gate where it balanced, Seth tried to shake his insecurities from his head. They had the awful ability to coil into his thoughts like a venomous snake about to strike. Seth was typically a confident and capable man, but more and more it felt as though he was spinning his wheels at the ranch. He wasn’t sure if he needed a promotion, a vacation, or a really stiff drink, but something had to give.
Dust swelled around his boots as he ambled toward the shed to store his tack until he’d need it again later that afternoon. Ignoring the low rumble in his woefully empty stomach, he wiped his hands clean with his favorite bandana and stepped out of the shed just as an old jalopy of a truck lumbered up the driveway. That vehicle coughed and wheezed like it smoked three packs a day, each little gasp propelling it another foot forward until it gave one last sputter before rolling to a stop.
Bringing the flat of his hand to his forehead, Seth squinted into the sun that silhouetted the ailing vehicle. A shadowy figure slipped out from the cab and slammed the door into place. Seth could barely keep in a laugh when the driver stomped up to the front tire, swung a leg back, and then kicked the rubber tread.
“Can I help you?” With his bandana still in his grip, Seth closed the distance and walked toward the visitor, surprised that the figure coming into focus was that of a woman. An incredibly attractive woman, at that.
“Sorry,” the stranger apologized, registering Seth’s obvious hesitation. “I’m a little early.”
“Early?” Seth’s gaze connected with honey brown eyes tucked under the brim of a tattered ball cap.
“For our appointment?” The woman dialed up the volume of her voice. “You texted me?”
A flash of understanding jolted through Seth. “Yes! You must be Joe!”
“Josie, actually. Very few people still call me Jo.”
“I was expecting you to be—”
“A man?” She slunk her arms across her chest, but the bulky cast wrapped around the left one made the gesture more awkward than assertive.
“I’m sorry.” Seth quickly located his manners. “That was really presumptuous of me.”
The woman shrugged and relinquished her standoff position. Her arms dropped to her sides. “Nah. Not really. If your name was Pat or something, I’d probably assume you were a woman. Jo is ambiguous. I’ll give you that.” A humorless chuckle left her mouth. “Your name isn’t Pat, is it?”
“No. Not Pat. Seth.”
Shoving the hand without the cast into his, Josie gave it a no-nonsense shake. “Good to meet you, Seth.”
“Good to meet you, too, Josie.”
Seth’s gaze hung on her face for a beat, running over the light freckles scattered across her cheeks and the bridge of her pert nose. His eyes instinctually traveled toward the heart-shaped mouth that looked purposefully clenched, like it was ready to flip into a frown at any given moment. Even with that hard edge, she was beautiful in an unassuming, natural way.
He dropped eye contact and twisted the cloth in his hands before shoving it into his back pocket.
“You have some horses you want me to take a look at?” Josie stepped closer.
“Horses. Right.” Seth blinked. “Yes. I have horses.”
“Is now a bad time?”
“Not at all. Now’s a fine time.” He paused and squinted. “I’m sorry. I really was expecting you to be a guy.”
“Listen, I know I told you I’m out of commission for the next month, but I can assure you I’m a better shoer than any male farrier you’ve ever worked with. But if me being a woman is going to be a problem for you—”
“It’s not a problem at all. I’m just embarrassed that I’m not a little more cleaned up. More presentable.” Like his horse, Seth was covered in a fine layer of sweat and grit and he figured he smelled just as pleasant as the cows he’d rounded up that morning. “I’m a bit of a mess.”
“I’m not here to look at you, Seth. Just your horses.”
“Of course.” He laughed but Josie didn’t reciprocate. “Let’s go check them out. They’re over near our old milking barn. As I mentioned in my text, they’re not really used to people.”
Josie nodded as she followed behind. “What’s your plan for them?”
He angled a look over his shoulder, meeting her eye. “Honestly? At this point, my only plan is to keep them alive. You’ll soon see, it’s a better plan than their previous owner had.”
“Gotcha. Well, I can take a look at their feet