Chasing Seth

by Loveless, J. R.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  About the Author

  Also from J.R. Loveless

  Copyright

  Published by

  Dreamspinner Press

  382 NE 191st Street #88329

  Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Chasing Seth

  Copyright © 2011 by J.R. Loveless

  Cover Art by Anne Cain annecain.art@gmail.com

  Cover Design by Mara McKennen

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 382 NE 191st Street #88329, Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

  ISBN: 978-1-61372-144-5

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Edition

  September 2011

  eBook edition available

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-61372-145-2

  To Candyce,

  the strongest, bravest, most beautiful woman I know.

  “There is in every true woman’s heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.”

  —Washington Irving, The Sketch Book, 1820

  Chapter One

  Seth Davies stared up at the front of the clinic in front of him, a satisfied smile lighting up his soft features. It’d taken six weeks to finalize everything for the sale, and he could barely wait to get started. Senaka, Wyoming, was exactly the kind of place he needed to be able to heal.

  His mind automatically slammed the door shut on those memories, and he sighed as he entered the front of the clinic. The receptionist, Chessie Fox, stood behind the counter, talking on the phone. She smiled welcomingly at him, and he gave her an equally warm grin in return.

  “Good morning, Chessie,” he said as he walked toward her desk.

  Chessie dropped the phone back into its cradle after bidding the person on the other end good-bye. “Good morning, Doc. Your first appointment is already waiting for you in Exam Room One.”

  “Do you have—?” he started to ask when she handed it to him. Seth liked her. She was efficient, friendly, and very outgoing. He also thought her to be very pretty, with her dark olive-toned skin, dark-brown eyes, and long dark-brown hair. Chessie was Cheyenne and looked every bit of it. If he had found women attractive, he definitely would have taken an interest in her. “Thanks, Chessie, for deciding to stay on with me.”

  “Oh, it’s no problem, Doc. I like working here, and I’m glad that you wanted me to stay!” Chessie exclaimed. Her heart beat hard against her chest at the gorgeous man in front of her desk. He was absolutely beautiful: a slender face with a slightly pointed chin, dimples deep as oceans, his eyes just as blue, and thick hair so black it looked almost unnatural. Seth kept it in a neat cut, slight tendrils brushing the nape of his neck. The top of her head just reached his chin. What really fed her lust for her boss was the single earring that dangled from one ear. A sterling silver feather no longer than the width of a penny twinkled at every move of Seth’s head.

  “Well, I’m still grateful you decided to stay. I wouldn’t even begin to know where to look for the files or know who Dr. Redfern’s clients were.” Seth glanced down at the name on the folder, opened it, skimmed over the contents of the animal’s history, and then looked back at her. “Is my day full, Chessie?”

  “Mostly, Doc. You have a gap between appointments around one and three, though. But you never know around these parts. Folks have animal emergencies quite often.” The phone rang, interrupting anything else Chessie would have said.

  Seth wandered into the examining room, smiling at the older woman and noting the small poodle on the table. “Hello, Mrs. Whitedove. I’m Seth Davies, and I guess this would be Samantha?”

  The woman smiled back at him, her eyes studying him intently and almost causing him to squirm. He felt certain Mrs. Whitedove would also be able to claim Cheyenne as her background. Most of the residents of Senaka were Cheyenne, so it was a pretty safe bet for him to make. Her face looked weathered but wise. Deep lines traced her heart-shaped face, and gray had started to streak through her black hair. He had a mere few inches on her in height. “Heard Doc sold his practice. You’re a bit young, aren’t you, Doc?”

  “Oh, please call me Seth, and I may look young, but I am quite experienced at taking care of these little guys,” Seth said with confidence, moving closer to the table the dog sat on. A pretty, shockingly white poodle, she whined at him and licked his hand. “What seems to be the problem with Samantha, Mrs. Whitedove?”

  “Well, she’s been off her food lately. She won’t eat and doesn’t even play with her toys,” Mrs. Whitedove explained, her eyes clouding over in worry and concern.

  Seth scratched the poodle behind her ears before putting the earpieces of his stethoscope in and placing the chest piece against the poodle’s chest. His eyes slipped closed as he listened to her heart. The sound of a minor irregularity caused him to frown. His free hand smoothed over the poodle’s side slowly, gently. The poodle whined again, pressing closer to him.

  Mrs. Whitedove watched in fascination at the emotions that flitted over the doctor’s features. Concern had been evident at first, but it slowly dissipated to a peaceful, almost serene countenance. “Is everything all right with Sam, Doc?” Fear weighed heavily in her voice.

  He didn’t respond right away. A tiny drop of sweat broke out over his forehead, but then his eyes opened. He gave her a strained smile. “She’ll be fine, Mrs. Whitedove. She just has a bit of upset stomach. I’ll give you some Pepcid AC for her, and you may want to adjust her diet for the next couple of days to help with the nausea and the discomfort she’s feeling. Just some plain rice and a bit of chicken without the skin. Why don’t you take Sam into the waiting room, and I’ll get that for you right away.”

  Mrs. Whitedove gave a sigh of relief and smiled enthusiastically at him. “I’m so glad, Doc. I was frightened something was really wrong with her. My son, Kasey, bought her for me as a gift after my mother passed away.”

  “She’s going to be just fine,” Seth murmured, stroking the dog along her nose briefly. His fingers gripped at the edge of the exam table until his knuckles turned white as he waited for the woman to leave the room.

  The instant the door closed behind her, he raced into the back toward the bathroom, where he promptly vomited into the toilet. A dark substance stained the white porcelain as he slumped down onto the floor. He rested his forehead on his folded arms across the seat, waiting for the shakiness and dizziness to fade. When he finally felt he could stand without falling over, Seth pushed up from the floor to go fill the prescription for the poodle.

  Chessie stood talking to Mrs. Whitedove when he exited the back. He handed the small
bottle to Chessie. “Just give her a half in the morning for the next five days, and she’ll be just fine, Mrs. Whitedove. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me. My cell number is on my card. I’m available anytime you need me.”

  “Thanks, Doc,” she said, smiling, paying Chessie before walking out of the clinic with a very happy bounce to her step. Seth smiled weakly after her.

  Chessie gave him a worried look, coming around to place her hand on his shoulder. “You all right, Doc? You look a little pale.”

  Seth nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine, just a little tired. It’s been a long six weeks.”

  “If you’re sure,” she replied uncertainly. “Your next appointment should be here in just a few minutes.” Her gaze was troubled as she watched him go into his office at the back of the building. She could sense that he hadn’t been completely honest with her.

  Seth sank down into his desk chair, leaning his head on the desk in front of him. His eyes closed as he struggled to gain control of his body. It wasn’t but a few moments before the intercom buzzed and Chessie let him know his next appointment had arrived. Taking a deep breath, he stood, walking into the front to grab the file he needed.

  By the end of the day, he felt exhausted and wobbly on his feet. Chessie left an hour before he did, and he was just about to lock up for the night when he heard the bell above the door tinkle. Sighing, he stepped into the hallway from his office, stopping short when he saw the most gorgeous man he’d ever laid eyes on standing there.

  The man was the walking epitome of sex. Black hair, held back from his face, shone brightly in the overhead lights. Strong, high cheekbones and a firm, rounded chin gave him a rugged appearance. The olive-toned skin clearly showed his relation to the other locals. He stood at least six feet, with big, wide shoulders that could surely hold a mountain of weight on them. A sheriff’s uniform hugged his muscular body in all the right places.

  Swallowing hard, Seth walked toward him, a slight smile on his face. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  Instantly, a hostile look came into the dark gaze staring at him. “You’re white,” the man snapped.

  Seth lifted an eyebrow at the man. He decided right then he didn’t really like him. He peered at the tag on the uniform, eyes widening slightly at the name. “Gee, I’m glad that’s been sorted out. Now my confusion has cleared. What can I help you with, Sheriff Whitedove?”

  A scowl settled between the elegant arched eyebrows. “Doc never said he was selling to a white man.”

  The small smile that had been on Seth’s face had died long ago. He could tell the man was a prejudiced bigot. “Look, you’re obviously not happy about the fact that I’m not Cheyenne, but you’ll have to deal with it, because I can’t change who I am,” he ground out, very angry suddenly. “Now, is there something you needed, or are you just going to stand there all night telling me I’m white? I’m exhausted and would like to go home.”

  Sheriff Whitedove pulled himself up to his full height, towering over Seth, but Seth didn’t back down. He merely glared at the man. “One of my horses is having a difficult labor, but I don’t need a white man touching my horses. Your kind knows nothing about animals.”

  “So you’d rather your horse suffer and possibly die because I’m white?” Seth demanded harshly, his heart aching at the obvious hatred coming from the other man. He’d never admit it, but it hurt. “And I know more about animals than you think, Sheriff, but if you’d rather your horse died instead of having a white man helping, then I suggest you remove yourself from my clinic.” His breathing had grown ragged from the anger surging through him. Bastard. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

  The skin around the sheriff’s mouth grew white with how tight he had his lips pulled together. “Fine, let’s go, but know this, Doc, if my horse dies, I’m holding you responsible.”

  Seth didn’t respond to the threat, but he whirled around to go back into his office to grab his emergency medical bag. The sheriff still waited impatiently by the front door of the clinic. Seth felt more concern for the horse than he did for how the man seemed to dislike him for being white. “I’m ready,” he said in a serious tone.

  The sheriff didn’t say a word, just slammed out of the office to the sheriff’s department pickup in front of the clinic. Seth shut and locked the door behind him before sliding into the vehicle. The sheriff barely gave him the chance to fasten his seat belt before tearing out of the parking lot. Tense and quiet, the ride seemed longer than the ten minutes it actually took. Seth couldn’t stop himself from giving a small sigh of relief when they pulled up in front of a large ranch-style home just outside of town.

  “This way,” the sheriff practically growled at him.

  A horse lay in the straw in one of the stalls. Seth rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside the horse. Everything else disappeared. Not even the sheriff mattered at that moment. His hands slid down the broad side of the dark chestnut horse. The foal was in trouble and fading fast. He knew if he didn’t get the foal turned quickly, both the mother and the baby would die.

  Moving quickly, he shoved the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows. He didn’t take the time to slip on the gloves like he normally would have. He could feel the fear and pain radiating from the horses, adding to his own worry for them.

  Reaching into the horse, he carefully grasped the front legs of the foal and tugged slowly, gently. Inch by excruciating inch, the foal began to turn. Seth made a small grunt of triumph as the baby fell into place and began to slide forward. The horse let out a neigh of excitement as she felt the foal moving.

  Kasey Whitedove hovered but didn’t say anything, instead merely studying the man who had taken over the animal clinic in his town. He could see it was as if nothing but the animal existed for the dark-haired vet. The play of emotions, from worry to relief, across his features fascinated him. He felt a twinge of regret for how he’d spoken to the man at first but viciously shoved it away. Either way, the man wasn’t Cheyenne. White men knew nothing about animals. They used them and destroyed them for their own personal gain. His lips flattened even further in anger at the previous doctor. What had Redfern been thinking?

  Seth pulled his hands free of the horse’s body and let her finish the work. The baby slid out in a rush of fluids to land in the soft hay. A wide smile split Seth’s face at the sight of the beautiful black foal that was already struggling to stand. He carefully moved backward to watch as the mother started cleaning the baby. “Very nice,” he said almost under his breath.

  When he knew they would both be okay, he looked toward the large Cheyenne, but he didn’t expect praise. He merely asked, “Is there somewhere I can clean up?”

  “There’s a small room at the back of the barn,” Kasey replied roughly.

  Seth stood, brushing past the sheriff, not noticing the way the man stiffened. He located the room, turned on the faucet, and grabbed the bar of soap resting on the edge. It was a good thing he hadn’t needed to worry about another episode, because he couldn’t trust someone who obviously didn’t trust in his ability. If only the man knew. His mouth turned down at the corners at how much he actually seemed to care what the sheriff thought. It didn’t matter, he told himself sharply. The man was a bigot.

  Suddenly, he felt more exhausted than he had in months. It had been a long day, and the tense emotion between him and the sheriff was heavy, weighing him down like lead. When he exited the small washroom, the sheriff wasn’t inside the barn. Seth gathered his things, exiting the barn. He didn’t see the man anywhere out front, either. Sighing, he was wondering if he would have to walk back to town when the front door opened. The sheriff stepped out onto the front porch, his boots scraping the wood floor. “You ready?” the man demanded.

  Seth’s jaw clenched, but he merely gave a short nod. Not a word breached the silence between them during the ride back, and Seth was so happy to see his clinic. Even more so than he had been that morning. “Good night, Sheriff.�
�

  “Night,” the man bit out.

  Seth watched the truck roar out of the parking lot, shaking his head. Stubborn, foolish man.

  Seth slid into the front seat of his car, heaving a tired sigh. His body hurt, ached with a fierceness that always came after he expended energy healing. Since he’d been a child, he’d had the unnatural ability to see inside animals to find whatever illness they suffered, and he was able to remove that illness, but not without paying a price. His body absorbed the bad energy causing the disease or sickness and had to eliminate it once he’d finished. Most of the time it was a simple matter of dispelling the energy by vomiting, but sometimes, if the sickness were severe enough, his body would need to find another outlet. Usually through bloodletting. Either way, it left him exhausted and fragile.

  A yawn broke free as he started the car, and he knew if he didn’t get home soon, he would be in danger of falling asleep at the wheel. The little house he’d rented, perfect for just himself, rested on the edge of the forest: two bedrooms with one and a half bathrooms, a small living room but a wide open kitchen, was more than enough for one. He loved to cook, so the kitchen was one of the features that had drawn him to the little house.