Page 21 of Ropers Can’t Tie Knots (Kissing Ridge Cowboys #3)

The carrot drops from my hand as I jog down the barn aisle to her stall. Mack is not okay.

Her coat is shiny, like she just ran a marathon under the August sun, but she’s been in the barn for a few hours already.

I know that because Hunter said he brings them in earlier in the fall, while the bears do their last-minute foraging for hibernation.

That wasn’t news I liked to hear, but he insisted that in all his years here, he’s only had a bear in the pasture once.

That’s one time too many, if you ask me.

Mack paws at the ground, then stretches her neck and body out before kicking a back foot at her belly.

She lies down, then immediately gets up with a low groan I’ve not heard from her before.

Her expressive eyes, the ones that I sometimes feel are smiling at me, plead for me to help, but I don’t know what’s wrong.

She walks in a few circles in her stall, lies down and immediately gets back up—again—and in my gut, I know something is very wrong. I don’t need to be a horse guy to know that .

With a shaky hand, I pull out my cell and call Hunter right away.

“Hey, counsellor. Are you on your way?”

“No. I’m in the barn.” Mack’s panting intensifies and my panic bubbles over into my voice. “There’s something wrong with Mack!”

“What’s going on?” Hunter asks, calm and measured while I work at tamping down the panic.

“She’s all wet, like she’s sweating, and she’s pawing at things, lying down and getting up. She looks like she’s in pain.”

Hunter curses, then takes charge. “Gabe, I’m calling the vet. His name is Jonah. Mack will probably be okay, but Jonah will get there faster than me. Can I ask you to do something?”

My shoulders relax with his steady voice and latch on to the words that Mack will be okay. If I keep thinking that, it will happen, right?

“Yes, of course. Tell me what to do.”

“In the tack room, Mack has a hook. There’s a halter on it. That’s like a bridle with no bit for her mouth. Do you remember when I showed you?”

“Yes.” I walk towards the tack room as he continues. “Put it on her and clip the lead rope to the side. Walk her around slowly until Jonah gets there. Do you think you can get a halter on her by yourself?”

“I-I don’t know, but I’ll try.”

“Just read her movements. It slips on easily and she’s used to it. I’ll be there as a soon as I can.”

“Okay. Please hurry.” My voice cracks. “I don’t like her like this, Hunter. ”

“I know Gabe.” Hunter’s voice is soft as he does his best to comfort me. “I’ll be there soon.”

After pocketing the phone, I find Mack’s halter and the lead and try valiantly to remember what Hunter taught me all those weeks ago.

Halters, bridles, bits, saddles, and brushes.

It was a lot for a newbie to digest, but if I wanted to ride with him again, he said I needed to learn all these things.

Returning to Mack with the halter in hand, I find her still lying down, but she raises her head when I open the stall door. Her breaths are still harsh pants, and I try to channel Hunter’s calm.

“Hey, girl. Your dad said to put this on you, okay?”

Mack’s eyes are so expressive. Over the weeks that I snuck her carrots and talked to her without Hunter knowing, I believe we bonded.

I didn’t know horses had personalities that were as unique as humans.

Her eyes are my favourite part and over time I learned to read her looks.

It probably seems silly to think it, but sometimes I wonder if she’s so good with me because she knows I’m new to horses.

I think she knows I’m here to help now, even though my hands are shaking and I’m sweating as bad as she is. Mack allows me to slip the halter on and buckle it, and that simple task feels like a massive victory. But it doesn’t make anything better.

She lays her head back down, and I’m unsure what to do, so I call Hunter again.

“Gabe?”

“I got the harness on but she’s laying down and just huffing. Should I get her up?”

“If she seems comfortable, that’s okay. Just stay with her. I’m almost there. Try not to panic. You okay? ”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“You’re doing great, Gabe. I’m ten minutes out.”

Hunter hangs up, and I get comfortable in the stall next to Mack’s head.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you, Mack, but whatever it is, you’re going to get better.

” She puffs as I pet her ears. “I only just went for my first ride with you and your dad, and it won’t be our last, okay?

I know I’m not a horse guy, but I really like you, and I think you might have made me a horse guy. ”

I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. How do people manage it with sick pets? She’s not even mine, and I’m on the verge of an emotional meltdown.

A male voice I don’t recognize calls out in the barn. “Hello?”

“In the stall with Mack!”

Footsteps sound down the barn aisle, and the man, who must be the vet, pokes his head over the door.

“You must be Gabe. I’m Jonah. Hunter should be here soon. I was nearby when he called. Sounds like Mack is colicking, but I need to check her out to be sure.”

“Is that bad?”

Jonah moves into the stall with me and kneels next to Mack.

“Sometimes it can be, but if you catch it early—” He listens to Mack’s heart, lungs, and belly.

“—which it seems like you did, the chances of full recovery are much better.” He hangs the stethoscope around his neck and stands.

“Her gut sounds are pretty quiet. I need to do a rectal exam. Do you think you can help me?”

“Ah…in what way? ”

A familiar low chuckle sounds as Hunter shows up at Mack’s stall.

“Not the way you think, counsellor.” Hunter stands in the aisle, dressed in jeans that have never seen the inside of a barn.

The blue button-down shirt is one I haven’t seen before, but damn, does it ever look amazing on him.

He’s definitely dressed to impress his date, and it takes a moment for me to pick up my jaw.

I’m still sitting in the stall with Mack’s head partially on my lap when he leans down to plant a soft kiss on my lips.

“We need to get Mack on her feet for the doc.”

“Oh.” Petting Mack one last time, I whisper she’s a good girl and to be brave before sliding out from under her head. “I’d like to help.”

“The more hands, the merrier,” Jonah says as he pulls on a pair of gloves that go up to his shoulder.

Hunter bends to speak to Mack, and the horse nickers at his voice before slowly pushing up to stand with Hunter at her side. He walks Mack out of the stall, and Jonah motions for me to join him.

“Stand off to the side and mind her legs. She might try to bring one up like she’s scratching, and you want to avoid a kick. Hold her tail out of the way for me and just stand like that.”

Hunter and Jonah share a few words I don’t understand before Jonah slathers one arm with lube and works it into Mack’s butt. Remind me never to complain about a prostate exam again. Mack barely moves with the intrusion, but her panting continues.

“There’s a large mass of fecal matter here. I’ll run the nasogastric tube and try the mineral oil. If it works, then we avoid surgery.” Hunter’s eyes close with a sigh as he presses a kiss to Mack’s head .

Jonah removes his arm along with a bunch of dry poop and pulls off the glove. “That’s good, right? To not have surgery?” I ask, and both men nod.

“We’ve had a cold fall season, and she’s likely not getting enough moisture with the grass dying so soon.

It happens, but I’m confident we’ll have her feeling better in no time.

” Jonah nods, confident in his findings, and pulls a huge rubber hose from his bag.

While Jonah places a coating of lubricant on the hose, Hunter moves Mack close to a hook on the wall and clips it to one side of her halter.

He keeps the lead short on the wall side while holding her halter with his hand on the other side.

I can’t imagine it feels good getting a tube down her nose while she’s awake, but she’s barely fighting it.

Hunter works with Jonah, stroking Mack’s throat for her to swallow.

Jonah places his mouth on the tube and sucks…

which absolutely grosses me out. Both men quietly cheer when Jonah removes his lips, and a rush of gurgling sounds from the tube.

Mack stomps once, but Jonah moves fast. From his oversized coat pocket, he produces a giant syringe filled with mineral oil.

Hunter holds the tube while Jonah slowly injects the oil.

When he’s finished, he removes the tube, and Hunter moves to unhook Mack from the wall.

“We released a lot of gas, and some of the impacted feces came out with my exam. The mineral oil I just gave her should help soften the stool. Walk her around for a bit. You know the drill. How about if I come back at midnight? If she’s not improving, I’ll reevaluate.”

“Thanks, Jonah. We’ll be here. I’d appreciate you coming back to check on her. ”

“She’s hopefully out of danger. Gabe caught it early.” He packs up his things and pats Hunter’s arm. “Watch for poop. Call me if you need me sooner. I’ll wash up, then be back in a few hours.”

Jonah disappears, and Hunter again closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before turning to me.

“Walk with us?”

“I was going to, even without an invitation.”

The moon lights the pasture as Hunter opens the gate, and we step out with Mack. A definite chill is settling in, and frost is likely at this temp. Hunter holds Mack’s lead and runs a hand down her neck several times. It might be dark out, but I notice the shine in his eyes as he watches Mack.

“This is pretty common, Gabe. If I were here, I’d have given her something myself and called Jonah to keep him updated, but I knew you needed some reassurance before I got here.”

“You weren’t worried about Mack?”

“I was, but you were scared, and I figured if the vet was here, you’d feel better.”

I let his words sit with me for a moment. He wanted to ease my mind about a horse I was becoming attached to. He didn’t need to do that, but I’m grateful he did.

“I’d never have found her if it wasn’t for Lewis. I went to get him a carrot and heard Mack.” Poor guy never got his carrot. I’ll have to give him a bigger one next time.

Hunter bumps his shoulder against mine as we walk. “You’re a softie for the animals now. You screamed when you first met Lewis.” There’s a smile in his voice, and while it’s true I screamed, I’m also a softie like he says, and I’m not even embarrassed.

“They grow on you,” I answer. “Kind of like their owner. ”

Hunter doesn’t respond. Which is okay. I know how hard it was for him to invite me on a date, and apologies…well, sometimes people can’t say the words, but actions mean just as much.

We don’t talk for a while. It’s just us, the crisp night that verges on me needing an extra sweater and the soundtrack of Mack passing gas like a champion. Even with that less-than-romantic ambient sound, it feels like the best quality time we’ve spent together.

Mack stops and lifts her tail.

“Do you have your phone? Can you shine your flashlight on her crap?”

I feel like I should make a joke about bodily functions, but from what I’ve learned tonight, maybe that’s not wise. After finding the fresh pile, Hunter pushes at the solid shiny mass with the toe of his boot.

“Good. Looks like the mineral oil is working. That one is still hard, though.” We keep walking in the moonlit pasture, following the fence line, then across to the barn and back. “I’m sorry our date didn’t happen.”

Hunter’s gaze meets mine, and if we weren’t walking Mack, I’d grab him and kiss him until we ran out of breath.

“The date you planned didn’t happen. This is still a date. We’re already dressed for it, so we’ll just do it differently.”

Hunter pauses the walk and stares at me. His lips parted like he wants to say something, but he remains silent for several beats until Mack huffs and we walk some more.

Hunter’s hand finds mine, and, with a shaky breath, he brings my hand to his lips.