by Donna Grant
“But it didn’t,” he said. Caleb knew exactly how she felt. He’d been in her shoes over a decade earlier when Abby was shot, and again just three years ago when men were after Brice and Naomi after the pair discovered that some prominent businessmen were raping women.
Caleb knew there was no reason to keep holding her, but he couldn’t seem to release her. He liked the way she fit against him. She felt … right.
As if she belonged in his arms.
He’d never felt that way about anyone. It scared Caleb enough that he loosened his hold and took a step back.
Audrey turned to him. She frowned as she ran her gaze over his face. “You’re in pain.”
She had no idea. Caleb’s body physically ached to have her against him. And, oh, to kiss those enticing lips of hers. To peel away the clothes and see that delicious body. To—
“Here you go,” Audrey said as she bent and handed him some aspirin.
The naked image he had of her evaporated as he accepted the pills and tossed them into his mouth before downing them with water. When he raised his head, his gaze clashed with Brice’s, but he quickly looked away. His brother and Clayton saw entirely too much, and frankly, he didn’t want to see what was in their eyes.
Because it might force him to look at his feelings. And that wasn’t something he could do. Not now. Maybe not ever.
Audrey turned to Clayton. “I need to see what you managed to save.”
“Right this way,” Clayton said as he ushered her out of the area.
“I don’t like this.” Brice started pacing again. “I don’t like any of this.”
It didn’t matter that Caleb had spent years in the military away from Brice and the rest of the family while risking his life on missions. Brice would always think of him as the little brother who used to tag along behind him and need looking after.
Just as Abby would always look at both him and Brice as kids instead of adults.
“I don’t either,” Caleb admitted.
Brice stopped and put his hands on his hips as he dropped his chin to his chest. “You didn’t see how close the metal from the building came to landing on you.”
“I’ve been in worse situations. So have you.”
Brice turned his head to him, his blue eyes locking on Caleb. “Maybe. But I wasn’t with you in the Army, and you weren’t with me. That was war. This is different.”
“This is home.”
“Damn straight.”
Caleb walked to his brother. “They fucked with the Harpers. That was their first mistake.”
“It’s going to be their last,” Brice vowed in a cold tone.
Cooper came into the area. He huffed out a breath as the cold air from the A/C blew on him. “Two sets of tracks. They’re on foot and heading to the back of the property. We can catch them. There are plenty of horses here.”
“No,” Caleb stated.
Brice’s brows snapped together. “Why the hell not?”
“Because that could be what they want us to do. We’re moving about as if we think the threat is over. Day or night, we need to keep vigilant until Audrey can get this sorted. Besides, I don’t think Danny will take too kindly to us treading on his turf.”
Cooper removed his hat and scrubbed his hand over his sweat-soaked, golden locks. “Good point.”
“I heard Clayton on the phone with Danny after the explosion. He’ll be here shortly,” Brice said.
Caleb’s head throbbed with a dull ache, making it difficult to think clearly. “With Mac helping Audrey do the testing, we should know something soon.”
“I’m going to get set up to patrol the northeast side until the deputies arrive,” Cooper said before he returned his hat to his head and left.
Caleb looked at his brother. “Maybe you should take Naomi and go home.”
“She can’t stand to be there alone right now.”
It took a moment for Caleb to remember what day it was. The results of the fertility tests that both Naomi and Brice had taken were due in that day.
Brice’s face lined with worry. “How many buildings are on this property?”
“A dozen or so,” Caleb said with a shrug. “What are you thinking?”
“We need to get David to check every one to make sure it’s locked. If anyone is going to come at us, they’ll have to do it out in the open.”
Caleb hesitantly touched the tender skin near the hairline on his forehead. “Good idea. That’ll leave Danny and the other deputies free to go after whoever attacked Maddy and came at us, which I believe are the same men.”
Brice grunted. “No doubt. You should stick close to Audrey.”
Brice was gone before Caleb could argue. Not that he wanted to bicker over it since he wanted to be with Audrey. But it was the desire to be with her that had Caleb so worked up.
Because while he wanted Audrey in his bed, he wasn’t just thinking about sex. He was thinking of other things like holding her, talking about horses, and taking her to dinner. What really set him back on his heels was that he wasn’t thinking about having sex with her. He was thinking about making love to her.
Caleb strode from the sale barn and made sure the door was locked behind him. One sweep of the area and his gaze found Audrey. She was smoothing back her hair and twisting a band around the length as she re-did her ponytail while Clayton and Brice unloaded Mac’s equipment to take to David’s office.
Caleb walked to the van and lifted the next item. He glanced at Audrey once more to find her making her way to her SUV. Everything she needed was already there, but since Mac wasn’t a mobile vet, they had to set everything up. The microscope was heavier than Caleb expected. He entered David’s office and waited for Mac to tell him where he wanted it.
Caleb bit back a smile when he spotted David hastily moving things off his desk so it could be used. Mac’s booming voice was in direct conflict with his short stature. At just barely five foot four, he was used to the short jokes. Oddly enough, they never seemed to bother him.
In no time at all, the equipment was set up. Mac nodded his head to David and walked to the desk, his expression focused.
“Do you have everything?” David asked.
Mac gave another quick nod. “Audrey has already given me half the samples.
“Then we’ll leave you to it,” Clayton said.
Brice reached the door first. “I’ll be with Naomi in the stables.”
“I’ll—” Clayton began when his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and smiled as he said, “Hey, babe. Hang on. It w—”
Caleb laughed because he and Brice knew exactly what was happening on the other end of the line. Abby must have found out about the explosion and had an earful to give Clayton.
David shook his head. “You’d think Clayton would’ve learned after all these years to call Abby when something happens.”
Clayton shot him a look that promised retribution as he walked out, still trying to get a word in.
Caleb slipped out and went to Audrey.
“You here to help?” she asked with a grin when she saw him.
“If you need me.”
Her smile faded. “Ah. You’re here to guard me.”
“I’m here to do both,” he corrected.
After a moment, she shrugged. “I can accept that. And I can also say that I’m happy you’re here. It seems like it’s been one accident after another.”
“Do what you need to do. Let us worry about any more attacks.”
“I can do that.”
She licked her lips and turned away. Caleb shifted his attention outward to scan the area, but his gaze slid back to Audrey. She looked adorable in her safety goggles. With her focus on the samples, she forgot all about him.
Not that he minded. He quite liked watching Audrey work. She was dedicated and thorough. Her passion for the horses matched her skill and knowledge as an equine veterinarian.
He’d dated successful women before. But not one of them could match Audrey’s focus
and fervor. When he trained the horses, he also forgot about others and anything else around him.
Maybe that’s why he was drawn to Audrey. They were much alike with how they worked, despite the different fields.
Or, it could be the raw, primal craving he felt for her.
He didn’t want to ignore it, but to acknowledge and act on it was something altogether different. Because it was a road Caleb had never traveled before.
A road he had intentionally avoided at all costs.
Now, it stood before him, beckoning him to give it a go. And he wanted to. He knew it would be good with Audrey. Hell, it could be great.
And that’s what kept him from moving forward.
Chapter 15
Audrey stretched her neck before lifting her arms over her head and reaching to each side. Then she linked her hands behind her and arched her back. Hours hunched over were wreaking havoc with her body.
Caleb hadn’t left her side the entire time. No matter what she needed, he was there to get it for her. It kept her focused and moving from one sample to the next, even when the sheriff and his deputies arrived and swarmed the area, looking for signs of the culprits.
When she finally finished, the sun was setting. She drained the bottle of water and turned, her gaze locking with Caleb’s. God, he was handsome. He’d done more for her in a few days than any guy had before. He’d risked his life, protected her, Maddy, and the horses. And through it all, he remained steady and calm.
She knew she could count on him. He’d had ample opportunity to bolt and run, but he wasn’t that kind of man. He was the kind who did anything for those he cared about.
Audrey became giddy recalling how he’d said that she and Maddy were part of his circle now. For the first time in two years, she felt some of the weight lift from her shoulders.
Even with the current situation, she didn’t feel as if she were drowning. Because Caleb had thrown her a life preserver.
“I’m done,” she said, unable to contain the smile any longer.
“Does that smile mean you found what you were looking for?”
“It does. Mac doing half the samples and then us switching to make sure everything matched what each of us found, cut down the time significantly.”
Caleb nodded. “What is the poison?”
“C. botulinum.”
“Botulism?” he asked in shock.
She was just thankful that she’d discovered what it was. “Yeah. It had to be a very small dose. Otherwise, they would’ve died quickly.”
“How do we treat it?”
She twisted her lips. “Another reason I’m thankful Mac was here. Because while I have a vaccine for botulism that I give the horses I treat, I only have a small dose of the antitoxin. Mac, however, has more. Together, we can get the three horses the antitoxin, as well as any antibiotics they’ll need.”
She drew in a breath and grabbed a needle from her bag as Mac walked out of the trailer with David by his side. The small group walked to the stables together. Audrey’s heart sank when she saw the state of the ill horses. There was a chance the antitoxin would come too late, but she wouldn’t think of that now.
Her blood rushed in her ears as she walked to the first horse and stroked its neck. Out of the corner of her eye, Audrey spotted Caleb filling Naomi and Brice in on what was going on.
“Easy, boy,” she murmured to the horse and filled the syringe. She then stuck it into the drip line and pushed the medicine through. Every prayer she had ever learned ran through her head while she waited for some sign that the remedy had worked.
One by one, she and Mac treated the three horses. Once it was finished, they stood outside the stalls, watching the animals.
Naomi leaned her arms on the stall door. “How will we know if it’s working?”
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Mac said in a subdued tone.
Audrey looked at him. She now understood why the Easts and Harpers had trusted him for so long with their animals. Mac was amazing at his trade. He was fully invested in an animal regardless of who it belonged to.
That was the mark of a great vet, and she was honored to have worked alongside him.
“Thank you,” she told him. “I couldn’t have done this without your help.”
Mac ducked his head in embarrassment and ran his hand over his bald head. “I think you would’ve managed just fine.”
Brice looped an arm around Naomi. “Have faith, Audrey.”
It was something her sister would say. Her head snapped up as she looked around. “Where’s Maddy?”
“Clayton convinced her to go with Shane to the ranch to pick up some food Abby made,” Caleb answered.
Brice chuckled. “Abby said we weren’t eating more takeout. And when she worries, she cooks.”
“Jace is going to be thrilled,” Naomi said with a grin.
But all Audrey could think about was the fact that Clayton had somehow gotten her sister to leave. “Maddy never does what anyone wants her to do.”
Caleb moved to stand beside Audrey. “Clayton is a master at getting people to do what he wants. By the time Maddy left, she believed it was her idea, and that Clayton wanted her to stay.”
A bubble of relief rose up in Audrey and came out like a chuckle. “That’s … amazing. I need to learn that trick.”
“It gets even better,” Brice said. “Clayton then phoned Abby and told her that Maddy was coming. Your sister has no clue what awaits her because Abby won’t let her leave. She’ll have Maddy in a hot bath, her belly full, and tucked in a bed within hours.”
Audrey looked upward and hastily blinked at the surge of emotion. “I’m never going to be able to repay any of this kindness.”
“The great thing is, you don’t have to,” Naomi said.
Brice smiled at his wife before he gave her a kiss. Then he looked at Audrey. “My beautiful other half is right. You owe us nothing.”
“Welcome to the world of the Easts and Harpers,” Mac said with a wink. “They’re some of the best people in the world.”
“I’ll second that,” Naomi replied.
Audrey swallowed, all too aware of Caleb’s closeness. His nearness was exhilarating. And now that she and Mac had discovered the poison, she found she couldn’t stop looking at him.
Hell. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t been able to stop looking at him since the moment she first saw him. He did something wonderfully amazing to her. It didn’t matter how or why. Just that he did.
Caleb walked into the roan’s stall and began talking to the horse as he gently ran his hand down the animal’s back. Audrey was taken aback by how the mare instantly responded to him.
The horse’s ears swiveled around to listen to Caleb. Then the beast’s large head lifted and turned. Caleb praised her, constantly stroking the animal.
Audrey had seen others who had a way with horses, but Caleb’s skill went beyond anything she’d ever witnessed before. It was like the horse understood him. Like Caleb was a horse whisperer.
Caleb looked up over the horse and let his wide lips slowly lift in a smile. It was the kind of grin that made a woman’s legs turn to jelly. And Audrey should know because that’s exactly what happened to her.
“He’s looking better,” she said.
“Told you to have faith,” Brice said.
She couldn’t remember ever being this tired. Not during finals of her senior year in college. Not during the many horse births that she had been a part of. Nor any of the surgeries she’d had to perform.
Audrey drew in a breath and slowly released it.
“Now it’s time for you to rest,” Caleb said.
She frowned, thinking of losing another horse. “I can’t. I need to be here for—”
“For what?” Mac asked. “The others are right. You need to rest. You’re dead on your feet. I’ll remain and look after them.”
“Sleep is not a weakness,” Caleb said softly from beside her.
She hadn’t even known he was there
. Or maybe she had, instinctively. Perhaps she was so used to him being around that she sought him out without even knowing it.
Caleb held out his hand. She looked at it in confusion, but she took it. Without a word, he led her out of the stables and back to David’s office. Audrey had no idea where anyone was, and she was too drained to care.
She didn’t even have the wherewithal to argue when Caleb sat on David’s couch and pulled her down beside him. He pulled out his phone and turned on some music. Audrey grinned when she recognized Dean Martin’s voice. He’d been her mother’s favorite singer.
They sat together as more of the Rat Pack songs played, one by one. It became nearly impossible for Audrey to keep her eyes open.
When Caleb reached up and gently tilted her head so that it rested on his shoulder, she wanted to say something witty or charming, but sleep quickly pulled her under.
* * *
Many women had been in Caleb’s arms, but the only one that he had willingly led to a couch just so she could sleep was Audrey.
He shifted her so that her head rested on his lap. He played with the ends of the long, black hair of her ponytail. And before he knew it, his fingers caressed down the side of her face.
He’d known her for only two days, but in that time, they had been under extreme duress several times. That kind of pressure revealed people at their worst—but Audrey had been amazing.
She never faltered, never hesitated. She knew what had to be done, and she did it.
Caleb’s head whipped to the side when the office door opened and Brice poked his head in. Caleb put a finger to his lips to caution his brother to speak in low tones.
Brice nodded, his gaze dropping to Audrey’s sleeping form. “This is a first,” Brice whispered.
Caleb shot him the finger.
His brother chuckled. “It’s only been thirty minutes, but the horses are recovering nicely. Why don’t you take Audrey back to our place?”
There was nothing Caleb would like better, but he knew it would be the wrong thing to do. “She needs to see the horses when she wakes.”
