“But you don’t have any clothes at Annie’s.”
Robert lifted a shoulder and looked out this window. “I’m sure Chad can lend me something. Besides, it feels empty without him.”
Brady’s heart constricted. He could understand that. First their mother, then Annie, now their father. He could give Robert this too. “Sure. I’ll take you there. You probably ought to call her first, though. Sometimes she stays at Bolton Farms.”
Robert nodded and pulled out his phone. “I’ll text her.”
After dropping off Robert and making the long drive back to Hickory Hollow alone, Brady’s mood had soured. Now he was all alone. Well, not all alone. There were some ranch hands still around. But for all intents and purposes, Brady was on his own.
He got out of his car and slammed the truck door harder than necessary. How did he end up like this? Alone with no one. Deep inside he knew how. He liked to play the field. He could admit that. But seeing Annie with Chad and watching his friend Faye find love with another man had Brady’s stomach in knots. He was missing out on something special, he could tell.
The early evening air felt cooler than normal. Brady looked up and to the west. There weren’t any storm clouds, but he could feel the electricity in the air. Something was coming.
He took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. Great, if a storm was coming, he’d have a lot of nervous animals to take care of without Robert’s help.
A few of the ranch hands were gathered by the stables, talking excitedly. One noticed Brady and waved him over. “Hey, Shipley, we have something to ask you.”
Brady sighed and made his way to his men. “What do you guys need?”
“There’s an event over at Whiteshoe Ranch.”
Brady nodded. “I heard. Isn’t it on Sunday?”
“It starts tomorrow afternoon. There’s going to be a dance, food, and some great competitions. We thought it would be fun if we could all go for the afternoon.”
“I don’t know. It looks like a storm might be rolling in.”
The men glanced at the sky. One spoke up. “That storm looks a few days out. I’m sure we’ll be fine. Even Mary and Sean want to go.”
Brady lifted a brow. “Mary never wants to go to these things unless they’re on our ranch.” He gazed around the group of hopeful expressions. “Fine, I suppose that will work as long as you are all here and ready to work Sunday morning.”
The group whooped and took off, presumably to inform the others who may want to go. Brady turned to head into the main house when a beat-up truck hauling a trailer pulled onto the property. The trailer read Terry Hill. Arthur’s cousin was early.
Brady briefly closed his eyes and rotated his head, cracking his neck. There was no rest for the weary. He trudged up to the truck just as the door opened, reflecting the evening sun on the glass. Brady lifted his arm to shade his eyes. The truck door closed to reveal a tall, athletic-looking woman with dark hair. She gave him one look and sighed. “Oh, it’s you.”
Brady’s head pulled back. “Do I know you?”
She brushed him off. “I’m AJ’s cousin. He wanted you to check out his horse.” She was already heading around the side of the trailer. “Let’s get this over with so I can get back on the road.”
Brady followed her. “Excuse me. First of all, you weren’t supposed to be here until next week. Second, it’s getting late. I’m not going to take that horse into my clinic and spend the time it would take to do a thorough checkup right now. You’re free to unload and pick a stall over in that set of stables, or turn right around and come back as scheduled.”
The woman spun to face him, her grey eyes flashing. “I just drove an hour to bring him to you, and you want me to turn around? It shouldn’t take long, I’m sure you’ll find him in great shape. I don’t even know why AJ wanted me to bring him.”
Brady crossed his arms. “Maybe because he’s smart enough to get a second opinion from a real vet.”
Chapter Two
Dakota fought the urge to lash out at him. This judgment wasn’t new. The community of horse physical therapists was growing but still small. She took a calculated breath, plastered a smile on her face, and faced him. She looked him up and down, taking in his humorous caramel-colored eyes. Why did he have to be so cute?
She cleared her throat. She had to stay focused. “I’ll have you know I have just as much education as you—probably more. People like you who think there is only one way to treat a hurt animal are the reason animal medicine has come to a stand-still. I chose enlightenment while you choose to keep your head in the sand.” She turned back to the trailer and unlatched the door. “I’m sure you can take a few minutes to verify Cobalt is in great condition. Then I’ll get out of your hair.”
She peeked at him from under her lashes. That good-natured smirk had left his face. Good.
Brady turned around and walked away.
“Hey,” she called, “where are you going? Aren’t you going to check Cobalt so I can get out of here?”
Brady held up his hand, his voice calling back to her. “I told you, I’m not doing anything tonight. What you do with your time is up to you. If you’d like to stay the night, there’s a free room in the big house. Our event manager moved to the city recently.”
Dakota chased after him. She grabbed his upper arm, stopping him in his tracks. He looked down at her hand and back at her. She let go, as if he’d been on fire. “I want to get back before the storm sets in.”
Brady glanced at the sky. “You’ll be gone long before the storm hits.” He nodded at the trailer. “I suggest you unload it if you don’t want to drive back tonight. I’ve had a very long day, and I’m ready to call it one. I’ll take a look at Cobalt when I have an opening in my schedule tomorrow. Then you can leave and never look back. The spare room is up the stairs—the first one on the left.” His eyes raked up and down her body. “You look to be about the same height as Faye. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you used the clothes she left behind.”
Dakota stared after him. The nerve! She threw her hands in the air and stomped to the trailer. Once she had Cobalt out, she led him to the stable Brady had pointed out. One of the ranch hands offered to get him situated so Dakota could park the truck and trailer.
She got out of her truck, not bothering to lock it. If a thief stole it, they’d be doing her a favor. Still fuming, she stalked toward the big house. Brady had better take a look at Cobalt bright and early so she could get out of there. She had more important things to do than to hang out at Hickory Hollow.
Brady sat perched on the porch step, a piece of straw between his lips and a smug smile on his face. A smile she wanted to wipe off with her fist, but she wouldn’t—because her mother raised her right.
“Glad to see you decided to stay. I bet Cobalt is glad he isn’t stuck in that sorry excuse for a trailer.” Brady nodded toward her vehicle.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” she muttered as she moved past him. “First door on the left?”
He nodded but didn’t turn around.