Another Chance

Written by Michelle Beattie

Published by Michelle Beattie

Copyright 2011.  Michelle Beattie

Cover by
Earthly Charms

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All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author's imagination.

www.michellebeattie.com

Love By Accident

"The characters are warm and the true-to-life story touching.
 
You can feel the emotions jumping off the screen.
 
As the book unfolds, your heart breaks for them all while cheering them in for a happy ending.
 
A must read and I can't wait for more Michelle Beattie books."
 
Jodi Trovao, 5 stars.

A Pirate's Possession

"Beattie has made her reputation creating fast-paced, exciting high-seas adventure romances with feisty heroines, daring heroes, rapid-fire dialogue and a heady mix of passion, pleasure, and exploits.  Her third novel is a delight to read with plenty to savor for the pirate fan hidden within all of us."  4 Stars.  Romantic Times

Romancing the Pirate

"Beattie's passion for the seas sparkles on every page, as does her love of adventure and or creating a sensual love story between headstrong characters."  4 Stars.  Romantic Times

What A Pirate Desires

"This fun romance features a feisty heroine, a tortured hero and a sassy parrot along with strong doses of betrayal, action, and plenty of cunning."  Publisher's Weekly

First to the Forestburg Vet Clinic for help with the surgery.  To Larry and Carol Uglem, best neighbors ever.  Larry helped answer my questions about horses and wagons and Carol fed me coffee and cookies afterward!  To my sister-in-law, Susan, for also contributing her horse knowledge.  Any errors or omissions are entirely my own.

Thanks to Taryn, Vicki and Alyssa for reading and proofing it for me. 

Dedication

For my mom, my dad, and my brother, Normand.  Knowing you're together brings me peace.  Remembering the good times growing up brings me happiness.  I love you lots, think of you always.  I hope I've made you proud.   

Montana Territory, May 1879

"They're not going to get here in time."

Wade Parker ran a frustrated hand under his Stetson.  What was taking so long? he wondered.  He'd sent for the veterinarian almost an hour ago.  Once he'd realized he'd had no other choice.

"They'll be here soon, son.  But the way the rain's coming down, it'll slow down old Doc and Scott."  James rested a calloused hand on Wade's shoulder.  "Go check on the cow again, and I'll have a look outside."

Wade had been taught from a very young age that no matter how bad things ever got, there was always something to be thankful for.  And right now, he was thankful for two things.  One, for James.  Not only had James been foreman of the Triple P for as long as Wade could remember, he was also a friend.  A friend who, at times like these, was the rock Wade needed.

The other thing Wade was damn glad for was that Doc Fletcher's replacement hadn't arrived yet from Pennsylvania.  Not that Wade hadn't helped chose his replacement and not that he wasn't satisfied with the new doc's qualifications, but the lives of his animals were at stake.  He needed a familiar face tonight.  One that he trusted.  One that would get him through this latest crisis.

Because that was all Wade's life had been since losing first his wife, then his father--a series of crises.  He couldn't afford, in the very real sense of the word, another.

Feeling much older than his twenty-eight years, Wade made his way to the stall.  Behind him, James' boots squished on the wet barn floor.  Wade shook his head, disgusted not only with the decrepit state of his barn, but with the decrepit state of the whole ranch.  If only his pa hadn't run them so far into debt.

Wade braced his forearms on the stall and wished, not for the first time, that things could be different.

The animal's eyes were glazed with pain; her mooing was raspy where a few short hours ago it had been loud and strong.  Though she struggled to get up, she wasn't able to do more than lift her head.  He cursed again, feeling an iron band of tension wrap around his shoulders.

Already in debt until he was practically drowning in it, he needed these animals to live.  He'd already sold off part of his herd but he couldn't afford to sell them all.  He needed enough to keep breeding, enough to keep selling.  And if nothing else happened, maybe, just maybe, he'd start thinking about starting that horse ranch.

"They're here!"  James yelled.

Relief poured through Wade.  "Hang in there, girl.  Help's on the way." Wade ran to the door.

"Well," James said, pushing his hat further up his forehead.  "This sure is an unexpected surprise."

"What's the problem?" Wade asked, stepping around James.

He stopped dead, felt his jaw slacken.

What greeted him in the yellow glow of the barn was not even remotely close to old Doc Fletcher, or the J. Matthews they'd hired to replace him.  This wasn't the short, plump vet Wade had expected.  Neither was he the tall, strapping man that Wade pictured would cross a country to replace Doc Fletcher.  Instead there stood a woman barely tall enough to reach Wade's shoulder.

She held her horse's reins in one gloved hand and saddlebags in the other.  Though she didn't seem to notice, water streamed over the brim of her hat in a continuous flow.  Her eyes never left his and the directness of that gaze stopped him momentarily.  Wade turned to Scott.  Scott Taylor, the only ranch hand Wade could afford besides James, shrugged.

"She was at Doc's place.  Told me she could help," he explained.

"Doc's place?"  Wade shook his head.  That made no sense.  If Doc wasn't at his place, then it should have been Dr. Matthews, as was the agreement made when they hired the new vet. He turned back to the woman.

Green eyes, a heart-shaped face.  She was pretty, no question, but it wasn't pretty he needed at the moment.  He glared at Scott, then James.  "This isn't the time for one of your practical jokes.  We need a doctor now, dammit!"

He stepped out into the rain hoping, praying, Doc Fletcher was waiting around the corner with his bag in hand.  Darkness and sheets of rain greeted Wade, but no Doc Fletcher.

The woman's voice cut through the rain like lightning.  "Could you see that my horse is looked after?"

Wade spun round.  She handed the reins to Scott then skirted past James, who stood wide eyed, and strode purposefully into the barn, saddlebags in hand.

"Wait just a minute!" Wade said as he loped behind her.

"What?" she asked, never once breaking stride.

"Where's Doc Fletcher?"

"He left town."

"Since when?  He was still here last I heard."

"Apparently he didn't feel you needed to be apprised of his comings and goings," she said, slipping into the stall.  She tossed her hat and dripping slicker onto the clean straw.  A thick braid of auburn hair fell down her back.

Stunned, Wade could only watch as she opened her bags, set a pristine white cloth onto the straw, and began placing shiny medical tools onto it.

None of what he was seeing made a lick of sense.  "What are you doing?"

Her hands stilled, and her fiery green eyes snapped.  "Exactly what you brought me here to do."  She took her stethoscope, placed the hearing buds in her ears.

His gaze snapped right back.  "I didn't fetch you, I fetched Doc Fletcher."

"No, you fetched the veterinarian," she said, shifting to her knees.  "And that's what you got."

"But-"

Her hands skimmed over the distended belly of the animal as she continued to talk.  "I'm trained as a vet, and I'll explain how afterward.  But right now, she's my only concern."

He couldn't help it, his eyes roved over the woman.  Her black belt cinched a tiny waist.  Leaning over the way she was, it was only natural that he noticed the way her skirt draped over her trim backside.

His mind told him she couldn't be a doctor.  Her shoulders didn't look broad enough, nor did her hands appear strong enough to do what needed to be done.  But, as she said, they didn't have the luxury of arguing.  Time wasn't on their side.  If Doc wasn't coming, she was his only hope.

His belly hitched.  The band around his shoulders tightened threefold.  Just when he thought things couldn't possibly get worse.

She placed the stethoscope to the cow's brown hide.  The barn was silent as she worked, except for the constant patter of rain, both inside and outside.

"Is this her first time?" she asked when the cow tried once again to raise her head, then gave up with a low moan.

"It is," Wade answered.

"Calf must be too big for her."  She fixed those green eyes on his again.  "I'll need clean towels, warm water and all of you to help hold this cow down while I do the surgery."

Wade took a breath, nodded.  Whether she knew what she was doing or not, she was here and she was all they had.  He, James and Scott had tried everything they could think of earlier.  It hadn't been his choice to call the vet.  It had been his last hope.  He'd just have to trust that she could get his animal through this crisis alive.

"I figured you might," he answered.  He gestured to the corner of the stall.  "We already got the rags there and there's hot water ready on the stove.  I'll be right back with it."  He turned to James, who'd joined him at the stall.  "Stay here in case she needs anything else."

Wade strode down the aisle, his pace increasing when the cow moaned again.

Scott, who was in the last stall tending the woman's horse, looked up as Wade approached.  "You need me?"

"We will, just as soon as I get back."

"I'll be ready," Scott answered.

Wade ran for the house.  His mother came running the moment he stepped inside.  Worry filled her eyes.

"Did you lose them?"

"Not yet."  Though with this unexpected turn of events, the possibility seemed more likely than ever.

Eileen Parker's shoulders fell.  "Well, that's a blessing I'll take.  You ready for the water now?"

"Yeah."

"I'll get it."

She didn't have far to go; the cabin wasn't very big.  Two bedrooms upstairs; one for him, his ma and his daughter, Annabelle, shared the other.  Downstairs consisted of a kitchen to the left, a parlor to the right.  Since Samuel and Eileen Parker had only one child, there hadn't been a need to build a large house.

"Thanks, Ma," he said, taking the buckets from her grasp.