With These Two Hands

by Lori Ryan

  “Why are you?” Ben groaned. “Why am I?”

  “You’re here because you’re married to the boss, idiot. You have to do what your wifey says or you’ll never get laid again.”

  Aaron bit back a laugh. He’d forgotten how much he and his brothers bickered.

  “Meanwhile,” Emmett continued, “I’m going to go home to Elle, smelling like shit. Literally. She probably won’t even let me in the condo, let alone our bed.”

  “You two need to give it a break anyway,” Ben said. “Ma’s still not happy she caught you two in the back of the barn going at it like monkeys.”

  “Fuck you, you’re just jealous.” Emmett grinned. “Now that you’re a married old slob and not getting it on a regular basis.”

  “Oh, I’m getting it.” Ben smiled wide. “Besides, you’re about to say ‘I do.’ Enjoy sex in the woods while it lasts.”

  Aaron’s brother Emmett was engaged to Elsbeth Noble, or Elle as everyone called her. She was the daughter of Warner Noble, a family who had at one time been the Sumner’s arch rivals going back generations. The Nobles owned three-quarters of Canyon Creek Mountain and the surrounding land. The Sumners had once owned half, but thanks to one of his forefather’s gambling habit, Aaron’s family had lost a quarter of it a hundred years ago. Now the Nobles owned the more lucrative side, the one with the best terrain for skiing. But to hear Emmett talk, he was the winner in the whole deal. He’d won Elle’s heart.

  “How many more rooms do we have to do?” Emmett asked, sitting back on his heels.

  Ben sat up and turned his head, catching sight of Aaron. “Not as many now that dipshit is here.” He smirked.

  Emmett turned and jumped to his feet. “Aaron!” he shouted, stumbling toward his brother with outstretched hands. “Thank God, you’re my savior.”

  Emmett rushed Aaron, like he was going to hug him.

  Aaron stepped back, blocking with his arms. “Hell, no, dude. Do not touch me. You literally smell like shit.”

  “What?” Emmett glanced down at his hands and sniffed his shirt. “But I have gloves on.”

  “Doesn’t matter, bro.” Aaron shook his head.

  Ben stood. “Welcome home, little brother.”

  Aaron glanced around the bathroom that was mostly clean now. “Quite a welcome.” He laughed.

  “Nothing but the best for my little brother.” Ben laughed.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Emmett asked, pulling off his gloves. “Ma said you were coming home but didn’t say why.”

  That’s because he hadn’t told her why.

  Aaron glanced behind them. “Um, it looks like you’re not done yet, Em.”

  “I’m taking a break.” Emmett shoved the gloves toward Aaron.

  Aaron stepped back. “Hell no.”

  “Hell, yes,” Emmett said. “You know what they say?”

  “What’s that?” Aaron and Ben asked at the same time.

  “A family that works together stays together. Have fun.” Aaron still hadn’t taken the gloves so Emmett tossed them on the ground.

  “I think I’d rather not stay if this is the work.” Aaron laughed. He’d already told Maggie he would help with it, but he was going to make his brothers work for that help.

  “Emmett,” Ben hollered, “we’ve still got two more rooms to clean.”

  “I’m taking my government allotted break.” Emmett called back as he stepped out into the hall.

  “Stay away from the guests. You smell like shit,” Aaron said.

  Emmett shot him the finger before traipsing down the hall.

  Aaron glanced down at Ben, who was still on the floor.

  His brother held up dirty yellow gloves. “Welcome home.”

  Aaron grabbed the gloves. He could do this. He’d seen worse in his profession. As he grabbed the rag and began to clean the dirty floor, he wondered if he should have gone to Europe for his sabbatical. Italy sounded nice right about then.

  “Maggie said Kayleigh picked you up,” Ben said.

  “Yeah.”

  “How’d that go?”

  Aaron shrugged. “It was fun.”

  “Oh,” Ben said, “Maggie wanted me to tell you. Don’t get any ideas about hooking up with Kayleigh.”

  “What?” Aaron’s head snapped up and he stared at Ben. “Why would she think we’re going to hook up?”

  “Maggie said it was just a feeling she had. I don’t ask questions, man. I’ve found married life to be easier that way.”

  “Why would I want to hook up with Kayleigh?”

  Ben narrowed his eyes. “You seriously want me to answer that? Because, you know I can’t. I’m not allowed to list Kayleigh’s,” he cleared his throat. “assets.”

  Ben didn’t need to. Aaron was well aware of Kayleigh’s assets. She was gorgeous, sexy, with a body made for sin.

  Ben held up his left hand. “I’m married now. I’m not supposed to notice shit like that anymore.”

  Aaron laughed. “You know I can’t see the ring, you’re wearing a glove. Besides, you love it.”

  Ben laughed. “Yeah, I do. I love her. I love being married to her.”

  “I’m happy for you.” He meant it. It was good seeing Ben so happy. It wasn’t something Aaron had time for in his life, but it didn’t mean he didn’t like seeing his brothers contented.

  The two worked in tandem, cleaning up the rest of the room as Aaron thought about the reasons he shouldn’t become involved with Kayleigh.

  “It really is good to have you home, Aaron,” Ben said.

  Aaron glanced at his brother, realizing he’d left some of the edginess he’d been feeling lately back on the plane. Maybe it was being home. There was a slight sense of peace that came from being in Canyon Creek. He could use more of that.

  “It’s good to be home,” he said. And he meant it.

  Chapter Six

  “All right, I’m out, girl,” Shelly shouted from the hall. “Do you need anything else before I leave?”

  Kayleigh glanced up from her laptop.

  Shelly’s head was peeking through the door.

  “Oh, uh, no. I think I’m good. Thanks.”

  “What are you working on?”

  Kayleigh glanced down at her computer screen, fighting the urge to slam it shut. “Just charting notes.”

  “Okay. Well, don’t stay too long. It’s ladies night at the tavern,” Shelly said, leaning further into the room.

  Kayleigh laughed. “Not tonight. I’ve still got a few more things to finish up here. Maybe next week.”

  “You work too hard.”

  Kayleigh didn’t answer. They’d been over this a dozen times. She was the only vet for three counties. Until someone else came along and opened up, she didn’t feel like she had much choice.

  Shelly shook her head, probably tired of telling Kayleigh the same thing.

  “We can’t afford another vet right now,” Kayleigh answered her silent question. She wasn’t in a financial place to hire someone else.

  “Night, hun. Call if you need anything. Snowflake and Sprinkles are good post-op and resting in cages.” The twin cats had just been spayed earlier in the day. “Darla will be available overnight if we need anything.”

  Darla Stanger was a volunteer who helped out at the clinic from time to time. Kayleigh would be lost without the free help.

  “Thanks, Shelly.”

  “Any time, sweetie. You’re doing a great job here. I’m not sure what the town would do without you.”

  Kayleigh beamed at the compliment. When she’d come to Canyon Creek two years ago, the clinic had been manageable and profitable, to a degree. Now, she was busier than ever but the profits hadn’t grown as much as they should.

  “I’ll lock up on my way out,” Shelly called over her shoulder.

  “Thanks,” Kayleigh yelled. She heard the bell tinkle as Shelly left and she turned back to her computer. Studying the books wasn’t her strong suit. She really should hire a bookkeeper, but she didn’t want
anyone to know how much trouble the clinic was really in.

  The problem was staring her in the face in black and white. Well, more like black and red. She was giving away too much stuff. She needed to stop. Vaccines, medicine, spay and neuter charges for the animal shelters in the area.

  How could she say no? She needed to come up with another way to fund these free services.

  She’d lived enough of her life under the protective umbrella of her father’s money. She refused to ask for his help. She needed to find a way to do this on her own.

  Knowing she couldn’t do anything else about the budget tonight, Kayleigh closed the computer. She slid open the drawer to stuff it inside but found the envelope with her brother’s wedding invitation staring back at her. And her father’s note.

  Would love to see you, Lee Lee.

  As much as she’d wanted to throw away the invite and the note, she hadn’t.

  Kayleigh loved her brother and wanted to be there for him, but she just couldn’t face her family, especially her mother. When Kayleigh walked away from them five years ago, she’d vowed she wouldn’t endure her mother’s judgment any longer.

  She’d always thought she would go back someday. A day when she could hold her head high and face down her mother’s criticism, knowing it wasn’t warranted. Now, though, as she sat on top of this catastrophe she called a clinic, she had to wonder when that day would come.

  Her mother had laughed when Kayleigh told her she wanted to pursue veterinary medicine and not plastic surgery like her father.

  Her mother’s response had been riddled with scorn—and a touch of embarrassment—telling Kayleigh she’d never make it on her own.

  So far, Kayleigh hadn’t. Not as far as she was concerned. She had finished veterinary school and loved what she did, but she had student loans she didn’t know how she’d pay back and a clinic that was close to operating in the red. There was no way she could go back and face her family’s scrutiny yet.

  That wasn’t the only reason she couldn’t return to Boston, but she wasn’t going to think about that—or rather him—now. She needed a hot bath and a good book.

  And a box of wine.

  Kayleigh stuffed the envelope into her bag and closed the drawer, vowing to throw it away once she got home. She stood, slipping off her coat. It had been a tough day. One cat vomited after surgery, and a terrier with a parasite had pooped all over the exam table. Her coat was toast. It probably should have been thrown away but she couldn’t afford new ones. The thought thoroughly depressed her.

  She walked down the hall and kicked open the hamper on the dirty clothes. Before she tossed it in, her fingers ran along the monogram.

  Dr. Kayleigh Montgomery, Veterinarian, Canyon Creek Veterinary Clinic.

  She always smiled when she saw her full name. There was something magical about seeing the proof of her dream of becoming a veterinarian realized.

  She walked down the back hall and slipped out the door, locking it behind her. She made the short walk to her house thirty feet away. She’d just stepped onto her back porch when her cell phone rang.

  “What now,” she grumbled.

  “How was the drive from Denver with Dr. Sumner?” Maggie asked.

  “Wonderful. How was the shit fest at the lodge?”

  Maggie laughed. “Crisis averted, thanks to Aaron.”

  “Aaron?”

  “Dr. Sumner, Ben’s brother.”

  “I know who Aaron is, you dork. I meant, he actually helped clean up.”

  “Sure did. He’s been a huge help around here. He doesn’t give me nearly as much grief as my own husband. Which is ridiculous considering this is basically a family business now.”

  Kayleigh laughed. Maggie had been hired by the Sumners years ago to help with their small bed and breakfast. When they’d finished the build-out of their much larger lodge, Maggie had been promoted to manager. Now that she was a Sumner and married to the owner’s son, the business truly could be called family owned and family run.

  “Well, I’m glad he’s working out. Did you ever find out what he’s doing here?”

  “No,” Maggie said. “He just said he wanted to take some time off.”

  Kayleigh knew that was crap. The man had a fellowship at a prestigious hospital. Doctors didn’t give that kind of shit up easily. She’d grown up with a doctor who now taught medicine. She was aware of the drive all doctors had.

  “The trip from the airport was fine,” Kayleigh said. “Uneventful.” Not really.

  “Make sure it stays that way.”

  “What?” Kayleigh fumbled with the phone as she unlocked her back door. “What are you talking about.”

  “I just don’t want you to get involved with him.”

  “What does that mean?” Kayleigh pushed open the door, her dog attacking her. “Hello, baby,” she said, squatting so Annie could jump into her lap.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just,” Maggie paused, “I love you and I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

  “Why would you lose me?”

  “If another one of my friends gets involved with a Sumner brother and it doesn’t work out, I won’t have any friends left.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Kayleigh said.

  Jax made his way from under the couch, arching his back and stretching before parading to her side. She scratched under the cat’s chin and listened as he purred like a motor boat. She didn’t need a man. She had Sir Jaxie.

  “Devlin,” Maggie huffed. “If she and Max hadn’t worked out, I would have lost her as a friend. It would have been too uncomfortable for her to come around, knowing she might run into Max.”

  Devlin Darby had been Maggie’s best friend growing up in Canyon Creek, until she’d moved away in elementary school. The two had stayed close through the years, though. Maggie even had Devlin in her wedding.

  During her stay leading up to the wedding, Devlin had hooked up with Ben’s brother, Max. No one could blame the girl. Max was an ex-NFL player and hot as hell.

  Their sexcapade had resulted in an unplanned pregnancy, but not unwanted. At least, not unwanted now. The two were expecting twins and sappy in love.

  “Devlin and Max are fine. They’re engaged and expecting twins.”

  “I know, I know, it’s just…”

  “Girl, seriously, don’t worry about me,” Kayleigh said. She didn’t know why she hadn’t stopped this conversation already. “The last thing I have on my mind is hooking up with a Sumner boy. Well, I take that back. Give me Grant and I might change my mind.”

  Both women laughed. Grant was a movie star with a career that had women all over the world drooling over him.

  “No comment,” Maggie said.

  Maggie, always the diplomat, she thought.

  “Hey, I meant to tell you,” Maggie changed the subject. “Karaoke is at the lodge on Friday. Think you can come?”

  “Sure,” Kayleigh said. “I need a break.” She’d said no to drinks tonight, but she would make an effort to get herself up to the lodge Friday. She really did need some time off.

  “You don’t need a break. You need help.”

  She did, but she didn’t want to tell her friend she couldn’t afford any more staff so she chose not to answer.

  “You should try one of Valerie’s yoga classes to help you relax.”

  “Uh, no.” Kayleigh shook her head, even though Maggie couldn’t see her.

  “Why? She’s amazing. You should think about it.”

  “Okay,” Kayleigh said.

  “Thanks again for picking Aaron up. I’ll bring a six pack for you to Karaoke.”

  “When are you guys going to start serving alcohol?”

  “We’re talking about adding a small bar area next to the café in the lodge, but any talk of expansion pretty much freaks Ben out. He wants to get this first year of loan payments under our belt and money in the bank before we do anything else. I can’t say I blame him. A liquor license is crazy expensive and, for now, bring-y
our-own is working.”

  “I can understand that.” Kayleigh wished she had money in the bank. Her phone beeped and she pulled it from her face and glanced at the screen. “Hey, I got to go, someone’s calling.”

  “Another emergency, Kayleigh? You need to rest.”

  “Nah, this is Paula.”

  “From the bookstore?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did she get in more pirate porn for you?” Maggie laughed hysterically.

  “Hey don’t knock it. Have you ever tried being tied up by a pirate?”

  “Uh, no.”

  “Well, until you have, don’t laugh.” Kayleigh had never tried it either, but she was willing. She just didn’t have a sex life to go with her fantasies.

  Actually, she didn’t have a sex life at all.

  “Bye, girl. I’ll see you Friday.”

  “Okay, sounds good. Bye.” Kayleigh clicked over. “Hey, Paula.”

  “Hey chickee. I got some good stuff in for you. This is old school. I did a trade with a dude online.”

  Kayleigh knew she could buy her books online but she preferred to buy local. Plus, Paula found some of the best books from way back.

  “How old school?”

  “I’m talking 1970’s Harlequin. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

  Kayleigh was definitely addicted to romance novels. After walking away from what she thought would be her own happily-ever-after years ago, she now relied solely on books. They were much more reliable than men. Thankfully, Paula knew her fetish for old-school paperbacks.

  “Okay, I just got home. Let me take care of the kids and shower, then I’ll be down.” She’d have to pass on a bath tonight.

  “Stop by the coffee shop and pick up a tall latte for me? It’s been a hell of a day.”

  “Want me to bring a bottle of Jack too?”

  “Do you have any?”

  “No. But I can stop by the liquor store, too.”

  “Nah, I’m good. See ya in a bit.”

  The phone clicked off and Kayleigh laughed. It was nice to have friends.

  She went to set the small backpack she used as a purse on the counter and saw the envelope sitting where she’d shoved it into the main pocket. Pulling it out, she walked to the trash can and kicked open the lid.