“He’s nice, but I don’t think he’s the one,” I tell Rose.
“Fine,” she says, rolling her eyes. I’m sure she was hoping to play matchmaker. “How about the job? How’s it going?”
I tell them some funny stories about some of the animals I’ve already seen since being back in town. “So far it’s been a really good experience.”
“But?” Rose asks me. Of course Rose is going to pick up that I’m a little off.
I don’t answer immediately, but looking around the table with all eyes on me, I know I need to say something. “Well, I met a guy…”
They all shriek.
“Shh!” I tell them, looking around the half-empty bakery. “We don’t need the whole town to know.”
Each of them starts plying me with questions. “Who is it? Do I know him? How long have you been dating? When can I meet him?”
I reach out and grab on to Rose’s and Chrissy’s hands because they’re on each side of me. “It isn’t like that. It was last night.”
“You mean…?” Rose asks me, surprised.
My face heats in embarrassment. I can’t tell them I had a one-night stand. “Yes, I met him last night. I thought we were hitting it off, but apparently not. He left me, uh, at the bar.” No way am I telling them I had a one-night stand and the man couldn’t leave fast enough the next morning. I’m so humiliated.
“Olivia!” Chrissy exclaims.
I wave my hand in front of my face. “I know. I know. I should know better, but I don’t know. I was feeling down, and I thought he was interested. Obviously not, though.”
Lacy tilts her head to the side. “Well, maybe something came up… an emergency.”
I shrug and try to cover up my sadness. “It’s not a big deal. I just…”
“What?”
“You know, I guess I wanted more, that’s all.”
They’re all staring at me, and I can feel the heat rising on my cheeks. How pitiful do I sound right now?
Carrie reaches across the table and grips my hand. “Well, maybe it could be. Maybe he liked you, but like Lacy said, he had an emergency.”
If anything, my face gets even hotter remembering the morning after. “He doesn’t.”
“How do you know?” Rose asks.
“Well, it was pretty obvious the way he bolted. He couldn’t get away from me quick enough. He didn’t even say goodbye.”
“Oh, Olivia,” they all seem to say in unison.
“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. I’ve learned that I’m not cut out for letting loose, that’s all.”
“Well, it’s his loss. If he doesn’t know what a catch you are, then he’s just stupid.” I could agree with them, and normally I would. I’m a pretty confident woman, but I know this man is not stupid. He was smart, handsome, and made me feel things I’ve never felt in my life. I’ve never depended on a man to make me feel loved, safe and wanted. But with him I did.
I shake my head, trying to get the thoughts to go away. If I haven’t seen him before last night, I probably won’t see him again. He was probably just passing through town. I need to get over him. Maybe I should give Kyle a chance.
“So what about the wedding?” I ask Lacy, knowing that wedding talk will get me out of the hot seat.
The women all start talking at once, and I try to get the image of my older, rugged cowboy out of my head.
7
Derrick
Usually when a man gets laid he’s in a great mood. I figured I would be, but after leaving Olivia’s place yesterday, I’ve been nothing but irritable. I still can’t get the feel of her body in my hands out of my head. I’m driving myself crazy, and it’s affecting the ranch.
The ranch hands are getting on my last nerve, and Trent may be blood related, but he’s wearing on me the most.
One of the cattle I rounded up with my cattle dog Rambo was out in a clover field. The steer was missing for a couple days, and it’s no wonder, since I found a break in the fence. He was bloated when I found him yesterday after I left Olivia’s place. Trent said to give it a day and see if the bloating was from gorging himself on the clover.
I’m not surprised that he wasn’t right, and I tell Trent as much in a terse text. The cow is still bloated, dumbass. I called the vet and should be here soon.
I leave the pasture where I just finished bringing in the cattle for sorting. The ranch hands and managers can take over with the sorting. I want to be there when the vet tells Trent that he was wrong to wait.
The Keller Ranch is big, so I ride my horse, Lightning, over to where we have the sickly steer. Once I get down off my horse and wipe the dirt and grit from my face from cattle driving, I let him loose in the corral so he can graze. Trent and the vet are standing over the sick cow, and the woman’s back is to me. I recognize that shapely backside.
My pulse starts to race, and I have no doubt who the new vet is now. I’ve heard there was a new one, but I had no clue who it was. I’m never up on the town gossip, but it looks like this may have been some good information to have. I hit my hand to my head. Duh, Derrick. She’s living right next to the veterinarian clinic. It makes perfect since now.
Trent and Olivia both turn toward me, and I can see the instant that she recognizes me. Her lips flatten, and her body straightens tightly.
There’s no doubt she remembers me. I was just buried balls deep inside of her the day before. I sure as hell haven’t forgotten. Hell, my cock is hardening in my jeans just by seeing her from a distance. I walk slowly toward Olivia and Trent, trying to stop my heart from racing in my chest.
My hands clench at my sides seeing them standing next to each other. I don’t know why. My brother’s been in love with his fiancée since he was a kid. He has no interest in Oliva, but that still doesn’t stop me from grimacing at them together.
When I get close enough, she holds her hand out to me. “Hi. I’m Olivia. The new vet at Happy Critters.”
She’s smiling up at me, acting as if I didn’t spend all of the night before last tasting her body in every way. She’s acting like she doesn’t even know who the fuck I am.
Well, I’ll be damned.
Olivia
Seeing him come riding up on that horse, looking so manly and like a classic cowboy, I do my best to remain calm. My heart is racing. For how many times I’ve been to the ranch, how have I not seen him before?
I want to stomp my foot into the ground and ask him why he left, but of course I can’t; that would be completely unprofessional. So instead I play it cool… like I don’t even know who he is.
“Derrick Keller,” he says, gripping my hand and holding on to it longer than he needs to. Too bad I didn’t get his last name the other night. I would have known right then who he was. He owns the biggest ranch in Forest Grove. Heck, half his acreage spreads over into Heart County.
I pull my hand roughly from his and turn my attention back to the steer.
“Is it bad then?” Trent asks me.
I swallow hard, trying to find a calm tone of voice before I dare speak. “It’s bloat. It seems to be a bad case of it, and this is a condition that can be deadly. This requires treatment. It’s a good thing you called.”