Carrying it to the tailgate, she gently lay the animal down. Then hating that she might be hurting him, she lifted the top rung of barbed wire and as gently as possible pushed the dog into the truck’s bed. Once it was clear of the barbed wire, she let it down and then climbed onto the tailgate and stepped over and into the bed with the dog.
After making it as comfortable as possible, she hopped to the ground, slid behind the wheel, and moved the truck forward enough so she could close the tailgate. She wanted to move the poor animal into the truck, but she didn’t want to disturb him too much more. So she simply drove as carefully as possible from the pastures, then past her home and to the blacktop.
Once there she could drive a little faster. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the dog hadn’t moved. She pressed the gas pedal harder and found herself praying that the dog would be all right.
Jarrod was backing the horse trailer up to the examining pens at the vet clinic when he saw Cassidy’s truck pull carefully into the gravel parking lot.
“Come on, Pops. Let’s go see what Cassidy’s brought in for Doc to see.”
“Sure thing, buddy boy.”
Jarrod smiled, enjoying Pops’s teasing as they walked to Cassidy’s truck. Her door opened and she sprang out.
“Jarrod, can you help me?”
At first he didn’t think he’d heard her correctly. When she started waving for him to come to where she was letting down the tailgate, he jogged the rest of the way to get her.
“It’s a dog and it’s hurt,” she said, frantic. “I found him up near the orchard.”
The animal had matted hair and blood caked on several areas. It was in bad shape. He didn’t waste time. “I’ll carry him. If he can be saved, Doc can do it.” He gathered the dog into his arms. “Poor fella looks bad.”
Holding the animal carefully, he carried it toward the front door. Pops altered course and hurried after them as Cassidy jogged forward and pulled the door open.
Doc’s receptionist took one look at them and the bloody dog and yelled for Doc. There was no tiptoeing around at Doc’s. The grizzled, white-haired veterinarian hustled out of the back and waved them into an examination room as the two people and their pets in the waiting area watched.
“What do we have here?” Doc started examining the dog, and Cassidy retold her story while he worked. “This pup’s been on its own for a while. Looks like it got into a fight with something. Maybe a wild hog.”
“Can you save him?” Cassidy moved closer, her expression tight with worry.
“I’ll do my best. Haven’t seen you around in a long time.” Doc was gathering supplies from a cabinet as he spoke.
“No, sir, but I’m back now.”
“’Bout time. I don’t know why folks leave town anyway,” Doc grumbled, working intently. He told Missy, his assistant, to get an IV going, and she flitted around them.
“Roxie talked about you a lot, you know.” He looked at her from beneath his bushy white eyebrows. “Told me she was putting you in her will.”
Cassidy looked a little surprised by that. “She told you?”
He grinned. “Don’t look so surprised. Roxie told me a lot of things.” He looked from Cassidy to Jarrod.
Jarrod was as startled as Cassidy had looked. What had Roxie told Doc? The aging vet quirked an eyebrow, then went back to work on the dog.
Cassidy pinned Jarrod with a look that said she was wondering exactly the same thing.
Cassidy’s nerves were shot over worrying about the dog, and now she couldn’t figure out what her aunt might have told the vet. From the way he’d looked from her to Jarrod, she had to wonder if she’d exposed her secret. Aunt Roxie had known she was head over heels in love with Jarrod. She’d figured it out because she was extremely observant. Cassidy had moments when she’d been unable to hide her feelings or her heartache over believing he’d never think of her as anything other than the kid with the mixed-up family. If Doc knew this, surely he wouldn’t say anything.
Jarrod looked as surprised as she was, and she knew he was curious about what Doc was talking about. Thankfully the moment was interrupted by a trotting sound in the hallway. She glanced toward the door just as a potbellied pig came prancing into the room.
Cassidy stepped back. The animal shot a curious look around and then came straight for her. Cassidy backed up until she was against the wall, but the pig came right up to her, cocked its head, gave a snort, and peered up at her.
“Don’t mind Clover. She’s just a curious ole gal that likes to shake up newbies.”
Jarrod came over and scratched the top of the pig’s head, and Cassidy could have sworn the pig grinned. Pops came over and petted the pig too.
“She won’t bite. She’s a sweetheart, actually. Thinks she’s Doc’s nurse.”
“And don’t tell her any different,” Doc barked, hunching over the dog as he worked.
Cassidy reached down and gave the pig a tentative pat between the ears. Then laughed automatically for some unknown reason. She was pretty sure it came from the fact that never in a million years would she have thought two weeks ago that she would be petting a pig today.
But life had its ups and downs and surprises. And this one was actually kind of cool.
“Roxie gave me that pig, you know.”
“Really?”
“Yup. For my birthday. She thought I needed a pet and this is what she picked out.” He grinned from where he was steadily working. “I love that pig. Roxie always did know what was best. She had great intuition, that aunt of yours.”
Cassidy was suddenly really curious about her aunt and Doc.
“Okay, I’ve done what I can for now.” He spoke before she could come up with a way to ask about his and Roxie’s relationship. “We’ll keep the dog overnight and see if he makes it. Call me tomorrow and I’ll tell you where we go from there.”
“Is there a chance he’ll make it?”
Cassidy moved past the pig and looked at the passed-out dog. Her heart ached for the lost and injured animal. “I’ll pay for the bill and take him in if he makes it.”
“I’ll call you. You bring those rescued horses by, Jarrod?”
“They’re outside.”
“Good. I’ll be there in a minute. Let me get these other two checkups done and I’ll be out there.”
Cassidy thanked Doc and gave the dog one last gentle caress. The pig trotted out into the waiting area beside her, looking up at her expectantly. “Oh, all right,” she said, giving in and scratching the animal between the ears. As if satisfied, Clover spun and pranced back into the clinic area, then turned the corner out of sight as her clicking hooves faded into the back rooms.
Pops chuckled. “Pigs,” he said and shook his head.
Cassidy laughed. “Exactly. They’re a little odd for a pet.” But then she had to admit the potbellied pig had been extremely friendly. Still, thinking about curling up on the couch to watch a movie with her pet beside her didn’t call up any images of cuddling a pig. A dog lounging at her feet was perfect. She really hoped Doc saved the poor pup. She would give it a great home.
“You rescued some horses?” she asked as Jarrod opened the door of her truck for her. He smiled. Suddenly it wasn’t an animal she pictured cuddling up to for a late-night movie. No, it was this man. She froze.
“Are you okay?” He was standing closer than was good for her. He smelled so good she had to remind herself not to scoot even closer.
Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach. “I’m fine. Just tired and worried about the dog.” She glanced toward his trailer. “You rescued them?” she asked again, totally aware that he was studying her. It wasn’t helping the butterflies at all.
“Yeah, we’re a rescue ranch for abused horses. Sadly, I had to pick up six this morning. We all rescued something today, isn’t that right, Pops?”
“Yup.” Pops looked perplexed, like he was searching for a word. “Pitiful,” he added, and it was. “We should shoot ’em.”
<
br /> Cassidy gasped.
Jarrod chuckled and leaned close. “No, he’s not talking about the horses. He’s talking about the people who starved them.”
Relief surged through her, but it was overcast by the fact that Jarrod’s lips were nearly touching her ear. “Oh, I see.” She laughed shakily. “I agree, Pops. Can I see them?”
“Sure.”
She moved from the truck, glad to get some space and hoping the tingling awareness that had started in the pit of her stomach and now radiated through her would go away.
Jarrod and Pops fell into step beside her. Pops had marked all of his grandsons with his looks, but Jarrod was a carbon copy. On the other hand, it was easy to see even now that Pops, like Bo, was more of a teaser than Jarrod. Jarrod had always been more serious, and that had drawn her to him. It had been that tender and serious attitude that had made him pay attention to her when she was a hurting kid. He’d taken time to give her a smile of encouragement when she’d come around. He’d ask her how she was doing, even if he was rushing off to work with Pops or to do something older kids did.
She’d been a kid whose life seemed to always be on the verge of falling apart. Something about Jarrod’s serious, steadfast manner had drawn her from the moment she’d climbed through that fence and come face-to-face with him.
The poor, bone-thin horses made her heart weak. “Oh, how awful. And you take them in?” She looked up at Jarrod and he nodded. “What will you do with them?”
“I’ll put them on the place and teach them to carry a rider. We’ll use them to work cattle. Make them useful. I’ll give them a purpose.”
“You’ll break them?”
“I’ll gentle them. You’ve watched me work a colt before.”
She had. And it was a beautiful thing to see. It was a dance between a man and a horse learning to trust each other. “Yes. I remember,” she said quietly. It was one of the things she’d loved about him, his way with horses. She realized suddenly that she was standing in the space between his body and the arm he had propped on the pen rail, and the proximity was too personal. She stepped away, her pulse humming.
“I think that’s wonderful, what you’re doing.”
“You’ll have to come see them. I’ll be working with some new colts over the next couple of weeks. We actually got one in that’s really mean, though. I’ve been spending a lot of time with Sundance. He doesn’t trust me at all and it’s been a real challenge.”
She understood how the horse felt. “I’m sure you’ll fix that.”
Something flickered in his gaze, a gentleness that seemed to soften it. “I’m hoping to.”
Cassidy’s mouth went dry. She tore her eyes from Jarrod’s and, hearing a soft baa, she looked around, thankful for the distraction. Spotting two small lambs in the corner stall, she went over to look at them. Jarrod followed, but at least she’d had a moment to give herself an internal kick in the pants.
Doc came out the back door of the clinic.
“They’re adorable,” she called, bending down to stick her hand through the railing to pet the babies.
Doc scowled. “Mother died and the owner dropped them off here. We’ve been having to bottle-feed them for two weeks now.”
“Really.” Cassidy studied the twins then Doc. “What are you going to do with them?”
“Beats me. Find them a new home if not sell them at the auction. You want them? I’m not joking. If you want them, take them. You’re opening that bed-and-breakfast and folks might like the whole farm effect you’ll get by adding lambs. People like the look of sheep. Kids can pet them.”
“And Doc won’t have to feed them anymore.” Jarrod’s dark eyes crinkled around the edges with a smile.
“I’m not going to lie,” Doc said gruffly. “It won’t hurt my feelings not to have to worry with them.”
“Fine. I’ll take them.” Cassidy didn’t even stop to ask herself if this was a smart thing. She wanted them. And she knew how to bottle-feed calves. Lambs had to be similar. “There’s a fenced pen on the back of the barn. I can fix them up in there. When can I take them?”
Jarrod had moved to stand beside her. “Cassidy, they take a lot of work.”
She looked up at him, aware that their shoulders were brushing each other. “I’m not afraid of a little work. They need a home.” She looked back at Doc, who had an amused expression on his grizzled face.
“Well, you’re in luck. They’re at the end of two weeks old, so the most taxing time is over. Instead of feeding every two to three hours, you can switch to every five hours and introduce water and a little bit of solid food. Come by tomorrow after you make sure the area you’ve got in mind will make a good home. Then I’ll fix you up with what you need. We’ll know more about the pup by then too.”
“Okay, you’ve got a deal.”
Doc grinned. It was an unusual sight because he had always been such a gruff fella, though she suspected there was a heart of gold beneath that exterior show. “Roxie always did say you had a soft heart.”
Cassidy stared down at the babies and briefly wondered what she’d just set herself up for, but then she smiled. “The way I look at it, what good is a farm without a few animals? Take care of my dog, Doc.”
He chuckled and looked at Jarrod. “She’s bossy too. I like that in a woman.”
“How about hardheaded?”
Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Bye, Pops,” she said as she passed the old man. He’d moved back to the horse pens and was studying the horses.
“Come ride sometime,” Pops said, startling her. “You used to like it.”
The sudden clarity of his statement shocked her. “You remember that?”
He looked quizzical. “Well, sure. Jarrod was a good teacher.”
Cassidy nodded, completely waylaid by his comment. She glanced at Jarrod, who looked as shocked as she was. “Yes, he was.”
To her dismay, Jarrod fell into step with her as she turned to leave.
“Pops amazes me. His mind comes and goes, and memories from the past come out of nowhere sometimes.”
“I’m sure it’s hard on y’all.”
“It is, but we’re dealing with it. We’ve made peace with it as best we can. We share duties taking care of him. Bo’s a real lifesaver because his work keeps him on the place most of the time. He’s the rock that holds it all together. Abby stepped right in there with him, insisting on keeping things as they were.” He stopped at the truck and looked off into the distance, then back at her.
“I think it’s wonderful that y’all do that for him.”
“He did so much for all of us.”
“What about your parents?”
His expression tensed. “They died in a plane crash a little over four years ago.”
She gasped. “I-I didn’t know that. Oh my goodness. I haven’t really been in contact with anyone since Roxie died and no one I’ve seen so far has mentioned it. I am so, so sorry.” Tears burned her eyes. She remembered his mom most, a pretty lady who loved the outdoors and was always trying to keep up with her boys. She didn’t really remember his dad that much, except that he seemed fun. More easygoing, like Bo.
“Thanks. It’s been hard. We . . .” He seemed bothered, as if internally he was deliberating. “We’ve adjusted to that too,” he said after a heartbeat. “You know how that feels, having lost your aunt Roxie.”
“Yes.” She was puzzled by his coolness. “I do. I don’t think I’ll ever stop missing her, but I’ve gotten to the point where it doesn’t hurt so much. I mean, we’re all going to go sometime. I know she’s up there in heaven overseeing beautiful gardens.” She laughed at that thought. “It’s how I see her.”
He chuckled, relaxing a little from the tension of a moment ago. “Yeah, life goes on and comes full circle sometimes. She’d really be glad to know you’re here. Not glad to know you had to go through a bad breakup, but glad you settled at her place. She loved you a lot.”
Cassidy nodded, suddenly unable to speak because
of the emotion crowding her throat.
He touched her cheek, startling her so that she jumped. “Whoa,” he said softly. “Just catching the tear.” He rubbed the wetness between his fingers, and she could hardly breathe. But she could not look away from him. “You’re going to be okay, Cass. I know you’ve got some heavy things on your mind and heart of yours, but you’re going to be okay.”
The bottom fell out of her stomach. He was too close. Too . . . close. She stepped away, slid into her truck, and slammed the door. “I-I need to go.”
His eyes seemed to see every dark secret inside of her. She heaved in a breath and cranked the engine. It started, thank goodness. She hadn’t taken time yet to get a new battery.
He hooked an elbow inside her window. “Cass, I didn’t mean to scare you off. Sorry. I just know you’ve got fight in you. A divorce takes time to heal just like losing someone to death, I would think.”
It was her turn to tense. “What I feel for my ex has nothing to do with mourning.” The tears that had been threatening dried up. “Thanks for helping me with the dog. See you later.”
He stepped back, tipped his hat, and watched her drive away. She knew he did because she looked in her rearview and he never moved. Just stood there and watched her until she could no longer see him.
11
Watching Cassidy back her truck out to leave, Jarrod stepped forward and had to force himself not to hold up a hand for her to stop.
Cassidy was a mixture of toughness and vulnerability that got to him. She’d obviously been hurt deeply. And he hadn’t missed how her eyes had softened when she’d seen those baby lambs. Why hadn’t she ever had children?
“Come on, Jarrod. Horses to tend,” Pops called, drawing him back to where he and Doc stood. Jarrod smiled. How many times over the years had his pops said those words?
“You’re right, Pops. See you, Doc. I’ll come by tomorrow. You know where to find me if you need me.” He remembered Doc’s statement about Roxie telling him lots of things and the sudden slight panic he’d seen on Cassidy’s face. What had that been about? Had Cassidy had a secret?
Kissed by a Cowboy Page 9