Once and for All

by Jeannie Watt

  Jodie’s pulse was racing and she took a deep, steadying breath. Everything had happened so fast. She had never thought about how quickly the doctor could become the patient when a nasty cow was involved. The heifer snorted from her stall as if to emphasize the point.

  “You’re not going back in there,” Jodie said.

  Sam nodded in agreement, his hand still pressed firmly to his injury. “We’ll put her in the squeeze chute.”

  “How badly did she get you? Let me see.”

  “I thought you didn’t like blood.” Her eyes flashed to his face. She must have looked like she was going to either pass out or render first aid, because Sam’s expression changed. “No external bleeding,” he said. “Just one hell of a hematoma.”

  “She didn’t hit anything…vital.”

  He stared at Jodie for a moment, then a pained smile twisted his lips. “I think I’d know.”

  “I didn’t mean… I meant an organ or something, not your…”

  Sam met her eyes and the faint flicker of awareness between them was no longer so faint. Jodie felt a tumbling sensation deep inside. It had been so long since she’d found a man attractive—really attractive—and even longer since she’d slept with a guy.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “I just need Lucas to help me get this cow into the squeeze.”

  “Let me see what she did,” Jodie insisted, “for legal reasons. I can’t have you suing me later for injuries received on my property.”

  “That’s your modus operandi, not mine.” But he gamely lifted his jacket and pulled his shirttails up out of his overalls, exposing his side.

  She swallowed hard when she saw the ugly purplish swelling where blood was gathering under the skin. “You need to get some ice on this.” She swore the bruise was growing larger as she watched.

  “It’ll be all right.” He spoke irritably.

  “But—”

  “I know a little about this stuff, okay?” He allowed the bunched up fabric in his hand to fall back over his exposed skin. “Besides, I can’t go running for ice every time I get beat up a little. I’d have to install an ice-maker in my truck.”

  “Do you ever think about getting a new line of work?” Jodie muttered.

  “Every now and then.” His gaze connected with hers and once again Jodie felt a strong jolt. Mercy. “But you’d be in trouble if I’d done that.”

  “Deep trouble,” she agreed, allowing her eyes to drift down to his lips, his very firm, gorgeously shaped lips, then back up to his eyes.

  Oh, yes. He was feeling it, too, the strong sexual vibe between them. So…what to do about it? What was ethical? If he kept looking at her that way, what did she care? She leaned closer, could feel the warmth from his body. But when he put his free hand on her shoulder, he didn’t pull her to him…he kept her from moving closer. Jodie instantly stepped backward, feeling an unexpected flash of embarrassment. Rejection sucked.

  “Why?” she asked bluntly.

  “Because it’s not a good idea.”

  “Is it me?”

  He said nothing. He didn’t need to speak. She could read the answer in his expression.

  “It is me.” This was a first. She’d never encountered a guy who’d refused an invitation to explore an obviously mutual attraction—which made this doubly embarrassing. “How about a few specifics?”

  “How about we just forget about this?”

  She drew in a surprisingly shaky breath, which irritated her.

  “Yeah. Maybe we’ll do that.” Jodie forced a humorless smile. “All right. Well…I’ll just go find Lucas. Try not to bleed to death internally.”

  She started for the house. Part of her hoped he would call her back, that they could talk this through, but he didn’t say a word and Jodie kept walking. She had her pride.

  Which was about all she had right now.

  Dollars to doughnuts four or five cows would have medical emergencies in the next couple of days and she’d have to swallow it and face him. Not that she couldn’t do that quite well. It was just that…she didn’t want to.

  Sam Hyatt had done what no other casual acquaintance had ever managed to do. He’d hurt her feelings.

  “IS SAM IN A MOOD?” Margarite asked as soon as Jodie set foot in the kitchen after finding Lucas and sending him to the barn.

  “No…I mean…why do you ask?”

  “You look peeved, like he snapped at you or something.”

  Jodie rolled her eyes as she turned to the cupboard for a teacup, irritated that her…peeved-ness…showed so clearly. Yeah, she was irritated. And embarrassed. After all, she’d just been shot down by a country vet. A really well-built country vet.

  Now she’d probably never find out what he looked like naked.

  Not that she should—it was just that it had been so long since she’d had sex.

  She pulled a teabag out of the container on the counter and dropped it in the cup. It’s more than that. Jodie closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips to her forehead as the thought struck her.

  She also wanted to prove to herself that she didn’t have to feel guilty about Dave Hyatt, and what better way to do that than to sleep with his brother? That was wrong on many levels, even if she was attracted to Sam.

  “Vets and ranchers are notoriously surly during calving. Don’t take it personally.” Margarite brought the steaming teakettle over and poured water into Jodie’s cup before refreshing her own.

  “I’m not,” she said, hoping that Margarite truly thought Sam had merely snapped at her. It would be too freaking embarrassing if she suspected the truth.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “YOU ALL RIGHT, SAM?” Katie came back into the office, where Sam had been staring into space.

  “Yeah.” Other than his side still hurting like a son of a bitch where the cow had nailed him, and not being able to get Jodie off his mind. He glanced at the folder Katie carried. “More bounced checks?”

  “No. In fact, some of the checks I submitted paid this time. I called the bank and they reversed the fee on our account for Mrs. Newland’s bad check, so I didn’t have to charge it to her.”

  “Good,” Sam said, trying not to sound distracted.

  “Anyway, I just got a call from Stan Stewart. He’s sick and can’t make it for a scheduled C-section at the Flying W Ranch this afternoon. Would you mind filling in?”

  It was a sixty-mile drive—past Otto, the small town to the south—but yeah, he was game. “Tell him I’ll do it.” The normally slow winter season had been unusually busy for Sam, thanks in part to Jodie, and was picking up even more now that calving was starting.

  Sam pushed his chair back. “I’d better take off now, so I can get back in time for math homework.” Beau was off the bench and would play in the next game, but he had to keep his grades up.

  Things had been strained for a couple of days after Sam had made them stay in that Saturday night instead of going to Chad Bellows’ house, but the twins had started to come around after Monday practice. Sam was glad to have his boys back, but was more than aware that there would be new battles in the future as his nephews pushed the freedom envelope. Sam was all for them going out and having fun. He just didn’t want them in a situation where they could make a mistake that would haunt them for years.

  But was he being too strict?

  “Hey, Katie…” She glanced up from her computer screen, her reddish ponytail brushing her shoulder. Sam hesitated. “Never mind,” he finally said. He wasn’t going to ask his twenty-year-old assistant if he was raising his nephews right. A perplexed look crossed her face, then she shrugged and went back to her work.

  Things were going well. All Sam had to do was be vigilant for two more years.

  THE GROCERY STORY PARKING lot was packed when Jodie pulled in on Friday afternoon, grocery list in hand. Suddenly, she seemed to be doing most of the weekly shopping, whereas before Margarite had done it all. Jodie didn’t mind the chore, since it got her out of the house, but it made her wonder if Mar
garite and Lucas were taking advantage in a personal way of the time that she was gone. If so, she was happy for them…although it hardly seemed fair that Margarite and Lucas were getting some and she wasn’t.

  Not that she was going to try to travel that route with Sam again. Ever.

  For the first time in her career, Jodie felt uneasy about her professional actions and entirely too responsible for a situation out of her control—which went against everything she’d been taught and had also led to one long, sleepless night.

  She’d done her job and the judge had done his. Short of seeing the future, neither of them had had any way of knowing Colin Craig would ultimately kill someone. After all, she’d gotten more than one DUI charge dismissed with no repeat offenses.

  Jodie put her head down to avoid the sleet as she crossed the parking lot. She could argue logic with herself all she wanted, but truthfully, the situation with Sam’s brother bugged the hell out of her. So, of course, the first people she saw in the store were Beau and Tyler, each coming toward the exit with an overstuffed grocery bag.

  “Hey,” Beau said, his expression brightening.

  “How’s everything at the ranch?” Tyler asked as they stopped in front of her.

  “Good,” Jodie said, feeling as though she had I Helped Kill Your Parents stamped on her forehead. “No emergencies, anyway—I hope.” She smiled.

  “We kind of liked digging out the cows,” Tyler said, shifting the groceries to his other arm.

  “Oh, yeah. That must have been tons of fun,” she said drily, thankful that she sounded normal.

  Beau’s face was the picture of youthful sincerity. “No. Honest. It was.”

  “Okay…” Why did these guys have to be so darned cute, like half-grown Great Dane puppies? “Are you playing yet?” she asked him.

  “Yeah.” He glanced down and then his gaze shot back up to hers as if he’d just come up with a brilliant idea. “You want to come to the game tomorrow?”

  “Oh…I can’t.” The words popped out of her mouth almost before Beau had finished speaking.

  “Why not?” he asked, taken aback by her instant refusal. “Big plans on the ranch?”

  No. Being around you makes me feel guilty. And she hated the feeling.

  “You want to go,” Beau said, leaning closer in a conspiratorial way. “You know you do.”

  Tyler gave her a charming half smile. “We’d really like to have you there.”

  “Sure,” she finally said, refusing to give in to the guilt.

  “Good. We’ll put your name down.”

  Jodie drew back. “Put my name down for what?”

  “The family seats.” Beau looked so earnest that the “whoa—wait a minute” died in Jodie’s throat. The poor kid no longer had a family except for Sam, and grandparents too far away to attend the game. And no matter what part she’d played in that, she felt bad for him.

  “Okay,” Jodie said faintly. “Sign me up.” It was only a few hours. And she really needed to clear this emotional hurdle, get her thinking back on track.

  “Cool,” Tyler said. “The junior varsity game starts at six. Ours starts at eight.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  And damn it, she was going to enjoy the game. Jodie grabbed a cart and started cruising the aisles. Margarite was baking again, and if Jodie didn’t spend as much time on the treadmill as she did, she’d be gaining weight. As it was, she was putting in an extra fifteen minutes morning and night, just to make certain her work clothes still fit when she got back to Vegas.

  And how she wanted to get back to Vegas! With her own kind, where she wouldn’t be seeing Sam every few days, and would once again have the Craig situation in perspective. She had friends there that would help her do just that. Gavin. Carmen. Friends who hadn’t called her in a while, but hey, they were busy being professionals. And soon, she’d be doing the same.

  “IS THAT WHAT YOU’RE wearing?” Tyler asked in a critical tone when Sam came into the kitchen late Saturday afternoon.

  Sam glanced down at his jeans. They’d faded to pale blue, but hadn’t sprouted any holes or anything.

  “Yeah.”

  Tyler’s lip curled in disgust. “It is family night.”

  “I wore jeans to family night last year.” No one dressed for the event. It was simply a time when the players’ parents or guardians sat in a special section of seats, and were acknowledged for support of the team with an announcement and bags of coupons and gifts from local merchants. They didn’t go stand on the floor for everyone to see.

  Something was going on. Sam could sense it. The silent communication between the twins, the fashion critique, the attempts to appear casual when both seemed to be feeling anticipation not tied to the game… Beau was excited to be playing again, but Sam couldn’t shake the suspicion that something else was in the works.

  The boys had to leave a good hour before Sam, giving them time to dress out, warm up. They had the Beast running when Beau popped back in the door. “You might want to get there a little early for good parking.” Sam was aware of that and about to say so when Beau added, “And we invited Jodie to sit in the family seats.”

  With that startling announcement, he disappeared out the door, leaving Sam staring.

  He’d been set up.

  Sam wadded up the shirt he’d been taking to the laundry. Shit. Why had they invited Jodie? Had she cajoled them into it? Unlikely.

  She hadn’t appreciated being turned down in the barn, although he doubted she was aware of just how difficult it’d been to walk away from her, figuratively and literally. His body had been thoroughly in favor of pursuing matters, despite his injury, but he had enough complications in his life without adding a sexual romp to the mix. However…maybe she had something to prove, to him or to herself.

  All lingering suspicion that Jodie was in on the deal disappeared when he entered the gym and saw her sitting alone in the family seats behind the home team. She was dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, a green scarf draped carelessly around the neck, looking cool and regal, yet oddly uncomfortable at the same time. Out of her element. She was watching the warm-ups with too much intensity, as if trying to mentally remove herself from her surroundings.

  Sam crossed in front of the stands, then went up the aisle and edged his way along the filled seats, saying hello about a half-dozen times before he sat down next to her. She glanced up, nodded a hello, but didn’t say a word, which confirmed Sam’s suspicion that she’d been set up, as well.

  “How’s it going?” he said lamely after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

  “Fine.” She turned her attention back to the warm-ups. The place was filling rapidly and the family seating was getting packed, bodies pressing together on the bench seats, yet Sam managed to maintain a few inches between himself and Jodie.

  “The boys are glad you could come,” he said.

  “Hmm.”

  Okay, enough small talk. Jodie took rejection seriously. Which was what he had wanted. He just wished he didn’t feel like a jerk for doing the right thing.

  The pep band started playing and Sam focused on his boys, who were shooting baskets. Every now and then one of them would glance over at him. He and the twins were going to have a talk tonight.

  Beau and Tyler weren’t the only ones interested in Sam and Jodie. He caught several people in midstare and a few pointing. He couldn’t blame them for their curiosity. Everyone knew he despised Joe Barton, so what the heck was he doing here with Joe’s daughter? In the family seats, no less.

  If he was in their shoes, he’d be staring, too. For all intents and purposes, he and Jodie appeared to be a couple.

  Sam let out a breath and glanced sideways. She continued to stare straight ahead, ignoring him. He had the urge to touch her arm, to draw her attention and tell her he didn’t have anything to do with this, but instead he focused on his traitorous nephews down on the floor.

  THE LONGER JODIE SPENT in Wesley, the more she became used to be
ing scrutinized, and not in a good way. But tonight was worse than usual and it was getting to her. Had someone found out about her professional association with Colin Craig? Had Margarite put two and two together after their conversation in the kitchen the other day, and done some research of her own? Or were people simply perplexed because she was there with Sam, sitting in the family seats, where she had no business being?

  It had to be the latter, since Margarite’s attitude toward her had not changed one iota. Jodie’s connection with Craig was her own dark secret and she was again feeling guilty when she shouldn’t.

  Sam sat stiffly beside her, watching the activity on the court and taking care not to look at her. Oh, yeah, this was cool. She could smell the woodsy scent of the soap he used, which only heightened her awareness of him. Her nerves were humming with anticipation, though for what, she didn’t know. It wouldn’t be for a roll in the hay.

  Maybe she should just tell him what she’d discovered. Get it over with.

  No, because then she’d never, ever get a vet to the ranch.

  Jodie forced herself to suck it up. Four quarters and she was outta here. Hopefully there wouldn’t be many fouls or an overtime.

  It turned out there were tons of fouls, and the game was not going well for the home team. The Warriors were down by fourteen points when the buzzer sounded at the end of the second quarter. Sam’s cell phone went off at almost the exact same time. They’d been pushed together as more and more people crowded into the family seats, and were now sitting so close that she could feel the phone vibrate in his pocket. He dug it out and turned away, plugging an ear to try to hear over the noise in the gym.

  After a few seconds of conversation, Sam snapped the phone shut and turned to Jodie, looking more than a little relieved. “I have an emergency. If I don’t make it back, would you tell the boys I’m at Hartley’s place?”

  “Will do,” Jodie said briskly. She couldn’t say she was unhappy to see him go, but now she was going to be alone and the people who’d been wondering why she was with Sam in the first place could now wonder why he’d abandoned her. Well, screw ’em. She was there for Beau and Tyler. And for herself. Jodie propped her chin on her hand and watched the dance team perform, their sequined blue-and-red outfits sparkling under the lights.