Chapter Seven
April 2013
It did not take long for Emilia and Draco to find the creek bed. Once they did she tugged Roxanne's reins so the mare moved at a slow trot along the bank.
"We need to listen for cows or calves. If you hear something let me know." Emilia explained.
They ambled on silently for almost a half hour. Every now and then Emilia would halt their progress to listen before tapping her horse's flank and return into a walk again. They were close. She could feel it.
Draco seemed content to follow her lead.
At last she heard it and pulled the reins to halt her horse. She held her fist up, looking around sharply, listening attentively. Again, a small noise not far sounded ahead of them. Clicking her mouth and giving a slight tap of her heel into Roxanne's side encouraged the mare to move forward at an even trot. Around a small bend and surrounded by several large bushes stood one of the cows and barely visible above the grass a newborn calf lay on the ground next to her.
"Yes!" Emilia cheered, pointing them out.
"Ross was right. At least this one decided to have their calf and hide in the bushes to protect it."
She pulled out her mobile and snapped a photo of the pair, sending it along with a message about how far down the creek bed they were found to Ross. Carefully, Emilia navigated her horse at a diagonal down the steep bank. When she was safely down she turned and instructed Draco on how to follow her path down. Once he reached her side on flat ground she guided her mare, Draco close behind, until they ambled close to the bushes. Emilia slipped off gracefully from her horse to begin her work.
"How're you going to get through all those thorns and remove the calf safely?" Draco asked as he pulled Serendipity to a stop next to a tree.
Emilia pulled off a coil of rope Ross had attached to her saddle.
"Well, I'm not going to. Ross and one of his hired hands will have to do that. I'm just here to find them and make sure they're healthy enough to move. Ready to help?"
She explained the process of dismounting from his horse which he did with ease the show off. She had him grab Serendipity's reins and lead the horse closer to the edge of the bushes.
"I need to pull the mother cow away from her calf so she doesn't get too antsy when I handle it."
She pointed to his horse.
"I'm going to have you tie the rope I throw you to the saddle. Can you please pull Serendipity when I say pull?"
He nodded, watching with mild fascination as Emilia slung the rope over her head and across her chest next to the strap of her bag. She slung her gun over her shoulder too after checking that the safety was engaged.
Carefully, she made her way toward the bushes, taking in her surroundings to determine what was the best way to get in. A small gap in the bushes looked to be the only place the cow could have entered. After trying several times to get through the sharp brambles carefully, with much swearing, Emilia became frustrated and forced her way through the painful thorny branches.
The calf still lay in the grass, it's ears were twitching so that was a good sign. She slowly approached the cow, who didn't seem to mind her too much, but did step between Emilia and the calf when she was a few feet away. She slipped the rope off and tied it into a loop that she eased around the cow's neck. So far so good. She walked a few feet back and attempted to pull the mum away without using the horse. No such luck. Gingerly, she stepped through the uneven ground back toward the bushes.
"Draco, I'm going to throw the lead now. Tie it onto the saddle horn please."
Without waiting for his answer she swung the rope over her head a few times like a lasso and let it loose over the bushes. In between branches she could see Draco tromp through the tall grass. He did not look very enthused and she could hear him complain about her 'still being so damn bossy'. She snickered to herself. A few minutes later Draco called out that he had finished securing the lead.
"Alright, lead Serendipity away until I yell halt." She called.
He complied and the lead tightened. Slowly, the reluctant cow was pulled away from the calf before Emilia called for Draco to stop.
With a soft, soothing voice she approached the small brown and white baby. It seemed responsive and looked cute as could be. With a trained eye she determined it couldn't be any more than twelve hours old. With practiced hands she removed her burdens from her shoulder and opened her bag. She tugged a big fluffy towel out which she used to aggressively rub clean what she discovered was a bull calf.
After cleaning his face free of the missed leftover afterbirth, giving him his first round of vaccines, rubbing iodine on his umbilical cord area, and giving the calf an overall health check she decided to take a small break. There wasn't much she could do until Ross came with the atv anyway. She sat with her legs stretched out and the little calf's head in her lap, petting between his ears and admiring his big brown eyes.
"You're so sweet. I hope Ross gives you a good name. Let's see what name do you think I should pitch to him..."
Footfall and a grumble brought Emilia's attention up to her companion pushing his way through the brambles. Draco had stripped off his hoodie. His navy short sleeve shirt has started to stick to his skin as the heat of the day neared. For a second she thought she saw a shimmer on the inside of his right forearm...as if he were wearing iridescent makeup. She blinked and the shimmer vanished. That was a strange trick of the eye.
His shoes and the cuff of his jeans were caked in mud. He looked rather displeased with the whole thing. She couldn't keep the grin of satisfaction to herself.
"What was it you were saying about filth earlier?" She nodded to his shoes.
He scowled in feigned annoyance before pointing between their shoes.
"Is that why you wear those hideous boots?"
She snickered at his immature banter.
"Ever had a cow or horse step on your toes?"
Confused, his eyebrows narrowed.
"No."
"Well," she clicked the steel toe tips against each other, "don't comment on my work attire."
His scoff at her well played words which pleased her immensely and she pat herself mentally on the back.
A few more steps and Draco stood over her and the calf.
"Thank you for your help Draco. We make quite the team don't we?" She spoke as she wrapped the syringe and iodine soaked wipes into a trash bag from her satchel.
"We've always been a good team when we work together, Emilia."
She mulled over that tidbit of information as she returned to rub off more of the afterbirth still stuck on the calf's coat. So they had worked together. Did he mean in school? Did they at some point work together at a job? She cursed silently for agreeing to not ask questions without thinking about the consequences more thoroughly.
Draco sat next to them before stretching his legs out like she had, examining the newborn.
"Well, it seems healthy enough...I can tell you really enjoy what you do and you're very good at your job, Dr. Grainer."
She smiled affectionately down at the fuzzy brown head on her lap.
"This is the part of my job that makes all the exhaustion worth it."
He reached out and tentatively stroked the calf's side.
"Hmm, it's softer than I thought it would be."
"That was the first thought I had when I birthed my first calf in school. I'm trying to think of a name for him to suggest to Ross. I do it with all my clients."
She scratched under the bull calf's chin as she considered him, admiring the zig zag pattern on his fur along his side.
"Crooks. I think that name would suit you well "
Draco's hand stilled on the calf's side and his eyes darted up to examine hers.
"Interesting name choice."
She shrugged, moving the calf's now drooling head off her lap before she became a victim of slobber.
"His coat reminds me of crooked slashes I've seen on fabric patterns. "
She half thought to ask as to why that would be interesting to Draco when the black liquid hit her right over her left eye like a sharp needle. A migraine now would make for a miserable afternoon. Keen to be done before it hit again she stood and wiped her backside free of grass. She took a moment to bundle the calf in the towel she used to clean him. He probably didn't need it but it made her feel better knowing it would keep him warm as he sat in the shade. Ross would be here within a half hour so he should be fine until then.
Ridiculously warm already, she slipped the ball cap off her head to wipe her forehead free of sweat.
"It's too early in the year for hot days like this."
She glared up at the sun, cursing the mild random heatwave they were having this week. It's early May for crying out loud.
She slipped the cap back on over the crazy mass of honey brown curls and reached for her blouse. Her intent was to remove it and wear her camisole to help cool off. When she slipped the second button loose she remembered she had company.
Draco still sat next to the calf. Unlike this morning when he had turned his back to avert his gaze his eyes were staring at her hands. Warm as it was, she somehow heated to a blaze. The tugging between them hummed to life, enjoying the impromptu moment. His eyes slid up to hers and the unabashed desire for her to continue was very apparent.
Her hands immediately drop. Her mouth opened and closed a few times.
"Sorry." She muttered.
His lips tilted into a slight smirk.
"I don't mind Emilia. It's wretchedly hot and only going to get worse. Besides, it's nothing I haven't already seen." He commented absentmindedly.
Her stomach soured and it seemed he recognized his error at the same moment because his eyes darted away with a hint of apprehension. Oh, he knew he definitely fucked up with that statement.
Furiously embarrassed, Emilia gathered her things before she stomped to the mother cow and removed the lead.
"Emilia, I didn't mean it that way I-"
She whirled on him.
"Stop Draco. Don't say another word or I may lash out and say something I don't mean."
She tramped through the brambles, wincing at the scratches she got from not being careful. She needed to get away now because that damnable pull felt as if it were trying to lure her back to him, echoing loudly through her skin even as embarrassment rushed through her entire body. She could hear him following her as quickly as his broad shoulders would allow.
"Emilia I meant-ow, fuck...I wasn't trying to refer to-dammit...this morning-bloody hell these thorns!"
She was through much quicker than him and removed the lead easily off Serendipity's saddle before she wrapped up the rope into a coil. After repacking her items she swung up onto Roxanne's saddle and snatched up the reins just as he reached his mare. Emilia squared her shoulders and tilted her chin up with what little pride she felt in the moment of weakness.
"Perhaps Draco, it's best you wait here for Ross. I need to go find the rest of the cows and check for calves." Her voice was pert, hiding her shame in a layer of authority.
Draco frowned a little.
"Are you leaving me here then Emilia?"
She shrugged.
"Think of it how you will. I need to focus on my work." With that she effectively dismissed him.
Just to be spiteful she unbuttoned her blouse and rolled up the sleeves, exposing the white camisole that dipped a little more than needed and her soft tanned forearms. She was sweating profusely but didn't feel confident enough now to remove her shirt until she was well away from him.
Hesitantly, Draco guided his horse back toward the cow and calf. It seemed he would walk right past her but he pulled the reins to stop next to her. As if he couldn't help himself his hand reached out, unconsciously close to laying on her thigh but he kept it hovering over her jean clad skin. The electric jolt between his palm and her skin was distractingly delightful. The shock seemed to make him think better of it and he dropped his hand.
"I'm sorry I said something so thoughtless...will you still join me for dinner this weekend?"
She almost snapped no but that wasn't like her. Her word was her bond and she strived to keep her promises. She sighed in exasperation.
"I need to focus on my work and I am already sleep deprived without...being distracted earlier...anyway, I'll pick you up Saturday at six."
Draco's eyes brightened, her traitorous stomach fluttered.
"Ah, of course. Right. Well...get some sleep. I'm staying at the Carriage Inn so...I'll see you then."
For someone effectively dismissed Draco guided his horse away with his shoulders drawn back and his head held higher. She shook her head before she tapped her heels hard into Roxanne's flank. The feel of the burning heat coursed through her body and she knew it was not caused by the weather.