My Kind of Christmas (The Christmas Tree Ranch 1)

“Slept like a log until the dog nudged me awake about half an hour ago. He wanted out, so I opened the door for him. I hope that was all right.”

“Fine. Bucket knows his way around. So, will you be heading out this morning?”

“Not right away. I told Conner I’d check the horses. And I don’t want to leave till everything’s squared away with your truck and the insurance company.”

“I appreciate that. There’s a map of Texas in my truck. If you can get your hands on it, it’s yours.”

“Morning, y’all.” Conner, dressed for chores but still looking sleepy, meandered into the kitchen. “Coffee smells good.” He poured himself a cup. “Ready to check the horses?” he asked Rush.

“Soon as we’ve finished here,” Rush said. “If I need any gear, I’ve got it in the truck, but I’ll take a look first. After that . . .” He trailed off, sipping his coffee. “After that, I wouldn’t mind seeing why you call this place Christmas Tree Ranch when there’s not a Christmas tree in sight.”

* * *

After they’d finished the coffee, the three men went outside. Usually they’d have let Bucket herd the horses to the pasture while they cleaned the stalls. But this morning Conner led Patch into the yard for Rush’s inspection.

Rush studied the big Percheron’s gait for a moment. It was easy to see that Patch was limping slightly, favoring his right foreleg.

“I don’t see any sign of an injury,” Rush said. “But something’s clearly hurting him. I’m betting it’s just a rock. Will he stand still and lift his foot?”

“He should,” Conner said. “I haven’t tried it with him, but these old horses are well trained.”

Rush strode to the Hummer, opened the back, and rummaged in a leather case. He came back with what looked like a small metal rod with a rubber handle and a V-shaped prong on the end. “This is a hoof pick,” he explained. “You should get one and keep it handy for the next time this happens.”

Conner would know all this. But Travis appreciated Rush’s taking time to explain what he was doing. Horses were complicated animals, surprisingly fragile in their own way.

While Conner soothed the horse, Rush stood against Patch’s right shoulder, shifted his weight inward, and lifted the huge hoof to expose the underside. Seeing that Travis was watching, he pointed to a small, sharp rock, lodged against the center part of the hoof. “This area is called the frog,” he said. “It’s pretty tender. Even a little rock like this one can cause pain.” Using the hoof pick, he worked out the rock, tossed it away, and set Patch’s hoof down.

Rush took time to check and clean the other hooves. Then he ran his hands down the horse’s back and legs and checked his mouth. “Sound as a dollar,” he said. “You can turn him loose.”

Conner released his hold on Patch’s halter. No longer limping, the big horse allowed Bucket to herd him through the open pasture gate while Conner went to fetch the other horse.

While Rush was checking Chip and cleaning his hooves, Travis decided to voice an idea that had come to him. True, he hadn’t taken time to weigh the wisdom of it or share it with Conner. But it felt right, and his instincts told him that Conner would agree. Besides, this might be his only chance to speak.

“I’ve been thinking about something, Rush,” he said. “Hear me out and take this for what it’s worth. Branding Iron needs a vet, and you need a job. Why not stay here?”

Rush glanced up with a surprised expression. “Here? But there’s no clinic.”

“Sure there is,” said Travis, nodding toward the Hummer. “You could run a mobile clinic out of your vehicle and go where you’re needed. Nobody wants to haul a sick horse or cow to the vet, let alone a whole herd. Believe me, you’d have all the business you could handle. Later on, when you were ready, you could build your clinic right here, on our property. Meanwhile, until you’re ready for fancier digs, we could clear out the spare bedroom for you.”

“That’s a crazy idea.” Rush finished cleaning Chip’s hooves and straightened, meeting Travis’s gaze.

“Think about it,” Conner said, breaking into the conversation. “Travis has a great idea. You’d be building your own business and doing a service to the community.”

“But you’d need to be paid for the room and for the use of your property,” Rush protested. “Right now, I can’t even pay rent.”

“We could work that out, maybe even with some kind of partnership,” Travis said. “Just don’t say no yet. Give it some thought. Check out Fort Worth if you need to. We’ll be here.”

Rush shook his head in disbelief. “But you don’t even know me.”

“And you don’t know us,” Conner said. “We’re just a couple of crazy fools with a dream. When you’re done checking that horse, we’ll show it to you.”

* * *

Half an hour later, they were seated in the ATV with Conner driving and the cart loaded with tools hitched on behind. Last night’s hail and wind were gone. The weather was sunny but cold.

The road Travis and Conner had worked so hard to clear was still bumpy in spots. But with a good snowfall, it would do for the sleigh and horses. Travis looked up at the blue sky and murmured a silent prayer for December storms.

“Whatever you’re about to show me, you’re being damned mysterious about it,” Rush joked. “I hope it’s not something illegal?”