“Merry Christmas,” he said, smiling down at her. He glanced at the plate in her hand. “What’s that?”
“Cookies and cake. They’re good. I have a piece for you, too.”
“Why don’t we go into the barn and get warm. We can check on Tenterhook and have a Christmas cookie.”
“Sounds like a good plan.”
She hooked her arm around his and they walked to the barn together.
“Sean Knight was by yesterday. He said Tenterhook should be ready to do some light training in a few months. Nothing big. Just enough so he can stretch his legs a little. He’s still not confident we’ll be able to compete again, but at least Tenterhook is going to heal.”
“That’s good news. What did he say about you?”
“What about me?”
“Did he say anything about your foot?” he teased.
She unhooked her arm from his and get it a light smack. “Very funny. I get my cast off tomorrow though. I can’t wait. My skin feels so itchy beneath this cast.”
“I know the feeling. When I had my halo, I couldn’t move my head at all and it drove me crazy when I was healing.”
The aisle light was on, as always, when Kas opened the barn door and moved aside so she could walk in first. She took off her new hat and shook off the snow that had accumulated on it. Kas did the same.
“Tenterhook has been stall resting since the accident. But Trip has taken him out a few times for some hand walking. I can tell he’s getting restless. He likes to run.”
“You’re wise to take things slow. I know you love that horse.”
“I do.” They walked down the center aisle. Most of the horses greeted them as they passed by sticking their necks out over the top of the gate. “It was the last thing my parents gave me.”
They reached Tenterhook’s stall, but Tenterhook hadn’t greeted her like the other horses had. Instead, her sweet horse stayed in the back of the stall and waited for her to open the gate before turning his attention to her. She put the plate of cookies and cake down on a milk crate that was outside the stall and walked inside.
“How are you doing tonight, baby,” she crooned as she stroked Tenterhook’s nose.
Nerves jumped inside her. Tenterhook seemed better yesterday when Sean had been there to check on him.
“He seems a bit lethargic, doesn’t he?” she asked, turning to Kas.
Her gaze went from the concerned look on his face to the item he was holding in his hand.
“What’s that?”
She knew what it was. But it seemed so out of place with Kas holding it.
“A syringe,” he said as he inspected it.
“Where did you get it?”
“When you put the plate down on this crate, I saw it half wedged between the crate and the wall.”
Her stomach turned. “Do you think it’s something Sean Knight dropped here?”
“Medical waste is disposed of as hazardous waste. If Sean had given something to Tenterhook, he would have taken pains to dispose of it properly. He would have told you as well. Still, I’m going to ask him about this. There’s still some liquid in here. I’ll give it to Sean in the morning if he and Cella are still in town, and see if he can figure out what this is.”
She didn’t want to leave Tenterhook. He could be tired. There could be a lot of reasons why he appeared sluggish. But something deep in her gut told her something was wrong.
“Better let him rest,” Kas said. “He’ll be okay in here tonight. In the meantime, I want to dive into the goodies that are wrapped under this foil.”
Tabby wished she shared Kas’s ability to let this go. Even if he was only letting it go for now. Her fear over Tenterhook not healing from his injury was renewed. After the vet visit yesterday, she’d actually breathed a sigh of relieve. She hoped that wasn’t premature.
* * *
“Sean went back to Las Vegas, but he called a little while ago,” Jesse Knight said.
The two of them met at the local pub to talk about test results Sean had done on the horses at the Lone Creed Ranch and on the contents of the syringe he found near Tenterhook’s stall on Christmas night.
“And? What did Sean have to say about it?”
“Steroids. All of the stallions except for Tenterhook were given steroids.”
Kas’s eyes widened. “No way! Trip wouldn’t give a stud steroids. I’d stake my life on that. He knows that would give them infertility problems.”
Jesse took a pull from his beer. “Me, too. And I’ve already turned over every possibility that this could be an accident in my mind. It doesn’t add up. None of it.”
“I’ve known Trip a long time. We’ve worked together for years as business partners with some of his stock. He wouldn’t sabotage himself and his reputation this way. ”
“No, I can’t see him doing that either. When I was a kid, he and Tabby’s father were traveling partners. They showed up at every rodeo together. I remember them both. Trip loves animals. Not to mention he’d never put Tabby in harm’s way like that.”
“What do you mean?” Kas asked.
“I mean I don’t think Tabby’s accident at the rodeo was an accident at all. I talked to Hunter Williams myself. He is a good farrier. Every farrier can make a mistake. We’re all human. But he’s good. He doesn’t do shoddy work and he’ll tell you straight up if there is something that needs attention with one of the animals.”
Kas sopped up a wet ring on the bar with his napkin.
“I talked to the farrier at the rodeo too,” Jesse said. “He said there was no way that Tenterhook should’ve thrown a shoe the way he did. Not if Hunter had put on his shoes properly. Do you know what I mean?” Jesse asked.
“I know what you getting at. And I don’t like it.”
Jessie shrugged. “That doesn’t make it any less accurate. But before we go jumping to
