Death by Equine by Annette Dashofy (booksvooks txt) 📕

think it’d be a good idea.” A warm breeze carried the smell of impending rain through the open window, and wisps of hair that had escaped her ball cap tickled her nose. She caught a strand and tucked it behind her ear. “Why were you trying to call me?”

“To tell you I had your cell phone for starters, but also, I wanted to thank you for last night.”

Jessie shifted in the truck seat. “I’m surprised. I honestly didn’t think you’d ever want to talk to me again.”

“Why would you think that? I’m the one who messed things up.”

“You?”

“I just wanted to show you a nice time. An evening out to enjoy yourself.” He gave her a sad smile. “Major fail.”

Before Jessie could argue, a skinny young fellow wearing a dirty plaid shirt and jeans with holes in the knees stepped in front of the truck and started toward it. When he spotted Daniel, the young man froze in midstride. He shoved his hands in his pockets and waited his turn.

Daniel eyed the guy for a moment then turned back to Jessie. “Have you come up with anything new about Doc’s death?”

“I guess the ground rules from last night have expired.”

“At the stroke of midnight.”

Jessie thought about the Coggins tests. She started to tell him about them, but the words stuck in her throat. Doc’s shortcuts were a result of laziness, not criminal intent. The horses involved had already tested negative and likely hadn’t come in contact with the disease to change that. As long as Jessie didn’t perpetuate the scam, once the bogus certificates expired, those horses would have to be properly re-tested. Provided Sherry didn’t continue the practice.

“Hello?”

Jessie blinked. “Huh? Oh. Sorry.”

“Where’d you go just now?”

“Thinking about Doc.” It wasn’t a lie.

“And? Anything new?”

“No.”

“You don’t sound too sure.” Daniel shot another glance at the guy in plaid, who had done a one-eighty and now faced the other way.

Jessie set her notes from her last patient on the seat beside her. Obviously, this young man had another patient ready for her as soon as Daniel left. “I’m not sure about anything anymore. First there was this illegitimate daughter. Then there were the accusations of extortion and who knows what else. Am I crazy? I thought he was a good man. He was more of a dad to me than my own father. I thought he had a good marriage and only two kids.” Heat rose behind her eyes. “Did that man ever exist? Or was he a figment of my imagination?”

Daniel reached into the cab and touched her arm. “You loved him.”

She swiped a hand across her face to keep the rush of tears at bay.

“Did the man you thought you knew ever exist? He did for you. You looked up to him, cared for him, and admired him. Sometimes love clouds our judgment, and we only see the parts of a person we want to see. You saw the man you wanted Doc to be. Others saw him in a different light. Does that make you wrong?” Daniel shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think it makes Doc damned lucky.”

She smiled sadly. “Thanks.”

Daniel inclined his head toward the young man who was now tapping one foot. “Someone’s waiting to talk to you, but I have to ask you something while I’ve got you here.”

She fumbled for a tissue in her jeans’ pocket. “What is it?”

“Zelda Peterson contacted me. She wants the track stewards to lift the ban on Clown. What do you think?”

“It’s not up to me.”

“No, but if you don’t want it to happen, I’ll put a stop to it.”

“Let her go to them. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Clown was just the murder weapon. Not the murderer.”

“Zelda will be happy to hear that.” Daniel pushed away from the window. “And I really am sorry you didn’t enjoy Lorenzo’s last night.”

Ill at ease, she shifted in her seat. “Last night was nice. It really was. I just felt—I don’t know—out of place, I guess.”

“Why? You looked great.”

“I didn’t feel like I looked great.”

He didn’t respond but waited for her to go on.

Jessie glanced at the guy now facing them again, arms folded in front of his chest, legs spread wide. “The thing is, I don’t often have the opportunity to get all dressed up, so I wasn’t prepared.” She kept her voice low and raced through the confession. “I didn’t have a nice new dress or shoes. I had to make do with what was in my closet, which wasn’t much. I felt like a charity case.”

“A charity case?” He snorted. “I thought you were beautiful. Still do.”

The heat warming her eyes moved to her cheeks.

“Let me see if I’ve got this straight.” He fixed her with a hard stare, but there was still a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. “The reason you were so uncomfortable last night was because you don’t have any fancy clothes?”

She gave him a sheepish nod.

“Other than that, did you have a good time?”

“My dinner companion was nice.”

“So if I were to ask you out again...”

The guy in the plaid shirt had taken a couple steps closer. Jessie opened the truck door and slid down from the seat. “If you were going to ask me out to someplace like Lorenzo’s again, you’d better give me advance warning so I could go shopping.”

“But if I did that, would you accept?”

She turned away from Daniel so he wouldn’t see her grinning like a schoolgirl. “Maybe.”

“Maybe, huh?” He caught her arm and drew her close to whisper in her ear. “Go shopping.”

A PAINTING OF A LITTER of puppies stared down at Jessie as she propped her feet on her desk at the Cameron Veterinary Hospital. Meryl sat on the floor, her back against the wall, her long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Scowling, she removed a slice of onion from the hoagie she was eating. “Next time you come bearing gifts of food, tell them to hold the onions,