“Good boy.” She put her forehead on that of the horse. “Do you know Doc? Well, he’s teaching me some things I’d like to know about when I get older, like helping animals like you. I know you hurt, big boy, but I promise you, if anyone can fix you up, it’ll be Doc. All right? You just let us work on you, and you’ll be running around in the grass in no time.”
They talked, Billy, speaking to the horse, Shire and Shire making his noises at her. When Quin got to the sore spot on his leg, Shire huffed but didn’t kick out like he had expected him to do. The entire time, Billy was telling him how good he was doing and that Doc was going to fix him.
“I see you got yourself an assistant there, Doc. She sure is a pretty little thing.” Robin Quarter was the owner of the horse. It bothered Quin when Shire moved away from him like he was fearful of the human. “Me and Shire here, we got off on a bad place yesterday. He didn’t want to listen, and I had to make him.”
“You hit him? Is that why he has that sore place on his leg?” Quin started to tell Billy he had this when she went into full protective mode on him. “What is wrong with you? Hitting something that outweighs you and thinking he’d not get you in the end. He kicked you too, didn’t he? Well, good for him. Holy mother of pearl, you don’t anymore deserve an animal than that tree does. I have a good mind to tell someone on you. Beating a poor animal like you have. You’re going to be lucky if we don’t have to remove his leg the way you’ve treated him.”
“You think that might happen, Doc?” Quin wisely said nothing as he worked on the laceration that went all the way to the bone. “Christ. I can’t afford that. My daddy is going to have a fit as it is that I had to call you out here already.”
“Perhaps you should have thought of that before you pulled a whip out and began beating him. Shire is a good horse, and you more than likely ruined his chances of a good life, you moron.” Robin stepped towards Billy. Before Quin could move to save her, Billy lifted her chin up and spoke in a soft yet scary voice. “Go ahead and hit me, you dumbass. If you do, not only will I own this horse, but I’ll go straight to the press and tell them you beat your animals into submission.”
“Robin, walk away from the young lady.” Mr. Quarter came into the barn where they were. Not only did Robin not move, but he looked as if he might go ahead and hit Billy anyway. “You heard me, son. Get out of here now while you still can. Because I know for a fact you don’t want to fuck around with this child any more than you do Doc here. Get going.”
When Robin walked away, Mr. Quarter, Robby, asked about the horse. Quin told Billy to explain to him what had been going on. She not only told him his son was an abusive man but that he should be whipped with the same whip he used on the horse. Quin was laughing by the time Robby sat down across from the two of them as they worked.
“He gonna lose that leg, Quin?” He said if it was kept clean and no one stressed him out anymore, he’d be fine. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been called out here for this sort of thing, is it? Don’t give me that ‘it’s your job’ thing either. I pulled up the file on your billing. You ain’t been paid, have you?”
“No, sir. But I’m doing all right. And I knew if it came to it, I could go ahead and ask you for it. But I’m all right.” Robby looked at Billy, who was now wrapping the wound on Shire’s leg. “To answer your question, no, this isn’t the first time I’ve been out here to stitch up one of his messes. Two weeks ago, not only did I put seventeen stitches in one of your ponies, but one of the hands needed several too. Robin is mean with that whip.”
“You should have beat him more as a kid.” Billy didn’t look at either him or Robby when they turned to her. “I have an aunt that could teach him a few lessons about being nice to something that depends on you. For that matter, I have an entire family that will gladly take him to task if you want. You say the word, Mr. Quarter, and they’ll be right on his butt.”
Robby laughed. It sounded like he was caught off guard by it in much the same way Quin had been. Billy was just like Rogue, he was finding out—a spitfire, and not at all backward in saying what needed to be said. He’d have to tell her family she wasn’t in any way backward or shy. She was right up in your face, ready to tell it like it was.
“This one of your new family, Quin?” He told him she was his mate’s niece. “She’s a keeper, I tell you. I wish I had five just like her.” He looked at Billy, who was cleaning up the mess they’d made, as well as making sure all the blood and needles were cleaned or packed away. “I tell you what,
