was growing short and he moved restlessly.
“Well, firstly, I thought you might care about your little sister’s health. The little sister you helped raise. I thought you might actually care that her ulcer is back. I’m here because I do care about her health. How the hell could a twelve year old get an ulcer! You were supposed to be protecting her, raising her, loving her! Instead she spent her entire childhood believing she was a burden to you.” Sally gasped and turned to look at Ryan questioningly.
The other man’s eyes narrowed in fury.
“She was a burden. I was twenty-two and trying to run a failing ranch I didn’t need a brat to raise too.”
“Ryan!” This time Sally’s voice was truly
“Ryan!” This time Sally’s voice was truly shocked.
“Even if you did feel that way, and frankly, I fail to see how any brother could ever view his baby sister as a burden, you had no business letting her know that. You had no business neglecting her to the point that she got ill. She’s still ill.”
“What do you want, Jamieson? I fail to see how any of this is your business. If Callie sent you out here to have it out to me then she’s become a coward as well as a fool.” Tanner’s hands clenched at that statement and it was all he could do not to hit the other man. “Callie doesn’t know I’m here. I came out here because I thought you might care about her, more fool I. Callie does need something from you, though. She needs the money from her share of the profits of this ranch. Profits that I’m pretty sure she’s never asked for. We’ll be expecting them by the end asked for. We’ll be expecting them by the end of next week. And you’ll deliver them to her, Ryan and you will be civil or you and I really are going to have it out.” He threw the other man’s words back at him, nodding briefly to Sally as he left the house before he truly lost his temper.
***
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Callie looked over in surprise at the sound of Tanner’s voice barking out at her.
She stood frozen as he stormed angrily towards her, his gray eyes turning to a slashing sliver.
The air shimmered with the force of his fury, which was in direct contrast to the gentleness with which he plucked the large mutt out of her arms.
The dog let out a small whimper at the movement before settling in against Tanner’s wide chest, something Callie found herself feeling a little jealous over. It was ridiculous when she often chaffed under his domineering ways that she found herself wishing she could just curl up against his strong chest and let him do the worrying for both of them.
“Where do you want him?” he asked quietly, and she blinked in surprise before realising his quiet, gentle tone was for the injured animal’s sake, not because he was feeling at all mild or gentle.
“Umm, over in this cage,” Callie directed him over, watching as he easily lifted the heavy dog into the large cage where the scruffy mutt settled with a sigh. Callie ran her hand gently over the dog’s back before locking the cage.
“Do you need to do anything else?” Again his voice was almost spookily calm and it had Callie gulping as she avoided his silvery gaze.
“Umm.” She was on edge and quickly
“Umm.” She was on edge and quickly clasped her hands together when she found herself nervously fiddling with the cage door in front of her. “I just have to lock up.” She felt proud of herself for remembering that.
Surely it would earn her some brownie points?
Unfortunately not.
“I’ll take care of that. Get yourself upstairs. I expect you to be standing in the corner of the bedroom, your bottom bared when I get up there.” His voice was quiet, mild, and all the more menacing because of it.
“Why?” Her voice rose, almost to an embarrassing squeak.
“I don’t think I need to explain it, do I, Callie?”
Callie shook her head, speechless.
“Then get.” She jumped and raced up the
“Well, firstly, I thought you might care about your little sister’s health. The little sister you helped raise. I thought you might actually care that her ulcer is back. I’m here because I do care about her health. How the hell could a twelve year old get an ulcer! You were supposed to be protecting her, raising her, loving her! Instead she spent her entire childhood believing she was a burden to you.” Sally gasped and turned to look at Ryan questioningly.
The other man’s eyes narrowed in fury.
“She was a burden. I was twenty-two and trying to run a failing ranch I didn’t need a brat to raise too.”
“Ryan!” This time Sally’s voice was truly
“Ryan!” This time Sally’s voice was truly shocked.
“Even if you did feel that way, and frankly, I fail to see how any brother could ever view his baby sister as a burden, you had no business letting her know that. You had no business neglecting her to the point that she got ill. She’s still ill.”
“What do you want, Jamieson? I fail to see how any of this is your business. If Callie sent you out here to have it out to me then she’s become a coward as well as a fool.” Tanner’s hands clenched at that statement and it was all he could do not to hit the other man. “Callie doesn’t know I’m here. I came out here because I thought you might care about her, more fool I. Callie does need something from you, though. She needs the money from her share of the profits of this ranch. Profits that I’m pretty sure she’s never asked for. We’ll be expecting them by the end asked for. We’ll be expecting them by the end of next week. And you’ll deliver them to her, Ryan and you will be civil or you and I really are going to have it out.” He threw the other man’s words back at him, nodding briefly to Sally as he left the house before he truly lost his temper.
***
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Callie looked over in surprise at the sound of Tanner’s voice barking out at her.
She stood frozen as he stormed angrily towards her, his gray eyes turning to a slashing sliver.
The air shimmered with the force of his fury, which was in direct contrast to the gentleness with which he plucked the large mutt out of her arms.
The dog let out a small whimper at the movement before settling in against Tanner’s wide chest, something Callie found herself feeling a little jealous over. It was ridiculous when she often chaffed under his domineering ways that she found herself wishing she could just curl up against his strong chest and let him do the worrying for both of them.
“Where do you want him?” he asked quietly, and she blinked in surprise before realising his quiet, gentle tone was for the injured animal’s sake, not because he was feeling at all mild or gentle.
“Umm, over in this cage,” Callie directed him over, watching as he easily lifted the heavy dog into the large cage where the scruffy mutt settled with a sigh. Callie ran her hand gently over the dog’s back before locking the cage.
“Do you need to do anything else?” Again his voice was almost spookily calm and it had Callie gulping as she avoided his silvery gaze.
“Umm.” She was on edge and quickly
“Umm.” She was on edge and quickly clasped her hands together when she found herself nervously fiddling with the cage door in front of her. “I just have to lock up.” She felt proud of herself for remembering that.
Surely it would earn her some brownie points?
Unfortunately not.
“I’ll take care of that. Get yourself upstairs. I expect you to be standing in the corner of the bedroom, your bottom bared when I get up there.” His voice was quiet, mild, and all the more menacing because of it.
“Why?” Her voice rose, almost to an embarrassing squeak.
“I don’t think I need to explain it, do I, Callie?”
Callie shook her head, speechless.
“Then get.” She jumped and raced up the
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