Chapter Text
Montana 1885
Nicole's face went hot with embarrassment as she grabbed for the door handle. "I am so sorry! The wind just—are you both alright?"
The young doctor steadied his daughter with one hand. "We're fine, truly. That wind has a mind of its own." He offered a slight smile that eased some of Nicole's mortification.
His little girl—couldn't be more than four or five—peeked around her father's coat, her dark eyes curious despite the near-collision.
"I'm James Hartwell," he said. "The new doctor. And this is Emma."
"Nicole Brennan. I have the ranch west of town." She finally got the door secured and stepped aside so they could pass. "You just got here this week?"
"Few days ago," James confirmed. Emma's small hand stayed firmly wrapped around his.
Another gust of wind sent Nicole's skirts whipping. She pulled her collar tighter. "Well, if you were heading into Clara's, do yourselves a favor and try her biscuits. Best thing about this town on a day like this."
Emma tugged on her father's sleeve and whispered something Nicole couldn't quite hear.
*********
James glanced down at his daughter, then back to Nicole with a slightly sheepish expression. "Emma wants to know if you have horses."
Nicole couldn't help but smile at that. "I do. Quite a few of them, actually."
Emma's eyes widened, and she seemed to forget her shyness for a moment. "Real ones?"
"Very real ones," Nicole assured her, crouching down a bit to be more at the girl's level despite the cold wind. "Big ones, small ones, even a few new foals in the barn right now."
"Emma has a fondness for animals," James explained. "Back in—well, where we came from, she didn't get to see many."
"Papa says maybe someday I can learn to ride," Emma added, her voice still soft but more animated now.
Nicole straightened up, catching James's eye. There was something there—a weariness maybe, or the look of a man who'd traveled a long way with more than just distance behind him. She recognized it because she'd worn it herself not so long ago.
"Well, Dr. Hartwell, once you two get settled, you're welcome to come out to the ranch. I could use someone with a gentler hand to check on a mare that's been favoring her front leg."