But it does.
Alex frowned and tucked the lab results away, buried deep in a filing cabinet where Brenne wouldn’t stumble across it by mistake. He would tell her they got lucky, that they caught the infection in time and that it should clear up quickly now. With the right wording, it wouldn’t be a lie, not exactly. If she thought the horse had strangles and not the less virulent, less contagious infection it actually had, it wouldn’t matter once Ghost was healed.
He let out a long breath and ran a hand through his hair. Then he spent the next five minutes watching Brenne, until he groaned and looked away. I can’t go on like this. I can’t keep lusting over my best friend’s sister. I should have left her to Ryker, but I wasn’t strong enough. I’m not a devious man. I used to be someone you could trust. Now look at me.
He shoved away from the desk and stood, pacing the confines of the clinic, his mind too revved up to let him relax. I need to get some perspective, and having Brenne in my sights day in, day out isn’t going to help. Something’s got to give.
The clinic door opened and he froze, turning to watch Brenne lead Ghost back to his stall. It pained him to admit that he couldn’t peel his eyes away from her curves in those damn jeans of hers. Every molecule of his body screamed at him to go to her, to pull her into his arms and spend the rest of the day kissing her senseless.
I’ve got to get out of here.
He moved to the exam area and started packing his medical bag. “I’ve got to stop into the Lubbock clinic. Something urgent has come up.”
“Sure,” Brenne said. She was pulling the grooming equipment out of the cabinet and didn’t bother to turn around. “I’ll lock up when I leave.”
Alex picked up his bag and headed out, shutting the door behind him and not bothering with a farewell. Although he might be able to look his fill at Brenne MacAllen, talking to her was another story.
Things had been strained since they’d lost control in the barn and almost been caught in a more compromising position by his father. It hadn’t been the exposure that had bothered her but his words after. He’d had to end it, had to make it clear to her that nothing could ever really happen between them.
Her reaction that day had caught him off guard. First he’d seen the hurt, plain as day, on her exquisite features. Alex hadn’t expected the pain to run so deep. When they’d been sneaking around together, he’d told himself that they were on the same page, that what they were doing meant nothing. They were just scratching each other’s itch. But what he’d seen in her eyes that day had disabused him of that notion.
But after the hurt, she’d turned on her autopilot. Part of him had expected her to quit once she found out her brothers had convinced him to hire her, but Alex had learned that Brenne rarely did what he thought she might. She hadn’t turned in her notice, but she had confined her duties to Ghost and Ghost only. Which meant his clinic in Lubbock was a Brenne-free zone.
He tried to block her out of his mind on the drive in by blasting music, but every song seemed to be about falling in love or losing the perfect woman, so he’d resorted to tuning into one of the Christian channels and listening to the preacher remind him that temptation was a trap. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he tempts no man. Man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. Then, when his lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin, and sin when finished, brings forth death. Do not—”
Alex groaned and turned the radio off. It was like the world was shoving his face in the mess he’d made. The rest of the ride he spent singing whatever songs he could remember at the top of his lungs to try and trick his mind out of thinking about Brenne. He finally stopped when he reached a red light on the outskirts of Lubbock and a busload of high schoolers pointed and laughed at him.
His mood was less than stellar by the time he reached the Lubbock clinic. He fit his key into the lock and pushed the door open, surprised to find the lights on inside. Emma looked up from the front desk, startled to see him. “Doctor Parsons? Has something happened?”
“No,” he said, realizing he likely looked as alarmed as she did. He gave her a reassuring smile. “Just a bit out of sorts today. We’ve got a new rescue staying on the farm and—”
“Oh yes! I heard all about it. How’s the poor thing doing?” Her tone was full of concern.
“Heard about it, huh?” he asked, suddenly paranoid. Brenne had only seen Emma a handful of times before she stopped coming to the Lubbock clinic, but it might have been enough time for them to become friends. Did she confide in Emma about anything besides the horse?
“Sure did. Ryker called because he said you were expecting some lab results and we got to talking. It’s amazing what you two do, helping these animals and giving so much of your time and effort.”
Alex couldn’t help but contrast Emma’s statement with the conversation between Ryker and Brenne when they were falling all over themselves to compliment each other. Immediately, he felt foolish for being jealous. “Ryker is the real hero. I see it as part of my job as a vet, but he’s turned his whole life over to his rescue.”
“Don’t discount what you do,” Emma said, her tone firmer than he usually heard it. “You volunteer your time, and you donate medication, food, and other supplies. Those things aren’t free.”
Alex waved her words away. “I can afford it. My practice might be a little on the slow side, but I make enough to be comfortable. Ryker’s the one who’s sacrificing. He needs to hook up with outside funding if he’s going to stay at it for much longer.”
“I was just talking to him about fundraising!” Emma said, her voice filling with excitement. “Ryker mentioned needing some new harnesses but he couldn’t afford what the supplier wanted. I told him that there were plenty of people willing to give to support his rescue and that I would prove it to him. I hope you don’t mind, Doctor, but I volunteered our clinic to host a fundraiser for the rescue.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “That was very—”
“I hope you’re not upset,” she said, putting her hand on top of his. “I had an idea for an event and I just ran with it. I know I should have asked you first.”
“It’s okay,” he said and he meant it. “You’re absolutely right that Ryker needs the support, and once the community realizes what he’s doing, they’re going to be happy to give. What did you have in mind?”
“Well, it’s actually two events. The one here in Lubbock won’t be for a couple of months, during the annual Spring Fling carnival. We’ll sponsor a pet parade, then solicit donations at our booth. It will be the most adorable thing the city has ever seen.”
“Pet parade, huh?” It wasn’t a bad idea, just one he hadn’t thought of. “What’s the other event?”
Emma tensed, and he realized she was nervous. “I thought we should have one in Whiskey River, since folks there should know what’s happening so close to home. I spoke to someone at the Grange Hall about renting their space, and once she found out about the fundraiser, she offered to let us use it for free. Given the time of year, I thought we’d go with ‘Hollywood Red Carpet’ as our theme.”