Promise Canyon Read Online Free PDF

the animal. But she wasn’t real crazy about the stomach tube that was run down her throat.
    It was amazing the way Clay and Nathaniel worked together, as if they’d been in this situation a hundred times before. When the mare was resisting the tubing, Lilly stepped forward to help in some way, but Clay’s hand came up, palm toward her. “No, Lilly. She’s in painand when she’s thrashing, she could kick you. Stay back, please,” he said quietly, calmly.
    After the mineral oil was infused and the tubing removed, the horse moved as though she’d go down again, but Nathaniel instructed Clay to try to keep her up, walking her slowly and quietly. If she continued rolling around on the ground, she increased the chances of twisting her intestines into a knot.
    “Will you take her to your stable?” Lilly asked Nate.
    “Not anytime soon,” he said. “Maybe later, if the oil works on loosening up a blockage. The truth? This horse is lucky if it’s a blockage and there’s a little movement because putting her in the trailer in her condition isn’t going to be good for me or her—she’s bound to kick it into tin cans or hurt herself as she struggles to ease the pain in her belly.”
    “You’ll leave her here?”
    “Probably have to, Lilly. But with any luck, the treatment will work and we’ll find a relieved horse by morning. You can go, Lilly. Clay and I will take it from here.”
    “But… But will you leave her alone out here?” she asked.
    “We’re not going to leave her in this condition. I’ll stay until I see which way it’s going. And if it gets worse…”
    She stiffened immediately. “What?” she said.
    “She has no owner that we can find and she’s in pain,” Nathaniel said. “If it gets worse, I’ll put her down.”
    “No—”
    “She’ll get every chance and every possible treatment, Lilly,” Clay said, his low voice soft and gentle.Reassuring. “We won’t let go of a horse that has a chance.”
    “You promise?” she asked.
    “Promise,” he said, giving her a firm nod. “Go on home. You’ve done enough. And thank you.”
    She backed away almost fearfully. “No. Thank you, ” she said. “Please take care of her.”
    “Of course,” Clay said. “Try not to worry.”
    As Lilly backed away, she muttered, “How could someone just leave her like that? Abandon her…?” But Clay and Nathaniel didn’t hear her; they were busy working with the horse.
     
    When Lilly delivered feed for her grandfather, who everyone called Yaz, she used one of the company trucks. Her personal vehicle was a little red Jeep, which she’d park in the rear of the store. She spent the majority of her time managing invoices, ordering supplies and cutting payroll checks. Two afternoons a week she’d take out one of Yaz’s company trucks, and one of the guys who worked for him would load up the back each time she returned empty after deliveries. She made several runs to smaller stables and horse properties. The larger orders to big ranches and farms were handled by Yaz and a couple of his employees on the flatbed truck. Yaz was sixty-nine and still strong as a bull. Some farmers and ranchers grew their own feed; some picked up their feed and saved a little money.
    Lilly took the pickup keys and clipboard to Yaz’s desk at the back of the store. “Got it done, Grandpa,” she said, handing off the paperwork and keys. “Need anything more from me today?”
    “Thank you, Lilly. Any problems I should know about?”
    “The delivery went just fine. Dr. Jensen is taking on another horse tomorrow so I’ll increase his delivery for the next time.”
    “Does he need a special run?”
    “He didn’t ask for an extra delivery, just an increase. I looked in the feed room and he’s well stocked. And he has a new guy working for him.” Her grandfather didn’t even look up from the signed delivery receipts she had handed him. “Virginia went ahead and retired the second the new guy was on his way,” she