stall he had been working in and walked toward her. "Hey, how
did the rest of the festival go, and why aren't you staying for the fireworks.?
"It was great. The mayor gave his speech
and there was a sack race and wheel barrel race and a pie eating contest, and
lots of other things going on. I decided to pass on the fireworks because I
need to study. You should have stayed, though."
"Yeah, and miss everything because I was
signing autographs."
She cocked her head sideways. "You know,
most guys would envy you, but you really don't like the limelight, do
you?"
"Not really."
"So what is it you really want?"
Sean was tempted to blurt out, "YOU!"
but knew that would scare the hell out of her and she'd hightail it out of the
barn. He knelt and lifted a straw to his lips before glancing up at her.
"I'm not sure. What about you? What do you want?"
She shuffled her feet. "I'm pretty
satisfied with the way my life is right now. I have a good job. I'm saving
money so I can maybe buy a small house in town. I have my animals." She
shrugged.
"What about a husband and kids?"
A pained expression crossed her features.
"I think I'll pass on that."
"Because of Jared?" he asked.
Her eyes shifted away from him and back. "I
don't want to talk about it. Besides, it's none of your business."
He rose and walked toward her, stopping only
inches away. "Maybe I want it to be my business."
Her eyes grew huge. Slowly, he bent and touched
his mouth to hers. She inhaled sharply but seemed paralyzed. Gently, he grazed his
lips back and forth across hers and then lifted away from her, holding her gaze.
She blinked and he saw a tear.
"Please don't do that, Sean. I'm broken and
I can't be fixed." With those words she turned and fled the barn.
Sean watched her go and more than ever he was determined
to heal his sweet Tessa.
At breakfast the next morning, Sean broached the
subject of bringing Lucky to live with him at the ranch.
Dirk grinned. "I had a feeling he'd get to
your heart."
Sean met Tessa's gaze and she quickly glanced
sideways. "Yes, sir. He sure did. Tessa found a great home for him, but I
just couldn't make myself say yes to the guy. So do you mind if I bring him
here?"
Dirk's laugh was a deep rumble. "Hell, we
got so many animals, what's one more. Bring him on home."
With a sigh of relief Sean said, "Tessa,
when do you think he'll be ready to leave the clinic?"
She paused in lifting a bite of scrambled eggs
to her mouth. "Um, he's getting around pretty good now. He's adapted to the
apparatus that allows his broken leg to roll when he walks on three legs. I'll
check with Toby, but Lucky can probably be discharged any time."
Sean sipped his coffee, black and strong, the
way he liked it. "I'll call you at work later and verify he can leave. If
so, I'll pick him up at lunchtime."
"Or I can bring him home when I get off
work."
Sean considered her offer but decided against
it. "No, I think I need to be the one to bring him here and introduce him
to his new home."
"Okay. I can understand that."
Just as Tessa had surmised, Toby said Lucky was
ready to leave their care. At one, Sean showed up to pick up his dog. Shaking
his head as he got out of his truck, he couldn't believe he was doing this, but
it was too late to go back on his decision.
He had arranged his lunch hour to fall after
Tessa returned from hers and the waiting room was full when he walked in. Since
working as a ranch hand, he looked like a full-fledged cowboy with his Stetson,
jeans, chambray shirt, tooled belt with a large buckle, and worn out boots.
Most of the outfit was clothing left in the small closet by whoever the
previous occupant of his room had been. Dirk had given him a pair of old boots
he said he wasn't using.
When Sean saw several people in the waiting room,
he acted like he was resettling his hat so he could partially cover his face.
He didn't recognize anyone and breathed a sigh of relief. He stood in line
behind an elderly woman holding a tiny cage
did the rest of the festival go, and why aren't you staying for the fireworks.?
"It was great. The mayor gave his speech
and there was a sack race and wheel barrel race and a pie eating contest, and
lots of other things going on. I decided to pass on the fireworks because I
need to study. You should have stayed, though."
"Yeah, and miss everything because I was
signing autographs."
She cocked her head sideways. "You know,
most guys would envy you, but you really don't like the limelight, do
you?"
"Not really."
"So what is it you really want?"
Sean was tempted to blurt out, "YOU!"
but knew that would scare the hell out of her and she'd hightail it out of the
barn. He knelt and lifted a straw to his lips before glancing up at her.
"I'm not sure. What about you? What do you want?"
She shuffled her feet. "I'm pretty
satisfied with the way my life is right now. I have a good job. I'm saving
money so I can maybe buy a small house in town. I have my animals." She
shrugged.
"What about a husband and kids?"
A pained expression crossed her features.
"I think I'll pass on that."
"Because of Jared?" he asked.
Her eyes shifted away from him and back. "I
don't want to talk about it. Besides, it's none of your business."
He rose and walked toward her, stopping only
inches away. "Maybe I want it to be my business."
Her eyes grew huge. Slowly, he bent and touched
his mouth to hers. She inhaled sharply but seemed paralyzed. Gently, he grazed his
lips back and forth across hers and then lifted away from her, holding her gaze.
She blinked and he saw a tear.
"Please don't do that, Sean. I'm broken and
I can't be fixed." With those words she turned and fled the barn.
Sean watched her go and more than ever he was determined
to heal his sweet Tessa.
At breakfast the next morning, Sean broached the
subject of bringing Lucky to live with him at the ranch.
Dirk grinned. "I had a feeling he'd get to
your heart."
Sean met Tessa's gaze and she quickly glanced
sideways. "Yes, sir. He sure did. Tessa found a great home for him, but I
just couldn't make myself say yes to the guy. So do you mind if I bring him
here?"
Dirk's laugh was a deep rumble. "Hell, we
got so many animals, what's one more. Bring him on home."
With a sigh of relief Sean said, "Tessa,
when do you think he'll be ready to leave the clinic?"
She paused in lifting a bite of scrambled eggs
to her mouth. "Um, he's getting around pretty good now. He's adapted to the
apparatus that allows his broken leg to roll when he walks on three legs. I'll
check with Toby, but Lucky can probably be discharged any time."
Sean sipped his coffee, black and strong, the
way he liked it. "I'll call you at work later and verify he can leave. If
so, I'll pick him up at lunchtime."
"Or I can bring him home when I get off
work."
Sean considered her offer but decided against
it. "No, I think I need to be the one to bring him here and introduce him
to his new home."
"Okay. I can understand that."
Just as Tessa had surmised, Toby said Lucky was
ready to leave their care. At one, Sean showed up to pick up his dog. Shaking
his head as he got out of his truck, he couldn't believe he was doing this, but
it was too late to go back on his decision.
He had arranged his lunch hour to fall after
Tessa returned from hers and the waiting room was full when he walked in. Since
working as a ranch hand, he looked like a full-fledged cowboy with his Stetson,
jeans, chambray shirt, tooled belt with a large buckle, and worn out boots.
Most of the outfit was clothing left in the small closet by whoever the
previous occupant of his room had been. Dirk had given him a pair of old boots
he said he wasn't using.
When Sean saw several people in the waiting room,
he acted like he was resettling his hat so he could partially cover his face.
He didn't recognize anyone and breathed a sigh of relief. He stood in line
behind an elderly woman holding a tiny cage
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