Counterfeit Cowboy (18 page)

The expression of speechless joy that hit Travis’s face was his answer, just as the phone on the counter rang.

Leaving Travis in a happy state of shock, Jordan picked it up.

“Dr. Shelby Masters’ residence. Jake Banks speaking.” He paused to listen, then said, “Okay, fine. I’ll contact her and we’ll be right there.”

He dropped the phone back on its stand and turned to Travis. “Major accident about ten miles up the highway toward town. Truck and horse trailer off the road. Ambulances and police on the way, but they need a vet. A horse has been injured.”

As Jordan punched Shelby’s cell number into the phone, Travis was already on his feet. “I’ll get her medical bag and supplies,” he yelled, running through the house toward the clinic.

“I’ll take them to her,” Jordan called after him. “You stay here and mind the place. Shelby,” he returned his tone to normal as she picked up. “There’s been an accident. A horse has been injured in a truck-trailer accident between here and town. No, I don’t know how severely. I’m coming to get you.”

****

She was waiting alone at the roadside in the pouring rain with some kind of jacket draped over her head and shoulders when he pulled his old truck up in front of the church. He’d floored the old vehicle all the way, but it never went fast enough to satisfy him.

“Where is the accident?” She jumped in beside him, her hair falling out of its fancy do. “Do you know how bad it is?”

“No details yet, just that it’s on the road between the farm and town and that a horse has been injured. Hell of storm. I brought your medical supplies and rain gear.”

“Thanks. That poor animal.” He glanced sideways to see her peering out through the rain coursing down the windshield in buckets.

“You will be careful, won’t you?” He shot her another quick glance. “And if there’s nothing you can do…”

“I’ll know what has to be done, Jordan, never fear.” He saw her hand grip the dashboard. “I won’t go to pieces like I did when I lost Midnight Fantasy.”

“I wasn’t…”

“Sorry. I know you weren’t casting doubts on my ability. I’m a bit keyed up. Can’t you go any faster?”

It wasn’t hard to find the accident site. Even through the pouring rain and gusting winds, the flashing red lights of emergency vehicles were highly visible. Jordan braked to a stop far enough away that his truck wouldn’t block any of them, then jumped out to follow Shelby, now wearing the raincoat and sou’wester he’d brought and carrying her black medical bag toward the ditch where a truck and trailer lay on their sides.

“Dr. Shelby Masters, veterinarian,” she identified herself to the police officer who came striding toward them. “This is my assistant, Jake Banks. We’re here about the horse.”

“Good.” The man squinted at her through the downpour. “We managed to get her free, but she slid down the bank over there and got herself trapped on the shore in a cove with cliffs running out into the water on two sides and the embankment over there on the third. She’s been trying to come up the slope, but she just manages to paw loose shale away from under her hooves. Come on. I’ll show you.”

Heads lowered against the storm, Shelby and Jordan followed the officer through a barrage of flashing emergency lights to the edge of a cliff. Squinting, Jordan could just make out the shape of a grey horse running desperately up and down the beach below, stumbling at times, at others making desperate attempts to get up the crumbling bank to the road. He could also see zigzagged red stripes on her neck and withers.

“We have a harness ready to lower you down, Doctor,” the officer said, as two other emergency workers approached with the apparatus. “That is, if you’re willing.”

“Of course I’m willing.” Shelby raised her arms to be fitted into the straps. “What do you know about the people involved and where they were headed?”

“The truck had only one occupant, a man we’ve identified from his wallet material as Johnny Branch. That’s about it. He was conscious when they took him to the hospital, so it seems likely he’s not all that bad.”

“Oh, God, Johnny Branch!” Shelby’s sentence was a gasp. “He was bringing that mare to my farm to be bred. The animal belongs to Kirby Wells. Her name is Grey Lady.”

“
The
Kirby Wells? Ah, man…”

“Yes, officer,
the
Kirby Wells. Now, how about getting me down there?”

“Here, let me.” Jordan stepped in as the officer fumbled with the fastenings. “I have search-and-rescue training.”

“You never cease to surprise me, Jake Banks.” Her words were soft, amazed.

“When you work on lobster boats, you have to know something about it.” He pulled a strap tight.

“What is it with men, that the mere mention of a baseball player turns them into hero worshippers?” She was keeping up a conversation while he worked, keeping them calm.

“Same thing as what makes most women admire rail-thin, six-foot-tall supermodels,” he said pulling the last strap taunt.

“I don’t.”

“You’re not most women, Doc.” He looked up into those emerald eyes and quirked a grin. “Ready?”

“Definitely. Lower away. We can’t leave Kirby Wells’ horse down there any longer than necessary.”

Jordan watched as she was eased over the edge of the crumbling cliff. The minute she reached the beach and had extricated herself from the harness, he began to yank it back up.

“Whoa! What do you think you’re doing?” The officer who’d met them grabbed his arm. “Dr. Masters will need it to come back up.”

“Not if she gets injured.” Jordan pulled the apparatus up and began to harness himself into it. “I’m going down to see that doesn’t happen.”

“And what expertise do you have?”

“I’m her vet tech.” The lie came so easily he was amazed.
How did I manage to come up with that one? Must be the heat of the moment.

The officer stared hard at him for a moment, then yelled to the others. “Give us a hand here. Dr. Masters’ assistant is going down to help.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Shelby blinked rain from her eyes as he landed beside her and began to unbuckle the harness.

“Helping you.” He stepped out of the gear and looked around. The mare was at the far end of the beach, as far from them as she could get, hemmed in as she was by the cliffs. She was snorting and pawing the ground.

“Okay.” She looked squarely at him. “Let’s get to work. She’s wearing a halter with a rope dragging. If we can just corner her and calm her down enough for me to get hold of it, we can make this work. Follow me. Remember, horses are flight animals. Their natural instinct is to run away when they’re hurt or frightened. Above all, stay calm.”

She set off toward the terrified horse, walking casually as if she were out for a stroll on the beach. Jordan followed her example. As they approached, the mare whirled toward them, wide eyes showing white.

Like some kind of wild, crazed ghost. But, damn, she’s magnificent. We’ve got to help her.

“Whoa. Easy, girl.” Shelby moved slowly toward the mare and carefully extended a hand. “Whoa, easy, easy,” she cooed. The animal stopped pawing, looked at her, and snorted.

“That’s a good girl.” Shelby’s hand was within inches of the trailing rope. “Good girl.” But just as she touched it, the mare reared back, a strangled cry of terror erupting from her throat. She barely avoided knocking Shelby out of her path as she shot off up the beach.

“Jesus, Shelby, be careful!” He couldn’t contain the admonition, his heart hammering against his rib cage.

“Stay cool, Jordan.” She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as she passed him to pursue the mare. “It’ll probably take a few more tries. Just stay out of her path when she bolts, and we’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He followed her across the wet sand, his boots sinking into the soggy surface. This was one amazing woman, and she was scaring the beejeebers out of him.

On her third attempt, Shelby succeeded in catching the rope. The mare snorted and reared, flaying front hooves toward her. Jordan couldn’t remember how he managed to move so fast, but instantly he was with her, holding the rope beside her while her voice, gentle and reassuring, calmed the animal.

“Good girl.” Her tone never wavered as she and Jordan struggled to bring the mare under control. “Good girl.”

Jordan felt the rope burning his hands and figured Shelby must be experiencing the same discomfort.
Tough and kind and determined.
The adjectives scuttled across his mind as he struggled with her to manage a ghostly horse on the storm-lashed beach.

When they had the animal quiet except for a nervous pawing at the sand, Shelby drew a deep breath and smiled up at Jordan through the bucketing rain.

“You can let go of the rope now.” She raised her voice above the wind. “I’ve got her.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure. Thanks.” Her smile filled him with a warmth that even being soaked to the skin couldn’t stop.

“What now? We can’t get her up the cliff.”

“Tide’s ebbing. I know this section of coast. The water around that point over there should be shallow enough for us to lead her around and to an area of shore where we can get up from the beach. Come on.”

She started off, leading the mare toward the end of the cliff to their right and into the water. Jordan followed.

As Shelby led the horse into the water at the tip of the cliff, the animal began to prance and blow. Jordan floundered through the shallows to help, and together they managed to convince the mare to wade out around the point where waves splashed knee-deep, then thigh-deep around them.

Several times Grey Lady shied, but Shelby kept doggedly on, Jordan sharing the rope with her, putting tension on it when she gave him the signal, easing off when she nodded.

It seemed to take forever, lashed by waves, rain, and wind, but finally Jordan saw with a wave of relief that they’d rounded the point of the cliff and were near a flat section of beach where they could lead the mare up into a grassy field. Already he could see the lights of rescue workers rushing to the shore to assist them and a familiar horse trailer being backed toward the shore. Good old reliable Travis.

“Jordan, go ahead and tell them all to keep back.” Shelby paused as the horse began to prance again. “She’s nervous, and too many strangers won’t help. Get Travis to lower the tailgate and then move away.”

“Okay.” He strode off to do as she’d instructed. As the group of rescuers, including Travis, moved back, she guided the mare toward the trailer. At the ramp, the animal hesitated, then tried to swing away.

“Whoa, girl, easy, easy.” Jordan marveled at the calmness of her voice, how she could remain firm yet gentle under the circumstances. Rain trickled down her face, her yellow raincoat was streaked with mud, and her feet in a pair of too-large wellingtons staggered, but she kept on until she had the frightened mare in the trailer and securely tied.

When she emerged from the trailer, a cheer went up from the workers just as a white SUV careened to a stop just behind the group. Andy Crowell, wearing a slicker, jumped out and strode to where Shelby stood at the rear of the trailer giving instructions to Travis.

“Take her to our place, Travis, get her into a stall, and dry her off. Jake and I will follow in his truck.”

“Shelby, what in hell…?” Andy Crowell caught her by an arm and swung her to face him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving the reception? I looked everywhere for you. Finally someone said they’d seen you driving off in an old green truck.”

“I got called to this accident. A horse was injured. I had to leave right away.”

“Well, you’ve done your duty. Come on, get in. You look half frozen. I’ve got the heater blasting.”

“I’m going to ride back to the farm with Jake.” She tried to shrug free. “He picked me up at the wedding and…”

“Drive you home in that piece of junk he calls a truck? Damn it, Shelby, I’ll bet my farm the heater doesn’t work in it. You’ll catch your death. Anyhow, it probably tops out at seventy km. My wheels can make it to one hundred twenty in seconds. Come on, that horse needs you, and fast.”

She cast a glance at Jordan, her eyes wide.

“Go on.” The words came out reluctantly. “He’s right. The heater doesn’t work. And you definitely can get to the farm faster in that.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of the SUV.

“I’ll see you at home then.” She shrugged free of the other man and faced Jordan squarely. “Thank you for helping.”

“Not much help. You did all the work.”

The rain was letting up. Through the mist, green eyes looked up at him with something he couldn’t identify but wished he could.

He watched as Andy Crowell opened the passenger door of his fancy car, loaded Shelby inside and, seconds later, whirled away with a spinning of tires.

Does everyone who lives in this area feel they have to make a grand entrance and exit by tearing up grass?

The emergency vehicles were leaving. Only a couple of police cars remained, to investigate the accident. Jordan drew a deep breath and headed toward the road and his decrepit truck. Playing the part of a down-on-his-luck farm hand wasn’t always easy.

****

Back at the farm, he saw Andy Crowell’s car parked beside the house, while down by the barn the horse trailer was backed up to the door. He drove to his cabin and stopped. The storm had blown away as quickly as it had arrived. As he climbed out of his truck, the low sun came out and he saw a double rainbow forming out over the bay. It was going to be a beautiful evening. He shivered.

Better get out of these wet clothes
.
Then it’s back to work as her farm hand.

Chapter Fourteen

Later, when he stepped out of the cabin in dry clothes, he saw Andy Crowell’s car was gone. Twilight was descending. A peaceful twilight after a day that had been turbulent in more ways than one.

Better get down to the barn and finish up. Man, I’m bushed. Wonder how Shelby is feeling?

Inside, lights had been turned on, and he saw Travis busy mucking out stalls. He grabbed a fork and went to join him.

“Want me to feed or clean?” he asked.

“Neither.” He paused and looked at him. “What I’d really like you to do is convince her to go up to the house and get some rest. She’s done all she can for that mare.” He jerked his head toward a stall near the end of the barn.