Chapter Three
Markie watched him walk out the door without even a backward glance. She should have apologized but he still came across too cocky for her liking.
“Here you go, Markie. Enjoy,” Deidra said as she set her salad in front of her.
She picked up the Ranch dressing, poured it on the salad, then ate. She loved the meal, but it could have been sawdust for all she knew. Nate hated her now and who could blame him. She had jumped to conclusions about him, but he had an air about him that just shouted, ‘look at me, I’m gorgeous!’ She snorted out a laugh and when Rissa looked at her with a frown, she shook her head.
Markie knew she wasn’t being fair, but Jarrett came across the same way and she despised that man.
The first time she met him was right after he came to dinner with her father. She’d thought he was nice, but that sure changed when he hugged her and slid his hands down her back. She stepped back from him before he could touch her inappropriately. When she looked at him, he winked, and she felt sick knowing what type of man her mother had married. Any time after that, he was constantly trying to touch her, but her mother said he was just being friendly. He was way too friendly for Markie.
She’d made it clear, several times, that he needed to keep his hands to himself, or she’d tell her mother. He laughed and told her to go ahead, because he knew her mother would believe him over her. And she had.
When the bell jingled above the door, she glanced over and smiled when she saw Sydney enter.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were coming here for lunch, we could have met up,” Markie said.
“Well, we kind of did,” Sydney said with a laugh, then gave Deidra her order.
“True.” Markie sighed. “You just missed Nate.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
“I think I ran him off.”
“Why do you think that?”
Markie explained what had happened and Sydney shook her head.
“Markie, you have got to stop judging him. He’s a great guy.”
“I didn’t judge him. I sat beside him, and I was going to tell him how sorry I was, but he told Rissa to pack his lunch up to-go.”
“Boy, you really botched it up with him.” Sydney smiled when Deidra placed her salad on the counter. “Thanks, Deidra.”
“I suppose I did. But he’s just so… cocky.” Markie sighed.
Sydney turned on the stool to look at her.
“You’re confusing cocky with confident. He knows his abilities and strengths. He accepts his flaws, and feels comfortable being himself. Cocky is him thinking highly of himself and coming across as boastful or smug.He’s not like that at all. Everyone likes him. Well, everyone but you. Even his ex-wife, and her husband are friends with him.”
“You know him better than I do.”
“Yes, and you jumped to conclusions about him. Shame on you, Markie.”
Markie sighed. “You’re right. If I ever see him again, I’ll apologize.”
“You should get to know someone before judging them.”
“Yeah, I get it. I feel awful now. He probably hates me.”
Sydney laughed. “Nate doesn’t hate anyone.”
The bell jingled again and both women looked toward the door. When Sydney hissed in a breath, Markie faced her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I met that man at Celine’s coffee shop one morning and I haven’t seen him since. He’s so hot.”
“There are four men who came in, and they’re all hot, but which one?”
Sydney opened her mouth but snapped it shut when one of them stopped beside them.
“Ms. Wright? We met before, I’m Caysen Anderson.” He put his hand out toward her. When she didn’t shake his hand, Markie elbowed her.
“Oh, uh, yes. Agent Anderson, of course, I remember.” Sydney placed her hand in his and when they kept staring at each other, Markie bit her lip to hold back a grin.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Markie Russell. I work at the Clifton Animal Hospital.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Russell. Agent Caysen Anderson with MDOL.” He shook her hand. “These are my brothers, Agents Deacon and Hudson Anderson.”
The men shook their hands, told them to enjoy their lunches, then moved to a booth.
“I have never seen you so tongue tied around a man,” Markie said with a laugh.
“I’d like to tie my tongue around him.” Sydney glanced over her shoulder toward the booth, then back to her. “He’s so handsome. Well, they all are, but there is something about Caysen Anderson that just draws me in.”
“His brothers are gorgeous too. So, they’re all MDOL agents. That’s hot.” Markie laughed.
“Well, go for it.”
“I don’t even know if they’re involved with anyone.”
“True. I don’t know if Caysen is or not. One morning at The Everyday Grind, he was there with Killian and we were introduced. I haven’t been able to get him out of my head since. I need to find out if he’s involved with anyone. I’ll ask Celine.”
“Yeah, she could ask Killian.”
Sydney sighed. “If he is, I’ll move on, but if he’s not… well, we’ll see.”
“I wish I was that confident around a man.”
“What do you mean?”
“Enough to let him know I’m interested.”
“Is there someone you’d want to know you’re interested?” Sydney cocked her head.
“No. Not really. I was just thinking that if there was, I’d never be able to let them know.”
“Oh, please. You’re a woman. All you have to do is look at a man a certain way and he’ll take the hint.”
“Well, if I ever meet one I’m interested in, I’ll try that.” Markie smirked.
“You’re hopeless.”
“Hey, I didn’t see you letting Agent Anderson know you were interested.”
“I have to know if he’s involved first. I won’t go after another woman’s man.”
“Good for you. I wouldn’t either.”
“I’d never want another woman going after any man I’m with.”
As the women ate their lunch, Markie couldn’t stop thinking about Nate. She was sure she wasn’t someone he’d want to know now. He did say he’d like to know her, but she probably ruined that. What is wrong with you?
“I have no idea,” she murmured.
“No idea about what?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Sydney stared at her a few seconds then continued eating. Once Markie finished, she stood, paid for her meal, and told Sydney she’d see her later.
When she walked outside, she sighed at the heat. She was ready for cooler weather already and summer hadn’t even arrived yet.
Entering the hospital, she smiled at Jodi, then made her way to her office to get ready to see the next patient. She had to keep busy to keep Nate Jefferson off her mind and how she must have made him feel.
****
Nate entered his house after a long day of work. It seemed like anything that could go wrong on a ranch, did today. He was tired, hungry, and needed a shower.
He hung his hat on a peg, pulled a chair out from the table, collapsed on it and leaned his head back. Damn, what a day and it started after he got back from lunch. It had been bad enough dealing with Dr. Russell and her condescending way, but then everything at the ranch went wrong. From the horses running through a fence to the tractor breaking down and then new fence needing to be strung. It was hot and the ranch hands were all miserable. Nate hated to see what summer was going to be like.
Sitting up, he removed his boots and stood. He carried them to the mudroom, then stripped off his clothes. Dust rose from them when he dropped them to the floor. Picking them up, he tossed them into the hamper, then padded barefoot to the bathroom. He didn’t feel like showering, but he knew he had to.
It had been a long time since he’d been this damn tired after work. The hot sun blazed down on the men and by the time they got the fence finished, they were all soaked with sweat. It was rarely this hot in early May and he wondered if a cold front was coming behind it.
He found out the next day when temperatures plummeted. The day before it was almost seventy-five and today it was in the low fifties. As he walked through the barn, he saw one of the ranch hands enter.
“Hey, boss. You wanted to see me?” Jobe said.
“Morning, Jobe. Did you guys check the horses after they ran through the fence?”
“Bart said he did.”
“And he didn’t see anything?”
“He didn’t say. What’s wrong?”
“One of them has a cut on its leg. It should have been tended to yesterday.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll tell him.”
“Call the vet. It needs to be looked at.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry.”
“It was Bart’s responsibility. Please call him and tell him I need to speak with him. We can’t let this happen.”
“He’s off today, but I’ll let him know.”
“That’s fine. He can’t be doing half-assed jobs.”
“I know. Hey, have you heard about the weather?”
“No, I haven’t had time this morning.”
“It’s supposed to snow tomorrow night.”
Nate laughed. “Welcome to Montana.”
“No shit. You know, being from Louisiana, this weather is crazy to me.”
“I’m sure it was a shell shock for you. May is one of our wettest months, so snow is always possible.”
“I remember my first year here and it snowed in April.”
“You get used to it.”
“You’ve lived here all your life, haven’t you?”
“Yep. I love it. I know I bitch about the cold, but I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
“I’ll call the vet now.”
“Okay, you stick around here and wait for them.” Damn, Nate hoped it wasn’t Dr. Russell who showed up.
“Uh, sure, but I’m supposed to be stacking hay.”
“Just hang out here for a minute for the vet. I’ll be in my office.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nate nodded, then walked to his office. He went inside and closed the door behind him. He had no desire, whatsoever, to see Dr. Russell. She made it clear what she thought of him and no matter what he told her; she had made up her mind. He wasn’t the type of man to beg. If she wanted to think the worst of him, that was her problem, and he’d just stay the hell away from her.
****
Markie sighed. “Why is it always me that has to come here?”
She stopped her vehicle beside the barn, got out, then entered the barn. The weather had changed so quickly, she was beginning to think they were going back a season instead of forward.
She glanced around and saw a man coming toward her but she knew it wasn’t Nate. He wasn’t tall or built like Nate.
“Ma’am. I’m Jobe Harrington, one of the ranch hands. I’ll show you where the horse is.”
“Alright.” She followed him, looking around and wondering where Nate was.
“We brought him inside. A bunch of the horses were playing around yesterday and ran through the fence.”
“You should have checked them.”
He stopped, turned and looked at her. “Yes, someone was supposed to.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that it could have gotten infected.”
“They’ve all had their tetanus shots, but I think it might need stitching.”
“I’ll take a look.”
He stopped beside the stall and nodded for her to enter as he opened the gate.
“Hey, big boy,” she said quietly as she ran her hand down the horse’s face. She noticed the cut and it was going to need stitches. She clenched her jaw in anger because it should have been taken care of yesterday. She looked at the ranch hand. “It will need stitches. Could you hold his head, please?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As Markie numbed the leg, then stitched it, her anger built. This was so uncalled for and she thought Nate would know better.
When she finished, she stood up and looked at the young man.
“I’d like to speak to Nate, please.”
“Uh, yes, ma’am. He’s in his office.”
“Thank you. I’ll go talk to him.” She knew by the look on the man’s face, he knew she was going to tell his boss about this not being taken care of.
Markie made her way across the barn’s aisle and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Nate called out.
Markie took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped into his office. He didn’t even look up. He probably assumed it was one of the hands.
“That horse should have been taken care of yesterday.”
His head snapped up, then he narrowed his eyes.
“No shit, Dr. Russell.”
“Then why wasn’t it?”
“Because I just saw it this morning. Someone was supposed to have checked them over—”
“Well, they did a piss poor job of it,” she snapped.
Nate got to his feet, and she could see the anger on his face.
“Do you think I don’t know that?”
“Well, I hope whoever didn’t do their job, you reprimanded them.”
“It’s really none of your concern,” Nate snapped.
“I’m a vet! Of course, it is.”
“This is the first time it’s ever happened and trust me; I will talk to him about it.”
“I’m sure Mr. McCallister wouldn’t like it.”
Nate smirked. “Oh, so you’re going to tell on me now?”
When he folded his arms across his chest, her anger exploded, and she glared at him.
“Do you think I won’t?”
“Do what you want. Beau knows me well enough to know that I would never ignore an injured animal. You just can’t stand it that I’m not the one at fault here. You want to blame me for it. Well, it’s because of me that you’re here now. Damn, woman. What the fuck did I ever do to you?”
“You’re so full of yourself, it’s disgusting. Do you think all women just fall at your feet?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Oh, so you do think that,” she said.
When he smirked, she wanted to slap him. He shook his head and nodded toward her clenched fists.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said as he walked around his desk and stepped closer toward her.
Markie shook her head. “I highly doubt that.”
Nate stared into her eyes, and she was drowning in his. The man was too… male . He oozed masculinity and sex. She could smell his aftershave, and she had to get away from him or make a fool out of herself. She turned toward the door, but his words stopped her.
“You just can’t admit you’re attracted to me,” he said, making her gasp.
“You think I’m attracted to you? An egotistical cowboy who has probably had more women than necessary—”
“How many are necessary?”
“ Oooh , just leave me alone.”
“Do you think I don’t know when a woman’s attracted to me? You tell yourself you don’t like me because you think I’m cocky, but you know I’m not. Deep down you know it but can’t admit it for some reason.”
“Bullshit,” she snapped.
“You’re afraid of men like me,” he whispered.
“I am not afraid of you. Men like you disgust me.” She narrowed her eyes.
“I’m not the man you think I am and that’s what disgusts you. Not the fact that I’m confident, but that it attracts you and that’s what you don’t like.”
Markie stepped closer to him, feeling the heat coming from his body along with the smell of sweat and aftershave.
“I don’t like you .” She emphasized her words by poking him in the chest. His very hard chest.
“Really?” he murmured as he stared into her eyes.
“Yes,” she snapped.
“I bet I could prove otherwise.”
Before she could reply or move away, Nate’s rough hands gripped her waist, pushing her against the hard wooden planks of the wall. She dropped her medical bag as his lips found hers in a hungry kiss, their tongues tangling together as they fought for dominance.
Markie’s pulse raced as Nate’s calloused fingers traced down her body, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.
With a deep growl from his throat, Nate lifted Markie’s T-shirt over her head, dropping it to the floor, and exposing her lacy black bra. He wasted no time cupping her breasts, teasing her nipples until they harden beneath the material. Markie gasped as pleasure shot through her body like electricity.
Nate’s mouth moved to her neck, nipping and sucking at her sensitive skin. He trailed kisses down her collarbone and chest until he reached her breasts, then removed her bra. He sucked at each nipple as Markie moaned loudly, trying to get herself closer to him. He fumbled with his belt buckle before unzipping his jeans, lowering them, and pulling out his hard cock. He rolled on a condom quickly before lifting Markie up by her ass, pressing her against the wall once more. He pushed the crotch of her panties aside and entered her roughly with one swift thrust, filling her completely while pressing his lips to hers.
Markie cried out as pleasure washed over her in waves. She wrapped her legs tightly around Nate’s waist as he pounded into her relentlessly. Sweat dripped down their bodies as they moved together in perfect harmony. She dug her nails into his back as she felt herself getting closer and closer to orgasm. With another hard thrust, she shattered apart crying out as she came harder than she ever had before.
But as soon as it was over, shame washed over her like a tidal wave. She quickly unwrapped herself from Nate’s embrace, pushing him away, and frantically pulling on her clothes as tears streamed down her face. Without saying a word, she opened the door and ran out of the barn into the cold air. But even as she ran away from him, she could still feel his touch lingering on her skin like a brand – making it impossible for her to forget what just happened between them no matter how hard she tried to pretend otherwise.
****
Nate pulled up his jeans, zipped, and snapped them, then buckled his belt. He hung his head and stared at the floor. Then he looked toward the open door and swore when he heard her driving away.
“You are one stupid son of a bitch,” he muttered, then with a deep sigh, he made his way to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.
As he washed his hands at the sink, he stared at his reflection and shook his head.
“Dumbass.”
He stepped out of the bathroom, then turned out the lights in the barn and headed out toward his truck. He called Jobe to tell him he was going home for the day.
Nate climbed into his pickup truck, punched the roof of the cab with his fist, and swore again. Then he started the truck and drove home.
Pulling up to the small cabin, he shut the truck off and stared out the windshield.
“What the ever-loving fuck were you thinking?”
He opened the door, stepped out, and slammed it a little harder than necessary, then entered the house, slamming that door behind him. He flipped the lights on as he made his way to the kitchen, opened the fridge door, retrieved a beer, and then slammed that door closed, making the glass pitcher on top of it, fall to the floor and shatter.
“Son of a bitch!”
Taking a deep breath, he set the beer bottle on the bar, got the broom and dustpan from the closet and swept up the shards of glass, swearing the entire time. After dumping it into the trashcan outside the back door, he went back into the kitchen, reached for his beer, but knocked it to the floor. The bottle didn’t break, but just about all the beer spilled out.
Nate stared at it then picked it up, poured the rest down the drain, tossed the empty bottle into the recycle bin, grabbed a bunch of paper towels and wiped the beer from the floor.
“I didn’t want a damn beer anyway,” he said as he strode from the kitchen, entered his bedroom, then the bathroom. He stripped off his clothes, turned on the shower, and stepped into the stall, hoping the water would wash away her scent from his skin.
After washing, he turned off the shower, reached for a towel and rubbed it over his hair. He hung it on the shower rod, grabbed another one, dried off, and wrapped it around his waist then walked to the mirror above the sink. He swiped his hand across it to remove the steam and then shaved.
When he finished, he removed the excess cream from his face, splashed a little aftershave on, took the towel off and hung it on the bar, then he entered the bedroom, pulled on a pair of sweatpants, and headed toward the living room.