Page 22 of Take a Chance (Blue Creek Ranch #1)

Crew

He was getting controlled turn out until we figured out better latches.

Rowdy was fine. It was more that I was looking for Mal.

I just wanted to lay eyes on him, that’s all.

Just see him for a few seconds, maybe have a conversation, because it had been at least a whole day since I’d gotten more than a glimpse and I missed him.

I needed to let it go. I knew that. But I just couldn’t. Not yet.

“You!” Wy’s scream didn’t quite echo but it was a near thing. I turned slowly in her direction, saw the flashing eyes and her hands on her hips, and sighed. She might have the red hair but she didn’t usually have a temper. So if it was coming out then she was definitely mad.

“What’d I do?”

Wy stalked closer and that only served to intensify her anger. She punched me in the shoulder when she got close enough, but even though she was strong, it didn’t really hurt. In that moment, I knew at least part of her anger was for show.

“You let your brother steal Mal. I told you I was keeping him.”

I held in the chuckle by sheer force of will and held my hands up in placation. “Like I have any control over what Hawk does.”

“You should.” She harrumphed, and I saw the anger waning as her expression relaxed. She crossed her arms and glared. “You’re the foreman and the big brother. It should be your call.”

“Yeah, well.” I did chuckle then but cut it off when I saw Wy’s glare. I shrugged. “Hawk gets what Hawk wants. And he sees something in Mal that will benefit his training program. So he poached him. It’s not like Mal won’t ever be here, helping you out.”

“But he’s not today. Or any day this week.

I want him here. He’s so good,” she whined, and finally the anger left her.

She sighed and stepped closer. Rowdy took that as an invitation to headbutt her for pets.

Wy had to sidestep to keep her feet, but she immediately gave in and scratched Rowdy’s neck.

The gelding immediately started licking his lips.

“Yeah. He’s got the magic touch, for sure,” I said without thought. Wy straightened, her hand stilling. She narrowed her gaze. I could practically see her mind working and when I thought about what I’d said, I could hear the affection in my tone.

I braced myself, ready to deny whatever she was going to say. I was saved by the radio crackling to life.

“GH to Base.”

“Go for base,” Mom’s voice immediately responded.

“Call Emery. Code Hoof in Barn 4.” Gemma’s voice held tension and concern, but she wasn’t outright panicked.

Even still, my heart leapt into my throat.

Getting kicked by a horse was par for the course when you did the work we did, but if it was bad enough to call a Code Hoof, and ask for Emery, then someone was more than bruised.

My gaze shot to Wy’s and I wondered if she was thinking the same thing I was. We’d just been talking about him. Was it Mal?

I took off for the equipment shed, intent on grabbing an ATV to get there faster. As I ran, I pulled my two-way off my belt. “CH to GH, please advise.”

“Hawk’s a dumbass,” Gemma responded. The relief that poured through me was acute, making me lightheaded for a second. Not that I didn’t care about my brother, because I did. I loved him something fierce, and worry flowed back in a moment later. But to know it wasn’t Mal made me feel better.

“I’m on my way. Over.” I reclipped the two-way, jumped on the ATV, and took off.

I rolled up to the barn just a few minutes later. I’d been going faster than was wise but I’d done that since I was a kid. Honestly, it was a wonder that all of us were still alive considering the shit we’d gotten into and dangerous feats we’d attempted.

Mal was coming out of a stall and my knees turned to water. I stumbled a step. Even knowing it was Hawk who’d been injured, seeing with my own two eyes that Mal was upright and fine sent another wave of relief through me. I wanted to reach out, make sure with touch, but caught myself in time.

“Hawk’s not a dumbass,” Mal said quietly. His lips quirked, but the worry in his eyes made my heart pick up.

“I know.”

Mal nodded. “Greta’s just learning to be a horse again, that’s all.” He glanced over his shoulder at the stall he’d just come out of, then turned back to me and gestured with his chin. “They’re in the arena.”

We walked together, and if my hand bumped into his it was just because two people walking next to each other had the propensity to bump into each other. It certainly wasn’t intentional on my part.

The gate was open and Hawk sat on the soft ground near the rail. Gemma was crouched down next to him and whatever she was saying had my brother frowning. He waved Gemma off and bit out, “I’m fine.”

But the tension in his voice let me know that Hawk was, in fact, not fine. We’d all gotten kicked, stepped on, bit, and knocked around. It happened even when you were as careful as possible. Except he was still sitting, not back on his feet, and so it was more serious than just some bruising.

“Stay down,” Gemma hissed, a heavy hand on Hawk’s shoulder.

Well that answered that. I strode closer and then tapped the bottom of Hawk’s boot with my toe. “What happened?”

“I got kicked,” he answered, surly as hell. I didn’t miss his wince as he took a deep breath.

“Gem?”

She put her hand in Hawk’s hair and tugged, probably because she didn’t want to punch or kick him because he was injured. She was mad, but I knew my sister, and it was because whatever happened had scared her.

“Hawk turned his back, Greta reared and got him in the hamstring, and Hawk went right into the rail. Probably broke his ribs, the dumbass.”

“Hey,” Hawk said quietly, and he grabbed Gemma’s hand. Her knuckles were white she was gripping so tightly. “No reason to be scared. I’m okay. Really. Ribs aren’t broken.”

“Emery will be the judge of that.” She harrumphed but her fear was easing some. “You couldn’t breathe for a minute there.”

“Just got the wind knocked outta me. Don’t worry.”

“It’s only because it’s you,” she said, her tone finally gentling. “This shit happens to all of us. But not you. You always read the horses so well.”

“Greta and I are still learning each other,” he said as if that was all the explanation that was needed.

And honestly, it kind of was. Hawk had made great strides since he’d brought the abused, head shy, malnourished mare to the ranch.

But it had only been a few weeks and it took a lot longer than that to undo the damage that had been done.

Emery arrived a few minutes later. His exam was quick and succinct and after he was done, he allowed Hawk to stand.

“I want x-rays.”

“No,” Hawk said, bending gingerly to pick up his hat. He beat it against his leg to get the dust off and then put it back on his head. His movements were slow and careful.

Emery narrowed his eyes. “Yep. You’re getting in the truck and coming to get x-rays. Chest and femur. Let’s go.”

“Hell no. She didn’t get me that hard. You said nothing was broken.”

“I said probably . I want to make sure. To the clinic with you.”

Hawk glared. Emery glared back. Gemma picked up her two-way.

“GH to base.”

Hawk groaned.

“Go for base,” Mom said, a hint of anxiety in her tone.

“Mommy, Em wants x-rays just to be sure, but Hawk is being a dumbass. Over.”

“Language, Gemma Rose. There are little ears.” Over the line, we all heard Payton’s giggle. Mom continued over the sound. “Hawk Alexander Harrington, if your brother, the doctor, wants x-rays, then you get x-rays. Over.”

Hawk snatched Gemma’s two-way with a wince. “I’m fine.”

I tuned out the continuing banter and turned to Mal. He was standing there, gaze bouncing between all of us, a hand over his mouth. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was trying to hide a smile.

“Welcome to the circus,” I offered under my breath.

“They’re your monkeys, not mine.”

I laughed from my toes, which drew everyone’s attention, but I was focused on Mal and the way his face lit up. Damn, but I loved those smiles. I didn’t see them often enough and every time it seemed like a gift. I wanted that to be his standard expression.

In the end, Mom and Emery got their way.

Em bundled Hawk into his SUV and headed to the clinic, Gemma went to collect her client’s horse to work on halter training—the two year old gelding was barely halter broke, but he was pretty and the owner wanted to show so they were starting very slowly—and Mal was left to do the grunt work.

He didn’t mind, it seemed. There was a bounce in his step as he headed to clean stalls.

With nothing left for me to do, I got back on the ATV and went back to my own work.

Hawk’s x-rays were clear. After he got out an “I told you so,” he was over his grumpiness.

Hawk, in general, wasn’t prone to being cranky, but he wasn’t the biggest fan of coddling and he’d been hurting.

He had a wicked nasty bruise on his hamstring, a few more that weren’t as bad on his ribs, and he heeded Emery’s warning for light duty.

“At least a few days,” Emery said, shaking out a couple of ibuprofen and handing them to Hawk. Hawk took them without protest. “And no riding Humphrey either. Just take it easy, all right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hawk said, closing his eyes. He would abide the decree though. He wouldn’t do anything to put him out of commission longer than necessary. “Problem is, the Adelmann’s auction is the day after tomorrow.”

Mom joined us at the table, bringing a plate of sandwiches. After all the excitement, we were sitting down to a late lunch. The rest of the hands and Pay had already eaten, but me, Hawk, Emery, Gemma, and Dad were finally getting a chance.

“That’s in Kansas right? Westfield?” Emery asked. Hawk nodded. Emery pursed his lips. “Yeah, you’re not riding in the truck for five hours.”

“It’s four and a half,” Hawk corrected.

Emery threw a chip at him. “You’re not doing that either.”

“Skip it?” Mom suggested. “Why do you need to go anyway?”