The Rancher and the Vet

by Julie Benson

  “One time my brothers got so upset with my moods—” Maggie flashed air quotes “—they threatened to lock me in a closet.”

  “Now, that’s a thought.”

  “I didn’t have any problems with her when you two picked up Thor,” Avery said. “We got along well.”

  “You speak the same female language.” His niece and Avery’s comfortable interaction made his inability to connect with Jess that much more obvious, reinforcing the fact that he wasn’t meant to have a family.

  The ping of guitars tuning up floated through the room.

  “I can’t believe it. Our husbands are walking this way,” Elizabeth said, pointing toward the poolroom.

  “I thought we’d have to hunt them down to dance,” Maggie added.

  Reed stiffened as Avery’s brothers approached. What did they know about what had happened between him and Avery? He searched the men’s faces. No sign of anger. They hadn’t charged him yet, screaming that they planned to tear him apart. Maybe, since Rory had been in college and Griffin on the rodeo circuit when he and Avery broke up, they didn’t know all the gory details.

  “Reed here tells me he has some pretty interesting stories about you,” Maggie said when her husband stood beside her.

  Griffin kissed his wife on the cheek. “That was all before I met you. I’m older and wiser now.”

  Maggie laughed. “At least half the time.”

  “I’d say more like twenty-five percent,” Rory quipped before he turned to Reed. “If you have any problems around the ranch, let me know. I’ll be glad to help out.”

  The unexpected offer caught Reed off guard. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Griffin turned to Reed. “Man, Colt threw you into the deep end of the pool, didn’t he? I don’t know if I could take suddenly being responsible for a teenager. Talk about scary.”

  “Watch what you say,” Rory’s wife teased. “Half the people at this table used to be teenage girls.”

  Rory put his arm around his wife. “You’re wonderful now, and I’d be lost without you, but you’ve got to admit teenage girls can be frightening.”

  “Like you guys have room to talk,” Avery said. “You two were idiots when you were teenagers.”

  Reed glanced at the smiling faces surrounding him as the good-natured gibes bounced around the table. Cracks had flown around his family’s table, but not like these ones. His dad’s had been meant to pierce the skin. Everyone left the table bruised one way or another.

  “I didn’t understand girls when I was in high school. Throw in all the changes in society since I graduated, and I don’t know what to do most of the time,” Reed said.

  “No one does,” Rory added.

  “My plan is to lock Michaela in her room when she turns thirteen and let her out when she’s thirty.” A look of horror passed over Griffin’s face. “And I don’t even want to think about dating.”

  Maggie patted her husband’s hand and smiled. “I can’t believe you’re worried about that already. She’s only six weeks old.”

  Avery laughed. “Watching you raise a daughter is going to be so much fun.”

  Reed shuddered. “Thank God Jess isn’t dating or talking about boys.” That would send him over the edge into complete insanity.

  “I bet she’s talking about boys, just not to you,” Avery added.

  “Don’t tell me that.” Reed clutched his heart, only half in jest. Dealing with boy troubles could give him a heart attack. “You’re not helping my stress level.”

  From up on stage, a female spoke into the microphone, commanding their attention.

  “I’m glad we’ve got a good crowd tonight, because the Estes Park animal shelter needs your help.” The speaker turned to their table. “Avery, come up and give everyone the details.”

  “Excuse me—duty calls,” Avery said as she stood. Once on the stage, she continued, “We’ve found out we don’t own the land our building sits on. To keep the shelter open and to obtain a loan, we’ve got to raise the money for a down payment. We’ve got pitchers on the bar. Ours are the ones with the dog collars wrapped around them. When you pick up a drink and tip the bartenders, think about all the good work the shelter does, and drop a few bucks in our pitcher, too. Now, let’s have some fun!”

  As the band started playing, memories of him and Avery listening to country-and-western music and dancing on this same floor stirred within him. How often had he lost himself in her arms? She’d been his refuge.

  After her brothers and their wives left to dance, he sat waiting for Avery. They had such a history, but when he tried to talk to her tonight he was about as smooth as a gravel road. You’d think this was a first date. He thought about what she’d said on the stage. The shelter needed money because they didn’t own the land their building sat on. Land wasn’t cheap. Raising that kind of cash could be tough in this economy. When she returned, he asked, “How much money do you need to raise for the down payment?”

  “Sixty thousand.”

  “Putting a pitcher on a bar and asking for donations won’t get you that kind of money.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m moving up the date for our annual Pet Walk.”

  “What’s a Pet Walk? Can it raise the kind of money you need?”

  “People pay a registration fee to come with their pet. We have vendors selling things, food and contests. It’s like a carnival for people and pets. We have some attendees who raise money by getting pledges for walking at the event. One year we raised thirty-five thousand.”

  “That’s a long way from getting the down payment.”

  “Earlier you said you didn’t want to talk about work. I don’t, either.” She stood. “Let’s dance.”

  He watched the other couples. Some of the moves looked the same. “I haven’t line danced in years.”

  “Suit yourself.” She tossed the words over her shoulder with a sly grin as she headed for the dance floor, leaving him sitting by himself.

  She glanced his way, hooked her thumbs in her jeans pockets and glided to the left swaying her hips. She licked her lips and smiled, a tempting, see-what-you’re-missing kind of grin. Her step held an extra bounce. Her skin glowed from exertion. He resisted the urge to wipe his moist palms on his jeans and sat glued to his seat, mesmerized. On the outside looking in.

  The sexy minx is taunting me.

  The woman probably enjoyed poking sleeping bears, too. Damned if he’d let her challenge go unanswered. He held her gaze as he stood and walked toward her. When he reached her, she stared him down. “Finally screwed up your courage, huh?”

  “The moves look pretty much the same. I bet line dancing’s like riding a bicycle.”

  It took only a minute for him to realize how wrong he’d been. He invariably went left when he should have gone right. He stomped his foot when he should’ve tapped his heel and kicked. Making a fool of himself wasn’t how he had envisioned the night going.

  Halfway through the first dance he huffed and puffed to keep up, something that shouldn’t be happening considering how much he worked out. Then he sidestepped when he should’ve kicked, and came close to running into her. Focusing on his footwork, he prayed he wouldn’t stomp on her foot. The thought no sooner zipped through his head then he did exactly that. “Sorry.”

  Way to impress a beautiful woman. Almost knock her down and then tromp on her foot.

  “Luckily I’m wearing boots. Otherwise you’d be in trouble.” She sashayed beside him, making him remember how graceful she’d always been. Then he whirled around and bumped into a short fortysomething man who looked vaguely familiar. The slight man swayed on his feet. Reed reached out to steady him and ended up wrapping his arms around him instead. He righted the gentleman and stepped away, embarrassment racing through his veins. “You okay?”

  Could
this get any worse?

  “I’m fine, Reed, son. Good to see you back, and don’t you worry. I’d be a mite distracted, too, if I was dancing with a pretty thing like Avery.”

  “Now we’re going to slow things down,” said the singer/guitarist who’d called Avery up on stage earlier. “We’ve had a request from Griffin McAlister for the first song he and his wife, Maggie, danced to here at Halligan’s.”

  Reed smiled. Finally he’d be able to put his arms around Avery the way he’d wanted to all night.

  “I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for a cold beer.” Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

  No way was she getting away from him. Not after he’d endured her teasing about his moves. He slipped his arm around her waist as he pulled her closer. “Are you still afraid you can’t keep your hands off me?”

  Her chin tilted up. Apparently she still couldn’t turn down a challenge. He almost grinned, but controlled the urge for fear of scaring her off.

  She slipped her right hand into his, while her left slid up his chest. His pulse accelerated. The simple touch was surprisingly electric. Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea.

  What was wrong with them sharing each other’s company? They were both adults. He should just enjoy this, and if it led to more, they could handle it.

  “Nice dip with Mr. Hendricks, by the way,” Avery teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “You used to be a great dancer.”

  “Maybe you should give me private lessons.”

  “Check line dancing on Google and watch a video.”

  He should stick to them being friends and lay off the innuendos, but he couldn’t help himself. Now that he held Avery in his arms, the idea of leaving things at friendship felt unsatisfying.

  As they swayed to the music, the lyrics about a cowboy on the road missing his girl floated over him. Avery’s familiar earthy scent swirled around him. He remembered how he’d lost himself in her when things got rough at home. She’d been the anchor he clung to, the quiet in his life amid the storm of his father’s tirades and abuse. He’d often wondered how different life would’ve been if he’d grown up in a household like the McAlisters’.

  He leaned closer until his lips rested beside her ear. How long had it been since he’d allowed himself to get close to someone?

  “Do you wonder what it would be like between us now?” he asked.

  He sure as hell did. Ever since she’d walked out of the stall in Colt’s barn. The images had kept him awake and throbbing more than one night since he’d returned.

  “No.” Her expressive eyes and her breathy voice contradicted her statement.

  “Right now I’m wondering.” His lips pressed against the tender skin behind her ear, and he felt her shiver. Her head rested on his shoulder, and her warmth seeped into him. Need overrode what little common sense he possessed. Hell, common sense was overrated, anyway.

  His lips traced a path down her neck, while his hand caressed her lower back, encouraging her to get even closer. Her thighs brushed his groin, and she gasped. Her gaze locked with his, and he couldn’t resist her. He lowered his mouth to hers and gently covered her lips, searching and testing. To hell with everything but her and him together.

  She nuzzled the sensitive spot behind his ear. Being with her like this felt right.

  His phone vibrated in his pocket. His heart hammered so loudly he wondered if she could hear the beat over the band. Dazed and strung tighter than a barbed-wire fence, he stepped away, instantly feeling cut adrift. He dug his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Estes Park Police Department.

  “Avery, I have to take this.”

  She folded her arms across her chest, anger replacing passion in her gaze. “Are you so worried about staying connected, about your business, that you can’t miss a call?” She shook her head. “You’re going to miss out on what’s really important in life, Reed.”

  Chapter Five

  His pulse rate still revving, Reed watched Avery storm off and then worked his way through the couples on the dance floor, heading for the front door.

  “Reed Montgomery? This is Officer Blume.”

  “Is it Jess? Is she okay?”

  “She’s fine, but I’ve got her here at the station. I understand you’re her guardian while her father’s gone.”

  As his heart rate slowed and his panic subsided, his anger kicked in. Jess had texted him earlier to say she was going to a movie with friends. He glanced at his watch. He was to pick her up at the theater in half an hour. She’d lied to him. “What happened?”

  “She spray-painted graffiti on the animal shelter.”

  He told the officer he was coming and climbed into his truck. Colt hadn’t mentioned things about Jess doing anything that would get her in trouble with the law.

  Wait a minute. Jess vandalized the shelter? That didn’t make sense. She and Avery had gotten along well when they’d picked up Thor. A lot of the irritation that filled Jess’s voice when she talked to him had been absent with Avery. Something wasn’t right. His gut told him Jess wouldn’t damage the shelter. Someplace else, maybe, but not where Avery worked.

  What the hell was he going to do about this, and how could he tell his brother that Jess had gotten hauled into the police station?

  Deal with the police first. Then worry about telling Colt.

  And he refused to think about Avery and how good it had felt to hold her. How kissing her had him remembering all their good times and made him wonder if leaving her had been the biggest mistake of his life.

  * * *

  AS AVERY LEFT THE DANCE FLOOR, she tried to deny that Reed’s touch had sent more excitement and electricity bolting through her than she’d felt in years. When he’d kissed her, she’d forgotten everything but him.

  How had she let things get this out of control? And how did she set them right again? How dare he think he could stroll into town and pick up with her as if he’d never left?

  Agreeing to dance with him. That’s where things went wrong. Touching Reed. Big mistake. She’d set out to prove something to herself, and she sure had. She’d proved she had less willpower than she’d thought where he was concerned.

  New survival game plan—stay as far from Reed as possible.

  Her phone rang. The screen revealed the number of the Estes Park police. Her mom—had something happened? Please, no. She glanced around the bar and saw both her brothers. If something had happened, the authorities would call Rory first, but maybe he hadn’t heard his phone. Panic making her heart race, she answered the call and stepped outside.

  “Dr. McAlister, this is Officer Blume. I need you to come to the police station. A group of teenagers vandalized the shelter.”

  Thank God, her mother was fine. Vandalism she could handle. Officer Blume proceeded to tell her that the teenagers had scattered when they arrived, but they’d managed to apprehend one suspect. She told the officer she’d be there in a few minutes, and rushed back into Halligan’s to offer a quick explanation to her family.

  As she headed for the police station she wondered why teenagers would vandalize the shelter. They’d never had any issues like this before. Were these simply bored kids or was this caused by someone’s frustration with the shelter?

  When Avery parked at the police station, Reed emerged from the truck beside her. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “The police picked up Jess for vandalism. That’s the call I got at the bar.”

  Avery joined him on the sidewalk, her head spinning. “Jess? When the police told me teenagers had vandalized the shelter, the last one I would’ve suspected was Jess. There has to be some mistake. She wouldn’t do that. Not when she adopted Thor from us.”

  “That’s exactly what I thought, but the police caught her there with a spray can. They also sa
id she won’t tell them anything, especially not who else was there.”

  “You mean you don’t know who she was with?”

  “She mentioned a friend named Lindsey, but not her last name.” Reed pinched the bridge of his nose. “I asked her so many questions about what she was doing tonight. How could I forget to ask for full names of her friends?”

  “This is all new to you, and there’s a lot to remember.”

  He straightened. “You can bet I’ll get the whole story out of her now.”

  The hard set of Reed’s mouth and his clenched fists surprised her. She’d never been afraid of him in all the years she’d known him, but she’d seen glimpses of anger when he talked about his father.

  And there had been that one night after graduation when he’d shown up at her door, purple and blue discoloring his swollen cheek. He’d collapsed against her and confessed how his father had been beating him for years. He’d told her how things had grown worse since Colt moved away. Without his brother there to defuse matters, Reed nearly beat his father to death.

  Once he’d stopped shaking, she’d coaxed him into the chair in her father’s study while she woke her parents. After quickly explaining the situation, she begged them to help Reed.

  Her father called his lawyer and the two men shut themselves in her father’s office with Reed. Then the police arrived. Afterward, Reed wouldn’t tell her anything other than that, thanks to her father, he wouldn’t go to jail. Her father likewise refused to supply details, claiming it wasn’t his place.

  “Don’t assume the worst and jump on Jess the minute you see her. Give her a chance to explain,” Avery said now.

  “As long as she tells me exactly what happened we’ll be fine.”

  “And if she won’t? Remember, you’re dealing with a fourteen-year-old. You promised Colt you’d be flexible.”

  “And I will be. I don’t care who she talks to about what happened, but she will talk.”