by Robyn Carr
“In only three weeks?” he asked softly.
She was shaking her head. “It didn’t take three whole weeks.”
He took a breath, then groaned deeply just before he covered her mouth in a deep, hot, wet kiss that went on and on and on. When he finally lifted his lips from hers, he said, “Okay. We’ll do this your way. We’ll wait until you’re ready. And when it’s over and we’re together forever, don’t think you can boss me around like this.”
“You’ve got a deal,” she said, laughing.
* * *
Nathaniel called Annie twice before noon on Monday. First he wanted to know if there was anything he could bring to the farm. “I think we’re throwing a couple of big pans of lasagna in the oven for dinner, and Mom is busy making bread. How about bringing some good red wine?”
The next time he called, he said, “I know you work on Tuesday. I’m leaving Tuesday afternoon. So tonight, if I pass the brother test, will you come home with me for just a little while?”
“For just a little while. And don’t try that ‘I’m going into battle and you have to show your love before I leave’ trick. Okay?”
And he laughed.
That was the best part about Annie—her sense of humor. No, he thought—it was her beauty. Her dark red hair, her creamy, freckled complexion, her deep brown eyes. But then a smile came to his lips as he recalled how good she was on a horse. An accomplished equestrienne. And while she would not find the term sturdy at all complimentary, he admired that about her. Fortitude had always appealed to him. Sometimes when he was holding her, he felt like he was clinging to her as if she anchored him to the ground. She had no idea how unattractive flighty, timid, weak women were to him. Did such women make some men feel strong and capable? Because for Nathaniel, to be chosen by a woman of strength and confidence met needs he didn’t even know he had.
He had calls to make, ranches to visit, patients to see, inoculations to administer, a couple of cows who had a fungus to look in on, breeding animals who would deliver early in the year to check. He phoned the vet from Eureka who would cover for him while he was away, paid a visit to a local winery to select a few bottles of good red and finally made his way to the McKenzie farm.
When he pulled in, the place almost resembled a fair in progress. Not one but two RVs were parked near the back of the house, which probably eliminated the need to borrow Annie’s house for the family. There were also trucks and snowmobiles on trailers. A bunch of cross-country skis leaned up against the back porch. The McKenzies were here to play. Kids ran around while several sat on the top rail of the corral. Inside the corral, Annie had a couple of young children mounted on her horses. She held the reins and led them around the corral while they held the saddle pommels. Four men—her brothers and father—leaned on the rail, watching.
Nate wandered up to the fence and leaned his forearms on the top rail with the rest of them. “So,” he said. “I’m here for the inspection.”
The man next to him turned and his mouth split into a huge grin. “Hey, man,” Beau McKenzie said. “I heard a rumor you were dating my sister. Good to see you, buddy.” He stuck out his hand. “This true? You and Annie? Because I can tell you things that will give you ultimate control over her!”
“Nathaniel Jensen,” the next man said. Brad McKenzie stuck out his hand. “I don’t think I’ve seen you in twenty years! You finally made it over five foot six, good for you.”
“Yeah, and beat the acne.” Nate laughed. “How you doing, pal?”
“Jim, any chance you remember this clown?” Beau asked his oldest brother.
“I just remember this squirt from football,” Jim McKenzie said, sticking out a hand. “Couldn’t tackle worth shit, but you sure could run.”
“I had to run,” Nate said. “If anyone had caught me, I’d be dead. I was the smallest kid on the team.”
“You take steroids or something? You caught up.”
“Nah, I just got old like the rest of you,” he said. “Thanks for letting me invade the family party. Annie’s been looking forward to it so much.”
“This is true, then?” Beau asked, Brad and Jim and even Hank looking on with rather intense gazes.
What had she said? That he’d have to be cool? Maybe she expected him to joke around the way they did? One side of his mouth tilted up in a sly smile. He supposed it wasn’t cool, but could they beat him up for being honest? “She knocks me out,” he said. “Where have you been hiding her? I didn’t even know she was here! I bumped into her in a bar!”
“That’s our Annie,” Beau said. “Out tying one on.”
Nate laughed again. “Actually, she rescued eight orphaned puppies. Mostly border collie, we think. Cute as the devil. How many you want?”
Beau put a hand on his shoulder. “Pass on the puppies, my friend. But we got beer, Nathaniel. And seriously, we can give you stuff on her that will give you years worth of control. Power. Mastery. Don’t we, guys?”
“We do,” said Brad.
“Indeedy,” said Jim.
* * *
It was an amazing day for Nathaniel, though not exactly a brand-new experience. The venue was a little smaller and more crowded than his family gatherings, but the family interaction was pretty much the same as in his family. The men got a little too loud, the kids ran wild and had to be rounded up several times, the women had a little tiff about kitchen things like whether the bread should have garlic butter or not and whether the salad should be dressed or not. There was a lot of furniture moving to accommodate a dinner for seventeen. They needed the dining-room table extended, and two card tables. The youngest child present at dinner was three and the oldest fourteen, and they sat at the kid table, as it was known in both the Jensen and McKenzie households. Nathaniel felt at once a special guest and right at home.
The McKenzie boys had married well; their wives were attractive, fun, energetic, and there was a lot of family rapport—which always helped. The kids were mostly well behaved, just a couple of small problems that the mothers foisted off on the fathers. Mrs. McKenzie fussed over Nate in a welcoming fashion, maybe a hopeful fashion, showing her approval. Mr. McKenzie, whom Nate had only known as Hank for the couple of years he’d been practicing here, handed Nate his jacket and took him out to the front porch during the after-dinner cleanup. Hank gave him a cigar. None of the brothers joined them, so Nate knew this was the father-and-man-in-his-daughter’s-life talk.
Hank lit Nate’s cigar. “I don’t have a whole lot to say about this. Always got along with you just fine, so I don’t have any basic complaint,” Hank said.
“That’s good,” Nate said, puffing. Coughing. He smoked about a cigar a year and never remembered to take it easy.
“Just a couple of things I want to say.”
“I’m ready.”
“I like Annie,” her father said. “She’s good people.” He puffed. “Now that might not seem like much of a recommendation, but in my book, it’s the best there is. She’s just plain good. She’d never in a million years hurt a soul. But don’t get lazy on her, because she’s nice but she’s tough. She can hold her own if there’s some injustice, and she’s not afraid of a fight. And smart? She could’ve run this dairy farm single-handed, she’s that smart. That strong-willed. I offered it to her, too. Boys didn’t want it, so I said, ‘Annie, you could do it just fine, even if I dropped dead tomorrow,’ and she said, ‘Dad, if I stick myself out here with the cows, I’ll never leave and never do anything else and I think maybe there’s got to be more to my life. At least more people in my life.’ That’s what she said. So that’s how it was. She bought that beauty shop and I sold off the Holsteins. You better be nice to her.”
“Yes, sir,” he said.
“Don’t even think about hurting her, Nathaniel. I can handle about anything but seeing my girl, who I admire and respect, hurt.”
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“I promise,” Nate said.
“Because if you do...”
“You’ll shoot me?” Nate asked.
“Aw, hell, why would I do that? I’m not a violent man. I’ll just spread the word that as a vet, you’re not worth a crap.”
Nate couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing.
“The boys, though,” Hank went on, “they’re a tad violent. When it comes to Annie. So be nice.”
Nate hadn’t had a lot of dates in the past couple of years, but in the past ten he’d had quite a few. When he was tending Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and then in Los Angeles County, plenty of women were attracted to him. Socialites, daughters of rich breeders, women he’d met at parties, on ranches, at races. He’d never been talked to by a father, however. Not even Susanna’s, not even when he’d given her a rock and carted her up to Humboldt County with the misguided notion of marrying her.
As father talks went, Hank’s hadn’t been stunning. But Nate liked it. It made him feel like a man with a job to do.
“It’s probably way too early to talk about intentions,” Hank said.
“No, sir, it’s not,” Nate replied. “I like Annie even more than you do. It’s my intention to treat her very well while we’re dating, and I think it might be a good match for both of us. I also think we might have a future, me and Annie. But you know what? She’s a smart, stubborn girl—it’s going to be up to her.”
“Yeah, I reckon,” Hank said.
“So. Could you at least wish me luck?” Nathaniel asked.
“You bet,” Hank said, sticking out his hand. “Best of luck there, Nathaniel. Try not to screw this up.”
“You bet, sir. Nice cigar, by the way.”
“Yeah, not bad, huh? Have no idea where I got ’em. One of the boys, probably.”
Nate wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think his own father had ever had one of these talks with his brothers-in-law or he would’ve heard about it. But right there, right then, he decided that if he ever had a daughter, he was going to do that. It was a good idea—take the young man aside, expound on the girl’s wonderful qualities, threaten his life a little. It had merit.
A few minutes later Beau joined them, clipping off the tip of a cigar. Then Brad, then Jim. Nate leaned close to Beau’s ear. “How’d you know he was done with me?” Nate asked.
“If he wasn’t done, you weren’t going to work out,” Beau said with a shrug.
“Just out of curiosity,” Nate asked, “has he had many of these talks?”
“I think you’re the first.”
“What about that loser, Ed?”
“Ah, Ed. I don’t think Annie brought him around all that much. From what we heard, he was very busy. I met him once, I think, and not on a holiday. He did sell a couple of things to my dad, though. Farm things. Before he and Annie hooked up. Dad? We didn’t like Ed much, did we?”
Hank just snorted and said something derisive under his breath.
“Just out of curiosity, why didn’t you like him?” Nate asked.
“He swindled me on a hay baler,” Hank said. “Said he had the best price in the county. Took me about a month to find all kinds of better deals.”
“So, it didn’t have anything to do with how he treated her?” Nate asked.
“Son, you really think if a man will swindle you on a hay baler, you can trust him with your kin?”
“I hadn’t ever thought about it that way.”
“I can’t imagine another way to think about it,” Hank said.
“Wow,” Nate said, feeling more than a little privileged. Yeah, he thought. I’m picking out my daughter’s guy and giving him a talking-to.
* * *
When the cigars were finished, the men wandered back inside where the women were sitting in the kitchen with coffee. Nate paused in the doorway and signaled Annie. “Got a second?” he asked her. When she stood before him, he said, “I’m going to get a head start. Spend as much time as you want with the family. I’ll go home and make sure the puppies are fed and watered and their bedding is dry.”
“I can come now.”
“No, stay. I’ll get the puppy chores done and when you get there, I’ll have more time with you. By the way, are we all set on their care while I’m gone? We talked about it a little....”
“Not to worry, Nate. Virginia and I worked out the details. We’re going to share the load and they’ll be looked after. And if it’s okay with you, I’ll make sure the adopted ones are delivered on Christmas Eve. I think Pam from the shop is going to take one, which brings us down to three left to place. I’ll make sure they’re okay.”
“Tell anyone you take a pup to that if they bring ’em by in a couple of weeks, I’ll check them over and give them shots, free of charge.”
“That’s nice, Nathaniel.”
“Then I’ll see you in a little while,” he said, giving her a platonic peck on the cheek. “Thank you, Mrs. McKenzie,” he said to Rose. “Nice meeting you all.”
“Have a great trip, Nate,” someone said.
“Good meeting you.”
“Travel safe.”
He shook the men’s hands and was on his way.
Two thoughts occupied him as he drove home. He couldn’t wait to get his arms around Annie. And he didn’t want to be away from her for ten days. He didn’t think a beach full of naked women could make him more inclined to leave right now. But he had packed his bags earlier, not leaving it to the last minute, and he would get this over with. Then, as far as he was concerned, it was full steam ahead with her. And she’d better not give him the slip, either. He was thirty-two and had had plenty of girlfriends, but he couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman like he wanted this one. Heck, he wanted her whole family. He wanted to bring her into his. He wanted them to merge and grow.
He’d even been engaged without wanting all that. It was eerie.
He was barely home, the puppies slopping up their dinner, when the pager on his belt vibrated. He recognized the phone number of a horse breeder whose animals he took care of. His favorite patients, Thoroughbreds. This family was not nearby—they were over the county line in Mendocino.
He answered the call. One of their valuable broodmares was miscarrying, and she was all freaked out, kicking at the stable walls.
He disconnected the line, but he held the phone. He took a deep, disappointed breath before he dialed the McKenzie farm and asked for Annie.
“Nate? What’s up?” she asked when she came on the line.
“You don’t know how much I hate to do this. I have to go out on an emergency. There’s a mare miscarrying, and the stable is in the next county. It could be complicated. It could be late.”
“Don’t worry about the time, Nate. See about the horse,” she said.
“Honey, you shouldn’t wait here for me. I might be tied up until very late. There’s a chance I’ll be out all night with just enough time to come home, clean up, get ready to leave. But, Annie, I won’t leave without seeing you—worst case, I’ll stop by your shop on my way out of town tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to do that, Nate. If you find yourself pressed for time, just give me a call.”
“But I do have to,” he said softly. “I can’t leave without holding you, without kissing you goodbye.”
“That’s so sweet. But if it doesn’t work out that way, I understand. Drive carefully. I hope everything is all right with the mare.”
* * *
Despite Nate’s warning that he might not make it home until very late, she went to his house anyway. She could hear in his voice his desire to spend a little time with her, and what did she have to keep her away? If he wasn’t back by early morning, she’d feed the puppies and go home to shower and get ready for work.
She was inexplicably drawn to the ma
ster bedroom, though she had no real reason to go there. It was the sight of a couple of suitcases open on the floor, filled with clothing, that saddened her so deeply she felt a small ache in her heart. Oh, she was going to miss him so much! Disappointment filled her—she had looked forward to an hour or two of cuddling before she had to give him up for his ten-day adventure. Now it was probably not to be.
Suck it up, Annie, she said to herself. And with that, she shucked her jacket and went to make sure the puppies were taken care of. “Well, my little loves,” she said to the box of squirming, jumping, yelping, vibrating puppies. “Ew,” she said, taking a sniff. “Time for a refresh, I see.” And she set about the task of giving her little charges clean fur and dry bedding. “Yeah, you’re ready for new homes. You have to be about six weeks by now. Close enough, as far as I’m concerned.”
Her puppy chores didn’t take long. She wandered into the family room and sat on that comfy sofa. That lonely sofa. She hated to leave prematurely; she wanted to give him time to get home, to catch up with her. As she looked around the family room, it seemed so barren. At least compared to the farmhouse, which was full to the brim with food, decorations, people, laughter and happiness.
She turned on the fire to make it more welcoming for him, and then on a whim she went to the garage and looked through the storage cabinets that lined the walls of the three-port garage. She smiled to herself. Nathaniel’s mother had certainly made it easy. One entire cabinet held boxes that were neatly labeled. She skipped the one that said “ornaments” but opened another. And another. And another.
She really only meant to bring a touch of Christmas into the house for Nate, even if it was only for one night, or just an early morning. First was a centerpiece for that long, oak kitchen table, then a couple of fat, glittery candles on a bed of artificial holly, which she put on the coffee table. She thought if she were decorating this house for real, there would be lots of fresh stuff and the smell of pine. And the aroma of hot chocolate and cookies.