Laying Down the Law

by Laylah Roberts

  “You should have called for help and then yes, you should have stepped back, well back. You had no business putting yourself in danger like that, Callie.” He pulled into the doctor’s surgery and turned in the seat to stare at her sternly. “If something like that ever happens again then I expect you to stay well away from any sort of danger.”

  Callie snorted, her eyes sparking with Callie snorted, her eyes sparking with temper as she returned his glare. She welcomed her temper, preferring it to the fear. “I will not.

  I refuse to cower like a coward.”

  “It is not cowardly to ask someone else for help, Callie.”

  She could hear the temper in his voice.

  His hand twitched. Huh, he was probably wishing he could spank her right now.

  “I had it under control,” she insisted. She hadn’t, but there was no way she was going to admit it.

  Tanner gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles going white with the force of his grasp. He turned toward her.

  “So under control that you ended up injured?” His voice rose and she winced in reaction. He climbed from the truck, moving rapidly around to help her out. As he went to pick her up, she slapped his hands away.

  pick her up, she slapped his hands away.

  “I haven’t lost the use of my legs,” she snapped. A heavy swat landed on her ass and she yelped in surprise, glaring up at him as her cheeks grew red with mortification at such a public display of chastisement.

  “Do not test me, Callie. I’m hanging on to my temper by a thread. Seeing you put yourself in danger does that to me.” She was surprised he didn’t reach for her again, instead grabbing hold of her hand and tugging her across the parking lot. She should have been furious with him and the way he high-handedly ordered her around. Instead, with him walking beside her, his gaze constantly roaming, alert for any danger, she felt protected. Safe.

  So she followed him without a word, letting him guide her across the parking lot and into the doctor’s waiting room.

  ***

  Callie winced as Dr. Samuels examined her swollen cheek and eye, grateful when he pronounced there was no serious harm done.

  She honestly thought that Tanner would have thrashed Fred Pickles, Sheriff’s badge or no, had he seriously injured her.

  “Keep icing it and take some painkillers when you need to. Same with your back, there’s some bruising and you won’t be lying on it for a while, but it will heal. Now, Callie, have you been taking those sleeping pills I gave you? You look very tired.”

  Callie had known Doc Samuels for years.

  He’d been her doctor since she was little. She had no idea how old he was, but he’d grown considerably more gray and more stooped over in the last few years. Still, his eyes sparkled, looking out at her from under bushy eyebrows with kind concern.

  with kind concern.

  Callie shifted uncomfortably, glancing over at Tanner where he sat beside her. “Can we have some privacy for this?” she asked him grudgingly. He stared at her, raising an eyebrow, his answer as short as his temper.

  “No.”

  Callie let out an exasperated breath before stiffening her spine. “No, I don’t like taking drugs. I haven’t been sleeping much and my appetite has been pretty much nil.” Doctor Samuels nodded. “Are you experiencing any pain after eating?” he asked, matter-of-factly. Callie nodded.

  “Fatigue? Nausea? Weight loss?” Callie nodded with each symptom he rattled off.

  “So it sounds like the medicine we had you on is no longer keeping the ulcer’s symptoms under control. Have you been symptoms under control. Have you been following your diet?” Callie hunched her shoulders defensively. She felt Tanner’s glare, it practically seared her skin. But he remained quiet, forcing her to have to answer.

  “I’ve tried, but I often forget to eat.” Dr. Samuels frowned. “Callie, we’ve spoken about this before, to keep the ulcer from flaring up you were supposed to slow down, take things easier. Physical and emotional stress can be triggers. A good diet and keeping away from caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol is imperative.”

  “I know,” she muttered all too aware of Tanner sitting beside her.

  “How long has she had this ulcer?” Tanner directed the question at the Doctor.

  Doc Samuels looked over at her, waiting for her nod before he answered.

  “Since she was twelve. I gave her some

  “Since she was twelve. I gave her some antibiotics and acid-reducing medication. I also suggested some counselling. I was worried about her. I didn’t feel she’d really dealt with the death of her parents. However Ryan wasn’t too enamoured of that idea.” The doctor’s voice was dry and Callie winced as she remembered Ryan’s reaction.

  He’d thought it bad enough to have to pay for her to go to the Doctor, and he wasn’t going to part with the cash for her a ‘quack’ when all she needed to do was ‘harden up’.

  His words, not hers.

  “Twelve?” Tanner asked his voice incredulous. “Is that normal?”

  “It happens, but not as common as adults, no,” the doctor answered him. “The ulcer was brought under control, but then flared up again two years ago. I prescribed some medicine and I warned Callie then that she had to slow I warned Callie then that she had to slow down. Too much stress can make the symptoms worse.” The doctor glared at her as Tanner snorted.

  “Obviously she doesn’t listen well.”

  “No, she doesn’t.”

  Callie glared at the two men who were happily discussing her as though she wasn’t even there. She cleared her throat.

  The doctor looked at Callie sternly.

  “You cannot expect to keep going the way you have been, young lady, and expect to get this ulcer under control. I know it’s got to be painful, and you’re only making things worse by not taking care of yourself.”

  “If I guaranteed that Callie would follow your instructions to the letter, Doc, could we get this thing under control?”

  The doctor frowned, sighing. “I hope so.

  The doctor frowned, sighing. “I hope so.

  What Callie struggles to understand is that this can be very dangerous. Were the ulcer to bleed she could become seriously ill. She must take this seriously or her health is going to suffer.”

  “She will.” Tanner’s voice was ominous and Callie was tempted to tune out as the doctor recited a list of instructions. But she knew Tanner was memorising them and would gladly inform her of them later should she ignore them now. With a sigh she forced herself to listen.

  “She needs to slow down, no more 14

  hour days, no more heavy lifting. She needs to eat regularly. Also I’ll prescribe some blockers and more antibiotics. Are you going to take them?”

  Both men stared at her sternly until she nodded grumpily.

  “Whatever she can do to keep her stress at a minimum, she should do it. No caffeine or alcohol and stay away from anyone who is smoking.”

  Neither Callie nor Tanner smoked so that would be the easiest instruction to follow.

  Cutting down on her work and caffeine was going to be a far harder struggle. Although if the look on Tanner’s face was anything to go on, she was not going to be given any choice in the matter.

  ***

  “Damn that man anyway,” Callie cursed softly as she paced furiously back and forth in her bedroom. “He has no right to treat me like this, no right at all!”

  Most of her fury wasn’t over the high-handed way Tanner had hauled her off to the doctor’s then stayed with her throughout her appointment.

  No, most of her anger was due to his actions after. Without a word he had paid for her visit, much to her embarrassment, and then bundled her back to her apartment.

  Still silent, he’d pulled her into her bedroom and sat her on her bed before finally speaking. “Stay here. Sleep. Rest. I will be back soon and then we will have a very serious talk.” With that he had left, leaving Callie gaping after him in shock.

  “Well,
fuck him,” she swore. “I have a business to run, I don’t need Tanner Jamieson and I certainly don’t need to do what he tells me!”

  With that she stormed downstairs, ignoring her hurt at his abrupt departure.

  Perhaps he was sick of dealing with her; perhaps learning she was sick had run him off.

  Well, she didn’t care! She didn’t! And she’d continue to tell herself that until she she’d continue to tell herself that until she believed it.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Tanner pulled up outside the large house at Creek Side Ranch. He had to hand it to the man; Ryan McKenzie had turned a bankrupt, struggling ranch into something prosperous and well run. But he’d done it at the expense of his little sister and that was something Tanner could never forgive, and it was something he intended to take Ryan to task for.

  “Sheriff, can I help you?”

  Tanner looked over as Callie’s oldest brother strode towards him. Cold blue eyes peered out at him from a tanned, lined face that proved the man worked hard on his land. Too bad he’d never worked that hard at raising his bad he’d never worked that hard at raising his baby sister.

  “We need to talk, Ryan.”

  The other man’s eyebrow rose at his tone, but he merely gestured towards the house.

  “Sally! Sal!” he yelled out as they entered and Tanner winced in sympathy for his poor wife if she had to put up with that bellowing all the time. He didn’t know her well. Ryan wasn’t the social sort, and Sally seemed content to stay on the ranch.

  “Hold your horses,” she retorted as she appeared around the corner of the hall.

  “Sheriff! How good to see you!” Her face went from plain to beautiful when she smiled and once again Tanner wondered why such a nice, normal woman had married Ryan McKenzie. “There’s not a problem, is there?”

  “Ma’am,” he nodded to her politely. “I’m not here on official business. I’m here about Callie.” Concern immediately filled Sally’s eyes as she took a step forward and Tanner wondered how much easier Callie’s childhood would have been had Ryan met this woman earlier.

  “Oh, no, something hasn’t happened to her, has it?”

  “She’s okay, ma’am. But perhaps we could talk for a moment?” He aimed his question at Ryan who nodded, gesturing towards his study.

  “I’ll get you some coffee,” Sally offered, but Tanner could sense she didn’t want to leave them.

  “Actually, ma’am, I’d appreciate it if you’d come sit in for this conversation.”

  “Alright,” she smiled at him. “But only if

  “Alright,” she smiled at him. “But only if you call me Sally.”

  He smiled back. “Agreed. Call me Tanner.”

  Ryan humphed with impatience.

  “Enough chitchat. Did you come out with something to say, Sheriff, or are you just here to charm my wife?”

  “Ryan!” Sally gasped.

  “It’s okay, ma’am, uhh Sally. Actually Ryan, I came here to talk to you about Callie.”

  “So what has the brat done this time?

  Built up too many parking tickets? In trouble is she?” Ryan asked harshly. Tanner frowned.

  “Actually, no, not that sort of trouble.

  She’s sick. She’s exhausted, over-worked and she needs some help.”

  The older man just snorted. His voice was gruff when he spoke. “I told her it was a was gruff when he spoke. “I told her it was a damn fool idea to open that vet practice.

  Already got a damn good vet, knew no one would go to her.”

  “Actually, Ryan, Callie’s a very good vet.” Surprisingly, it was Sally who spoke up, her voice serious as she defended the younger woman.

  “How would you know?” he asked

  suspiciously. “We go to Don Hendricks and we always will.”

  Tanner couldn’t believe the man wasn’t supporting his baby sister.

  “We use Don for the ranch animals, but I take Whiskers to Callie. You may choose to use that old fool, Don, but I won’t risk Whiskers life with him, Ryan. Callie is an excellent vet. But you’re right, Sheriff, she works too hard.”

  “What’s any of this got to do with us,

  “What’s any of this got to do with us, Jamieson? Or you for that matter?” The other man’s temper was growing short and he moved restlessly.

  “Well, firstly, I thought you might care about your little sister’s health. The little sister you helped raise. I thought you might actually care that her ulcer is back. I’m here because I do care about her health. How the hell could a twelve year old get an ulcer! You were supposed to be protecting her, raising her, loving her! Instead she spent her entire childhood believing she was a burden to you.” Sally gasped and turned to look at Ryan questioningly.

  The other man’s eyes narrowed in fury.

  “She was a burden. I was twenty-two and trying to run a failing ranch I didn’t need a brat to raise too.”

  “Ryan!” This time Sally’s voice was truly

  “Ryan!” This time Sally’s voice was truly shocked.

  “Even if you did feel that way, and frankly, I fail to see how any brother could ever view his baby sister as a burden, you had no business letting her know that. You had no business neglecting her to the point that she got ill. She’s still ill.”

  “What do you want, Jamieson? I fail to see how any of this is your business. If Callie sent you out here to have it out to me then she’s become a coward as well as a fool.” Tanner’s hands clenched at that statement and it was all he could do not to hit the other man. “Callie doesn’t know I’m here. I came out here because I thought you might care about her, more fool I. Callie does need something from you, though. She needs the money from her share of the profits of this ranch. Profits that I’m pretty sure she’s never asked for. We’ll be expecting them by the end asked for. We’ll be expecting them by the end of next week. And you’ll deliver them to her, Ryan and you will be civil or you and I really are going to have it out.” He threw the other man’s words back at him, nodding briefly to Sally as he left the house before he truly lost his temper.

  ***

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Callie looked over in surprise at the sound of Tanner’s voice barking out at her.

  She stood frozen as he stormed angrily towards her, his gray eyes turning to a slashing sliver.

  The air shimmered with the force of his fury, which was in direct contrast to the gentleness with which he plucked the large mutt out of her arms.

  The dog let out a small whimper at the movement before settling in against Tanner’s wide chest, something Callie found herself feeling a little jealous over. It was ridiculous when she often chaffed under his domineering ways that she found herself wishing she could just curl up against his strong chest and let him do the worrying for both of them.

  “Where do you want him?” he asked quietly, and she blinked in surprise before realising his quiet, gentle tone was for the injured animal’s sake, not because he was feeling at all mild or gentle.

  “Umm, over in this cage,” Callie directed him over, watching as he easily lifted the heavy dog into the large cage where the scruffy mutt settled with a sigh. Callie ran her hand gently over the dog’s back before locking the cage.

  “Do you need to do anything else?” Again his voice was almost spookily calm and it had Callie gulping as she avoided his silvery gaze.

  “Umm.” She was on edge and quickly

  “Umm.” She was on edge and quickly clasped her hands together when she found herself nervously fiddling with the cage door in front of her. “I just have to lock up.” She felt proud of herself for remembering that.

  Surely it would earn her some brownie points?

  Unfortunately not.

  “I’ll take care of that. Get yourself upstairs. I expect you to be standing in the corner of the bedroom, your bottom bared when I get up there.” His voice was quiet, mild, and all the more menacing because of it.

  “Why?” Her voice rose,
almost to an embarrassing squeak.

  “I don’t think I need to explain it, do I, Callie?”

  Callie shook her head, speechless.

  “Then get.” She jumped and raced up the stairs.

  stairs.

  “Slow down,” he yelled out. “You’ll trip and fall.” She slowed, walking up the stairs.

  Moving into the bedroom she stripped off her pants and panties and throwing them in the hamper, went to stand in the corner of the bedroom closest to the open door. She thought about defying him briefly but then self-preservation kicked in. Defiance was not in her best interest at the moment and she could only hope that her obedience would help to alleviate his anger.

  Callie wasn’t sure how long she waited in the corner but sheer fatigue soon had her leaning her forehead in against the corner, her eyes drifting closed. When Tanner finally walked through the door and quietly spoke her name she jumped in fright.

  “Callie? You okay?” Concern colored his voice and she risked a look over her his voice and she risked a look over her shoulder to see him frowning.

  “I’m fine,” she cleared her croaky voice quietly. “Just tired.”

  “I’m not surprised.” She could easily hear the disapproval in his voice. “Come here please.”

  Callie turned, coming to stand before him. He reached out and touched her cheek gently. “How does your cheek feel?” he asked.

  “It’s fine.” It throbbed slightly, but he didn’t have to know that.

  “Do you need some painkillers?” Callie shook her head. “I took some thirty minutes ago.”

  “Good, let me know when you need some more.” He sat on the bed and drew her to sit on his lap.

  “Callie, did you not listen to a thing the doctor told us this morning?” His voice was no longer angry, but the disappointment and concern was actually worse and Callie squirmed uncomfortably, feeling very much like a naughty child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

  “I did.”

  “Then why the hell did I find you working when I told you to rest, and even worse you were lifting a heavy dog when the doctor specifically told you not too! Do I have to lock you in your room and tie you to the bed to get you to rest, Callie? Because I will if I have to, I will do anything that needs to be done to get you healthy.”