by Susan Arden
“Don’t wait too long to get started today,” Wade interjected. “Heard it’s going to be a scorcher. Carolina, do you have a hat?”
“A ballcap. Got it right here.” She removed it from her back pocket.
“You’ll get burned. You need a proper hat.”
Given everyone who worked at Evermore wore cowboy hats, she could see why he’d think her cap was negligible. “This’ll do,” she tried to convince Matt’s father but he wasn’t having it.
“There’s plenty in the hall closet. Matt, make certain Carolina gets one to wear. Sunstroke isn’t a laughing matter.”
Matt’s gaze roamed over her face. “See, it’s not just me.” He’d already commented on her lack of headgear before leaving his house.
“Thank you kindly, Louisa,” Wade commented. “See ya later on today.”
“Go on, now,” she responded, then nodded to Matt. “You ate already?”
“Yes, ma’am. But coffee always smells better over here.”
“I ’spect it does.” Miss Louisa winked at Carolina. “Won’t never tell him my secret. He thinks he’s so clever that he’ll extract it somehow.”
Carolina smiled. “He’s very nosy. Believes any mystery is open to his curiosity.”
Miss Louisa harrumphed loudly. “Only here a day and you’ve got his number. Go figure.” She pressed her hand on top of her hip. “Got your picnic lunch fixed and packed, right over here.”
Matt passed by Miss Louisa. “One day I’ll find out your secret. Mark my words.” He hoisted the cooler and started for the back hall as the older woman’s soft laughter followed.
Carolina went to leave but Miss Louisa caught her arm. “Just a moment.”
She thought that Matt had forgotten something and waited as the other woman adjusted her glasses. When they both heard the slam of the backdoor, Miss Louisa peered up, the expression in her eyes sharp. “He likes you lots. He’s all rough and tumble on the outside. Just remember, some secrets are meant to be discovered, in their own sweet time.”
“Are you talking about Matt?”
“I am.” It was easy to believe that Miss Louisa, with her wrinkled brow and tight smile, had seen a lot and knew a lot. She looked Carolina straight in the eye as if inviting her through a doorway, suddenly open.
“Can you tell me more?” Carolina knew she was talking out of turn, but she couldn’t help herself. Not after Becca and Aunt Shawna’s welcome. She half-feared his family was secretly hoping that Matt would somehow see the light about sweet, lovely Becca. The woman seemed like the logical choice as a bride given marriage was a big deal when it came to ranch life. Carolina pressed, “I’d like to know more, anything really.”
“Matt was cut to the quick, and he’s been on the mend for some time. Today he seems like a new man. The thing about broken hearts is they aren’t easy to repair. But since he’s been around you, I can attest. Matt’s much better.”
“He’s a curiosity and thank you.” Carolina gazed out the kitchen window at Matt. He walked over to the Jeep where Stephen waited. Soon they were laughing.
Miss Louisa murmured, “Give him time, child. Give him time.” The older woman gave her a tight smile that spoke volumes.
“I will,” Carolina assured her. “Thank you for the lunch.”
Miss Louisa nodded and began to hum, soft at first, then gradually stronger, the notes accompanying Carolina out of the house and down the steps.
“Morning,” Stephen called out, lifting his hat. His eyes observed her in that male appreciative way without being creepy. He turned back to Matt and winked. “Brother, you’ve got your hands full.”
Matt straightened. “Hah! Better watch your own crew. Heard a few of ‘em calling for you. Something about the jackhammer or it could’ve been jackass.”
Stephen laughed good-naturedly and waved. “Later, Carolina.”
She returned his wave, sidling up to Matt as he slammed the tailgate of the Jeep. They hadn’t touched since leaving the house and now she wanted to take him in her arms. Kiss him deeply but they were out in the open and Carolina held back. After talking with Miss Louisa, learning that this big strong man had suffered heartbreak, hurt a place in her chest. A tender place she wasn’t prepared to share but there it was and it was too late to backtrack to safer ground.
She touched Matt’s arm. “Almost ready?” Sapphire blue eyes peered down at her. The heat in his gaze made Carolina’s heart skip a beat.
“If you only knew, how much,” Matt said, with a wry twist to his full lips.
He took her hand in his, and she relished the soft bump of their arms and shoulders. In that instant she realized the risk of what it meant to care deeply. She’d never known true heartbreak and despair at the hands of a lover. As a child, she’d lived through the loss when her father had been killed. But the loss of a parent was different. It hadn’t scarred her to adult intimacy, least she didn’t believe so.
At that moment, all Carolina was sure of as an adult, she’d never loved a man so deeply that she’d wept in sorrow. Was it a blessing or a curse that she had not loved that much?
“Try this on.” Matt held out a straw hat.
“Nice compromise. South meets west.”
“You’re not exactly the first city slicker to visit.”
“I didn’t think so, McLemore. Evermore might be a little out of the way, but it’s hardly on the Moon. I’m used to traveling.”
“That’s right. The van,” he said. “Do you miss it?”
It seemed like another life. “Yes and no.”
He gave her a long look. For a second it felt as if they were suspended in a time warp. “Where we’re going today, might push your boundaries.”
Matt’s warning gave her pause. Was he referring to the cattle or something else? A car honked in the distance. Matt waved as it blasted by. He was completely in his element. A hundred thoughts swirled in Carolina’s mind as she pushed the hat onto her head.
They climbed back into the Jeep. Lost in thought, she buckled the seatbelt and almost collided with Matt’s hand.
“Hold on.” He leaned over, wiping his thumb over her cheek. “You’ve got a streak of dust.”
She inhaled the scent of Matt’s cologne and longed to kiss his full lips. Carolina focused on the bandanna tied around his corded neck, suppressing a groan. If anyone deserved a gold star for restraint, she did!
“How will we take the cooler if we’re riding on horseback?” she asked in a croak.
“We’ll drop it at the stables.” Matt started up the Jeep and they were off. Carolina grabbed her hat as he continued to talk over the racing wind. “There’s a four-wheel drive truck that the guys take with them to bring supplies to the maintenance site. It’s easier to get there on horse, considering the terrain.”
“What’s going on with the calf birth?” she asked, synching up the tong on the leather hat strap flapping against her chin.
“So far, I checked back with Rory. No signs that it’ll happen for hours. But we got an update on the cattle conditions.” He showed her a text. It had a Google map and there was movement.
“So you do use tags.” She watched in amazement. Earlier during the crew meeting, she and Matt had checked a hardcopy manifold in the office. It was held in a three-ring binder that Calvin had referred to when addressing the crews. Yet using GPS tags to track the herd made sense. One of the tags was separated from the herd. “What about this one? It’s due south and isn’t moving.”
Matt’s lips tightened into a grim line. “Either it’s a cow caught or she’s down.”
Carolina gripped the phone. Her heart stuttered. She swept her thumb across the screen. The map didn’t respond. She did it again and again, trying to see if she could get a real time view. Nothing. “The screen froze.”
“Dammit,” Matt growled. “Wi-Fi must be out. Welcome to my world.” He was right. There was only half a bar, if that.
She mused aloud, “That
’s why Evermore still relies on the hardcopy manifold.”
He nodded. “Checked each evening and first thing each day. It’s the ranch bible and outdated. In need of a change, if Evermore wants to deal effectively with disease and illness. Yesterday the logs were clear. They don’t change a whole lot if there’s no night time coverage of the herd. The meetings are more a motivational tool, not that I’m against that aspect. And yes, springing heifers and cows are tracked during the two-week period before giving birth. When the time comes, each is moved from the herd, like the one in the interior holding pen. I take it, a birth would interest you.”
She met his gaze and the glint was back in those blue eyes. Leaning closer, she whispered, “Everything about your ranch interests me. It’s the only way to figure out factors behind the cattle dying. Things might go unnoticed and why it’s vital I review everything. I want to see where the feed grain is stored. How the cattle are processed from birth to death, if I’m going to get a handle on disease transmission.” Because simply put, that’s what this was. To prepare a case history, she’d review the field vaccination and branding set-up. Even worker personal protection equipment—PPE—might offer a clue. Something was causing the demise of a herd. It was her sole job to find it and solve the problem, so she asked, “This isn’t an ordinary birth, is it?”
“From the get go, it’s been a concern.” The corded muscle along his neck and shoulders went rigid.
“Because it’s out of season?” she asked.
“Exactly. Someone’s meddling in breeding and not owning up to it when it comes to the cattle.” Matt’s expression hardened. “Between calving in spring and fall, we get the haying done and prepare for shipping cattle in October. This birth is more than unusual.”
Chapter Eighteen
They pulled up to a different barn from the one they’d visited earlier. A dozen horses were saddled and tied to a fence rail. A group of men were on the move. They wore leather gloves, lifted equipment into three ranch work trucks. Others strode between the stable and office building, a blur of jeans, checkered shirts, and laughter. No one was idle.
“I’d better join ‘em. Want to come?” Matt asked, hoisting the leather saddlebags from the backseat. They were loaded with her sampling equipment.
“I’ll hang back. Can I keep your phone, in case the map comes up?”
He smiled and handed over his cell. She leaned against the spare tire on the tailgate of the Jeep, moving the cell phone to see if it would help with reception. It didn’t and she sighed.
From what Carolina could tell, this was the staging area. Even with their cowboy hats, the able-bodied ranch crews were wired as if ready to get to work. The skies were just starting to turn from silver to blue. Wade stood in the center of the crews. He talked and they nodded occasionally. They were too far off to hear what was exactly said. There was an interjection of some harsh sounding words from Wade, followed by a beat of silence. The elder McLemore didn’t use two words if one would work. Even from here, Carolina followed Wade’s movement.
The glitter in his eyes was sharp as he pointed, jabbing the air with a gloved fist. Someone had screwed up. She glanced away.
Miller just arrived in a sleek black SUV. The pretty boy out of the bunch. The same dark hair and eyes, yet cast in a different form.
“Good morning.”
She returned his wave. “Morning.”
“Going out with the troops. You’re brave.”
“Or brash,” she said.
“Get out of the way if you’re in the saddle and they’re rotating cattle between fields. It gets rough.”
Carolina gave him a thumbs-up. “So noted.”
Miller lifted a brief case from the back seat and disappeared into the office building. The ease in which he moved and how he dressed in starched chinos with a tucked in Peter Millar polo made Carolina think of the golf courses in South Florida.
Then she thought of Matt. With his charisma, he operated between both worlds, still retaining a bit more of the rancher. As if he’d do the unexpected like any true maverick. A man unafraid of forging new paths. Not put off by hard work or long hours under the harsh hot sun. Yet dressed in a tux, Matt didn’t seem out of his element either. Just as he’d said, he truly was the hybrid. The new rancher. The man who sought technology as a bridge to find solutions.
And Matthew McLemore was fast becoming more, to her. Mentally, she ticked off categories. The exceptional lover. A man who bridged worlds. Someone who delivered what he promised. What would happen in two weeks when she left? Great, one night in the man’s bed, she was trying to make out how the future would unfold. Duh? Matt’s life was here and hers, simply put, wasn’t.
“Darlin’, you’re mighty popular.” Matt’s hand pressed the small of her back, warming her skin through her shirt, and made her start.
“Hardly,” she scoffed, “I’m more a novelty. When it comes to women-to-men on a working ranch, the odds are in my favor.”
He chuckled. “Even if the numbers were balanced, you’d still stand out.”
“Look who’s talking,” she sassed right back.
In reply, he curled a lock of her hair around her ear. She relaxed, leaning against Matt’s large gloved hand, hungry to feel the touch of his mouth against hers. He dipped his head to her ear. “What are you thinking?”
A quiver of desire shot to her core. Goose bumps erupted along her chest, shoulders, and arms. She slightly shivered. In a moment of weakness, she answered him honestly, “You’re so handsome, cowboy. If we were naked, there are a hundred things I’d like to do with you.”
His gaze darkened and fell to her mouth. The sweep of his glance lit a searing path under her skin.
“If that heifer wasn’t set to give birth today, make no mistake, I’d have you back in bed, Dr. Rodriguez.”
Carolina felt herself go hot all over at the seductive rasp in his chocolatey voice. It required every ounce of self-control to act the part of a professional. She fought to speak sensibly, “How can you be sure she’ll give birth today? She’s young. Two years and this is her first calf.”
“Experience. Gut instinct,” Matt supplied.
“Is that common? Doesn’t a vet come in for calving?” Had they already seen the springing heifer? Even though Evermore had a falling out with the land-grant college, didn’t they still have a ranch vet on call?
“This heifer was bred with a bull that is a size grade beyond what I believe is her capacity. When I nail the person responsible, trust me, I’ll make sure this isn’t repeated.”
“Who the hell would have done that?” Carolina let her anger get in front of her ability to remain composed, only Matt didn’t seem to repent in withholding the intel on the person responsible. “If that heifer is in danger, you’ve got to do something.”
“Don’t you think I have?” Matt’s penetrating gaze didn’t waver. “It’s not the first time this has occurred. Which is one reason why I’ve pushed for the Wi-Fi. There’s another reason. Give me back my cell.”
She blinked. That’s right, she still held it and pushed it into his hand and asked, “What’s that?”
Matt switched between apps. “I’ve had my suspicions that someone is interested in making a name for themselves. You know what they say about keeping your enemies near.”
“Are you saying it’s someone closer?” She expected to hear his immediate denial but instead he nodded.
“If you aren’t interested in stepping into the fire, I’ll understand.”
Carolina’s throat tightened. “If you’re trying to warn me, I’m lost.”
He looked up. “This is the sort of calving and ranch problem, most vets with a lick of sense swear off of. The ones around here won’t touch it.”
She gasped, “Is that why you brought me here?”
“No.” He gripped her shoulder, staring hard into her eyes, “It isn’t.”
Carolina wasn’t sure if she believed him. “It’s
inhumane,” she said with heat in her voice.
Just when she believed Evermore was a sweet slice of heaven, hell rose up and opened its bloody bowels. What had she gotten herself into? She’d heard of this type of treatment of cows. Experimental at best, torturous at worse. Either way, it was devastating to everyone, except the man who kept repeating the process, searching for a way to double profits. Who could be so callous?
“If I could fire the person responsible, I would. But I need proof. Irrefutable.”
“What type of a monster would do this?” Carolina blasted.
A muscle along the side of Matt’s jaw pulsed. “I’ve narrowed it down to one person.”
“Who?” Carolina demanded.
“Becca,” Matt replied coldly.
Chapter Nineteen
Becca? Stunted, Carolina gaped. How could that seemingly sweet, lovely woman be so incredibly insensitive. Had it all been an act?
“It’s called money,” Matt muttered, “In case you’re trying to figure out the why.”
“How long have you known?”
He shook his head. “The strange pregnancies started two years ago. Only Red Angus were involved. At first, we chalked up the male calves to flukes. When they repeated last year, I went to the sperm samples and read up on all the problem calvings. Nothing like excessive calf weight gain was mentioned. Six months ago, another heifer tried to deliver a huge calf; we lost both cow and offspring during the calving. Except the calf delivered had obvious Brahman markings.”
“Who would try to crossbreed the cattle?” she asked. Evermore predominantly raised Simbrah beef. A composite breed. Breeders were required to maintain strict proportions of Simmental, Brahman or Zebu blood for the cattle to be considered purebred.
Matt’s deep blue eyes glinted. He was ticked off and frustrated—who wouldn’t be. “From suspicions, I narrowed down the possible suspects to one. The only person who had access to my records for prime heifers. We integrate our prize stock within the herd, reason three hundred eleven why we need to update our technology and security. I had to shut down the use of chip readers. It was like shooting fish in a barrel for someone with zero cattle experience. With the right cell phone app, just point and shoot.”