The drive to Jeanie’s is silent. At times, I just want to talk to her and ask her a bunch of questions about herself, but I’ve kept up this act for so long that it’d probably make it more awkward than usual. Asking her questions would only lead her to ask about me—about things I don’t share with anyone. Things like Olivia.
A small smile meets my lips when I think about my daughter. She loves Texas so much, and I wish she didn’t have to leave me ever again because I miss her when she’s gone.
When we arrive at the Ashbys’ and park, Jeanie walks up with a concerned expression.
“Dr. Wallen. Thank you so much for coming,” she greets, then turns toward Elle. “And you must be Elizabeth Bishop. Last time I saw you, you were about this big.” She holds her hand up to her waist, and Elizabeth laughs.
“Yes, ma’am. I hear that a lot.” She grins.
“How’s Rose doin’?” Jeanie asks, leading us toward the barn.
“Oh, Grandma’s doin’ great. Askin’ for more great-grandkids, but what else is new?” Elizabeth snickers.
“Better give her what she wants so she stops asking.” Jeanie waggles her brows.
Immediately, Elizabeth shakes her head. “Kinda hard to do that when you’re as single as a Pringle. My cousins are working on it, though.”
“Pretty soon, we’re gonna have to rename Eldorado Bishoptown, Texas,” Jeanie teases as she leads us to the stall. “Well, here she is. This is Daisy. I’m worried to death about my girl.”
Elizabeth steps inside, and I follow her, noticing the uneaten feed and how much weight Daisy’s lost since the last time I saw her. I set my bag down and do a quick check as Elizabeth holds the halter. Looking on the ground by the trough, I see a roll of food and pick it up. “Yeah, this is a textbook case.”
“What was that?” Jeanie asks. “Gotta speak up for the older ones around.”
I chuckle. “I think we might need to fix some teeth real quick.”
Opening the horse's mouth, I see a few ulcers in the cheek, then notice the sharp edges on her teeth.
“Grab the speculum,” I tell Elizabeth. Once we put it on, I’m able to get a better look inside the horse’s mouth.
“See here,” I say, pointing out the problem areas. Elle’s standing so close to me, I can smell the floral scent of her shampoo as her hair flies around. I clear my throat, trying to get a grip. “This is the cause of the ulcers.”
“You’re gonna be able to fix her up, though, right?” Jeanie asks.
I walk over toward her. “Yes, ma’am. Might take us about thirty minutes or so.”
She lifts her eyebrows, then touches my arm. I’m used to my clients being flirty, but I’ve gotten good at ignoring it. “Sounds good. Want some sweet tea while you work?”
“Thank you for the offer, but I’m good,” I say.
Daisy’s a good patient and stands still for us. Some horses tend to get antsy, which means I would’ve had to sedate her to calm her down.
“Can you grab the water syringe and my rasp?” I ask Elle as I examine each tooth to make sure there aren’t any other issues.
She brings over the metal file, and I clean the inside of Daisy's mouth first. “Okay, so we’re going to start slow until she’s used to hearing the noise of the filing. The last thing we want to do is spook her in the middle of this. We’ll start at the top at a forty-five-degree angle, like this,” I explain, showing Elle the position. “The top is easier to do than the bottom.”
She hangs on to my every word, and I love the way she watches me work. After I’m finished with the top and bottom on one side, I meet her emerald eyes. “Do you wanna give it a try? I usually have a drill for this when there’s a lot of horses to do at once, but this is the old-fashioned way,” I explain.
I can tell she’s apprehensive but nods anyway. “Absolutely.”
After I hand her the tool, I guide her inside, my hand gripping hers. I think I feel her shudder, and I like that I have that effect on her even though I’m not immune. Every time my skin touches hers, my entire body burns like it’s on fire, and I know for a fact it shouldn’t.
Chapter Seven
Elizabeth
How does he make this look so easy? I watched him as he filed the top and bottom teeth down, but it’s not that simple. Daisy begins to fidget as I finish the top, and instead of sedating her, Connor decides to take over so we can get done faster. I’m just happy he let me try so I could get used to the movements of the rasp filing down the hard enamel. Teeth health is important in large animals, but I didn’t realize how much damage it can cause until I looked inside Daisy’s mouth. Poor thing is going to feel so much better once we’re finished.