Chapter 32 #2
“A most attractive couple,” Melissa agreed as she sipped from a glass of champagne.
“Tell them how we met, sweetheart,” Cassie said pointedly.
Noah told the story, with Cassie interjecting occasionally.
The wives laughed and hung on Noah’s every word.
“We would love to have you all as guests at Willow Bend this summer,” Cassie added. “We just added a ton of new events and a brand-new animal sponsorship program. It’s so important to support conservation and education, don’t you think?”
Several of the wives agreed.
“Three-minute warning,” Eloise announced with a glance at her watch. She pulled a pair of bejeweled binoculars out of her bag. “I think I’ll remodel the kitchen again with today’s winnings.”
Tina shot a look at Cassie and shook her head. They all filed outside, where there was a magnificent view of the racetrack.
“Did you wear this on purpose to distract me?” Noah grumbled as they lined up at the railing. He tugged gently on one of her curls, and the tip of his nose brushed her ear.
Her determination to stay away from him evaporated on the spot.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” She slid an arm underneath his coat. He was a little bit sweaty, but for some reason, it was hot rather than gross.
She lifted her chin and was about to kiss him—under the guise of their imaginary relationship in front of the wives, but also just because she had no self-control—when a bell rang, and the gates below flew open. They both turned to watch.
The horses exploded out of the gate and thundered down the dirt track. It was exciting.
Noah’s hand drifted down her back, grazing the top of her ass. He pulled her closer, which made it significantly harder to focus on the race.
Shit. If she didn’t have sex with him tonight, she would never be able to focus on anything ever again.
Neighoncé had a narrow lead on the track below. Eloise and her husband leaned forward, eyes glued to the horse as he galloped.
The horses were neck and neck. Positions changed every few seconds. Finally, they rounded the last bend. Out of nowhere, Deez Nuts found an opening and frantically galloped from the middle of the pack. He was alongside Neighoncé. The horses strained. It was going to be close.
Leading by inches, Deez Nuts stormed across the finish line.
Tina and her husband screamed and jumped up and down. Eloise looked like she had just gulped down a whole lemon.
“Well, I just won five hundred dollars,” Noah said.
“You what?” Cassie stuttered.
“I put a bet down. I’m not usually a betting man, but I trust you. Seems like Tina does too.”
“Nobody in my DVM program told me that I would be single-handedly shaping the topography of horse racing in Maryland,” she said, watching the horses cool down on the track.
Eloise chittered angrily at her husband, who had shredded a cocktail napkin.
“Dr. Thompson, can I show you to Itchy’s stable?” Melissa asked.
“Of course. Let’s go.” She took Noah’s hand, and they followed Melissa to the stables.
Itchy had the whole place to himself.
Cassie extended a hand over the door. “Hi, Itchy. I’m Cassie. Is it okay if I take a quick look at you?”
“She does this,” Noah explained to Melissa.
Cassie shot a look at him over her shoulder. “Horses deserve respect.”
“You’re damn right they do,” Melissa said, stroking Itchy on the nose.
Cassie let herself into the stall and crouched down to examine his front legs. Itchy snorted and pawed at the ground. His right front leg was slightly swollen.
“Did you notice this swelling yesterday?” Cassie asked Melissa as she ran a hand gently over the affected area.
“No, we didn’t. He seemed fine at bedtime.”
“He didn’t have any collisions during training? With a gate or other horses, anything like that?” Cassie asked.
“No. Juan worked him pretty hard yesterday, though.”
“Okay. Can you grab a stable hand for me, Geoff?” she said pointedly to the stressed-out man who had trailed behind them. He turned around and jogged toward the entrance.
“We’re going to need to start some cold water hosing for the inflammation,” Cassie said.
“I suspect we’re looking at a bowed tendon, but I’ll need an ultrasound to be sure.
I can come with our portable machine and see him tomorrow morning if you’re available.
I understand if you’d prefer to develop a treatment plan with your regular veterinarian though. ”
Itchy swung his head over and nuzzled Cassie. She stroked him gently on the nose.
“You know what? We’ll make ourselves available,” Melissa said, petting Itchy’s mane. “Thank you.”
Cassie pulled a vial of phenylbutazone out of her field bag and loaded it into a syringe. “With your permission, I’m also going to give him a dose of bute. If we can combat some of the inflammation early, it’ll make things easier down the line.”
“Whatever you think,” Melissa said.
“It’s likely he was injured during yesterday’s workout,” Cassie said, injecting the medicine. The horse flinched, but at least he didn’t try to kick her.
Cassie settled into treatment mode. “I think this is going to get worse before it gets better, but I’ll do what I can to keep him comfortable. He’s going to need rest, but you should still hand walk him twice a day. Circulation’s important for healing.”
Noah held her bag and watched silently as she worked. It felt good to have him there.
Cassie stood up and snapped her gloves off. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and we’ll get a better picture of what’s going on. I’ll need to chat with his trainer too,” she said to the couple.
“Thank you, Doctor,” Geoff said. “I’m sorry for my outburst earlier. I’m not the best version of myself on race day.”
Melissa wrote their home address on the back of a business card and handed it to Cassie.
Cassie nodded. “I get it. Tensions run high when one of your animals is injured. I promise you, I’ll take care of Itchy like he was my own.”
“I actually believe you,” Melissa said. “See you tomorrow.”
Cassie and Noah left the stable and headed out into the sunshine.
Noah grabbed her by the waist. “That was so fucking hot. I think I have a competency kink.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. Unlike Dave, Noah saw the value in her work.
He leaned in without hesitation to kiss her, and she relaxed in his arms. For a minute. Then the base of her spine tingled. Something had been bothering her since they left the stable.
“What’s wrong?” Noah pulled back.
“Nothing. I’m loving this. I just feel like…” She scanned the crowd around them.
He followed her gaze. “You think we’re being watched?”
“Maybe. But who here would be watching me? I don’t think I’ve made any enemies in Maryland yet. Well, other than my own parents.”
Noah was still scanning the crowd. She had made things weird. She should’ve just let the make out continue. It would probably be the last one.
“Do you want to grab a cocktail? Maybe hang out on the patio?” she asked. “I think that would help the paranoia.”
“Sounds good,” he said, but he didn’t meet her eyes.
She scoured the crowd on their way back to the lounge, but nothing seemed out of place.
Finally, they were back out on the patio with mint juleps and bountiful sunshine. She wasn’t about to let that weird feeling ruin the rest of her day.
“We should go to dinner,” Noah said, sliding an arm around her. “I’ll pay, since your expert wisdom won me five hundred dollars.”
Dinner? Hadn’t they just had a conversation about keeping things casual?
“Always bet on Deez Nuts,” she said cheekily.
They laughed, and he dipped his head to kiss her again.
“Alex?” a male voice called. Why was it so familiar?
She turned around, expecting one of the husbands.
The glass slipped from her hand and shattered at her feet.
“Dave?”