by Em Petrova
They ate in silence a moment, and a thrill zipped through her, knowing they had achieved that peace between them once more.
“You’ll have a long day ahead.”
She nodded. “Lots of farm calls, last-minute checks on animals that are entered into the fair. Can’t have a prize pig with a herniated—” She stopped. “Never mind. Not very appetizing breakfast conversation.”
“You’re talkin’ to a rancher’s brother. I’ve seen it all.”
She lowered her fork. “Dane. If you gave money to the Moon Ranch to keep the place running, then doesn’t that mean you own a portion?”
He popped the last bite of toast into his mouth and chewed. After swallowing, he said, “S’pose so.”
“Then you’re a rancher—not just a rancher’s brother.” She noted how he didn’t call himself a rancher’s son.
He met her stare. “Guess I am.”
They shared a smile, and she gobbled her eggs while he wiped his plate clean using another slice of toast.
“More coffee, baby doll?” he asked.
“I like the way you ask that. But no thanks. I need to get in the shower and on the road.”
“Mm, the shower…” Dark promises lived in the depths of his eyes, and she felt the effects deep in her core.
At the same time, they stood and carried their plates to the sink. She grabbed his hand and started towing him to the bathroom, but he caught her back, hooking an arm around her midsection. He swung her around to look out the kitchen window overlooking the back field.
He nuzzled her ear as they stared at the view. “Field’s green.”
She rubbed her cheek against his deliciously scratchy one. “It is, thanks to you. The horses think you’re their hero.”
He laughed. “That ain’t something I’ve ever been called before.”
She twisted into his arms and went on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. “Take me to the shower, lover.”
With a swift motion, he jerked her off her feet and into his arms.
* * * * *
“Look at that ugly mug. Never thought I’d see you anytime soon.” Dane clapped his stare on his little brother seated at the kitchen table with a feast of pancakes and bacon before him.
“Can say the same about you, bro.” Asher stood and reached out for Dane. He embraced his brother, thumping him on the back. When they released each other, Dane turned to see tears standing in Mimi’s eyes.
“Aww, sweetheart. C’mere. I’ve got a hug for you too.” Dane crossed the kitchen and whipped the little woman up into his arms.
She squealed and thumped his back for him to let her go. Before he did, he gave her a gentle squeeze.
Asher chuckled and took a huge bite of pancakes. “Didn’t think you’d climb out of that woman’s bed so quick. Thought you might not show your face ‘til afternoon.”
Mimi’s eagle gaze landed on Dane.
“There coffee, Mimi?”
She nodded and started to reach down a mug, but he intervened and got it for himself. “You spent the night with Doctor Peterson?”
Asher’s brows shot up. “Doctor? Our brother landed himself a doctor? Hell, the family’s saved.”
Dane angled a glare at his brother. “You won’t say that again if you like your pearly whites.”
“No fighting at breakfast. You know the rules.” Mimi’s statement caught him off-guard. He looked at Asher, and they broke out laughing.
“At least Mimi’s the same as always. I came home to learn Z’s engaged to be married and you were over schmoozin’ the neighbor.” Asher shook his head. “What else did I miss?” He shoveled Mimi’s home cooking into his mouth.
“Only a lot of hard work.” Mimi dried off her own breakfast dish and stacked it in the cupboard.
“I missed your no-BS talk, Mimi,” Asher said.
Dane eyed him. “What made you try to ride that llama last night?”
At the news, Mimi spun to face Asher. “You did not!”
“He did. Got Brennah’s animals all stirred up, and I had to chase the llama back into the pen.”
“You could have hurt it, Asher Moon!” Mimi shook her finger at him.
“I was just tryin’ to shake things up around here. Who knew the Moon family got stuffy?” Asher crammed the rest of his breakfast down and then stood and carried his empty plate over to the sink. He paused to drop a kiss to Mimi’s cheek but avoided Dane’s stare as he walked out of the kitchen.
After he stepped out of earshot, Dane and Mimi exchanged looks. “I’ll keep an eye on him, Mimi. Don’t worry, okay?”
“Heard that before. But I suppose you older boys settled down and are getting your lives straightened out.” She sent a glance after Asher. “I only hope the youngest isn’t the wildest.”
“Hey, I thought I earned that title long ago.”
She screwed up her face. “You and Asher vied for it, that’s true.”
He put his arms around her. “You’re the best mother anyone could ever ask for and it’s more than any of us deserve.” He planted a kiss on her cheek and walked away before she could make her usual speech about how all of them deserved better than the hands they were dealt. Now he knew he didn’t need to hold on to those cards—he could toss them all back into the pile and deal himself a new hand. Zayden had done that already, and Dane felt he’d made some changes to put him on a better path. With luck, Asher wouldn’t take too much convincing, though the guy possessed the stubborner of the Moon genes.
Smiling to himself at that, he walked outside and dug into the chores. After cleaning out the chicken coop, he set to scouring the big horse water stock tank. The metal pool had its share of dents put there by each and every Moon boy on the ranch, but it still did the job well enough.
He heard a noise behind him and swung his head to look. Cold water blasted him full in the face. He shut his mouth even as he cut off a bellow of shock at the icy water. Dammit, he’d fallen for the old trick again.
Ducking to the side to dodge the spray, he lunged for Asher, who held the hose on him.
“You’re gonna get it, bro!”
“Pretty sure I’m still faster,” Dane drawled out.
“Yeah, but it’s two against one now.” Zayden rounded the corner with a grin on his face. Asher whipped around and soaked him from crotch to hat before he could react.
From behind Asher, Dane made a dive. He hit his brother in the back, and they went down in a hard thump together. The hose wiggled away on the grass, and a gleam came into Zayden’s eyes as he lazily bent to pick it up.
“Oh shit,” Dane said.
“Shit is right. Get off me, you heavy bastard. I gotta get away before Zayden soa—” He took a mouthful of water from the first shot, and then it was game on. Dane jumped up and hurled himself at Zayden, getting even more drenched before he wrested the hose from his big brother and turned the spray on the other two.
Their shouts drew Mimi outside to see about the commotion, and Dane couldn’t help but smile at the grin plastered on her face.
“I got all my boys home, and for once, they’re getting along. I couldn’t be happier.”
He dropped the hose and walked over to her with arms wide. “Gimme a hug, Mimi!”
“No, you naughty boy. You’re soaked to the skin!”
“The water’s cold too. Warm me up, Mimi.” He wrapped her in his arms, and she nailed him in the chest with her small fists ‘til he released her.
“There—now we’re all soaked and could use some of that good hot chocolate you make, Mimi. Whattaya say?”
As she turned for the house, her smile spoke volumes—that times were easier right now, and hot chocolate fixed everything.
Chapter Thirteen
Brennah looked up at the sound of tires in the driveway. She didn’t recognize the truck but knew it belonged to Charlie. She’d been expecting Mindi’s husband this morning.
She started across the yard to greet him, and he gave her a wide grin. “You got this old place fixed
up nice.”
“Thanks. You haven’t been here since I came back to town, have you?”
“Nope. Give me the tour.” Behind the man’s face, she saw her childhood friend who’d helped foster her love of animals. As kids, he’d invited her over for riding, though usually they ended up mucking out stalls, and she suspected that had been Charlie’s intent all along.
As they walked the property, she showed him some of the improvements she’d made to the barn and by adding the llama pen. He made appreciative noises. “Lookin’ good. Where are the pigs?”
“This way.” She led the way to their pen and looked in at the pair she’d spent a year fattening up for the fair. “I’m going to miss them.”
“Can’t keep ’em forever. Expensive pets.”
“I know. It’s best I take them to the fair.”
“You’ll get a good price for them.” He bobbed his head. “Easy enough to load up with my trailer. I’ll back up here, if that’s okay.”
“Yes, perfect.”
He pivoted from the pen. “What about the mare you told Mindi about?”
Brennah chewed her lip. “I decided she’s not quite trained enough. It’s better if I hold her back and keep working with her. Hopefully I could sell her next spring.”
“That sounds fine. You have any other horses you’d like to take?”
She tipped her head. “Come with me. I’ll tell you my idea.”
They circled back to the horses. In the far pasture, the stallion grazed. She pointed.
Charlie released a low whistle. “You thinkin’ of sellin’ him?”
“Yeah. I can’t believe I’m saying it. I had so many hopes and dreams with all my horses, but I overestimated the amount of free time I’d have. If I don’t have time to dedicate to the mare’s training, I can’t get to the stallion for months. I don’t want him going to waste and developing bad habits because I haven’t worked with him. Also, keeping him separated from the mares in that smaller pasture isn’t right. I had thoughts to geld him, but…”
“Yeah, would be a shame. You could stud him out for up to ten grand for a successful pregnancy.”
“Yes, but again, I don’t have the space for him that he deserves. It’s either geld him and put him in with the others or sell him to someone who can treat him better.”
Charlie nodded. “He’ll fetch a steep price at the auction. Good money for you.”
“Yeah.” If she couldn’t let go of the birds she fostered, how would she manage to say goodbye to the stallion, who she stroked and talked to and cared for every day?
Charlie looked to her. “You sure?”
“Yes,” she said before she could change her mind. “He deserves a good owner who gives him time. Will you be able to load him up as well and take him to the fair?”
“I’ll be here bright and early tomorrow morning for him and the pigs.”
She turned to him and gave him a hug. “Thanks, Charlie. Tell Mindi I’ll see her tomorrow at the fair. We can all sit together.”
After he left, Brennah strolled closer to the stallion and called him over for treats. “I’ll miss you, boy. But I think you’ll have a good life with a bigger pasture and all the room to run that you need.”
The stallion tossed his head, black mane flying on the breeze.
* * * * *
The town of Stokes might be small, but their annual fair brought people in by the hundreds. Traffic flooded the tiny town, making it difficult to navigate the streets, though Brennah didn’t mind a bit as she headed to the fairgrounds outside the town limits.
First thing this morning, Charlie had come with his trailer and loaded up the pigs and stallion as promised. The decision proved difficult, but Brennah felt right about making it. She didn’t have the time to put into every horse in her care, and she couldn’t allow the stallion’s potential to go to waste. He’d make someone a good horse, for either breeding or training. Meanwhile, she could focus her attention on training Ladybug.
Her phone rang, and she groaned. “Damn.” Of all days to get an emergency call at the clinic, she hoped today passed by. The office had a “closed for the fair” sign on the door, and her day would be spent checking over the animals entered in the fair.
Picking up her phone, she braked to allow a car out of a side street. “Brennah Peterson.”
“Brennah, it’s Shania.”
Her stomach shouldn’t sink at the sound of her good friend’s voice, yet it did exactly that. “Hi, Shania.”
“You didn’t answer your emails the past two days.”
“Yeah, I’ve been overloaded. It’s fair time here in Stokes, and I haven’t been on the computer at all. What’s up?” She already knew the answer—the interview on Skype had either gone well or hadn’t. And Shania would tell her right now.
“The interview you had earlier in the week, Brennah. How can you think about anything else? This is such a great opportunity. Aren’t you more excited?”
No, she wasn’t. She didn’t want to leave Stokes. Now that she knew that her heart lay in this small town with her busy practice and hundreds of patients…and with Dane Moon…she didn’t want to think about Seattle again.
She sighed. “Shania, we need to discuss this.”
“What’s to discuss? If you’d read your email you’d know you’re in—Dr. Clemens loved you and can’t quit talking about you. He wants you here next week if possible.”
“Next—” Nothing could freak her out as much as a deadline like that. “You know that wouldn’t be possible even if—”
“Dr. Clemens is headed to Germany at the end of the month.”
“Germany?” she echoed, barely keeping an eye on the road.
“Yes, I’m sure you’ve heard of that huge veterinary conference taking place in Munich?”
It was only the most prestigious and talked about conference among veterinarians everywhere. “Of course I do,” she said.
“Well, he’s taking me—and you, Brennah. That is, if you accept his terms of employment in the email.”
Oh God. Attending the conference meant a huge opportunity, not only to travel and meet with elite veterinarians all over the world, but there would be trainings on brand-new surgical techniques and state-of-the-art tools to help them better diagnose their patients.
Using conscious thought, she forced herself to close her gaping mouth. “Let me get back to you, Shania. I’m driving.”
She hung up and pulled over the first chance she got. Then she opened the email on her phone and scanned the contents. A hefty six-figure salary, top of the line health insurance, a chance at partnership within five years, because Dr. Clemens would be retiring at that time…and Munich.
She swallowed hard. If someone had told her five years ago these accomplishments would be within her grasp, she would have just smiled and shaken her head. She was born and bred to be a country vet.
Yes, I’m a country vet. It’s all I ever wanted—and all I want now.
At the moment, she needed to get to the fairgrounds and take care of her stock she had entered. But when she got a free moment, she would write a well-worded thank-you reply to Dr. Clemens’s offer—along with a refusal. She belonged in Stokes.
* * * * *
When Dane walked into the arena and spotted Brennah’s stallion standing tall and proud, heads and shoulders above all the competition, a knife twisted in his gut. They hadn’t discussed her entering the stallion—and there could only be one reason why she would let him go. The interview went well.
Though she hadn’t spoken a word to Dane about her interview early this week, he definitely couldn’t quit thinking about it.
He swung his head right and left, searching for sight of Brennah. She wasn’t with her horse, which was strange—unless she got called out to an emergency. All the other owners stood with their horses.
Then he caught sight of her. Back to him, she moved her hands as she talked, which meant she either explained something to the person she spoke to or she was exci
ted.
He hesitated. Did he really want to hear what she said? What if she was telling someone about the position in Seattle?
Time to check himself—no Moon ever backed down. He shouldered his way through the crowd. When he reached her side, she glanced up. Then her face lit.
Christ. She really did love him. He still would never believe he deserved her, but he’d die trying to keep her.
“Dane, this is Walker Connally.”
He arched a brow. “Connally?”
“Walker, this is Dane Moon. His grandparents were your neighbors growing up, and I bought the spread off him when I moved back to Stokes.” Her voice rang with an edge of excitement. What was going on?
He stuck out his hand, and Connally shook it. After the hard handshake, Dane stood back to size the man up. Judging by his expensive hat and boots and everything in between, the man had money.
“Walker saw my stallion and he’s made me an offer.”
“But the auction hasn’t even started,” Dane said, stunned.
Brennah nodded. “I know. He wants to invest in the stallion for his bloodline.”
Dane looked to the man, who also nodded. “That horse will bring big stud fees. I’ve got the connections but not the place to keep the horse. So Brennah and I have been discussing options, because she doesn’t feel the horse has enough space on her ranch either. And knowing my grandparents’ place, she’s right.”
Dane waited for more.
Brennah grabbed his arm. “Not only do I not have enough space for him, I can’t do all this on my own. I’m too busy. But I told Walker that I’ve got a good pair of hands right next door at the Moon Ranch. Plus, you guys have more than enough room to house him.” Her eyes glimmered as she looked at Dane. “What do you say? Will the Moon Ranch partner with me and Walker and see what magic we can make happen? Walker will front the money for the stallion’s keep and we all profit when he’s paired for breeding.”
Holy hell. What a chance for the Moon Ranch and for Brennah too.
Her joy was so infectious, but more than that, how could he ever deny her anything? The opportunity would benefit all parties, and bringing business to the Moon Ranch would please his brother and hopefully provide extra cash Dane could use to both pay off his debt and buy another tractor.
