This Kiss. Teresa Southwick

he said, close to her ear, stirring the wisps of golden hair that had slid out from her hat.

      She shivered and he assumed it was from fear, since Texas wasn’t even close to cool this time of year. It surely didn’t have anything to do with him and the fact that they were as close as two peas in a pod.

      “Relax,” she repeated, as if she were memorizing physics properties. “Focus.”

      He picked up the looped reins he’d rested around the saddle horn, then held them out. “These are connected to the bit in his mouth. Pull on the right to make him go that way. Left turns him in that direction. Grip with your knees to keep from bouncing. Your backside will thank you later.”

      “You make it sound easy enough,” she said. “I think I’ve got the hang of it. That’s probably enough for today. All that information is just buzzing around in my head. My mind is fairly spinning.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Wouldn’t want to overdo it.”

      “Lucky for you I’m here.”

      “Why lucky? Aside from the fact that if he throws us, you’ll go first to cushion my fall.”

      “Because you can’t get down unless I do. And I don’t plan on it until I know you’re not going to give up on this.”

      “I don’t understand why that’s so important to you.”

      He shrugged, beyond trying to come up with a reasonable answer, even for himself. To her he said, “Because it’s a damn shame that a girl born and raised in Destiny, Texas, is afraid of a horse. You’ll give the town a bad name.”

      “If it’s any consolation, I wasn’t raised here very long. I left for college when I was sixteen.”

      “Doesn’t matter. You’ve got Texas in your blood. And the least you can do is take a spin around this corral before you head for the hills. Humor me.”

      “Okay.” They sat there for a few moments before she asked, “How do I make him go?”

      “Gentle pressure with your knees. It wouldn’t hurt to talk to him.”

      She nodded. “Go, Trouble,” she said hesitantly at the same time as she followed his instructions. The horse moved forward slowly and began to walk around the corral. “It worked.”

      “Don’t sound so surprised. I’m a good teacher.”

      “And humble too.”

      After several turns around the enclosure, he felt her begin to loosen up. It was time for her to go it alone, but that meant he had to get off. Everything inside him balked at the thought.

      But before he could decide what to do, he heard his son calling. “Daddy. Hannah.”

      Instantly, Dev covered both of Hannah’s hands with his own, helping her bring the horse to a standstill. Then he slid off Trouble’s rump. He reached up and lifted her down before walking to the fence. Ben got there at the same time, huffing and puffing from running.

      “Daddy, hurry.”

      “What’s wrong? How are you feeling?”

      “Polly said my tem-pitcher’s better. But you gotta come quick. Hannah, too. She’s a doctor. She’ll know what to do.” Then he turned and raced away, in the direction of the house.

      Hannah instantly went into doctor mode. Was there something wrong with her mother? In two seconds she was at the gate opening it.

      “Mom,” was the only word she could get out when she looked at Dev.

      He nodded. “I’m right behind you.”

      Hannah hadn’t known she could move that fast. She’d handled emergencies during her training, but it had never involved a family member. She loved her mother so much. The woman had made more sacrifices for her than she could count. Hannah was almost where she’d worked so hard to be—almost in a position to give Polly the easy life. If anything happened to her…

      It seemed to take forever, but several minutes later she burst through the kitchen door. “Mom?”

      “Here, honey,” the familiar voice said. “In the utility room.”

      Hannah raced past the island to the hallway and the door on her left. Her mother smiled at her, then down at Ben who was crouched by a box. Relief flooded her that there was nothing wrong with Polly. Then she inspected the box more closely and saw the cat in it. A moment later, she realized what was happening.

      With a wide-eyed, worried expression, Ben looked up at her. “Callie’s havin’ babies. She needs a doctor.”

      Hannah nodded solemnly. He was too young to understand that the cat would probably do fine on her own. If not, she needed a vet. But she said, “I’ll get my medical bag.”

      She hurried into the family room and retrieved the bag from where she’d left it after examining the boy earlier. When she returned, there was a new arrival. Dev was crouched beside his son, staring at the newest tiny bundle of slick fur.

      “Where’s Mom?” she asked.

      “She said she had things to do and since reinforcements had arrived, she went upstairs.”

      Hannah nodded, then took a paper-wrapped package of disposable gloves from her kit and put them on. Then she knelt on Ben’s other side. Reaching in, she carefully picked up the brand-new kitten then nestled it where Callie could reach if she wanted to clean it up.

      A few minutes later, there was another teeny-weeny furball, and she put it beside the first. After about forty-five minutes, three more little ones had arrived.

      Hannah rubbed a hand over the mother cat’s side. “I think that’s the last one,” she said.

      Ben’s brown eyes were bright as he looked at her. “Wow, five babies. You’re the best doctor in the whole world.”

      “I didn’t do anything,” she said truthfully. “Callie did all the work.”

      The little boy shook his head as he stood. He threw himself into her arms. “I want you to stay here forever, Hannah.”