Annabelle giggled. “Dumpling looks funny wearing Mommy’s pants.”
“I bet she does,” Maddie agreed with a grin, “but it’s the best way to make her leg feel better.”
“I’m hoping it’s a sprain. It seemed warm to the touch,” Caroline responded.
“Did she flinch when you applied pressure?” Maddie asked.
Caroline nodded. “And she gave me a sour look to boot.”
Maddie reached for Annabelle’s hand. “Well then, let’s go take a look.”
As they headed for the barn, Caroline said, “I wasn’t sure you’d be ready for business yet. How are things at 2 Hope?”
“I set up my office this morning.” She explained with a wry smile, “Of course, that took all of ten minutes, since I’m pretty much starting from scratch. There isn’t too much going into my file cabinet just yet. But I’ve got a barn full of animals that need my attention.”
With a tilt of her head, Caroline asked, “And are they the only ones getting your attention?”
Maddie knew what her friend hinted at. She’d shared with Caroline a little of her previous fascination with Trey. She couldn’t blame Caroline for her curiosity and she wondered if small-town tongues were wagging over the situation. After all, she’d moved in with Trey Walker, the most eligible bachelor in three counties. “I hate to disappoint, but there’s not much happening there.”
“Hmmm. We’ll have lunch after you take a look at Dumpling and you can tell me all about it.”
An hour later, Maddie sat in the Portman kitchen relieved that Dumpling hadn’t broken any bones. “Dumpling should be fine in a few days. Just use the heating liniment I gave you. Massage it in really good and it’ll improve her circulation.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t more serious,” Caroline said, setting two plates of fried chicken salad down on the table. “And thanks for including Annabelle. Letting her help out makes her feel kind of special. And Lord knows that child needs to feel special, after her father up and left us both last year.”
“Yeah, that’s got to be hard on her. Do you ever hear from Gil?”
Caroline glanced out the kitchen window, watching her daughter skip rope. She twisted her mouth and lowered her voice. “He calls to speak with Annabelle every month or so but he hasn’t seen her since he left. Guess I wasn’t such a good judge of character, was I?”
“It wasn’t your fault, Caroline.”
Caroline set the napkins and utensils down along with two glasses of iced tea then took a seat to face Maddie. “I think it was. He wasn’t ready to settle down. And maybe I pushed him a little too hard.”
“He’s a grown man, responsible for his own actions. You can’t deny that. A real man should know what’s in his own heart. He shouldn’t play games.”
She laughed and cast Maddie a direct look. “Are we still speaking about Gil?”
Maddie blushed. “Maybe.” She smiled as she sipped her tea. “Maybe not.”
Caroline leaned in, bracing her elbows on the table. “You know I’m dying of curiosity. What’s it like living with Trey?”
“I’ve only been there one night.”
“Sometimes, that’s all it takes,” her friend said with a twinkle in her blue eyes.
Maddie gulped down. At times, it seemed Caroline could read her mind. Or maybe she was capable of reading Maddie’s guilty expression. She really wasn’t good at hiding things. “Okay, something happened last night, but it’s not worth talking about.”
“Let me decide what’s not worth talking about. I’m knee-deep in Talking Elmo and Candyland. I love my daughter dearly, but a girl’s got to have an adult conversation once in a while. So, what happened?”
“He kissed me,” Maddie confessed.
Caroline’s blonde brows drew up. “Already? I thought that might take a week or two.”
“A week or two? Are you serious? It was the last thing in the world I ever expected from Trey Walker. It really threw me. He admitted that he’d wanted to kiss me for a long time, but after he did, well, he backed way off. He says it was a big mistake and that we need to keep things strictly business.”
“Really? Doesn’t sound that way to me. Unless . . . the kiss wasn’t any good.”
Heat crawled up Maddie’s neck. She’d been thinking about that kiss all morning. “Oh, it was good.”
“How good?”
“Better than cool summer rain. Better than hot chocolate by the fire. Better than . . . anything,” Maddie admitted on a whisper. Then she straightened in her seat and said with certainty, “But it’s over and done with. We’ve come to an understanding.”
“For as long as that lasts. I’ve known Trey a long time, Maddie, and if he kissed you, he’s interested. That man isn’t into playing games. He’s about as serious as they come. He doesn’t let women get too close, but then, he’s probably never met anyone quite like you before.”
“Yeah, the wholesome girl-next-door.”
“Correction, the girl-in-the-next-bedroom. Be careful, honey. You’re probably scaring the stuffing out of him. I wouldn’t want to see you with a broken heart.”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m being very careful.”
*
An orange gold burst of color set low on the horizon as Maddie pulled up to the barn at 2 Hope and parked her truck. Hopping down, she slammed the door shut, a pleasing tune strumming through her head. She’d had a successful day making house calls to neighboring ranches, checking on her more recent cases and making sure everyone knew how to reach her in the event of an emergency. She’d given out her cell phone number, making certain to always have her phone on hand now.
She should be hearing soon about the insurance claim she filed and hopefully the money would come through for her to rebuild her office in town. With that thought in mind, she headed toward the barn door, anxious to check on Maggie and the other animals one last time before she closed up for the night.
As she rounded the corner of the barn, she bumped into Trey’s granite chest. The thump sent her spiraling back and reaching for balance. She couldn’t hold on. She went down, sprawling with a thud. A mound of straw cushioned her head against solid, packed dirt underneath.
Stung by embarrassment, Maddie tried to lift up, hoping to make a quick getaway, but Trey was immediately by her side, gently pressing her head back down. “Don’t try to get up,” he said with quiet authority, bending on one knee. “Lie still a minute and let me see if you’ve got a bump.”
With nimble fingers, Trey worked his way through her hair, searching her head. She closed her eyes mortified at this awkward position and fascinated by the tender way he moved his hands through her strands. “I’m sorry, Maddie. I didn’t see you coming.”
She opened her eyes and stared at him. She saw so much in those deep dark eyes—emotions that he held back, concern that he’d tried to hide as he continued to probe for injuries. “I thought I was the doctor here,” she said, cocking her mouth up slightly.
Trey sighed, shaking his head.
“I’m fine, Trey. Really. My mama used to say I’d be two days early for my own wedding, ’cause I’m always on the go, always rushing around. I’ve got to learn to slow down.”
“And I’ve got to pay more attention.”
Trey paid attention then, perusing her body, his gaze traveling slowly over her, lingering in places that made Maddie’s heart race. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Just my pride. You pack a wallop, Trey Walker.”
Trey grinned then, a sudden quick beautiful smile that left Maddie wanting more. “So I’ve been told. But I usually don’t knock over petite females. Especially, not when I’ve come to ask a favor.”
Maddie lifted up then, but none too quickly. Trey had a hand on her shoulder, slowly guiding her up to a sitting position. “A favor?”
“Yep,” he said, standing and then lending a hand to help her up. Maddie wasn’t too prideful to accept his help. She still felt a little shaky, her head swimming from
the fall. Trey held her firm, making sure she felt secure on both legs, before releasing her hand. “I found a young heifer on the south pasture tangled up in barbed wire. I released her the best I know how, but there’s a deep wound. It’ll wait. You’re in no shape to work right now. I’ll go back and check on her later.”
“I’ll be fine in a minute,” Maddie said, as a wave of dizziness struck. Her legs nearly buckled then and Trey grabbed for her.
“Whoa,” he said, holding her steady. Then in a quick move, Trey lifted her up into his arms.
“What are you doing?” she asked, hazy from the fall, but even more hazy from being in Trey’s strong arms once again. That heady mix of leather and earth wafted down to her, the scent being Trey’s alone. She felt safe and secure and silly all at the same time.
“Making sure you sit down and rest.” He carried her to the front porch and planted her gently into a wicker love seat that had seen better days. A fleeting thought crossed Maddie’s mind that the bench seat could use a woman’s touch, some soft material and a bit of lace. She thought the same of Trey—he too could use a woman’s touch. Although he held her with such care, such tenderness, he was a hard man who thrived on his solitude. She envied the woman who might eventually soften him.
To her surprise, Trey took the seat next to her. His long legs spread wide, he leaned back with his arm resting on the back of the love seat. A minute passed in silence before he faced her.
“I’m not used to having a woman around here, Maddie. It’ll take some getting used to. I might’ve guessed you’d be around the barn, but I barreled around it like—”
“Like you owned the place,” Maddie said with a smile.
Trey laughed, his dark eyes gleaming through fading sunlight. “Well, yeah.”
“No need to apologize, Trey. It was an accident.”
“How’s the head now?” he asked, his gaze locked onto hers.
“Better,” she said truthfully. “I’m not dizzy anymore.”
“That’s good.” He leaned forward and studied her, his focus moving down to her mouth and lingering. Maddie’s blood pumped hard, roaring in her ears. She held her breath anticipating his next move, hoping for another kiss. Trey bent closer and reached up, his hand going into her hair and a red-hot rush of heat warmed her belly.
Trey pulled a strand of straw from her head.
He stared at it. “Looks like I drew the short straw, Maddie.”
“Does that mean you lose?”
Trey glanced at her mouth one last time. He nodded and stood to leave. “Yeah, it means I lose.”
*
Maddie Brooks was the damnedest, most stubborn woman Trey had come across in years. Not one hour after he’d nearly squashed the tiny woman like a bug, she’d insisted on seeing to the wounded heifer. With him or without him, she’d threatened, she was heading for the south pasture.
With him, he’d decided without question. The sun had set and the road wasn’t easy to navigate. They drove in his Chevy truck over rough terrain, Trey taking cursory glances at Maddie, making certain she was up to the bumpy drive. One thing he noticed about the redhead, she was determined and no amount of dissuading on his part would work. He worried each time she lifted a hand to her head, if even to brush hair from her face.
He recalled probing for bumps earlier, the soft silky strands of dark ginger flowing through his hands. The sensation had wrapped around him, and he found himself wanting again.
He’d wanted to kiss her. He’d wanted to lift her up into his arms and instead of depositing her in that love seat, he’d wanted to see how she looked out of her blue jeans and tiny T-shirt, lying on his bed. To see those soft silky strands of hair flow over his pillow.
But Trey had drawn the short straw when it came to women like Maddie Brooks. He’d saved them both by denying his impulse earlier and kissing her. Maddie would’ve come out the loser in the end, and Trey wasn’t going to let that happen. The woman had already lost enough.
“Are we close?” she asked, her eyes probing through the darkness for signs of the injured animal.
He pulled to a stop and searched the area where the barbed-wire fence needed repair. “It’s right here,” he said. Then he climbed down from the truck and came around to the passenger door to help Maddie. She handed him her medical bag and then jumped down unaided.
Stubborn.
Trey lit a butane lamp and guided Maddie to where the heifer lay wounded on the ground.
“Hey there, little one,” Maddie said softly as she bent to see the extent of the injury. Trey sat down cross-legged and placed the Hereford’s head in his lap while Maddie opened her medical bag. “Looks like you have a deep gash here.” She stroked the heifer’s withers softly as seconds became minutes. Under Maddie’s patient loving touch, the frightened animal soon relaxed, and Trey sensed a bond of trust developing, as crazy as that might seem.
Maddie glanced at Trey. “Most of the time the cuts heal on their own, but this is a three-corner tear and needs clipping or it won’t heal properly.”
Trey watched as Maddie worked diligently, cutting away the flap of skin hanging as well as the surrounding hairs. She cleaned the area with a solution and applied an antiseptic with tender care. “There now,” she said, finishing up. “We need to keep the wound clean and dry. The antiseptic is a fly repellent as well, but I’d feel better keeping an eye on her for at least a week. Do you think we can get her into the back of the truck?”
Trey nodded. “Let me get a blanket and lay it down in the bed.”
Maddie stayed with the animal, soothing her with kind words and stroking her head while Trey prepared the bed of his truck. When he returned, he found the heifer standing upright, nudging her nose into Maddie’s leg. He chuckled. “How did you do that?”
“Do what?” she replied with an innocent expression.
“I didn’t think she’d be able to stand. I couldn’t get her up when I found her out here earlier.”
“Oh, she and I have come to an understanding,” Maddie said with a smile. She moved toward the back of the truck and the wounded heifer followed. Maddie climbed up first and Trey had no trouble, heavy as the young heifer was, lifting her up and placing her inside the bed. She immediately walked to Maddie’s side and lay down next to her on the blanket.
Trey shook his head and closed the tailgate shaking his head at Maddie’s mastery.
He drove slowly back to the ranch, trying to avoid as many ditches and bumps as possible for Maddie’s sake. He still hadn’t gotten over knocking her down and almost out. Trey had never hurt a woman in his life. Not physically, anyway.
But he’d hurt one or two emotionally and he was dead set against allowing that to ever happen again. He’d been engaged once, and they’d almost married, which would have been a big mistake. But then Trey had been ten years younger, less experienced and a bit naive regarding the Walker Curse. He’d let everyone close convince him marriage was what he’d wanted. What had ensued afterward had been a disaster. He’d hurt his fiancé and nearly alienated everyone he cared about in the process.
Glancing through the back window of the cab, Trey took note of Maddie sitting with her head bent speaking to the heifer. “Damn amazing woman,” he said.
Amazing with animals.
Amazing to look at.
Amazing to touch.
Lord only knew what other amazing things Maddie could do.
And then his father’s dying words rushed into his head in haunting fashion. “Don’t make the same mistakes I made, son.”
Trey was immediately reminded of his solemn vow to steer clear of her and keep their arrangement strictly business.
And no matter how amazing he found Maddie to be, Trey would honor that vow.
Chapter Four
Maddie immersed herself in her work, having little time to do much else but fall into bed at night. She’d been on the ranch for five days now and things were finally settling into a routine. She and Trey had a polite, but distant relati
onship. She believed Trey admired her skills as a competent veterinarian, and she knew him to be an expert rancher. They had mutual respect for one another, but they made sure not to let things get too personal. Over their brief dinners at night, they’d speak about their work, his livestock and her cases, the weather, the newest reality television show. But they shied away from any private subjects.
Trey employed four ranch hands, all of whom lived off the ranch with their own families. On occasion, the foreman named Kit would stay to fix supper and chew the fat with his boss. Maddie had come to know Kit Carver from her visits to 2 Hope in the past and considered him more friend than acquaintance now.
But tonight Trey and his foreman had taken off after the evening meal. Maddie had offered to clean the kitchen, and now she found herself alone, enveloped in the silence of this big, sprawling house. Most nights she found solace in the quiet, but tonight she wandered around restlessly, not quite ready to turn in, not quite sure what she wanted to do.
Storm’s loud whinnies carried into the house. Her ears perked up to the ruckus in the corral, and she put on her jacket and walked outside to investigate. She came to the corral in time to see Storm kicking up a big fuss. The stallion rounded the corral’s perimeter at breakneck speed, snorting, his breaths shrill and labored. As Maddie approached the fence—his fence—he stopped short and stared at her.
“Hey Storm,” she called out. “Are you restless, too?”
Storm continued to stare at her, edging up closer to the fence one careful step at a time. Maddie kept her eyes trained on Storm as she walked forward. “Don’t be afraid.”
Storm came closer still, until he stood three feet from the fence. “Thata, boy.”
Maddie hummed a slow, easy tune, the melody catchy enough to gain the stallion’s attention. She knew better than to force the situation. She stood her ground, not daring to move any further. Patience worked hand in hand with trust.
Low lying clouds and dim moonlight cast Storm in ominous shadows, making the noble horse seem somewhat sinister, but Maddie knew that wasn’t the case at all. Storm wasn’t tame by any horseman’s standards. She wasn’t a fool to think otherwise. He was prideful and intelligent and in time he would come around. “I know you,” she said softly. “You think you’re fooling me, but I know you.”
Taming the Texas Cowboy (Forever Texan Book 1) Page 4