Cowboy Doctor

“Welcome to the Rocky Point Dude Ranch. I hope the experience here will help mend your broken heart. —John.”

Hot tears burned her eyelids. Tracey didn’t know her grandfather had confided in John about Jeff. She was so touched she could hardly talk.

“How lovely.” Her voice faltered.

“Granddad says you’re the very special granddaughter of his oldest, best friend.”

Tracey turned around. “I can’t thank all of you enough for your kindness.”

“It’s a pleasure. Can I do anything else for you?”

“I’ll be fine. Do you want me to drive you back?”

“Oh, no. I need the walk. We’ll see you in the dining room at seven for a special dinner to kick off the summer season. And remember, come on over to the ranch house anytime if you need someone to talk to. I know there are times when I do.” Fran put the front door key on the table before leaving.

That sounded like a lonely statement to Tracey.

While mulling it over, she walked into the bedroom with its two twin beds, dressers and closet. The other door of the main room led to the bathroom. She liked the blue-green-and-white-plaid decor of the cabin.

A painting of the Sapphire Mountains hung on the log wall over the small couch. With a mini fridge, microwave, TV and internet, she would be perfectly happy here.

The first thing she did was sit down at the table and call her parents. Most of all she wanted to thank her grandpa and tell him about the daisies John had left for her. After a tearful conversation with him while she expressed her gratitude, Tracey freshened up and drove her car over to the barn to unload her saddle and gear.

A sandy-haired guy who looked to be college age caught sight of her. “Hey—need help?” He walked up to her with a smile you couldn’t miss. “I’m Grady Cox.”

“Hi, Grady. I’m Tracey Marcroft and will be helping on the trail rides. If you could show me the tack room?”

“Let me carry your saddle.”

“Thank you.” She brought the rest of the gear and followed him through the long barn to the end room. “Were you hired for the summer?”

“That’s right. I’m a student at Montana State. This will be my third year working with the horses. Occasionally I help on the trail rides, too. Are you from around here? In college?”

She chuckled. He worked fast. “I graduated from the University of Montana two years ago and teach elementary school in Polson.”

He shook his head. “I never remember having a schoolteacher who looked like you. This has to be my lucky day.”

She smiled, but she wasn’t attracted to him, and put her gear away, not wanting to give him any encouragement by responding. “Mr. Hunter told me Wes is in charge of the stable. Is he on duty? I need to pick out a horse I can ride while I’m here.”

“I’ll help you do that while he’s gone.”

“Will it be all right?”

“That’s my job. Do you have a preference?”

“Not really. I’m sure Mr. Hunter wouldn’t have anything but the best horses.”

“You’re right about that. Why don’t we walk to the corral? Any one of the quarter horses out there would be a great choice for you. I’ve been exercising them. Of course, we have more here in the barn if you want to look them over, too.”

“Thank you.”

She was glad he had other things to do and left her alone in the corral. For the next hour, Tracey examined each horse and walked it around. She took her measure of the three mares: a sorrel, a black and a bay. The three other horses were geldings, all of them buckskins.

When she’d finished, she walked into the barn to look over the other horses before she made a decision. When she came to the dun gelding, she knew the splendid horse was the one she wanted, and Tracey walked him out of his stall to the corral.

But as she was leading him around, she noticed his right front leg was limping a little. That wasn’t good. She lifted his hoof to inspect it. When she applied pressure to the sole, the horse let out a distressed grunt.

“You poor thing.” She patted his neck to settle him before calling to Grady, who’d gone out to the corral. “Come and look. This horse is in pain.”

He walked over with a frown. “That’s Wes’s horse.”

“Oh! I thought all the horses were available.”

“Sorry. Not Chief. I should have said something. He’s off-limits.”

“Still, he’s limping and needs attention.”

“I’ve never noticed him do that before. Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“You’d better take him back to the stall. I’ll talk to Wes about it as soon as he shows up. He went to town several hours ago.”

“I’m afraid something should be done soon,” she said, as she slowly walked him back inside. “Chief needs a vet, don’t you, boy?” She hugged his neck.

Grady watched her, looking uncertain and upset. “I’m sure you’re right.”

“Tell you what. I’m going back to the ranch house now to talk to John about this.”

“Maybe you should wait for Wes.”

Why did he seem so hesitant? “What if he can’t get back right away? The horse needs help. John will know what to do.”

Surely Grady Cox didn’t want to see the horse suffer. You needed to be proactive to keep animals safe and healthy. She’d learned the same thing working with children. When something went wrong, you didn’t wait. “Thanks for your help, Grady. See you later.”

“For sure. I assume you’re staying in one of the cabins for the summer, too.” His eyes played over her with the kind of male interest she didn’t want. Since they’d be forced to work together over the summer, she needed to establish a boundary now.

“Yes. I’ve already settled in.”

Without hesitation, she hurried to her car and drove to the ranch house. When she walked in, no one was at the front desk. Tracey took the initiative and walked around the counter to John’s office. To her frustration, he wasn’t there, either.

She went back outside to her car. Dinner wouldn’t be for another hour. The only thing to do was return to her cabin and change. Because they were having a special welcome dinner, she decided to wear her denim skirt and a Western blouse with snaps.

Though she couldn’t bear to see an animal in pain, she had no choice but to wait until then. Hopefully, Wes might have returned and Grady would have already told him about Chief. By now she hoped their vet would have been called.

At five to seven she drove back to the ranch house, where the family had started to gather in the big dining room. She spotted John behind the counter and rushed over to talk to him.

He gave her a big smile. “Have you had a good afternoon?”

“It’s been terrific, but I’m worried about one of your horses.” She told him what she’d discovered. “Wes wasn’t there, but I pointed out the problem to Grady.”

His brows met. “Grady didn’t know he was limping?”

“No. He seemed surprised.”

“Well, you’re absolutely right. Chief needs a vet, but I don’t know that much about the one we’ve just inherited. Our old vet passed away recently. Still, I’ll call him now. Come in the office with me before we have dinner.”

Tracey followed him down the hall, gratified because he recognized the emergency situation and would take care of it. She sat down and listened while he looked up the number on his computer and made the phone call.

In a minute he hung up and shook his head. “Dr. Cruz isn’t available until Monday.”

“Does he practice here in Hamilton?”

“No. Darby. It’s only fifteen miles away, but I’m going to have to find someone else. There’s a good vet in Anaconda.”

“Isn’t that kind of far from here?”

“Yes, but I have to start somewhere.”

While he searched on the computer, she suddenly remembered something.

“John? On my way to Hamilton I passed a sign that said Clayton Veterinary Hospital. It’s right off the highway about fifteen minutes from here. Have you ever heard of it?”

He blinked. “I didn’t know it existed. You’re sure about that?”

“Yes. I slowed down because I didn’t remember seeing it when I came here for the interview in the spring. It has to be brand-new.”

“That’s very interesting. If that vet is a Clayton, then it’s probably their ranch’s vet who handles large animals.”

“What ranch is that?”

“The Clayton Cattle Ranch. They’re well-known around these parts. It’s worth a call to see if someone there can check out Chief this evening. He’s too valuable a horse to lose.”

John called information and before long she heard him talking to someone else. John outlined the situation before he handed her the phone. “Dr. Clayton wants you to tell him what you saw.”

With her heart pounding, she took it from him. “Hello? Dr. Clayton? This is Tracey Marcroft. I was out in the barn earlier. As I led Chief out to the corral, I noticed he was limping. I lifted his hoof and the second I touched the sole, he grunted in pain.”

“That sounds like it could be a solar abscess, a serious infection that can lead to acute or severe lameness,” he replied, in a deep male voice she felt resonate through her system. “Did you notice anything else?”

“No. At first I thought it might be something wrong with the shoe, but that wasn’t it.”

“Anything more you can think of?”

“His demeanor wasn’t normal. His ears weren’t up and he wouldn’t look at me.”

“Excellent observations. If that hoof can be healed in time, the horse owes its life to your quick thinking.” For no good reason his compliment caused a tingly sensation to sweep through her. “Let me talk to Mr. Hunter again.”

“Of course.”

She handed the phone to John. They talked a few more minutes and he gave the other man directions to the dude ranch before hanging up. “The doctor will be here in an hour.” He squeezed her hand. “Bless you for catching this, Tracey. Let’s hurry in to dinner, and then we’ll meet him at the barn.”

Chapter Two

Roce hung up the phone and wheeled around on his stool. “Our first new patient, Daisy! Who would have thought it would happen on a Saturday night? It has to be some kind of miracle.”

He tossed the border collie–Lab mix a treat. Roce had inherited her from Hannah, whose family didn’t want the dog she’d adopted. After the funeral, Daisy had kept looking for her. It had torn his heart out and he’d decided to keep her for himself.

When he’d moved to the ranch, he’d brought her with him and they’d become fast friends. His whole family loved the dog, especially his brother Eli’s little girl, Libby. She was the daughter from his first marriage, before he’d married his present wife, Brianna.

Libby had regular visitation with her birth mother in town, but when she lived with Eli and Brianna on the ranch, she begged for her uncle Roce to bring his dog to the house.

After first leaving Missoula, Roce had stayed at the main ranch house with his mom. Libby came over all the time to play with Daisy. But when Roce moved into the renovated house down by the highway two months later, she’d wept buckets. He told her she could come to see Daisy anytime she wanted, but she couldn’t be consoled.

Once he’d made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he pulled on a navy long-sleeved hoodie over his jeans. After finding his doctor bag, he made certain he had all the necessary supplies, including Epsom salts and plenty of bandages.

Daisy made whimpering sounds because she knew he was going to leave. He tossed her another treat. “I’ll be back later.” He could hear her bark as he left the house and got in his dark red, four-door pickup truck.

Twenty minutes later, he turned onto the road leading up to the Rocky Point Dude Ranch. An impressive spread filled his vision. He wound around toward the barn he could see in the distance. As he pulled up to the entrance, he saw an older man and a woman with a knockout figure and long legs waiting for him.

Roce had gone through more attractive women in his life than he cared to admit. Maybe something was wrong with him that he hadn’t experienced that affair of the heart like his married brothers. But one thing was certain: when he jumped down from the cab and approached them, he knew that Tracey Marcroft was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen in his life.

In the fading light, her shoulder-length blond hair had a metallic sheen to it. Not silver, not gold, but something in between. Her eyes gleamed the lavender-blue color of larkspurs, flowers that grew in the meadows on the Clayton ranch. For a moment, his breath caught at the heavenly sight.

“Dr. Clayton.” The older man in the Stetson stepped forward and shook his hand. “I can’t thank you enough for coming. Wymon’s your brother, right?”

“Yes.”

“My son Sheldon and I met him at the rodeo last year.”

“Wymon’s head of the ranch now.”

“It’s a small world.” He shook his head. “Dr. Cruz, the veterinarian I’ve been using since our old one died, wasn’t available, so I took a chance on you.”

“Thank you for calling me. I’m pleased to be of help, Mr. Hunter.”

“I have Tracey here to thank for finding you. She just arrived for work today and happened to pass by your hospital on the way.”

Her gaze flicked to Roce. “It surprised me. I didn’t remember seeing it when I was here in the spring,” she explained.

“You wouldn’t have. I just set up my practice on the ranch last week, after moving from the hospital in Missoula.” He glanced at Mr. Hunter. “Why don’t you show me the horse so we can get him out of his pain?”

“Chief is in the third stall.”

As he followed the two of them inside the lighted barn, he found it impossible to keep his eyes off Tracey, and the way she moved wearing those cowboy boots.

Mr. Hunter showed him to the stall that housed the dun-colored animal. Roce lowered his bag and approached it. “Chief is a fine-looking quarter horse. They make ideal family horses, don’t they?”

“You’re right about that.”

Roce ran his hand gently over his back and down his right leg. “It’s all right, Chief.” He moved around in front of him. “Let’s take a look at that sore hoof.”

When he lifted it, the horse grunted, just as Tracey had said. By the way he held his body, Roce could tell he was in a serious amount of pain. His lower lip had gone tense and he didn’t blink. He was too uncomfortable.

With a little probing, Roce found the offending object. “This horse has a hot nail embedded in the wall. I have to get it out. If I could fill a bucket with warm water...and I’ll need my bag.”

“I’ll fill one,” Mr. Hunter declared.

“Here’s your bag.” Tracey brought it to him and knelt to open it. When she looked up, their eyes held. That’s when a wave of emotion foreign to anything he’d ever known swept through Roce’s body, with such power he was left shaken by the impact.

It was a miracle that he could concentrate on what he was doing while this beautiful woman, who smelled divine, stayed at his side and anticipated his needs.

He removed the nail, releasing the pus. It took a good hour to flush out the wound and soak the hoof in Epsom salts and water. Finally, Roce was able to wrap Chief’s foot.

“Do you think he’ll be all right?”

Their gazes fused. “That’s hard to tell at this point. He’s less tense since the pressure was relieved. I’m going to start him on medication.”

Reaching inside his bag, he drew out the balling gun with the antibiotic and placed it in the corner of Chief’s mouth. Very gently, he pushed the tip to the back of his tongue. He dispensed the tablet with the plunger and lifted Chief’s head to make certain he swallowed it.

“There you go, buddy. We’re going to get you better.”

“We are,” Tracey cooed, with her arms around his neck. “You poor darling.”

This woman was a true horse lover. In the background he heard voices. “What’s going on, Granddad?” Another male had joined Mr. Hunter.

“I phoned Dr. Clayton to take care of Chief’s hoof. It had a hot nail in it.”

“Since when? He was fine this morning.” The dark-haired younger man, probably in his midtwenties, sounded upset—as he ought to be, considering the pain the horse was in.

“Since Tracey Marcroft arrived this afternoon and noticed he was limping. We have her to thank for saving Chief from going lame, if it’s not too late. This is the first time you’ve had a chance to meet her, isn’t it? Tracey? This is my grandson, Wes. You’ve already met his wife, Fran.”

“I did. She’s darling. It’s nice to meet you, Wes.”

He nodded. “Welcome to the ranch.” In the next breath he eyed his grandfather. “Where’s Dr. Cruz?”

Wes’s behavior struck Roce as rude. The man exuded no warmth and hadn’t even acknowledged Ms. Marcroft’s contribution. The fact that he completely ignored Roce didn’t matter.

“I’m afraid he wasn’t available, Wes. You have no idea how fortunate we are that Dr. Clayton was on call and willing to come at a moment’s notice.”

Wes stood next to his grandfather, but made no comment as Roce put the things back in his bag and moved out of the stall. He addressed the older man. “I’ll come every day to soak his hoof until he gets rid of the infection. He’ll need a fresh poultice each visit. In ten days to two weeks we’ll know if he’s back to normal.”

“I’m indebted to you.” They shook hands. “Allow me to introduce my grandson, Wes, who’s in charge of the stable.”

“How do you do, Wes?”

The young man made a sound of acknowledgment, but lacked the older man’s good manners and didn’t extend a hand, prompting Mr. Hunter to speak up. “You’ll be seeing Wes when you come again tomorrow.”

“Very good.”

Roce looked around and saw Tracey Marcroft, who stood a little distance away.

She smiled at him. “I’m so glad you came when you did, Dr. Clayton. Chief seems more at peace already.”

“I agree. Getting that nail out did the trick. No animal should have to stay in pain.” He turned to Mr. Hunter. “I’ll say good-night.”

“Come to my office tomorrow after your visit and we’ll talk more, Dr. Clayton.”

“I’ll do that.”

Since the arrival of the grandson, the atmosphere had grown chilly.

Much as he would have liked to stay near the horse to observe him awhile longer, and talk to Ms. Marcroft alone for a few minutes, he realized now wasn’t the time. But he intended to seek her out tomorrow when he came again. On that happy note, he walked out to the truck and took off.

When he reached his house twenty minutes later and opened the door, Daisy launched herself at him. He let out a deep laugh. Life suddenly looked exciting in ways he couldn’t have imagined when he’d left several hours ago.

* * *

TRACEY TOOK A shower and got ready for bed, but knew she wouldn’t be going to sleep for a while. She was too angry at Wes Hunter, for a variety of reasons. She couldn’t comprehend him treating his grandfather like that, and he’d come close to ignoring her and Dr. Clayton. What in heaven’s name had been wrong with him?

Before driving to her cabin, she’d noticed John talking to his grandson in private after Dr. Clayton had left in his truck. The older man had shaken his head several times, indicating that they were having an intense conversation. If Wes was upset because he hadn’t seen Chief’s limp, it didn’t warrant his rudeness toward all of them.

No one knew how long the nail had been embedded, but for some reason the infection had started hurting the horse that afternoon. Since she had to work with Wes and it was his horse, she had to hope he wouldn’t hold it against her for noticing the problem first. In a normal situation, the number one priority would be to get Chief back to perfect health. She couldn’t understand why Wes would be angry that Dr. Clayton had taken care of Chief in a crisis. None of it made sense to her.

But that wasn’t all that was bothering her.

When she’d watched the red pickup disappear, she’d wished the dark blond doctor wouldn’t have left so fast. The tall, hard-muscled veterinarian was incredibly handsome. Her reaction to him had shocked her. After losing Jeff, she’d thought her heart had died and would never come back to life. But something had gone on this evening when they’d glanced at each other, something she couldn’t explain.

It wasn’t just his good looks or the intelligence shining in those hazel eyes that appealed to her. He’d displayed a natural affinity for the horse. There was a quiet authority and assurance he possessed that had gentled Chief enough for him to operate on the animal. He was a man in touch with nature, a trait that ranked high with her.

The doctor didn’t wear a wedding ring. But maybe because he worked with his hands so much, he left it at home when he went out on calls. If he was married, she’d be a fool to give him another thought.

How uncanny was it that she’d noticed Dr. Clayton’s hospital while she’d been driving to the ranch? What were the chances of John calling him in desperation when he couldn’t reach his regular vet?

Surprised by her thoughts, after she’d felt dead inside for so long, she grabbed a quilt and made herself comfortable on the couch to watch TV.

At some point she must have fallen asleep, for the next thing she knew someone was knocking on her cabin door. And the sun was streaming in the window above the kitchen sink. Tracey sat up and looked at her watch. Eight-thirty. The knock sounded again.

“Who is it?” she called out.

“Grady Cox.”

Tracey silently groaned. He had to be at least three years younger than she.

“They’re serving Sunday brunch for all the employees this morning. Do you want to eat with me?”

No, but she couldn’t be rude to him. They’d be working together for the next three months. Thank goodness the cabins weren’t equipped with phones and he didn’t have her cell number. Only John and Fran had access to that information if they needed to get hold of her.

“I’m afraid I’m not up yet. No doubt we’ll be seeing each other at some point soon.”

“You can count on it. My cabin is number five. The one with the silver Chevy Malibu in front.”

“Got it.”

When he walked away, Tracey let out a sound of relief and hurried to get ready in jeans and a yellow pullover. Her priority this morning was to check on Chief. She’d planned to skip breakfast, and reached for the granola bar from her purse to eat later on.

After brushing her hair, she put on fresh lipstick and her cowboy hat, then pulled on her cowboy boots and left the cabin for the barn. There was no sign of Dr. Clayton’s truck. Maybe he’d already come and gone. She walked inside, hoping that wasn’t true.

“Good morning,” she said when she saw Wes coming out of the stall next to Chief’s. Last night she’d noticed that Fran’s husband was most likely twenty-four or twenty-five, just slightly older than his wife. But unlike Fran, he didn’t have her friendly disposition. Talk about opposites.

“Morning,” he muttered. “Sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived yesterday. I was in town checking on supplies to be delivered.”

“No problem.”

“I didn’t realize anyone else had been hired to go on the trail rides with the horses. Usually the family handles that.”

She supposed the talk his grandfather had given him last night had wrought a few changes. But though he’d said the right words to her just now, her intuition told her he still wasn’t happy with the situation.

“I think it was a last-minute decision between my grandfather and John for me to be given a job on the dude ranch.” Except that it wasn’t true. She’d been hired when she’d come to the dude ranch in the Spring, but it appeared John hadn’t said anything at that time. “It’s a great privilege for me.”

His head jerked up. “You know my grandfather?”

Why did that bother him so much? “He and mine were best friends growing up. John is doing me a favor letting me work here this summer and I’m very grateful.”

The other man couldn’t hide his irritation and didn’t try. She didn’t understand it, but knew to give him a wide berth. Tracey couldn’t help but wonder how Fran handled him at times like this. The answer, of course, was that his wife was in love with him, and Wes was attractive, like the other Hunter men.