Page 10 of Unyielding (Poplar Springs #3)

TEN

DECLAN

“ W hat do you mean, the collection might be ruined?” Shannon asked, her voice echoing through the barn as it went up a notch.

I’d worked hard to get Shannon to agree to try artificial insemination via frozen stallion semen, securing a batch from a friend at my old clinic that we could use as a low-cost trial run.

But since the freezer had malfunctioned, there was a chance it was all unusable now.

And based on the way Shannon’s face looked, there was an even greater chance that she was about to put a halt to our whole arrangement.

“Ruth didn’t warn me the chest freezer was on the blink.

When I told her what happened, she admitted that it’d been like that for a while and she hadn’t gotten around to replacing it.

I feel terrible that this happened just as you agreed to try artificial insemination on one of your mares, but I swear it’s only going to throw us off schedule by a little.

I can get new vials shipped as soon as you and my friend Brandon agree to a suitable replacement. ”

Shannon paced in circles with her hands on her hips, then came to a stop right in front of me, her forehead furrowed and her nostrils flaring.

“I knew this was a bad idea!”

I leaned back, startled by her tone.

She started pacing again. “Lost Valley has always done live cover! That’s why both my gran and my mom relied on pasture mating. You put two horses in a field and let things happen as nature intended. When you start using artificial means, you wind up with… this !”

“Shannon,” I said gently, “you know live cover can be dangerous. There are drawbacks to both methodologies. But at least with AI you can minimize expenses and plan everything out timing-wise.”

“Unless your freezer breaks,” she shot back.

I winced. “Point taken.” I’d worked so hard to get her to the point where she’d even consider AI, and now I felt certain she’d closed herself off to the idea permanently.

If she was this upset about the loss of a few vials, it was going to be difficult to get her to try again.

I hoped that she wouldn’t use this as a reason to stop considering my ideas altogether.

The horses in nearby stalls seemed to pick up on the tension in the air, kicking the stall doors and whinnying. Shannon finally stopped stomping in circles and leaned against the wall with her arms crossed tightly against her chest.

“What now?”

“I’ve already talked to Ruth, and she has the funds to buy a professional, controlled-rate freezer with phone alerts in case something goes wrong.”

“Just because of this?” Shannon frowned. “Why would she…”

“We have all sorts of samples and medications we need to keep at specific temperatures. This isn’t just about you.

This was Ruth’s wake-up call to what she was risking by ignoring the failing freezer.

She was damn lucky we didn’t lose a fortune in medications along with your sample .

Given the number of ranches around here, it makes business sense for the practice to have a top-of-the-line freezer.

We can get it in by next week, and like I said, you and Brandon can figure out which samples would work best for what the program needs.

The discount he gave you on the last batch still applies, don’t worry.

So worst case, we’re about two weeks behind schedule.

But trust me, there’s plenty we can do while we wait for everything to get set up. ”

I braced myself for her response. I was used to dealing with hair-trigger temperaments thanks to my parents.

I’d seen my mom throw pots that didn’t work out against the wall, and I’d been fireside for a few of my father’s failed painting bonfires.

Of course, I didn’t expect Shannon to be as melodramatic as my parents—very few people were—but I knew how things went when people who were emotionally invested had to deal with a serious setback.

Reason and rationality went right out the window.

So I was completely stunned when Shannon let out a long breath and said, “Okay.”

“Okay… what?”

“Let’s keep going. It’s sucks, but I trust you.”

She said it softly, like she was trying to convince herself.

Had I actually heard her right? “Really?”

Shannon nodded. “Yeah. I’m still not totally sold on AI, but I know I can’t keep doing things the same way and expect a different outcome.

Not if I want to have any chance of getting Josh to invest more money in my breeding program.

Of all the problems we could have had, at least this one didn’t end in any of the horses getting hurt.

It could be worse. And now, we have a solution in place. Let’s move forward.”

I took a few steps toward her as relief spread through my body.

I was relieved that she was agreeing to move forward with AI, relieved that she was still open to this change that could make such a difference to her business.

But most of all, I was relieved that she was still willing to listen to my advice and that she hadn’t lost her trust in me.

I wasn’t directly responsible for the mistake, but it felt like I was.

I knew that I could help Shannon’s breeding business, I just needed the chance to show her.

“It’s going to work out, I promise you.”

She frowned. “You can’t say that for sure.”

“Okay, you’re right, I can’t,” I admitted. “But I do know that I can help you make improvements, and isn’t that what Josh needs to see?”

“Yeah.” Shannon crossed her arms. “And I still need to make good on my promise to you. This isn’t a one-sided arrangement.”

“I know that,” I said, holding her gaze. The anger in her had cooled, and it looked to me like her fire had turned into sadness. “You okay?”

“Yup. All good.” She sniffled and nodded. “I’ve already mentioned you to Owen Martin at his supply store. Old Man Martin is ground zero when it comes to gossip for all the ranchers, so word about you is probably getting out as we speak.”

“Appreciate it.”

We went quiet. I wondered what I could say to convince Shannon that I really did know what I was doing.

She said she still trusted me, but I wanted to prove her right—wanted to have trusting me pay off for her.

I certainly wasn’t off to a great start, even though the freezer malfunction was an unexpected complication.

“Hey, Dec, I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

Shannon gestured to the ground in front of her where she’d been stomping around. “ That . Getting so upset. I apologize for acting like a spoiled brat.”

“Stop, you weren’t acting like a brat. It was upsetting news, about something that’s really important to you. And your apology is accepted. Let’s not dwell on it. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, right?”

Shannon finally smiled at me. “We do. And I really don’t want this getting out, but I am curious about how well some of your ideas will integrate into Lost Valley’s breeding program.

Not that I’m happy about it. I really don’t like change.

” She said the last part with an eyeroll and a shudder making me laugh.

“We’ll get it figured out. Together,” I told her.

“Together,” she agreed.