Free The Doctor's Choice by J. D. Faver Page B

little ride.”
    Red whinnied and nodded his head up and down.
    “Hey, none of that, big boy. You can fool around later, but I’m taking Cami for some exercise.” He selected a blanket and saddle, cinching them around Gypsy’s girth.
    She grinned at him. “Which horse are you going to choose?”
    “I brought my own ride,” he said.
    Cami stepped out of Red’s stall and returned the brush to its peg. She inspected Gypsy, stroking her neck.
    Red whinnied again.
    “I think he’s jealous,” Breck said.
    “We just met.” Cami led Gypsy out of the stables and into the drive. She saw that Breck had towed a horse trailer behind his truck.
    He opened the trailer and led a large saddled horse from its depth. He was entirely black except for a narrow white blaze down his nose and one white stocking on his left foreleg.
    “He’s beautiful,” she said.
    “Thanks .” He gave her the benefit of a wide grin. “This is Cavalier. He was raised from a foal on the Ryan ranch.”
    The Ryan ranch seemed to specialize in raisin g big, dark and handsome males.
    She shivered though the sun was warm on her shoulders. She reached up to grab
    Gypsy’s saddle horn and heaved herself into the saddle.
    “I was going to help you mount up,” Breck said.
    “Well, now you don’t have to.” She turned her head as the sound of Red whinnying and kicking his stall reached her ears. “I hope I didn’t upset Red when I curried him.”
    “I think he liked it too much .” Breck swung himself up onto Cavalier’s back. “I know I would.”
    They rode east, toward the pasture where the largest herd was grazing on winter rye grass and the hay Frank delivered. Cami enjoyed the ride and when they drew their reins, she could see they were on a little rise overlooking a sheltered pasture. Breck pointed out the boundaries to Silky’s land to the east and where Ryan land began. A rough cedar structure provided some shelter for the cattle in bad weather. Steam rose from a creek running from the Ryan land onto Silky’s.
    “There’s an underground spring that feeds the creek.”
    “So you and Silky shared a water resource?” she asked.
    “I wish you could start thinking of all this property as being yours. Silky passed it on to you.” He gazed at her, his brows drawn together in a frown. “It’s your land now.”
    Cami’s throat felt tight. “There are so many strings attached. I don’t know if I can be what Aunt Silky wanted me to be. I don’t want to disappoint her.” She turned to face Breck’s accusing eyes. “I had a whole life in Houston, complete with people and obligations and unfulfilled dreams.”
    “You are a doct or, and we need a doctor here.”
    “I’m a doctor, but your friend Doc Parker seems to be taking care of everyone just fine.”
    “He’s aching to retire, Cami. The man must be close to seventy. He’s hoping to pass the reins over to you.”
    “I can’t believe you brought me out here to spring this on me.” Cami looked away.
    “Sorry.” Breck adjusted his Stetson. “Silky talked to me about you so many times, it’s hard to believe she didn’t mention any of this to you at least once.”
    “Hard to believe,” she said under her breath.
    “Let’s ride over to the mesa. It’s a part of your property, too.” He nodded his head in the opposite direction.
    “I remember that,” she said. “I’ve ridden there with Aunt Silky when I was younger.”
    By the time they’d reached the rocky terrain close to the mesa, Cami was lost in memories. Silky had called this area ‘the mountains’ but it was more like a group of rocky hills, one having a flat top similar to the mesas in nearby New Mexico. Riding to higher ground, they paused to look over the surrounding scenery.
    “What do you think?” Breck asked.
    A rush of strong emotion filled her chest, robbed her of thought save the grandeur of the place. “It’s beautiful.” She took a deep breath of clean, cool air. The blue sky was almost