Dianna peeked at him. “Faye and I help with the barnyard animals. Adeline and Brielle have been dealing with the administrative stuff. Though, Adeline carries most of the work.” She shook her head with a wry smile. “Constance and Eloise are more interested in the horses. And Grace is still figuring things out, I guess.”
“Did you all choose what you wanted to learn about?” He had to admit it was intriguing to find out that everyone on the ranch had a purpose. Had Zeke planned it that way?
Dianna opened the gate to the pen and wandered inside. She readied her lasso and gave him one more look. “I guess we did. Dad just expects us to help out… whatever that may be. Of course we all have jobs or college classes right now, so we do most of our work in the mornings or evenings. The ranch hands fill in the rest.”
“Your dad is a really lucky man to have such hard-working daughters.” Was it his imagination or did her smile fall just a little bit? Brielle had never said much about her father other than his strict rules on dating. It was reasonable to assume he had other strict requirements while he raised his daughters.
They all seemed very well adjusted and happy for the most part. The only thing he could see being a problem was how restrictive their love lives might be.
Dianna deftly wrangled a goat, then pulled it toward the gate. She offered him a smile as she passed but didn’t say another word.
If anything, his last words to Dianna only made him feel guilty about how he’d ended things with Brielle.
Enough moping.
James pushed against the fence and spun around to head back toward the corral where his real patient was and collided with someone new. His hands shot out and he grasped Constance’s upper arms to keep her from stumbling to the dirt beneath them.
She gasped and her wide eyes lifted to meet his. “Dr. Pratt. I’m so sorry. I had to run inside for a minute…” Her cheeks filled with color. “Did you need something?”
Perhaps it was seeing those brown eyes on Dianna, but being up close to Constance, he realized he was mistaken. They were not the same pair of eyes. While Dianna’s were warm and inviting, Constance’s seemed to glow. Golden flecks speckled her irises when the sun hit them just right.
He shook his head and released her. “Sorry, what was that?”
“Did you need something?” she repeated.
There was nothing he needed. Not really. There was a whole lot he would’ve liked to have happen, but he had already decided that he wasn’t going to dwell on the past anymore. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he shifted his focus. Brielle was headed right for them with that cowboy beside her.
James glanced down at Constance once more. “Would you like to go get a coffee?”
Her brows lifted and her wide eyes rounded even more. “We have coffee here—”
“No. I’d like to take you to coffee and…” Shoot, he needed an excuse. Anything. “…pick your brain about a few things. You said you wanted to learn more about being a vet.”
“True. I did say that.” She blinked, but her focus never wavered from his eyes.
“I ran into Dianna and she said you’re more interested in horses than anything else around here.”
She nodded. “I suppose she’s right about that too.”
“So how about we discuss your interests over a cup of coffee? There’s a big need for on-call veterinarians who can assist in foaling. With the right education and training, I think you’d make a good candidate.”
This time her face scrunched into a look of disbelief. “Why would you say that? Did you even notice me during Clio’s delivery? I could barely keep my eyes on Calliope. I was terrified.”
Brielle and herfriendcontinued to get closer.
“That’s one of the signs of a good doctor. You care so deeply about your animals that you will do whatever it takes to help them. Now you just need to get a little bit of training and some confidence, and one day you might be better than me.”
She let out a shy laugh. “I don’t think that could be possible.”
“Sure it could.” He glanced once more at the oncoming couple. “Are you busy right now? I have some time between this appointment and the next one.”
“Really? Yeah, sure. Let me just get my things.” She hurried off just as Brielle arrived from the opposite direction.
She watched her younger sister scurry off before she met James’s gaze. “Still here? Is everything okay?”
From the second he’d seen her coming, his whole body had grown tight. From his toes to his thighs, to his chest, and now his jaw—James was about ready to crack from the pressure of it all. He forced a smile and nodded. “Everything is perfect. We’re just going to get some coffee.”
There was a brief moment of vindication when he noticed something uncomfortable flash across her eyes. Brielle glanced up at the cowboy and gave him a wide, flirtatious smile. “How about you go check out the goats for a minute while I have a word with the doctor.”