Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
GIA
Once we got the cow into the leg restraint I swiped sweat off my forehead. I tied the bandana on to keep sweat and hair out of my eyes since this was going to take a bit of work. Then I returned to excavating debris and washing off her hoof to assess the damage.
“Well, Mr. Almond, I found the problem,” I announced.
“There’s a nail in her, but it’s not in her hoof.
It’s above it.” I leaned back and sighed.
“This is a problem. She’s got a pretty severe infection in the coffin joint.
I need to take a radiograph…I mean, I need to x-ray the hoof to see if there’s damage to the bone or a fracture.
How much do you want to spend on her? This could be expensive to treat. ”
“What?” The sixty-something farm owner leaned in. This was one of his show heifers. He needed her sound for a show in a few weeks. “I’ll be damned.”
I glanced at the cow nibbling hay who seemed undisturbed by what we were doing. “Where do you think she found a nail?”
“Horse farrier, maybe. I try to keep the cows clear of the horse area, but those 4-H kids were playing with the old horseshoes last month.”
“I’ll clean it up and wrap it. I don’t know that she’ll be sound in time for the show, though.” I glanced at Mr. Almond.
“All right, do it. Are you good for a few minutes? I’ve got to go talk about selling a tractor.”
I nodded. When I finished the films and didn’t find a fracture or bone infection behind me I heard, “As I live and breathe, is that Dr. Gia?”
I straightened with a grin. “Dr. Hudson Raynes. I thought you moved to Illinois or something.”
“I could say the same.” He pulled me into a hug and laid a kiss on my cheek. “I’m seeing a lame show horse over at the horse barn. Heard you finally ditched that lowlife you married. Hate to say it, but I told you—”
“Then don’t say it,” I cut in. Hudson had been an intern with me at the University of Tennessee. He’d been in equine medicine with my ex as one of his supervisors, whereas I’d been more focused on farm medicine.
“Oh, I’m saying it.” He stretched the words out dramatically.
“I warned you. But you got distracted when you knew damned well I was always the better-looking option.” He preened with his broad shoulders thrown back, acting as shameless as ever.
Hudson probably still kept in shape by using his free time training his horses.
“Look at you sporting a beard now.” I laughed when he rubbed a hand along the tight cut beard, then caught himself and ruffled the hand through his wavy brown hair. He was just as adorable as always. To me, he wasn’t necessarily sexy, but cute. “Why are you in North Carolina?”
“Half owner of Carolina Equine now.”
“Half owner? Real responsibility, huh?”
“Who are you working with?”
“I’m doing relief work for Vision Veterinary.”
“If you’re freelancing, come work for me. I’ll pay you double.” He threw an arm across the stall behind him and leaned on it. “We mostly do horses, but I’ve got people asking all the time for the other animals. Sure would be nice to offer that service.”
“You don’t even know if I’m any good.” In the years since our internship, we occasionally texted each other about tough cases, but only rarely discussed personal stuff.
“I know you’re good with horses, which is excellent for my business. And…” Hudson looked down at the hoof I was working on, then back at me. Something warm settled into his voice. “I know exactly how good you are.”
My fingers stilled. There was history in that tone. Old want. Old admiration. Honest interest from his end. We might’ve kissed once, but it hadn’t been enough for me to push it further.
A prickle ran over the back of my neck. My head lifted. Just beyond Hudson, farther up the aisle, a tall shadow stood half-hidden between shafts of dusty sunlight and barn-dark. I knew who it was in my gut simply by the angle of his shoulders.
Timothy.
My pulse turned traitor with one brutal kick against my ribs after another. Heat flashed low and hard through my body so suddenly it made me grip the hoof knife tighter. What was he doing here?
Hudson was a safe option. He was the sort of man a sane woman should want. He probably had a fully funded retirement plan and a half-paid for house. But he reminded me far too much of my ex.
The shadowed man down the aisle did not.
The way Timothy stared at Hudson standing close to me…
Possession rolled off him in dark, furious waves. Or maybe this didn’t really have to do with Hudson and had everything to do with Timothy despising me.
“What do you think, Gia?” Hudson asked.
I dragged my attention back to Hudson. “What?”
“If you won’t work for me, let me take you to dinner. For old time’s sake.”
Every bit of attention I had was aimed up the aisle at the man glaring holes straight through me. Was that jealousy burning his eyes like he hated himself for feeling it? Or was I imagining it?
Something reckless woke up inside me. I turned fully toward Hudson and smiled, a slow change of my lips that I knew Timothy could see. “Are you asking me on a date, Hud?”
Hudson grinned, bringing out the cute dimple on the left side of his cheek. “Yeah. I guess I am. There’s just no one like you, Gia.”
“All right,” I said lightly, though my skin was on fire. “Text me later and we can look at schedules.”
Hudson leaned in close. “I still want you working for me. I’m not giving up that dream. You’re the best with the big animals.”
My cheeks warmed. But not from Hudson.
No, my body was locked on the man stalking toward me now, boots heavy against the barn floor in a slow, deliberate, and somewhat predatory pace.
Hudson waved and headed off.
The second we were alone, my eyes lifted to Timothy. The look on his face stole the air from my lungs. That wasn’t indifference. It also wasn’t something gentle.
I returned to working on the cow’s hoof. She couldn’t stay in the restraint for too much longer.
Timothy stood there, staring at me and making my body burn for an indefinite period of time. I flushed the wound a few more times and applied the poultice before the bandage.
Finally, I blurted, “For the love of God, say whatever it is you’re dying to say before you burn a hole in my back.”
He remained silent.
I glanced up, wondering if he’d stroked out while I finished the bandage. “I’m not on your land, so you can’t accuse a McClary of poisoning your soil. I’m fully clothed, dry, and wearing a bra this time, so my boobs aren’t going to launch a sneak attack on you.”
His lips twitched upward. Then he drawled, low and rough, “I don’t think they were attacking me.”
My hand stilled on the bandage. I glanced up.
His eyes dropped to my chest, which was fully covered by the coveralls, before lifting back to my eyes.
“I think,” he said, voice dark as midnight, “they were inviting me to attack them.”
Heat slammed through me so hard I nearly dropped the wrap. My mouth went dry. My brain, apparently concussed by lust, offered nothing useful except: Well, he’s not wrong.
I swallowed.
His eyes dropped to the bruises on my wrist. All lightness dropped from his body.
“How’s my cow?” Mr. Almond boomed into the barn.
“She’s good,” I called out, falsely cheerful. “Just finishing up.”
Mr. Almond cuffed Timothy on the shoulder. “So, what do you think? You want to buy her?”
“I’ll take the tractor, Keith, but I can’t pick it up until later in the week.” Timothy’s voice was professional and no longer that dark-as-midnight tone.
“Excellent.” Mr. Almond waved at me. “Have you met Dr. Stevens yet?”
“She works for my brother. So, yes, we’ve met.”
“That’s right. Josh Hurst part owns Vision Veterinary. Well, you should get Gia out to your place. She’s magic with the cows.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
Timothy’s gaze met mine. “Perhaps I will sometime.”
Then he left.