by Taylor Rylan
“We’ll see you later, then,” Sam said before he tipped his hat and turned and left. He walked over to the feed bin and started filling it, much like John had been doing in the other building.
Xander and I? Well, we hightailed it out of there as fast as we could without looking suspicious.
Xander — 12
I was worried, but I was also pissed as hell. I was going crazy, and I didn’t know what was going on. Bishop and I had spotted the stolen horses two days ago. Two days. I’d only heard from him a few times in those two days. After we’d left the feedlot, we came back to the clinic and then he warned me to stay there and not go back to Grady’s.
He called that first afternoon and made arrangements to board Oreo when he talked to Ezra. I’d broken a rule and I’d taken her home with me. She was a complete sweetheart, and I couldn’t help it: I couldn’t leave her in the clinic overnight knowing her daddy was at work and she was sick. That was two days ago and I’d only heard from him briefly in that time.
She was feeling better and was currently on a dog bed I’d put in the corner of my office for her. I glanced at her, wondering when her daddy would be back to pick her up.
“Doc, line one,” Ezra said over the intercom. I absently picked up the phone and looked at it long enough to make sure I pushed the correct line.
“Dr. Garrison speaking.”
“Hey, Doc. I’m sorry. I’ve been slammed with this case and I still can’t say much about it. How’s my girl doing?”
I knew that voice. How could you not remember that twang? I know what it did to me, but I refused to do anything about it. Nope. He was a client and that meant he wasn’t available as a potential partner.
“She’s doing much better. She’s getting some of her usual spunk back. Are you going to be by to pick her up today?” I asked, hopeful that he’d finally be back to get his dog. I understood but it still didn’t make it any easier. At least now I knew he was okay. Well, he sounded okay. I’d have a better idea if I got to see him.
“I should be able to, yes. It’s been pure hell, and it’s taken more hours than we anticipated. I’m actually calling on official business.”
That caught my attention.
“I’m listening.” I peeked at Oreo, and she was on her back, chewing on a stuffed animal.
“The horses need to be examined, and you had mentioned you were a large-breed vet. The downside is it’s the department, and it’ll probably be a while before you’re paid for your services.”
“When and where do you need me?” I asked and grabbed a pen off the desk to jot down the info.
“They’re being boarded at a place called Second Chance Sanctuary. It’s here in Jackson. Let me get the address.”
“Bishop, you don’t have to,” I said as I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had a headache coming on, I could feel it.
“You know it?”
“Umm, yeah. I’m part owner with my mother. I’m going to kill her though,” I said through the phone. She would be my very next call. “When?”
“Whenever you have the time.”
“Okay. Let me put Oreo in a kennel and I’ll be there. Give me twenty. Will someone be there to meet me?”
“Yep, we’re all here. It’s a party. See you soon, Doc,” Bishop said before ending the call. I hung the phone up and sighed. It seemed as if I’d been doing a lot of that lately. I got up from my desk and glanced at Oreo. She was content to stay on her bed, so I left her for the time being. I found Ezra in the front, refilling the dog treats on the counter.
“Dr. G. What did Deputy Hunk want?”
“I need to go to Second Chance for a bit. Do you want me to leave Oreo in my office or put her in a kennel?”
Ezra looked at the appointment screen on the computer and shook his head. “Mr. Smith is coming in with his dogs, and you know how they can be so either close your door or put her in a kennel.”
I did. I cringed at the thought of Mr. Smith and his two terriers and how Rick was going to be stuck with both of them. They were determined to mark everything as their territory, and they were notorious for peeing on anything they could hike their leg against. If they spotted another dog, or cat for that matter, they’d hump it, trying to exert dominance over the other animal. Yep, lovely dogs they were.
“All right. I’ll be back before closing,” I told him as I glanced at my watch. “I’ll let Rick know I’m going out and why. Call if you need anything.”
“We will. But it was your afternoon to be making ranch calls anyway,” Ezra said. I nodded before I headed back to my office. I hated to do it, but she wasn’t feeling her best yet, so I picked Oreo up and carried her back to the kennels.
“Dr. G. She okay?” Rick asked as I opened the kennel door and carefully placed Oreo in. She immediately went to the towel in the corner and turned around several times before she curled up in a ball.
“She’s fine. I have to go out though. Sorry to leave you with Mr. Smith and his marking, overly insecure dogs.”
Rick laughed so hard he bent over in the middle and grabbed his knees. “It’s okay. I’ll be sure to strap a belly band on both of them. When are they due?”
“I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask Ezra. He just said they were due this afternoon.”
“Got it. He’ll need the bands anyway, so I’ll take them up now. You going to be back before we close?” Rick asked, reaching into the cabinet we kept supplies in. He pulled down two belly bands and stuck pads on them in preparation.
“I should be. It’s only two. But I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to be honest. If I’m not, just close up and I’ll be along later.”
“Sure thing. Have fun wherever you’re going.”
“I’m headed to Second Chance,” I said with a chuckle. Rick winced, causing me to laugh. Yeah, there were days I felt the same. Especially since Mom and I had talked over Christmas and she had all but signed the shelter over to me. Which made the fact that there were three stolen and recovered thoroughbreds there, without me knowing, an issue.
After I grabbed my gear from my office, I left the clinic through the back door and climbed into my truck. I had to remember that if nothing else, I’d most likely get to see Bishop. But he was working and so would I be. Not that there was anything between us. Because there wasn’t. And there couldn’t be. Even if I was interested. Because it would be easy to fall into a…relationship? Maybe?
I looked out the windshield and waited for the light to change so I could hit the last stop before I left Jackson proper. The shelter was just on the outside of town, between Jackson and Sulfur Springs. If I was excited to go there, it had nothing to do with the animals I’d encounter there. I sighed. I needed to get my head on straight. There was absolutely nothing that could happen between me and Bishop.
I snorted at that thought because my dreams had been very vivid and X-rated for the last two nights. Oreo was a cuddle bug, and you’d think that having the man’s dog in bed with me would be a deterrent for my cock but nope. It was very much on board with the idea of him joining me in my bed.
I noticed several SUVs when I pulled into the parking lot at Second Chance, and I guess that was what he meant when he said they were all there. But counting, there were more SUVs than expected, so maybe we had some potential new pet owners. I saw Dr. May’s truck and tried not to wince because Mom’s car wasn’t anywhere to be found. That meant Dr. May was in there alone again. That wasn’t really what I needed today.
I climbed out of my truck, grabbed my bag from the back seat, and headed inside. The horses would be in the building out back; it was the only place we could stable them. Once I entered through the front door, I smiled at Kayla and pointed to the back.
“Dr. G. There’s a ton of federal agents in the back building, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, you could have started with calling me,” I said and had to take a few deep breaths when I saw her cringe a little.
“Your mom said not to. I would have if
I’d known she wasn’t going to.”
“Don’t worry about it. Have you seen her recently? And what about Dr. May? Or Dr. Waters?”
“Dr. Waters is off today. Dr. May is in the back.”
I nodded and offered a quick smile before I walked to the back of the building. I encountered Dr. May along the way and yep, he looked stressed.
“You mind telling me why there are several federal marshals here? And why they insist on you being the vet and not me? I’m the primary veterinarian around here.”
“You’re right. You are and I apologize. I didn’t even know they were here until I got the call but there are reasons why I’m who they asked for. I’ll fill you in, when I’m given permission to do so. And I’ll be having yet another conversation with my mother later,” I said as I stepped around Dr. May and walked out into the cold. It wasn’t an overly long walk, but the winds had picked up and it was biting.
Thankfully, it was blissfully warm inside the stable, and once my eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, I quickly found Bishop. He was in the middle of several other agents of varying ages and sizes, but it didn’t matter. He was the only one that made my heart feel funny when I looked at him.
“Can we help you?” a well-dressed man who looked to be in his mid-twenties asked.
“Maybe? I think I’m here to help you though. I’m Dr. Garrison. Deputy Jones called me.”
“He’s with me, Kirk,” a very familiar twang said. I turned my head in the direction of Bishop’s voice and held my breath. Damn. He looked even better close up. He was in khakis and a long-sleeve shirt that had a logo on the front. The badge on his belt, along with handcuffs, we really didn’t need to go there, and his gun on his hip turned me on. I couldn’t help it. Who knew I had a thing for guys with a badge?
“Deputy Jones. Good to see you again.” I tried to sound normal, but to my own ears, I sounded anything but. I watched as the other man walked away, quickly refocusing my attention on Bishop.
“How’s Oreo? I miss her.”
“She’s doing better. She’s quite the snuggle bug. Especially at night.” I knew I’d let that slip before I even finished saying it. Damn. The look Bishop gave me though—it wasn’t quite what I expected.
“Yes, she is. I’m thankful, truly, that you’re taking such wonderful care of her. I’m not sure if you’re sleeping in the office or what, but I really do appreciate it.”
“Umm, no. I’ve taken her home with me the last two nights. She wasn’t feeling well, and I felt bad about leaving her in a kennel overnight. I just couldn’t,” I said as I looked at Bishop’s blue eyes.
“Wow. Thank you for that. That’s way beyond what I’d expect. But I know the feeling about leaving her. It’s those big brown eyes of hers. Kinda like yours, Doc. You just can’t seem to say no to them. Or forget them.” Bishop stared at me for a few minutes before he gestured over his shoulder. “The horses are back here. Come meet the rest of the crew first though.” Bishop offered a smile, and I found myself returning it. He took off so I quickly caught up and might have unintentionally bumped into Bishop a time or two on the walk over. Might have. But honestly, it was completely intentional.
“Dr. Garrison. Welcome. We’re happy to see you. That Dr. May…he’s…something,” Bishop’s partner said once we rejoined the group.
“Yeah, he is. He’s getting the short end of things at the moment it seems. I’ll have a talk with him again later. Dr. Waters is doing okay for you though?” I was curious. I’d only met her once. She didn’t seem to work too much, which was certainly an issue. We needed a pair of full-time vets on staff. And we needed at least one certified dog trainer.
“She’s been nice enough, but she said she wasn’t a large-breed vet,” a man with a slight accent said. He was from the South somewhere, but I wasn’t quite sure where. His complexion said he was Latin, but that didn’t tell me much.
“Doc, this is Deputy Alex Lopez and his partner, Deputy Kirk Stevens. They’re the agents in charge of the case,” Bishop said as he introduced me. I shook each man’s hand and offered a smile before I looked back to the man that interested me most.
“So, the horses?”
“Yeah, they’re back there,” Deputy Lopez said as he pointed over his shoulder. There were several other officers and deputies in the room, and I wondered if they’d made this their new headquarters or something.
“Yes, I see that. What is it that you need me to do?”
“We need them checked over and cleared for travel. Their owners are anxious to have them back, and we need to be sure they’re not under any stress or the like,” Deputy Lopez said.
“Sure. Standard physical? Or something else?”
“Standard. I have a form for you,” Adrian told me. I smiled at him and nodded in thanks.
“Well, let me get to it. I don’t want to keep you gentlemen here any longer than necessary,” I said as I followed Adrian to a makeshift table where he had a stack of papers.
“Here you go, Doc. We really appreciate this,” he said as he handed me the form and a clipboard.
I took both and threw one more quick glance at Bishop as I walked over to the horses. They were thoroughbreds, so they were already high-strung. But these babies had been through a lot over the past several weeks, and that didn’t help.
I carefully entered the pen and was able to get one of the mares out and into a separate stall where I could examine her away from the stallion. He was going to be fun, I could already tell.
Almost two hours later, I was physically exhausted and was ready to call it a day. But the three thoroughbreds were healthy and ready to head back to their home in Colorado.
“Deputy, here’s your papers for the horses. They’re ready to go whenever you have transportation for them.”
“Yeah. Their owners are already here, waiting. They brought their own vet, but the department requires an unbiased one and that would be you,” Deputy Lopez told me. I nodded. I understood completely.
“Is there anything else you need from me just now?”
“Not now, no. We really appreciate your cooperation on this, Dr. Garrison. I’m sure you have questions, but please realize it’s still an ongoing investigation and there’s only so much we can disclose.”
“I understand completely. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to my clinic. You have my number if you need me for anything else.” I offered a tired smile to everyone before I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked toward the door that would take me outside. I’d just made it through the doorway when I heard Bishop calling for me, so I stopped and waited. He quickly caught up, his long legs carrying him across the distance with ease.
Once again, he didn’t stop and leave personal space between us. He let the door close behind him before he spun and had my back against the front of the building.
“You left before I could ask you about those texts the other day. Were they really an accident?” Bishop asked. I had two choices. I could lie and tell him yes. Or I could tell the truth and possibly get to know him better. I never said I was a smart man though.
“I left because your team had arrived and you sent me back to the clinic. But yes, Bishop. They were an accident. I was lying on the couch, thinking about Chris and jerking off. I never intended to send you those texts, and I’m truly sorry.” I watched as the smile left his face and he turned his head away, his jaw clenching.
“Understood. I’ll be off in time to pick up Oreo. Thanks again, Doc,” Bishop said and then went back inside the building. I wanted to kick myself for the hurt I’d caused. Dammit. I really was a fucking idiot. I turned and stormed toward the main building and threw a glare at anyone who tried to talk to me. I really was an asshole.
Bishop — 13
Life fuckin’ sucked sometimes. Seriously. Dr. Dreamy wasn’t interested. I’d put myself out there and asked again, but he just wasn’t interested. And he had someone named Chris. Oh well. Not a whole hell of a lot I could do except throw myself into work or fi
nd someone else to date. Neither actually sounded all that appealing.
After the thoroughbreds were cleared for travel, their owner swooped in and had them southbound to Colorado in no time. But now there was the criminal investigation that was ongoing. Luckily, that was something that Adrian and I got to assist with. I was invested with their case now and wanted to help them see it through to the end. That and it helped keep me busy. And busy was good.
I’d picked Oreo up on Thursday, about an hour after Xander had left, but I wasn’t in the mood for talking, so I paid my bill and left. I felt bad about it now; Ezra had always been so nice, and they’d taken extra good care of her while she was sick, but I didn’t care. I needed away and couldn’t stomach the thought of facing Xander again so soon.
I took her to work with me on Friday, and Kirk went bonkers over her. If he had the time for one, I could certainly see him with a dog in his life in the very near future. Yesterday I stayed home and did absolutely nothing. I didn’t even bother getting dressed. I stayed in my PJ pants all day and vegged on the couch with Oreo. I threw on shoes and a coat long enough to go outside with her to do her business, but that was it.
I was upset with myself more than anything. Xander had already told me he didn’t mean the texts, but I didn’t listen. I swore I’d caught him looking at my lips on more than one occasion. Same thing about my ass.
I needed a distraction and was running low on most staples in my fridge and pantry, so I headed upstairs and got in the shower. A quick cleanup and I was dressed and on my way to the local Walmart. I started in the produce and worked my way back to the coolers.
Not really sure what I’d be in the mood for on a daily basis, I just grabbed stuff and threw it into the cart. When I spotted a familiar blond in the frozen-pizza section, I cringed, but I wasn’t going to avoid him completely. After all, he was Oreo’s doctor, even if up until recently we’d normally see Rick, the tech.
“Deputy Jones. It’s nice to see you,” Xander said as I approached. He’d seen me earlier than I’d hoped.
