Stud in Texas (Rugged and Risque 4)

Sky swallowed down a lump of apprehension and signed the paper. Then she said, “Nothing to get excited over. It was just one movie. One CD.”

“And you know Casey James,” the blonde said on a dreamy sigh. “It was all over the internet and in the grocery store rags when you became one of his backup singers. Everyone’s been speculating that you’re priming yourself for a new solo CD and tour. Is it true?” She stared up at Sky with hopeful brown eyes.

Sky’s stomach twisted. “Things didn’t quite work out the way I’d anticipated. So… I’m taking a break from all things entertainment-related.”

Abby’s face fell. “Too bad. I was so excited that it might happen. I listen to your CD all the time.” She perked up again. “About Casey James. Tell me he’s as nice in person as he seemed on American Idol.”

“Nicer.”

“Of course he is,” she gushed with suddenly starry eyes.

Reese stepped in to rescue Sky. “Come on. I’ll take you over to the med center and then the stable so you can see the ranch side of the Painted Horse.”

They walked the immense grounds to a newly constructed building nestled in a long stretch of trees. Inside, a buzz of activity caught Sky by surprise.

Techs in dark-blue scrubs rushed about, tending to two injured horses—several of them pausing briefly to gape at Sky as they instantly recognized her.

“See, I told you,” Reese whispered as she noticed the attention Sky garnered.

As the activity resumed, yet another hunky man—this one in a lab coat—calmly and softly issued orders while he examined a white Arabian.

“Caleb?” she quietly asked of the vet.

“Yes.” Reese sighed happily. “My intended. Can you believe he’s a large-animal veterinarian at twenty-six, and saves abandoned and mistreated horses?” She practically swooned. “I get the goose bumps every time I think of how valiant that is.”

“No shit,” Sky said. “Some superhero you’ve found, my friend.”

“Sam’s in on the mission too. He’s the one who locates the horses in need. He and his staff load them up in the trailer and bring them here for Caleb and his team to take care of. Sam tends to the horses in the stable during their recovery and then moves them to the outdoor pens for additional rehab before adopting them out. And let me tell you, they have a screening process that’s probably more stringent than adoption agencies have for humans.”

“They should. You can’t turn a once-abused horse over to just anybody.” Her heart constricted over the misfortune of the poor animals. And because she understood their distress. “They’ll need lots of TLC going forward.”

“I forgot how much you love horses.”

She nodded. “I miss mine, but at least Daddy started warning me a couple years in advance that Miss

Daisy was getting on in age and wouldn’t be with us more than another winter or two.” The appaloosa had been in the family all of Sky’s childhood, but had died peacefully overnight the year Sky graduated high school. Natural cause—a simple, expected case of old age.

Neglected horses were not something Sky had ever been subjected to and she found the scene in the clinic heart-wrenching, but also encouraging, because of Caleb’s efforts.

“You landed yourself a keeper,” she said to her friend.

“Did I ever.”

“And handsome, to boot.”

“Ain’t he though?”

Caleb finally glanced up from inspecting the Arabian’s hoof and grinned. “Ya’ll can stop talking about me as if I were some prized steer at a 4-H competition.”

Reese laughed softly. “We’re just popping in on a tour. This is Sky. Sky, this is Caleb. You can get to know each other later. We don’t want to keep you from your work.” She turned to go.

Sky couldn’t quite tear her gaze from the sullen-looking horse. His ribs were so prominent, they nearly poked through his flesh. And there were cuts along his front legs.

Caleb’s gaze followed hers and he said, “Got tangled in some barbed wire, trying to escape the property he’d been left on, after being starved and abandoned by his owners.”

“Who would do such a thing?”

“I know. It’s horrific. The owners lost their home to foreclosure and couldn’t afford to keep up with the horse, so they simply left him behind when they moved out. But he’ll be fine now that he’s here.” He paused, then asked Sky, “You okay?”