by Elsa Nickle
No. Not get her number. He shook his head, reminding himself that there was no point in a relationship because he wouldn’t be staying. But then again, one date couldn’t hurt, could it? She did bring muffins, after all.
When he came back down, he was relieved to see she was still there. But he quickly noticed how her eyebrows were drawn together in embarrassment and how she had on that same fake smile she had worn the night before.
And then he saw his brothers. Their wicked grins made him more than a little nervous.
“Did I miss something?”
“Nope,” Jax said. “Just that Laurel here has always wanted to see a cow up close.”
Ethan glanced at her. How could she live in Bisbee and not have seen a cow up close? She appeared as if she were trying not to roll her eyes. A grimace masquerading as a smile was plastered on her face. “I didn’t—” she began, but Jax interrupted.
“Aw, don’t be shy, miss. Ethan doesn’t bite. Well, not unless you want him to.”
The look of pure shock on her face was priceless, and while Ethan was sure she couldn’t have blushed any more, she proved him wrong and did just that.
“No, really,” she stumbled over her words. “I was just saying—”
“It’s no trouble,” Ethan said. “You’re welcome to come.” He went over to the door and opened it, putting out his arm as if to say after you.
Laurel huffed the smallest sigh but followed his lead anyway.
When they got to the truck, he went to open the door and she turned toward him, making him stop short.
“You know, your brothers can be …” Her voice trailed off as if noticing just how close they were.
“They can be all sorts of things.”
“Well, they’re kind of pushy aren’t they?” she said, and Ethan let out a laugh, surprised.
“They can be, yes. But that’s just brothers for you.” Ethan went around her and opened the passenger door. He couldn’t help notice the light smell of strawberries from her curly blonde hair. She gave him a hesitant glance before getting in. He went around to the driver’s side, climbed in, and started the engine. “So what did they do to make you think they’re jerks?”
“It’s just …” She turned her head away as if trying to find a way to explain herself. “The muffins weren’t my idea. They were my mother’s.” She looked up at him as if that explained it all.
“And?”
“And I only brought them to your house to get her off my case.”
Ethan gave a slow nod, not really understanding.
“But then you came in with … well … and then while you were upstairs, I was trying to do the whole chit-chat thing, and I mentioned how awesome it would be to work with animals and then the next thing I know, they’re sending me off with some rugged cowboy to play nurse to a cow. And by the way, I know what cows look like. I’ve seen a cow before. In fact, I’ve seen many, many cows.”
“You think I’m rugged?” He gave her a sideways glance, grinning. She shook her head, a smile of her own breaking through. The smile caught him off guard. It lit up her whole face and seemed to make the world around them brighter.
She peered at him and tilted her head. “You all right? Your brows are all furrowed. Did I say something wrong? Oh, no. I shouldn’t have insulted your brothers. That’s the cardinal rule of siblings, isn’t it? Thou shalt not say mean things about family. I’m so sorry. I’m an only child.” She pressed her lips together and looked away as if to stop herself from talking.
He shook his head and focused on the road in front of him. “Uh, no. It’s fine. Trust me. I know they deserve whatever slander you can dish out.”
They turned another corner, and Ethan saw the cow lying down in front of the dilapidated door of the shed that was all but rubble. She must have been trying to find shade. Not necessarily a good sign, but not a bad one either.
He parked and then approached the cow, running a reassuring hand along her back. The girl was big, pregnant or not. Too big.
“Well, hello, girl!” Laurel walked up to the cow, putting her hands beneath its chin and looking into its big brown eyes. “Are you not feeling well? Poor thing.” She turned to Ethan who had started to feel around the cow’s belly, pushing and prodding and trying to figure out what, exactly, was wrong.
“Well?” Laurel asked. “What do you think?” She turned her attention back to the cow, stroking its neck.
“Two.”
“What?” Laurel cocked her head.
“She’s growing two babies.”
Laurel squeaked and hugged the mama cow. “Did you hear that? Twins!”
Ethan didn’t want to tell her exactly what that meant. The mama cow might be pregnant with two calves, but two would most likely not survive. Instead he gave her a weak smile, not wanting to burst the look of sheer, innocent, bright-eyed joy he saw in Laurel’s eyes. It was like a ray of sunshine that wrapped the cow in love. At that moment, the cow made to get up. Laurel took a step back with surprised laughter as the cow stood and began to eat. Ethan gave the mama cow another pat and nodded to Laurel.
“Well, we better go tell my brothers the news.” Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked, not really sure what to say. He was never really good at making small talk.
“So—” he began right as she started to tell him thanks, again. “No, really. It was my pleasure. With all these brothers, it was kind of nice to have a sister for a day.” He cringed. Sister? There was no way he could think of this woman as his sister, even if she’d played the role the night before.
“Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I don’t blame the guy for not believing we were related.”
“Why don’t you think he bought it?”
She turned to look up at him, an eyebrow raised. “How could he? I mean, look at you and then look at me. You’re”—she fumbled with her words, a blush forming on her cheeks—“well, there’s a reason I called you Clint. You look just like a young Clint Eastwood. And I’m just—” She waved a hand up and down the length of her body as if that was proof of whatever it was she was saying. Ethan had no clue what she meant. He was plain while she was gorgeous? She was a ray of sunshine to his storm?
“Well, I’m just glad things didn’t … escalate.” He opened the door for her.
“Who knew dating could be so bad for you.”
“As a doctor, I can say, with authority, that it is indeed bad for your health. That’s why I quit ages ago.” He smiled to make it clear he was joking. Sort of. Truth was, he couldn’t remember the last time he went on a date.
“What? Are you trying to tell me that you don’t have women tripping all over themselves to be with you?”
His grin grew. “I didn’t say that …”
“Of course they are!”
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. No, I’ve just been too busy the past few years to even notice.”
“Years?” There was shock in her voice. Ethan could tell she was giving him her full attention. Unable to give any real response, he just shrugged. What else could he say? Trying to pass the board exam, then a rigorous residency, and now hours upon hours working to open a clinic with his buddy? There weren’t enough hours in the day for an actual life. Of course he got lonely, but what choice did he have? Achieving goals, especially difficult ones, required sacrifice.
They pulled up to the back of the house and got out of the truck. Through the big picture window of the kitchen, Ethan saw all of his family gathered together around the large dining table, eating lunch. Landon’s fiancée was sitting close, her head on his shoulder, a smile on her lips, while Dillon’s girl was using her hands to get into whatever story she was telling. Jax and Preston leaned back in their chairs. His youngest brother was getting so old. With his dark hair and tan, he was a perfect blend of the twins and Landon. They were all laughing, enjoying themselves. They were a family.
He turned and noticed Laurel was also taking in the scene. She looked terrified at the prospect of facing the Wyle
boys and all their teasing.
“Don’t worry, miss. You can head on home now. Need a ride?”
She turned her sunbeam smile on him. “Nah, I’m good. But I guess I’ll see you around, huh?”
To be honest, she probably wouldn’t. He planned to lay low until the wedding and then bolt back home to California and his new job. So instead of replying, he gave a quick nod and smiled while she waved and then turned to go to her car.
It felt colder as she walked away, like a cloud moving to cover the sun.
He cracked his neck and stood a little taller. Time to go inside. With reluctant steps, he made his way inside.
“Ethan! You came back!” Dillon’s girl said, beaming. She apparently wasn’t aware of how her words sounded—like the lot of them expected him to jump ship after just a few hours on his first day home.
Dillon lowered his head and the entire room filled with an awkward tension.
“What?” the girl asked, noticing the silence. Oh …” she said when she realized the double meaning of her words. Ethan pretended not to notice. Besides, after all these years, he was getting used to all the insults and allegations that he’d abandoned the family. “So, how was Laurel?” She winked, obviously trying to change the subject.
Ethan raised his brows, unsure of how to answer. “Good?”
“Do you think you’ll ask her out?” she prodded, grinning.
“I hadn’t really thought about it.” But, clearly, his family all had. Apparently, he was giving off some sort of lonely vibe or something. The last thing he wanted to talk about just then was dating. He wanted food and a shower and for everyone to leave him in peace.
“You don’t have much time to find a date for the luncheon tomorrow.” Kitty stared up at him expectantly. A date? Ethan held in a groan. No one had said anything about needing to have a date.
Dillon nodded. “Landon’s going to get Granny from Coyote Glen, so if you don’t have a date, you’ll get to sit with her. I’m sure she’ll want to hear all about your life. And give you opinions on everything you’re doing wrong …”
Granny. Great, just great.
He didn’t need the endless chatter from her about marriage, and didn’t he even want kids? Then, of course, she would move on to his age. He was the oldest in the family and still without even a girlfriend. Ethan rubbed his face. The whole reason he became a vet was because he didn’t like people. He shifted his gaze to the large window, wondering if it was too late to walk away.
Chapter Five
Paints, brushes, palette—what else did she need? Laurel stood in the middle of her tiny bedroom, eyes squeezed shut, trying to visualize her mental checklist. Paints, brushes, linseed oil—and Ethan with his shirt off.
That mental image would not leave, and it was getting almost annoying. Seriously, she had been shocked and embarrassed enough when Mr. Hollywood had reappeared in the most unlikely of places, but seeing him yesterday at his house without his shirt had somehow taken her shame to new heights. It was like tripping in front of Chris Hemsworth twice in a row, but the second time, she had stalked him to his house, given him muffins, and ogled his pecs. Admittedly, that metaphor was starting to break down.
Laurel had enjoyed the view, by the way. Who wouldn’t? Ethan looked good without a shirt, it was as simple as that. But she was still embarrassed. At least she had managed to have a fairly normal conversation with him after that, and that cute pregnant cow had really taken her mind off how awkward it was to randomly drop by the Wyle residence when she didn’t know the family. Regardless of her temporary discomfort with the situation, Ethan seemed like a genuinely good guy. And that was probably why she was still thinking about him instead of focusing on what she needed to bring to her painting session that afternoon. Oh well—a lot of her stuff was already at her makeshift studio downtown, so she would probably be fine if she forgot some supplies.
Outside Laurel’s dirty bedroom window, the sun shone bright. She’d dressed in a loose, paint-flecked shirt and her second-worst pair of jeans. Two seconds with a hair tie and her curls were out of her face in a sloppy bun. It was almost lunchtime—she should have gotten an earlier start. At this point she was going to be starving when she got to her art space downtown, because scrounging up food from home would eat into her painting time. What did they have to eat? Raw eggs and coffee creamer? If only she hadn’t given all of those muffins to the Wyles. She certainly didn’t have the cash to spend on takeout. All the money she had saved was going to art supplies and renting her space. She was lucky her mom had a realtor friend willing to give her a key to that tiny abandoned store on the cheap. Dirt, under-the-counter cheap.
She slung her trusty canvas bag over her shoulder and pushed open the bedroom door. For the past hour, Laurel had been listening to her mom putter around the house, so Laurel knew she hadn’t left for work yet. Laurel had used their shared bathroom very stealthily when she had woken up—trying to evade being grilled about her visit to the Wyle Away Ranch the day before. She’d escaped yesterday because her mom had worked a ten-hour shift. Laurel was hoping to make it to her bike outside without being cornered, but the chances were slim. Her mother didn’t always want to talk about Laurel’s dates, but she had a feeling that her mom would care about this one.
And Laurel was right. As soon as she stepped down the hall and into the kitchen, her mom popped out from behind the fridge, already dressed in her grocery clerk uniform. “Hey there, sleepyhead. Where are you off to this fine Sunday?”
Laurel hugged her bag to her stomach. She wanted to be as vague as possible, because talking about painting was starting to feel like stepping on a landmine in this house. She shrugged. “Downtown.” A change of subject wouldn’t hurt either. “Has that fridge sounded funny to you lately?”
Her mother frowned. “The fridge always sounds funny. So tell me about yesterday.”
So much for her awesome distraction tactics. Laurel sighed. “I went to the ranch. I gave the family the muffins and the card. They told me to thank you.”
Her mom put a hand on her hip. “What, that’s it? Did you get to meet the single brother?”
Laurel inched toward the door as she spoke. “Yes. His name is Ethan. He seems really nice.”
“Nice huh? Is he cute?” She winked.
“Wow, cutting straight to the chase. Um, yeah. He’s cute.”
Laurel’s mom slid over to her, effectively cutting off quick access to the patio door. “Okay, so that’s good. Did you get to talk to him?”
Why did she want to have a big discussion now? Laurel just wanted to get out of the house. “A little bit.”
Her mom squinted half of her face like a drop of lemon juice had landed in one eye. “Hmm. How little are we talking here, like a couple sentences? Because if you want to paint, you’ve gotta date, and I don’t know if that qualifies as a date.” She eyed Laurel’s supply bag and splattered outfit, effectively communicating that she wasn’t going to sign off on Laurel’s art session for the day if she hadn’t tried hard enough with Ethan.
Defiance crackled through Laurel. She felt like a teenager again. It was one thing for her mom to set rules designed to humble her and teach her a lesson, but it was quite another to stop her from painting when she was doing her best to follow those stupid rules. Laurel suddenly felt like she would say anything to stop her mom from getting in her way. If her mother needed her to hit it off with Ethan Wyle, then she would tell her mom exactly what she wanted to hear.
“No, we had a great chat. He even took me over to see a cow that was pregnant with twins.” And now to add a sprinkle of white lies. Honestly, Laurel would lie through her teeth if it got her mom off her back. “He seemed really into me, actually. He spent way more time with me than he had to. I was with him for a whole hour.”
A slow smile spread across her mother’s face. “Well, that sounds promising.”
“Absolutely.” And now, for an actual, bald-faced lie. “In fact, he wanted to meet me for lunch today real qu
ick before I went to paint.”
Her mother’s smile vanished. “Excuse me?”
Oops. Perhaps she had gone overboard. Laurel’s mom probably saw through both the he was immediately so into me lie and the lunch lie, but Laurel was still feeling snippy, so she set her chin defiantly. “What?”
Sheila’s eyes rounded to shocked pools. “What do you mean, what? This is a big deal! Don’t you know it’s a family lunch?”
The breath in Laurel’s chest went stale. What trouble had she just gotten herself into? “Wait, how do you know anything about a family lunch?”
Her mom waved her off. “Mrs. Bassencherry, of course! She comes in every day to gossip with anyone who will listen. Sometimes she doesn’t even buy anything, which makes the store manager mad, but that’s beside the point. Yesterday she told me that the boys’ grandma was flying in from Florida this morning, and she was taking the family out to lunch, and somebody had made a reservation at The Spirit Room.”
Laurel tried not to show how severely panicked she felt on the inside. “How does Mrs. Bassencherry know any of that?”
“It’s amazing, right? Maybe she has a friend who works at the restaurant or the airport—or both.” Sheila looked again at Laurel’s outfit. “The point is, you can’t go to a family lunch where they are celebrating a wedding looking like that.”
Laurel blinked. Her internal wheels were spinning overtime. She obviously wasn’t planning on attending this family lunch, but how could she explain her appearance? And how the heck was she supposed to get away with lying when Mrs. Bassencherry was on the loose? “Well I was planning on painting afterward so I can’t dress in anything nice. Ethan’s family will understand.”
