Free Rocky Mountain Miracle by Christine Feehan

“I’ll do it, Doctor.”
    â€œI’m Maia Armstrong, Jase.”
    He nodded again, ducking his head a little to avoid hergaze. “I can sleep out here with him and sort of keep watch.”
    â€œIt’s too cold,” Cole said abruptly.
    Maia glanced at Cole from under long lashes. He felt her reprimand all the way to his toes. The woman knew how to give a look. She turned her high-wattage smile on Jase.
    â€œThat won’t be necessary, Jase, although it’s so good of you to offer. He’ll be fine out here, and I want him to stay quiet.”
    Every now and then she spoke softly to the horse and to Jase, instructing him to flush the wound on the hock a second time before she worked on it. When he was finished she used gauze soaked in Betadine to clean it again, removing the last of the dirt and splinters.
    â€œIs he going to be all right?” Jase asked.
    â€œWe’ll see. We have a long way to go.” She crouched beside the horse, working close, without fear or hesitation, as she closed the second gash. She didn’t seem to be aware of time passing or the temperature in the barn dropping.
    â€œI’m going to put antibiotic paste on him, Jase. You can’t let this stuff touch your skin, so we use tongue depressors to smear it on. Primitive, but it works.” She straightened, stretching a little as if her muscles were cramped from crouching so long beside the horse. “We’ll have to take his temperature every day, and he’ll need antibiotics injected into the muscle twice daily. Have you given shots before?”
    Jase nodded. “A couple of times. Cole’s been teaching me. Before, I didn’t really go near the animals.”
    She smeared the paste on liberally. “Don’t worry, soonyou’ll be an expert in giving horses shots. You’re a natural.”
    â€œDo you really think so? I thought about working with animals a long time ago. I like being around them.” Jase glanced at Cole, clearly nervous by the admission.
    Maia ignored the significant rise in tension and continued applying the antibiotic paste. “I think you’re good with animals. You have to read them, their body language, the look in their eyes. I think you have a real affinity for that.”
    â€œWhat do I have an affinity for?” Cole asked.
    Maia laughed, the sound unexpected in the large barn. White vapor drifted around them from the simple act of breathing. She sent a mischievous smirk in Jase’s direction, winking at him. “Trouble, Mr. Steele. I think you’re a magnet.”
    Jase made a strangled sound, trying to suppress his laughter. Cole turned away from them. It was the first real laugh he’d heard from the boy, and the sound flooded him with warmth. Maia had a way of bringing Jase out of his shell, and Cole was grateful to her, even though he wished he’d been the one to make Jase laugh.
    â€œYou got that right, Doc,” Jase agreed.
    Maia crouched once again beside the horse. “What I’m doing now is putting pressure wraps on three of his legs to help prevent swelling. I considered putting a stack wrap on his left front, but we’ll see how he does. I think he’d just rub it off. I want to keep a careful record, Jase. I’ll put this chart out here, so if you happen to take his temp or administer his penicillin when I’m gone, we’ll have a record of everything.”
    â€œI’ll do it,” Jase promised.
    â€œI think we’re just about finished. We’ll let him rest.”Maia stretched, yawning as she did so. “I hope you have some extra clothes you’re willing to share, Jase. I didn’t bring much with me, and I have a feeling you may be stuck with me a while. I’ll need to wash my scrubs, and I’d really love something to sleep in.”
    â€œSure, Doc,” Jase said, eager to find a way to repay her. “I’ll find you something. And you