Waiting for Morning (The Brides Of Last Chance Ranch Series) Read Online Free Page A

don’t know what to tell you.” Caleb snapped the lid of his black case shut and straightened. “We’ll know for sure in a couple of days.” If he was right, abscesses would probably form and rupture, after which the horse would feel immeasurably better.
    “Meanwhile, I suggest you keep him away from the others. Keep buckets and any equipment isolated. The bacteria can be carried from one stall to another on boots or clothing. I suggest you assign one person as his caretaker until we know for sure what we’re dealing with.”
    “If indeed it is strangles, how serious is it?” Miss Walker asked, her voice edged with skepticism.
    “With care, most horses recover. As long as he doesn’t develop a secondary infection like pneumonia, he should be fine. Meanwhile, watch your other horses for early signs of infection. The sooner you isolate them, the better your chances of keeping the disease from spreading.”
    Ruckus pushed his hat to the back of his head. “Well, I’ll be. Never considered strangles.”
    Caleb picked up his black case. “It’s not the first thing that comes to mind.”
    Miss Walker ran her hand along her horse’s side. “We’re still not sure that’s the correct diagnosis.”
    “We’ll know soon enough. I’ll stop by in a day or two and check on him,” Caleb said.
    “That’s good of you,” Miss Walker said. It was the first thawing Caleb had heard in the woman’s voice, but her suspicious regard of him was still evident in her gray eyes.
    Caleb recalled the shotgun-bearing woman he’d met en route. He was used to dealing with strong and opinionated women like his sister, Lucy, back in Texas, but these Arizona ladies were a whole different breed.
    “We’re mighty obliged to you, Doctor,” Ruckus said.
    “Glad to be of service. Is there somewhere I can wash my hands?”
    “There’s a barrel outside,” Ruckus said. He closed the stall door and led Caleb to a barrel of water outside.
    Caleb scrubbed his hands, bid the man good-bye, and strolled to his car. He glanced around but didn’t see any sign of Miss Hatfield’s buckboard. That meant she was still on the way to the ranch and he was bound to pass her on the way back to town. He smiled at the thought.
    He just hoped the fetching woman in purple wouldn’t come at him with that confounded shotgun again.
    He gave the L-shaped crank on the front bumper a good turn. Bertha coughed and wheezed and snorted like an angry bull before finally spluttering to life. Caleb then mounted the high leather seat behind the steering column. Magic greeted him with wagging tailand Caleb scratched him behind an ear before pulling away from the ranch house.
    The blare of his brass bulb horn sent chickens scattering to the sides of the road. A cattle dog barked and ran the length of the fence that contained him. Magic barked back.
    “It’s all right, boy.”
    To the right a mustang circled a corral, mane flying and tail held high.
    Caleb steered the chugging car around a rough patch in the road. So that was Miss Walker. Her message had urged the doctor to drop everything and hurry to the ranch. No wonder Doc Masterson was so eager for Caleb to respond. He should have suspected something was amiss. If she was an example of the type of patient to expect in Cactus Patch, who could blame the old doctor for retiring?
    Still, Caleb liked the area, liked the mountains and canyons and ever-changing colors of the desert. He even liked the weather. It was every bit as hot as Texas but without the humidity, though he heard that would change during the monsoon rains.
    A herd of broad-beamed Herefords blocked the road ahead and Caleb pulled out the clutch and applied the brake, stopping in plenty of time. The cattle mooed as they ambled along, guided by mounted cowboys. A steer gave the auto an anxious glance and one calf stopped to stare but his mother pushed him along.
    It took several moments before the last straggler cleared the road to join the large