“You want to leave my brother alone, Malory?”
Blake’s hand landed on Kyle’s shoulder. This was how it had gone down all Kyle’s young life. Jarrod would piss off Kyle until Kyle had to threaten him, and then Blake and Virgil would jump in with their fists.
Blake was here without Virgil today, and this wasn’t high school, but Blake was a hard man, strong from riding and ranching. Unfortunately for Blake, so was Kyle.
Kyle removed Blake’s hand from his shoulder with a forceful grip. “Tell Jarrod to keep his foul mouth shut about Anna. Yours too. You mess with her, you mess with me.”
“That so?” Blake Haynes, master of the comeback. “How about you mess with my fist?”
“I can do that.” Kyle would have to take the restricting suit coat off to fight, and he wasn’t certain Blake would give him time. It was why suits were stupid.
“Heard you were laid up,” Blake went on. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Healed.” Kyle said, hoping so. His ribs hadn’t ached at all last night with Anna, though he wasn’t sure he could have felt anything but her, no matter what.
“Let’s find out.” Blake balled up his hand and delivered a hard punch right at Kyle’s ribs.
Chapter Thirteen
Kyle anticipated Blake’s punch and blocked, so the blow was not as bad, but it still connected. He grunted and bent over, the breath going out of him.
He heard Jarrod’s hyena-like laugh, and then Jarrod’s ham fist was coming at Kyle’s face. Kyle blocked that blow too, but it gave Blake the opportunity for a kidney punch.
Kyle staggered, knowing he was going down. He’d be on his knees in in the muddy lot, and Jarrod and Blake would kick the hell out of him, or run him over. Or both.
He struggled to stay upright and landed a good smack on Jarrod’s jaw before Blake hit Kyle again. Kyle grunted, tasting blood.
“You boys take that out of my parking lot,” Fuller yelled behind them. “Or I’m calling the sheriff!”
A fleeting glance showed Fuller standing in the back doorway of the feed barn, threatening them with a cell phone. Craig stood next to him, looking worried.
“Yeah?” Blake jabbed Kyle in the ribs again. “Bring on baby sheriff, Ross Campbell, and his—” He proceeded to call deputies Harrison and Sanchez names that could get him killed.
Kyle was happy to do the deed for them. He elbowed Blake in the gut, hearing a satisfying Oof! But Kyle was too winded to follow through, and Jarrod slammed Kyle up the side of the head.
Blake ground out a laugh as he gave Kyle another blow in his lower back. Pain radiated from the base of Kyle’s spine, and he heard his coat rip before Jarrod kicked his feet out from under him. Kyle landed on one knee, seeing Blake’s foot in a giant boot coming at him.
The kick never landed. A deep-voiced shout came from behind him, and Blake and Jarrod suddenly vanished. Kyle heard Blake’s pickup starting and he scrambled away from it, knowing they’d think nothing of running him down.
He climbed to his feet to see Jarrod in the driver’s seat, the truck squealing through the parking lot, Blake climbing hurriedly into the pickup’s bed. Ray stood beside Kyle, tall and formidable, glaring in fury.
Blake looked over the truck bed, his face a bloody mess, but he managed a laugh as Jarrod pulled onto the street.
“Still need Ray to save you, Malory. Just like—”
The rest of his words were lost as the truck roared around the corner and out of sight.
Ray steadied Kyle with hard hands on his shoulders. “You okay? You look like shit.”
“He was trying to say ‘just like high school.’” Kyle wiped his mouth, his hand coming away red. “And all the times you helped me kick their asses.” He gave his brother a grateful look. “Thanks, Ray.”
Anna headed east of town that morning for her first call, the temporary home of Callie Jones’s rehab ranch.
She drove in a daze. Her body felt new and raw, tender where she had connected with Kyle.
Her thoughts filled with his smile, his laughter, the way he groaned her name, his touch, the weight of him on her body. His kiss as he left her, slipping out the back to save her from discomfiture.
Good thing there wasn’t much traffic, because Anna’s attention was everywhere but on the road. She was never sure exactly how she’d reached her destination, but the sign for the Jones ranch loomed suddenly, and she had to slam on the brakes before she missed it. She skidded in through the gate, hoping no one had seen her graceless arrival.
Callie Jones, Anna’s best friend, had recently married Ross, the interim sheriff. Callie had added helping Ross campaign to be elected sheriff to her already heavy workload—she’d opened a ranch with her friend Nicole to rehabilitate abused or abandoned horses. Anna had volunteered to donate her time and expertise as a vet to the venture, which had helped Callie obtain a start-up grant.
The ranch was doing well so far, except they didn’t have a permanent home. They’d set up in a corner of Callie’s dad’s vast estate, but Callie and Nicole wanted a place of their own where they could spread out if need be.
Already Callie and Anna were treating horses rescued from abusive or neglectful owners as well as a few coming off the quarter-horse race tracks, half-crazed and full of illegal meds.
Anna parked in the small dirt area filled with cars and horse trailers and hopped out unsteadily.
She found Callie and Nicole in what were called mare pens—stalls about ten feet square built of corral poles, each with a corrugated metal shelter, feed bin, and water. The setup allowed airflow in the hot climate and also let the horses see each other, which was important for animals that naturally ran in herds.
“Anna!” Callie caught her in a hug. “We need to talk.”
“About what?” Anna glanced around in alarm, fearing the horses she’d treated would be falling down in agony. Instead she saw a mare and a gelding pulling at hay in their racks, turning to see who the newcomer was. All tranquil.
Callie laughed. “I mean girl talk. Let’s work and then go get coffee.”
Anna followed her in uneasiness, wondering how thoroughly Callie would interrogate her. What she had with Kyle was too new, too strange for discussion over beverages.
She forced her mind to the tasks at hand, to check the gelding who’d had such a bad case of thrush she feared she’d have to amputate his hoof, and the half-starved mare who’d proved to be in foal. Anna, Callie, and Nicole had worked hard medicating, feeding, and comforting, and now all the horses were looking much happier. The mare would foal in a few months.
“Hey, Dr. Anna!” a friendly voice sang out.
Manny Judd, the lanky young man Callie had hired to more or less manage the non-medical care of the horses, leaned on a rake and gave Anna a wave. Manny led the team of stable hands with cheerful enthusiasm, grooming, mucking stalls, and keeping straight the feeding schedule and which horses got what. Manny had proved to have a knack for horses, understanding when they needed help.
“Manny,” Anna moved to him. “How are things?”
“Around here? Just fine. I’m loving my job. Callie is so cool.” He bent his head as though imparting secrets, but his voice remained at full volume. “I’m going out with Tracy Harrison. Did you know that?”
Anna gave him a conspiratorial wink. Tracy was Deputy Harrison’s younger sister, who would be a senior in high school this year. She was pretty and smart, and seemed taken with Manny.
“I’ve seen you two around. How does her brother feel about that?”
“He’s actually cool with it.” Manny looked surprised but pleased. “I was terrified about dating a deputy’s sister, since he’d know how many times I got myself arrested when I was younger. But Ross and Callie put in good words for me, and Harrison’s a pretty reasonable guy.”
“I’m glad for you.” Anna patted Manny’s formidable arm. Manny had once upon a time been a big screw-up, but Callie’s generosity in giving him this job, plus dating a young w
oman who liked him had given him a boost in confidence.
Manny’s look turned wise. “So you and Kyle Malory. How’s that going? He pop the question yet?”
Anna’s face scalded. “Pop the question? Geez, Manny, we’ve only gone out once. Okay, twice, but the first time didn’t count.”
Manny spread his hands. “Hey, don’t bite my head off. I’m only asking. Every time he’s with you, he looks like someone hit him between the eyes. I think it’s love.” He trailed off with a chuckle.
“No, I think it’s Anna lost a bet. Kyle took me out, that’s all. No love, no question popping, no relationship.”
Manny listened with a grin. “Sure, Anna. That’s why he went in your front door last night and out the back this morning.”
Anna gaped at him, then she pressed her hand to her forehead and groaned. “Damn it, I hate this town.”
“You can’t help it if you live next door to Mrs. Kaye. She was in the diner this morning, telling people all about it. I had breakfast there, which is how I heard. If you want to keep it secret, I won’t tell nobody. Though I think it’s too late.”
“Shit,” Anna whispered.
“So, Kyle spent the night with you. From the way you’re blushing, I bet he didn’t sleep on the couch.”
“That’s personal,” Anna snapped.
“You asking me how Deputy Harrison feels about me going out with his sister is too,” Manny said in a reasonable voice. “Just because you’re a few years older than me doesn’t make it less personal.”
He had a point, and Anna knew it. “I’m sorry,” she said stiffly. “I just— It’s … complicated.”
Manny gave her an understanding nod. “It’s hard to be in love. But really nice too. Well, I gots to get back to work. See you, Dr. Anna.”
“See you, Manny,” Anna said faintly. Manny picked up his rake and strode away, whistling.
Love. No. Not love. Manny was a kid, and he didn’t understand.
Anna and Kyle weren’t in love. They were barely friends. They’d argued, she’d lost, and then they’d had fantastic sex and a wonderful breakfast together. Not love.
So why couldn’t Anna stop thinking about Kyle? Planning what she’d say to him next time she saw him? Reliving every kiss, every touch, whisper, smile, and word from the time he’d picked her up last night to when he’d walked away down the alley, the suit coat brushing his fine ass?
She groaned again. She’d have buried her face in her hands if they weren’t in gloves covered with dirt, horsehair, and possibly shit.
She settled for gently banging her head against the metal post of the corral. The mare inside eyed Anna curiously, breathing warmth into her face that felt like sympathy.
Anna and Callie had coffee at the little bakery that Grace Sullivan had just opened on the square across from the courthouse. It would be a catering business mostly, but there was space for a few tables so people could drop by for coffee or tea and Grace’s amazing pastries.
Already it was a popular place. Late September was still plenty warm in the Hill Country so Grace had put tables on the sidewalk. Callie and Anna took one, with Callie darting inside to purchase the coffee and hunk of cake Grace called a gateau covered with whipped cream. Callie insisted on treating.
“I need to tell you everyone’s talking.” Callie took a bite of the cake, cream smearing her lips. She stopped, closing her eyes. “Oh, I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever chewed.”
“Grace knows what she’s doing.” Anna took a bite and also savored, though Callie’s first statement made her too nervous to fully appreciate the cake. “What do you mean, everyone’s talking?”
“They are. There hasn’t been anything new and exciting to talk about in Riverbend since the sheriff got fired and Ross and I married. And then you bet Kyle you could ride the mechanical bull, and you two went to the diner, and Karen saw you at Chez Orleans last night. Karen thinks it’s marvelous.”
Anna huffed an aggrieved breath. “Like I said to Manny, there’s nothing to talk about. Yes, Kyle spent the night—I won’t be able to deny that—but he went home alone this morning. End of story.”
“Uh-huh.” Callie took another big bite of cream. “And then Polly at the counter in there—” She pointed her fork toward the interior of the shop—“told me that Kyle got into a fight with Jarrod Haynes this morning at the feed store, because Jarrod was badmouthing you. Craig Fuller came in for coffee and donuts and told her.”
Anna stared, her heart beating faster. “Crap.”
Callie nodded. “Punching and everything. Blake jumped in, and Craig thought they’d have to call the police and an ambulance. But Ray came along in the nick of time and Blake and Jarrod high-tailed it out of there.”
Anna listened in alarm, lips parting. “Is Kyle all right?”
“Apparently.”
Anna’s hands shook. “I should call him, make sure he’s okay.” She looked at Callie in worry. “Should I call him?”
“A show of concern is never unwelcome,” Callie said, her voice gentle.
“But me all over him would be … smothering.” Anna took an extra-large bite of cake.
Callie laid down her fork. “Let me put it this way—what happens if everyone in town asks if he’s all right and you don’t? How will he feel about that?”
Anna deflated. “I can’t win either way, can I?”
“Nope. Not with guys you’re into.”
“I’m not into him. I’m …”
“Yes?” Callie raised her brows as she sipped coffee. “You glad I gave you my little gift?”
“Yes,” Anna said mournfully.
Callie’s eyes crinkled with mirth. “I thought they’d come in handy. I saw the way you were looking at him. And he at you. I bought them because everyone would assume they were for me and Ross.” She looked coy.
“It’s different. You’re married.”
Callie’s laughter surged. “So? I know, I know—it’s less embarrassing, and we really don’t need the condoms. If I get pregnant, it doesn’t matter. In fact, it will be great. But we’re waiting to see what happens with the election.”
She finished with confidence, but Anna saw the longing in her eyes, the wistfulness.
“Callie.” Anna set aside her own confusion. “I’ve been your friend forever. No matter when you and Ross have a kid, you’ll be deliriously happy. You don’t need to wait. You both want children. I can see that.”
“I know, but …”
“If you were flat broke or struggling with life I could understand. But he’s the beloved Ross Campbell, and you’re Callie Jones. Any kid of yours will have it made. They will have loving parents, doting grandparents, indulgent aunts and uncles, and me, your soppy best friend.”
Callie’s smile died. “I don’t want to distract Ross right now. Winning the election is important to him. And him running for sheriff was kind of my idea.”
“He wouldn’t have gone for it if he hadn’t truly wanted to.” Anna reached for Callie’s hand. “Trust me, if you leave off the condoms and have a baby, he will be all kinds of thrilled. And he’ll be sheriff.”
Callie squeezed her fingers. “I’m supposed to be giving you advice.”
“I know, but it’s much less pressure on me when it’s the other way around.”
Callie slid her hand from Anna’s and pointed at her phone. “Call Kyle.”
“I will. I’ll …”
“I mean right now.” Callie’s finger twitched. “Pick it up. I’m sure his number is already in there. If not, I’ll call Grace and—”
“All right. All right.” Anna hurriedly lifted her phone.
Of course Kyle was already in her contacts. She’d made him his own entry so the screen said Kyle when she touched it.
He picked up after the third ring. “Anna?” The word was wary.
Anna swallowed the huge lump in her throat. “Hi. I, um …”
Callie mouthed, Wanted to see if you were doing okay.
“I
wanted to see if you were doing okay,” Anna repeated. “Callie said you might have, um, gotten hurt.”
Callie gave her a thumbs-up.
“I’m fine,” Kyle said stiffly. “Nothing serious.”
“Good. Good.” Anna drew a breath. “They didn’t, I mean …”
Callie shook her head vigorously, making slashing motions with her finger over her throat.
“Didn’t what?” Kyle asked. “Are you all right?”
“Nothing. I’m fine.” Anna clenched her hand in her lap. “Well, if you need anything, give me a call.”
Kyle’s voice softened. “I’ll do that. You have a good day.”
“You too. See you, Kyle.”
“Take care, Anna.”
He finished with Bye-bye, now, in his deep Texas drawl, and Anna flushed and hung up.
“Perfect.” Callie grinned and lifted her coffee in salute. “Perfect. Second date, with more condoms, is assured.”
Anna wasn’t certain she could grow any hotter. “I wasn’t trying—”
Her phone rang, and she pounced on it, a number with no name attached. Back to work. “Anna Lawler,” she said breathlessly. “How can I help?”
“You need to come back out here.” The voice of Virgil Haynes filled her ears. “Them steers ain’t getting any better. You need to dose them again.”
Chapter Fourteen
The last place Anna wanted to go today was the Haynes ranch, but she went for the sake of the cattle. She couldn’t let them suffer because they were owned by dangerous jerks.
She took comfort that Callie knew exactly where she was going. As a precaution, she also called Deputy Harrison and told him about the appointment.
“This way, if I don’t come back, you know where to start looking,” she finished, only half joking.
“You be careful,” Harrison said. “But don’t worry. Could be that me or Sanchez wander that direction on our patrols today.”
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