Time, of course, was of the essence when a mare was having problems foaling, and the long distances between farms and ranches here ate up that precious time, so Antonia stepped on the gas when she left the outskirts of Angel Eye, bringing the truck up to eighty. She doubted that any sheriffs deputy in this ranching community would interfere with a speeding vet on her way to save a horse.
Lilians directions were as precise as she was, and Antonia had no trouble finding the Sutton horse farm. She turned off the highway onto a graveled road, blocked by a mechanized steel gate. She pushed the button on the small raised platform, and almost immediately the gate began to swing open.
Im in the foaling pens, Doc, a deep male voice, tight with worry, said over the intercom. Better step on it. Shes in a bad way.
Antonia stepped on the accelerator and started up the long drive. Automatically she noted the details of the farm as she drove toward the house and barn in the distance. It was obviously a working farmthere were none of the expensive decorative touches that marked the rich hobbyist horse farms. Everything was plain and serviceable, from the front gate to the black metal fences to the old farmhouse at the end of the drive. However, there was nothing shabby or ill-kempt about it, either. The fences, the road, the barn, the paddocks, even the two horse trailers sitting beside the barnall were in good repair and of good quality. It was a neatly kept place, and the horses in the pasture beside the road looked equally well taken care of.
She pulled to a stop between the barn and the lower-roofed stables and hopped out of the truck. Grabbing her doctors bag, she hurried toward the stables, presuming that the foaling pens were there. As she did so, a tall man came out of the building, squinting in the sun. He raised a hand to shield his eyes, stared for a moment without moving, then came toward her at a lope.
He was long-legged, with a lean, muscled build that came from years of hard work rather than an intimate acquaintance with weight-training machines. Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore boots, worn blue jeans and a white short-sleeved T-shirt, and he looked so unutterably male that Antonias breath caught in her throat. She stopped where she was, a little taken aback by her own reaction. Tight jeans and a wide chest didnt usually make her stomach flutter anymore, and she had seen plenty of cowboys since moving to Texas. None of them, however, had sent this jolt of pure, instinctive lust shooting straight down through her.
Who the hell are you? he demanded, his dark brows drawn together in a deep frown, as he stopped a few feet from her. Wheres Doc?
He glanced toward the veterinary truck, then back at her. He was a big man, taller by several inches than Antonia, who was accustomed to looming over most men. He wore no hat, and his hair was thick and black and a trifle shaggy. His skin was tanned from years of exposure to the sun, and there were deep sun lines at the corners of his dark eyes. He was handsome and just as intensely masculine up close as he had appeared at a distance.
Much to Antonias astonished dismay, she simply looked at him, unable to speak.
Damn it! the man went on. I told her I needed Dr. Carmichael. Didnt she understand? The foals in the wrong position. I gotta have a vet, not some tech fresh out of school!
Antonia stiffened at his words, a quick rush of anger coming to her rescue. I am the vet, she told him crisply and extended her hand, pleased to see that it didnt shake despite the bizarre inner turmoil that afflicted her.
The man stared at her, his jaw dropping comically. What?
Im the vet. Dr. Carmichaels new associate. I am Dr. Campbell. She dropped her hand, unsure
whether shock or simple rudeness had kept him from shaking her hand. Now, wheres your mare?
But you cant be he said, a stunned look on his face. Youre a girl.
I will take that as a compliment to my youthful appearance rather than a male chauvinist remark, Antonia said coolly. However, I am the vet. Dr. Carmichael needed someone younger to help with his practice. I take the early morning calls.
The man let out a brief, vivid curse. Were talking about a horse here, not a cat or dog. You cant
In fact, horses are my specialty, so youre in luck, Antonia went on, struggling to keep a hold on her temper.
Damn it, Im not losing my best mare because Carmichael decided to go all politically correct and hire a woman vet!
You wont lose that horse because of me! Antonia shot back, fury shooting up in her. I am fully qualified to
A woman doesnt have the strength to doctor a horse. Ive seen big men who couldnt
In case you havent noticed, Antonia bit out, I am scarcely delicate. I am six feet tall and I work out. I can handle a horse. Usually I use my brains to overcome the difference in strength, and if brains wont do it, I could turn it over to you. Hows that?
A light flared in his eyes, and he came a long step closer, looming over her. Antonia was not about to be intimidated, and she, too, stepped forward, so that they were now so close she could see the thick dark lashes that ringed his eyes, making their dark brown color appear almost black.