My Favorite Cowboy

by Donna Grant

  Maddy suddenly laughed. “So what if I like sex? I’m an adult. I can have as much of it as I want.”

  “Sure. Just don’t get some disease or pop up pregnant.”

  Maddy suddenly stood straighter. “It wouldn’t hurt you to have more sex. How long has it been? A night or two of good lovin’ would change your outlook. I bet I could find you a man who could help you relax.”

  Audrey opened her mouth to reply when she took note of her sister. Maddy wasn’t just grinning, her gaze was directed over Audrey’s shoulder.

  Which meant, they weren’t alone.

  Well, two could play at that game. “So you didn’t get their numbers? You losing your touch?” she asked innocently.

  Maddy’s gaze locked on her and narrowed. Then she said in a soft voice, “Score for Audrey. But the game isn’t over yet, sis.”

  Chapter 4

  Damn.

  It was the first thought that went through Caleb’s mind as he stared at the fine ass before him. He’d gotten enough of a look that morning to recognize the woman as the same one he’d spotted when they arrived at the auction house.

  Audrey Martinez.

  If he’d known what a fine specimen she was, Caleb would’ve made her acquaintance years ago.

  He found himself smiling when he caught Audrey’s whispered retort to her sister in Spanish. Caleb glanced over at his brother and Clayton to see both of them staring at him.

  That wiped the grin from his face. He shot them a confused look and mouthed, “What?”

  Neither said a word as they returned their attention to the women.

  Caleb adjusted his cowboy hat atop his head as David ambled up. The strain around the older man’s eyes had only intensified as the day progressed. He’d asked them not to tell anyone they were trying to fix the cameras, which had seemed like an easy request.

  Until some of the employees asked what Brice and Caleb were doing. They were quick to come up with an explanation, however.

  Audrey pushed away from the stall and turned to them. Her gaze landed on Caleb first but quickly slid to Clayton. Caleb tried not to be annoyed that his brother-in-law had been granted a smile.

  But he was irritated.

  “Hello,” Audrey said as she walked up to Clayton and held out her hand. “I’m Audrey Martinez.”

  Clayton clasped her hand briefly. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Ms. Martinez. I’m Clayton East.”

  “Please, call me Audrey.” Then large, dark eyes widened. “East? As in the East Ranch?”

  David chuckled and slapped Clayton on the back. “The very one. I’ve sold a lot of horses for both Clayton and his father.”

  “And we’ve bought a lot of them from you,” Clayton added with a grin. He then motioned to Brice and Caleb. “These are my brothers-in-law, Brice and Caleb Harper.”

  Audrey’s gaze moved to Brice, who tipped his hat to her. “Ma’am.”

  Caleb waited until her eyes were on him before he reached up and touched the edge of his hat. “Nice to meet you.”

  He found himself awestruck, though he couldn’t put a finger on why. He drank in her golden-brown skin, dark eyes, and black hair that denoted Audrey’s Spanish heritage.

  Her oval face was covered in a light sheen of sweat that gave it a beautiful glow. He wanted to wipe his thumb over her wide, full lips before he kissed her.

  Because he was going to kiss her.

  Caleb had never walked away from someone he was attracted to, and he certainly wasn’t about to start now. Audrey didn’t just have a stunning face, she also had the hourglass figure that always brought him to his knees.

  Audrey licked her lips and glanced away. Caleb nearly groaned at the sight of her pink tongue. Then he remembered that they weren’t alone. And they were dealing with a very serious situation.

  But once everything was in hand, he was going to pursue Audrey.

  Caleb winced as Brice slammed his elbow into his ribs. Caleb looked at his brother to find Brice glaring at him.

  “Did you find anything?” David asked, breaking the silence.

  Audrey shook her head. “Not like I’d hoped. I looked at their blood compared to four other horses here, and while I didn’t see anything definitive, I am running another test to see if it will tell me more.”

  “And if it doesn’t?” Caleb asked.

  Dark eyes landed on him. “Then I send the samples off to a lab for more in-depth testing.”

  “First things first,” Clayton said. “We stop this from happening to more horses.”

  Everyone nodded, including Maddy.

  “Are the cameras fixed?” Audrey asked.

  Brice nodded. “Just about.”

  Caleb still wasn’t happy with what they had discovered about the security system. No wires had been cut. Instead, they found several places where it looked as if someone had surged the lines with electricity—enough to burn them.

  “Good. Since I’ll be staying overnight,” Audrey stated.

  David took a step toward her. “Now, I—”

  “You called me,” Audrey interrupted him. “You brought this to my attention and asked for my help. Did you really think I was just going to take a look and then go about my day?”

  David shook his head and lowered his eyes to the ground. “I didn’t think you’d stay, but I should’ve known.”

  “Yes. You should have.”

  Maddy was quick to add, “I’ll stay with my sister.”

  “You won’t be the only one,” Clayton said.

  Brice jerked his thumb at Caleb. “He and I will both remain overnight, as well.”

  “That’s not necessary,” Audrey began.

  “The hell it isn’t,” David said over her. “I’ll feel a sight better knowing that two men will be able to keep you safe. Just in case.”

  Audrey fought to keep her temper in check. “You forget, David, both Maddy and I can handle ourselves.”

  He grunted in response. “I know you can, but Brice was a Marine, and Caleb was a Green Beret. They’re both staying.”

  After his announcement, David turned and walked away with Clayton following. Silence grew as the four of them stared at each other.

  Finally, Brice said, “I’m going to call Naomi and let her know what’s going on.”

  Caleb nodded to his brother before Brice walked away.

  Maddy suddenly looked at him, smiling brightly. “So, Caleb, are you married?”

  “No,” he said, hiding his smile since he knew what she was doing. “I’m not seeing anyone either.”

  Maddy cut her eyes to Audrey, who rolled hers and turned away. Caleb watched as Audrey squatted next to her bag and opened it, pulling out a tablet. Then she took it into the stall with the roan and began examining the horse.

  “Harper,” Maddy said, her eyes narrowed in thought as she stared at Caleb, her head tilted to the side.

  Caleb glanced Maddy’s way and nodded. “That’s right.”

  “I’ve heard some of the other horse owners talk about the Rockin’ H Ranch,” Audrey said without looking at him. “Is that you?”

  Pride welled inside him that their ranch was becoming so well known. “It is. Brice and I began it three years ago. He has an eye for horses, and I train them.”

  Audrey looked over her shoulder at him. She said nothing, which bothered Caleb.

  “You started your own ranch?” Maddy asked before Caleb could pose a question to her sister.

  He drew in a breath. “I can tell you’re surprised by that. Most people are.”

  “It’s just that you could have done it on the East Ranch and used their contacts,” Maddy said.

  Caleb noticed how Audrey had shifted so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. She had also stilled, as if waiting for his reply.

  He lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Before my sister, Abby, married Clayton, we were dirt-poor. We rarely had money to turn on the A/C to cool the house in the summers because we saved it to have heat in the winter. It was nic
e to live at the East Ranch, but the fact my sister loves and is loved by Clayton is what matters most. We learned a lot living at the ranch, but Brice and I wanted to strike out on our own.”

  “So you and Brice wanted to make a name for yourselves,” Maddy said, smiling.

  “Exactly.”

  Maddy cut her eyes to Audrey as another wordless look passed between the sisters.

  As intrigued as he was by the pretty vet, Caleb was also very much aware that something nefarious was going on at the auction house. He was leaning toward someone having done this to the horses because for four of them to fall ill so quickly and at the same time was too coincidental. Which meant, Caleb needed to make sure it didn’t happen to any of the other animals.

  He walked to the stall and folded his arms atop the rail. “Do you think they were poisoned?”

  Audrey turned to face him and lowered the iPad. “If it’s a virus, I would expect to find it in more horses. Especially ones that have been in contact with the infected ones.”

  “But?” Caleb urged.

  She shrugged. “If it’s poison, it’s something new.”

  “She thinks it’s poison,” Maddy said as she joined them.

  Audrey gawked at her. “Maddy!”

  “What?” Maddy asked innocently, shrugging. “You do. I know that look. Besides, if you thought it was a virus, you would have separated the animals who are ill from the healthy ones.”

  “They are separated,” Audrey stated.

  Maddy blew out a breath. “More than they already are then. I know you.”

  There was a tense moment before Audrey sighed loudly and threw up her hands in defeat. “Fine. I think it’s poison, but I have to keep my mind open to other possibilities until the final test is finished. I don’t want to focus on one thing and miss some detail that could show me it’s something else.”

  The longer Caleb watched her, the more he came to realize why so many ranches fought to have Audrey work for them. There were many good equine veterinarians in the area, but Audrey went the extra mile.

  “You’ll figure it out,” he said.

  She looked at him, worry in her deep brown eyes. “I really hope so. These horses are suffering, and I can’t stand that.”

  “Is there anything you can give them to help?”

  She pressed her lips together briefly. “Since I’ve not discovered what it is yet, I could put the horses in danger if I give them something that reacts negatively to poison.”

  “The music helps,” Maddy said.

  Caleb saw her about to turn on the music again. “Wait.”

  “Why?” Audrey asked.

  He nodded at the horses. “I want to ease them as much as both of you, but I’m looking at all the angles here. If whatever is happening with the horses isn’t natural, then we have to consider that someone is doing this. Obviously, Audrey, that was already on your mind when you had David fix the cameras. But we’re going to be here tonight, so let’s use that to our advantage.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Audrey said.

  “If it’s a person,” he agreed. “They won’t know the cameras have been fixed, but more importantly, they won’t know that we’re all here.”

  Maddy frowned. “So why can’t I turn on the music?”

  “Because if whoever it is knows someone is here, they won’t come in,” Audrey replied.

  Caleb smiled at her. “Exactly. We need to remain as quiet as we can.”

  “What if it isn’t someone doing this intentionally?” Maddy asked.

  Caleb chuckled softly. “Then we all spend a night watching over the horses.”

  “Until David closes for the night, I’m going to play music,” Maddy stated.

  A few moments later, the soft strings of an Asian-inspired song filled the air. Caleb wanted to stay with Audrey and talk to her some more, but he needed to get with Brice and Clayton to figure out a plan.

  He nodded to the women and went to find his brother. Just as he suspected, Brice and Clayton were already in deep conversation.

  “I was just about to come get you,” Brice said.

  Caleb looked between them. “What’s going on?”

  “The security system won’t come online,” Clayton announced.

  “I thought we found the issue,” Caleb said. “We can reroute the lines that have been burned.”

  Brice ran a hand down his face. “That was a ruse so we didn’t discover what really took out the cameras.”

  Unease rolled through Caleb. “And what’s that?”

  “A virus,” Clayton said. “I found it when I was going through the coding.”

  Brice cracked his knuckles. “Someone who goes to that kind of trouble wants to make sure the cameras aren’t working.”

  “That means, someone is doing this to the horses,” Caleb said and looked back to where Audrey was standing.

  Chapter 5

  “I told you he was hot,” Maddy said with a knowing grin.

  Audrey didn’t look up from her tablet as she made additional notes before heading into the next stall. She needed to concentrate on her job, not think about the incredibly hot cowboy with the gorgeous brown eyes. “You did.”

  “Oh, come on, Audrey. Even you have to admit they were all pretty good-looking.”

  Audrey murmured soothingly to the bay gelding as she walked into the stall. After comforting him for several minutes, she said, “Are you including David in that?”

  “I’ve known him all my life. He’s more like an uncle. Besides, you know I’m not including him.”

  Audrey smiled, but it didn’t last long as she spotted the swelling on the gelding’s front left knee. It wasn’t unusual for a horse to take some weight off one leg, which is why she hadn’t noticed the swelling sooner.

  She squatted down to take a closer look at the knee. When she put her hand on the horse’s leg, he snorted at the same instant his body tensed.

  “It’s okay, boy. I won’t hurt you,” she said.

  Audrey was careful not to get near the affected area as she inspected it with her eyes. Once the gelding calmed, she managed to get her hand several inches closer before he twitched his head.

  “I’m going to fix you,” she promised. “You have to trust me.”

  Another few tense minutes passed before she moved with agonizing slowness until her palm was over the knee. She didn’t feel any fluid, so it could just be joint pain. But since this was one of the ill horses, she wasn’t sure of anything.

  Audrey rubbed her hand softly over the leg again and again. The horse closed his eyes, letting her know that he trusted her. She sat cross-legged and continued to stroke him with one hand while adding notes to the chart on her iPad with the other.

  Though she didn’t want to leave the bay, Audrey knew she needed to get to the other two horses. She climbed to her feet and ran her hand down the gelding’s head to the soft, velvety muzzle.

  When she turned to leave, her gaze landed on none other than Caleb Harper. Audrey’s heart skipped a beat when she saw his attention on her. She couldn’t look away from his brown eyes. They were a unique mixture of dark and light with a band of gold around the iris.

  Audrey realized that her breath was coming faster. Her fingers clasped the tablet tightly. How could she not react when faced with such an arresting man?

  Because Caleb wasn’t just any cowboy. He wore the hat, boots, and jeans like a second skin, but it was the way he stood, the way he took in everything around him that made her aware of him.

  Learning he had been in the Army’s elite fighting force didn’t surprise her. He had that look about him. The bearing of a man who had seen and done a great many things. The look that said he was ready and willing to face any challenge put before him.

  And win.

  Eyes that had witnessed terrible things were in direct contrast to his sexy grin. His face seemed sculpted from granite with a firm jawline and chin and lips that could make her forget her name with just a smile. From his broad shoulder
s encased in a tan button-down shirt, to his slim hips and long legs, Caleb was utter perfection.

  It was too bad he wasn’t grinning at her now.

  He opened the stall door and waited for her to walk out before closing it. When she turned to face him, they were inches apart.

  “Wh-what’s wrong?” she asked, trying to get her bearings with him so close.

  He glanced over his shoulder to where Maddy meditated once more. “Is your sister right? Is your gut telling you this is a poison?”

  “As I told her I—”

  “Your gut,” he insisted.

  Audrey swallowed and reluctantly nodded. “I still won’t rule out anything until the last test comes in.”

  “Follow your gut, doc,” he said and pivoted to leave.

  She quickly moved to stop him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I think it might be better if you don’t know.”

  “I disagree. My sister is here, and I need to know all the facts so we can protect ourselves.”

  His brow furrowed. “I’ll do that.”

  “I appreciate the thought, but that’s not how we Martinezes handle things. Maddy and I take care of ourselves.”

  Caleb stared at her for a long moment. “Shouldn’t we bring her into this conversation so she knows what’s going on?”

  “No.” As soon as Audrey answered, she realized Caleb had tricked her.

  He didn’t apologize, and she didn’t attempt to explain herself. Caleb had a brother, so he knew what siblings would do for each other.

  Audrey glanced down at Caleb’s belt buckle and noticed the gun holster for the first time. It hadn’t been there before. He put his palm on the butt of the gun, and she found her eyes drawn to his long fingers. She gazed up his hand to his bare, tan forearm, stopping where his shirt was rolled up to his elbows.

  Never in her life had she ever thought a man’s hands sexy. Until that moment.

  Her eyes lifted to meet his. “Maddy is as skilled as I am at protecting herself, but she has a tendency to believe the best about everyone.”

  “While you see the worst?” Caleb asked, his brow quirked.

  Audrey twisted her lips and wrinkled her nose. “I like to think I see reality. I’ve healed enough abused horses and other animals to know the cruelty of mankind.”