badly.â
âYou believe that?â
âNope,â she said.
If what theyâd been talking about hadnât been sick, weird, freaky, horrible, and all of the above, her response might have made him laugh. As it was, he muttered, âShit.â
âYeah,â she agreed. âGood times. I need you to drop me at Emersonâs place.â
The only Emerson Owen knew was Emerson Watley, a dairy farmer older than God, with plenty of hair in his nose and his ears but none at all on his head.
âHot date?â
Why had he asked that?
âDate?â she repeated as if the word were a new one. âWith Emerson? Heâs ancient.â
âHe could have a grandson, named after him and everything. Or maybe you just like ancient.â
Owen really needed to shut up now.
âI have no idea what youâre talking about. Thereâs a cow having trouble calving, so drive this truck like you own it and get me there yesterday.â
âI donât own it.â
âPretend.â
For a few seconds the only sounds were the tires on the road and Reggieâs staccato breaths. He could feel the heat coming off her skin. If he touched her hair, would sparks ignite? Maybe sheâd just punch him. Wouldnât be the first time.
âItâs none of your business,â she blurted.
âThe cow?â
âMe.â She sat stiff and straight, chin lifted, gaze forward. âEven if I had a date with Emerson, or any other man in this town or the next, you gave up the right to care about it a long time ago.â
âNo,â he said.
âNo?â Her shrill voice made Reggie inch so close to Owen he was practically driving.
âI might have given up the right to date you, but I never gave up the right to care.â
Watleyâs driveway appeared, and Owen took the turn so fast, Reggie was thrown into her side. He yelped.
âHey.â She set her hand on the dogâs shoulder at the moment Owen did the same.
Their fingers met. They both jerked back; the dog snorted.
âWhat were his injuries?â Becca asked.
As if he understood, Reggie offered the paw on his injured leg. She smiled and ran her fingers down the appendage. Owen couldnât believe the dog allowed it. Most MWDs had to be sedated for veterinary care. They werenât the kind of animals who submitted to anyone other than their handler. But Becca was different.
âJust here?â she asked, palm directly over the inflamed area. Reggie started to pant.
âHeâs fine.â Owen negotiated the long, gravel lane then parked next to the brilliantly lit cow barn.
She lifted her hand from Reggie and opened her door, then hesitated, clearly wanting to argue, to examine the dog further, but duty called. âBring him by the clinic.â
âIâll do that.â
Her eyes narrowed. Had she heard the lie? She should be getting better at it by nowâthanks to him.
âBecca?â Emerson stood in the circle of light just outside the open barn door. The man looked exactly the same as he had the day heâd chased Owen off his land with a rifle.
Was this place caught in a time warp? Owen had yet to run into anyone who had changed as much as he had.
Then again, he was the one whoâd left. Which only made the time-warp theory more plausible.
âThanks for the ride.â She got out of the truck.
âDonât you need your doctor bag or something?â Owen asked.
âIâm hoping all I have to do is turn the calf, and itâll come out easy-peasy.â
Owen had been around enough cows to know that if the delivery was going to be easy-peasy, it would have happened already with no need for veterinary assistance. âYouâre gonna be up all night, arenât you?â
âProbably.â Becca rubbed Reggieâs head one last time then slammed the door and went into the barn. The old guy cast a dubious glance in Owenâs
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