Page 14 of Stables Spurs Suits
Chapter seven
ATLAS
LESSONS OF LIFE
I find Matthew out the front of the stables early again today, helping Skye to set up everything they need to start giving the horses a good wash. They don’t get that dirty on the ranch, but they enjoy it, so we do it more often than we need to.
Queenie especially loves a good bath. She used to be a show horse, and still prances around here like she’s the queen of it all. I don’t think the other horses mind, though, she’s a good leader and a great foster mom to the younger foals. Speaking of foals, we’ve got two on the way, one from one of the wild horses we took in last winter and another from our herd.
“I’ll go get Loki,” Skye says as Matthew drops a couple of large sponges into the soapy water.
“Are you sure?”
“He’s got to get used to me eventually. I saw him come up to you at the fence yesterday. What’s your secret?” Skye asks, but Matthew shrugs.
“If I knew how I did it, I’d tell you, honestly, I would.”
“Well, here goes nothing,” Skye says, and he walks past Matthew into the stables. A moment later, I hear Skye.
“You silly horse,” he calls, and I laugh, drawing Matthew’s attention.
“Oh, hey, I didn’t see you there.”
“Just coming down to check on Lilly and Sasha,” I say, and he nods.
“Sasha’s in the paddocks with the wild herd, and Lilly is in her stall. She was lying down last I checked.”
My stomach sinks.
“She’s not, is she?” I ask, but I’m headed into the stables before he can answer me.
“What’s wrong?” Matthew calls after me.
“She could be in labor.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“Depends, how long has she been lying down?” I ask as I reach her stall and find her still that way. She’s got her rear toward me, and I slowly open her gate. “Skye, bring the bucket of soapy water. Good girl, I’m just going to check you out, okay, easy girl,” I say as I slowly approach.
“I saw her like this about twenty minutes ago. Is that okay?” Matthew asks, and I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, tossing it to him.
“Call the doc, just in case. She’s definitely in labor, and she’s trying to push.”
I hear him a moment later talking to Preston as I wash my hands in the water, and I give her a bit of a wash too before I check the position of the foal.
“Preston wants to know if the hooves are pointing down,” Matthew calls over the edge of the stall.
“Feels like it,” I say, and he relays the message to the doc. “The waters have broken, and it’s on its way for sure.”
“Preston said he’ll start making his way over.”
“Good, do you remember if the stall was wet like this when you saw it earlier?”
“No, why?”
“If she’s been laboring that whole time and the foal’s feet and nose are still not out, that could be dangerous. It’s really important you try to remember.”
“I don’t have to remember; I took a photo.”
