"You've waited all this time to give yourself to a man. Why me and why now?"
With her back to his chest, he couldn't see her expressions and needed to see her face. He rolled her over, keeping her in his arms.
"Come on, I'm twenty-six. No one believes you're a virgin. You feel like you're missing out on life. Teenagers are doing what I had never experienced. This just seemed like the right time."
Rolling over on top of her nude body, loving the way she felt beneath him, Kyle stared into her emerald eyes, warmth flowing between them. "So I'm nobody special."
With a laugh, she glanced into his eyes. "Oh, you're special all right. You're the first man I've considered since I left school. There, I was too frightened to let the walls down."
Gripping her hands in his, he raised himself up and shoved into her again. "If your walls are down, then maybe its time for the conquerer to take advantage."
"Conquerer?" she said, her body moving in time with his.
"Oh yes, me," he said as his mouth covered hers.
Chapter 6
Tempe awoke the next morning to the sounds of the busy clinic downstairs. A quick glance at the clock and she sat straight up, amazed at how late she slept. An early riser, she couldn't believe the time was almost nine. Jumping out of bed, her feet barely reached the ground when her phone started ringing.
She ran across the bedroom to where her purse lay and grabbed her cell.
"Doctor Tangier," she said.
"This is Doctor Everest."
"Good morning, John how are you?"
Immediately, she knew what this meant. The results of the tests were in. This was the call she'd been waiting for to learn the fate of that poor animal, though her gut instinct had already made the diagnosis.
The man ignored her pleasantries, which was normal for him. A no nonsense doctor he never minced words.
"You've got a problem. Brucellosis is confirmed. The cow must be put down and the herd quarantined."
A sigh slipped out. It was never easy putting an animal down unless they suffered and even then it was difficult. Years ago she learned never to become attached to her patients, but still you cared about them. Probably more so because they depended on you.
"The entire herd?" she asked. "I'm almost certain I know how this happened and who is patient zero. My plan is to do blood work on the herd so we find all contaminated cattle."
Knowing that would be her next step and then on to see the owner of the bull. There would be a couple of very unhappy ranch owners. Bulls could be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and generate thousands of dollars of income. Income that ranchers lived on.
"What about the herd?" Doctor Everest asked. "Are any of the other cattle ill? Aborting the fetus?"
Cody Graham seemed honest with her, but she would need to ask him specific questions.
"Not that I'm aware. The local vet, Dr. Lawrence, separated the animal as soon as he suspected the disease."
"Whole herds have been wiped out because of this infection. The best interest for the rancher would be to test the herd. Though costly."
But at the risk of losing all of his cattle, it might be wise. "Let me assess the situation and I'll get back to you."
"Doctor Tangier don't let anyone talk you into shortcuts. If this grows any larger, the USDA team will swoop down on us and make your investigation more burdensome."
A trickle of fear spiraled up her spine. Losing a herd would devastate any rancher. And she didn't want, the leader of the team from the USDA here to answer to. The epidemics group, were more of a clean-up crew who slaughtered infected animals and quarantined areas. Kyle needed to be warned.
"As soon as I have more definitive information, I'll be in touch. At that point we can decide our next course of action," she said, wishing she wasn't standing here with nothing but a sheet wrapped around her. They weren't using FaceTime, but still she'd feel more professional in her working clothes.
"Good luck. Let me know if you need any help," the older veterinarian said.
"Yes," she said. It was her first really serious contagious outbreak, but she could handle the outcome.
Hitting the end call button, she glanced around the room. Last night had been wonderful. Though she had nothing to compare to, being with Kyle made her think of things she gave up years ago. Things like a husband and family, but in the light of day, the realization those dreams were delusions for a woman like her left her stomach aching.
Fun loving Kyle, was kind and they shared so many common interests. If only her life was different.
How would Kyle take the news, especially since his future brother-in-law Cody's heifer would be the first animal put down.
Today the reality of why she was here came from a phone call like a slam to her chest.Time to return to work. Time to do her job.
Not a great day after a wonderful night.
Cody Graham was not happy and Tempe could understand his reaction. "I'm sorry, I realize why you're upset. But I need to know how she was inseminated and the name of the bull."
"Ed Smith's bull. It happened by accident. Didn't I tell you this once already?" he sai, his voice rising.
"Yes, you did," she said not wanting to say she just wanted to verify his story remained the same. "What about your other cattle? This heifer has been isolated away from the others, but do you have any other cows who aborted their babies?"
"No, she's the only one."
"When I pulled the records it shows she's been vaccinated."
"When I bought her at an auction, I assumed all the shots were taken care of," he said shaking his head. "That day, I purchased several cattle."
Kyle stood off to the side, his arms crossed, his feet firmly planted on the ground, like he was taking a stand. The lover from last night was gone, replaced by the protective friend and doctor.
Why had she gotten involved with the people in the small town? Now she would have to do her job, possibly hurting the friends she made, in the process.
"Vaccination is not a guarantee the animal will not come down with the infection. It makes her chances less of becoming ill. Unfortunately, since the disease is highly contagious and spread through fluids, I'm going to have to quarantine your herd. They are not to be sold or moved until we're certain this infection is limited to right here and this cow."
Cody's face turned red. "What the hell? Roundup is coming up and then we decide how many head to send to market."
"Until I'm convinced your cows are clean, those cattle go nowhere."
As she prepared the injection that would end the poor cow's life, she stopped and glanced at him. "Look, this could ruin most ranchers. I'll do my best to aid you in any way I can, but we've got to test every one of your cattle. It's imperative we make certain none of your other cattle are infected."
"How much is this going to cost me?"
"We'll work out the details later. Government subsidies can help pay for this, but we'll only be putting down the infected cattle."
Kyle stepped up beside his friend and put his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I've got your back. If you need some help, I'm here. Jim and Drew will help as well. You're family."
Tempe sighed as warmth cascaded through her. Unlike herself, at least Cody had Kyle and his brothers.
"Thank you for the offer, but I don't want to be beholding to anyone," he said.
Piercing the cow she noticed the way, Kyle hung back, a tightness on his expression, his jaw clenched. In a matter of minutes, the animal took her last breath and sadness overcame Tempe. Always, she mourned a death.
Standing up the two men slid the deceased heifer onto a trailer, where they would haul the carcass to an incinerator.
A frown on his face, Cody stared. "So now what? You've quarantined my herd. Killed my sick cow. Should I expect more death and destruction?"
This wasn't her fault, but the bearer of the bad news always took the most blowback. And in the past year, she'd come to accept that it was just a continuation
of how people treated her after her father's heist became public knowledge.
"In the morning, I will speak to Mr. Smith and then I'll be out here to begin testing the herd. The sooner we do this, the sooner we'll know the size of this outbreak."
Packing up her supplies, took only a few moments. "This disease could wipe out everyone's herd, not just yours."
A few minutes later, Kyle helped her up in the truck.
As they drove off the property, he spun the tires. "Whoa, please remember you're pulling a trailer with a dead cow in the back."
"Sorry," he said curtly.
The man was hurting for his friend, he was angry, but her hands were tied. The rules and regulations of the USDA required that cow be put down. There was no cure. There was no way to stop the spread other than to kill the animals who caught the dreaded sexually transmitted disease.
Yet, that didn't make her feel any better concerning Kyle or even his friend Cody.
Kyle hit his hand against the steering wheel. "In this modern day with inspections, rules and regulations regarding our food source, how does this happen? We spent two weeks learning about Brucellosis in my infectious disease class. Why my best friend?"
She hated to break it to him, but disease didn't care who it affected.
"Isn't there any other way to save his herd?"
"We're going to test each animal. Soon we'll know for certain what we're dealing with. In the meantime, I'll meet with Mr. Smith."
Glancing over at her, he shook his head. "If that bull tests positive, he'll be furious."
Watching the landscape glide by the window, she remembered the act of friendship she witnessed between Cody and Kyle. That offer of help to a friend, had been touching. The memory of her childhood friends, the girls she hung with until the press broke the story about her father, the ones who ditched her faster than a racing car.
Moving half a continent away, she no longer endured their painful snubs. Sometimes she missed the friendships, the lunches, the parties, the hanging together.
In this world, Tempe had no one.
Sometimes the unfairness of life, the disregard for animals lives, the disease, the mistreatment overcame Kyle and he wanted to scream at the heavens, why? Why did this happen to Cody or to any rancher for that matter? It wasn't that he didn't know what he was getting into when he went to school, he longed for the opportunity to work with animals.
Still, not every day was sunshine and puppy kisses. And today was one of those days when he questioned why hadn't he become a banker or a lawyer like his brother. Why not deal with something a little less painful.
The clinic was closed by the time they returned, his staff had all gone home. At the door, they were greeted by the sound of barking dogs.
Together they walked up the stairs to his quarters and he went straight to the refrigerator and grabbed himself a beer.
A chance to dull the misery inside him. The chance not to hurt so much at the knowledge he delivered the trouble on his friend, his brother. After all, he sent in the sample that brought the USDA to the doorstep.
Knowing the risks Brucellosis could bring, he did what he thought was right, hoping his suspicions were not correct. Only to harm his best friend, someone he loved.
"Want a beer?" he asked, closing the fridge.
"Sure," she said and he handed her one.
Walking out to the patio she slumped down on the swing, staring out at the little town. Slowly she sipped the alcohol, not saying anything.
As he sank down beside her, he tried to push the feelings away, but anger surged through him. The outcome was so unfair and he felt the urge to make her feel his pain. "You enjoy putting down animals?"
Turning on the bench to face him, her eyes flashed a glare that should have warned him. For a moment, he feared she would hit him over the head with the beer bottle. And he knew his words had been a low blow, but he seethed with the outrage of it all.
"Oh yeah, I went to school to learn how to torture animals. My favorite part of the day is killing an animal who is ill, " she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Her body stiff with frustration. "How about you? Is that why you immediately came in and went to the refrigerator for alcohol?"
Since they left Cody's he wanted to fight, to argue with Tempe. Damn, but he hated euthanizing an animal, he hated dealing with this terrible infection and he hated she seemed so cool on the outside. Why couldn't he respond with that same logical preciseness?
"This is my future brother-in-law. The man who is marrying my sister. The people in this town are my friends and family. I don't want them to suffer because of this situation."
"I don't want the animals to suffer."
"You just seem to enjoy your job a little too much," he said taking a swig of beer.
For about thirty seconds, a deathly silence hung in the air between them and then like a lioness she attacked.
"Look charm boy, I hate this damn job. The rules, the regulations and all the sanctimonious good ole boys, I work with on a daily basis. My life plan was to be a vet. To open up my own hospital and take care of animals, not travel from ranch to ranch, telling the owner he's got a problem. Or that his inspections came back negative."
Her chest rose as she took a deep breath and pulled back her shoulders. Like a machine gun she fired shots at him.
"Being the watch dog for the government is not a fun job. But neither is being the daughter of a man who stole millions. Do you know what it's like to witness an army of people come into your house and catalog all your worldly possessions. To see the brand new Porsche given to you for high school graduation impounded. To stand by and see your mother cry helplessly as her antiques are taken for auction? I'm glad you have family and friends you cherish, I don't have a clue what that feels like."
Standing, she polished off the rest of her beer.
"Don't ever think I enjoy this job. This is not who I want to be."
In a quick jerky move, she turned and walked into the house and he heard the door slam close.
Sitting there alone, he suffered even more than he had when they arrived home. He'd been a dick. An absolute ass to a woman he realized he cared about. A woman he grew fonder of each day. A smart, intelligent doctor whom the world had kicked in the teeth.
Just now, he verbally bullied her, but this time Dr. Tangier was learning to kick back. She certainly put him in his place and left him aching with the realization how he acted like a heel.
Last night they'd shared such a closeness and intimacy, tonight instead of sharing the anguish they both were hurting from, he tried to turn her into the bad guy and make her ache with guilt. Only this time she stood her ground and let him learn what a jerk he was.
Maybe he was crazy, but the way she put him in his place, made him respect her even more.
Chapter 7
Tempe squared off against the rancher. This morning she'd risen early and left without saying a word to Kyle. After last night's comments, she needed some distance. Anyone who thought working for the USDA was enjoyable and rewarding should be forced to see a specialist in mental health.
The paperwork was enough to send you to an asylum. Not to mention the gracious owners who screamed, yelled and cursed her when she gave them the bad news. People were suspicious of anyone who showed up from the government, right or wrong.
"You're crazy as a loon if you think I'm letting you put down my prized bull. He's the biggest money maker I've got."
"Has he recently been tested for Brucellosis?"
"He don't need testing. My bull has no venereal disease."
Silently she regarded the man. "Did your bull break down a fence between you and Cody Graham? Between you and Joe McBowen?"
The man sighed. "Yeah, so what if he did."
"Yesterday I euthanized a heifer over at Mr. Graham's and this afternoon I'll be speaking to Mr. McBowen about one of his cows."
"That don't mean they caught it from one of my cattle," he said.
"No it doesn't, but
that mean looking cow is suspected of harboring a contagious disease. Now we can do this one of two ways. You can help me draw blood from him or I can call out my team and we can shut down your operation. Which is it going to be?"
Lifting his hat he ran his hand through his hair, all the while glaring at her like he contemplated murder. "And you'll put him down if you find Brucellosis?"
"There's no cure, it's highly infectious and sexually transmitted. I have no choice. This bull will be tagged - no one will want his sperm.
The man swore a string of words that made Tempe blush. Then he stopped and stared at her.
"You're a very smart woman to be doing this job. What if I gave you a ten thousand dollar shopping spree."
Her blood froze in her veins, not moving. To anyone else using that kind of cash for shopping would seem outlandish, but she remembered the trips to New York where money was no object. Tempe and her mother dropped thousands of dollars going from shop to shop. Spending cash like that in one day was easy and fun.
She'd known they were blessed, but had no idea what doing without wealth really meant. Never in her life had she worried about money. Now she lived like the rest of America, one paycheck at a time.
The offer was tempting just to relive old times, but unethical. Since her father's arrest, her sense of right and wrong was heightened. Yes, she was Scott Gaston's daughter, but that didn't mean she stole or took bribes.
Tempe Tangier would never cheat people or steal. After the Gaston empire crumbled, she made a vow to live above reproach by the law. She had to atone for the sins of her father.
Tilting her head, she looked at him sideways. "Now, I certainly hope that's not a bribe, because if it is, then I'm required to contact my supervisor. A team of investigators comes out and shuts your operations down while they do their job. The fine is quite high and there is even a jail term sentence involved."
The man's mouth thinned and he clinched his fists. "Of course I'm not bribing you. A pretty little thing like you would like some new clothes."
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