Dearest Cowboys Box Set

by Mia Brown

  Twelve

  Blaze

  I was looking forward to another morning of horse riding. I had no clients that morning so I decided to go over and see the family. It had been a busy few weeks and I decided that a day off would be good. This was new to me though. I usually never took a day off. Even on the day I didn’t have clients I would always end up at my desk catching up on all the admin work that had fallen to the wayside. Today, however, I decided that I didn’t want to be at my desk. I wanted to be outdoors. It was a beautiful day, and it would be such a shame to spend it holed up at my desk. There were times when I barely saw the sun at all, and I always missed it. When I got to the ranch, Tyler grinned at me.

  “You’re not in a suit,” he pointed out.

  I laughed. “Nope. I’ve taken the day off.”

  “You have? That’s a surprise. Well, it’s nice to see you like this again. You look so much more relaxed.”

  “I’ve got to admit, it feels good not to be wearing a tie.”

  “So, day off, huh? Come to spend the day with us?”

  “I have. I figured you must all miss me so much,” I teased.

  “I don’t. I forgot you even existed,” Tyler teased back.

  “Well, I didn’t,” my mother said as she walked in and saw me there. She gave me a big hug and insisted that I join them for breakfast.

  “Oh, it’s okay mom. I already had a coffee before I left.”

  She groaned. “A coffee? Since when is a cup of coffee a breakfast? No, you need a decent meal to get you through the day. Come on, take a seat on the porch and I’ll bring everything out. Can you take this jug of orange juice with you?”

  I took the jug and made my way to the front porch, where my father was setting up the table. He smiled when he saw me.

  “Ah, we have a full house again,” he said.

  I looked at the table. “Wow, what’s the occasion?”

  He shook his head. “No occasion. Your mom thought it would be a good idea if we ate breakfast together as a family at least three times a week. Before the craziness of the day takes over. We’re going to try for every day, but if not then we’ll stick to three times. We started it two days ago and it’s been so nice. I’m glad you can join us today.”

  “That’s a great idea,” I said. I turned to look at Tyler to see if he found the whole thing nauseating but he was getting the table ready with my dad and didn’t seem to mind at all. Tyler had always enjoyed spending time with the family. I knew that even when he one day met a woman and moved out, he would still be at the ranch house most days.

  My mother returned with plates of food for all of us. Mounds of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, fried tomatoes, and mushrooms. It was delicious, and by the time I was finished I was stuffed. For someone that wasn’t used to eating breakfast anymore, I’d probably gone a bit overboard. My mother was very pleased by the way I had devoured her food, and told me I could do with some fattening up.

  “Good to see you taking a bit of time off,” she said to me. “It’s important to get out in the fresh air a bit. And today is such a beautiful day. Are you planning on riding?”

  “Definitely. Although, I need to wait for this food to settle. Poor Marty is not going to be happy if I climb on right now.”

  She chuckled. “I’m glad to see you eating again. What do you eat for breakfast at your house?”

  “Uh…coffee.”

  She groaned. “Darling, that is not breakfast.”

  I sighed. “I know. I think I’m just lazy when it comes to cooking.”

  “Well, if you hang around long enough I will give you some food to take home for tonight. We have friends coming over tonight so I have to start cooking quite early.”

  “You should’ve gone into the catering business mom. Or you could’ve been a chef.”

  She laughed at that. “No ways. I only like cooking for friends and family.”

  We drank coffee while catching up. Even though my parents wanted me to come back and work on the ranch with them, they were always so supportive of my lawyer work. They had a million questions and wanted to know everything. I told them about all my clients but found myself leaving out the part about Steve. They knew who he was, and they didn’t like him. They wouldn’t be happy to hear that I had taken him on as a client. I turned the attention back to them and they spoke to me about the ranch. My father was looking a lot healthier today but my mother still berated him for working too hard. This was never going to change though. My father had always been a hard worker and he would continue to be so until he could no longer work.

  “Right, are you ready to go for a ride?” Tyler asked.

  “I sure am. Let’s help mom with the washing first.”

  Tyler looked at me in amazement. “What on earth has gotten into you?”

  My mother wouldn’t let us clean, but she did let us take everything back into the kitchen. That’s where she showed me that she had a dishwasher now. It had been a gift from my father, and she said it had completely changed her life. I chuckled when she walked up to it and gave it a hug as if it was a real person. I was happy for her but also a little bit taken aback that I was only finding out about this now. Unfortunately, that was just the price I had to pay for not being at the ranch anymore. I wasn’t ever going to know everything that was going on just as they didn’t know everything that was going on in my life. I wondered if Tyler had told them about Mary. I thought of bringing it up but realized I barely wanted to talk about it. It didn’t hurt so much anymore, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to give Mary the time of day. It was definitely time to move on.

  Tyler and I made our way to the horses, but as we got there I frowned at the sight of Marty. There was something about him that wasn’t quite right. He looked lethargic and he had a funny look in his eye as if he might be in pain.

  “What happened to Marty?” I asked Tyler. “He looks sick.”

  Tyler came forward to see what I was talking about. “I noticed he wasn’t looking well the other day but when I saw him yesterday he looked like he was back to normal so I didn’t think much of it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” There was already so much I didn’t know about the ranch, but Marty was my horse and I hated that I was being kept in the dark. I knew I couldn’t say much about it though. I was the one who had decided to leave him.

  “Like I said, he was totally fine yesterday. You’re right though, he doesn’t look so great today. I wonder what’s going on. Marty boy, what’s happening?” Tyler said to the horse.

  We checked on the other horses to see if they were also ill, but they seemed fine. Tyler asked if I wanted to ride one of the other horses but I shook my head. There was no way I would be able to do anything until I knew what was happening with Marty.

  “No, I want Marty to get better. I’m phoning Dallas.”

  “The vet?”

  “Yeah, she might be able to help.”

  Dallas wasn’t the only vet in town, but she was definitely the right person to call right now as she specialized in horses. She also had a good reputation and was probably one of the only people other than my family that I would trust with Marty. Also, my family used her when they needed a vet so she was familiar with our horses. I looked at Marty and sighed. He really didn’t look well.

  “Hello, Dallas speaking.”

  “Dallas, it’s Blaze. I…”

  But before I had a chance to say anything she started going off at me, calling me all sorts of names and berating me about harassment. I had no idea what she was talking about but she was clearly not in a good mood. Not that I was surprised. Lately she was never in a good mood.

  “Dallas, I’m at the ranch,” I cut her off before she could carry on. “Please can you be quiet for a while.” As I said the words Tyler gave me a funny look. He didn’t know about all the conversations I’d had with Dallas in the past few weeks, and how she hated me for working with her landlord. He must be wondering why on earth I would talk to her like that.

  “
Oh. Uh. Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “No, one of our horses, Marty, isn’t doing too well. I’m not sure what’s going.”

  “Marty. Isn’t that the horse you always ride?” she asked. I was impressed that she actually knew that about me.

  “Yes. I came over this morning for a ride and he looks very lethargic. I’ve never seen him look this way. The other horses seem to be fine though. I remember you mentioned something about a virus going around so I thought it might be that. Is there any chance you can help?”

  “I’ll be right there,” she said.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad she had put her feelings about me aside. “Thank you, Dallas.”

  Thirteen

  Dallas

  “I’ve got to go. That was Blaze calling,” I said to Madison as soon as I had cut the call.

  Madison laughed. “Oh, I was wondering who it was that you were going off at like that. You really can’t stand that guy. Where are you going?”

  “Actually, I feel a little guilty. He phoned to tell me his horse was sick and there I was shouting at him again. Oops.” I probably should stop assuming things when it came to Blaze, but I figured he was just calling me to talk about something Steve wanted again. How was I to know he was calling from the ranch?

  “His horse? I thought he was a lawyer?”

  “He is. He means the horse on his family ranch. I’m surprised he’s there actually. I thought he spent all his time in front of his computer trying to come up with ways to mess with people.” I couldn’t help myself. No matter how much I tried, the guy still annoyed me. As long as he was working with Steve, I would always think that about him.

  Madison chuckled. “You make him out to be like some evil guy in a cartoon show. So, you heading over to the ranch now?”

  “I am. I’m really hoping it’s not the virus.”

  “Ah, me too.”

  “Hopefully not though. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Ooh, say hi to Tyler for me. That boy is cute,” she swooned and lay dramatically over her chair like someone posing for a portrait artist.

  I laughed. “You do realize you’re engaged now, don’t you?”

  “Doesn’t make Tyler any less cuter.”

  “That’s true.”

  I headed over to the ranch, thinking about what Madison had said. Tyler was cute, but I had never thought of him in that way because he was younger than me. He was only five years my junior but I had always preferred guys who were slightly older than me. People had teased me before about it, saying that they could picture me with a much older man, and I had always taken it as a compliment. That meant I was mature, didn’t it? Actually Madison and Tyler would’ve made an adorable couple, but she was taken now. I hadn’t seen Tyler in a while. With most of the ranches, I went over once a year for their annual checkups, and otherwise went over only when someone needed me. Tyler and his family looked after their horses and they all knew what they were doing, so they didn’t need me as often as some of the other ranchers did. It was one of the things I liked most about their family. It didn’t really matter what I thought about Blaze. The truth was that their family was great with horses, and looked after their ranch.

  When I arrived I took a moment to enjoy my surroundings. I had always wanted to have my own ranch, or at least to have my own horse. I spent so much time with other people’s horses but it wasn’t the same as having your own. One day I wanted to have my own. I also wanted to have at least three dogs, a cat, and maybe a pig or two. That was the big dream. The farm lifestyle appealed to me, but right now it wouldn’t be advisable for me to have so many animals in my small apartment. It was a beautiful day, and even though it was sunny there was still a nice chill in the air. I breathed it in, and then headed inside.

  Tyler and Blaze were waiting outside. I didn’t realize how similar they looked until that moment. I had just never seen them side to side like this. Blaze was nine years older than his brother, and definitely looked it. He had a more mature look about him, and his chiseled features and strong jaw line only emphasized that fact. Tyler, on the other hand, had more of a baby face, and a very mischievous grin. They were both very good looking in their own right. Blaze looked even better than usual, and this was one of the first times I had ever seen him out of his stuffy suit and tie. If only he knew how much better he looked when he dressed like this. I wouldn’t tell him of course. The last thing I needed was for him to think that I found him attractive. I did, but he didn’t need to know that. He already had a big enough ego as it was.

  “Thanks for coming over, Dallas,” Blaze said to me.

  I nodded. “I’m glad you called, and I’m sorry to hear about Marty. Will you show me to him?”

  Tyler and Blaze took me over to see the horse. I was a little nervous, as I always was when dealing with a sick horse. I hadn’t been able to save all of them, and I already had some unhappy client trying to harm me, so I really didn’t want anything to happen to this one. Marty was a sweet horse, and one that I always remembered. He had been a tiny little thing when they had first gotten him, so skinny due to lack of food from his previous owner. But he’d done a full turn around after being with his new family. I took a look at him now and was glad to see that he wasn’t as bad as some of the other horses I had seen. He definitely seemed ill, but he was still moving around. One of the other horses I had seen on a different ranch hadn’t even moved when I came near. This was a very good sign.

  “Mind if I have a moment alone?” I asked the boys. I always preferred to work by myself. Having the owners breathe down my neck always made me uncomfortable, and I wanted to be as thorough as possible. Sometimes the owners refused to leave me alone, but for the most part they seemed to understand.

  “Of course. Can I get you a drink? Coffee? Juice?”

  “Juice would be great, thank you,” I said to Tyler. Blaze wasn’t saying as much as Tyler was, and I wondered if it was because Blaze felt weird around me now that he was working for Steve. As he should, I thought.

  “Okay. Well, when you’re ready, why don’t you come and meet us on the front porch? Take all the time you need though and if you need anything please let me know.”

  “Perfect. Thank you.”

  I took my time with Marty, not wanting to rush. I hated it when doctors gave patients minimal time just to cram in as many patients as possible. I wanted to give the animal as much time as it needed. Once I was done I made my way over to the porch and found both Blaze and Tyler there with some orange juice. Tyler poured me a glass, and told me to take a seat.

  I took a sip. “This is freshly squeezed!” I exclaimed. It was absolutely delicious and just what I needed on this warm day.

  “Of course. Is there any other way?” Tyler said.

  Blaze laughed. “Store bought?”

  That made me laugh too. “You sound like me.” I regretted the words though. I didn’t want anything to do with Blaze, even if it was only just about a glass of orange juice.

  Tyler shook his head. “You people are impossible. Nothing is as nice as home made. Anyway, enough about the juice. How is Marty? Everything okay?”

  I nodded. “I’m going to have to do a blood test to make sure, but he definitely seems to have all the symptoms of the virus. You were right to call me over.”

  Blaze gasped. “Dammit. I was hoping you wouldn’t say that, although I think I knew it was that. I haven’t ever seen him like that. I don’t even think it’s wise to ride him right now.”

  “Definitely not,” I said. “In fact, I think you should isolate him to his own stable. Do you have a place for that?”

  “We do.”

  “Good. It might not be necessary but I think it’s better to be safe than sorry. You don’t want your other horses getting it too. It probably won’t be for too long, but I would definitely suggest you do it today. I will bring some anti-virals over for daily administration. The quicker we do all of this the better. You say he was fine yesterday?”

&
nbsp; Tyler nodded. “He was fine. He seemed a little sick the other day but yesterday he was completely normal. That’s why today was such a surprise. I had no idea that he was sick until Blaze came over for a ride.”

  “That’s good. That means we have caught this early. I can already tell that he’s not nearly as bad as some of the other horses I saw. By catching it early Marty should recover without too much trouble. I have no idea what this virus is or where it came from but it seems the quicker you catch it the more chance there is of recovery. I’m sure everything is going to be just fine.” I never gave my clients false promises just in case something went wrong, but I was sure that Marty was going to be fine. I also felt a strange desire to make these guys know that I had faith in the horse. I felt as if they needed to hear it from me.

  “Thank you so much,” Tyler said. “I really appreciate you helping out like this.”

  “Oh, that’s what I’m here for,” I said with a smile.

  “Oh, the phone is ringing. Please excuse me.” Tyler bolted from the table and ran inside to answer the phone.

  I looked at Blaze and offered him what I hoped was an apologetic smile. I really did feel bad for shouting at him, and so far he had been nothing but nice to me. Perhaps the ranch turned him into a different person. “I’m sorry about the phone call earlier. I shouldn’t have shouted at you like that. I actually do feel really bad about it.”

  He smiled. “That’s okay. I know you’re upset about everything. I’m sure the last thing you were expecting was for me to phone you and talk about horses.”

  “Exactly. I didn’t expect it at all. Well, I must say. I’m impressed.”

  He frowned. “Impressed? With what?”

  “Well, I mentioned the virus to you the other day, and the first thing you did when you saw that Marty was sick was phone me and tell me about it. I honestly didn’t think you were paying any attention when I told you about the virus. It’s good to know you listen.”