19. DEAN
Chapter nineteen
DEAN
IF YOU NEVER ASK YOU’LL NEVER KNOW
I can’t stop thinking about that almost kiss with Preston yesterday. The man is sending me so many mixed signals. Like yesterday, licking those irresistibly perfect lips, holding my gaze, almost like he was testing me to see if I would kiss him. I reckon I would have, too, if Cuddles hadn’t chosen that moment to wake up. It’s a bit hard to get back in the same mood after you get licked on the mouth by a dwarf goat, so we sat on the small sofa he’s got in one of the exam rooms out the back and watched the Dr Who episode on the clinic laptop, and then I drove home.
“You’re quiet this morning,” Nial says from across the table.
“Just thinking.”
“Careful, don’t hurt yourself,” he chuckles.
“If you manage, I’m sure I’ll do just fine, little bro.”
“Woah, there must be something serious going on in that head of yours if you’re pulling out the little bro. Come on, I’ve got a few minutes before I have to get out there. What’s up?”
“It’s nothing, really.”
“So you weren’t thinking about the Doc?”
Fucking intuitive brothers.
“Might have been, but it doesn’t matter.”
“Why doesn’t it?”
“Even if I could get the words out to ask him on a date or something, where the hell would I even ask him to go? It’s not like there’s a lot of places to take a date around here.”
His eyes widen a little at my confirmation of his suspicions about my thing for Preston. I pause, waiting for the ribbing that’s sure to follow.
“That’s true. There isn’t much in town if you’re not a teenager wanting to share a booth in the new diner before driving to the falls to make out.”
The only time I went to the falls was in the daylight to jump off the top and swim in the summer after all the morning chores were done. Nial stands up with his plate and takes one step toward the kitchen, then pauses and turns.
“We could do another movie night, the weather’s been great, and we’re booked out for the cabins on Friday. How about you invite him to a cinema under the stars?”
I glance out the long window that overlooks the ranch. The sun is only just peeking up over the north mountains, throwing a beautiful soft orange glow across the entire sky.
“That’s actually a good idea. The guests would love that.”
“So would a certain vet.”
“I’ll ask him today under one condition,” I say, and Nial raises a brow. “What would that be then?”
“If he agrees to come, you don’t make it weird.”
He laughs. “Sorry, bro, can’t promise that, but hey, who knows, I might invite a date of my own. We can double and really make it weird.”
“Are you and Maggie not a thing anymore?” I ask, referring to the O’Leary’s daughter. Nial had been seeing off and on for the past year.
“We’re off again.”
“I thought you two were serious this time.”
He shrugs and heads into the kitchen.
I guess not.
“What time will we be starting the cinema?” I ask, letting the O’Leary thing go. If he wanted to tell me more, he would. Nial is not really the secretive type.
“About half-six, seven,” he calls back, and then the kitchen door closes with a thwack, and I spot Nial through the window headed to the main barn. The young ranch hand, Denver, from next door, jogs across the drive to meet him, and while I’m grateful that Nial has help, it sucks that I’m still not able to be out there with him. I’ve always managed before. I broke my arm about six or seven years ago now, and even in a full cast up to my elbow, I managed just fine getting all the work done. We did have about half the animals then, no cuddle cove or quirky lamas to manage, and no cabins either. Okay, so I can’t really compare the workload then and now. But just seeing how hard they’re all working makes me feel pretty fucking useless.
My phone chimes, and I swipe up the screen to check the message.
DOC: Need to head up to the Fletcher Farm, they’ve got some dead sheep. Should be back by lunch.
Dead livestock is never something anyone wants to deal with, but as a vet, Preston would be faced with it more often than most.
DEAN: Happy to come along if you want company.
DOC: Pick you up in twenty.
I drop Cuddles off with Connor. He’s jumping around with the mini highlands when I sneak out, and hopefully, he’s having too much fun to notice me not being there. I left the sash so that if Connor needs it, it will at least be covered in my scent. Once Skye is done with his morning chores, though, he’ll be over in the cove anyway, helping to clean out the mini barn stalls. I’m almost certain that when he sees Cuddles, he’ll claim the sash and all care rights. Poor Connor, he’s wanted a dwarf goat for as long as he’s been on the ranch, it’s really not fair that Cuddles is so against him. I’ll have to keep my eye out for another one for him.
“The Fletchers have lost some sheep,” I tell Nial as he hooks up the first of the girls in the milk shed. “The doc and I are headed out there now.”
“Shit, do you know how many, or how they died?”
It’s a morbid question, but out here, it’s a valid one. Accidents can happen with animals, like Brutus and the downed fence, much more struggling from him and he could have severed a main artery in his leg and died out there. But there are bigger risks, too, like diseases that can wipe out entire farms. We don’t have any sheep on the ranch. Gramps used to keep a few sheep that we used mostly for food. The Fletchers would send one of their sharers out to give them a go over and Gramps would give them the wool for the trouble. He had no need for it, after all. When he moved to Savannah, we handed what was left over to them and started just buying meat from the local butcher.
“Nope. I’ll let you know. Preston is picking me up, so you’ll have the truck if you need it. Is everything going well here?”
“It’s great, Denver is picking it up quick,” he replies, nodding towards the far row where the young ranch hand is working about four girls behind Nial, even with us talking. Not exactly killing it, but he’s new and given I was working at about half his pace, Nial is still better off with the young Royal than me.
Tires skid to a stop on the gravel outside.
“Looks like my ride’s here. I’ll check in later.”
“Remember to ask about Friday.”
“I will.”
I close the barn door behind me, and when I turn, I find Preston in the driver’s seat, smiling at me like I’m his most favorite person in the world. My stomach swirls.
“I put the seat back, figured it would be a bit easier,” Preston says when I open the passenger door. “Do you need a hand?”
I shake my head and grab the handle over the door opening and heave my ass up into the seat, then lift my boot leg in slowly as I turn.
“Thanks, that was actually a lot easier,” I say, wiping my sweaty hands down my lap before buckling the belt.
“Where’s Cuddles?” he asks.
“I’ve left him at the cove, figured it was safer. What do you know about the sheep?”
“Not much. Mr. Fletcher went out to round them up this morning and found fourteen dead.”
“Fourteen, shit. Are you thinking it’s a disease?”
“I’m not thinking anything just yet. Have to wait until we get out there and see, but I can’t rule it out. I’ve put Land Services on notice, too, in case we have something major on our hands.”
Preston took over more than just his father’s clinic when he moved back to Bellerelle. He’s the district vet, so when shit like this goes down, he’s got to investigate to rule out exotic and notifiable diseases and such and report back. Hopefully, that’s not what this is, but with fourteen dead sheep, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be something small either.
We’ve got about twenty minutes to the Fletchers and for the last ten, I’ve been trying to get up the courage to ask him out. I’ve been over the words a hundred different ways. I could be all casual, and just mention it’s on if he wanted to stop by, or I could ask him to see if Poppy wants to come out for it, but neither of those are dates, and I want it to be a date. Fuck, come on, Dean, grow some bull-sized balls and ask the guy out already.
“Do you have plans on Friday night?” I manage to ask, my heart thumping in my ears. I watch his mouth for the reply, worried the drumming is so loud I won’t hear a word he says.
“Not as yet. Why’s that?” he asks, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
“We’re putting on a cinema under the stars out at the ranch.”
“Sounds like fun, what are you showing?”
“Not sure yet. Nial is working all that out.”
“Weather’s been pretty good lately, so there should be a nice clear sky for it.”
“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, too.” Fuck, why is this so hard? “I was also thinking…maybe, you might want to come?” I manage to say, and he nods.
“Yeah, sure, sounds good.”
“I mean, like, with me,” I say before I lose my nerve, and he glances my way, a smile on his lips and a blush on his cheeks I don’t hate before returning his attention to the road.
“Like a date?” he asks, and I swallow the lump in my throat.
“Yeah. I mean, if you wanted to. If you’re still not up for—”
“No,” he interjects, and my heart sinks.
“Sure. It was a silly idea. You said you weren’t—”
The car swerves a little.
“No! Not no, I’m not up for it,” he says, cutting me off again. “No, I’m not, not up for it. I mean, I’d like that. Sorry, I’m screwing this all up,” he sighs, scrubbing his fingers through his hair.
“So that’s a yes?” I ask, and he nods.
“Yeah, it’s a yes.”
“Rightio then.” What the fuck, rightio, who says rightio? I was so close to being almost normal.
“Rightio,” he replies, and I smile the rest of the way to Fletcher’s farm.