Need You Now

by Ali Parker

  Now I knew that I should have. Fuck.

  A throat clearing at my door made me look up from restocking the medicine cabinet in my office. Kayla’s eyes met mine as she stood in my doorway with an excited expression on her face.

  “And? How did it go?” She walked in and dropped into the chair she’d taken to consistently choosing. “Did his jaw drop? Please tell me it did.”

  I shrugged. “It sort of did, yeah. Well done on the dress.”

  My voice was flat, even to my own ears. I still couldn’t figure out how a night that had started so well had ended like that.

  How could a guy like Colton who was funny, kind, and charming be the same person who wrote incendiary, ill-informed articles about people he had never met and yet assumed the worst about? It just didn’t make sense.

  Computer says no. And yet, there was no denying it was the truth.

  “Oh no.” Kayla’s smile dropped. “What happened? What did he do?”

  “He wrote that article,” I said before letting out a string of curses under my breath. “Everything was great until I found out who he was.”

  Her jaw dropped. “No way. You mean the article about your donation, right? That article?”

  “That’s the one.” I gave her a tight smile, disappointment making my limbs feel heavier than they were. “I should’ve found out more about him, but I didn’t. For once in my life, I just did what I wanted and threw caution to the wind. Now what?”

  “You went on a date with a hot guy. I don’t think anyone will blame you for throwing caution to wind. I certainly wouldn’t have guessed he was the reporter. He doesn’t even look like a reporter who could write stuff like that.”

  I frowned but a tiny burst of laughter also came out of me. “What do you mean he doesn’t look like a reporter who could write stuff like that? What do think that reporter should look like?”

  She shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Old. Sleazy. Greasy hair. I don’t know. Just not like that.”

  “You might have a point there.” In my mind’s eye, I had to admit that I’d also pictured some shadowy person locked away in a basement somewhere, cackling in that evil villain way as they submitted the article. “But we were both wrong. I slept with the freaking enemy, so what do I do now?”

  If she was surprised to hear me admitting that I’d had sex with him, she didn’t show it. It didn’t seem to faze her at all, contrary to how prim the ribbon—pink today—around her head made her look.

  She chewed the inside of her cheek while she thought. “Does he know you’re the owner of the clinic?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” I tried to think back to whether we’d talked about anything even remotely related to our jobs, but we hadn’t. Not before those last few minutes when I’d figured out who he was. “We talked about animals and our mutual love for them, but we never got around to my role here. Or what he does for a living, to be honest. Our conversations just never ended up there.”

  Nodding decisively and without questioning me, she gave me a sudden smile. “You have the upper hand then. If he’s just using you to get his story about the clinic, then give him a story.”

  My head jerked back. “I don’t know if subterfuge is something I would be good at. I’m a pretty straightforward person. I was just going to send him a text to tell him I didn’t think we should see each other again.”

  “This is the guy who tried to trash the fact that you did something good for the community. If anyone deserves a taste of his own medicine, it’s him.” Her jaw clenched and she folded her arms. “People like him are the absolute worst. I wish we could knock all of them down a peg or two, but I guess we’d have to start somewhere. Why not start with him?”

  “What are you suggesting I do?” I frowned, my gaze dropping to the cabinet hanging open in front of me.

  There had to be almost a hundred different kinds of medication in there. I knew what to do with each one of them, knew what possible side effects they had, and when they had uses other than what they were strictly prescribed for.

  Yet life threw one good-looking guy at me and I couldn’t bother to even find out his last name before getting to know him in the biblical sense. Just days ago, I’d been questioning what was wrong with him. Now I was wondering what the hell was wrong with me.

  My phone buzzed on my desk, the alert chime letting me know I had a text. Kayla perked up in her chair but caught herself before she craned her neck to see who it was from. There was an immense amount of curiosity in her gaze though.

  I grabbed it, saw Colton’s name on the screen, and heaved into my chair before putting her out of her misery. “It’s him. What do I do?”

  Maybe I hadn’t known Kayla for a very long time, but she was becoming a friend to me. This was what girlfriends did, right? They talked about things and supported each other.

  Since I could really use someone to talk to and hopefully get a bit of support from, I hoped I was right about girlfriends. I glanced down at the sleek device in my hand, not even sure I wanted to read his message or just have her delete it for me.

  When I finally dragged my gaze back up to hers, there was a thoughtful expression on her face. “What you do depends on what you want to do. What did he say?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’m still deciding if I want to read it.”

  “Read it,” she said firmly. “It’ll drive you nuts not knowing what was in it if you delete it before reading it. Trust me. Nobody with a naturally curious nature can just put it out of their heads.”

  “How do I know I have a naturally curious nature?” I asked, then realized that it wasn’t exactly a secret. “Never mind. I ask a ton of questions and examined one dog for two hours a few days ago because I couldn’t figure out what was bothering me about his eyes.”

  She laughed. “Exactly. Now stop stalling and read the message.”

  I sighed but unlocked my phone and opened up my messages. His was at the very top.

  Colton: I had a good time last night. I want to see you again.

  Turning the screen so Kayla could read it too, I screwed my eyes shut. “Isn’t there some kind of rule about waiting a few days before texting someone you’ve been out with?”

  A soft snort came from her direction. “There is, but I think only people who think of the dating scene as a game follow that rule. If they’re into mind games, they wait so they don’t seem desperate or clingy. If they’re serious and don’t have issues with their self-esteem, they do whatever the hell they want.”

  “Seems like a harsh assessment,” I commented but didn’t argue. It was kind of the same way I’d always felt about it, even if I’d never put it in so many words. “If he can write the crap he does, he definitely doesn’t have any issues with his self-esteem.”

  She paused for a minute, and when I opened my eyes, I saw her studying me with a hesitant look in her eyes. “Let’s put what he wrote aside for a moment. Do you think you can do that?”

  “I can try.” I couldn’t make any promises, but I was curious about where she was going with this. “Shoot.”

  “How would you have been feeling this morning if he hadn’t written what he did?” she asked.

  Her question catapulted me into the memory of how he’d made me feel the night before. “Let’s just say I wouldn’t have slept with said enemy for no reason. I really liked him, so I think I would’ve been happy.”

  “That’s what I thought.” She gave me an understanding smile. “What I was suggesting earlier wasn’t to knock him down a peg by doing anything really deceitful or tricky. All I meant was you could have some fun with him. Maybe take him with you on the next farm call you make and get him covered in manure or something.”

  I was so surprised that I laughed. “Guess who has a little villain hiding somewhere inside her?”

  “That’s hardly a villainous plan.” She rolled her eyes but I saw how hard she was fighting laughter of her own. “You’re still waiting to hear back from him in his
official capacity, right? Maybe they publish an apology in this week’s edition, or maybe he’ll actually contact you for an interview before publishing anything else.”

  “But in the meantime, you think I should have some fun with him?” I brought our conversation full circle. “It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard. Let me think about it for a bit.”

  “You got it, boss.” She planted her hands on the arms of her chair and pushed herself up. “We’ve got Mrs. Jenks bringing in her cat anyway. She’s due any day now, so we better make the furry mommy-to-be happy. I heard they’re even throwing a baby shower for her.”

  I laughed, shaking my head at one of my more eccentric clients. As much as I loved animals, I’d never quite understood the appeal of buying them thousands of dollars’ worth of fancy clothing or throwing them parties.

  Kayla lifted her shoulders, pressing her lips in at the corners as if she was thinking the same thing, then hurried out. A few minutes later, I mostly had my thoughts together when I heard her making a big fuss in the waiting area.

  It seemed my mom-to-be had arrived. I even put on my coat before I went out to welcome them. The rest of the morning sped by with Colton always hovering in my thoughts.

  I’d hated C Stark with a vengeance when I’d first read that article. Whenever I thought about what he’d written, it felt like there was an angry, fire-breathing dragon living in the pit of my stomach, wrapping its tail around my heart and making it constrict in my chest.

  But Kayla was right. I didn’t know if there would be an apology published soon or even if perhaps he regretted saying those things about my donation. I didn’t know anything about what had driven him to write all that hateful drivel.

  One thing I did know was that seeing him covered in manure would be satisfying. Maybe he would shed light on his motivations and we could talk about it, or maybe I’d just see the outside of him covered in the shit he was so obviously full of.

  Pulling out my phone between consultations, I quickly tapped out a reply.

  Me: Sure. I’d love that. I actually need some help at a farm tomorrow. Want to join me?

  His response was almost instantaneous, and it made me smile in eager anticipation.

  Colton: You got it. Just let me know when and where. I’ll be there.

  Chapter 14

  COLTON

  Country music flowed from my speakers when I pulled up to the farm. I had been more than surprised when she’d asked me to meet them here, but I’d actually been looking forward to it since I’d received the invitation.

  I didn’t get to spend nearly as much time out of the city as I wanted to, and this might even be my chance to meet the elusive owner of the clinic. Two birds. One stone.

  Getting to spend some more time with Haven was an added bonus. Make that three birds.

  Dry heat hit me in the face as I got out of my air-conditioned car. The sun was already high in the sky and only a few clouds floated above. We were going to get toasted out there if we stayed all day, but I was ready to roll up my sleeves and do whatever it was she needed help with.

  It would be a nice break from the office, and Ross hadn’t even been able to complain because what I was doing could technically be called research. He’d rolled his eyes at me when I told him that, but then he waved me off.

  A light breeze rustled through the tall trees around the driveway, but other than that and the sound of some cows mooing in the distance, it was completely silent. I took a deep breath, smiling as I imagined what it would be like to live without hearing traffic all day, every day.

  Just then, Haven and Kayla walked around the corner. I saw the intern beside her obviously, but I only had eyes for Haven. My tongue nearly rolled out of my head at the sight of her in denim jeans, hardy boots, a checkered shirt, and plastic gloves on her hands.

  It was like she’d walked right out of one my dirty fantasies. So maybe I have a bit of a thing for cowgirls.

  While I tried to peel my gaze off her, Kayla raised her hand in a friendly wave. Haven didn’t do the same. In fact, she hardly even looked at me when she greeted me.

  “Hey, Colton. Thanks for coming to help us out.”

  “No problem.” I grinned but she’d already walked past me to a bright blue truck I’d seen parked outside the clinic. “I’m here to help however you need me.”

  She wasn’t as welcoming as I’d been expecting, but I was here, and so was this truck. I hadn’t thought much about it before since it could’ve belonged to any store owner or customer on that street, but since it was here, it had to be either hers or the clinic’s.

  Kayla smiled but there was something cool in her gaze. “Want to help us carry our equipment to the stables? There’s a lot of work there that needs to be done.”

  “Yeah,” Haven said, still without looking at me. “You can start by shoveling shit into one of those bags.”

  I frowned but accepted the heavy container Kayla heaved off the back of the truck. “Since when do veterinarian services include cleaning up?”

  “Since now.” She shrugged and I could’ve sworn I saw Kayla trying to hide a giggle before walking away. “Come on. I’ll show you where we’re going.”

  The hair at the back of my neck stood up. There was something going on with the two of them, but I didn’t make a big deal about it. I’d come here to help, and having to shovel some shit wasn’t the end of the world.

  I just had to figure out why it was she was making me do it. And what was up with the way they were acting?

  “How have you been?” I asked, walking behind her along a cobbled path that led from the driveway to a big barn that had been partially hidden behind some trees when I parked.

  Her shoulders lifted on a shrug. “Fine. You?”

  “Fine.” I wanted to reach out to her, to take her arm, and bring her to a stop so I could finally get her to look at me, but I didn’t. “Is everything okay? You seem off.”

  A dry laugh escaped her. “You don’t know me. How would you know if I’m on or off?”

  My brows jumped in surprise at the hint of ice in her tone. “I might not know you very well, but I like to think that I know you well enough to know when you’re not acting like yourself.”

  “I’m just working,” she replied, then stopped when we got to the doors of the big barn. “I have to go check on something. Everything you need is in here.”

  She gestured to the barn before walking around the side of it and disappearing to where I assumed the stables were. I still had the container Kayla had given me, but I supposed they either didn’t really need it or would come to get it when they did.

  Shoveling shit was not as easy as it looked when other people did it. Getting it into a bag was no joke either.

  Eventually, I managed to get it filled enough to stand up and rolled the sides down. It made it slightly easier, but there had to be a better way. I didn’t even really understand why it had to go into a bag.

  Drenched in sweat and with my jeans and boots covered in manure, I wondered why I had the distinct feeling I was being punished for something. Last I’d checked, Haven and I had had a perfectly pleasant evening that culminated in mind-blowing sex, and she’d asked me to leave.

  I hadn’t bailed on her, nor had I left her waiting before I contacted her again. But something had changed.

  While she did have a point about me not really knowing her, I somehow doubted I was wrong about this. My shirt was soaked through after a while but I kept going after taking it off and shoving it into my back pocket.

  The sun was brutal on my bare back but at least I suddenly understood why Haven was so tanned if she came out to places like this often. After about another hour, the woman herself came back around the corner.

  She had another pair of gloves in her hands and shoved them at me, but her eyes focused on anything other than me. “Put these on and check if there are any parasites in the bags. Tell me if you see anything in there. Digestive health is extremely important.”

 
“Are you serious?” I took the gloves but didn’t put them on just yet. “You had me scoop all that up and now you want me to go digging around in it?”

  “Is that a problem?” She brought her hard gaze to mine and moved a hand to her hip. “I thought you wanted to help.”

  “I do. I just…” I wiped my forehead with the back of my arm, frowning as I once again fought the urge to reach for her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yep. I just need to know the horses are too.” Without another word, she spun around and went back to wherever she’d come from.

  Since she hadn’t told me what to look for when she said to see if there were any parasites, I had no clue what I was doing when I pulled the gloves on and went back to the shit. I nudged at the bag with the toe of my boots, leaning over to see if there was anything moving inside it.

  I also gagged a little when I stuck my hand in, but there was no one around to see me. And you say you want to retire to a farm.

  Chuckling to myself when I realized just how caught up I’d gotten in city life, I shook my head and did what I had been asked to do. I actually got used to sorting through the crap pretty fast, but I didn’t see anything that looked worthy of being reported to her.

  Just as I was about to get up to go tell her that, she came around the corner again. Her forehead was dotted with sweat, and her face was flushed, but it only made her eyes look bigger and brighter.

  Yep. I definitely need to reassess what I’m finding sexy these days. At least she’d actually looked right at me this time.

  Her eyes trailed down to my shirtless chest, and I saw her swipe her tongue across her lips before yanking her gaze back up. So whatever is going on, she’s obviously still attracted to me.

  “Do you think you can come help us in the stables?” she asked after glancing up at the sky. “There’s a mare foaling and we thought you might like to see it.”