Page 5

Abby climbed up the gate to get a better look.

“She’s a beautiful cow. Looks real healthy.”

She climbed back down, but her foot caught on the lowest board, and she flew backwards. I caught her around the waist, pulling her back against my chest while I eased her feet to the ground. We stood there for a long moment, bodies pressed together, until I felt a little twitch below the belt. Not wanting to sport a hard-on in front of the curvy veterinarian – at least yet—I gently set her away from me.

“I seem to keep saving you from falling.”

Abby turned and gave me an embarrassed smile. “Sorry about that. I tend to be the tiniest bit clumsy.”

My gaze bounced between her eyes. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll catch you anytime, Abby.”

Abby

Good Lord, this man was a charmer. When he said he’d catch me ‘anytime’ in that deep voice, my panties nearly incinerated.

I was confused by the strong physical reaction I was having to Peter Jeffers. I wasn’t a virgin by any stretch of the imagination – I was forty-five years old after all—but I’d only slept with four guys in my life.

I’d long suspected that something was wrong with me, because I didn’t just look at a guy and feel attracted to him immediately like other women did. For me, attraction grew slowly as I got to know a person, and even then, it was generally pretty mild.

At least until today.

The minute I’d seen Peter Jeffers, I’d felt attraction hit me like a tsunami. Which was a problem, given that I was investigating him and his family. Although I didn’t need to spend much time here to see that the abuse complaint was completely fabricated. The animals here were very well cared for.

I wondered if he felt it too – this almost cellular connection between us. I studied him out of the corner of my eye but had no clue. I was pretty sure he was flirting with me, but it was hard to tell with his unreadable expression.

We lapsed into silence as we gave Annabelle some love. Peter wasn’t much of a talker, but I didn’t mind that. I hated people who talked just to hear their own voice. It was so annoying. Working in my field, I was around a lot of men who felt compelled to share every thought in their head like it was a proclamation from on high.

Reluctantly I stepped away from Annabelle’s pen. I should probably head on home, I told myself, remembering the storm predictions. Although home wasn’t nearly as appealing as the Jeffers ranch.

“I have to say, Mr. Jeffers—.”

“Peter,” he interrupted me.

“Oh. Okay, Peter, I have to say that I don’t see anything here to remotely corroborate the abuse allegations. You clearly provide excellent care for your animals here.”

He nodded. “We do.”

“Well...,” I paused awkwardly.

Why was I so thrown off by this guy? I felt like a teenaged girl with a crush. I wasn’t even like this when I was a teenaged girl.

“I guess I should probably get back to my car and leave you to your work.”

I wondered if he could hear the obvious reluctance in my voice. I had the strangest urge to stay here with Peter, possibly for the rest of my life. With a start I realized I was feeling a strong affection for him. If this was a Hallmark movie, I’d be telling him that I’d fallen in love with him at first sight.

But this was my life, not a rom com, so instead I said, “Thank you for your time and cooperation.”

Peter gave me a long look but when he didn’t say anything, I turned on my heel and headed towards the door.

Just then a man opened the door, letting in a gust of frigid air. To my shock, his head and shoulders were covered with snowflakes. What the hell? We hadn’t been in the barn that long.

The man was shorter and smaller than Peter, but there was no mistaking the resemblance between the two men. This must be Peter’s father.

“Peter, there’s—.”

The man skidded to a stop, staring at me in surprise.

“Who are you?”