Country Courtship (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 2) by Kathy Carmichael

was a genius when it came to horses..
    As Bobby Gray and Kelli strolled past the covered stalls, Kelli pointed out the pony a woman was working with, but neither of them saw any weanlings. They passed through a small arena and on to outdoor pens.
    There Bobby Gray found the prettiest mare he'd seen in years, with a nicely configured foal wobbling beside her.
    "Oh, Bobby Gray," said Kelli with awe in her voice. "She's beautiful."
    They entered the pen and Kelli crossed directly to the mother and child. She magically produced sugar cubes from her jacket pocket and Bobby Gray smiled over her coming prepared without even knowing she'd be visiting the Owens ranch.
    Kelli laughed nervously. "Guilty, Your Honor. I usually carry sugar cubes and a few other treats—just in case."
    Bobby Gray liked her smile. Although she seemed somewhat unsure of herself around him, she certainly knew her way around a horse. Her hair floated in the slight breeze, almost in a halo circling her head, and he itched to tame it. Instead, he ran his palm over the mare's soft hide while the colt nuzzled Kelli's hand.
    Taking a step back, he watched as her face beamed with happiness. She spent the next several minutes stroking the colt while Bobby Gray sized up his lines.
    They heard a neigh from an adjoining pen. When they turned, they spied two weanlings.
    "Better check them out, too," he suggested.
    "I've got plenty of sugar."
    With a light heart, he headed to the next pen alongside Kelli. This time the straw beneath his boots crunched with a satisfied, victorious air—as if he'd won a contest he hadn't known he'd entered.
    Coaxing out one of Kelli's sweet smiles had evidently become a major concern of his and he felt proud that he'd thought to bring her to the Owens ranch. As they neared the pen holding the weanlings, a man's voice abruptly called out, "Bobby Gray and Dr. Palmer!"
    Bobby Gray and Kelli turned toward him.
    "Hold up!" It was David, running to join them. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Palmer, I need your help. My mare's in trouble. I think her foal is breech."
    "I'll take a look." Kelli darted after him with Bobby Gray at her heels.
    David led them into the barn. "I'll be eternally grateful if you can help Dancer."
    Once they reached the stall, they found a lovely mare with a wild, pained expression in her huge brown eyes.
    Dancer calmed as soon as she saw Kelli, allowing the woman to stroke her head and then begin examining her.
    Bobby Gray took a deep breath, smelling only the fresh aroma of hay and horse but thinking that some people must smell trustworthy to animals. Kelli was certainly one.
    Perhaps it was a hormonal chemical, compounded by Kelli's tranquil and reassuring manner.
    Kelli took one look and said, "Flexed head. See how the colt's feet are visible?"
    When Bobby Gray nodded, she added, "In a normal delivery, his nose would be between his legs."
    Bobby Gray almost jumped when David Bishop spoke. "Do you need my help?" He looked hopeful. "When mayhem breaks out, it's always mayhem all over. I've got a meeting with a buyer right now."
    "Go on," said Kelli, pulling a small bottle of antiseptic cleanser from her pocket and dabbing some on her hands. "Bobby Gray and I can handle this."
    David nodded and rushed off.
    Kelli pointed at Dancer and Bobby Gray saw the thin amniotic membrane covering the foal's hooves. Dancer, trembling a little, submitted patiently to Kelli's physical examination.
    "It appears to be a ventral deviation," said Kelli. "I'm relieved because I generally don't have the strength to deal with a lateral deviation."
    He didn't know what the medical terminology meant, but it sounded serious. The mare's eyes seemed wide and distressed. Bobby Gray wanted to help. "So, what do we do now?"
    "After this contraction, I'm going to push back at the foal's crown while lifting his muzzle into the birth canal."
    Bobby Gray didn't much care for the sound of that, but he was very impressed that Kelli was so brave and so