EXCERPT
“Pleasure ma’am. I’m Doctor Zachary Callahan. You can call me Zach.” His husky baritone sent shivers down her spine. The new Doc had such a sense of confidence and control, more than any man she’d ever known—even her ex. Again, warmth flooded over cheeks, down her neck and coming to rest high on her breasts. He flashed a wicked smile, causing a heatwave farther south. What the hell am I thinking?
She knew perfectly well. It had been a long time since a man had this kind of effect on her libido. She sucked at flirting and needed to make a quick exit before she really made a fool of herself. Looking at the handsome man, her mouth suddenly felt dry, and struggled for something to say.
“Pleasure.” Turning to Pete, with eyes widened, she said, “Put this on my bill, I’ll catch you later.”
“Sure thing, birthday girl.”
Spinning around, she smacked up against the new Vet’s denim, this time brushing lightly against the buttoned down shirt. Why was he so close? Her mind failed, open as a calving cow. She inhaled a perfect combination of soap, leather, and sandalwood—clean and strong against the denim fabric. Her heartbeat pounded so loudly he could probably hear the blood coursing through her veins, moving faster than the lead horse in a barrel race. Gazing up into the hazel-eyed man, she thought her knees would buckle when his eyes moved over her body, assessing and scrutinizing her from nose to toes. She tried to squeeze by him running her back along the counter, but her legs wouldn’t work. Before the cheese slid off her cracker, she took a breath to buy some time. What’s going on? This man’s way too intense for me.
“Birthday girl, eh? Charlie Reynolds? Aren’t you the owner of the Triple R Ranch?”
Huh? “Yes. Yes, I am. How’d you know?”
“Doctor Shepherd has been briefing me over the past month on all the clients in town. I wasn’t expecting a woman.”
Charlie slipped into her most demure drawl. “My dear sir, don’t look so surprised. The fairer sex can run a ranch these days you know.”
“I wasn’t questioning your abilities Miss Reynolds. I’m surprised that’s all. When I saw Charlie on the file, I, uh just assumed you’d be a man.”
“Okay, well you can see I’m not. I may wear pants, but I can assure you, I have all the right tack.” Did I just say that? Flirting isn’t easy.
With a snicker, he said, “I’m sure you do. Well, ma’am, I hope you have a wonderful day.” He tipped his hat and grinned.
Charlie bee lined out of Acredale’s Tack and Feed feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her. After he flashed those pearly whites, all she could do was nod her head in acknowledgement. Between feeling like a fool for making the embarrassing comment and the way her insides did flip-flops over his good looks, she had been rendered mute as the new fence line back at the ranch.
Life wasn’t fair. Since the first week in college, she’d been madly in love with her one and only husband. They met in line at indoctrination and instantly became friends then lovers. Her parents, Rex and Racine Reynolds, had sent her to the East Coast to get a proper education. She looked upon the opportunity as a way to distance herself from life on a Texas ranch, boring and hot and going nowhere. Life held more for her than birthing calves and foals, round-ups, and the hot Texas sun. She wanted an education to break away, find another line of work, and travel. Carlton Baldwin fit the bill. After several semesters at the university, she’d set her mind to marry Carlton and before returning home after graduation four years later, they eloped. Sure enough, ten and a half years later, Charlie divorced the jerk.
No, life wasn’t fair. She had spent the last ten plus years taking care of everyone and everything except herself. Now, at forty-two, she felt she was too old to find a man to love, or at least one that could fit into her life on the Triple R.
The tall, dark, and handsome vet made her insides tingle. Arousal had ignited, fresh and unexpected, washing over her. Leaving her...expectant, yearning and feeling younger than her birthday announced. Thank God Pete only said happy birthday instead of happy forty-second. The awkward meeting was embarrassing enough.
She knew perfectly well. It had been a long time since a man had this kind of effect on her libido. She sucked at flirting and needed to make a quick exit before she really made a fool of herself. Looking at the handsome man, her mouth suddenly felt dry, and struggled for something to say.
“Pleasure.” Turning to Pete, with eyes widened, she said, “Put this on my bill, I’ll catch you later.”
“Sure thing, birthday girl.”
Spinning around, she smacked up against the new Vet’s denim, this time brushing lightly against the buttoned down shirt. Why was he so close? Her mind failed, open as a calving cow. She inhaled a perfect combination of soap, leather, and sandalwood—clean and strong against the denim fabric. Her heartbeat pounded so loudly he could probably hear the blood coursing through her veins, moving faster than the lead horse in a barrel race. Gazing up into the hazel-eyed man, she thought her knees would buckle when his eyes moved over her body, assessing and scrutinizing her from nose to toes. She tried to squeeze by him running her back along the counter, but her legs wouldn’t work. Before the cheese slid off her cracker, she took a breath to buy some time. What’s going on? This man’s way too intense for me.
“Birthday girl, eh? Charlie Reynolds? Aren’t you the owner of the Triple R Ranch?”
Huh? “Yes. Yes, I am. How’d you know?”
“Doctor Shepherd has been briefing me over the past month on all the clients in town. I wasn’t expecting a woman.”
Charlie slipped into her most demure drawl. “My dear sir, don’t look so surprised. The fairer sex can run a ranch these days you know.”
“I wasn’t questioning your abilities Miss Reynolds. I’m surprised that’s all. When I saw Charlie on the file, I, uh just assumed you’d be a man.”
“Okay, well you can see I’m not. I may wear pants, but I can assure you, I have all the right tack.” Did I just say that? Flirting isn’t easy.
With a snicker, he said, “I’m sure you do. Well, ma’am, I hope you have a wonderful day.” He tipped his hat and grinned.
Charlie bee lined out of Acredale’s Tack and Feed feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her. After he flashed those pearly whites, all she could do was nod her head in acknowledgement. Between feeling like a fool for making the embarrassing comment and the way her insides did flip-flops over his good looks, she had been rendered mute as the new fence line back at the ranch.
Life wasn’t fair. Since the first week in college, she’d been madly in love with her one and only husband. They met in line at indoctrination and instantly became friends then lovers. Her parents, Rex and Racine Reynolds, had sent her to the East Coast to get a proper education. She looked upon the opportunity as a way to distance herself from life on a Texas ranch, boring and hot and going nowhere. Life held more for her than birthing calves and foals, round-ups, and the hot Texas sun. She wanted an education to break away, find another line of work, and travel. Carlton Baldwin fit the bill. After several semesters at the university, she’d set her mind to marry Carlton and before returning home after graduation four years later, they eloped. Sure enough, ten and a half years later, Charlie divorced the jerk.
No, life wasn’t fair. She had spent the last ten plus years taking care of everyone and everything except herself. Now, at forty-two, she felt she was too old to find a man to love, or at least one that could fit into her life on the Triple R.
The tall, dark, and handsome vet made her insides tingle. Arousal had ignited, fresh and unexpected, washing over her. Leaving her...expectant, yearning and feeling younger than her birthday announced. Thank God Pete only said happy birthday instead of happy forty-second. The awkward meeting was embarrassing enough.
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