Neil Logan, recently graduated equine veterinarian, always felt he’d know when he found the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Unfortunately, though Neil cares deeply for him, his college roommate Jordan is not that man. Neil takes a summer position far from home, foolishly thinking time and distance will cool Jordan’s feelings for him, and they can both move on.<br><br>Neil’s job is on an island attractive to tourists. There, horses are the sole mode of transportation, and Rolf Gundersen is the head farrier. Neil is immediately attracted to the handsome, mature man, and starts to believe Rolf might be the one for him. Frustratingly, despite Neil’s best efforts, Rolf seems determined to avoid him.<br><br>When Neil discovers the reason for Rolf’s aloofness, he’s able to forge a relationship with the farrier. Can Rolf and Neil find happiness in their newfound love, or will Jordan continue to be a factor in Neil’s life, possibly undermining Neil’s efforts to win Rolf over?

Once Upon an Island

“Since nothing’s showing when he walks and trots, just when he’s pulling a load, I didn’t do nerve blocks as he isn’t showing signs of discomfort unless he’s working. Nothing’s showing up on the x-rays. Means it’s probably soft tissue. That was confirmed when I did the ultrasound and MRI. It looks like Andy’s probably got himself a suspensory strain.”


Neil continued, “It’s not a tear, so he should recover pretty quickly. I put him on a couple of days of stall rest and bute for pain. I asked Sam to hand walk him twice a day, then put him on limited turn out for a couple weeks. That should fix him up. They might want to use him for lighter loads for a while after he goes back to work.”


“Good,” Rolf said, nodding again. He looked at Neil. “You do good work, Dr. Logan.”


Neil smiled, and without thinking, placed a hand on Rolf’s shoulder. This time Rolf didn’t flinch.


Chapter 23