Rescue Me

by Jaci Burton

  She could still remember the feel of Kyle's hands on her. Yes, she'd been in pain, almost unbearable, and exhaustion had set in to the point where sleeping was a needed and wanted relief. But through the haze she was aware of Kyle's strong, capable hands sliding over her body--gently pressing into her aching muscles. Sabrina wondered how those hands would feel if he had been touching her as a lover. The thought made her ache all over, an urgent, spreading need that both pained and thrilled her at the same time.

  Heat flowed through her at the thought of Kyle as a lover. What would it be like to have someone actually make love to her, instead of the way it had always been with Mark? Mark had used her body in the same way he had used her heart. Calculating, cold and controlling, he'd never once allowed her to participate--instead, told her what to do, how to do it, and she knew better than to deviate from his instructions. Lovemaking was not what she had done with her ex-husband. In truth, Sabrina had never really made love. Or been made love to.

  "You ready?" Kyle's deep voice jolted Sabrina into the present. She turned and saw him leaning casually against the railing.

  He certainly made jeans and a shirt look sexy. The worn denim hugged his body, and Sabrina marveled over the strong thighs encased within them. He had discarded his long sleeve shirt, and wore only a navy blue T-shirt that tautly outlined his muscled chest and wide shoulders.

  "Ready for what?"

  Kyle's eyebrows lifted and he smiled at her obvious forgetfulness. "To go to town. Remember? We talked about getting supplies a couple days ago."

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  "Oh yeah. Sure, I'd love to." They had talked about Sabrina accompanying Kyle into town to purchase supplies, something she'd need to know how to do as a ranch owner.

  "I'll bring the truck around. Be ready in about five minutes."

  She went inside to grab her purse and sunglasses. Pausing to apply some lipstick, she glanced at her reflection in the hall mirror, and smiled as she thought about how different she looked now. Before, Mark had required her to have her makeup on, hair done and dressed up at all times. That usually meant skirts or dresses, and always heels. Mark didn't like her to wear flats or tennis shoes.

  But she was no longer someone's dress-up doll. Today she wore a pink cotton T-shirt under a denim jacket, blue jeans and tennis shoes.

  Very little makeup adorned her face, just a touch of mascara and lipstick. And she was starting to tan from being outside. Not really dark, just enough to add some color to her face.

  Her hair wasn't curled, wasn't teased, and wasn't perfectly combed.

  She'd left it straight and in a high ponytail on top of her head. She smirked at her reflection in the mirror as she tucked her lipstick away in her purse. Mark would probably have a stroke if he could see her now.

  The drive into town took about forty-five minutes, and gave her an opportunity to look at the scenery as Kyle pointed out the land markings where the Rocking M property began and ended. From the main highway, Sabrina could see green sloping hills and scatterings of oak, blackjack and sycamore trees, providing ample shade for the cattle. Before they turned off the highway away from the Rocking M, she saw hundreds of cattle grazing in a green grassy meadow at the far end of the ranch property.

  "Impressive ranch," she said to Kyle, who had been mostly silent since they left the house. His dark sunglasses made him look like a sexy movie star rather than a rancher. He certainly had the looks of one. His light brown hair wasn't combed since it was short enough not to require

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  it. He had a couple days growth of beard, which by now Sabrina had noticed was fairly typical for Kyle. All in all, he looked sexy, rugged and utterly masculine. And every day she was around him, Sabrina grew more aware of that potent masculinity.

  "Thanks."

  "It's fairly large by most ranch standards, isn't it?"

  Kyle shrugged. "Not really. The Rocking M is bigger than some, smaller than some. There are ranches that encompass hundreds of thousands of acres."

  Sabrina's eyes widened. "Really? I can't imagine one that large." She didn't want to own a ranch that would be more than she could handle.

  Just a small one she could manage herself, but large enough to generate a profit. The thought of being responsible for her own operation made Sabrina's stomach lurch. She wasn't ready--not yet. There was so much yet to learn, and in addition to what she'd learned already it made her head spin.

  "What are we shopping for today?"

  Kyle handed Sabrina a list he had made. "Groceries, supplies, and I need to make arrangements for the vet to visit and check out the new stock. Plus most of the cows have dropped their calves by now, and when we round them up I want vet services around."

  Sabrina nodded, making mental notes as she perused the list Kyle gave her. "That's a lot of groceries."

  Kyle smiled and glanced at Sabrina. "When you have to take an hour and a half out of your day to drive into town, you better buy enough supplies for a month, and you better make damn sure you don't forget anything. The trip's too long to go back the next day because you forgot to buy something."

  Good point. Sabrina hadn't thought about that. Of course she hadn't shopped for groceries or anything normal for a very long time. While married to Mark, the house staff handled all the shopping, and Sabrina

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  was only allowed to shop for clothes if Mark accompanied her and chose the outfits he wanted her to wear.

  They arrived in Dreamwater and Kyle parked at the local grocery store's lot. Kyle told her they'd go see the veterinarian first, so they started walking. Sabrina marveled at the quaint, small-town life. A typical main street lined with local merchant's shops centered Dreamwater. Actually, every store seemed locally owned. No national retail chains or fast-food restaurants spoiled the ambience of a slice of life that, to most people nowadays, was either unheard of or long forgotten.

  A sign on one of the buildings was emblazoned with Sheriff, Jail, Courthouse and Post Office.

  "All of those are in that tiny little building?"

  Kyle nodded. "Don't have much crime in these parts. Usually one of the local kids will get in trouble or a fight will break out at the bar, but that's about it. The sheriff can take care of everything right in one building."

  She thought it was the most charming thing she had ever seen.

  Sabrina fondly remembered watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show, and Dreamwater's Main Street reminded her of that.

  "I'll bet everybody knows everybody else in this town," she remarked as they made their way past Dolittle's Clothing Store, Aunt Mary's Coffee Shop, Susie's Sewing and Fabrics and Dreamwater Mercantile. Brightly striped green and white awnings provided ample shade for window shoppers looking for bargains.

  "You got that right. And they know too much, sometimes." She glanced at Kyle's expressionless face and wondered what he meant by that.

  They arrived at Dr. Emma Steven's clinic. Inside, the clinic was spacious and clean, smelling of disinfectant and all the scents associated with animals. As she turned to take a seat in the waiting room, Sabrina

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  was shocked to see a man, obviously a farmer, sitting in one of the chairs with a tiny pink pig at the end of a leash. She'd never seen a pig before in her life.

  She took a seat next to the farmer. He looked up at her with sharp brown eyes and long graying hair partially hid under a green John Deere ball cap. He wore overalls and a red and white flannel shirt. And she was fairly certain the man had no teeth whatsoever, but he did seem to be chewing something. It didn't take her long to figure out, after she watched him spit out a long stream of brown liquid into a cup in his hand, that he was chewing tobacco. She tried not to grimace.

  "Is that your pet?"

  The farmer turned to her but didn't smile. "Nuh uh. Pain in the butt is what she is. I'm hoping the doc will take her off my hands."
<
br />   "Why don't you want to keep her?"

  "Don't have no use for a pig on my farm. Got sheep, goats, cows, horses, cats and dogs. Damn daughter-in-law got it for my birthday."

  Obviously a gift he didn't want. "Well that's a nice gift, isn't it?" She watched the pig walk as far as the leash would allow, and then sit like a well-behaved dog. It was the most adorable creature she'd ever seen.

  She'd never been allowed a pet before. Not a dog, a cat, or even a bird. Her mother said they couldn't care for a pet since they were on the road all the time. Then after she'd married Mark, pets were out of the question. They were dirty, after all.

  "So why don't you sell her?"

  "Hoping the doc will trade her for some medicines I need for my stock."

  Sabrina considered the pig for a moment. She glanced over at Kyle who was watching her exchange with the farmer, his emerald eyes shining with amusement. When she shot him a hopeful expression, his smile died.

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  "Don't even think about it," he whispered in her ear. "We're not buying a pig."

  She'd been turned down way too many times in her life, and Kyle's immediate refusal got her dander up. "No, we're not, but I might."

  Before he could respond, she turned to the farmer and smiled at him.

  "I would like to buy your pig. How much?"

  "Sabrina," Kyle warned, his voice low.

  The farmer watched the interplay between the two. "A hundred dollars ought to do her."

  "No." Kyle said forcefully. "That's too much money for a damn pig, anyway."

  "Sold," she countered quickly. She paid the farmer and he handed the leash to her and headed to the counter to buy medicines. He made his purchase and headed to the front door.

  "Wait," Sabrina called to the man, who turned and paused. "Does the pig have a name?"

  The farmer finally cracked an all but toothless smile. "Now darlin', who in their right mind would name a pig?"

  Sabrina looked down at her new pig and smiled like a proud parent.

  The pig looked up expectantly, and as she bent down to pet it, it snorted lightly and rubbed its snout against her hand, making her giggle.

  She turned to look at Kyle. His arms were folded across his chest and he shook his head as he looked down at her. He obviously wasn't happy she bought the pig. Tough. She was free and independent now, and she'd be damned if she'd ever let another man tell her what she could or couldn't do.

  "I've never had a pet," she said defiantly.

  Kyle shrugged and rose as the receptionist called his name. Sabrina and her pig followed him into the doctor's office.

  They headed down the back hallway of the large medical facility. She was amazed at how well the pig followed on the leash. She smiled down

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  at the little pink wonder and verbally praised it, then looked at Kyle who rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore them both.

  As they entered the doctor's office, Sabrina was surprised to find a young, very attractive woman sitting behind the desk. Vivid blue eyes graced a heart-shaped face, and her shoulder-length auburn hair perfectly complemented her creamy skin. The doctor smiled brightly at Kyle and hugged him. Sabrina felt a sharp twinge of jealousy as Kyle returned the hug and beamed at Dr. Emma Stevens.

  Feeling forgotten, Sabrina lightly cleared her throat. Kyle turned to her and introduced her as his new partner.

  Emma's eyebrows lifted as she smiled at Sabrina and shook her hand. Glancing at Kyle, she said "Partner?"

  Kyle nodded as he and Sabrina took a seat. "Business partner.

  Sabrina invested some capital in the ranch on a temporary basis, and in return I'm teaching her about ranching."

  She didn't want to like Emma for some reason. But she didn't understand why. Just because Emma Stevens and Kyle seemed friendly, or for that matter even if they were dating, it shouldn't affect Sabrina one way or the other. But it did. And she didn't care for this feeling she was having. Suddenly she felt--competitive.

  But Emma was charming, gracious, and very friendly.

  "So you want to be a rancher?"

  Sabrina nodded. "Yes I do."

  "Did you grow up on a ranch?"

  "No. Actually, I've never set foot on one before." Even as she said it she knew it sounded ridiculous, and for some reason felt the necessity to explain. "I know it seems silly to want to do something you have absolutely no experience with..."

  Emma waved her hand and grinned. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course it's not silly. You're chasing your dream. Nothing wrong with that. So did I. That's why I became a vet."

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  The women talked for awhile longer about making one's dreams come true. Well, so much for first impressions. Sabrina found she really liked Emma Stevens. She was around her own age, and had worked her way through veterinary school by herself since her family couldn't afford it.

  Dr. Jacob Lewis, the former town veterinarian, had planned for years to retire and was just waiting for Emma to graduate so she could take over.

  Emma had been working at the clinic since she was a child. She even interned with Dr. Lewis while she was in vet school. Not long after she graduated, she took over the practice and had been providing animal care services to the town and neighboring farms and ranches for the past two years.

  As Emma and Kyle talked about his veterinary needs, Sabrina observed how comfortable the two were with each other. There always seemed to be tension between her and Kyle, but with Emma he was completely relaxed, even laughing and cracking jokes. Maybe they had something going on. That would certainly explain the ease of their relationship.

  As they completed their business, Emma rose and walked around the desk to Sabrina. She smiled at the pig.

  "This your pig?"

  Sabrina nodded, smiling. "Actually, I bought it from a farmer sitting in your waiting room when we came in. He was going to ask you for a trade for medicines."

  Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm so grateful. Bob Hanson wants to trade every stray animal that shows up on his farm for some goods or services.

  For some reason he thinks I'm in the animal broker business. Thanks for giving me a break on this one."

  Emma bent down and picked up the pig, cradling it in her arms.

  "Would you like me to examine and inoculate her?"

  She nodded. "That would be great, thanks."

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  The doctor buzzed for one of her technicians, and she was instructed to follow the tech into a waiting room while Emma finished her business with Kyle. A young girl came in and Sabrina and her pig were taken to a small exam room, where the technician weighed her, started a chart, and then left to obtain the necessary inoculations.

  The pig was thoroughly examined, poked, prodded, given her shots and pronounced healthy as a...pig. Emma told her what to feed it, how to care for it and then asked her the animal's name so she could add it to her chart.

  Sabrina looked down at the pink squirming bundle in her arms and smiled.

  "Petunia."

  Emma laughed. "Perfect."

  They walked out of the exam room and back to the front desk where Kyle was paying for his supplies. When he finished, she paid for Petunia's checkup and shots and turned to Emma.

  "Thank you, Emma, it was a pleasure to meet you."

  The doctor smiled brightly at her. "It was great to meet you too, Sabrina. Now if you have any questions about Petunia, just give me a call, any time of the day or night." Emma removed a business card from her pocket and handed it to Sabrina. "I'm on call all the time anyway."

  Turning to Kyle, Emma hugged him. "And don't forget what we talked about. I want to talk about this some more, okay?"

  Kyle nodded and they left. Sabrina wondered what Emma wanted to talk to him about, but it sounded personal and she didn't want to ask.

  Probably something they would discuss on their next date. And then s
he had that feeling again as she pondered Kyle with Emma. She couldn't be jealous. She and Kyle had a professional relationship, and that's where it ended.

  After they left the vet's office, they dropped their supplies at the truck.

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  Kyle motioned to the pig at her feet. "Throw her in the back."

  "I don't think so." She picked up Petunia and held her to her breast as if protecting a child. "I really don't want to leave her in the truck.

  What if someone steals her?"

  Kyle rolled his eyes. "This is Dreamwater, not Los Angeles. If it were that easy to get rid of the pig, Bob would have left her in his own pickup, hoping someone would take her. Believe me, no one will steal your pig."

  "I don't care," she said, lifting her chin. "She's coming with me."

  His eyes narrowed and she braced for an argument. Then he surprised her.

  "Fine," he said tightly. "Let's go."

  They entered the small grocery store and Kyle grabbed a cart. She held the list as Kyle pushed the cart up and down the aisles. Petunia strutted proudly at Sabrina's side, pausing now and then to sniff something on the bottom shelf of the racks.

  Kyle was right. Everybody knew everybody in this town. He had to greet someone he knew in almost every aisle, and then introduce Sabrina. She thought people would be surprised he had taken on a partner, but he was correct about small towns. Most people already knew all about her, when she had arrived, why she was there and how long she was staying. Small town grapevines were definitely the most amazing thing she had ever encountered.

  But everyone was friendly, welcomed her to Dreamwater, praised Kyle and his ranch and told her she couldn't have picked a better one to learn on.

  And almost everyone commented about Petunia.

  Nice pig.

  Every time someone said it Sabrina grinned. Nice pig. Her pig. Her first pet.

  "Petunia, huh?" Kyle looked down at her pet, currently rolling around on her little pink back at his feet.

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  Grinning, Sabrina nodded. "Yeah."

  He bent down and picked up Petunia with one hand, cradled her on her back in the crook of his arm and absently rubbed her fat pink belly while they walked. Sabrina pushed the cart and placed a few items in it as they strolled along.

  Petunia seemed perfectly content being held in his strong arms. So content, in fact, that as he stroked her belly, she eventually went to sleep. Sabrina smiled, remembering drifting off to sleep herself when Kyle gave her the massage that night. Suddenly the thought of his hands on her sent her mind reeling into non-grocery-like thoughts. She wanted to be the one being held in his arms, his hands absently running over her body, not stirring her into sleep this time, but awakening her to passion.