Chapter 1
“Ugh,” Lauren cried and hit the steering wheel of her baby-blue Ford Bronco with her fist.
Grabbing her keys, she got out, slammed her car door shut, and looked across the overgrown yard to the dilapidated house she’d spied from the road. Squaring her shoulders, she carefully picked her way past the rusted car parts littering the path to the rickety wooden porch. The overpowering smell of dog feces and spilled motor oil caused her stomach to roll. She took a wide step around the scraggly tan and white growling dog tied to a post, and gingerly stepped up the two broken steps threatening to give way underneath her feet. She hoped someone was home who could point her to the Henderson Ranch. She took a breath and raised her fist to the door.
She knocked a couple of times before the deadbolt clicked and the weathered door jerked open, sending a flurry of peeling white paint to join the dirt and dead pine needles covering the porch. She took a step back as a burly old man scowled at her through the dirty mesh of the screen door.
“Wha’d ya want?” the man barked as one of his hands scratched at the huge unsightly beer belly bulging between the gaping snaps of a ratty pair of long underwear.
Lauren gulped then cleared her throat, determined not to let the old man and his gray, tobacco-stained beard intimidate her.
“I was hoping you could tell me how to get to the Henderson Ranch. I lost my phone signal and didn’t know which road to take,” she explained while smiling sweetly, hoping to soften up the scowling man.
“You’re not one of them silly girls just wanting to go out there and see the pretty horses, are ya? The Henderson’s don’t take kindly to people just showing up at all hours of the day while they are trying to work.”
“No, sir. I’m Dr. Cooper. I work for Dr. Robinson. I’m supposed to treat one of the mares.”
“Well… in that case. Wait a minute. Are you sure you’re a vet? You’re awfully small to be handling those big horses.” He squinted at her through the door.
Lauren pulled herself up trying to appear taller than her five foot two inches would allow and continued smiling, pushing back the angry words threatening to spill out.
“Yes, I’m sure. Now could you please tell me how to get to the Henderson Ranch?”
“All right, but I’m guessing the Henderson’s are going to be in for a surprise when they see you,” the old man sneered, exposing his yellow-stained teeth.
* * *
Garrett walked across the dusty floor of the barn and slid the large wooden door open along its thick metal rail and peered into the cloudless December sky. A plume of dust appeared through the towering pine trees dotting the sides of the dirt road meandering through the small valley to the ranch.
“Finally,” he growled and turned his six-foot two-inch frame back inside, the spurs on his boots jingling as he stomped back across the wooden floor to the first stall.
The longer he had to wait while trying to calm down the injured mare, the angrier he’d gotten. Dr. Robinson hadn’t been able to get away from the call he was on and assured Garrett two hours ago he would send one of the other doctors out. He couldn’t imagine what had taken so long.
When tires crunched on the rocks in front of the barn, Garrett gave the mare a reassuring pat and stepped outside.
“What the hell?” he mumbled to himself as a woman—whose head barely came over the top of the steering wheel of a blue Bronco—pulled to a stop.
He stomped over, intent on telling her he didn’t have time to show her around to take pictures, or pet one of the horses, as the occasional woman who found her way out here wanted to do. Instead, he stopped dead in his tracks when she opened the door and hopped to the ground. Momentarily stunned at the vision of beauty standing barely five feet tall in front of him scowling down at her phone, he suddenly found it hard to breathe. From her heart-shaped face and full lips framed by an abundance of honey-brown hair fluttering softly in the breeze to the sharp indention of her waist, and down to the gentle curve of her hips. He’d never laid eyes on a more beautiful sight.
“Are you Mr. Henderson?” A sweet lilting voice asked, breaking him out of his trance. He jerked his eyes up from the luscious swell of her breasts underneath the pink hoodie zipped against the chill of the December air, to a pair of sapphire-blue eyes.
“Yes, I’m Garrett Henderson, and you are?” he questioned, pulling together the edges of his black duster over the growing bulge in his jeans.
Her lips, that he could only imagine tasted like the sweetest strawberries, tipped up into an amused smile. Garrett’s heart tripped as a spark of heat flashed through those glittering blue eyes as the lovely woman slipped her phone into the back pocket of her jeans and stuck out her hand.
“I’m Dr. Lauren Cooper. Dr. Robinson sent me. I apologize for being so late, but I got a little lost.”
Shaking her delicate hand, Garrett couldn’t quite comprehend the words she’d uttered.
“Say that again?” he asked, lifting one eyebrow as he scanned his gaze up and down her small frame.
“I’m Dr. Cooper. I’m here to take care of your injured mare.” Her back stiffened and her chin jutted out as the warmth in her eyes turned into an icy glare.
Garrett returned the frigid look with one of his own, his thoughts immediately turning to what the hell Dr. Robinson was thinking, sending such a tiny thing to deal with one of his mares. She’d never be able to maneuver the large animal, putting herself in danger of being trampled if the horse got spooked.
“Has Dr. Robinson lost his mind?” Garrett mumbled under his breath, still glaring at the beautiful woman now tapping one foot on the ground with her arms crossed over her chest. He knew it wasn’t her fault she’d been sent out on a job she had no business attempting. Then he remembered she was also late and his anger got the best of him.
“Why don’t you head on out, and I’ll call the vet over in Salida. Bella can be stubborn, and I’m not sure you’ll be able to handle her.”
At her outraged gasp, he knew he’d just made a colossal mistake, but he wasn’t going to back down. Bella was temperamental, and in her injured state, there was a very high probability she’d fight any attempts to stitch up her wound. His protective instincts concerning the beautiful, tempting woman standing in front of him overrode any thoughts of allowing the woman to perform her job.
“Oh! You–” Lauren began to spout before a gruff voice interrupted.
“What’s going on here, son?”
Surprised he hadn’t heard him approach, Garrett turned to his dad. “I was telling the doctor here we won’t be needing her services today.”
His dad gave him a long look before reaching out his hand to the beautiful, but furious, woman. “Doug Henderson.”
“Lauren Cooper. Nice to meet you,” she replied, giving his dad a tight smile as she shook his outstretched hand.
“What’s the problem, son? Why don’t you want the lovely Dr. Cooper treating Bella?”
Garrett ducked his head, knowing it was unreasonable to think she was incapable of managing the horse. Dr. Cooper, despite her small size, would have certainly received the proper training on how to handle injured animals—large or small—in veterinarian school.
But despite the thought, he continued, “She might get hurt. You know how unpredictable Bella can be.”
Garrett looked his dad straight in the eye, owning up to how he felt when it came to the woman standing in front of them, still tapping her foot on the rocky ground.
“Oh, I see how it is!” Garrett’s dad chuckled, slapping him on the back. “Son, just because she isn’t a big strapping man like the two of us, doesn’t mean she can’t handle herself around the animals.”
“Thank you, Mr. Henderson.” Her sweet voice piped up. “I can assure both of you I do indeed know my way around a horse. Now if we can go inside, I’d like to look at the mare. I’m sure she’s been in pain long enough.”
“Come on. I’m sure Dr. Cooper can handle Bella just fine.”
Garret had no choice but to follow his dad and the lovely Dr. Cooper--with her swaying hips—into the barn.
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