They both echoed “thank you” while Cole glowed in his proud moment.
“What’s your doggie’s name?” Sophie asked as she shook hands with the woman.
“Bruno. He’s very fierce, don’t you think?”
A serious expression consumed the girl’s face. “Maybe. But I think he might be nice, too.”
Carmen shook her head. “I don’t think so. I want you to be careful around him. Don’t go near.”
“That’s what Dad said.”
“Your father is right,” Carmen said, smiling at Cole. She extended her free hand toward Angela who took it. “And you’re a beautiful young woman. Do you resemble your mother?”
Frowning, Angela looked down at the ground. Cole could tell the comparison disturbed her. He jumped in before she could answer. “She does look like her mother, but she’s her own person, that’s for sure,” he said before changing the subject. “How is Diablo today?”
“I’ll let you see for yourself.” Carmen turned and led them to his box stall.
The kids stood at the half-door to watch while Cole and Carmen went inside. He was shocked by the horse’s condition. Diablo stood hunched in pain with tremors coursing through his muscles in waves. Sweat stained his black coat, and he looked gaunt, his eyes hollow and haunted. The stallion had lost ground since he’d last seen him.
He approached the horse, murmuring soothing sounds and running his hands over tight muscles, palpating around the spine and down the legs. He took his temperature while Carmen held him still.
“Is he eating anything?” Cole asked in a quiet tone.
“A little. Not much today.”
“I brought some insulin, and we’re going to get him started on that. I’ll draw another blood sample so we can see if we’re making any progress. I would have expected him to feel better than this by now.”
He drew the blood sample from the IV that was taped to the horse’s neck and injected the insulin. He’d finished discussing dosages for the other medications when his fatherly instinct made him notice that the kids were no longer watching at the doorway.
“Excuse me a minute,” he said, stepping to the door.
He saw that the two girls had made their way down the alleyway, evidently wanting to see other horses, and they were looking into a stall at the far end. The groom that Cole had spoken to during his previous visit was rushing toward them, making shooing gestures with his hands and saying, “Go. Escapado.”
Cole hurried down the alley. “What’s wrong?” he asked the man.
He answered with a string of Spanish that Cole couldn’t comprehend, but he could tell the man looked concerned. He must be telling the kids to leave.
“Come away from the stall, girls,” Cole told his daughters, turning his attention back to the man. His eyes were hooded and downcast. He wore jeans, a worn denim jacket, and cowboy boots; and here in the closeness of the barn, he smelled of stale cigarettes.
Carmen came up from behind. “Juan!” she said, following up the man’s name with a sentence in Spanish that sounded like a question.
“It’s okay, Carmen,” Cole said. “I think he was just warning the kids to stay away from the horse in the box stall.”
“This horse is dangerous.” She and the groom exchanged a few words before she dismissed him and turned back to Cole. “Yes, that’s what he says he was doing.”
“Gracias,” Cole said to the man’s retreating back. Juan hurried away, not acknowledging the expression of appreciation. It appeared that he couldn’t get away fast enough.
Sophie was looking worried, so Cole placed a hand on her shoulder and exchanged glances with Angela while they followed Carmen back to Diablo. Angela merely shrugged, apparently unconcerned.
Outside Diablo’s stall, Carmen stopped and studied each of his daughters, offering them a smile that softened her aristocratic features and crinkled the small lines at the corners of her eyes. Cole noticed her deep brown irises were edged with long, thick lashes. He couldn’t help but think that she was truly a beautiful woman.
“I hope Juan didn’t frighten you,” Carmen said, giving Sophie’s hand a squeeze.
“I’m okay,” Sophie said, looking up at the woman with an expression that resembled adoration.
Cole glanced at Angela, who was watching Carmen with narrowed eyes. When Angela caught him looking, she quickly adjusted her features into a neutral mask. He decided to finish up so they could get back in the truck and debrief. He’d like to know what his eldest was thinking.
“Carmen, I’ll call you with the results of this blood work as soon as it comes in, but I’ll need to come back to check Diablo tomorrow. Do you have any questions about what to do until then?”
“No, I understand his care.”
He gathered his supplies, and Carmen went with them out to the truck, past the barking Bruno. She shouted at the dog to be quiet, but he paused for only a few seconds and then started up again. Belle had moved to the front seat and stood watching them eagerly out the windshield. Cole moved to the back of the truck to put away his things but could still hear Carmen conversing with his daughters.
“I see you have a lovely dog there.”
“She’s Belle,” Sophie piped up, grabbing Carmen’s hand to lead her close. “She’s friendly.”
Angela opened the truck door, telling Belle to get into the backseat.
“Let Miss Carmen pet her,” Sophie said in a plaintive tone.
“I can pet her in the backseat, Sophie,” Carmen said.
Cole appreciated a quick glance as the woman leaned forward into the back of the truck to pet the dog. A little embarrassed by his interest in the woman’s backside, he averted his eyes, finished up, and went to open his own door. From across the front seats, Carmen smiled at him as she helped Sophie climb into the truck and then stepped aside to let Angela get in.
“It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Sophie and Angela,” Carmen said. “I hope you’ll all come back and have dinner with me some evening.”
While Sophie expressed her delight, Cole said their good-byes and drove out of the barnyard. Sophie bounced around in the back seat to wave at Carmen, making Cole tell her to sit still and put on her seatbelt.
“She’s nice,” Sophie proclaimed.
When Cole glanced back to toss her a smile of agreement, he saw Angela roll her eyes.
“What?” he said.
“She’s a little too eager, Dad.”
No further need to debrief; those few words said it all. He decided not to get into it and remained silent while he steered the truck down the lane.
When they passed by the racetrack, Angela asked, “Are these high quality horses?”
“I’d say yes, based on the few I’ve seen so far,” he said.
“Did you see that one down on the end?”
“I’m not sure. I saw a bay and a big, red chestnut out on the racetrack last time I was here. The chestnut looked like a handful.”
“That one on the end is big, and he’s a chestnut,” Angie said. “He was sweating and pacing around in circles. I wondered if he was getting sick like Diablo.”
“Diablo’s illness isn’t contagious.”
“Well, this horse didn’t look right.”
Cole slipped her a teasing grin. “Maybe you’ll grow up to be a vet,” he said. “Follow in your dad’s footsteps.”
She ignored him and turned to Sophie. “Did that horse act dangerous to you? Did he try to bite at you or anything?”
“No, he just acted nervous.”
“Any horse can be dangerous,” Cole said. “I don’t want you guys walking away from where I’m working when you go on calls with me. I’ve told you this before, and I want you to listen this time. I don’t want you to get hurt.”