Page 35

Reaching for the coffee, she removed her hand from the compress, so Nate took that as an opportunity to try to milk Callie again.

“Can you show me how to do it?” Mieka asked, setting her mug down beside her stool.

He nodded and took her hand in his, bringing it to Callie’s engorged teat. “Put it between your thumb and forefinger like this.” He placed her fingers where they needed to be, her thumb on the front, her finger behind. “Then pull down toward the tip, like so.” He guided her fingers and after three pulls milk squirted out of both ducts.

“Is that?”

“Coming full stream out of both ducts,” he exhaled. “Thank fuck.”

He guided her a couple more times, more for himself because he liked touching her, then he left Mieka to try it herself. She did very well.

“Good girl, Mama Callie,” she said, pressing a kiss to Callie’s side.

Nate stood up, exited the stall, then returned a moment later with a glass mug. “Here, no sense wasting it.”

Her eyes became dinner plates. “To drink?”

“Well, it’s perfectly safe to drink mare’s milk. Nomads used to do it. It’s sweet and watery—”

“Wait, you’ve tried it?”

“Of course, I have. I’m a rancher. Tried goat’s milk and chicken eggs, too.”

She rolled her pretty eyes. “Not the same, smart ass.”

“It is, though. Horses are herbivores and livestock just like cattle. I don’t see the harm in it. They only have two teats as opposed to four like a cow, so we don’t actually milk the horses for their milk, but I have tried it. We all have.”

She made a face like she couldn’t decide if she should be disgusted or not. Her brows were pinched, her mouth and her nose were scrunched and she just stared at the mug in his hand. But she continued to milk Callie. He placed the cup under the stream and started to collect the milk.

“We’ll let Chance drink it,” he said. “But you’re welcome to try it first.”

She shook her head. “I’m good, thanks.”

“You’ll stick to cow milk?”

“I mean, in truth, I prefer almond milk, but you guys don’t have any so I make do with cow.”

“Never seen nipples on an almond before.”

She nudged him playfully. “For a man who barely slept last night, you’re sure a smartass this morning.”

“My ass is extra brilliant when I’m running on fumes.”

Grinning at each other like idiots, they worked in companionable quiet until the mug was half-full. Chance had stopped nursing on the right side and wandered around Callie to stand over them, curious about what they were doing. He nudged Nate several times with his head, running his velvety nose up and down Nate’s back.

“He’s worried you’re going to take his milk,” Mieka said with a chuckle as she continued to milk Callie.

“It’s all for you, bud,” Nate said, kissing Chance’s cheek as the colt bent his head to get a better look at what they were doing. “Wanna sip?” he pulled the mug out from the stream and held it to Chance. The colt sniffed the mug and moved his head around a bit, but Nate persisted, put the rim of the mug to Chance’s mouth and tipped it up enough that the milk hit his lips. Understanding flashed in the smart little guy’s eyes and he sipped.

“Hey, that’s cool,” Mieka said. “I didn’t know horses could drink from cups.”

“Horses can do a lot of things.” He let Chance finish the mug, then put it beneath Callie again so Mieka could resume the milking. “I think this is really helping her. We just have to keep the stream steady and relieve her engorgement.”

“I’m happy to stay here and do this if you have other pressing matters,” she said. “I feel useful.”

He shook his head and bumped her shoulder. “You’re definitely useful, Minx. You still have to order all the furniture and décor.”

“Done,” she said proudly. “Did it before I came out here. I can eat and spend money at the same time believe it or not. Particularly when it’s someone else’s money. Then I can eat, sing, tap dance and spend money. Actually, that’s not true. I have severe ADHD and although medicated, I’m still really bad at multitasking. Executive dysfunction and all that.” She waved her hand in a way to dismiss what she’d just said, or minimize it. “That’s why I dance. To keep my body and brain moving.”