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  Another Chance

  Written by Michelle Beattie

  Published by Michelle Beattie

  Copyright 2011. Michelle Beattie

  Cover by Earthly Charms

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to use excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at [email protected].

  All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author's imagination.

  www.michellebeattie.com

  Praise for books by Michelle Beattie

  Love By Accident

  "The characters are warm and the true-to-life story touching. You can feel the emotions jumping off the screen. As the book unfolds, your heart breaks for them all while cheering them in for a happy ending. A must read and I can't wait for more Michelle Beattie books." Jodi Trovao, 5 stars.

  A Pirate's Possession

  "Beattie has made her reputation creating fast-paced, exciting high-seas adventure romances with feisty heroines, daring heroes, rapid-fire dialogue and a heady mix of passion, pleasure, and exploits. Her third novel is a delight to read with plenty to savor for the pirate fan hidden within all of us." 4 Stars. Romantic Times

  Romancing the Pirate

  "Beattie's passion for the seas sparkles on every page, as does her love of adventure and or creating a sensual love story between headstrong characters." 4 Stars. Romantic Times

  What A Pirate Desires

  "This fun romance features a feisty heroine, a tortured hero and a sassy parrot along with strong doses of betrayal, action, and plenty of cunning." Publisher's Weekly

  Acknowledgments

  First to the Forestburg Vet Clinic for help with the surgery. To Larry and Carol Uglem, best neighbors ever. Larry helped answer my questions about horses and wagons and Carol fed me coffee and cookies afterward! To my sister-in-law, Susan, for also contributing her horse knowledge. Any errors or omissions are entirely my own.

  Thanks to Taryn, Vicki and Alyssa for reading and proofing it for me.

  Dedication

  For my mom, my dad, and my brother, Normand. Knowing you're together brings me peace. Remembering the good times growing up brings me happiness. I love you lots, think of you always. I hope I've made you proud.

  ONE

  Montana Territory, May 1879

  "They're not going to get here in time."

  Wade Parker ran a frustrated hand under his Stetson. What was taking so long? he wondered. He'd sent for the veterinarian almost an hour ago. Once he'd realized he'd had no other choice.

  "They'll be here soon, son. But the way the rain's coming down, it'll slow down old Doc and Scott." James rested a calloused hand on Wade's shoulder. "Go check on the cow again, and I'll have a look outside."

  Wade had been taught from a very young age that no matter how bad things ever got, there was always something to be thankful for. And right now, he was thankful for two things. One, for James. Not only had James been foreman of the Triple P for as long as Wade could remember, he was also a friend. A friend who, at times like these, was the rock Wade needed.

  The other thing Wade was damn glad for was that Doc Fletcher's replacement hadn't arrived yet from Pennsylvania. Not that Wade hadn't helped chose his replacement and not that he wasn't satisfied with the new doc's qualifications, but the lives of his animals were at stake. He needed a familiar face tonight. One that he trusted. One that would get him through this latest crisis.

  Because that was all Wade's life had been since losing first his wife, then his father--a series of crises. He couldn't afford, in the very real sense of the word, another.

  Feeling much older than his twenty-eight years, Wade made his way to the stall. Behind him, James' boots squished on the wet barn floor. Wade shook his head, disgusted not only with the decrepit state of his barn, but with the decrepit state of the whole ranch. If only his pa hadn't run them so far into debt.

  Wade braced his forearms on the stall and wished, not for the first time, that things could be different.

  The animal's eyes were glazed with pain; her mooing was raspy where a few short hours ago it had been loud and strong. Though she struggled to get up, she wasn't able to do more than lift her head. He cursed again, feeling an iron band of tension wrap around his shoulders.

  Already in debt until he was practically drowning in it, he needed these animals to live. He'd already sold off part of his herd but he couldn't afford to sell them all. He needed enough to keep breeding, enough to keep selling. And if nothing else happened, maybe, just maybe, he'd start thinking about starting that horse ranch.

  "They're here!" James yelled.

  Relief poured through Wade. "Hang in there, girl. Help's on the way." Wade ran to the door.

  "Well," James said, pushing his hat further up his forehead. "This sure is an unexpected surprise."

  "What's the problem?" Wade asked, stepping around James.

  He stopped dead, felt his jaw slacken.

  What greeted him in the yellow glow of the barn was not even remotely close to old Doc Fletcher, or the J. Matthews they'd hired to replace him. This wasn't the short, plump vet Wade had expected. Neither was he the tall, strapping man that Wade pictured would cross a country to replace Doc Fletcher. Instead there stood a woman barely tall enough to reach Wade's shoulder.

  She held her horse's reins in one gloved hand and saddlebags in the other. Though she didn't seem to notice, water streamed over the brim of her hat in a continuous flow. Her eyes never left his and the directness of that gaze stopped him momentarily. Wade turned to Scott. Scott Taylor, the only ranch hand Wade could afford besides James, shrugged.

  "She was at Doc's place. Told me she could help," he explained.

  "Doc's place?" Wade shook his head. That made no sense. If Doc wasn't at his place, then it should have been Dr. Matthews, as was the agreement made when they hired the new vet. He turned back to the woman.

  Green eyes, a heart-shaped face. She was pretty, no question, but it wasn't pretty he needed at the moment. He glared at Scott, then James. "This isn't the time for one of your practical jokes. We need a doctor now, dammit!"

  He stepped out into the rain hoping, praying, Doc Fletcher was waiting around the corner with his bag in hand. Darkness and sheets of rain greeted Wade, but no Doc Fletcher.

  The woman's voice cut through the rain like lightning. "Could you see that my horse is looked after?"

  Wade spun round. She handed the reins to Scott then skirted past James, who stood wide eyed, and strode purposefully into the barn, saddlebags in hand.

  "Wait just a minute!" Wade said as he loped behind her.

  "What?" she asked, never once breaking stride.

  "Where's Doc Fletcher?"

  "He left town."

  "Since when? He was still here last I heard."

  "Apparently he didn't feel you needed to be apprised of his comings and goings," she said, slipping into the stall. She tossed her hat and dripping slicker onto the clean straw. A thick braid of auburn hair fell down her back.

  Stunned, Wade could only watch as she opened her bags, set a pristine white cloth onto the straw, and began placing shiny medical tools onto it.

  None of what he was seeing made a lick of sense. "What are you doing?"

  Her hands stilled, and her fiery green eyes snapped. "Exactly what you brought me here to do." She took her stethoscope, placed the hearing buds in her ea
rs.

  His gaze snapped right back. "I didn't fetch you, I fetched Doc Fletcher."

  "No, you fetched the veterinarian," she said, shifting to her knees. "And that's what you got."

  "But-"

  Her hands skimmed over the distended belly of the animal as she continued to talk. "I'm trained as a vet, and I'll explain how afterward. But right now, she's my only concern."

  He couldn't help it, his eyes roved over the woman. Her black belt cinched a tiny waist. Leaning over the way she was, it was only natural that he noticed the way her skirt draped over her trim backside.

  His mind told him she couldn't be a doctor. Her shoulders didn't look broad enough, nor did her hands appear strong enough to do what needed to be done. But, as she said, they didn't have the luxury of arguing. Time wasn't on their side. If Doc wasn't coming, she was his only hope.

  His belly hitched. The band around his shoulders tightened threefold. Just when he thought things couldn't possibly get worse.

  She placed the stethoscope to the cow's brown hide. The barn was silent as she worked, except for the constant patter of rain, both inside and outside.

  "Is this her first time?" she asked when the cow tried once again to raise her head, then gave up with a low moan.

  "It is," Wade answered.

  "Calf must be too big for her." She fixed those green eyes on his again. "I'll need clean towels, warm water and all of you to help hold this cow down while I do the surgery."

  Wade took a breath, nodded. Whether she knew what she was doing or not, she was here and she was all they had. He, James and Scott had tried everything they could think of earlier. It hadn't been his choice to call the vet. It had been his last hope. He'd just have to trust that she could get his animal through this crisis alive.

  "I figured you might," he answered. He gestured to the corner of the stall. "We already got the rags there and there's hot water ready on the stove. I'll be right back with it." He turned to James, who'd joined him at the stall. "Stay here in case she needs anything else."

  Wade strode down the aisle, his pace increasing when the cow moaned again.

  Scott, who was in the last stall tending the woman's horse, looked up as Wade approached. "You need me?"

  "We will, just as soon as I get back."

  "I'll be ready," Scott answered.

  Wade ran for the house. His mother came running the moment he stepped inside. Worry filled her eyes.

  "Did you lose them?"

  "Not yet." Though with this unexpected turn of events, the possibility seemed more likely than ever.

  Eileen Parker's shoulders fell. "Well, that's a blessing I'll take. You ready for the water now?"

  "Yeah."

  "I'll get it."

  She didn't have far to go; the cabin wasn't very big. Two bedrooms upstairs; one for him, his ma and his daughter, Annabelle, shared the other. Downstairs consisted of a kitchen to the left, a parlor to the right. Since Samuel and Eileen Parker had only one child, there hadn't been a need to build a large house.

  "Thanks, Ma," he said, taking the buckets from her grasp.

  "I'll get some more going, in case you need it."

  She opened the door for him. "Don't let Miles leave without coming in for a hot cup of coffee."

  Wade paused. "Doc Fletcher left town."

  Panic filled her eyes. "You don't have help?"

  "We do. I think. I hope." He shook his head, thinking of the woman he was trusting with his animals. He hoped to hell she knew what she was doing. "I don't have time to explain, I have to get back. But don't worry, I plan on asking her a whole lot of questions once this is over."

  TWO

  Light from several lanterns hung along the back wall and the sides, illuminating the little square. As Jillian continued her examination of the cow, she was relieved that James' questions weren't firing fast as a Gatling gun the way Wade's had.

  Did it matter where their precious Doc was or why she was there in his stead? Did Mr. Parker really think she'd follow a complete stranger in the middle of the night, get herself soaked, then kneel on his muddy barn floor if she didn't know what she was doing?

  Granted with women not being allowed in veterinary schools she could understand his questions. She had, in fact, expected them. But it wasn't only the questions that bothered her; it was the man asking them. She'd never been distracted before. When she was around animals, they had her complete attention, especially when the situation was this dire. And being around men who normally opposed her skills, she'd learned from a young age how to put them out of her mind to do what was necessary. To do what she loved to do. She didn't like that Wade had the power to usurp her steadfast determination by simply looking at her.

  Not when, from what she'd seen so far, he wasn't any different in his thinking than Clint had been. No, best to keep to her goal. She'd moved across a country to be a doctor, and that's what she was going to do. There wasn't room for, and her heart couldn't take, another man who'd never be able to accept every part of her, which included the part that refused to give up being a doctor.

  Wade returned and the two other men followed him in, making the already small stall even smaller. Lord, she could even smell him.

  "Okay, we're ready," she said a little brisker than usual. "I need her two front legs kept forward, her rear legs kept back as well as her head held down. I don't want to give her too much ether, that way she can stand and nurse sooner."

  Scott took the back legs, James the front and head. Wade's knee rested against Jillian's when he took his position at her side. Despite their wet clothes, his heat seeped through and made her skin tingle. Annoyed by her reaction, she immediately broke contact.

  "We're ready when you are," James said.

  Pouring some ether on a rag, Jillian held it briefly under the cow's nose until she felt its muscles relax. That's it; we'll take good care of you.

  "Here we go, hold her steady."

  Dropping the rag Jillian grabbed her knife and cut an incision into the left flank of the cow. Its legs jerked, but the men held her easily enough. The sound that came from its mouth was low and pitiful.

  She heard Wade's quick inhale, felt the intensity of his stare on her. He didn't think she could do this. Well, he wouldn't be the first man she proved wrong.

  Moving quickly, Jillian cut through the skin followed by layers of muscle. She reached inside the abdomen to get a hold of the uterus. When she felt the calf's legs through the tissue she pulled it toward the opening.

  "I've got a hold of the calf's rear legs. Mr. Parker, I'm going to cut through the uterus, then I'll need your help to pull it out."

  Jillian didn't wait for his answer; time was too critical. Holding the calf's legs in one hand, she cut through the uterus until they had enough room to pull out the calf. Water and blood poured out onto her skirt. The warmth of the animal combined with the cool night air. A thin veil of vapor rose from the incision.

  "Now!"

  Jillian dropped her knife in the bloody water at her feet and together she and Wade grasped a leg and pulled. The calf slipped out of its mother's womb and onto the floor. Jillian quickly began pulling the mucus from its nose and mouth.

  "It's not breathing!" Jillian scrambled up and both she and Wade pulled the calf off the ground by its hind feet, giving it a few good jerks. Placing it back down again she leaned over and willed the animal to breathe.

  "It's breathing," she sighed when its breath blew warm air on her hair.

  A soft whoosh was heard over the patter of raindrops as everyone released the breath they'd been holding.

  "Keep holding her," she reminded the other two men, though they hadn't made any move to let go.

  Jillian dealt with the cord efficiently but the amount of blood worried her. Why was there so much?

  Mr. Parker grabbed the calf. "I'll take him to another stall and clean him up. It will give more room to work."

  "Make sure you keep him warm," Jillian said as she tried to determine where
the excess blood was coming from.

  "There's a problem, isn't there?" James asked.

  "I think there's a tear somewhere, I just need to-"

  She found it immediately. There, a rip in the uterus. They must have caused it when they pulled out the calf. Her stomach felt sick. It wasn't an uncommon thing to tear something in a caesarian section, but it could be fatal. And if she hoped to prove herself, she couldn't afford for the animal to die.

  Using all her skills and sending up a few prayers for good measure, Jillian sewed the tear and the cut. The catgut worked well as an interior suture material because it was eventually absorbed naturally by the body. Using some of the rags to wipe at the blood, she inspected her work. There didn't appear to be any seepage. Wiping the moisture from her brow with her sleeve, she then began closing the hide.

  A precise row of sutures later, followed by a confirmation of a strong and steady heartbeat, Jillian pressed her hands to her lower back and stretched.

  "Thank you, gentlemen, you can let her go now."

  Scott immediately scooped up the bundle of straw that contained the placenta. "I'll take care of this," he said.

  "Can I bring in the calf?" Mr. Parker asked from outside the stall.

  Jillian looked up, saw where his gaze was aimed and dropped her hands to her side. "Yes, the sooner he can nurse, the better."

  Though the mother had yet to stand, she nonetheless moved her legs aside to give her young access. The calf didn't waste any time and began to suckle.

  With the crisis taken care of, Jillian had a chance to examine Mr. Parker a little more closely. He too had taken off his coat and his shirtsleeves were rolled up revealing forearms sprinkled with golden hair. His wet pants clung to long, lean legs. Jillian had always thought a man looked more, well, manly in working clothes than he did in fancy suits. She'd always been drawn to the more rugged sort.

  But she'd made that mistake once before, to heartbreaking results. A smart woman learned her lesson. And Jillian Matthews was no fool.

  "Will she make it?"

  "Infection is always a risk, as is internal bleeding. Though I'll examine her again come morning, I'd say the worst is over."