Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128313 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
I focused on Huxley’s front right leg. He was limping. Hallie must have realized it too, as she held her hand up to the officials and gently brought Huxley to a walk, retiring him from the ring.
My stomach fell and Jean Pierre said, “Are you seeing his right leg too? Strained, perhaps?”
“Shit,” I hissed. “Looks like it.” I handed Jean Pierre my half-full glass and patted him on the shoulder. “I need to go check on things.”
“What a shame,” he said. “That partnership has been incredible this season. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious.”
I left the box and rushed to the stables. It took me ten minutes to get there, and by the time I did, Hallie, Sage, Atticus, and Leon were already in the yard. Mila was holding Huxley as the vet assessed his leg.
Leon looked up at me and subtly shook his head. Fuck. It clearly wasn’t good.
“Jas?” Atticus said, frowning. “Fuck, I didn’t know you were coming back today.” He pulled me in for a hug.
When I turned, Hallie was looking up at me, tears in her eyes and devastation on her face. She’d removed her jacket and hat and had her arms across her chest. Her bottom lip wobbled when she saw me, and I wanted nothing more than to pull her close. But Mila and the vet weren’t among the people who knew we were together, and after the arson attack and the rumors that had only just died down, I didn’t dare expand that tight-knit group.
“It’s ligament damage,” Hallie said, and the crushing sadness in her voice made me want to yank her to me and make sure she was okay.
The vet stood. “Mike,” I said, shaking his hand. “It’s good to see you again. Though I wish it were under different circumstances.”
“Same, Jasper. It’s nice to see you around here again.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
“Ligament. He’ll need some scans and X-rays to rule out everything else, but he must have landed on it badly. It’s a strain, or at worst, a tear.”
A tear fell down Hallie’s face, and she moved to Huxley, throwing her arms around his neck. She bloody loved this horse.
“Anything you need to do, you have carte blanche,” I said. “No penny spared.”
Hallie lifted her head from Huxley’s neck and turned to me. “Thank you,” she mouthed, and I nodded. It was the least I could do.
“I’m going to give him some injections now for pain and to reduce the inflammation. We’ll keep him stalled, iced, and rested, then we can get to those scans.”
“I’ll call Liz, our vet back at Golden Oaks, and tell her he’ll be coming home.” I met Hallie’s eyes and said, “We’ll get him better and back on the circuit in no time.”
“Good man,” Mike said, then shook my hand. “Let’s get Lord Huxley resting in his stable, and I’ll be back with the meds.”
Hallie went with Mila, rugging Huxley up and getting him settled. Leon moved beside me. “I’m going to contact Danielle at the stud and see who looks ready to jump now. Lady Marjorie was the most promising when we left for the circuit. Danielle told me she’s been making excellent progress with our trainers since then. We can have her flown over today. She’s on the list of registered horses for this season.”
“Okay,” I said, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Hallie, who was whispering in Huxley’s ear.
“You listen to me, milord,” she said, and my chest ached at the affection in her voice. As they always did, Huxley’s ears flicked back and forth, listening to his rider. “This is just a little bump in the road for us.” She kissed his nose. “You’re going to go home and heal, then I want you to come right back to me, and we’ll finish what we started. Okay? The tour is far from over for us.”
“This’ll kill her,” Sage said under her breath, coming to stand beside me. “She’s totally fallen for him.”
I made a vow right then that I was gifting Huxley to Hallie. When you found your heart horse, the one that attaches itself to your soul, there’s no separating you. Hallie waxed lyrical about Canyon, about his ability to connect to horses on another level. But whatever magic lived at the ranch they both grew up on had rubbed off on her too. I’d never seen horses connect to anyone as quickly as they did to my girl.
Mila left the stable with a bucket in hand. I assumed she was getting Huxley food. Making sure the coast was clear, I snuck into the stall with Hallie. She didn’t look up from Huxley’s neck. She must have thought I was Mila as she didn’t turn around.
“Angel?” I whispered, and Hallie’s head whipped up. The minute our gazes connected, she fell apart. Throwing her arms around my waist, I held her to me and let her cry.