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I have to remember that once I get cowboys out of my system, I’ll feel worlds better about moving back to New York.

Finishing my coffee, I grab Dad’s phone and call Ava back on speaker. She fills me in on what happened—the foal, named Pepper, was accidentally kicked by her mama—and then she FaceTimes us from the foal’s stall.

“Aw, poor baby,” I say. “Looks gnarly.”

“Do you think you can fix it?” Ava asks. “Vance didn’t sound hopeful.”

I bring the screen closer to my face, narrowing my eyes. I’ll need X-rays to confirm, but it looks like Pepper fractured her metacarpal bones. I immediately start to visualize the fix—two steel plates to stabilize the bone, along with several screws. Luckily, I don’t think we’ll need to use cables.

“I don’t want to make any promises, but I’m coming up with a plan. We’ll be there in…” I look at Dad.

“Twenty minutes.”

“Okay, great.” The relief in Ava’s voice is palpable. “See y’all soon.”

The Wallace Ranch is second only to Lucky River Ranch in terms of facilities and beauty. Even in the dark, I’m able to see how organized and well-maintained Wallace Ranch is. Neatfences line the paved driveway that leads up to an enormous and beautiful white barn.

“Jesus.” I duck my head to peer up at the barn through the windshield. “I feel like we just drove onto the set ofYellowstone.”

Dad grins, his face creasing. “You know, I’ve been told I look like Kevin Costner.”

“You’re handsomer than he is.” I lean across the center console to press a kiss to his stubbly cheek. “Let’s go.”

I’m relieved to see just Ava and Vance when we walk into the barn. As much as I want to flirt with Beck, I need to focus right now. Having a hot cowboy in the vicinity would definitely make that difficult.

“Y’all, thank you so much for coming out here so early.” Ava’s brow is furrowed, her full mouth turned down in a frown. “Poor thing was howling so loud that it woke up the bunkhouse.”

I’m struck by how pretty Ava is, despite her oversized coat and the knot of messy blonde hair on the top of her head. Like many barrel racers, there’s a pageant sort of beauty to her looks—perfect skin, dramatic brows, and large eyes framed by long, dark lashes.

“Pepper is in good hands.” Dad nods at me. “Did I tell you Sally is going to be a surgeon at Ithaca University?”

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes—Dad can be a little obnoxious with the bragging—I look at Vance, who appears relieved.

“Impressive. We’re so glad you’re here, Sally,” he says.

“Seriously.” Ava uncrosses her arms. “Y’all can follow me.”

I’m careful to keep my footfalls quiet as we approach the stall. Pepper is tucked into the far corner. I can immediately tell she’s in distress by the rapid rise and fall of her sides. She’s holding up one leg—the injured one—and as I peer into the stall, I can see she doesn’t appear to have an openfracture; there’s no blood or bone poking through her white-and-gray speckled coat.

Her huge, liquid eyes meet mine in the low light. The naked pain in them makes my chest cramp.

When I look over my shoulder, Dad is right behind me. He wordlessly holds out my headlamp and stethoscope.

“Thanks.” I plug the stethoscope into my ears and put on the headlamp. Turning on the light, I head for Pepper, Dad beside me.

I do a quick exam, listening to her heart and stomach. She’s skittish, but I press a hand to her side and murmur, “That’s a good girl. There we go. We’re gonna make you feel better, all right?”

She calms down enough for me to examine her foreleg, Dad and Vance gently holding Pepper in place while I do my thing.

“There’s not a lot of swelling, which is a good sign,” I say. “No ligament damage that I can tell. And the blood supply doesn’t appear to be interrupted. Let’s get some X-rays and go from there.”

That doesn’t take long. The pictures tell me what I already knew—this poor baby has multiple fractured bones. She’ll definitely need the plates and screws.

I’m already visualizing how I’ll stabilize the joint. Surgery on horses is extra complex because they’re working animals. The fix has to enable Pepper to do what she was bred to do—work on a ranch—or else she’ll be of no use to the Wallaces.

Which means I have to get this right.

Ava’s face falls when I tell her the news. She swallows hard, eyes glazing over with tears. “Not good, huh?”