Chasing the Wild (Crimson Ridge, #1)

by Elliott Rose

“This one is worse than the others.” She presses carefully around the edges. “How bad?” “She’ll be ok, but needs stitches.” Layla sounds calm, but I can see it’s only on the surface. “Ok.” “Colt—” She starts to falter. In the bone chilling wind here in a paddock under the cold eye of Devil’s Peak, this is the last place I want her to have to be right now, but this is the reality out here and she’s going to have to face it. “Layla.” I adjust my position and lean closer to her. “Get it done.” Her green eyes flicker up to mine, and the glow of our head lights illuminates the plumes of white from each of our breaths where we’re hunched close together. “I’ve never done this before … like this. In a proper holding pen, or chute in the daylight, yes. But not in the dark when I might fuck it up.” “Do you care about this animal, Layla?” She breathes a little harder. “Of course I do.” “Then I know you can do it. Because you care enough to do the job properly.” “But—” “Did I hire you for nothing? No. You’re the one with the fancy vet schooling, and I’m just a cowboy who can hold this heifer down while you stitch her up. Unless you want me to go back up to the house and get my rifle and put her out of her misery.”