Crazy For You (7 page)

With a feeling of deep frustration, she got off her bed and headed out of her room and to the kitchen to help her mother with dinner.

And to help keep her mind off of Clint.

“Damn,” Ella said over the boom of thunder as she removed her latex-gloved hands from the birth canal of the mare that was lying on her side in the straw. Ella leaned back and wiped sweat from her forehead with her upper arm. “Rosie’s foal is breeched, hind legs first, Dad.”

Rain pounded on the roof of the old barn and lightning flashed as her father, Carl, frowned and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “We’d better call Doc Tanner.”

“It’s been twenty-five minutes since Rosie’s water broke and she’s getting tired.” Ella shook her head with frustration. The barn lights flickered after lightning cracked the sky followed by more thunder. “It was rough on Rosie when her other foal was breeched. I’m afraid this one isn’t going to be any easier.”

Carl gave a nod. “Doc was here the last time. Let’s hope he can make it now.”

While Carl called the vet, Ella removed her gloves and stroked Rosie’s head. “Relax, girl. Everything’s going to be fine.”

The mare raised her head from the straw and whinnied. She stirred as she rested on the straw again.

“I can’t get through to Doc.” Carl closed his cell phone as wind buffeted the barn. “It’s going straight to his voicemail. We’re going to have to help deliver Rosie’s foal on our own.”

“The storm is probably causing outages with cell service.” Ella’s belly sank, a queasiness settling in. “I’ve never delivered a breeched foal.” She’d been present at the roan Quarter horse’s last foaling, but the vet had gone in and made it look easy.

“We’ll do it together, Ella.” Carl gave her a reassuring look.

“Just tell me what to do.” She set aside the bucket she’d used for soapy water with disinfectant. Her father’s arthritic hands would make it too difficult for him to do the foaling. She would need to bring this foal into the world using Carl’s instructions alone.

“You said it’s coming hind legs first.” He crouched down beside Ella who was kneeling next to Rosie. She grabbed another set of gloves and slipped them on. “You’re going to need to—”

“Is everything all right?” A male voice came from the open stall door.

Ella looked up to see Clint. Her heart pounded a little faster at the sight of him. Water dripped from the brim of the western hat shading his eyes, his rain-soaked clothing plastered to his muscular body. She’d been so busy with Rosie, and so concerned, that she’d forgotten he would be arriving soon for dinner.

“Clint.” Carl got to his feet and shook Clint’s hand. “Good to see you. I’d give you a proper greeting but we have a mare whose foal is breeched.”

“Is the vet on the way?” Clint moved beside Ella as she rested her palm on the horse’s heaving side.

Ella shook her head. “We can’t get hold of him.”

Clint asked her a few questions as he put his hands into the bucket of water and disinfectant and washed them.

“Let me get in there.” Clint gestured to where Ella was kneeling. “I had a horse farm and I’ve had to deliver a couple of breeched foals.”

For a brief moment she thought about protesting that she could do it herself, but he had experience and she wasn’t going to let her stubbornness get in the way of Rosie’s foaling. Any number of complications could arise and she prayed that he could save both the foal and the mare.

When Clint took off his hat, Carl took it and put it on top of a nearby pole. Clint moved in behind the horse and slid his disinfected hands into the birth canal.

Ella knelt beside Rosie’s head and stroked her neck as she watched as Clint adjusted and rotated the foal so that it could slide out more easily when the mare strained. Clint looked grim as he worked to help the roan mare with the foaling. Outside the rain continued its assault on the barn and thunder sounded even louder than before.

The hind feet came first and Ella found herself holding her breath, praying even harder that the foal and Rosie would be all right. Ella spoke softly to Rosie, trying to soothe her and let her know she was going to okay.

It seemed like it took forever, but only eight minutes at most had passed from the time Clint had taken over to the moment the hind hooves first appeared. Ella’s heart beat faster as more of the foal emerged from the birth canal.

Her breath whooshed out with relief when the entire foal slid onto the straw. She saw that it was a male and he was coal black. Even though the foal was out, they had to work quickly to resuscitate him and to take care of the umbilical cord. When he was breathing and they were certain he was healthy, they stepped away to let the mare and foal get acquainted with each other.

In moments the mare was standing. She nuzzled and licked the baby, stimulating the foal to get up, something that would also cause the suckling reflex to kick in.

They watched as the foal tried to get up, then stumbled, and fell. As much as a human’s reaction was to help something that seemed so fragile, it was better for the foal to be left alone and learn how to stand himself, with his mother’s encouragement.

As Ella watched the mare and her baby, her heart filled with emotion. She didn’t even try to push away from Clint when he put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him. He released her almost at once and she realized he was looking at her father. Carl either didn’t notice them, or pretended not to notice.

“What do you want to name him?” Carl asked as he hooked his thumbs in his pockets.

“Ben, after my great-grandpa.” Ella smiled at her dad.

“Ben it is.” Carl gave a nod of approval.

The three of them stayed with Rosie and Ben for a while, making sure that both mare and foal were doing well.

“Your mama’s bound to have dinner ready.” Carl took his hat off and slapped it against his knee before starting out the stall door. “I think Rosie and little Ben will be just fine.”

Clint grabbed the bucket of soapy water before Ella could, along with the towels they’d used to clean up with. Ella picked up the last of the items, including the soiled gloves, and Carl shut the stall door behind them.

Ella paused long enough to look over the stall door. “I’ll check in on you after dinner, Rosie.”

The Quarter horse whickered and bobbed her head as if in acknowledgment before turning her attention back to the foal.

 Before they walked out of the stall, Ella glanced at Clint to find him watching her. Their gazes met and held and her belly flipped before she turned away and headed out. Clint closed and latched the stall door behind them and they strode through the barn.

“It’s damned good to see you,” Carl said as they reached the barn doors, and he slapped Clint on the shoulder before walking out into the rain.

Clint paused for a moment. He couldn’t take his eyes off Ella as she left the dry barn and was immediately soaked in the pouring rain. Rather than running to the house, she walked beside her father who was clearly not able to hurry. His arthritis must be getting bad.

In a couple of strides, Clint caught up with Ella and Carl. She leaned into the wind as lightning lit up the sky. For that brief moment he could see how the rain and wind plastered her shirt against her slender body, showing her curves from her nice-sized breasts to her indented waist. Her snug jeans were dark from the rain and hugged her ass and thighs perfectly.

Clint shook his head. He felt like he was being torn apart from the inside. His guilt and his desire for Ella warred inside him, like nothing he’d ever felt before. It wasn’t sex he wanted from her. It was something far more that had broadsided him before he’d known what was happening.

Damn. It had been a bad idea coming tonight, even if Carl Fisher had greeted Clint like he’d been genuinely pleased to see him.

Lightning crashed and thunder rumbled as they walked through slick mud puddles. By the time they reached the porch, they were all soaked clear through their clothing to the skin.

When they reached the porch steps and were under the overhang, Clint, Ella, and Carl shucked off their boots.

Ella opened the door and leaned in. “Mom,” she called out. “We could use some towels.”

“And some dry clothes.” Alice appeared in the doorway immediately, as if expecting them. Her eyes met Clint’s and she smiled. “Clint, dear, I’m so glad to see you.” She looked at each of them. “Now hold on one moment while I grab a few towels.”

Ella crossed her arms over her chest, clearly shivering from the cold wet evening. Clint felt a chill, too. A short time later, Alice showed up holding an armful of thick towels and handed one to each of them.

“You dry off good and proper and get to your rooms and change,” she said to Carl and Ella. Alice turned her gaze on Clint. “I might have something for you, too.”

After drying themselves as best they could, and once they’d given Alice all three hats to set on the hat rack, Ella and Carl stepped onto the Saltillo tile and went to their bedrooms. Alice limped up to Clint as he closed the door behind himself. She held an armload of clothes and handed them to Clint.

“I think these might fit you.” She gestured down the hall. “You remember where the hall bathroom is, I’m sure.”

“Thank you.” Clint gave a nod and took the clothes from Alice.

She smiled at him. “It is so good to see you.” She pointed and added, “Now, get on out of here, change those clothes, and bring the wet ones back.”

Clint couldn’t help but smile back at the sweet woman who he’d loved like a mother after his own had passed away. “Right away,” he replied before leaving her and heading down the hall.

The work shirt and Wrangler jeans fit him well, and he also slipped on the pair of socks she’d given him. As he dressed he realized the clothing had to have belonged to Bucky, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Bucky had been stockier than Clint when they were young, but they’d been close in height. Now that Clint had filled out and was more muscular, he fit into Bucky’s clothing just fine.

Clint gathered up his wet clothes in one arm after he put on his belt and walked out of the bathroom, nearly colliding with Ella who was carrying her blouse, jeans, and undergarments. He caught her with his free hand and kept her from stumbling. She dropped something and he knelt and picked up her lacy black bra and handed it to her. Her cheeks turned pink and he held back a grin.

“Mama will want these in the laundry room.” She snatched the bra from his grip and turned away from him before hurrying to the kitchen that they’d have to walk through to get to the laundry room.

“Smells good,” Clint said to Alice as they walked into the kitchen. It smelled like Mexican food, his favorite.

“I remember how much you liked enchiladas.” She smiled at him as she limped from the stove to the sink. One of her legs was twisted and mangled as a result of a birth defect, but she’d never let that slow her down. “Dinner’s ready. Hurry on up now and have a seat at the table.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Clint said with a nod and a smile. Alice had always made him smile in the past.

When he reached the laundry room, Ella took his clothes from him. Her hands brushed his and he felt an instant surge of desire for her, straight to his groin. She must have felt it too, as her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted as her gaze met his. She turned away, breaking the moment, and put his clothes into the open clothes washer.

Carl appeared in the doorway and Ella took his clothing. She added it to the washer before putting in laundry detergent, starting the washer, then heading back into the kitchen.

Clint walked behind Ella, watching her ass for a moment as she moved in front of him. Her hair swung across her back, straight and still damp from rain. He quickly looked away before her mother and father could see him staring at their daughter’s backside.

The small kitchen table that seated four was already set. At the center of the table was a baking dish filled with rolled enchiladas, a bowl of black beans, another serving dish with Spanish rice, and a big salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, avocado, and sprouts. Salsa, hot sauce, guacamole, and sour cream were on the side, along with a bottle of chipotle ranch dressing for the salad.

They seated themselves with Ella to his right and Alice eased into the chair on his left. Carl sat across the table from Clint. When he’d eaten at their house in the past, they’d used the larger dining room table so that all five of them could fit at the table. Now, with Bucky gone, there was no reason to use the bigger one.

Dinner was the best Clint had eaten in a long time. He’d been afraid the meal would be silent, but it was filled with talk about the new foal and the breeched birth, as well as Clint’s help.

“Thank you for saving Rosie and her foal,” Alice said, her eyes glistening a little, as if she might cry. “Rosie’s a sweetheart of a horse and I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to her.”

“I’m sure Ella could have done it,” Clint said quietly. “Carl would have guided her through it just fine.”

Ella shook her head. “I’m glad you were there, Clint.”

Alice’s expression turned sober. “I’m so happy you’ve come home,” she said to Clint. “We missed you so much. It was like we lost two sons when you left.”

Everyone at the table went silent. A lump lodged in Clint’s throat and the backs of his eyes burned. He couldn’t think of anything to say.

Alice looked at her plate before raising her eyes and putting on a bright smile. “Who wants seconds?”

After they’d cleared the table, Alice shooed Clint, Ella, and Carl out of the kitchen, insisting that they’d had a hard day and she could finish up. Alice had taught her family and Clint long ago that she didn’t want anyone feeling bad about her disability or that they had to baby her in any way. It was a matter of pride to her to be able to take care of her family.

Clint followed Ella out onto the front porch. She leaned her forearms on the railing and looked out into the rainy night. The air smelled clean and fresh, and he moved so that he was standing at the railing beside her.