Elle James - Protecting the Colton Bride

“What’s wrong?” Daniel had just finished mucking Rider’s stall and stood the rake against the wall.

“The vet lab said Halo was poisoned.”

“What?” He hurried to Halo’s stall with Megan.

The mare stood with her head sagging, her breathing labored.

“She seemed fine early this morning when I checked on her.” Daniel entered the stall and ran his hands over her neck, checked her eyes and looked down her throat. “Call the vet.”

Megan ran back to the office and dialed the veterinarian who serviced the animals on the Lucky C. He was there within twenty minutes, and they spent the rest of the afternoon working to save Halo.

Megan and Daniel cleaned her stall thoroughly, took samples from her trough and searched the barn for anything contaminated that she could have come in contact with. Nothing stood out.

After the vet left with strict instructions on how to take care of the very sick horse, Megan stood by Daniel. “What now?”

“We wait and see how she does by morning. We’ve done all we can do.”

Megan stared at Daniel’s worried face. Neither one of them had eaten lunch, and the work they’d done all afternoon had depleted Megan’s personal store of energy. It had to have taken a toll on Daniel’s. “It’s nearly supper time. Why don’t we grab a bite to eat?”

Daniel shook his head. “I have deli meat and bread at the cabin. Help yourself. I’m staying with Halo.”

Knowing Daniel needed to fuel his system for what appeared to be an all-nighter, Megan left him in the barn and hiked over to his cabin. It wasn’t the first time she’d gone to the cabin to make sandwiches. The man didn’t take care of himself. As his assistant, she’d helped him set up a robust database to track horses, feed, lineage, exercise and all the other nuances of running a breeding facility. She’d also learned what kind of sandwiches he preferred and made sure he ate.

She entered the cabin through the front door and headed for the small kitchen. Having little in the way of decorations, the cabin reflected the male occupant through the dark leather furniture and large television screen for the occasional football game he liked to watch. The furnishings were spare and serviceable.

In the kitchen, his refrigerator held five bottles of beer, a couple bottles of water, one moldy orange, a few bottles of condiments, a jug of soured milk and a package of deli meat. Megan gave the meat a smell test. Thankfully it passed.

After throwing together two sandwiches, she grabbed the bottled water and hurried back to the barn, not wanting to be away from Daniel and Halo any longer than necessary.

Daniel was where she’d left him and Halo lay on the ground beside him.

Her heart went out to the horse. “She doesn’t look good.”

“The vet said tonight would be the big test.”

Megan held out the sandwich she’d wrapped in a paper towel. “Eat. You’re no good to anyone if you pass out from hunger.”

“I don’t pass out,” he mumbled, refusing to take the sandwich. “I’m going to wash my hands first.”

“I’ll be here.” Megan sank to the ground beside Halo, unfolded the napkin around her sandwich and took a bite. She had no real interest in eating when such a beautiful creature was lying sick because of some toxin with a source they had yet to locate.

Over her shoulder, she heard the jingle of the phone ringing in the office. She struggled to stand but settled back on her bottom when Daniel’s deep tone said, “Hello. Yes, this is Daniel Colton. Mr. Kennedy, I’m glad you called.”

Megan stiffened. From the sound of it, Daniel was talking to the owner of Kennedy Farms. Excitement had her leaning toward the office, straining to hear the conversation. This was the call Daniel had been hoping for. Marshall Kennedy didn’t bother to talk to breeders unless he already had a good opinion of their programs.

Rider whinnied from his stall. Angel, Halo’s mother, answered, the noise drowning out whatever Daniel was saying.

The office door swung closed, shutting out the sound of the horses and cutting off any eavesdropping Megan hoped to accomplish.

Not that it mattered. She’d soon be on her way back to California to live the life her father and mother deemed appropriate for a debutante. All interest in the sandwich she’d prepared disappeared and she laid it on the napkin beside her.

Sleek, the black barn cat, trotted over to her side and sniffed at the discarded food.

“Go ahead. You can have it. You’ll need your strength here more than I will.” It appeared the cat would outlast Megan’s stay at the Lucky C.

Chapter 4

“I’ve heard a lot about the Lucky C Ranch lately,” Marshall Kennedy’s voice boomed in his ear.

Daniel held the phone in a tight grip. This call might mean the difference between a good program and an excellent breeding program that could gain international attention. “Thank you, sir,” Daniel said. “I’ve selected from only the best lineage.”

“I assume that’s why you’re looking at purchasing semen from Striker’s Royal Advantage.”

“Yes, sir. I’ve done my research, and I believe a foal from Striker and Big J’s Lucky Coin will be the most sought-after registered quarter horse in the country.”

“I’m impressed with Big J’s Lucky line, but I don’t sell to just any farm that comes along with enough money to pay for stud service.”

“I understand, Mr. Kennedy.”

“I want to know my horses are being bred and cared for by a fine, upstanding family. Good family is just as important, if not more so, than money. From what I’ve learned about the Coltons, there are a few skeletons in the closets. You being one of them.”

Daniel bit down on his tongue to keep from telling Kennedy that people couldn’t always choose their lineage like people could choose a horse’s bloodline. “I’m as much a part of the Colton family as any of my siblings, and I’m just as proud of my Cherokee blood.” Realizing he was coming across too strong, Daniel drew in a calming breath and continued. “If my heritage will be a sticking point in this deal, perhaps this conversation is over.”

“Whoa, young man. I didn’t say your bloodline was at fault.”

“Then what is it you need from me to convince you the horses produced from your lines will be well cared for?”

“I want you to convince me the Coltons are the right family to invest in. I’m speaking at the annual Symposium on Equine Reproduction a week from now in Reno, Nevada. I want you to attend that symposium. I’ll be there with members of my family. If at that time I feel that the Coltons are worth the risk, we can discuss the details of the sale. Are you still interested?”

“Yes, sir,” Daniel said, not really understanding how meeting Kennedy at a symposium would change the man’s mind if he’d already made his decision. “I’ll be there.”

“Good.” Marshall Kennedy ended the call, leaving Daniel no closer to knowing whether he’d get the semen he wanted to take his breeding program to the next level. With one of his mares down and no guarantee she’d pull through, and his assistant likely quitting, he wondered if it was too soon to take this step. He’d be gambling a great deal of Colton money on a dream. Not all of the Colton brothers were in agreement on taking this project forward. Big J liked a family consensus before funding was released.

The bright spot in the mess of the past few days was that Kennedy hadn’t said no. He hadn’t said yes. But there still was hope.

He stepped out of the office and returned to the stall, where Megan sat in the dying light beside Halo, stroking the animal’s neck. The horse didn’t look any better, and Daniel wasn’t sure she’d live to see the sunrise.