Chapter Four
O ver Ledger’s dead body was he allowing Demi to lift a horse. Not in her condition.
As she walked over to the hay bale and sat down with her box of food, she didn’t say a word. But her demeanor said it all.
She was ticked off.
He’d seen more than his share of SEALs who ignored injuries and afflictions so they didn’t have to slow down. Hell, he’d been one. But he wasn’t going to let Demi ignore herself. He didn’t know much about pregnancies, but he was pretty sure that lifting a horse—even with help—couldn’t be good for her.
Colton was eyeballing him. Meadow’s head was practically whipping back and forth between him and Demi. Then Hunter walked in, thankfully oblivious, to lend a hand.
At least one of Ledger’s buddies had his six.
“Take hold of that rope. On three, nice and easy.” Taking control, Ledger directed them. From the corner of his eye, he saw Demi’s spine snap straighter.
“One, two…hoist!”
Even with the pulleys assisting, and four of them doing the lifting, the animal was still heavy—far too heavy for Demi to be lifting.
When the horse’s hooves barely skimmed the floor, she called out for them to stop. Then she brushed past him to inspect the injured leg.
Ledger’s gut clenched. The scent of her shampoo reminded him of that steamy-hot night. Her honey-blonde hair tumbled over one shoulder, begging for his fist to wrap around it while he drove into her tight heat.
Was her hair shinier? It looked shinier. Maybe it was the faint sunlight streaming into the barn that made it look that way.
She bent over, bringing his attention to her ass.
Colton gave a cough, and Meadow let out a sudden giggle. Dammit, why did he have to have such observant friends?
Demi straightened and gave a nod. “Looks good, guys. Knot off the ropes.”
They made quick work of it. As soon as he was no longer needed, Hunter went off to help the other ranch hands. Meadow fussed over her horse, and Colton hung back in the barn with her. Though he tossed several significant glances at Ledger.
His buddy had questions.
Well, so did he.
Giving Demi a pointed look, he twitched his head toward the exit. She avoided his gaze but grabbed the food and walked out without acknowledging him at all.
The woman was a real piece of work.
As soon as they cleared the doorway, he gruffed out, “Follow me.”
To his surprise, she did. The only place they might get a private minute was a spot on the ranch only used at night. He led the way to the bonfire. The ashes were cold, but several chairs circled the area—a place for Demi to sit and eat.
She sank to one of the chairs, and he paced back and forth in front of her. “I thought you were buying Plan B.”
Unfazed by the statement, she cracked the box of food and wet her lips. God, he did not need to see that sweet little tongue of hers darting across her full lip. Or the trace of wetness left behind.
His cock started to stiffen.
She picked up a plastic fork that the waitress placed in the box for him. “I was, but the pharmacy was out.”
“The one in the next town was out of the pill?”
She nodded. “I was going to go first thing in the morning to the local one…but then there was an emergency, and then another…then another…and that took me out of the time constraints.”
“What could be more important—”
She looked up from her meal, a strip of bacon poised at her lips. “This isn’t the only ranch with animals that are injured. I’m the only vet for miles. People rely on me.”
She had put her patients before herself. Much as he wanted to argue, he couldn’t say he was much different. He would put his brothers before himself every time. For Demi, she’d taken a risk that nothing would result from that broken condom.
She munched on the slice of bacon and in seconds, it was gone. She gobbled the second and then attacked her eggs with her fork.
He didn’t know what to say. The Navy hadn’t trained him to handle a woman who was pregnant with his baby.
“Thanks for the food.”
Caught up in his thoughts, her statement surprised him.
“No problem.”
“How did you know to go to Dilly’s Diner?”
He shrugged, feeling as awkward around her as a damn schoolboy and as turned on as the man who hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her from the moment she drew him into the parking lot of Badlands.
“In a town as small as Eden, there aren’t many options.”
“But you asked them what I like.”
He nodded. “Figured if I was bringing you food, you might as well get something you enjoy.”
God, she was beautiful with the early morning breeze teasing the honey-blonde strands of hair off her rounded cheeks. He’d only ever seen her in the dim lighting of the saloon and then in her bedroom, but he didn’t remember her skin glowing this much.
He had to ask. “How are you feeling?”
She dropped her fork in the box and closed the foam lid. Suddenly fishing out her phone, she stared at the screen. “That’s my receptionist asking how much longer I’ll be. I need to get to the next ranch.”
She stood and turned away from him.
He caught her by the elbow. Curling his fingers around her flesh had his balls tightening. “Demi—”
Her warm brown eyes locked on his. “I’m fine. Look, I really have to run. I need to get to all these animals and spay three cats before I can go home.”
The question in his mind was no longer whether she worked too hard. It was whether she ever rested.
Releasing her arm, he watched her walk away from him. Again.
But it would be the last time. He wouldn’t let her avoid him anymore.
* * * * *
Demi wasn’t proud of doing another cut-and-run from Ledger. But she did not want him to see her turn green and then lose her breakfast. Not to mention cleanup at the fire pit wasn’t ideal.
With a hand braced on the side of the shed she’d made it to, she shut her eyes and fought the wave of morning sickness.
Okay, this was not fun. She really needed to make a definite decision.
The smell of the food that remained in the takeout box wafted to her, turning her stomach again.
From some other part of the ranch, she heard low male voices. Then the clank of machinery.
She had to get out of here before someone saw her. With as much composure as she could muster, she hurried toward her car, holding the box away from her so she couldn’t smell it.
After setting the box far away in the trunk, she settled behind the wheel and dragged in a few deep breaths of the fresh, crisp, hay-scented air.
When she came to the Gracey, she really had planned to talk to Ledger about their situation. Her stomach had other plans. Fabricating the lie about her receptionist texting her, gave her a small tug of guilt. She was no wimp and she prided herself on always being open and honest. In her line of work, there was no other course.
At least she hadn’t disgraced herself in front of the hot guy by being sick…and she did have more calls to make.
The next ranch on the list wasn’t far from the Gracey. In minutes, she pulled up to the barn and climbed out.
She stopped in her tracks. Great. In her rush, she’d forgotten her bag in the Graceys’ barn. She’d just have to make do with the boxes in the back of her vehicle, but she ‘d have to return for the bag. Her chances of running into Ledger were too high for her peace of mind.
That determined set of his jaw told her that next time, she wouldn’t get away with avoiding a discussion.
Heaving a sigh, she walked toward the barn. The owners were in the process of replacing some plank boards, and the smell of fresh-cut wood made her nose tingle.
The rancher who stepped out was a familiar face. She’d spent a lot of time with him pregnancy-checking his herd only the week before.
“Hey, Doc.”
“Dean. I heard you have an injured cow.”
“I do.” He jerked his head for her to follow him inside the barn.
She smelled the blood before she spotted it. Then the fresh tracks of blood in the straw finally led to a pool of it.
“Oh god.” She strode straight to the pregnant heifer. “What happened here?”
It looked like…
It wasn’t a typical injury, but it wasn’t completely unheard of in these parts.
“Something attacked her. Found her in the pasture.”
Gashes and bite marks like this could only be made by a big predator.
“Wolf attack.”
He snapped his head toward her and gave a hard nod. “Thought the same. But wolves usually keep away from my ranch.”
“We have to stop the bleeding. She looks about to go down.” The cow wobbled on her feet.
Demi ran back to her vehicle and started throwing supplies into a box. She really had her work cut out for her. The wounds were deep, and any animal attack came with risks of bacteria transferred from mouth to wound. Her mind jumped to each step in the process of treating the cow.
Once she started to work, she didn’t glance up until the rancher moved close to inspect his animal.
“I know you’ve got more cattle out in that pasture. I suggest moving them. When I leave here, I’ll call the ranger and see what we can learn about a wolf pack in the area.”
He nodded. “I’ll get the herd moved today.”
This was going to be a long one. She’d had a good breakfast to give her a good start, but look how that turned out. Now her stomach protested with hunger pains.
Her body couldn’t make up its mind. But between Ledger breathing down her neck for answers he deserved and her workload, she couldn’t afford to sit on her decision for very long.
Quickly, she stabilized the cow and administered an injection of antibiotics to combat any infection contracted from the bite wounds. In all her years as a vet operating out of Eden, she hadn’t encountered an attack of this magnitude.
With her box now lighter by a few supplies, she returned to her vehicle. Dean trailed behind her, discussing the cow’s care.
“I’ll check in on her tomorrow. If anything worsens in the meantime, call the office. My receptionist will find me.”
The lines carved in his forehead looked like fissures in the granite of a mountain. “I hope you don’t get any more calls like this. Ranchers struggle enough to scrape out a living without losing our cattle to wolves.”
Or to attacks from humans, like Meadow’s horse.
She had no choice but to make that call to the local forest ranger about the wolves. Demi had worked with Opal Vale before. Her father owned the Springvale Ranch. As his daughter, the woman came with a levelheaded calm and no-nonsense attitude Demi could appreciate. If either of them had free time, they might be friends.
She placed the call, and they agreed to meet at Dilly’s. The idea of the diner and its menu left Demi with mixed feelings, but she could sip on lemon water if nothing else.
She also didn’t relish the thought of what the staff at the local joint must think about a muscled military man walking into the place and demanding to know Demi’s favorite breakfast food. There would surely be questions that—again—she wasn’t prepared to answer.
She rubbed the spot on her arm where Ledger had touched her. The feel of his warm fingers wrapped around her skin raised a shiver of desire inside her.
When it came to the few men she did bring to her bed, she rarely had more than a few encounters. After only once with Ledger, her body remembered him. His touch, the way he sounded when he reached completion…
“Demi?” She realized she’d been standing in front of Dilly’s, staring off into space.
A heated flush stole over her, which didn’t help the warmth low in her core.
She swung toward Opal and slapped a bright smile on her face. “Hi. Thanks for meeting me. Should we go inside?”
Opal’s smile and nod of agreement made Demi reach for the door, and they walked inside.
The ranger was what people referred to as a dark horse. There was something earthy about her, while her dark eyes and hair gave her the appearance of a woodland Disney princess. In uniform, a lot of women would look formal and stiff, but Opal wore the khaki top and dark green pants with a feminine grace, making her look like a famous actress who visited the military camps during World War II.
The smell of food was just as she feared—her stomach both cramped in hunger while a bit of nausea lingered.
Water it is.
They were greeted warmly by the staff and selected a booth in the back where their conversation wouldn’t be overheard. As soon as they sat, a waitress bustled over to take their drink orders.
When they were finally alone, Demi got straight to the point. “We might have a problem.”
Opal’s shapely brows arched. “What’s going on?”
She took out her phone and located the photos she’d snapped of the wolf attack.
She made a noise in her throat. “That doesn’t look good, does it? Can I have a closer look?”
She passed the phone to Opal, who leaned over the device and expanded the image to get a better look.
“It’s wolves, isn’t it?” Demi asked.
“I’ve seen similar marks on deer and elk I’ve found on the mountain. I’d say wolves are responsible.” She looked up at Demi. “Whose ranch?”
“Dean Davidson.”
She groaned. “It’s too far from the mountain for wolves to come looking for food. It could mean that their food sources are running out up there.”
“What’s our move?” She took the phone from Opal and set it aside.
The waitress brought their drinks—water for her and coffee for Opal. When the scent of the brew hit Demi, her stomach turned. She felt the blood drain from her face.
Oh no. She could not lose her composure in the middle of Dilly’s.
Opal reached for her hand, a small pucker between her brows. “Demi, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Her voice came out too faint. She covered it by taking a sip of water. The coolness felt good sliding down her throat.
Opal’s eyes seemed to hold a lot of questions. She got the feeling that the woman saw too much.
Clearing her throat, she attempted to take control of the body that she no longer felt like she had any control over. “What can be done about the wolves?”
“I’d like to see them. I could attempt to dart one with a tranquilizer and see if it’s wearing a tracker. All the wolves from the state park have trackers on them. But going out to a ranch late at night is a little hard with Rainie.”
Opal’s three-year-old daughter.
The woman was a single mom. If she could do it, so could Demi.
“I could dart the wolves. I have to care for a lot of animals that aren’t domesticated.” She sipped her water and felt a little better with each mouthful.
Opal eyed her. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You look like you want to—”
The sickness hit at once. Demi leaped out of the seat and raced for the bathroom.
She’d barely bent over the toilet before soothing hands rubbed her back.
“It’s gonna be all right, Demi. I promise the morning sickness doesn’t last long.”
Oh god. Opal knew.
The clock was ticking. Demi needed to figure things out—now.
That brought up another worry. Ledger.