that she stormed downstairs, ignoring her hurt at his abrupt departure.
Perhaps he was sick of dealing with her; perhaps learning she was sick had run him off.
Well, she didn’t care! She didn’t! And she’d continue to tell herself that until she she’d continue to tell herself that until she believed it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Tanner pulled up outside the large house at Creek Side Ranch. He had to hand it to the man; Ryan McKenzie had turned a bankrupt, struggling ranch into something prosperous and well run. But he’d done it at the expense of his little sister and that was something Tanner could never forgive, and it was something he intended to take Ryan to task for.
“Sheriff, can I help you?”
Tanner looked over as Callie’s oldest brother strode towards him. Cold blue eyes peered out at him from a tanned, lined face that proved the man worked hard on his land. Too bad he’d never worked that hard at raising his bad he’d never worked that hard at raising his baby sister.
“We need to talk, Ryan.”
The other man’s eyebrow rose at his tone, but he merely gestured towards the house.
“Sally! Sal!” he yelled out as they entered and Tanner winced in sympathy for his poor wife if she had to put up with that bellowing all the time. He didn’t know her well. Ryan wasn’t the social sort, and Sally seemed content to stay on the ranch.
“Hold your horses,” she retorted as she appeared around the corner of the hall.
“Sheriff! How good to see you!” Her face went from plain to beautiful when she smiled and once again Tanner wondered why such a nice, normal woman had married Ryan McKenzie. “There’s not a problem, is there?”
“Ma’am,” he nodded to her politely. “I’m not here on official business. I’m here about Callie.” Concern immediately filled Sally’s eyes as she took a step forward and Tanner wondered how much easier Callie’s childhood would have been had Ryan met this woman earlier.
“Oh, no, something hasn’t happened to her, has it?”
“She’s okay, ma’am. But perhaps we could talk for a moment?” He aimed his question at Ryan who nodded, gesturing towards his study.
“I’ll get you some coffee,” Sally offered, but Tanner could sense she didn’t want to leave them.
“Actually, ma’am, I’d appreciate it if you’d come sit in for this conversation.”
“Alright,” she smiled at him. “But only if
“Alright,” she smiled at him. “But only if you call me Sally.”
He smiled back. “Agreed. Call me Tanner.”
Ryan humphed with impatience.
“Enough chitchat. Did you come out with something to say, Sheriff, or are you just here to charm my wife?”
“Ryan!” Sally gasped.
“It’s okay, ma’am, uhh Sally. Actually Ryan, I came here to talk to you about Callie.”
“So what has the brat done this time?
Built up too many parking tickets? In trouble is she?” Ryan asked harshly. Tanner frowned.
“Actually, no, not that sort of trouble.
She’s sick. She’s exhausted, over-worked and she needs some help.”
The older man just snorted. His voice was gruff when he spoke. “I told her it was a was gruff when he spoke. “I told her it was a damn fool idea to open that vet practice.
Already got a damn good vet, knew no one would go to her.”
“Actually, Ryan, Callie’s a very good vet.” Surprisingly, it was Sally who spoke up, her voice serious as she defended the younger woman.
“How would you know?” he asked
suspiciously. “We go to Don Hendricks and we always will.”
Tanner couldn’t believe the man wasn’t supporting his baby sister.
“We use Don for the ranch animals, but I take Whiskers to Callie. You may choose to use that old fool, Don, but I won’t risk Whiskers life with him, Ryan. Callie is an excellent vet. But you’re right, Sheriff, she works too hard.”
“What’s any of this got to do with us,
“What’s any of this got to do with us, Jamieson? Or you for that matter?” The other man’s temper
Perhaps he was sick of dealing with her; perhaps learning she was sick had run him off.
Well, she didn’t care! She didn’t! And she’d continue to tell herself that until she she’d continue to tell herself that until she believed it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Tanner pulled up outside the large house at Creek Side Ranch. He had to hand it to the man; Ryan McKenzie had turned a bankrupt, struggling ranch into something prosperous and well run. But he’d done it at the expense of his little sister and that was something Tanner could never forgive, and it was something he intended to take Ryan to task for.
“Sheriff, can I help you?”
Tanner looked over as Callie’s oldest brother strode towards him. Cold blue eyes peered out at him from a tanned, lined face that proved the man worked hard on his land. Too bad he’d never worked that hard at raising his bad he’d never worked that hard at raising his baby sister.
“We need to talk, Ryan.”
The other man’s eyebrow rose at his tone, but he merely gestured towards the house.
“Sally! Sal!” he yelled out as they entered and Tanner winced in sympathy for his poor wife if she had to put up with that bellowing all the time. He didn’t know her well. Ryan wasn’t the social sort, and Sally seemed content to stay on the ranch.
“Hold your horses,” she retorted as she appeared around the corner of the hall.
“Sheriff! How good to see you!” Her face went from plain to beautiful when she smiled and once again Tanner wondered why such a nice, normal woman had married Ryan McKenzie. “There’s not a problem, is there?”
“Ma’am,” he nodded to her politely. “I’m not here on official business. I’m here about Callie.” Concern immediately filled Sally’s eyes as she took a step forward and Tanner wondered how much easier Callie’s childhood would have been had Ryan met this woman earlier.
“Oh, no, something hasn’t happened to her, has it?”
“She’s okay, ma’am. But perhaps we could talk for a moment?” He aimed his question at Ryan who nodded, gesturing towards his study.
“I’ll get you some coffee,” Sally offered, but Tanner could sense she didn’t want to leave them.
“Actually, ma’am, I’d appreciate it if you’d come sit in for this conversation.”
“Alright,” she smiled at him. “But only if
“Alright,” she smiled at him. “But only if you call me Sally.”
He smiled back. “Agreed. Call me Tanner.”
Ryan humphed with impatience.
“Enough chitchat. Did you come out with something to say, Sheriff, or are you just here to charm my wife?”
“Ryan!” Sally gasped.
“It’s okay, ma’am, uhh Sally. Actually Ryan, I came here to talk to you about Callie.”
“So what has the brat done this time?
Built up too many parking tickets? In trouble is she?” Ryan asked harshly. Tanner frowned.
“Actually, no, not that sort of trouble.
She’s sick. She’s exhausted, over-worked and she needs some help.”
The older man just snorted. His voice was gruff when he spoke. “I told her it was a was gruff when he spoke. “I told her it was a damn fool idea to open that vet practice.
Already got a damn good vet, knew no one would go to her.”
“Actually, Ryan, Callie’s a very good vet.” Surprisingly, it was Sally who spoke up, her voice serious as she defended the younger woman.
“How would you know?” he asked
suspiciously. “We go to Don Hendricks and we always will.”
Tanner couldn’t believe the man wasn’t supporting his baby sister.
“We use Don for the ranch animals, but I take Whiskers to Callie. You may choose to use that old fool, Don, but I won’t risk Whiskers life with him, Ryan. Callie is an excellent vet. But you’re right, Sheriff, she works too hard.”
“What’s any of this got to do with us,
“What’s any of this got to do with us, Jamieson? Or you for that matter?” The other man’s temper
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