by Verna Clay
"Not exactly," was all he said and shifted his eyes to Tessa. She looked beautiful today. He'd always loved the curves of a woman with meat on her bones, and Tessa had plenty of curves. Half the time he just wanted to blurt out how he felt about her, the other half, he cringed at such a notion. He figured things would have to change soon because it wasn't healthy to keep pining away for her if he hadn't a chance of garnering her affection. Toby saw him glance at Tessa and rolled his eyes. He'd been telling Preston for years to sample the female population, but Preston wasn't a player like Toby. He'd been saving himself for Tessa.
At ten to three, Preston drove to Dixie's with the orphaned dog wrapped in a blanket inside a small pet carrier, along with a hot water bottle to give warmth to the baby. He'd also filled a paper bag full of formula, teeny bottles, vitamins, and stuffed toys. He arrived five minutes early for his appointment and ordered a Happy Zappy with extra whipped cream. He hadn't indulged in a fancy coffee in a long time.
Some gals he had gone to high school with saw him and came over to his table by the window. Jilly, who had been the head of the yell squad, said loudly, "Are you Toby or Preston?"
He cocked his head sideways and replied, "I'm the better looking one."
Jilly and her friends giggled and Jilly asked, "Do you like to party?"
"Nope."
"Okay, you're Preston."
Just then, he glanced out the window to see Freckles loping Rocket's rein to the bike rack. She was watching him through the window with an unhappy expression. When her eyes shifted to his blue-banded black Stetson tossed on his table, they widened and she grabbed Rocket's rein back off the rack and started walking away.
Preston grabbed his hat and Zappy drink and said, "Excuse me, ladies. I have an unexpected emergency."
Jilly and the others glanced around. As he rushed toward the door he heard Jilly say, "What emergency? Damn it, Preston, I almost think you don't like girls."
Preston inwardly groaned, paused, turned around, winked at Jilly, and said, "I'll catch you later, gorgeous." He didn't wait to see the effect his lame attempt at flirting had had on her.
Rushing out the door, he called, "Hey, Freckles, wait up."
She stopped and jerked around. Rocket looked from her to Preston and started wagging his tail. "Hello, Rocket," he said as he approached.
Freckles gave him an exasperated look. "Another one of your patients?"
He shrugged. "Just about every animal in town is either my patient or my twin brother's."
She narrowed her eyes. "You mean there are two of you?"
He shrugged again. "Identical."
"Are you stalking me?" She had one hand on her hip, the other patting Rocket.
"No, ma'am. I meant it when I called and said I needed full time help for a newborn pup." He motioned toward his truck. "Just give me a minute and I'll prove it." Slowly, he started backing toward his cab parked in front of Dixie's.
Freckles pointed and said with disdain, "The monster truck is yours. Right?"
He nodded. "What's wrong with my truck? I live on a ranch and if it was low to the ground, I'd never make it through the mud and potholes."
She ignored his question and watched as he opened the passenger door. He waved her forward and when she hesitated, he said, exasperated, "Look, lady, you're not my type. I like lots of flesh and at least one dimple, so I'm not going to stuff you into my truck and kidnap you. Geez, gimme a break. I found this pup on the office doorstep this morning, and since my staff is already overworked and I saw your flyer at the library, I thought you might like the work."
She had stepped forward until she was next to him. He moved out of the way, but he could still see her in profile. As soon as she saw the baby, her face went all soft and she started cooing at the poor little mite. She glanced up and her eyes had turned jade green. He felt pole-axed…until she opened her mouth.
"It'll be expensive 'cause he needs to be fed every couple of hours and he's gonna have to be cuddled a lot. He's gonna keep me up nights whining–"
"I get the picture. Send me a bill and I'll pay you a month in advance."
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you want to know how much I charge?"
"Not really. Just send the bill."
"I guess vets make a lot of money."
Again he responded, "Not really."
Her eyes narrowed even more. "Are you a rich cowboy?"
The woman was unbelievable. "I make good investments. Are you satisfied or do I need to send you a resume?"
She straightened her shoulders and stood tall, or rather short, to maybe five feet. "I screen all my applicants, so you don't have to get huffy about it. I've been stiffed before and I don't take chances."
Preston could feel his blood pressure hitting a record high, but he said calmly, "If you'll get in the truck, I'll take you home. Rocket can ride in the bed."
"What if you have an accident and Rocket gets hurt. I don't think your insurance will cover him and then I'd be stiffed–"
"–with the bill," Preston finished her sentence. "I don't imagine we're going far, so I promise there won't be an accident. But if you're afraid of me knowing where you live, you can carry the carrier to your house and I'll go back to work. We'll communicate via phone."
"You don't scare me."
His ploy had worked. He grabbed Rocket's rein and led him to the back of the truck while the redhead mumbled and tried to hoist herself onto the seat. His bad mood suddenly vanished at the funny sight and he came around behind her, grabbed her under her armpits, and easily lifted her onto the seat next to the puppy.
"Damn monster truck," he heard her say under her breath.
Chapter 14: You Can Gallop, but You Can't Hide
Sean was shoveling manure out of a stallion's stall while the horse was in the field. He glanced at Lucky and said, "Yeah, I know. What's a rock star doing shoveling shit? Believe me, I ask myself that question every day."
Lucky sat on his haunches and cocked his head to the side.
Sean continued, "Hey, boy, only another week and that cast is coming off. You'll finally be able to run with Sadie and the other dogs."
A sound at the front of the barn distracted him and he glanced up. Dirk was waving him over. "Hey, Sean, I got a job for you and Tessa."
That immediately caught Sean's attention. In the month since he'd brought Lucky home, she seemed to be avoiding him more than ever. He set his shovel down and called, "I'm on my way." Lucky's tail wagged happily as he followed in his brace.
Dirk said, "Tessa's on her way over. I need you two to ride Sugar and Spice so they get some exercise.
"Sure. No problem. How far do you want us to ride out?"
"Go as far as the river in the north pasture. The horses need to trot and maybe gallop a little. Not too much galloping though."
"Okay, boss."
Dirk squatted and patted Lucky on the head. "He's looking good, Sean. I think it was a wise choice for you to keep him."
Sean grinned. "Yeah. We're stuck together like glue."
Tessa entered the barn not looking happy. Her father said, "I just gave Sean instructions on how much to exercise the horses." He walked over to his daughter, gave her a quick hug, and said, "Thanks, Tessa. Flatfoot has already saddled Sugar and Spice so they're ready to go. Have fun, you two."
Tessa mumbled something, and the fact that she obviously didn't want to be anywhere near him, made Sean feel worse than the crap he'd been shoveling. His mood suddenly turned dark.
He stalked past her and headed for the other barn. Inside, he grunted a greeting to Flatfoot, hoisted himself into the saddle, and waited for Tessa to mount Sugar. With neither of them saying a word to each other, he led the way out of the barn. Flatfoot was left wearing a quizzical expression and scratching his head.
After they were well into the pasture, he urged Spice into a trot and Tessa did the same with Sugar. Several minutes later he slowed the horse and waited for Tessa to come alongside him. "Let me know when you wan
t to gallop them," he said to her.
She glanced at him and kicked her horse into a gallop. He watched her for only a second before charging after her. She was an excellent horsewoman and he admired her skill, as well as her beautiful body. Then he got mad at her all over again because she was wasting away living like a hermit and he couldn't sleep for wanting her.
Monica stepped onto the porch behind her husband and reached to hug him around his waist, laying her head against his back. "How did you get them to ride out together?" she asked as she watched Tessa and Sean gallop the horses across the pasture.
Dirk reached and pulled his wife around in front of him so he could kiss her. After a loud smack, he said, "I made them exercise the horses."
"Smart move."
"I don't know if it will do any good."
"Oh, I think you might be surprised. Tessa can hardly keep her eyes off Sean and he's the same with her. One of them is going to lose control soon."
Dirk chuckled. "Well, I wish they'd hurry up and get it over with. They're driving me crazy." He sighed. "I wish she'd open up about that rat, Jared. He sure did a number on her."
Monica laid her head against her husband's chest. "She's always been sensitive about her weight, and my guess is Jerky Jared used it against her."
Dirk put his chin on his wife's head. "Her mother was the same way. It took me a long time to convince her I loved her just the way she was."
Monica raised her head and lightly kissed her husband. "I have a feeling Sean can be very persuasive when he finally decides he's had enough of Tessa's avoidance."
Dirk grinned. "Oh, to be a fly on the wall."
Monica punched his arm. "Now that would be an invasion of privacy."
Dirk gave her a lopsided grin. "Speaking of privacy, what do you say we lock ourselves away in the bedroom for awhile?"
She tapped her cheek as if considering his request, and then, purposefully, batted her eyelashes and darted her tongue across her lips. In one swoop, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the house.
By the time they reached the river, Tessa and Sean had slowed the horses to a walk. She dismounted and stepped to the river's edge. She wasn't as mad now as she had been when her father told her to ride out with him. She wondered if her dad had thrust them together on purpose or if the horses really did need exercise. The quelling of her anger didn't last long, however, when Sean dismounted and said while standing beside Sugar. "Tessa, you can gallop, but you can't hide."
"What are you talking about?" she retorted.
"You know what I'm talking about. You're a walking zombie living on the fringes of life. You go to work; you stay late; you come home and eat by yourself in your apartment; you go to bed; and then you get up and do it all over again. You should be going out with friends, having fun." Although it pained him to say it, he said, "Meeting guys, going on dates."
She narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. Now he had really pissed her off. "You have no right to give me advice. You haven't lived my nightmare."
"Your nightmare is over, but you keep resurrecting it. Chock it up to a bad experience and go on. Figure out what you want and go for it."
"Like you, rock star?"
"Yeah! Like me! At least I'm trying to get my life on track. I could be lazing on some island, but I'm shoveling shit in your dad's barn."
"No one's making you stay here. So leave."
Tessa saw something flicker in his eyes and then he was slowly walking toward her. She took a step backward. He said softly, "Are you really that clueless as to why I didn't leave weeks ago? Why I even came back here in the first place?"
Her chin trembled. "I don't want to know."
"Tessa, you've pushed me past fucking caring if you know. You're the reason I came back, the reason I muck the barns. I've been crazy about you since the first time I laid eyes on you when we decorated Cecelia's shop for Christmas all those years ago."
Tessa tried to stop her tears, but she couldn't.
He continued unrelentingly, "You're the reason Preston and I are always going at it. He feels the same way."
"Please don't say any more," she begged.
"Tessa, why won't you give me a chance? And if not me, give Preston a chance. All we want is to make you happy."
She glanced down at herself and sobbed, "Look at me, Sean, I'm overweight. That's all I ever heard from Jared. Day after day he ragged on my weight and told me how unappealing I was."
Sean stepped until his body was touching hers and lifted her head with his finger tips. "I'm going to show you what an asshole Jared is."
Tessa watched his mouth close in on hers and she shut her eyes. She'd dreamed of kissing Sean and even if it was a pity kiss, she wanted it.
His lips captured hers and it was anything but a pity kiss. Every cell in her body could feel how much he wanted her. His hands cupped her face and then slid to the back of her neck. He lifted his mouth long enough to whisper her name and then mated her mouth with his tongue, thrusting in and out in such a way that she sagged against him. This definitely was not a pity kiss.
His hands roamed her back and then slid to her waist before cupping her butt cheeks and pulling her against his erection.
She couldn't even think; all she could do was feel. She'd wanted to touch him for so long that her hands moved to his face, his shoulders, his chest, his waist.
He began walking her backward until she was against a wide-trunked oak tree and then he was lowering his head to her breasts. He reached under her T-shirt and put his hands exactly where she wanted them, and she moaned. He whispered in her ear, "This top has got to go."
Her body felt on fire and all she could do was nod. He gripped the edges of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. Rather than return immediately to her breasts, he placed his mouth in her hair. "I love your hair, Tessa." He moved his mouth to her dimple. "I love your dimple, Tessa." He moved his mouth to hers. "I love you, Tessa."
She arched into him and said, "I'm about to burn up, Sean." She felt him grin against her mouth and then he said, "I know exactly what you mean."
Chapter 15: Prying
Preston drove up to Freckles duplex and hopped down from his monster truck. He reached for the bag he'd loaded with puppy formula, vitamins, and a new squeaky toy. Freckles had her front door open before he shut his truck door. She was holding the puppy he'd hired her to care for in one arm and feeding him. Preston grinned. "That is one tiny dog."
"Yep. Biscuit is no bigger than a biscuit. Are you sure he doesn't have a tapeworm?"
"He doesn't have a tapeworm, Freckles."
She stepped inside the house and he followed.
She said, "What goodies did you bring today. You'd think the dog was your kid the way you spoil him."
"Yeah? Well, what about you? Every time I come over you're coddling him."
"That's what I'm paid to do." As if to annoy him, she bent and kissed the puppy and cooed a bunch of baby gibberish.
Preston shook his head. He'd never met a woman with as sharp a wit or as sharp a tongue as Freckles. He set the sack down and plopped onto the only chair in her small living room.
She set Biscuit in his basket. "Did I invite you to sit, cowboy?" she snarked.
He studied her expression. "Why do you dislike cowboys so much?"
She shrugged. "It became a habit when the last one left me high and dry and penniless in this hick town."
"How many have there been?"
Rather than retort with another snarky remark like he expected, she grinned and said, "Why, are you interested?"
Preston sucked a breath. The woman was impossible to best in a conversation. He frowned and glanced away.
"Well, that's really uplifting to a woman's ego. Are you always this uptight? I've heard rumors that your brother is a blast to be around. What happened to you? Did you fall on your head when you were born?"
He looked back at her. "I've got patients coming in this afternoon. Send me a new bill and I'll pay
you in advance again."
"So, do you have a girlfriend? Or do I just scare you?"
"I'm not afraid of you."
A grin lit her face. "Then you have a girlfriend?"
"I didn't say that."
She tossed her hands in the air. "If you don't have a girlfriend, and I don't scare you, and you're not gay, are you saving yourself for that special little lady?"
Preston felt his ears burn.
Her eyes widened and she whispered loudly, "You are! You're saving yourself! OMG, I thought guys like you were a myth, but I'm honest-to-God staring at a freakin' freak of nature." She didn't laugh. She just stared at him with those jade eyes.
Preston had an inclination to storm out of the house, but suddenly he was gifted with insight. He stood, adjusted his Stetson, and said, "Yeah. I'm saving myself for someone. I'm the kind of guy you always dreamed of, Freckles. Too bad you're not the one for me." He saw enough of a shocked expression on her face to satisfy his need for revenge. At least he could walk away with his pride intact. However, when he climbed into his truck, his satisfaction evaporated like dew on a scorching day.
Freckles blinked back tears. Her smart-ass mouth had finally come back on her. Her mother had warned her all her life that it would. In spite of appearances to the contrary, she liked Preston. He was a good man, caring and honest. And generous. She lifted Biscuit from his basket and held him to her heart—her broken heart. The way men kept leaving her, she figured she wasn't worth the spit they used to shine their shoes. She was a loser just like her mother and just one step away from being a slut. Biscuit whined and she kissed his cold and wet nose. She whispered to the teeny puppy, "He'll probably never come back here." She sniffed. "But that's a good thing. I was starting to like him too much. Besides, he's saving himself for some woman. I wonder if he already knows her or if she's his dream woman?" She sighed and absentmindedly stroked Biscuit's fluffy black and brown fur. "As soon as you're big enough, I should have enough money to move back to Anaheim." Stretching out on the couch with her puppy on her stomach, she lifted an arm over her eyes, trying to erase Preston's hurt expression from her memory banks.