, Bay made it through. It was such a worry.” She washed her hands and walked out of the stall and straight into his arms.
As she cried, he held her close. Everything was always right with her in his arms. He looked over her head at the other man. The man never glanced their way. A good sign.
“How did you know to come?” she asked as she took a step back and then wiped her eyes.
“I had one more paper for you to sign, and I wanted to let you know it was coming. A man answered and said you were having twins and you were having trouble. I asked if he was sure it was you, and he said yes. I was worried, very worried, so here I am, lucky not to have gotten a speeding ticket.”
Her eyes twinkled. “That was John. I was delivering the first foal and having trouble with the second. He’s a good worker, but occasionally gets things confused. I’m glad he did.”
She tugged Reilly toward the stall to look inside. “It’s a miracle. Most horses pregnant with twins don’t make it. A beautiful miracle. Oh look, Bay is getting up.”
Scott scooted back and then stood, leaving the stall. “That was intense.”
“It certainly was. Thanks for your help. You can go back to the clinic and tell Tina all about it so the whole town will know by nightfall.” She smiled.
After Scott left, she gave Reilly a rundown on all the people she employed.
“They’re feeding!” she exclaimed as the two foals jammed their heads to their mother’s teats.
He smiled. “They most certainly are.”