This was the last complication she needed. She hadn't seen him in over five years, and she'd hoped never to lay eyes on him again.
"At least you remember my name." His smile widened, but it still didn't reach his eyes. "I'll take my whip back now."
"You will not. You're getting a citation for using it on this horse. One more and you're done here." She turned to stalk away, but Tucker's arm snaked out and seized her around the waist. He hauled her back against his chest. Struggling with him was like trying to escape the grip of a boa constrictor. "Let go of me," she said. "Or you'll have citation number two."
He released her. "I didn't hurt that animal. She doesn't like the sound of the whip. Go ahead. Take a look at her. There's not a scratch on her."
Shannon gave him an angry glare, then walked over to where the mare stood trembling. The mustang danced away at Shannon's approach. "It's okay, girl. You're okay," she said soothingly. The horse snorted, then calmed when Shannon ran her hands over her withers. She found no cuts or abrasions on the mare.
"See?" Tucker was standing close behind her. His hand grabbed the heft of her hair. "You've still got that beautiful hair."
Shannon tugged her hair from his grasp. "Step away from me," she said. "You're in my personal space."A sheen of perspiration broke out on her forehead. She had to keep him away from her girls.
"I'd like to get closer," he whispered in her ear, but he moved away. "Shannon, did you keep the baby?"
Shannon swallowed hard and avoided his smiling gaze. "It's none of your business. And I don't care to discuss my personal life with you."
"I think I have a right to know. It was my kid too."
She thanked God he'd lit out the second he heard she was pregnant. He had no idea there were two. She struggled to keep her composure. "Oh? You want to support a baby?"
"That's not the point. A father has a right to know the truth."
"Not a father like you." Shannon ignored his question and glanced at the mare again. "Since she's not hurt, I won't write you up this time, but if I see you using the whip even to scare her, I will. There are better ways to train a horse."
"Fear puts a little respect in a horse's eyes. And a woman's," he called, his smile broadening.
Shannon wanted to slap his smirking face, but she let her withering glare wipe the grin from his face before she turned and stomped back to headquarters. She didn't remember him being so obnoxious. Evidently, time hadn't improved his character.
5
SHANNON HAD WALKED WHAT SEEMED LIKE MILES AND CHECKED COUNTLESS mustangs for abrasions, lacerations, and other injuries. The horses were all in decent shape except for a few contusions from the transportation here.
She cringed at the thought of telling Jack about Tucker. There were enough wrinkles in this problem without the man adding another one.
Her cell phone rang in the clip at her waist. Her fingers fumbled with the clip and she stared at the display. Mary Beth's name flashed across the tiny screen. Finally.
She flipped it open. "Mary Beth, where have you been? You've scared me to death."
Mary Beth's laugh came, but it was forced. "Sorry, I ... I had no idea you'd be worried."
Was she whispering? Shannon straightened and gripped the phone tighter. "Are you okay?"
"I ... I think so. I will be. He just has to understand."
"Understand what?"
"I can't go into all of that now. I just called to make sure you got to Bluebird okay. How's Kylie?"
"Fine. We're both fine. The job is interesting. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Ask me next week." Mary Beth's voice sounded full of tears.
"Is it that guy you're seeing?" Shannon asked, lowering her voice and hoping her friend would open up.
"Sort of. Listen, he's coming. I have to go. Don't call me. I'll call you when I can."
The phone clicked off before Shannon could answer. Her legs were wobbly, and her vision doubled for the second time in two days. She wished she'd brought her cane. Stress worsened her
"At least you remember my name." His smile widened, but it still didn't reach his eyes. "I'll take my whip back now."
"You will not. You're getting a citation for using it on this horse. One more and you're done here." She turned to stalk away, but Tucker's arm snaked out and seized her around the waist. He hauled her back against his chest. Struggling with him was like trying to escape the grip of a boa constrictor. "Let go of me," she said. "Or you'll have citation number two."
He released her. "I didn't hurt that animal. She doesn't like the sound of the whip. Go ahead. Take a look at her. There's not a scratch on her."
Shannon gave him an angry glare, then walked over to where the mare stood trembling. The mustang danced away at Shannon's approach. "It's okay, girl. You're okay," she said soothingly. The horse snorted, then calmed when Shannon ran her hands over her withers. She found no cuts or abrasions on the mare.
"See?" Tucker was standing close behind her. His hand grabbed the heft of her hair. "You've still got that beautiful hair."
Shannon tugged her hair from his grasp. "Step away from me," she said. "You're in my personal space."A sheen of perspiration broke out on her forehead. She had to keep him away from her girls.
"I'd like to get closer," he whispered in her ear, but he moved away. "Shannon, did you keep the baby?"
Shannon swallowed hard and avoided his smiling gaze. "It's none of your business. And I don't care to discuss my personal life with you."
"I think I have a right to know. It was my kid too."
She thanked God he'd lit out the second he heard she was pregnant. He had no idea there were two. She struggled to keep her composure. "Oh? You want to support a baby?"
"That's not the point. A father has a right to know the truth."
"Not a father like you." Shannon ignored his question and glanced at the mare again. "Since she's not hurt, I won't write you up this time, but if I see you using the whip even to scare her, I will. There are better ways to train a horse."
"Fear puts a little respect in a horse's eyes. And a woman's," he called, his smile broadening.
Shannon wanted to slap his smirking face, but she let her withering glare wipe the grin from his face before she turned and stomped back to headquarters. She didn't remember him being so obnoxious. Evidently, time hadn't improved his character.
5
SHANNON HAD WALKED WHAT SEEMED LIKE MILES AND CHECKED COUNTLESS mustangs for abrasions, lacerations, and other injuries. The horses were all in decent shape except for a few contusions from the transportation here.
She cringed at the thought of telling Jack about Tucker. There were enough wrinkles in this problem without the man adding another one.
Her cell phone rang in the clip at her waist. Her fingers fumbled with the clip and she stared at the display. Mary Beth's name flashed across the tiny screen. Finally.
She flipped it open. "Mary Beth, where have you been? You've scared me to death."
Mary Beth's laugh came, but it was forced. "Sorry, I ... I had no idea you'd be worried."
Was she whispering? Shannon straightened and gripped the phone tighter. "Are you okay?"
"I ... I think so. I will be. He just has to understand."
"Understand what?"
"I can't go into all of that now. I just called to make sure you got to Bluebird okay. How's Kylie?"
"Fine. We're both fine. The job is interesting. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Ask me next week." Mary Beth's voice sounded full of tears.
"Is it that guy you're seeing?" Shannon asked, lowering her voice and hoping her friend would open up.
"Sort of. Listen, he's coming. I have to go. Don't call me. I'll call you when I can."
The phone clicked off before Shannon could answer. Her legs were wobbly, and her vision doubled for the second time in two days. She wished she'd brought her cane. Stress worsened her
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