Chapter 3

Erin

“What in the world am I doing? Why did I, Erin Murphy DVM, think it was a good idea to move to Texas?” I complained to my co-pilot. The afternoon sun beat into the windows of the vet truck, heating the inside. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck and it was only the middle of April.

Clifford sighed and opened one eye to look at me.

“I know I woke you up.” I rubbed his long red ears. “Did you see the size of the spider in the bathroom this morning?” I shuddered thinking of the large black spider crawling up the side of the shower.

He nudged me with his nose before tucking it back and falling to sleep.

“I know. I have to tough it out for a while. We can always move back home if Texas doesn’t work out. Not that I want to do that.” I sighed and thought about going home. Not desirable.

“It’s just that there are snakes, poisonous ones. And spiders.” I shuddered.

Clifford didn’t respond, not that I expected him too. He took his nap time seriously and spent twenty-three hours a day practicing it. I rubbed his long silky ears as we bumped down the gravel road in my vet truck.

The first two weeks of my employment went fast; from learning how they did things to meeting people to practicing medicine.

It was the long hours in between work that seemed to stretch on forever. The walls of my duplex shrunk every night and I found myself pacing with boredom. Even my online chess games and mystery novels didn’t help break up the time.

The GPS signaled to turn into the long drive with a gate blocking the entrance. I flipped through my notebook. This was my first day out in the country without Louisa or Connie. Patty hadn’t mention anything about a gate that needed a code to enter when I left the office. I opened my cell phone. The dreaded line through the bars. No reception. Now what?

“How do I get in? Do you have any ideas, Clifford?”

He twitched in his sleep.

I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel and chewed on my lower lip. What was I going to do?

A cowboy rode a horse down the driveway. The horse tossed his head and danced the whole way. He turned his horse toward the gate when he saw my veterinary truck. He trotted the horse forward to the outbox. He leaned over and hit the open button. The gate swung open silently. He held the horse steady as the truck inched forward. The gate swung shut behind me. I rolled my window down and leaned out of it.

“Thanks, I didn’t realize I needed a code.”

The cowboy swept off his hat. His black hair sticking up in all directions. “I forgot to tell Patty that we put in a gate, so it’s my fault. I’m Levi, the ranch foreman.” He slapped it back on his head. “Follow me to the barn.”

He turned his horse around and trotted in front of me. The drive made a wide sweeping turn before it forked. A large ranch house sat off on one side, shaded by trees. We followed the horse and rider to a red and white barn. A few horses stuck their heads out of the stall doors and whinnied at the horse.

Levi dismounted and loosened the cinch on the saddle. I parked my truck in front of the barn, cracking the windows.

“Be good, Clifford. This shouldn’t take too long. You’re in the shade, the A/C is running, and the windows are cracked. No barking.”

He opened one eye and squeezed it shut again. I shrugged and exited the truck.

“So, you’re the new vet.” Levi approached with his hand extended.

I grasped his hand. “Yep, that’s me. Dr. Erin Murphy.”

“I believe that you met my fiancé, Katie Kisment. She mentioned that the new doc was a woman.” He smiled at me.

I raked my memory. I met so many people, but the name stood out. “Oh, the pretty blonde girl I met at the coffee shop.”

He nodded. “That would be her. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

“Really, why?”

“Doc said some good things about you and my sister, Annie, saw you a couple of days ago with her new puppy. She liked you and Katie talks about you.”

A blush crept up my cheeks. “I don’t know what to say. I ran into Katie for only a few minutes, and Annie’s puppy is cute.” I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. “Patty said you needed some blood drawn for Coggins testing.”

“These are therapeutic riding horses. The kids are going to a horse show next month and need the blood test to attend. Follow me.” He led the horse into the barn.

I grabbed the supplies I needed and followed him in.

The barn was spotless. Brass nameplates on the stall doors announced each occupant. Halters and lead ropes hung next to each stall. The fresh-cut hay bales were stacked neatly at the end of the aisle.

Levi tied up the horse in his stall before coming back out.

“Alright, Doc, I need four done. Jasper, Billy, Penny the little pony, and Kit.” He haltered the first horse.

The job took a few minutes to draw blood and take pictures of the four horses for the blood test that allowed them to go to horse shows. I slid the last full tube into my green coverall pocket and capped the pen I used.

“That’s it. Patty said that they bill the ranch?”

“Yep, I’m just the ranch manager. Kade Kisment and Delilah Allen own the ranch.”

“Sounds good.” I wiped my hands on my pants and turned to exit the barn.

“So…” Levi followed me out of the barn. “Not trying to be creepy. But what do you like to do for fun?”

“That’s not creepy…yet… if you start stalking me or buy me breakfast every morning…well, then…” I placed the blood tubes in the cooler in the truck.

He laughed.

I paused with my hand on the door handle of the truck. What did I do for fun? Play chess, read books. That makes me seem boring and unsocial. “For fun? I used to dance back home, but after moving and work, I haven’t had the time to join a studio.” I shrugged. Also, I didn’t have the money, but he didn’t need to know that.

“Really.” A grin spread on his face. “This is kind of awkward.” He ran a hand through his hair. “My fiancé wants me and my best man to take dance classes. She has this idea for our first dance where we would dance with a couple of other couples. She hates being the center of attention.”

I frowned at him.

“The class requires us to comes as couples for lessons. My best man needs a dance partner…”

“You want to know if I would come?”

“That’s the idea. Dance with him and help him learn the steps.”

“What about at the reception? Shouldn’t he be learning how to dance with the maid of honor.”

He shrugged. “She doesn’t live around here. What do you say?”

I chewed on my lower lip. This would break my boredom and I had a little room left on my credit card to put a few lessons on. Come on, Erin. You promised yourself that you try new things. And that decided it.

“I don’t know anyone here, so sure it would be fun.” I pulled out my business card, scribbling my cell number on the back. “Text me the details and I can meet you there.”

He pocketed my card. “Looking forward to it. Talk to you soon.” He headed back into the barn.

I climbed into my truck and turned it back up the driveway.

“Well, Clifford.”

He raised his head off the seat. I rubbed his long soft ears.

“Texas may not be so bad.”