Her Troubled Cowboy (Harland County Series Book 9)

by Donna Michaels

  Okay, good. He didn’t tell her to go.

  Not that she’d listen. She had to check his vitals, and record the horse’s progress. She removed her fancy coat and hung it on a nail in the far wall in an attempt to spare it from a dusting of horse. Removing her stethoscope from her coat pocket, she acknowledged her dress wasn’t going to be so lucky. But Caitlin didn’t care. One of the hazards of work.

  She donned her stethoscope and stepped to Benny to listen to his heart, trying desperately to hear his over her own thundering in her ears.

  This had never been a problem before, but Keiffer didn’t move to give her a wide berth, like usual. He remained on the other side of Benny staring at her. She could feel it.

  “You’re not removing your dress too?” Teasing brown eyes stared unblinkingly at her from over the horse.

  Her stomach fluttered. His mood swings baffled her, but she knew one thing. She was in trouble. A teasing Keiffer was impossible to resist.

  Relaxing under his easy-going attitude, she smiled. “No. Neither of you bought me dinner first.”

  He quirked a brow. “Is that all it takes?”

  “Guess you’ll never know.”

  Oh, boy. That lit a fire in his eyes, and she was finding it tough to breathe. Or do her job, but she needed to record the gelding’s vitals before they disappeared from her rapidly fogging mind. Somehow managing to cross the stall to her coat, she kept repeating her findings in her head until she swapped out the stethoscope for her phone and accessed her notes to record Benny’s information.

  “How’s he doing?”

  Cussing like a sailor, she jumped and nearly dropped the phone when Keiffer spoke from behind. He was so close she could feel the heat from his body.

  And a hand in her hair.

  Breath hitched in her throat. This was the first time he’d deliberately touched her since she fell on him the other morning. In fact, he’d been doing the opposite. Keeping his distance. So, this show of intimacy was as big a step as it was a surprise, and she didn’t want to ruin it.

  With her hand trembling like her nerves, she shoved her phone in her coat and fought to find her voice. “Good. He has a strong heart. Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop.” And heaven help her, she meant that presently.

  Both hands were in her hair now, playing and stroking, running his fingers through it from root to tip. A second later, he pushed her hair aside to brush his mouth across the back of her neck.

  “Keiffer…” She sucked in a breath and her palms hit the wall because her legs threatened to buckle. Oh, God. His lips and the scrape of his beard on her skin had her eyes rolling back in her head.

  Then his big, warm, wicked hands were roaming around the front, cupping her breasts and brushing her nipples with his thumbs…all while his mouth and beard nuzzled behind her ear and continued to drive her batshit crazy.

  “Tell me to stop, Caitlin.”

  His breath was warm on her skin but his plea fell on deaf ears. The last thing she wanted was for him to stop the delicious ravaging.

  Her whole body was on fire and quivering. Even though she knew he was right, and this would only lead to trouble, she rubbed back against the bulge poking her from behind. “No way.”

  She wasn’t going to make it easy for her troubled cowboy to back away.

  Muttering a curse, he slid a hand down to grip her hip as he rocked against her. “Dammit, Caitlin. Stop me.” The same hand hiked her dress up before gliding down to cup between her thighs and brush the edge of her thong. A low groan rumbled in his chest. “You’re wet.” Then he slipped his finger inside her and his growl mingled with her moan. “So wet.”

  By this time, her legs were too rubbery to stand, and she was resting against the thigh he shoved between her legs, gripping his hips to hold herself up. With his mouth still on her neck, hand inside her bodice cupping her breast and the other controlling her heartbeats with very talented strokes, Caitlin was so close to that blissful edge she shook. “Keiffer…I’m…ready to…”

  “Do it,” he urged, mouth now nuzzling behind her other ear. “Come for me, honey.”

  And just like that, she flew apart, clamping her mouth closed to muffle the moan she couldn’t stop. He held her the whole time, letting her down slow, and when he finally pulled out, he quickly twisted her around and pressed her against the wall with his hot, throbbing body.

  She didn’t think she’d ever felt anything so incredible.

  Then her phone rang.

  Chapter Six

  Caitlin stilled while Keiffer stiffened, then backed away. She reached out to grab his arm before he pulled back too far.

  “Hang on.” She fished the phone out of her coat with her free hand, then blew out a breath when she glanced at the caller ID. “Doc Kinkaid? Must be an emergency.”

  When calls came in late at night from her boss, it was never to chat. This time when Keiffer pulled away she let him, while her boss told her to meet him at the clinic for an emergency hip surgery.

  “I’m sorry. There’s a dog hit by a car—”

  “It’s okay. Go ahead. I understand.”

  But she didn’t. She had no idea what just happened or where the hell she stood with him.

  He grabbed her coat off the nail and helped her slip it on.

  “Thanks.” She turned to face him, completely at a loss as to what to say. Her legs were still weak and adrenaline continued to rush through her body. “I’m sorry. We didn’t—”

  “It’s okay,” he cut her off again and nodded toward the door. “You should go.”

  He was right about one thing—she needed to go—needed to get to the clinic. But it wasn’t okay. They weren’t okay. Far from it. They needed to talk about what just happened. And she needed to figure out where the warmth from his gaze had gone and why he stared at her with a closed expression.

  “All right. But this discussion isn’t over.”

  And as Caitlin rushed out the door, she could’ve sworn he muttered, “Yes it is.”

  ***

  Three days had passed since Keiffer held heaven in his arms. The gift Caitlin gave him in the barn the other night would fuel his fantasies for months. It had to, because he sure as hell wasn’t about to touch her again.

  Having doubled his efforts to avoid being alone with her, he started sleeping in the cabin at night. He couldn’t afford to be there when the woman stopped in. But Benny was showing signs of stress from Keiffer’s absences. He was currently caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

  Just like lunch today.

  When he showed up at the main house twenty minutes ago, as per Brandi’s request, he hadn’t expected Caitlin to be there. Not in the middle of a Wednesday.

  Apparently, today was her day off.

  At least he wasn’t alone with her. Brandi and Kade were there, and Shayla and her little girl, and Connor and his wife and daughter were there, too.

  “Thanks for letting us bring Faith over for a play date with Sarah,” Kerri told Shayla. “She really looks forward to them.”

  “So does Sarah.” Shayla smiled, picking up a pink plastic cup her little girl dropped from her highchair.

  Then Faith dropped hers and the little girls giggled and spoke in some kind of baby code. He had no clue what they said but the toddlers apparently did and babbled on and on, laughing in between.

  It was kind of cute. His sister smiled, along with Shayla and Kerri, while Kade and Connor smirked. But not Caitlin. No. The adorable woman babbled right along with the girls, eliciting squeals of happiness.

  A smile tugged his lips and different type of tightness spread through Keiffer’s chest. He rubbed at the ache, captivated by her animated expression as the girls shook their cups and cackled when she pretended to be shocked by the splatter of juice.

  She’d make a great mom.

  His stomach bunched, as if punched.

  “So, Caitlin, have you given any more thought to ou
r proposal?” Connor asked, as he added more of his wife’s award-winning chili to his bowl.

  Proposal?

  Keiffer tried to recall the conversation before the little girlscapades, but he was drawing a blank.

  “Yes…but I’m still not sure.” She reached for her water and sipped.

  “I think you should take it,” her sister said, spooning some kind of mashed vegetables into her daughter’s mouth.

  Brandi nodded. “Me, too.”

  Although he wanted to ask what they were talking about, Keiffer continued to eat his chili. It wasn’t any of his business.

  Caitin sighed. “It’s a lot of money.”

  Kade sat back in his chair. “We could really use another vet in Harland County.”

  Vet? Keiffer blinked. They wanted her to go back to school?

  “Yeah.” Kade’s buddy buttered a slice of bread. “Poor Doc Kinkaid is run ragged.”

  She set her glass down and handed her niece an apple slice from her dish. “I know.”

  “And he’s hoping you’ll say yes.” Connor winked.

  “I know that too.” She grinned. “He gives me the pep talk every day.”

  “Then what’s the hold up?” The cowboy placed his knife down and frowned. “Between my ranch and Kade’s alone, we could use you full time. Investing in your education has a great return for us, Caitlin. Trust me. So, don’t let the money bother you.”

  She shoved a strand of hair behind her ear. “What if I fail?”

  “Asks the girl who graduated with a 4.0 average in animal science.” Shayla smirked. “You’ll make a great vet.”

  He agreed. She had a special way about her—and not just with horses.

  His sister set a hand on Caitlin’s arm. “You’ll pass your studies. I know you will.”

  “They’re right,” he spoke up, catching her attention. “You’re a natural with animals. You’ll do great.”

  A pretty blush rose into her face. “I just don’t want to let anyone down.”

  God, did he understand. A whole hell of a lot.

  “You could never do that,” Shayla assured, and Brandi echoed the sentiment.

  “We wouldn’t have offered to back you financially if we didn’t believe in you,” Connor exclaimed, bending down to retrieve his daughter’s plastic cup from the floor.

  “Yeah, you’ve got this.” Kade smiled.

  Her baby blues bounced between the men before she blew out a breath. “Okay, then. You’ve got yourself a deal.”

  “Sweet!” Connor surged to his feet and pulled Caitlin into a hug, and soon everyone was standing and taking turns hugging the future veterinarian of Harland County.

  Somehow Keiffer’s wires got crossed because instead of keeping his no-touching rule, he was hugging her too. “Congratulations, Doc.” But he released her before his body could protest, and stood back, watching the blush return to her cheeks

  She laughed. “It’ll be several years before I earn that title.”

  “But you’ll earn it. I know you will.” He nodded and retook his seat like the others.

  “I’ll look into programs tomorrow,” she said, walking back to her seat. “With luck, if I haven’t missed the enrollment deadline, I might be able to start next summer. If not, then maybe I can get in next fall.”

  “How about January?” Kade grinned.

  “Yeah.” Connor winked. “Doc Kirklandd pulled some strings and got you a spot in the upcoming spring semester at his alma mater.”

  “What? He did?” Caitlin sank into her chair and blinked. “But that’s four weeks from now.”

  “Yep. Merry Christmas.” Connor raised his glass.

  Everyone laughed and lifted their glasses in an impromptu toast.

  The rest of lunch went by quickly, and Keiffer was shocked to realize the muscles in his neck weren’t tight with tension, and he’d actually tasted the chili—enjoyed it enough to eat two bowls. Damn. He hadn’t had seconds of anything in nearly two years.

  “How’s Benny today?” Kade asked, dividing his gaze between him and Caitlin.

  “He lost a pound.” Sadness dulled her eyes.

  He shook his head. “It’s my fault. I’ve been sleeping in the cabin the last few nights and it’s stressing him out.”

  “That’s not your fault.” Brandi frowned. “You should be able to sleep in your bed.”

  “He’s still too devastated. Misses his buddy.” His chest tightened because he knew that pain was not ever going to go away.

  “What a minute…” Caitlin sat back and tipped her head in thought. “I’ve got an idea.” She stood and headed for the coat rack. “Come on, Keiffer. With any luck, this might work.”

  In the blink of an eye, she was out the door.

  “You’d better light a fire under your boots, buddy, if you hope to catch up to her.” Connor chuckled. “She’s a spry one.”

  Torn between not wanting to be alone with the tempting woman, and wanting to know how she could help Benny—curiosity won out. Keiffer shot to his feet, thanked Kerri for the chili and swiped his coat off the rack on his way out the door.

  “Caitlin, wait up,” he called, muttering a few curses while he shrugged into his jacket and sprinted after her down the drive.

  Jesus, they weren’t kidding about spry. The woman was fast.

  She slowed her steps, twisted around, and walked backward, her face pink from the cold, and eyes bright with eagerness. “Sorry. I get excited sometimes.”

  A smile twitched his lips, and it was on the tip of his tongue to say I know, but that would lead to a whole different topic. One he wanted to avoid.

  “So what’s your idea?” he asked, falling into step alongside her when she turned back around and continued to walk briskly past the rescue stable toward the other shelter.

  “It dawned on me that Benny wasn’t the only rescue from that property.” She glanced sideways at him and grinned. “There were two dogs and six cats, too.”

  Hope was blazing in her eyes now, and he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of it in his chest as he opened the door and followed her inside. With a nod to the volunteer at the desk, she led him through a door, past several kennels, to another door at the far end of the room.

  “This is the feline section.”

  The area was large, with several doors and a big glass partition overlooking a room in each wall to the left and right. One housed cages with cats in them, the other had kittens, some with nursing mothers, some without.

  “One of the cats from that same seizure had kittens four days ago,” she said, peering through the window where a volunteer was feeding a tiny furball with a dropper. “The poor mother died, along with one of her kittens. The other three are barely hanging on. We’re trying to get one of the other mothers to take them on, but for now, we have to feed them like that every two hours.” She glanced at him. “Got a minute? I’d like to help.”

  Before he could reply she was inside the room cradling a scrap of fur in one hand and reaching for a dropper with the other. Keiffer stood there watching her will the orphan to survive. Her gaze softened, and the look of adoration on her face stole his breath.

  She was born to work with animals.

  The door to the hall opened and he turned to see Doctor Kirkland walk in. According to Kade, he and Connor had gone to high school with the doc, and according to the volunteers with their faces practically pressed against the window across the room, the opposite sex found the guy attractive.

  Did Caitlin?

  Wearing jeans and a T-shirt, Kirkland appeared pretty fit for a vet. Ringless, too.

  Was she attracted to tall, lean guys with black hair and green eyes?

  “Hi, Keiffer.” A smile removed some of the fatigue from the vet’s face. “What brings you here?”

  Dimples.

  Damn guy had them too, because being a doctor and good-looking weren’t enough. But, Kirkland was a likeable guy, so Keiffer couldn’t hold any of that against him.

  “Hi, Doc.�
� He motioned toward the window. “I’m here with Caitlin.” His tone came out a little more possessive than he’d meant.

  Sort of.

  “Ah. She’s here on her day off again, I see.” The guy waved at her when she glanced up.

  Keiffer studied her face, watching for signs of attraction or longing like the women still gawking from the other side of the room. But Caitlin’s expression only appeared friendly. No heat or blush like the one flooding her cheeks as she transferred her gaze to him. His chest filled with a warmth he chose to ignore. And when a question flittered through his mind as to why any of that mattered, he ignored that too.

  With gentle, efficient moves, she placed the kitten back in its bed with the others, then joined them. “Hi, Sawyer.”

  Sawyer?

  Since when did she call the doc by his first name?

  “Hello, Caitlin. I just got off the phone with Kade. I hear you’re going back to school.”

  Her smile broadened. “Yeah. In January, thanks to you.”

  “Hey, what can I say? I need you, stat.”

  Keiffer’s back stiffened at the doc’s word choice.

  “Well, now you’re going to have to hire another assistant because I’ll only be able to work part-time once classes start.”

  “Damn.” The doc reeled back. “Hadn’t thought of that.”

  “Not to worry. I can reach out to some of my old classmates.”

  “Great.” Kirkland nodded. “Well, I’ve got to get back to the clinic. Enjoy the rest of your day off. Nice seeing you again, Keiffer.” Then the guy pivoted on his boots and disappeared back through the same door he entered a few minutes ago.

  “Thanks for waiting.” She smiled as she walked past him to open a door on his left and flick on the light to reveal a storage room for crates and bins and carriers.

  Grabbing a smaller carrier from a shelf, she pushed back a curtain of hair that fell forward and his mind instantly recalled running his fingers through the soft, silky strands, and how he’d moved them aside to kiss her neck and…

  Awareness spiked through his groin, and much like the light switch, it flicked to life, because Caitlin turned him on. Big time.