“Think I could have you take a look at two more of the heifers before you leave?” Everett nods his head toward the back pasture, looking apologetic. “It’s their first season, and I forgot to ask you to check on them when you got here.”
Everett’s gotten a lot more verbose since he met Mary, slowly leaning away from his habit of grunting and single word sentences. He actually even makes small talk nowadays. I’veknown him for my entire residency. I’ve worked on the ranch since I was freshly out of high school and just starting college. He and Jenny are practically family at this point.
“You got it,” I say, as I bend to slip between the slats of the fence. “You’re all I’ve got on the schedule until late afternoon, so it’s no trouble.”
I have to run out to check on a racehorse injury at around four this afternoon, but I try to keep my days at the ranch as open as I can. There’s always something going on when you’ve got this many animals, and I want to do what I can to help.
“You’re a lifesaver,” Everett says, as we wander together through the barn toward the back pastures.
“Hardly.” I chuckle.
We fall into comfortable silence. As we clear the barn and head down the worn dirt path, my mind starts wandering again. Every quiet moment I’ve had today has been like this, with thoughts of Wayne popping up and lingering until I find a way to distract myself again.
I’m sure it’s just because I work for Wayne’s dad. My anxiety heightens at the thought of having to explain to Everett that I hooked up with his son, and every time I try to imagine how I’d do it, embarrassment flares bright in my gut. I can’t decide if it’s better or worse that it was only one night that’s never going to be repeated. I don’t want to insult Everett by implying that his son isn’t worth more than a night of my time, but… well, he’s not.
I’ve worked my ass off to get my degree, and I’m less than a year from finishing my bovine surgery practicum and am firmly on track to becoming a shareholder in the veterinary practice I work for. I helped my parents retire to Florida after they did everything in their power to help me.
I’ve got my shit together, in short. Sure, Wayne is a bigshot lawyer out in Billings, and he looks great on paper, but he’s justnot the type to settle down with. I don’t have time for a playboy who doesn’t take his life — or the people in it — seriously.
Everett’s phone rings before we’re even out of sight of the barn, and he frowns down at his pocket even as he fishes his phone out. I’m grateful for the distraction.
He’s such a stereotypical old man when it comes to technology. I’m pretty sure Jenny only convinced him to get a smartphone a year or two ago, and he barely seems to understand how to use it. His face lights up when he reads the caller ID, and he uses his index finger to answer the call with a wide smile.
“Mary! How are you?”
I bite my lip to stifle an affectionate laugh. I know for a fact it’s been less than an hour since they’ve seen each other, but Everett is doing his version of bouncing on the balls of his feet. He’s not that expressive as a person, but I know him well enough to know that the twinkle in his eyes and the way his shoulders slump down in comfort is something that only happens when he’s around Mary.
They chat briefly, Everett as lively as I’ve ever seen him, and I ignore the twinge of loneliness in my chest.
It would be so nice to find something like they have — someone who will accept and treasure me for exactly the person I am. Maybe one day. After all, I’ve got plenty to keep me busy with work. I don’t need to get distracted by romance right now. Maybe I’ll give it a shot in a few years.
“The feed guys are here early,” Everett says after he hangs up. “I need to double check the bags before they unload. Can I meet you out at the pasture?”
“Sure thing,” I agree easily. “I’ve got a list of the heifers I wanted to check out anyway, so I’ll start with those.”
Everett heads back toward the front of the barn, a frankly adorable spring in his step… or, well, as springy as a guy like himcan get, anyway. It’s good to see him like this, even though it was the last thing I expected from Mary when she showed up. I thought the two of them would end up at each other’s throats.
I guess that’s kind of what happened, just not how I expected.
It’s kind of similar to what happened with Wayne and I, minus all the cute mushy feelings. However, the thought of me ever feeling that way about Wayne is laughable. Hell, even in high school, I only ever dared to fantasize about a make-out session or two with him. I never envisioned a relationship. So why can’t I get him out of my head now?
I shake my head. My one-night-stand is not that important, and I need to stop thinking about it. I got my adolescent desire to have him out of my system as an adult, and now I can move on with my life.
I’m just hoping that I won’t continue running into him. Windy River isn’t a big town, and considering how often I work on his family’s ranch, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to stumble across each other while he’s around. I can only hope that whatever has him staying in a motel instead of his childhood bedroom will also keep him from hanging around the ranch while I’m working.
I should know better than to ask fate to be on my side.
“Katie!” calls out Wayne.
I close my eyes in annoyance, steady myself, and I then paste on as bland of a smile as I can manage as I turn to face Wayne. He jogs down the path, looking entirely out of place in a crisp button-down and expensive jeans. There will probably be scuffs on his fancy leather shoes just from walking around on the ranch. I still unfortunately find him unreasonably attractive, but I chalk that up to not being blind. He’s good looking, and now I know he’s good in bed, but that doesn’t mean that I want anything to do with him.
“Wayne,” I say. “Do you need something?”
Confusion flickers in his eyes, the sun catching them and turning the normal plain brown to a dazzling golden. I glance away before I have a chance to get wrapped up in how pretty he is.
“Need? No,” he says with a slow, liquid grin. “There’s something I want, though.”
I try to dredge up annoyance and disgust, but the statement unfortunately makes my blood go hot for a second. That’s all it is, though. A second. I’m not going to give him more of my time just because he’s looking at me with heat and desire as he steps close enough for me to smell his woodsy cologne.
