Texas Hope: Sweetgrass Springs Stories (Texas Heroes Book 16) by Jean Brashear

throat. “Girls are better at some things, son.”
    “Nothing important,” Eric grumbled.
    “Do not let your mom or Aunt Penny hear you say that, not if you want your hide intact, my boy.”
    Just then a stunning redhead, tall and voluptuous, walked up. “Mackey, I’m glad you’re back. Blaze managed to knock down Pablo and rub that wound against the stall front again.” Then she turned to Michael. “Sorry to interrupt. I’m Rissa.”
    When she smiled, Michael had to catch his breath.
    He glanced at Mackey, who grinned and pulled Rissa into his side. “Mine. But yeah…a lot to take in, huh?”
    “Are all the women in Sweetgrass beautiful?”
    “Oh, I like him,” Rissa said.
    “Mom, look—there’s a puppy in here. Come see.”
    Rissa cast Michael an approving glance. “Wow. Compliments and a puppy. You’re loaded for bear, I see.” She followed as Eric jumped up and down and Ajax whimpered, frantic to get out and lick everything in sight.
    “Can he get out, Mister? Please?”
    Michael looked at Mackey, who shrugged. “Fine by me. He can’t hurt anything.”
    “I wouldn’t count on that.” Michael opened the door, and both dogs came spilling out, Monroe with grace and dignity, Ajax with, well, enthusiasm.
    Soon Eric was on the ground with Ajax crawling all over him, licking every bit of skin in sight. Rissa crouched beside him, laughing and accepting puppy kisses while petting the older dog.
    “They take my breath away,” Mackey said under his breath. “My life used to be hot and cold running women and partying nonstop. I thought I had the world by the balls, but…”
    “You’re a lucky man,” Michael agreed, his heart seized by pure envy.
    “You should do this for yourself. I highly recommend it,” Mackey said. “That vixen in Austin—she a candidate?”
    “I think so—more’s the pity she doesn’t. It’s gonna take a miracle to make her see it.”
    Mackey chuckled. “Women. Nothing better in the world…but nothing tougher on a man, either.”
    “Tell me about it.” Michael shook off the longing. “So where’s this colt?”
    “Let me get Ris first. Hey, Red—I didn’t tell you about my present.”
    Eric’s head popped up. “For me, Dad?”
    “In a roundabout way. Blaze needs a good vet to look at him, right?”
    “Right,” the boy responded.
    Rissa’s gaze pinned on Michael, then back to Mackey. “Him?”
    “Him. Among other things.”
    “What other things?”
    Mackey shook his head and nodded toward Eric. “Later, babe.”
    She rose in one lithe move, about a mile and a half of shapely leg in worn jeans and beat-up boots. “Eric, you stay with the dogs, okay?”
    “Sure, Mom.” Eric giggled again and began wrestling once more.
    “Tell me about the colt and what you’ve done so far,” Michael asked.
    They took turns filling him in. “Think you can help, Doc?” Mackey asked.
    “I do.” Then they came to the stall, and Michael eased inside, approaching the colt slow and steady. In no time at all, he was able to get close enough to examine Blaze. “Let me get my bag.” He glanced back. “I carry limited meds with me, but you’ll need more. I can get them from my buddy’s clinic in Austin. But I’ll need to clean this wound and replace the sutures. I hope I won’t need to insert drains, too—this fellow isn’t going to respond well, is he?”
    Mackey rolled his eyes. “Blaze is smart as hell and could be the best I’ve ever trained, but yeah…that’s an understatement.”
    “I can come back every couple of days to monitor him.”
    “Hate to ask you to make that drive,” Mackey said.
    “You’re not from around here?” Rissa asked. “Or, I should say, would you like to be?”
    “Well…that’s complicated,” Michael responded.
    “Oh?”
    “Yeah,” Mackey began. “That’s the rest of the story. He’s Ian’s brother.”
    She stopped dead in her tracks. Her mouth literally gaped open. “Our Ian? He doesn’t have a