Ross leaned back against the counter and breathed deeply, thankful that Sweets was not hurt and mildly concerned over Wes’s cut. Wes was always getting cuts and breaking bones, and this one didn’t look like it would need anything more than a few stitches, but why the hell was he in Ross’s office if his dog wasn’t hurt, and why did Sweets look traumatized?
“Then why are you holding her like she’s injured?”
Wes kissed Sweets’s head and spoke just above a whisper. “She got scared when I passed out.”
“Passed out? Wes, you should be in Daisy’s office, not mine.” Daisy was their brother Luke’s fiancée and the Trusty family-practice doctor.
“If I go to Daisy, she’s going to tell Callie, and then I’m up shit’s creek, because…” He held up his bandaged hand, which had been tucked beneath Sweets’s body.
Ross laughed. “Same rock face?”
“Three days ago. I told her I wouldn’t go again, and I wasn’t going to, but—”
Ross held up his hand. “Don’t even tell me. I don’t want to know.” He took Sweets from Wes’s arms and loved her up, then set her on the floor, where she wagged her tail and whined at Wes.
“Get down here and sit on the chair. Jesus, Sweets is like a wife.” Ross nodded toward the chair and Wes did as instructed. Sweets settled her head in his lap. “How do you think you’ll keep this from Callie?”
“I won’t. I won’t lie to her.”
Ross arched a brow.
“It wasn’t a lie. I had no intention of climbing that goddamn rock face. It’s on the north side of the mountain and I was going to scout out a new trail for a hike with next week’s group at the ranch, and…” Wes shrugged, and his mouth lifted into an apologetic smile.
“So, you’re going to tell her.”
“Yes. Of course. You can’t lie to a woman. They have built-in sensors for that.”
Good to know. “Then you should definitely be at Daisy’s.”
Wes sighed heavily. “No way, bro. If Daisy tells Callie before me, I’m dead meat. It’s as good as lying to tell her after someone else does, and I can’t tell her over the phone.” Wes pointed to his eyes, which suddenly looked very apologetic. “She needs to see me.”
“Idiot.” Ross cleaned his wound and waited for the numbing medicine to work.
Wes looked around for a minute. “Where are the boys?”
“On a playdate.” He thought about when Elisabeth had come by to get the dogs earlier that morning. He’d opened the door, and for a hot minute their eyes had connected and the air between them sizzled and popped. It had taken all of Ross’s focus not to greet her with a kiss, and he could tell by the nervous way she smiled and the way her words were breathy and soft that she was having just as hard of a time keeping her distance from him.
“A…Whatever. You gonna tell me about Elisabeth? From what I hear, she’s here for the money, which you have, so be careful.” Wes leaned down and kissed Sweets’s head. Each of the Bradens had hefty trust funds, passed down for generations.
“She’s not here for the money, and we’re not dating.” She’d moved all her stuff, she was talking about renovating the kitchen, and she was trying her best to fit into the community. None of those were signs of a woman interested in taking what she could and leaving town. The hell with waiting. He began suturing, ignoring Wes’s flinching.
“Fuck, Ross.” Wes fisted his hand.
“Man up, and if Callie asks, I tried to get you to call her.”
“Yeah, I know the drill.”
After Ross was done, Wes cleaned up as best he could, which wasn’t very well at all. He leaned against the counter. “Wanna grab a beer?”
“You’ve got a fiancée to come clean to,” Ross reminded him.
On the way to the front door, Wes asked, “How do you know Elisabeth’s not here for the money if you’re not dating her?”
“She’s hiring Emily to renovate Cora’s kitchen.”
“Probably to flip it,” Wes suggested.
“Not to flip it.” Why was he explaining Elisabeth’s plans to Wes? “Next time you want to grab a beer, text the word beer. I could have used one after I dropped her off.”
“Didn’t get any? No wonder you’re pissy.”
Ross opened the door. “Out.”
ELISABETH HAD BAKED all morning for tomorrow’s deliveries; then she’d calculated her current income and went back to check it against her aunt’s records. Orders were slowing down a little. Not much, and she might not have noticed had she not compared the figures, but seeing a downturn of even a handful of pies in the three weeks since she’d moved to Trusty and taken over the business wasn’t exactly uplifting. She’d have to make more of an effort to sell and maintain that business along with her pet business.
She had a great afternoon at the dog park with Ranger, Knight, and Sarge, doing more playing than marketing of her business. It had been a few weeks since she’d had any real doggy time, and she missed having dogs and cats in her life on a daily basis. Farm animals were wonderful, but give her a pup or kitty and she was in heaven. She’d handed out flyers about her business and talked to every dog owner, but most changed the subject the minute it came to grooming or dog care, giving her no time to really try to explain or to market her business.
She’d then gone to Missy’s Dog Grooming in Allure to introduce herself and see if she’d be interested in a reciprocal referral relationship, but Missy had done her best to dissuade Elisabeth from trying to build a grooming business. She obviously didn’t want competition, which told Elisabeth that maybe there wasn’t much of a market for dog grooming in Trusty after all. By the time Elisabeth drove back to Trusty, she was barely holding on to a thread of hope. She needed a better plan.
A better plan. Was she fooling herself? Had she wanted to be in Trusty so badly that she tricked herself into believing it was as wholesome and as welcoming as Aunt Cora? Was the wholesomeness she’d felt nothing more than the love of her dear aunt? Did her mind fabricate the rest? Tears welled in her eyes as she neared Ross’s house.
No. No, no, no. Do not cry.
Knight, who had refused to sit in the back of her car with the other dogs, huffed a breath and rested his big black head on her lap, like he knew she needed company. She stroked his fur. Of course he knew. Dogs understood her so well.
“I’m not giving up. No way. I’ve wanted to be here too long to fold under pressure.” Her words were stronger than her conviction at the moment.
She drove down Ross’s driveway, passing a guy in a truck who waved and smiled on his way out. Just when she was at her wit’s end about how unfriendly the people here were, one guy in a truck gave her a reason to smile. She waved and almost managed a smile, until she drove closer to the house and saw Ross standing on the porch with a serious look on his face. She hoped she hadn’t kept his dogs too long.
She parked the car and stroked Knight’s head. It was worth Ross being a little upset. All three dogs had already wound their way into her heart and filled her lonely spots with love. When she looked up again, Ross was opening her door, and when he smiled, it softened the tension she’d seen only moments earlier. Elisabeth breathed a little easier, though for some reason she felt on the verge of tears again.
Elisabeth was strong-willed, but she had a sensitive soul. It had always been a bone of contention with her mother, who was one of those steel-willed women who could shrug anything off.
Ross leaned down. “Hey there, Lis. Did the boys behave?”
Lis. God, she loved that. I shouldn’t love it. He’s just being nice. He probably knew her business would fail. Then what? She’d sold her place in LA, and she didn’t want to go back there anyway. She wanted to be here. Forever. Only here. Despite the unfriendly people and the trouble she was having getting her business off the ground. This is where she’d always wanted to be. She couldn’t have been that wrong. Aunt Cora couldn’t have been that wrong in leaving the business and property to her.
Knight l
ifted his eyes to Ross but kept his head in her lap. Elisabeth was thankful for the weight of him. It kept her securely in the car instead of jumping into Ross’s arms for a hug on the worst day of the last few weeks.
It was all she could do to form an answer. “They were perfect.” She swallowed the urge to unload her heartache on him and stepped from the car, moving swiftly to open the hatchback for Sarge and Ranger.
“I somehow doubt that. Ranger can be a little rascally.”
Knight followed them around to the hatchback, where Sarge and Ranger were lavishing Elisabeth’s face with kisses. She stood with a hand buried in each of their fluffy necks, soaking up their unconditional love.
“Come on, guys, give her a little breathing room,” Ross said.
“No, it’s okay, really.” She sat between the dogs, one arm over each, her legs hanging out of the hatchback.
“You don’t mind dog slobber?” Ross smiled, and it pierced her heart.
“Nope. I need it.” And a hug and about a jug of wine.
Ross patted his thigh, and Sarge stepped from the car, giving up his spot to Ross. “Hard day at the dog park?”
“I’m fine,” she lied, and turned away.
Ross lifted her chin and brought her eyes back toward his. “Hey. Did something happen?” His voice was serious, his eyes concerned.
“No. Nothing like that. I think you might be right about people around here not seeing any value in pampering their pets, or even grooming them.” She felt her lower lip tremble and turned away again. She’d come all this way, and she loved her job. She’d never imagined that a job that pulled in six figures a year in Los Angeles couldn’t pull in at least half that in Trusty. She’d never been so wrong in her life, and she hated the idea of not doing something with dogs and cats. She loved baking, and her aunt’s business was a fine one, if she could keep it going, which she’d work her ass off to ensure, but she wanted her pet business, too, so badly that even the thought of not having it felt like a beating.
Her eyes welled with tears again.
Damn it. She stepped from the car and turned her back to Ross.
“Well, I’d better get going.” She hurried Ranger out of the car, intending to leave, but Sarge and Ranger circled her legs, whining and licking her hands. Knight joined them, and it was all she could do not to crumple to the ground and take comfort in them for another hour or two. She felt a tear slip down her cheek. Oh God. No, no, no.
She felt Ross’s strong hands on her shoulders, his chest pressed against her back, and—Oh God—his five-o’clock shadow met her cheek, which for some reason pulled even more tears from her overflowing eyes.
“Hey. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.” He turned her in his arms, and Elisabeth buried her face in his shirt.
She didn’t look up at him, and she didn’t think about how embarrassing it was to be bawling in front of her hot neighbor as she clutched his damp shirt, wet with her tears. She was thankful for the comfort of his arms around her and the feel of his heart beating against her cheek. She inhaled one deep breath after another, trying to pull herself together and getting a nose of Ross’s potent masculinity.
So. Sniff. Sniff. Unfair. Could he stop being attractive just for a second while she wallowed in her unhappiness?
He stroked her back and rested his cheek on the top of her head. Why? Why wasn’t he pushing her away, or telling her to buck up and deal with it? Why wasn’t he rushing her to leave, or worried about his expensive dress shirt? Any LA man would have done all those things. This warmth, this allowing her to steal his calmness, take refuge in the comfort of him, those were things her aunt would have done, and they were things Elisabeth had connected to Trusty. In her mind, this is what Trusty was—comforting, safe, open arms at the ready.
She’d been wrong.
This wasn’t Trusty at all.
This was Ross Braden.
Knight nosed his way in between Elisabeth and Ross’s thighs, which made her laugh a little through her tears. She pushed back, still clutching Ross’s shirt, and glanced up at him. God only knew how awful she looked with wet, puffy eyes and probably a pink nose. Ross was looking at her like all he wanted to do was take away her sadness. He looked at her with the same deep concern as when he’d fed her hungry piglet. For a guy who was used to comforting animals, he was doing more than okay with her. He gently cupped her cheeks. His hands were strong, sure, and warm. She closed her eyes as he wiped her tears with the pads of his thumbs. Comfort had never felt so good.
When she opened her eyes again, Ross had a different look in his eyes, one that caused her body to flash hot despite her sadness. She had the urge to go up on her tiptoes and press a soft kiss to his beautiful lips—but maybe she was making that look up, too. Maybe her mind had romanticized not only Trusty, but Ross.
Oh God.
“Walk with me.” Ross took her hand like he’d been her best friend forever.
The funny thing was, Elisabeth didn’t really have a best friend. She had friends back in LA, but not close friends. She’d always felt a little out of her element around LA girls, which was probably why she’d surrounded herself with animals. Animals didn’t judge people. They appreciated love and gave it back in spades. They didn’t care if you were the type of woman who slept around or the type who held out hope for true, heart-stopping love, because they were programmed to be loyal and they believed in heart-stopping love, too. Something told her that she wasn’t barking up the wrong tree with her attraction to Ross. She had the feeling he was just as loyal and his love would be just as unconditional as any pet’s. Just as wonderful as I’ve always dreamed love would be.
Talk about jumping the gun. She tried to push the thought away, but it lingered, chasing away the unhappiness she’d felt.
They walked toward the setting sun. His property went on for acres and acres of pastureland, and in the distance, the Colorado Mountains stood sentinel over this tiny piece of paradise. The sun peeked between the tall mountaintops, threading the last bit of daylight across the horizon. The dogs fell into step behind them, rustling through the thick grass. With every step, a little of Elisabeth’s stress fell away. Ross was quiet, looking thoughtfully into the distance, and that was probably a good thing. She felt a little silly for having cried like a baby, and though her tears had stopped, she felt on the verge of them again. Whether they were from being overwhelmed by reality or by Ross’s kindness, she wasn’t sure.
They walked through the grass and entered a sparse forest. Elisabeth had no idea where they were going, but she would go anywhere with Ross. She worried about her animals needing to be fed, but surely another few minutes wouldn’t hurt.
Leaves and twigs cracked beneath their feet. The dogs sniffed at the earth and at just about every hole they passed. It was darker, cooler under the cover of the trees, and as the sun dipped lower, crickets began to sing. The last bit of sunlight streamed through the forest as they broke through the other side, arriving on the far side of her aunt’s property.
My property. She hadn’t realized their land connected. The dreamer in her whispered, This is fate. Then reality of the day’s events tumbled forth and stole the idea before it could take hold.
“We should make sure the animals are okay.” It wasn’t a question. She’d found that Ross didn’t really ask questions. He offered them up, waited a minute, and if she didn’t answer, he moved on. She liked that about him, and she liked that he thought of her animals and had headed there while still holding her hand, offering her the walk she hadn’t realized she so badly needed.
Elisabeth had always thought of herself as being totally in tune with her mind and body, but now she wondered how she’d missed the need for this brief respite—and how Ross had seen it.
He stopped at the barn doors and placed his hands on her shoulders. With dusk at his back, he looked powerful and safe. He gazed down at her looking very handsome and in control, and when he spoke with his strong, sensual tone, her mind and body were in perfec
t sync. She knew just what she needed and what she wanted. Ross.
“Feel better, Lis?” He slid his hands across her shoulders and settled them at the curve of her neck. His thumbs grazed the underside of her jaw. It was erotic and sweet at the same time, and it made her legs go weak.
“I’ll check on Dolly and the goats. Are you okay to check on the piglets and chickens?”
No. I want to kiss you, and lie in the grass beside you with your arms around me and let the stars carry us through until morning. I want to look into your eyes and know what you’re thinking—the sexy stuff and beyond. I want to feel our hearts beating as one and make the rest of the world disappear. And when the morning comes, I want to face it with you.
“Lis?”
She blinked away her thoughts, and his concerned face came back into focus.
“Yeah…Of course.”
His hands slid higher on her jaw, cupping it gently, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Whatever’s going on, it’s all going to be okay.”
Just like that, with no warning and no pretense, he waylaid her worries. How in the hell did he do that? Since he simply walked toward the paddock afterward, she assumed he once again had no expectations. While she was daydreaming about Ross, he seemed to be able to simply move on, without expecting any sort of repayment for his kindness. Not even a single kiss. Maybe she’d waited so long for true love that she was just fabricating everything in her mind. Maybe this was just another neighborly thing he routinely did. Make women feel like they hadn’t given up everything they’d worked so hard to build for nothing.
She tried not to let hope carry her forward. After the day she’d had, she should know better, but when Ross paused at the gate and looked back to check on her with compassion in his eyes, her next breath carried hope so thick she knew it had not only come in, but rearranged her insides as if redecorating a room. It had claimed her and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
And she wasn’t sure she’d try to escape even if she could.
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