“What’s that?” he murmured.
Constance lifted a shoulder and her grin widened. “It’s our second date and you had to cancel because of an animal emergency.”
His happiness faded. “I’m sorry.”
“No. That’s not the good part. What makes us great together is the fact that I’m perfectly content to have our second date in some musty barn helping a horse have her baby.” She stood up on her toes with the intention of kissing his nose, but he blocked her, capturing her lips with his own.
His arms slipped around her waist, pulling her close, allowing for their kiss to go on a little longer than expected.
The flicker of happiness in her chest exploded into something far hotter and more dangerous than she’d encountered before. She moaned softly and deepened their kiss, only to tear herself away from him when they heard Chloe clear her throat from the doorway.
Constance ducked her head and folded her arms, pressing her sensitive lips together. The heat from her chest had expanded to her skin, covering what felt like her whole body in a blush.
James chuckled and retrieved the document Chloe had in her hand. “What’s this?”
“It’s an official contract between you and Shane Owens’s equine therapy business. He sent it over this afternoon. Once you sign this, everything will be official.” Her gaze drifted toward the clock on the wall. “You better start heading out if you’re going to get to the Keagan’s ranch on time.”
“Right,” James faced Constance. “Are you sure you want to come—”
“Of course. This is why I started taking classes in the first place.”
James gathered everything he required, and this time Chloe wasn’t needed. It would be just the two of them like it had been for the last couple of weeks.
Even though she’d been through this with Calliope and Clio, she was a bundle of nerves. So many things could go wrong when it came to labor and delivery. Her legs bounced and she stared out the window at the darkening sky.
James placed a hand on her knee and she jumped. He chuckled. “It’ll be fine. I’ve seen enough of these to know that it’ll all work out.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t.”
“True. But this won’t be one of those times.” He offered her a reassuring smile.
“How can you be so certain?”
“I can’t. But I find that arriving at a birth with the mindset that it’s going to go wrong won’t help me at all.”
Mindset. It was a powerful thing. “What’s the matter with her—the Keagan’s mare?”
James reached for her hand and laced her fingers within his own, then immediately dove into all the technical terms and descriptions. She stared at him blankly, only catching about half of what he’d said.
His lips twitched and he grinned. “It’s nothing serious. The horse has just been in labor for longer than we’d like. If she doesn’t give birth after a certain amount of time, the foal could suffocate. Worst case scenario, I’ll have to reach in there and help guide it out.”
When they pulled up to the ranch, Constance peered out the window at the old house and barn. The place looked like it hadn’t been inhabited for years, though she’d heard of the Keagan name before. The buildings were dilapidated, paint peeling from the wooden siding. One window was boarded up and there was a workbench out on the porch.
She met James’s eyes. “How are they able to live here?”
He shrugged. “People make do with what they have. It’s not our place to judge.”
“I’m not judging. I just…” She shook her head. Seeing this place made her realize how lucky she’d been to grow up with the stability she’d had. “Maybe I could convince my father to help out.”
“I wouldn’t.”
Constance frowned at him, disappointment slithering around in her stomach. “Why? Don’t you think they could use it?”
James reached for his bag from the back seat, then glanced at the house. “Of course they could use it. But based on the conversation I had with Wade Keagan, there is no way he’s going to accept any kind of charity. I don’t have to meet the guy in person to know he’s a proud man. But it’s sweet of you to want to help.” He pushed open his door and climbed out.
She followed suit and together they made their way toward the house. Someone hollered at them and they stopped, turning toward the barn. A teenager who looked to be about seventeen waved his arms back and forth. “Over here.”
They headed toward the kid, their steps a little quicker. James placed his hand on the small of Constance’s back, his touch warm and comforting. Just being with him was enough. She didn’t have to go to a fancy restaurant or be treated to flowers or chocolates.