Taking the Reins(34)
“Hey,” he answered. “Thought you might be asleep already.”
“Nope. I’m up, and so is little man. Wanna say hi?” She held the phone in front of Seth’s face, who reached for the pretty glowing toy.
“Hey bud, you up again? Don’t give Aunt Peyton any more trouble than you have to, okay?” He paused for a moment and she wondered if they’d been cut off. “Miss you, little man.”
Oh, hell. Tears lodged in the back of her throat, and she had to swallow hard to push them down.
“Peyton? You still there?”
She put the phone back to her ear. “Yeah, sorry. I’m here.”
“You okay? You sound funny. Are you getting what Emma had? Is Seth?”
“No, we’re both fine. So you did well, huh?”
“First in our event,” he said smugly. “Met up with a couple of guys I knew through the circuit, told them about the ranch, let one of them ride Lad a little. They were impressed we’d snagged Red Callahan, though neither thought we’d keep him around long enough to advertise him as our official trainer. But that’ll come.”
“Yes, it will.”
“All in all, a good showing for us.”
“Nicely played, Trace. Drive safe tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Sure thing. I’m hoping to get an early start, so I should be there before lunch.”
They said their good-byes and hung up. Then Peyton looked to see Seth sound asleep in her arms. She stood slowly, walking with even, measured steps to the crib, and settled him down. On the way back to her own room, she did a silent shuffle of happiness that things were falling into place.
Red did his quick walk-through of the breeding stalls at the end of the stables. Designed to be converted into single stalls if necessary, the breeders were two stalls with the dividing wall removed. For their own safety, and the safety of the foal, the pregnant mares were separated from the others and kept in wider confines. Made getting in and out of there to help easy, and the larger space was a comfort for the mamas-to-be.
“Everything looking okay, Steve?” he asked the hand working quietly on polishing tack in the corner.
The young hand nodded. “Everything’s fine. Though I think Suzy Q over there is ready to foal soon. Next few days, for sure.” He used the rag in his hand to point toward the end stall.
Red walked over to see, and sure enough, Suzy Q was ready to rock and roll. There was a new alertness in her body, a tension he could read easily. She shifted back and forth, doing the pregnant shuffle across the floor of the stall to the other side, then back again. Her breath snorted in and out in impatient huffs, as if to convey her discomfort.
“I know, sweetheart. I know,” he said in a soothing tone, though that was a bald-faced lie. What the hell did he know about being pregnant? But that’s what all females wanted, to be understood. He pulled out half an apple and offered it, but she only looked at him, as if to say What, you think that’s going to make it all better?
He chuckled. “I guess it won’t. You’ll be through it soon enough.”
Walking back toward the other side, he stopped by Steve. “You’re the one on duty tonight?”
“Yes, sir.” The young man nodded emphatically, as if excited by the responsibility. Red wanted to warn him there was nothing exciting about sleeping in the barn, but he wouldn’t ruin it for the youth.
“Call if anything starts going on. You know the signs, right?” It never failed; the mares always foaled in the middle of the night.
“I saw last year. I know what to watch for.”
Red nodded, but left the back of the barn with a feeling of disquiet. Something wasn’t completely well, though he couldn’t say if it was the horse herself, or the lack of cameras that he wasn’t used to, or his own mind. He sat by the front of the stables on a bale of hay, watching heads peek out at him curiously, waiting to see if he would bring food, or treats, or affection.
Peyton walked into the barn, nearly passing him by before realizing he was there and skidding to a halt. “Hey, you setting up shop or something?”
“Just thinking for a minute.”
“I see.” She walked to the nearest stall where a gelding poked his head out, butting against her shoulder in an obvious ploy for some TLC. “Easy, sweetheart. I know you aren’t a master in the world of flirting, but that trick doesn’t work on the ladies.”
Red snorted. “Like it matters to him. He’s gelded.”
“Still nice to have gentlemanly manners, isn’t it, bud?” she cooed, rubbing between the horse’s ears. They flickered in what was clearly a sign of pure happiness as he leaned more into her touch.