Stony Creek Cowboy [Stony Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Taylor Berke

  “I already called her and she is waiting for us, Troy,” Billie quickly said.

  “Thank goodness for organized, smart women. How come you aren’t up at the line shacks helping with the calving?” He laughed. “Things would have gone a lot more smoothly and probably a heck of a lot more pleasantly for all of us. Jackson is a bear without you. I don’t know what you are doing to him but it definitely is appreciated by the rest of us!” he said with a suggestive grin. He turned his attention back to Zeus and slid his front paws and head over his one shoulder. Billie leaned her shoulder under the dog’s middle as she watched in sheer amazement as Troy heaved Zeus’s ridiculously heavy hindquarter onto his other shoulder, effectively carrying the dog in a fireman’s hold.

  “I wish I had a camera,” she said in her incredulity.

  Billie grabbed a towel and ran behind Troy to his truck. He gently laid the big dog into the truck and helped Billie up so she could lie next to him comfortingly.

  “Just hang on, Doc, and we will get him there in just a few minutes. Okay? Everything’s gonna be all right,” he said soothingly.

  Troy took off down the road and was at Dr. Madelyne Daniels’s new office in eleven minutes flat. Maddy had a large gurney waiting outside and looked rather uncomfortable with all the cowboys gathered around her. Well, she was really attractive and shy and new in town. That would be serious catnip to the horny men circling her like buzzards. Troy jumped out of the truck, calling out greetings to the men who, thankfully for Maddy, came running over to help.

  Maddy rushed over and took charge, listening as Billie sobbed out how she had found him and had no idea what had happened. Billie was suddenly enveloped into the heavily perfumed embraces of Mabel Winston, Millie Braxton, and the Mayor’s wife, Thea Carson. They tried to comfort her as the men and Maddy whisked Zeus into the office. Billie noticed Gwen standing not far from the action with a weirdly smug look on her face. She looked Billie up and down confidently and then turned away. That woman was definitely some damaged goods, Billie quickly thought.

  They sat with her in Maddy’s waiting room while offering silly stories of how their husbands won their hands and some of the town’s history. Billie found herself thankfully distracted from what Maddy was doing inside the exam room with Troy, Joe, and Gabe Saunders. Somehow she couldn’t picture the feed and seed’s grizzly Gus Braxton reciting poetry to Millie but she kept that thought to herself.

  Just then, the door to the exam room opened and the men and Maddy came out. Maddy embraced Billie, telling her that everything would be fine and that she was going to keep Zeus here with her tonight. Billie didn’t miss the look that the men exchanged and figured that she would get some answers about it from them later.

  “What happened to him, Maddy?” Billie asked calmly, now that she knew her big baby would be okay.

  “Not quite sure but there is an entrance and exit wound. It looks like he got shot, Billie. Weird. Whoever did it was a really lousy shot, I have to say.” Billie gave a shudder at the thought.

  “Who would want to shoot my dog and how did they do it? In my house! With an alarm on!” Billie watched Troy try to pry his eyes off the very attractive new vet as he answered her.

  “Honey, I don’t know but until we do, would you consider staying with my mom and aunt up at the main house? Please, as a favor to me? If I allowed you to go back home, alone, well Jackson just might try to string me up by some of my more delicate, important parts.” She felt him gently rub her back while he was glaring at the Saunders crew as they were unabashedly trying to flirt with the woman who had also captured Troy’s attention.

  “Would you guys knock it off for five minutes and help me over here!” Troy snarled out.

  “Excuse us, Dr. Daniels, we need to assist that large, smelly, loud animal over there. Don’t go anywhere. We will be right back,” Preston said with a smile.

  “Okay, who is next?” Joe said jokingly. “Ah, Dr. Rothman! I don’t want to seem pushy or bossy but I insist that either my brothers and I all stay at your house, with you, in very close proximity to your beautiful self, for your safety only, you understand, or you can stay with Mrs. Powell. Lovely as she is, I must suggest that you lean toward our direction in the decision making. We can keep you warm and safe.” He said that with such a wicked expression on his face that it left no doubt to all assembled that he and his brothers would not find it a chore in any way to supervise her protection, both personally and intimately. “I am sure Jackson may be put out, but under the circumstances, I know he would understand.”

  Troy let out a snort at that last comment while Billie blushed with understanding.

  “Thanks, guys, that was a real help,” Troy said with sarcasm.

  Billie, admittedly a bit frightened by Zeus being shot by someone, decided to end the discussion. “I will graciously take up the offer to stay at the big house. Lillian and Florence are vicious fighters and I probably couldn’t be safer with anyone else.” Except Jackson, she thought. “I do thank you guys for your offer, but I would hate to have to patch you up when Jackson was done with calving and found you, um, practicing your protection.” She laughed. “Thank you for the thought, though.”

  Joe gave her a naughty grin, and she received a wink from Preston. It was Gabe however, who made her toes curl. He leaned over her and whispered in her ear that if things didn’t work out with Jackson, he would personally redden her ass if she didn’t come to them first as soon as she was ready to give love another shot! Redden her ass? Really? She was going to have to talk with Jackson about that. She wasn’t sure it would be her thing. Since it was probably the only thing Jackson hadn’t done to her body yet, maybe there was a reason.

  Billie thanked Maddy for taking such good care of Zeus and promised to be in tomorrow after she got to work. While she pretended to be wishing the ladies good-night and thanking them for staying with her, Billie carefully watched as Troy tried engaging Maddy in some sort of questioning. She watched as Maddy shook her head again and again while Troy smiled patiently at her. Interesting.

  In his truck on the way back, Billie was silent for the better part of the drive. When she spoke, she was surprised to hear the tremble in her voice.

  “I want to thank you, Troy, for coming to help me. I shouldn’t be surprised, not after all these months, but my own personal experiences have left me somewhat insecure, I suppose. You and your family have been nothing but supportive and loving neighbors since I moved in. Your brother, well, I think you know that I am crazy about him. Thank you for not leaving me alone to deal with situation. All I had up until moving out here were my puppies. This was a very unnerving night and I will never forget what you did. Never.”

  Troy looked sideways at Billie and gave her a soft smile. “You do not have to thank me. We all know how you feel about my brother and how the moron feels about you, even if he is having trouble verbalizing it himself. I am basically just biding my time until I can call you sister. It will be very enjoyable having a girl in the family to finally tease,” Troy said with his eyes twinkling. “Besides, I know how you can pay me back.”

  “Anything, Troy, whatever you need.” It was her only reply. She sat waiting for him to speak again as they pulled up to her house.

  Troy turned on the seat to face Billie. “I know you think I am a bit of a player and all but I guess we all have personal war wounds that make us who we are. Help me get to know that pretty little vet we just left, will you? One doctor to another ought to have some influence, no?”

  Billie let out a light laugh as they walked into her house. She immediately sat on the floor with a very depressed Madison and began stroking her soft head. “Not that I won’t help you but, well, you always seem to go for more ‘obvious’ women. You know? More bunny-esque. Maddy is a natural beauty who loves to work and be with animals. You can’t stand the sight of blood, for heaven’s sake. She told me that she would rather read than go out. She is like me. What gives?”

  “If she turns out to be
half as amazing as you, Doc, then my day is made. I like, really like, more introverted women. They won’t sell you out or make a fool out of you. I want a woman that I can trust and my instincts tell me that your lovely friend is a quiet firecracker. I want to be the one to make her go off, if you get my meaning,” he said with a blushing grin.

  “Well, that gave me more information about you than I probably should ever have known, buddy! I think this is probably the only time I will ever see you blush and I am enjoying it. I may have to share with your mom and aunt later! Okay, I lied. I would never do that to you, but I am relishing your embarrassment and it is making me feel better, so, thanks. Oh, and yes. I most certainly will assist in ‘operation vet amore.’”

  Troy then went out to the barn to feed the horses while Billie packed an overnight bag for her and Madison. She looked at her phone for the hundredth time. No messages from Jackson. She squeezed her eyes shut in a failing effort to stop the tears from falling. She just wanted to be in his arms. To be near him. Well, she had waited her whole life for him. She guessed she could wait a little longer to see him again. She had been strong and alone before in stressful times. She could do it again now. It’s just that she had gotten so used to Jackson’s commanding strength and take-charge personality. She could use it right now. She heard Troy downstairs playing with Madison and figured she had better go down.

  “I have got some good news for you, Dr. Rothman. Mom just called me and told me Dad is home. Just a few more calves to drop and the big, stupid, ugly lug head will be home. I was told that I don’t even have to ride back out, so dry those eyes. Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”

  Damn, these Powell men knew exactly how to get her. They should bottle their blood for other men to drink or something. Maddy didn’t stand a chance of avoiding falling for Troy!

  Chapter Nineteen

  Billie spent the next part of the day feeling weary in both body and soul. First she woke to screams coming from the room down the hall from hers and then followed by peals of masculine laughter. Billie, Lillian, and Bill all descended at 5:00 a.m. on Florence, who was in another guest room, to investigate the screams. Billie arrived last to see Bill crouched down on the floor, laughing so hard that there were tears coming out of eyes. Ignoring everyone and everything else going on, she knelt next to him in order to make sure he wasn’t having a heart attack or injured. Realizing he was just laughing hysterically, she stood quickly and took in the scene. Florence was yelling at Madison to get out of her bed and to stop kissing her. Lillian was trying to pull the two hundred pound dog off the bed to help her sister-in-law but was almost getting French kissed herself by a very affectionate Madison. Bill must have a warped sense of humor if he couldn’t stop laughing over this nonsense. What a crazy family! Who was she kidding? She loved them and wanted to be a part of it permanently.

  Since she had gotten to work and explained to Julia what had happened the night before, she spent the day alternating between seeing patients and running across the street to see Zeus.

  By the end of the workday, Lizzie had noticed all the coming and goings between the other women and naturally had to be a part of it. She burst into Maddy’s office and demanded to know what the heck was going on and why weren’t they including her. Billie and Maddy laughed as they told her the scary story of what had transpired the night before. Billie felt herself return the strong embrace from her friend as Lizzie realized that it wasn’t just fun and games that she had missed out on.

  “I am so sorry that I wasn’t here last night to help you! You know you can stay at my place for as long as you need, Billie,” Lizzie offered. Billie was warmed with the support of her friend and surprised when she heard another offer from across the room.

  “I know we don’t know each other for very long Billie, but I would be glad to offer you my company as well, for as long as you might need it,” Maddy volunteered softly.

  “Thank you both so much. It means so much to me to have everyone’s support. Let’s just see how the day finishes out. Besides Lizzie, you did miss something interesting last night,” Billie said with a knowing smile.

  “What? What did I miss? Tell me now!” Lizzie jumped to attention.

  “Yes, what did she miss?” Maddy chimed in.

  “Well, if I were to actually gossip, and I rarely do, then I would report that a certain Troy Powell was quite taken with a certain new veterinarian last night. No, not the proper description. Taken is too weak of a word. Perhaps, enthralled or attracted to or charmed or fascinated or…”

  “We get the idea, Billie,” Maddy said with a flush. She didn’t look upset, though. On the contrary, she looked rather fascinated about the subject herself.

  “I am just putting it out there that there was some serious window shopping going on by a certain Mr. Troy Powell last night,” Billie said smugly.

  With a shake of her head, Maddy turned away slightly. “He must have just been flirting, though. He would never go for someone like me. He seems to like them, well, different from the sort of person I am, really.”

  Lizzie looked at Maddy and offered, “Yeah, he ‘seems’ to like them dumb, stacked, and loud. Maybe he doesn’t want to ‘like’ you. Maybe it’s time for some love for Mr. Troy. That requires something different, and Maddy, you might be just what the Powell ordered!” She burst out laughing. It took the look of shock on Maddy’s face to have all three women practically in tears from laughing. Zeus joined in by wagging his tail, but when a mastiff that is lying down wags, it makes a racket like someone beating on a metal drum!

  Just then, the sound of several diesel engines became audible. Maddy laughed as both Lizzie and Billie banged into each other in their effort to get to the front window to see if they were the trucks that they were interested in. The joy in their gasps was heard in the office as the Powell parade of ranch hands, relatives, and neighbors all rode into town in the beds of three duallies. Lizzie got to the door first quickly followed by Billie. She tried to calm her breathing down. She reminded herself that she was in public and Jackson may not appreciate her attacking him the moment she laid eyes on him after so long apart. She lost sight of Lizzie, who had broken out into a run to find the object of her interest. Billie felt her filmy dress swirl around her calves as she made her way through the crowd of people who were congratulating the Rugged Hill Ranch family as though they were conquering heroes. All of a sudden, time stood still, and just like in the movies, the people parted and she saw him. He stood about a half a block away in the middle of the street. Billie no longer heard the voices around her and didn’t see the flashing lights from Nat Winston’s patrol car controlling the traffic. She just heard her heartbeat as she locked gazes with a very hungry-looking man. She felt starved herself as she took him in visually. He looked tan and tired but had a predatory look on his face that made her begin to trickle juices from her feminine parts as if on command. He wore the heavy cable-knit fisherman’s sweater that she had bought him for the holidays. He stood out, not only because of his hulking height but also because he was the only man not wearing a cowboy pearl snap shirt and belt buckle. What he wore made him look like a man who wanted her to notice that he missed her. Boy, did she miss him.

  With trembling knees she started for him first, willing her legs to continue to move forward. Her breathing hitched as she felt her heart pounding in her chest and her body begin to hum with arousal at the sight of his. Electric sensations started to bounce around her belly and groin from anticipation of what would happen when they reached each other. Jackson stood at the other end of Main Street like a gunfighter in an old west shoot-out.

  Jackson almost couldn’t believe his eyes. She was here and looking so gorgeous it took his breath away. He had finally admitted to himself by the third week away from her that he loved her. Loved her desperately. He knew the other men wanted to kill him for his ill tempers that particular realization had caused him while they were up in the line shacks. He spent his days working himself to the bo
ne, but she was always in his thoughts.

  It was the nights that had been the worst kind of torture. No matter how exhausted he was, sleep was difficult in coming. Every night he lay on his bunk, the sounds of other men’s snores in his space, and there he was, hard as a rock and in pain. Every damn night. For her. He missed her laugh, her loving looks, her kisses, her cooking, and her cunt. He thought he would never make it. He felt frustrated that he had finally fallen in love, truly and desperately in love, and now couldn’t be with her.

  Now, as he gazed at her hungrily, it felt like all his blood had rushed to his cock. He felt himself harden with such urgency that he almost bent over from its painful surge against his clothes. He needed her, right now. He began to walk toward the most amazing woman he had ever met. He knew then that he would never want another. His gaze never left her face as he took her in. The dark-red dress she wore ignited his already-heated body to boiling. It was a V-neck but showed only a delicate hint of cleavage. It was cinched at the waist with a wide, black belt and had a flowing skirt that fluttered in the breeze as she, too, walked toward him. He read her facial expression as a mixture of excitement, longing, and lust. It was his favorite cocktail. His body tightened with further hunger as he watched her abundant breasts bounce as she made her way to him. He felt consumed by a surge of possessiveness while taking in her raw sensuality. She is mine, he thought. Forever, she will be mine. The wind blew her skirts against her legs so much that he could see the outline of the firm thighs that he knew were coated in cream just for him. His mouth began to water but it was his heart that really held his attention. He stopped walking as he felt almost faint from the rush of emotion he felt at seeing her.