by: Elizabeth Hrib
Series: Hatchet Lake
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 25, 2023
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Warning: Stormy weather ahead…
He’s betting on friendship.
She’s banking on love.
Recently single, livestock vet Kate Cardiff is tired of risking her heart. So when an emergency calls her home to her family’s struggling ranch, Kate is ready to help—and definitely not looking for love. It’s dislike at first sight when she meets temporary ranch hand and storm-chasing photographer Nathan Prescott. He says he can win her over, but Nathan lives in the moment, not for the future. If Kate opens her heart to someone who lives on the edge, will taking the risk lead to another heartbreak…or a new beginning?
From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.
Kate timed her pulls with the contractions. Her boots slid against the ground as she gave a great, heaving tug, watching the hooves slip out, followed by the nose and then the head. The shoulders slid free next, and Kate caught her breath.
“Just those hips now,” she said.
One more tug and she felt the moment the entire calf slipped free, sprawling onto the straw-packed ground.
“Well, that’s certainly an introduction to the world,” the farmer said.
“I’ll say,” Kate agreed, dropping to her knees to inspect the calf. She rubbed straw over its coat, clearing the birth from its face, making sure it was breathing. “Got a name picked out?” she asked the farmer.
“You want a namesake, Doc?”
Kate laughed. “She can join the rest of the little Kates running around farms all over the county.”
“And here I thought I was being original.”
Kate just smiled at him before moving out of the way. Betty perked up, shuffling to inspect the new addition to the pen. Kate waited for the mothering instincts to kick in and for Betty to start grooming the baby before she removed her gloves and collected her supplies.
The farmer reached out for her hand as she left Betty and little Kate. “I do appreciate you coming out this late.”
“Just happy I could help.” She shook his hand.
“Can I get you anything before you go?”
“Thanks,” Kate said, “but I should be getting back home. I’ve got early calls tomorrow.”
Kate said farewell to her two patients and made her way back to her truck. She tossed her bag into the back and climbed in, cranking the music while she drove to keep herself from falling asleep. Luckily, she was still buzzing from the thrill of the birth.
By the time she got home, all she wanted to do was fall into bed, but that was absolutely not an option in her current state, so she dragged herself to the bathroom and stripped her clothes into a neat pile to contain the muck. When steam rose from the shower, Kate climbed beneath the spray, her entire body sagging with welcome relief.
For a few minutes, she simply stood there, letting the heat seep into her muscles. She didn’t want to think about what each new ache meant. She was too young to be getting old, but too old not to be mindful of every creak and crack of her joints.
Of what it would mean twenty years down the road.
She washed and scrubbed until her skin was pink. Leaving the warmth of the shower was a terrible feeling, but it had to be done. In front of the mirror, Kate wrapped herself in a soft cotton towel. With the heat of the shower still etched into her skin, the flush made her otherwise unremarkable self seem a little more interesting. Her hair sat in a tangle around her shoulders, darker than it would be until it dried to her usual blond. The color highlighted the flush across her cheekbones, which were often painted with grease or dirt or some other manner of mystery smear. Taking care of livestock always came with its share of surprises. Her green eyes glistened, and her long eyelashes curled to frame them. Kate was only ever exactly herself in this world. No makeup or products would change what the animals thought of her. Frankly, they didn’t care for those sorts of things, and neither did she.
She moved to her room, sitting on the edge of her bed in only the towel until she spied a blue dot blinking on her phone. A notification. She had half a mind to just leave it. To let it go until morning. But something stirred in her gut, and she reached for it.
It was a text from her mom. Their last communication was more than three weeks ago, and a flash of guilt filled her.
But before she could even consider why her mom would be texting her this late, the phone started to buzz in her hand.
Brows drawn together, she answered. “Hello?”
“Kate, honey—”
“What’s wrong?” she croaked. There was only one reason people ever called in the middle of the night, and it was never to deliver good news.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Kate stood, already pacing the floor on the hunt for clean socks and underwear. “You didn’t, I just got in from a call. What’s going on?” There was a beat of silence in which Kate’s entire body shivered with dread. “Mom?”
“It’s your dad,” she said. “I think you should come home.”
“Just those hips now,” she said.
One more tug and she felt the moment the entire calf slipped free, sprawling onto the straw-packed ground.
“Well, that’s certainly an introduction to the world,” the farmer said.
“I’ll say,” Kate agreed, dropping to her knees to inspect the calf. She rubbed straw over its coat, clearing the birth from its face, making sure it was breathing. “Got a name picked out?” she asked the farmer.
“You want a namesake, Doc?”
Kate laughed. “She can join the rest of the little Kates running around farms all over the county.”
“And here I thought I was being original.”
Kate just smiled at him before moving out of the way. Betty perked up, shuffling to inspect the new addition to the pen. Kate waited for the mothering instincts to kick in and for Betty to start grooming the baby before she removed her gloves and collected her supplies.
The farmer reached out for her hand as she left Betty and little Kate. “I do appreciate you coming out this late.”
“Just happy I could help.” She shook his hand.
“Can I get you anything before you go?”
“Thanks,” Kate said, “but I should be getting back home. I’ve got early calls tomorrow.”
Kate said farewell to her two patients and made her way back to her truck. She tossed her bag into the back and climbed in, cranking the music while she drove to keep herself from falling asleep. Luckily, she was still buzzing from the thrill of the birth.
By the time she got home, all she wanted to do was fall into bed, but that was absolutely not an option in her current state, so she dragged herself to the bathroom and stripped her clothes into a neat pile to contain the muck. When steam rose from the shower, Kate climbed beneath the spray, her entire body sagging with welcome relief.
For a few minutes, she simply stood there, letting the heat seep into her muscles. She didn’t want to think about what each new ache meant. She was too young to be getting old, but too old not to be mindful of every creak and crack of her joints.
Of what it would mean twenty years down the road.
She washed and scrubbed until her skin was pink. Leaving the warmth of the shower was a terrible feeling, but it had to be done. In front of the mirror, Kate wrapped herself in a soft cotton towel. With the heat of the shower still etched into her skin, the flush made her otherwise unremarkable self seem a little more interesting. Her hair sat in a tangle around her shoulders, darker than it would be until it dried to her usual blond. The color highlighted the flush across her cheekbones, which were often painted with grease or dirt or some other manner of mystery smear. Taking care of livestock always came with its share of surprises. Her green eyes glistened, and her long eyelashes curled to frame them. Kate was only ever exactly herself in this world. No makeup or products would change what the animals thought of her. Frankly, they didn’t care for those sorts of things, and neither did she.
She moved to her room, sitting on the edge of her bed in only the towel until she spied a blue dot blinking on her phone. A notification. She had half a mind to just leave it. To let it go until morning. But something stirred in her gut, and she reached for it.
It was a text from her mom. Their last communication was more than three weeks ago, and a flash of guilt filled her.
But before she could even consider why her mom would be texting her this late, the phone started to buzz in her hand.
Brows drawn together, she answered. “Hello?”
“Kate, honey—”
“What’s wrong?” she croaked. There was only one reason people ever called in the middle of the night, and it was never to deliver good news.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Kate stood, already pacing the floor on the hunt for clean socks and underwear. “You didn’t, I just got in from a call. What’s going on?” There was a beat of silence in which Kate’s entire body shivered with dread. “Mom?”
“It’s your dad,” she said. “I think you should come home.”
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sounds like a sweet story
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