“Sweet, now you can buy something else,” Tomi said.
Lindsey carefully peeled away the wrapping paper. Tomi saw her eyes widen when she caught sight of the gift. “I love her,” Lindsey said, holding up the new baby doll that had been purchased at the American Girl store in Chicago a couple of months earlier.
She and her mom had traveled to the big city to attend the funeral of her mother’s aunt. They’d gone downtown to the famous doll store just to look. Her mother had always been enamored with dolls. Once inside the store, Grandma Maggie had gone crazy with buying clothes that went with the baby doll that she’d wrapped up for Tomi to give later.
“Mom knows Christmas isn’t for a few more months, right?” Piper asked wryly.
Tomi grinned, loving that her sister now addressed Maggie as Mom. “Yeah, about that,” she whispered. “Mom and Dad are kind of going crazy with their new role as grandparents. Let’s just say that I doubt you and Gabe are going to have to buy very many gifts.”
Piper sighed. “I told them not to go overboard.”
“Stop worrying and let them have their fun.” Tomi dug through her purse and found her wallet. “They are so excited about spending Christmas in Snow Valley with you all.”
“I’m excited too.” Piper slowed down as they approached the gate to pay for her parking ticket. “You’re planning on being here for Christmas too, aren’t you?”
Tomi shivered involuntarily at the thought of how cold it would be. She hoped the snow didn’t come early this year like it had the year before. Cold weather was not her favorite thing. But she could endure a few days of cold to be with family during Christmas. Unless she got the gig in Hawaii. Then video chatting would have to suffice.
“I’ll be here unless someone offers to take me somewhere warmer,” she teased, handing her sister a ten-dollar bill.
“I’ve got it covered,” Piper said, pushing away the money. “I prepaid while we were waiting for you to deplane.”
“Then let me help pay for gas.”
“Nope,” Piper lowered the window and handed over the ticket to the attendant. Once they were cleared, she raised her window back up and merged onto the busy road. “You can save it to put gas in the Subaru.”
“You are still so stubborn,” Tomi said, putting the money back inside her wallet. “But I guess you need to have one flaw.”
“Ha ha,” Piper said. “You haven’t lived with me for a while. I promise you’ll see I have plenty of flaws.”
“Right,” Tomi said doubtfully. Her sister was good at everything she did. She’d taken to motherhood as if she’d been doing it her whole life. Piper was also an excellent cook. Tomi couldn’t boil pasta without ruining it.
“Mom, can we stop and get a hamburger?” Shane asked as they passed by a McDonald’s. “I’m starving.”
“I don’t think so, sweetie. I’ve got a roast and potatoes in the slow cooker,” Piper said in a hesitant voice.
Tomi guessed the reason her sister didn’t come right out and say no was because her relationship with Shane hadn’t been easy. While Lindsey had started calling Piper mom right away, Shane had taken a little longer. The little boy had had a harder time adjusting to his dad’s girlfriend and eventually his wife. But Piper was patient with him, mainly because she’d had to do the same thing with Tomi’s mother, Maggie. She and Piper shared the same father, but Piper had been born five years earlier in their dad’s first marriage. Piper had resented Maggie, but with time and unconditional love, Piper had grown to love her stepmother just like Shane had grown to love her.
“I made your favorite dessert,” Piper added with more confidence.
“Chocolate cake with marshmallows and chocolate frosting?” Shane asked.
“That’s the one,” Piper said, taking the ramp that led to the Interstate.
“Yes,” Tomi said, reaching behind her to give her nephew a fist bump. “That’s my favorite too.”
Lindsey asked if Piper could make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and soon the kids were naming all their favorite desserts their mom made.
“How do you stay so skinny?” Tomi asked her sister. She would need to increase her daily exercise routine in order not to gain weight if she ate all the yummy baked goods Shane and Lindsey had just listed.
“My family keeps me very busy,” Piper said with a contented smile.
The rest of the drive to Snow Valley they talked all about the family’s activities, which included soccer for Shane and horse riding lessons for Lindsey. Tomi didn’t know how her sister kept it all together and was exhausted just listening to her daily routine.
The trees surrounding the Wesson home were beginning the transformation from green to red. Several Aspen trees were grouped together at the end of the driveway, their golden leaves shimmering under the late afternoon sunshine. Gabe was waiting for them with Anastasia, the family dog, by his side.
“Hey, Tomi,” he said, giving her a brotherly hug. “I’m glad you made it safely.”
“Thank you.” She crouched down in front of Anastasia. “Hey girl,” she said, stroking her soft fur. “Did you miss me?” Anastasia was too polite to bark out an answer, but she did lift her head to allow Tomi to scratch her under her chin.
“Look what Grandma Maggie gave me,” Lindsey said, showing off her new baby doll to Gabe.
Gabe glanced at Piper with raised eyebrows. “Grandma Maggie knows Christmas isn’t for a few months, right?”
“She does,” Tomi said, removing her carry-on from the back of the SUV. “Mom’s love language is gifts, so you should probably get used to this.”
Shane held up the new Lego set. “Gifts are my love language too,” he said, making everyone laugh.
“I love pre-teen sarcasm,” Tomi said to Gabe as he unloaded the rest of her luggage.
“Me too,” Gabe said as he closed the back of the SUV. “It’s the actual teenage stuff I’m worried about.”
“You do realize that kids have to get all snotty with their parents, right?” Tomi said, wheeling the carryon up the porch steps. “Otherwise they’ll never leave home.”
“I don’t want him to leave home,” Piper said as if Shane would be moving out the next day.
“Who is leaving home?” Lindsey asked from the doorway.
“No one,” Piper and Gabe answered at the same time.
Lindsey looked at her parents curiously before turning her attention to Tomi. “Guess what, Aunt Tomi?” she said, hugging her new doll to her chest. “Your room is right next to mine.”
“Sweet.” She followed the little girl inside the house. “Want to show me where it is?”
“Yep.” Lindsey skipped across the floor and waited for Tomi at the base of the stairs.
Tomi paused to look at a large family photo taken at Piper and Gabe’s wedding a few months earlier. Her sister had always been beautiful but being in love had somehow made her prettier.
Lindsey was anxious to show Tomi her room, so she carried the nearly empty boarding case up the stairs with Gabe and Piper following close behind her.
“I hope this will be okay,” Gabe said, bringing in both of her bigger pieces of luggage.
“It’s more than okay,” Tomi said, taking in the freshly painted walls. The light yellow was her favorite color. “You guys are so awesome to give up your spare bedroom for me.”
“It needed to be organized in case we need another bedroom,” Gabe said, giving his wife a tender smile.
Piper and Tomi were close sisters and shared a lot. With her husband’s permission, Piper had confided in her that she and Gabe wanted to have a baby right away. Since Gabe had had a procedure to prevent him from fathering a child, he’d had surgery shortly before he and Piper had married to have it reversed. Piper was turning thirty in a couple of months, and Tomi knew her sister hoped to be pregnant by then.
“Oh, is Rascal coming back to live here?” Tomi teased her brother-in-law.
“No,” he and Piper answered in unison again.
&nb
sp; “Rascal is very happy on the GH Ranch,” Gabe answered. “He and George Holbrook get along very well.”
“Come to my room,” Lindsey said, taking Tomi’s hand and pulling her toward the door. “I want to show you my horse collection.”
“Your dad lets you keep horses in your room?” she teased.
“They’re for my Barbies, silly.”
“Phew, I was a little worried there for a minute.” Tomi glanced back over her shoulder as her niece tugged her toward her bedroom. “I’ll be down to help with dinner in a minute.”
“No worries,” Piper said, wrapping an arm around her husband’s waist. “Gabe’s home and likes to help me in the kitchen.”
“Daddy always helps with dinner,” Lindsey said as she paused outside her room. Then she leaned in close to Tomi, cupping a hand around her mouth as if to tell her a secret. “It’s because they like to kiss a lot.”
“They do, huh?” Tomi said with a laugh. She was going to tease Gabe and Piper further, but the embarrassed look on her brother-in-law’s face stopped her. “Just let us know when dinner is ready.” She gave them a little wave and disappeared into her niece’s room.
The next morning, breakfast with the little family was far different from dinner the night before. With everyone rushing to get out the door, it was crazy busy. Tomi didn’t know how her sister did it, but she managed to get her husband and children off to work and school on time. While Piper got ready for her teaching job at a nearby junior high, she cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher.
“Thank you for cleaning up,” Piper said, coming into the kitchen dressed for work.
Tomi added soap to the dishwasher and closed the door. “Thank you for breakfast,” she said, pressing the start button. “You are an amazing mother and wife.”
“Best job ever,” Piper said as she put on silver hoop earrings. “Speaking of jobs, are you sure you don’t want me to go with you to meet Ian? I can always see if someone will sit with the class until I get there.”
“No, thank you.” Tomi leaned back against the countertop. “I’m sure I can find my way to his office.”
“I know,” Piper said on a sigh. “I guess I just wanted to introduce you. I’m still hoping Ian will sweep you off your feet and make you want to move here.”
“Marriage has made you a hopeless romantic,” Tomi said with a laugh. “Besides, I’ve already got a man ready to sweep me off my feet.”
Piper narrowed her gaze. “Jake Kelley is not your type.”
“True, but his character, Garret Bowen, is.”
“I suppose.” Piper grabbed the oversized purse she used for school. “Oh, I forgot to ask if I’ll be able to put out a notice about using any of my drama students as extras?”
“Yes, but let me find out who I need to ask and get back to you.”
“Sounds good.” Piper gave Tomi a hug. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
“Tell Ian hello from us,” she called over her shoulder before exiting through the mudroom door to the garage.
Tomi hurried upstairs to get dressed, wondering what clothing would be appropriate for following a vet around his office. Was she supposed to wear scrubs? She should’ve asked Piper ahead of time or at least emailed Dr. Davies. She opted for a pair of comfortable boyfriend jeans, paired with a plaid shirt over a white tank top. Wishing she had a pair of cowgirl boots to go with her country outfit, she opted for her red low-top Chuck Taylors. While she typically wore heels with almost everything, it didn’t seem like a good choice for a veterinarian’s office.
Tomi’s hair and makeup didn’t take too long. After years in the business, she was a master at putting on makeup so she didn’t look like she really had any on. Her dark eyelashes were naturally long, requiring a minimal application of mascara to keep them curled. She pulled her hair into a messy bun that could look elegant if she were dressed differently. Glancing in the mirror, she added the final touch: red tinted lipstick that wouldn’t come off until she took it off that night.
The drive to the veterinarian clinic took less than ten minutes. There weren’t any cars parked out front, making her wonder how much business Dr. Davies had. She knew he did a lot of house calls to surrounding ranches since his practice consisted of both large and small animals.
Opening the door, she wrinkled her nose at the smell. It was a combination of bleach and wet dog. Crossing the white tiled floor, she stopped in front of the empty desk. There was a bell on top of the counter with a note that said to ring for assistance. Tomi reached out to tap the bell but paused when she overheard a man and woman talking about her.
Chapter 2
Parking next to his vet assistant’s car, Ian Davies climbed out of his truck and stretched the taut muscles in his neck and shoulders. He squinted against the bright sun, mentally counting how many hours he’d been up. The emergency call to the Ryder’s Ranch at four in the morning had started his day way too early. He needed a hot shower and at least a two-hour nap.
Grabbing his medical backpack, Ian headed for the back entrance to his veterinarian clinic. He punched in the code to the keypad and pulled on the door. He was greeted by a cacophony of barks from the variety of dogs being boarded at the clinic.
Meredith, his vet assistant, and amazing office manager, waved at him from across the room. “Morning,” she said, opening the kennel door of a small stray dog Ian had found abandoned out in the country.
“Morning,” he said on a yawn as he crossed the room. “How’s our friend doing this morning?” He peered into the kennel at the too-thin dog.
“She’s eating and drinking, so that’s a big improvement,” Meredith said, stroking the black and white fur on the dog.
Ian had no idea whom the dog had belonged to. The dog appeared to be a mix between a Sheltie and Labrador. He hoped he could find a home for her once she fully recovered.
“Please tell me Colby will be back in the office tomorrow. I’m spending the day hopping from one ranch to another, helping with vaccinations.”
Colby Moore, the new vet he’d brought into his practice nearly a year ago, was a last-minute guest speaker at a veterinarian’s conference in Helena today, so Ian was left to cover the clinic. Since bringing in a partner, Ian was only in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings, spending most of his time visiting the various ranches and farms. At least most of the scheduled check-ups today had been delayed until later this morning. Ian had handled the practice alone for almost a year, so he knew he could do it, but it would be nice if he could go home early.
“As far as I know, he’ll be back,” Meredith said, making sure the kennel door was secure. “At least he better be. I’ve rescheduled several appointments from today to tomorrow.”
“Thank you. I hope it’s a slow day and I can go home early.” He rubbed his head as they made their way to the main part of the clinic. “My head is already killing me.”
“I’ve got some over-the-counter headache medicine in my purse.” Meredith stepped through the door and turned toward him. “And you can’t go home early…Piper Wesson’s sister is due to arrive any minute.”
“Ah man,” Ian said. “I totally forgot about that.” He was not in the mood to mentor a Hollywood actress for the next two weeks. In fact, he’d planned on having her shadow Colby the first week to get a feel for how the office was run. First off, Colby was happily engaged and wouldn’t be tempted by a pretty face.
Ian, on the other hand, had a penchant for falling for pretty faces. And he knew Tomi Jensen was pretty. While he’d already promised himself that this time it wouldn’t happen, he was still human. “Maybe you can call and reschedule her too?”
“How could you forget?” Meredith asked with a small laugh. “Piper reminded you a few days ago when she brought Anastasia in for her shots.”
“I’ve been busy.” He sighed heavily. “And I seriously thought it was next week.”
“What’s her name again?” Meredith asked with a mischievous sparkle in her e
yes. “Tammy?” His vet assistant thought he needed to get back in the dating game. Sort of like getting back on a horse if it threw you. But that was if you wanted to keep riding a horse. Ian didn’t want to keep dating. Bachelorhood was sounding better and better to him all the time.
“Tomi. Tomi Jensen.” Ian scrubbed his face with his hands. “Maybe you could show her around today. I’m too tired to deal with a Hollywood diva.”
The sound of the bell on the front desk started dinging. Repeatedly. Ian’s headache felt like each ring of the tiny bell was more like the gong of a church bell. He glanced toward the sound as Meredith hurried to see who the impatient person was.
“May I help you?” Meredith asked.
“I hope so,” a perky voice said. “I’m looking for Dr. Davies.”
“Oh, you must be Piper’s sister,” Meredith said.
Shoot, she was already here. Ian wanted to sneak inside his office and shut the door. No matter how many times he tried telling Piper that he wasn’t interested in dating right now, she didn’t listen. She was confident he would fall in love with her sister and live happily ever after.
But Ian didn’t believe happily-ever-after was in the cards for him. After Gina, his last serious girlfriend had betrayed him, he’d decided to stop dating.
That one had hurt. He’d had no idea she was seeing someone else until she’d announced her engagement to a wealthy cattle rancher from Billings. Since her job as a veterinary pharmaceutical sales rep required a lot of travel, Ian had never questioned the amount of time she was away nor whom she was spending time with. So, while he was contemplating taking their relationship to the next level, she’d fallen for the smooth-talking rancher and his money faster than Ian could shoot an arrow from his bow.
The whole thing had prompted him to go on a dating hiatus. At least until hunting season was over. He rubbed a hand over his short beard, which Gina had hated. His beard wasn’t coming off until then either.
Slowly, he trudged forward to face his temporary intern. Piper Wesson was a friend, and he shouldn’t be rude to her sister. Rounding the corner, he caught a glimpse of Tomi for the first time. He’d seen plenty of pictures of her, so he knew she was beautiful, but her pictures didn’t do her justice. She was gorgeous.
Caught Kissing the Cowboy: A Return to Snow Valley Romance Page 2
