Page 1 of Unyielding (Poplar Springs #3)

ONE

SHANNON

“ I know, baby,” I murmured to my favorite horse, stroking her velvety nose. “You’re not feeling so hot today. But Doc Wilcox will be here soon. She’ll make it all better. We love her, right?”

Belle let out a little groan and shifted from side to side, making her discomfort clear.

“Shh, shh, you’ll be fine,” I said, feeling my heart break a little at the sight of my favorite horse in pain.

I’d finally let go of the anger at my sister, Fiona, for her role in what had happened with Belle.

Mostly. If Fiona hadn’t been so distracted bickering with Eli, then the ranch’s prize stallion Diesel never would’ve gotten loose, jumped the fence, and mounted Belle.

Now my twenty-year-old horse—one of the last, precious connections I had to my mom—was facing a risky, unexpected pregnancy when she should’ve been spending her days munching clover in the sunshine.

I was so wrapped up in studying Belle that I didn’t hear the sound of footsteps until the figure was almost on top of me.

“Hey there, stranger.”

I jumped in shock and whipped around.

“ Declan ?”

It didn’t seem possible that the boy I’d crushed on in high school, my big brother’s best friend, was the man standing in my barn, smiling the same ridiculously adorable half grin that had always made me melt.

I hadn’t seen him since my parents’ funeral almost four years ago, yet here he was, looking even better than I’d remembered.

Everything about him seemed… bigger , from the way he towered over me to the thickness of his arms. He was wearing a baseball cap with a logo I didn’t recognize, and a tan Henley with the first few buttons open.

The shirt was thin enough that I could make out impressive definition along his shoulders.

His jeans looked well-loved, faded to a weathered blue and shoved half in and half out of sturdy brown work boots.

It was like the guy version of the work uniform Dr. Wilcox always wore, but Declan managed to make it look hot.

“What… what are you doing here?”

“Ruth, I mean, Dr. Wilcox didn’t tell you she was sending me?”

I frowned and tried to remember the specifics of my hurried conversation with the vet, a woman who’d been treating the animals of Poplar Springs since before my parents had run the ranch.

“Um, actually, yeah, I think she did say something about an assistant, but I thought she’d be coming along with whomever it was.”

Declan’s grin faded. “Is that what she called me? An assistant?”

“Oh, no, not at all,” I said quickly, realizing my misstep.

Thanks to Josh, I knew that Declan had sailed through vet school with honors, so there was no way he was anyone’s assistant.

“I think she said someone was assisting her—but honestly, I wasn’t paying much attention to what she was saying. I was too busy worrying about Belle.”

The horse shifted again and bobbed her head, as if to remind us that she was the reason for our reunion.

“Well, sorry for the confusion. I’ll explain everything after I’ve had a chance to examine our patient. I don’t want to keep her waiting.” He finally looked away from Belle to meet my eyes. “That is, if it’s okay with you?”

I gestured toward my horse, a little flustered by his intensity as he looked at me. “Of course, please do.”

Declan nodded, dropped his bag on the ground, and got to work. “Hello, Miss Belle. It’s been a long time,” he said softly to the mare as he approached her.

After having grown accustomed to Dr. Wilcox and, more recently, Dr. Lett, handling the Cafferty animals and looking after Belle, I felt cautious about someone new examining my horse.

But the truth was, Declan Morris wasn’t even close to new.

He’d been in my life since my big brother was in grade school.

First, as my occasional tormentor, chasing me around the yard with the frogs we’d found.

Then, as a preteen, acting like he was too cool to even notice me when he had sleepovers with Josh.

And finally, he’d become the guy who’d grown from gawky to gorgeous in high school, leaving me to crush after him helplessly while he treated me like a kid sister.

For a second, I had a flashback to the fateful night when I’d followed my heart and done something impetuous and totally unlike me.

The kiss.

I closed my eyes and shook my head, filled with embarrassment that hadn’t faded with time, then refocused on Declan.

He was running his hands along Belle’s stomach, talking softly to her. The old horse seemed to lean in closer to his touch, like he was there to give her a massage and not a checkup.

“And there it is. That’s excellent , Miss Belle,” he said in a quiet voice as his fingertips traced along her hip. “There’s that baby.”

“Are you going to do a sonogram?” I asked.

Declan shook his head, still studying Belle. “I don’t think we have to today since the baby is moving around like crazy. She’s got a racehorse in there for sure.”

He went silent again and put on his stethoscope.

It felt strange to see him so in his element with Belle.

Declan always had a gift when it came to the various animals on the ranch.

During the summers when he’d worked here, he’d shown an affinity for everything from the barn cats to the stallions, but the way he handled Belle was something else entirely.

He was so focused on the mare and so disinterested in me that I had to wonder if Declan even remembered that ridiculous night under the mistletoe all those years ago.

Because thinking about it still made me blush.

Josh had invited Declan over for our annual Christmas party when the two of them had been home from college for winter break.

Seeing him again had reignited all my fantasies about the two of us together.

He’d been as sweet with me as ever throughout the evening, and when the opportunity to show him how I really felt about him had presented itself, I’d jumped on it, literally.

When I saw him standing beneath the mistletoe in the shadows, I’d walked straight up to him and kissed him right on the mouth.

For a brief moment in time, it was the most incredible sensation I’d ever experienced, and the way he initially responded made me think he felt the same way.

That is until Declan pushed me away. I asked him why and I’ll always remember the look he gave me as he mumbled something about “girlfriend” and “sorry” right before he walked away.

Ever since, he’d been friendly to me but distant.

Actually distant, as if a bomb would go off if he got within five feet of me.

The only exception had been at my parents’ funeral, when I’d felt like I would explode if someone didn’t hold me together.

And… he had, wrapping his arms around me and letting me cry on his shoulder.

It helped a lot. Until my brother walked up and Declan let go of me like I was radioactive.

And now here we were. All these years later, I still had no idea how to act around him.

“How long has she been off her feed?” Declan asked, bringing me back to the present.

“Well, I wouldn’t say she’s off it completely…” I ventured carefully, realizing exactly how alarmist I was going to sound.

“So, she’s still eating?”

I wrinkled my nose and nodded. “Yeah, but she’s picking at it. She used to inhale her food. Lately, she’s not even into the hay cubes, which are her favorite.”

“Is she getting turned out enough?”

Declan had paused with his hand resting on Belle’s back, and I realized that I was staring at him. I needed to stop focusing on him and focus on the reason he was there.

“Uh, yeah. Of course. She’s not super excited to be out in the field, so she’s out for about two hours, plus we take turns hand walking her.”

“Hmm, okay.” Declan leaned down and fished around in his bag. “I’m going to take her temperature real quick. Keep an eye on her, would you? We don’t want her to get agitated while I’m using the thermometer.”

I tried not to watch him as he worked, especially given what he was about to do, but it was tough to keep my eyes off him.

The years had given him a calm that made him seem different from the Declan I used to know.

It suited him, and Belle seemed to appreciate it too.

The horse barely shifted as he worked on her hind end.

“Normal,” Declan announced. “Everything is normal, even her eating habits.”

I frowned. That couldn’t be right. “No, she’s always had a huge appetite. It’s weird for her not to eat,” I insisted.

“Shannon, how many pregnant mares have you foaled?” Declan asked with a gleam in his eye.

“You seriously want me to count?”

Growing up, I always knew that I would follow in my mom’s footsteps. When my parents died on that awful night in a plane crash, I took over the ranch’s breeding program. So there was no way I could give him a number on the spot.

“I actually don’t expect a number. I’m trying to make a point. I want you to realize that maybe you’re being a little too worried about this beauty. I know she was always your favorite, so I get it.” He stroked the horse’s flank.

“My mom’s too,” I murmured before I could stop myself.

Declan gave me a sad smile. “I remember. She was very protective of her. I felt privileged when she allowed me to work with her.”

I leaned over and kissed Belle’s nose. “I have to do everything I can to protect her, you know? This was an unplanned pregnancy. And at her age… She’s precious to me.”

“Of course she is,” Declan said softly. “I remember seeing your mom riding her those summers when I worked here. They were so in tune with each other. It was beautiful to watch them together.”

My eyes welled unexpectedly, and I wiped them quickly, before Declan could notice.

“Hey, I think you already know that Belle is just fine,” he offered gently. “It’s normal for pregnant mares to go off their feed as they get bigger. As long as she’s eating and eliminating normally, and her temperament seems normal otherwise, it’s just part of the natural progression.”

I nodded. “I wanted to be sure, you know?”

“Of course, I get it,” Declan answered. “I worry when my dog, Ford, skips a meal.”

“You have a dog?” I smiled. “Is it a yellow lab like you always wanted?”

“Nope, I rescued a broken-down, beat-up mixed-breed dog. He was a mess when I adopted him, but you should see him now. Total stunner.”

“What a lucky dog, getting a vet for a dad.” I paused. “Did you kennel him back in Salt Lake City for your visit here, or did he come with you?” I knew through Josh that Declan had been offered a great position with a large vet practice before he’d graduated.

“Oh, he’s definitely here. I’m not just in town for a visit.

I’m hoping to move back permanently,” Declan said, walking his used glove to the trash can.

“When I heard that Ruth was getting ready to retire and wanted to sell, I realized that coming back might be a perfect fit for me. There’s no place like home, you know? ”

A furrow creased his brow for a moment, which led me to think that there was more to the story than he was letting on. But if Declan didn’t want to tell me, I wouldn’t push.

“So, it’s a done deal? You’re buying her practice?”

Declan shook his head. “I wish. But you know Ruth. If anything, she’s gotten more stubborn and crotchety in the last few years.

She wants to make sure she sells to someone ‘worthy’ since everyone around here trusts her, so I’m doing a two-month trial, and then she’s going to check in with folks to make sure I’m the right fit to take over. ”

“Well, that’s a no-brainer.”

He laughed. “You’d think that selling to a hometown guy would make sense to her, but she’s not taking any chances, or giving me any special treatment. She’s already cycled through three other doctors. I’m surprised you haven’t met with any of them.”

“Well, now that you mention it, she did come out with a young woman a little while ago, a brand-new vet. I thought she was just adding staff. Why didn’t Dr. Wilcox come with you today?”

He frowned. “She hurt herself a few days ago working with a goat. Pulled a muscle in her back, so I told her to rest up and I’d come out here.

I guess she figured since we all know each other so well that it would be okay.

But I’ve done a few other visits on my own; she’s not always looking over my shoulder. ”

I considered how it would be if he took over the practice. We’d have to work with one another frequently. Would it matter that I had a hard time focusing on anything but him?

“I’m sure you’ll get it. You’re a natural.”

Declan narrowed his eyes at me and hid a grin. “Have you met Ruth? It’s her way or the highway. If I’m not perfect, I don’t stand a chance.”

“Yeah, but that’s why we all love her so much. She’s an incredible vet.”

“Well, I hope I can prove to you and the rest of Poplar Springs that I am too,” Declan said. “I know there are other vets around—couple weeks ago, I helped Dr. Lett out at Flying Aces with some breech deliveries—but this area is growing, and I’m excited at the idea of being a part of it.”

The way he was looking at me, so hopeful and earnest, sent a tremor through my heart. Declan had grown into the kind of man who was the very definition of responsibility.

“So far so good,” I said, hoping I sounded casual despite my galloping pulse.

I tried to figure out why I felt so unnerved being around him as Declan finished packing up his supplies.

My feelings for him were ancient history.

I’d moved on. Sure, he was even hotter than I’d remembered, but that was beside the point.

He’d always been good-looking, even when most of his peers were gawky and awkward.

Hot Declan was nothing new. And though he used to tease me when we were younger, he was always kind at heart.

So what was it about seeing Declan Morris again that had me feeling off-kilter?