The Rancher and the Vet

by Julie Benson

  “I know Avery didn’t eat much at the event, so I brought dinner for everyone.” He walked across her office and placed the sack on her credenza. The spicy tang of barbecue filled the room. “I’ll even play waiter. We’ve got barbecue-beef sandwiches, coleslaw, potato salad and baked beans.”

  He asked what each one of them wanted, dished up their orders and brought the food to their desks. Avery smiled as she thanked Reed. She could get used to this kind of pampering.

  After they’d finished eating, Mary Beth reached down by her feet and picked up a plastic container that had once held dog treats but was now covered with paper emblazoned with the shelter logo and the word Donations in big letters. She unscrewed the lid and dumped the contents out in front of her. Coins plinked as they spilled out onto the wooden desktop. Bills rustled against checks. While the bookkeeper separated that money, Avery returned to tallying the pledge amounts and Emma went to call the raffle winners.

  “What else can I do?” Reed asked after he’d cleared away the remnants of their meal.

  “You don’t have to stick around,” Avery said.

  “I want to see how you guys did today.” Then he tossed her a steamy look that said, And the more I help, the sooner I can get you alone.

  Avery felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she grabbed the stack of checks to her left. “You could photocopy these for us.”

  He nodded and took the checks from her. “If you give me your bank stamp, I’ll take care of that while I’m at it.”

  She reached into her desk, found the deposit stamp and handed that to him, as well.

  “How’s the chair working out?” he asked.

  “It’s amazing. Not only is it comfortable, but I feel so important sitting in it.”

  “You are important.”

  Her heart caught at his words. But how important was she? Important enough for him to stick around once his brother returned? Important enough to give her a child?

  “Hey, you two. I’m still here, you know,” Mary Beth teased.

  Avery felt herself blush more. How could she have forgotten that she and Reed weren’t alone? The man sure messed with her focus.

  Reed mumbled a quick apology and shot out of the office, his cheeks a little red as well, while Avery returned to reconciling pledges. A few minutes later, Mary Beth said, “I’ve got the donation-jar total for you, Avery—$832.75.”

  Avery added the amount to her spreadsheet, clicked, and the total amount popped onto the screen. She patted her hands on her desk. “Drum roll—$60,213.45! We did it! We raised enough for the down payment.”

  Emma ran into the office shouting and hugged Mary Beth. Reed rushed in, too, and swept Avery up in his arms. “I knew you’d do it. I’m so proud of you.”

  They’d saved the shelter. She was in love with a wonderful man. Life couldn’t get much better.

  Chapter Twelve

  Reed and Jess settled into a pattern. A couple of nights a week they ate dinner with Avery and Nannette at the McAlister ranch. He’d started volunteering at the shelter again with Jess, but this time he did so unquestioningly, with a smile.

  Since today hadn’t been their day to volunteer, after he picked up Jess from school they’d come straight home. Now she was holed up in her room working on homework, while he got a little more work done before starting dinner.

  Even work was leveling out. Customers had grown accustomed to working with him via Skype, and Ethan had settled in to his new duties. A week had gone by since Reed had received a panicked, the-sky’s-falling phone call from him.

  Then it hit him. He’d been happier the past few weeks than he’d ever been. Not just content, but downright silly and filled-with-hope happy. And he was in love.

  But what about the future? Could he give Avery what she needed in life, what she deserved? His cell phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. Vowing he wouldn’t worry about that now when he had months to figure things out, he answered the call.

  “Ethan approached me about a job,” Blake Dunston, Reed’s key software engineer on the SiEtch project, said. “He insists you’re on the wrong track with this product, and you’ve misjudged the market. He’s starting a new company to make a cheaper version of SiEtch. He claims he’s got copies of the software and the hardware specs on his home computer. He plans on starting there and modifying what we’ve done to create his product.”

  Reed’s breathing accelerated. His hands started sweating as he tried to process what had happened. His best friend, the man he’d built his business with, had betrayed him.

  As if that wasn’t bad enough, if word about his actions got out, and Reed had indeed been wrong about the market, this could ruin his business. And here he was in Colorado, thousands of miles away from it all. Rage boiled inside him. If he ever got his hands on Ethan...

  He’d what? Beat the hell out of him like he had his dad?

  A headache bloomed between Reed’s eyes. He and Ethan had gone around the issue like dogs chasing their tails. Unfortunately, nothing he said changed Ethan’s shortsighted opinion that product cost was the key factor, while Reed emphasized the need for 3-D transistor capacity. That’s what would set their product apart from others in the market. The discussion had ended when he said RJ Instruments was his company, as was the decision on how to proceed.

  He realized their relationship had changed once he became Ethan’s boss. The more his company grew, the more distant they became. But to betray him like this? After all the years they’d worked together?

  “Has he approached anyone else?”

  “Word is he offered Tom Merrick a job, too,” Blake replied.

  It figured Ethan would want the project’s key hardware developer on board.

  “What did you tell him when he offered you the job?”

  “I said I needed to talk to my wife tonight before I gave him an answer. Then I called you.”

  Good. That gave him a day before Ethan got wind something was up. “I won’t forget this, Blake, and I’ll make my thanks more tangible after I’ve dealt with it.”

  Reed’s hands shook as he speed-dialed his lawyer’s number. He quickly detailed his conversation with Blake. “What can I do to stop him?”

  “I’ll file for a temporary injunction in civil court. You need to contact the San Francisco district attorney and file a criminal complaint because he’s stealing company assets.”

  Reed grabbed a pen and paper from the desk and started taking notes. “Do you think we can get the injunction?”

  “We’ll need affidavits from Blake and Tom for the civil hearing. Those, plus the fact that we’ve got a patent pending on the product and Ethan signed a no-competition clause, all strengthen our case.”

  Immediately after ending his call with his lawyer, Reed contacted the district attorney, who told him they’d be happy to file charges. The catch? He had to appear in person and the appointment was tomorrow morning.

  What was he going to do about Jess? Today was Tuesday. He hated to pull her out of school, especially since she had a math test tomorrow. But what other option did he have? Avery.

  He punched in her cell number, but had to leave a message. “A major problem’s come up at work. I’ve got to fly to California. I should only be gone a day or two. Can Jess stay with you until I get back? Call me when you get this.”

  * * *

  AVERY HEARD HER PHONE RING, but as she was in the barn examining Twin Creeks’ new foal under the watchful, nervous eye of his mother, she let the call go to voice mail. After she finished the animal’s exam and cleaned up, she settled onto the couch with a glass of iced tea to check her messages, but before she could, the doorbell sounded.

  When she answered the front door, Jess, her eyes red and swollen, burst into tears.

  “What’s wrong?” Avery rushed forward and enveloped
the girl in a hug. For a minute Jess clung to Avery and sobbed. Her wrenching cries tore at Avery’s heart as she rubbed the girl’s back. “Is it your dad? Did you get bad news?”

  Please, don’t let it be that. This dear child won’t survive losing him, too.

  “Dad’s fine. It’s Uncle Reed,” Jess croaked out.

  Avery’s heart rocked. Had something happened to him? She forced the words out. “Is he okay?”

  A new wave of sobs gushed forth. Avery held Jess tighter. “You’ve got to calm down enough to tell me what’s wrong. I can’t help unless I know what happened.”

  “Can I stay here?”

  “Of course.”

  All teenage bravado stripped from her gaze, Jess’s eyes screamed of her anguish. Whatever had happened was bad. Very bad.

  Avery forced herself to remain calm as she ushered Jess into the living room. Despite her urge to bombard the teenager with questions, she patted the couch beside her and grabbed a calming breath before saying, “Tell me what happened.”

  Jess melted onto the couch, dropping her backpack at her feet. “I just talked to my grandparents. They got approval for me to live with them in Florida until Dad gets back.”

  Reed was okay. The fist squeezing Avery’s heart loosened. This she could deal with. “I know they love you very much, but just because they have the okay and want you to live with them doesn’t mean you have to.”

  Tears welled up in Jess’s soft brown eyes. “They said to thank Uncle Reed. He contacted a reporter. He said if they didn’t let me stay with my grandparents while Dad was gone, the whole world would find out they weren’t supporting a serviceman fighting for his country.”

  Avery’s heart rebelled against the thought. Reed wouldn’t do that. He’d promised Colt he’d take care of Jess. He knew she’d threatened to run away if she was forced to move in with her grandparents.

  Taking care of her and running my business long-distance is tougher than I expected.

  No. He’d changed since he made that comment at Halligan’s weeks ago. Jess mattered to him. They both mattered to him.

  “He doesn’t want me.” Jess’s pain emanated from her in waves, mirroring Avery’s.

  Avery’s mind spun as she processed everything. Nothing made sense. She’d seen the difference between Reed and Jess. Genuine love existed between them. He couldn’t fake a relationship that well.

  But how well do you really know him? He was gone for years, and hasn’t been back that long. Don’t go there now. What’s important is helping Jess.

  Avery shut off her own emotions. “I know he loves you very much.”

  “Then why would he want to get rid of me?”

  “Have you talked to him about this?”

  Jess shook her head. “I left and came here.”

  Hope, tiny and fragile, sprouted inside her. Avery wouldn’t assume the worst. She’d give Reed the benefit of the doubt until she spoke with him.

  “Things aren’t always what they seem. Talk to him. Maybe there’s been a misunderstanding. Reporters often have an agenda. Maybe your grandparents heard what they wanted to hear. Give your uncle a chance to explain.”

  Please let it be that he contacted the reporter weeks ago and forgot to stop what he’d put in motion once his circumstances and feelings changed.

  “What’s the point?” Jess scooped up a decorative pillow off the couch, hugging it close to her chest. “He’ll either tell me he doesn’t want me or he’ll lie about it. No matter what he has to say, I don’t want to hear it.” Her lip quivered. “What’s wrong with me? First my mom ran off. She never even told me she was leaving.”

  “Don’t ever think your mother leaving was your fault. I didn’t know her well, but my guess is she had—” Avery paused. Your mother had severe problems and was a selfish, unfeeling bitch. She swallowed her anger. “Your mom and dad had problems. Plus she was dealing with other issues that had nothing to do with you. That’s why she left.”

  And if she’d given a rat’s ass about anyone but herself she’d have told you it wasn’t your fault before she skipped town with her lover.

  “Then Dad left for Afghanistan, and now Uncle Reed wants to get rid of me.”

  “Your dad didn’t have a choice. That’s his job.”

  “If he really loved me, he’d get a different one so he could stick around.”

  Jess had a valid point, but admitting the fact wouldn’t help the teenager now.

  “When your dad gets home you need to tell him how you feel. I bet once he knows how much you need him around, he’ll resign from the National Guard.”

  “That’s months away. What can I do now? I can’t live with my grandparents. I love them, but I’ll die if I have to live with all those old people. I won’t know anyone at school. I won’t have any friends. They don’t even have internet access, so I can’t Skype or talk to anyone on Facebook.” The longer Jess talked, the more frantic her speech became. “I’ll run away. That’s what I’ll do.”

  “Whoa. Slow down.” Avery placed her hand over Jess’s and squeezed. “Breathe. I want you to—”

  “I won’t live with my grandparents in an old folks’ neighborhood.”

  “The first step is to talk to your uncle.”

  “Can’t I live here with you and your mom? I won’t be any trouble, I promise. I can do all the cooking and cleaning. I’ll earn my keep.”

  Avery bit her lip. She wouldn’t cry. Jess needed a calm and in-control adult. “You know we’d love for you stay with us, but it’s not that simple. Your uncle Reed is your legal guardian. We’d need his approval and your dad’s, but I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The first thing you need to do is talk to your uncle. Be honest with him. Tell him what your grandparents said and that you don’t want to live with them. See what he says.”

  “What if he doesn’t care what I want?”

  Then I’ll pound some sense into him.

  “I care, and so does my mom. We’ll do whatever we can.” Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. “It’s the shelter. I need to make sure it’s nothing important.”

  When she answered the call, Emma said animal control had picked up a stray that had been hit by a car. She was fairly certain its leg was broken, but added it might need to be amputated. Though Emma wasn’t a vet, she’d seen enough similar cases to offer a reliable assessment. “Have Carly take X-rays. I’m on my way.” She ended the call and explained the situation to Jess. “I need to go into the shelter. Why don’t you come with me?”

  “Can I stay here instead? I don’t want to see anyone now.”

  “You shouldn’t be alone.”

  “Isn’t your mom around?”

  Avery glanced at her watch. “She’s at book club. She’ll be home in an hour or so.”

  “I’ll be fine. Go.”

  Avery sat there, torn. “I could call Doc Brown to see if he could fill in for me.”

  “I don’t need a babysitter.”

  Now she’d insulted Jess. It was only for an hour. She could text her mom, explain things and ask her to come home sooner. “When I’m done at the shelter, we’ll talk to your uncle together. Everything will be all right. I promise you won’t have to live with your grandparents if you don’t want to.”

  She’d make sure. No matter what she had to do.

  An hour later, Avery returned to the ranch. While the dog’s leg was broken, it wasn’t a bad enough break to require amputation. She’d splinted the leg, left Carly with instructions to watch the animal and call if anything changed, and made a quick exit before anyone else sidetracked her.

  As she climbed out of her truck, her mom pulled up beside her. She was just getting home now? “You didn’t get my text about what happened with Reed?”

  “I shut my phone off at book club. I guess I
forgot to turn it back on.”

  Avery explained about the call Jess had received from her grandparents and how she’d left her at the ranch alone. Then she raced up the walkway, unlocked the front door and burst inside, yelling Jess’s name.

  Silence. What had she done? Panic jolted through Avery, making her heart slam against her ribs. “She’s not answering me, Mom. What if she did something silly? I never should’ve left her alone.”

  Worry lined her mother’s face. “I’ll check in the barn. You search the house.”

  Five minutes later, they met in the kitchen, neither one having found any trace of Jess. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. She took her backpack.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything. She takes that thing everywhere, even to the shelter,” Nannette said. “She’s probably at a friend’s house, or maybe she went home to talk to Reed.”

  “You didn’t see the hurt in her eyes. What if she ran away like she threatened to do when her dad talked to her about living with her grandparents? I should’ve made her come to the shelter with me.”

  Nannette gave Avery a quick hug. “You can’t undo the past, so quit stewing over it. You go to the Rocking M. See if she’s there with Reed. Since she’s mentioned her friends a few times, I’ll start making calls.”

  As Avery drove through Estes Park, she alternated between saying prayers that they’d find Jess and reminding herself that she couldn’t deck Reed the minute he opened the door for setting this mess in motion.

  “Did you get my message?” he asked when he opened the door. Dressed in black slacks, a white button-down shirt and his expensive loafers, he looked the way he had when he’d first returned to Estes Park.

  “What message?”

  “I found out that my vice president of engineering, the guy I left in charge, stole my company’s latest product and is planning to start his own company. I need to fly to California to file charges with the San Francisco district attorney. Then I’ve got to obtain affidavits from the employees he offered jobs to for the temporary injunction hearing. Can Jess stay with you for a few days?”