came around the edge of the path, stopping to stare at the oncoming vehicle. Tucker couldn’t see her face, but her body stiffened and she brought the thermoses she carried up to her chest.
A moment later, she relaxed again. The truck was familiar to her. The vet, or perhaps a friend. Although Kathy and Levi had suggested that Annie didn’t have many of those.
She shot him a look, and when he nodded, she changed course for the parking area. The big truck had settled next to the old green pickup. He watched four people climb out. Two men, two women. The men were both tall, one dark haired, the other light brown, both dressed as his own hands would be, but that didn’t mean a thing in cattle country. He knew professors and CEOs who wore Stetsons and jeans on a daily basis. The smaller woman was a brunette, the other a redhead, also wearing jeans. Annie was taller than both of them.
Instead of continuing to stare like a tourist, he went back into the stable. Glory was on her side, huffing, uncomfortable, more obviously stressed. He watched for a bit, but he couldn’t see enough from this angle to tell if there was cause for concern. She settled, though, so Tucker went to the birthing kit and checked it out, even though he knew exactly what he’d find. Subdued voices approached, and he walked outside. One guy held a cooler, and the other had a big picnic basket. A good distance from the doors, Annie and the two women waited. The closer he got, the more uncomfortable she appeared.
“Kathy called Shea, so they came with dinner and help if we need it. Doc Yardley is stuck on a call at another ranch, most likely for the night,” Annie murmured, sweeping a glance from the newcomers to him. “This is Tucker Brennan.”
“Shea Monroe,” the brunette said, and held out a stiff hand, which he shook.
“Ah, yes, the chairman of the board,” he said. “Pleasure.”
Annie nodded at the guy holding the drinks. His hair was shorter than his cohort, almost a military cut. “Jesse McAllister.”
“The pilot. That’s a great service you run,” Tucker said.
“It’s a co-op. I just fly where I’m told.”
“And this is his sister, Rachel.”
They greeted each other with smiles.
“I’m Matt Gunderson,” the other guy said. “Hope we’re not intruding, but according to Shea, you two are in for a long night.”
“You’re not intruding.” Annie’s words sounded sincere, but she wasn’t looking at any of her friends, and the thermoses were back in place against her chest.
“Have we met?” Tucker asked, staring at Gunderson.
“Don’t think so.”
“Wait, you’re a bull rider. I’ve seen you ride in Dallas. You won the nationals in Vegas last year.”
Matt nodded. “That’d be me. Listen, I know you guys have to keep it down, make sure the mares are doing okay. We can just drop this stuff off and be on our way, unless you think you’ll need a hand.”
Annie looked up at that, first at Matt, then at Tucker. He couldn’t read her expression, but if he had to guess, he’d have said she’d tell them to go. But then she looked at Shea, and her shoulders dropped. “No, stay. In fact, you guys can tell Tucker about town, and the new boardinghouse and stuff. I have to go check on Glory.” Annie shoved one of the thermoses at him, then walked into the stable.
The surprise wasn’t that he’d guessed wrong about her telling her friends to leave, but at the deep sense of disappointment he felt at Annie pawning him off. He tried to convince himself that his frustration was because of his investigation, but he knew that wasn’t quite true.
ANNIE HAD KNOWN THAT LETTING people into her solitary life was going to be trouble. She just hadn’t guessed the form it would take. She’d tried to make it clear that any generosity or kindness flowing her way should be directed solely at Safe Haven. People being nice to her made her want to scream.
It wasn’t their fault. They had no idea who she was, what she’d done to her parents, to the people her stupidity had harmed. Even with what Shea knew, she probably still didn’t get it. They all saw this person saving animals and figured she must be a wonderful soul, selfless to the core.
The only reason she hadn’t chased them away was because of Tucker. Annie should have been prepared with some food and drinks. Despite all appearances, she hadn’t been raised in a barn.
But at least she could trust Shea with Tucker. Unlike Kathy and Levi, Shea was more concerned with getting financing from Tucker’s foundation than talking up Annie. As if she hadn’t figured out their little ploy.
Glory was really sweating. She was on her feet and moving around, and as Annie watched, the mare’s placenta ruptured. Annie wouldn’t leave again until the foal dropped. Glory went down again in the middle of her nest.
Annie held her breath as the first signs appeared. Thank God it was two front hooves and muzzle. Still, a lot could go wrong.
“She looks good.”
Annie exhaled, starting at Tucker’s voice so close to her. She had to stop doing that. She hadn’t heard him or sensed him enter the stable, let alone come right up to stand by her shoulder.
She didn’t reply, her focus entirely on the mare. The contractions made her wince, but the baby was coming on fast. Before it seemed possible, the foal was mostly expelled, but Mom needed a few minutes to gather more strength before the next push. When it came, there was a beautiful soaking mess of a foal, and everything from that moment on went like clockwork.
Tucker never interfered at all, but he was right there when Annie took care of the umbilical stump and handed her towels to rub the foal.
She had no idea what time it was when Glory set about bonding with her baby, except that humans were no longer welcome in the stable.
After a quick look at the other two mares and getting cleaned up at the deep, old-fashioned sink, Annie led the way out. She expected that everyone had eaten, or at least to find the picnic basket and cooler waiting for them, sans company. But that was clearly too much to hope for.
Matt opened the cooler and pulled out two beers. “Cause to celebrate?”
Tucker took them both and handed one to Annie. “Textbook,” he said.
“Great. Let’s eat.” Shea headed to the parking lot, where Annie saw they’d set up the food tailgate-style, complete with folding chairs.
Annie had to admit she was hungry. It had been an utterly nerve-racking day, and while her adrenaline was flowing now, she knew a crash was inevitable. Thankfully, it wasn’t that late. Tucker could go home right after a quick bite, and she could at least try to get some sleep.
She had the feeling that no matter her degree of exhaustion, turning off thoughts of Tucker wouldn’t be easy. So many things to process, not the least of which was the fact that every time he came within spitting distance, the flutters started up with a vengeance.
