by Vivian Wood
Rose climbed down off the chair, walking by the entrance to the air conditioner, an old window unit. She stopped midstep, staring.
He was drinking from a water bottle, looking away from her. That wasn’t the bad part, though.
Colt had taken his shirt off… and looking at him was absolutely devastating. He was ripped and tattooed, from the smoking hot line of his shoulders to the dip in his back, the one that made his ass look so…
Delicious.
He turned around and caught her staring. “I got hot. You don’t mind, I hope?”
“N-no,” she said, forcing her gaze away.
That was all right, because she’d gotten enough of a look at his pecs, his arms, and his washboard abs to be turned on.
Holy shit, she thought. I’m turned on. I didn’t think after… I didn’t think I could be…
He looked at her funny, and then wordlessly pulled his shirt back on.
She spoke up. “It’s really okay…”
Colt looked at his watch.
“It’s not that,” he said. “It’s just, I see my brother Sawyer and his son Shiloh coming over here. I figure my brother probably wants to talk business. We own a dude ranch.”
“Oh,” she said, shoulders sagging a little. “I mean… of course. You should go.”
“Let me introduce you real quick,” he said.
He buttoned his shirt as he waited for the other two to join them. She looked at the man approaching, did a double take.
“Are y’all twins?” she asked.
“Nah,” Colt said.
She called the dogs over, ordering them to sit and stay. Colt waited for his brother, introducing her when he was close enough.
“Sawyer, this is Rose Elliott. She’s the new veterinarian.” He put a hand on the boy, who was clearly related. “And this is Shiloh.”
“Nice to—” she started, only to have Shiloh shock her by running to her and hugging her knees. “Meet you…”
“Hi. I’m sorry, he’s a little…” Sawyer tried to explain, then trailed off. “Shiloh, let the nice lady go…”
He let go, only to launch himself at the dogs, who wagged their tails in excitement. Luckily they were well-trained, so they stayed put.
“Dogs!” Shiloh squawked.
Colt swooped in and grabbed Shiloh. “Sorry.”
“It’s not a problem,” Rose said, smiling a little. “I wish that all my customers were so enthusiastic.”
“I’ll be by on Wednesday morning,” Colt said. “The weekend’s pretty laid back around these parts, and then I have some ranch business to attend to.”
“Okay.” She bit back the retort she was going to make, about how she’d grown up an hour from here.
“Nice to meet you,” Sawyer said.
“You too.”
She gestured to the dogs to stay put.
Sawyer held out his arms to take Shiloh as they left. It was only then that she noticed Colt’s limp, more noticeable the farther away he got.
She felt a pang. She might not know him that well, but he was obviously in some kind of pain.
Rose turned to look at the gutters. They were clean as a whistle, a hard task for anyone to complete in just over an hour.
She checked her watch, and then motioned for the dogs to move freely. After she took the dogs home, she would still have plenty of time to visit Shelby’s sick horse.
She locked up the clinic and dropped the dogs off, leaving them outside with the gate to her yard closed.
She drove out to Shelby’s farm, almost half an hour out from town. It was a scenic drive, with flat marshy land broken up by hills here and there.
River Farm had waist-high sugarcane fields, something that Rose didn’t see too much these days. She spotted a two-story main house, done like a log cabin. Not many windows or doors on the house either; Shelby’s house was definitely old-school.
Rose pulled into their circular drive, parking behind several large pickups. She got out, bringing her vet bag, and eyeing some ominous clouds that had sprung up while she’d been driving.
It was early October, so it was still the rainy season here in Louisiana. Hoping it wouldn’t rain her out, she wished she’d had time to construct better shelter for the dogs.
That thought in mind, she hurried up the path to the house. She didn’t even make it to the door, though. Shelby stuck her head out the front door. She was looking perfect in a t-shirt and short shorts, Rose noted with some jealousy.
When Rose was a teenager, her mother had burned modesty into her brain. She got the if you got it, flaunt it thing, but she couldn’t do it.
“Hey! One second,” Shelby said.
She disappeared, only to reappear with a rain slicker on. She held a second one out to Rose.
“Here, you might need this,” she said.
“Oh, thanks…” Rose took it, tucking it under her arm.
“The horses are usually kept in a pasture way on the other side of the farm, but I had my brother Micah bring Stella into the barn out back,” Shelby said, gesturing past the house. “Come on.”
Shelby led her around the corner of the house, across her wide backyard. She opened the big rolling door of a barn, then waved Rose in first.
Stella was the only horse in the barn, and quite beautiful. Dark gray, with white dappling on her forelegs.
“She’s pretty,” Rose said as they approached.
“I know, right? Remy says I spoil her because of it.”
They reached the stall, and once she opened the door to the stall Rose could see that the mare was fairly far along.
“The mare’s testy.”
“Gotcha. Let’s have a look.” She stepped into the stall and ran her hands over the mare, who was gentle and sweet. “She’s biddable, huh?”
“Yeah. I used to ride her a lot.”
Rose nodded, moving her hands down to the horse’s belly. She noticed that the horse’s ears went back, and Stella began to shift from foot to foot when she ran her hands underneath.
She moved around, running her hands down each of the horse’s back legs. The shifting stopped. She ran her hands under the horse’s belly again.
This time the horse practically danced, trying to get away from Rose’s touch. Rose stood up with a frown.
“She seems healthy, but she’s doesn’t want me to touch her low in her belly,” she said.
“So… what?”
“So, there might be nothing wrong, but I would keep her close. I’ll come check on her in a week, if that’s all right.”
Shelby pulled a face. “I told Micah and Sawyer that something was wrong with her. I can feel it.”
“Sawyer?”
“Sorry. Sawyer Roman. He’s married to Remy, so he’s my brother-in-law. And he’s really nice, but he thinks he knows everything there is to know about horses.”
“Oh, I uh… met him. His brother Colt is helping me fix up my veterinary clinic. I guess he did something that made the local judge angry.”
“Colt? Probably got into a fight at The Speckled Hen.”
“A fight?” she said, raising a brow.
“Yeah. He can’t seem to resist punching out guys who pick on him about his foot. It’s like… I get it, but how many times can you get into trouble over the same thing?”
“Ah. Well…” Rose said, trailing off.
Shelby leaned against the barn wall, looking speculative.
“Do you think he’s hot? I can totally see it,” she said. “I mean, not for me, but for you?”
“Um, no,” Rose said. “No thanks.”
Shelby grinned. “Maybe later.”
“I should be going,” said Rose, ready to put an end to that conversation. She grabbed her vet bag. “I’ll come back next week to check on Stella.”
She handed Shelby the rain slicker she hadn’t used.
“Okay,” Shelby said, patting Stella goodbye. “I’m pretty sure I’ll see you in town before that, though. I teach piano lessons part time, privately.
I’m always in town.”
“All right,” Rose said. “Well, I’ll see you then.”
Shelby nodded and went toward the house. Rose couldn’t help but think of Colt as she drove home, of his penchant for fighting.
Just one more reason why you don’t need him in your life, she thought.
She got home and fed the dogs, made dinner, and then took a shower.
As the hot water coursed down her body, she closed her eyes and bit her lip. She hadn’t… touched herself since the rape, but…
For some reason she couldn’t stop thinking about the way Colt had looked earlier, when he’d had his shirt off. The strong muscles in his back, the perfection of his abs…
The dark line of hair from his navel that led down…
She slid her hand down and massaged her clit, telling herself that she wasn’t thinking of him. It was just… it had been almost a year…
And he was close at hand, with an amazing body.
Simple as that.
She kept going, a consistent pressure, until her knees were weak, until she was panting for breath. She imagined she was on top, that she had control, hitting all the right spots. He was just along for the ride, enjoying everything she did…
She came suddenly, unexpectedly. It shuddered through her, made her feel warm and lazy. She stood and enjoyed the aftershocks, mixed with the hot water washing down her body.
Well… at least I’m not broken, she told herself. I mean, I just got myself off to someone I barely know, so that’s weird… but I’m not broken.
She turned off the water and got out of the shower, trying not to think about the fact it was Friday and that she would have to face him again on Wednesday.
She shook her head and wrapped herself in a towel, wondering what she would do then…
6
Colt looked around at all the people he knew, bored out of his skull. Shiloh ran up to him with something cupped in his hands.
“Look at the ladybug!” Shiloh said, with the attentiveness of a five-year-old.
Colt lay on a blanket on the ground, part of the fall apple festival that was going on this beautiful Saturday. The whole town turned out to the empty lot in the middle for this, and then some. They had some tables set up at one end of the lot, but most people were spread out on the grass, socializing.
Colt was surrounded by Rivers and Romans, sitting on blankets and enjoying various apple-related dishes that people had brought.
“That’s cool, buddy. Where do you think she belongs, though?” Colt asked Shiloh.
Shiloh looked thoughtful, then nodded and put the ladybug on the ground.
“You can still watch her,” Colt said, pushing away the remainder off his applesauce cake. “Where is she going?”
“I don’t know! Maybe she’s going home to feed her family.” Shiloh looked up at Colt. “I’m gonna get my dad. He should see this.”
Colt looked over at Sawyer, who was two blankets away talking to Remy. Shiloh knelt to talk to him, and was somehow convinced to stay still.
Colt wondered if anyone would notice if he just… left. He’d showed up for a while, made his presence known. Surely he didn’t owe Catahoula Creek any more than that?
He’d already flirted with Missy and talked horses with the Jacksons. He was out of people to talk to, aside from his brothers and the Rivers.
He stood up and stretched innocuously. He turned in the direction of the town, and saw a familiar figure approach.
Rose Elliott, walking one of her dogs. She was looking at everyone congregated, probably puzzling over why they were all gathered in the middle of town on a Saturday.
Colt set off in her direction. “Rose!”
She turned at the sound of her name, and went red.
“Uh… hi,” she said. “Just heading to the grocery.”
She jerked her thumb behind her, like there was some chance that he didn’t know where the grocery might be in a town he’d lived in his entire life.
“Wrong day,” he said, scoping her out covertly. “The guy that runs the grocery is here, with his whole family.”
She wore plain jeans and a girly Saints t-shirt, but she looked good. Like, those jeans would look better on his floor, kind of good.
Colt groaned inwardly at his thought process, shutting it down.
“Oh,” she said with a frown. “Well… that sucks. I guess I’ll have to go tomorrow, then.
“After church, you mean. Because you know, Mr. Gross will be in church, too.”
“Is that the grocer?”
Colt nodded. “Yeah. He sticks to a very — some might say laid back — schedule. And the store isn’t open when he’s not there.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the store. It’s tiny,” she said, scrunching her face up. “Well, it was nice to see you—”
“You should come on over. You’d be the object of some serious admiration, from what I gather.”
Rose flushed that same shade of red.
“I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t like that,” she said.
She was gripping the leash for the sheepdog so tight, Colt almost felt sorry for the poor creature. She really needed to relax, big time.
“I’ll tell you what. You come and say hi to your new potential customers, and I’ll protect you.”
“That’s really nice, but—”
“Hey! Rose!” Shelby shouted, waving her over. “Come here!”
Colt looked to Rose expectantly, who sighed in a defeated way.
“She’s the first customer I met in town. I’ll just go over to say hi,” she said. Not one to miss a beat, Colt offered her his arm. She looked at him, then shook her head. “Not really my thing.”
Colt’s brows rose, but he was too polite to say anything. Rose flushed red again, and Colt wondered if he had her dead wrong.
Does she like girls more than guys… in bed? he wondered. It would explain her friendly yet unfriendly demeanor, as far as he was concerned.
He followed behind her, watching the way she greeted men versus women. She said hi to everybody, except Shiloh, who she gave an awkward hug.
“This is Elvira,” she introduced the sheepdog.
“Elvira! Cool!” Shiloh said. His father had to intervene to keep him from hugging the dog as he had Rose.
“Sit down!” Shelby insisted, putting a hand on Rose’s shoulder.
Rose visibly shrank away from the contact, politely folding in on herself and sitting down rather than continue being touched. The dog went with her, happy as only dogs could be.
Interesting, he thought. So it’s not just me, she’s disinterested in touching anyone.
“Rose, this is Micah, and Larkin. And my father Braxton, and of course Eulah, my mother…” Shelby said.
As she talked to Shelby and Remy, and met their parents and siblings, Rose was… withdrawn. Not comfortable in a social situation, not talking much.
But listening plenty, he was willing to bet.
“Let me give you the lowdown,” Shelby said, settling in on the blanket. “That cluster of people of there are all Jesus freaks…”
“Shelby!” her mother said, scandalized.
“Well, I guess this blanket is, too. We go to church beaucoup.” She dropped a little Cajun French slang in there. “Now that group of people over there? Racist misogynists.”
Colt looked over at the people Shelby had pointed out. Some of the guys he’d gotten into a fight with were there, Adam Rich and Toby Smalls chief among them. He really couldn’t disagree with Shelby’s summation.
Shelby went on, but Colt wasn’t really interested anymore. He sat down a little ways away from Rose, watching her.
He could tell that her posture was stiff and formal. Where everybody else was sprawled out, she was sitting perfectly straight, careful not to lean toward anyone.
Shelby told her who everybody was, who was sleeping with whom, who worked with what company. It was quite a lecture, nice and long.
He’d have found a way to slump down dur
ing Shelby’s speech, but not Rose. She simply sat and listened politely, nonreactive.
“Oh… there’s Mrs. Wilkes. I should go talk to her,” Shelby said, winding down the lecture. “Her daughter is just the right age for the piano, and they’re loaded…”
“Okay,” Rose said.
Shelby got up and went over to the food tables, chatting animatedly with Mrs. Wilkes. Remy was also at the food tables, nosing through the desserts.
Rose was left looking around, as though her only friends had left her, and the rest of the group planned to eat her alive.
“It’s not that bad,” Colt said.
She turned to him, gave him a look, then shrugged.
“Social situations have never been my thing.”
“No? But you seem so comfortable,” he teased.
“I guess that’s what you get when your mom is a weird faith healer and your dad is a no-show. I had a really isolated childhood,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay. I mean… my mom encouraged my studies, helped me get into college and vet school. You’d be surprised how many of the shaman’s followers were at the schools I wanted to go to.”
Colt raised his brows.
“You mean… she targeted them?”
“No, but she did have some favors to call in…” Rose said, shaking her head. “My mother is one of those people who believes that if you ask, the world will provide whatever you need.”
“Ohhh, so your mom is one of those,” he said. “Jesus. My parents could not be more different than that.”
“No?”
“My dad is a hardass military type. My brothers and I call him The Colonel, and he earned the name.”
“Let me guess. Your mother is the sainted type? To put up with The Colonel, I assume she is.”
“Well… you’re sort of right. My mom died when I was twelve, and she kicked The Colonel out of her bed long before that. But she was the sainted type, that’s true.”
Her brow furrowed.
“I’m sorry.”
He wasn’t sure if she meant she was sorry that his mother had died, or sorry that she’d brought it up.
