Another Chance (6 page)

She squared her shoulders.  Considering he knew he was in for a lecture, he shouldn't have noted how it made the cotton stretch over her breasts.

"I'm terribly sorry about your cow.  I swear to you, I did everything right.  Sometimes these things just happen, despite our best efforts.  Medicine isn't perfect, Mr. Parker.  I know you think things may have been different had Mr. Fletcher been the one to operate, but this wasn't my first cesarean.  I've done many.  My father was well respected in veterinary medicine and I learned at his side.  I'm not here to play at being a veterinarian; I am one."

She'd taken his words from the other day and thrown them back in his face.  Part of him admired the gumption it took to do so.  Part of him thought she was damn pretty.  The rest of him warned not to be swayed by either fact.  She'd never be content with a man like him, a simple rancher.

"I suppose I partly deserved that."

She raised her brows.  "Partly?"

Wade pushed away from the corral.

"I stand behind the fact that you deliberately misled us when you accepted our position.  Because of that, and due to the dire circumstances, I was angry and upset."

"You accused me of killing your animal."

"I know, and for that I'm sorry.  I've cooled off since then.  I know things could have been worse, that I could have lost them both if you hadn't been there."

Her shoulders eased.  He expected her to say something about how she was glad he'd come to his senses.  How she'd told him from the beginning that she knew what she was doing.  Instead she simply nodded.

"I know," she said, lifting her hand, "that I wasn't completely honest when you hired me, but Mr. Parker, I can do this.  I've trained for it my whole life.  All I ask is that, despite what happened at your ranch, that I be given a fair chance."

Wade took off his hat, clasped it between his hands.  "I can't speak for how folks around here will take the news of you being a woman."

"About as well as you did, I imagine," she said with a smile.

She really was a spitfire, he thought as his own mouth curved.  "More than likely.  They're not going to be happy with either one of us, I'm afraid."

"Tell them you didn't know I was a woman; that should leave you blameless."

Maybe he hadn't known at the time, but he sure as hell couldn't deny she was a woman now.  Wade blew out his breath, rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.

"I'm not sure that'll be enough to pacify them all.  At any rate, I can't force them to call on you."

"You're acceptance would go a long way to reassure them."

"Well, that puts me in a hell of a position."

"Why?  You just acknowledged that I wasn't to blame for your cow."

"That's right, but my time is spread thinner than ice in spring and frankly I'd rather not-"

"All you have to do is say the truth.  That I did good work and you'd call on me again should the need arise."

A kick of breeze twirled between them.  It brought along Jillian's scent, an intriguing mix of soap, sun and the unmistakable smell of a woman's heated flesh.  He swallowed hard as his heart lurched and his groin thickened.  Well, the need was arising right now, but it wasn't the one she was speaking of.  And it didn't make him happy.

She regarded him closely, those pretty green eyes probing his.  "You do stand behind your decision to hire me, don't you?"

Why did his life always have to be so damn complicated?  If he supported Jillian he knew he'd rile at least half the town.  But how could he not support her considering he'd brought her here.  She'd moved across a country, for Pete's sake.  How could he simply tell her to turn around and go back?  And, as he'd witnessed, she did appear to be a fine doctor.  It was just as Shane had said, however, that his problems where the vet was concerned were just beginning.

"Yes, Jillian.  I stand behind my decision to hire you."

She blessed him with another smile, this one even more potent than the last.  He needed to leave before he fooled himself into thinking that it would be safe to explore the desire drumming through his blood.  She was a woman hell-bent on following her dream regardless of the cost.  Since Wade had already paid that price once, he refused to pay it again.  No matter what his body wanted.

Fishing into his pocket, he took the folded bills and handed them to her.

"I never asked what your fees are, but James and I reckoned this should be close.  If it's not, let me know."  He jammed his hat back onto his head and crossed the yard to fetch his horse.

He put his foot in the stirrup.  Her small but firm hand closed around his arm.  It was the first time she'd touched him and it grabbed him round the throat.  Slowly, he turned.

Lord, she was close.  Close enough to see the gold flecks in her green eyes.  Close enough to hear her breathing.  Close enough to grab and yank against him.  He cleared his throat, hoped to hell she didn't look down.

"What is it?"

Her chin angled up.  "When my father died he left me a small inheritance, enough to get me here and, if I'm frugal, enough for the basic necessities for three to four months.  This is my livelihood, Wade, I'll do whatever it takes to get folks to accept me.  It means a lot to me that you're on my side."

Of all the things she could have said, those were the most effective.  He may not want to get close to her but he couldn't deny her words touched him.  Wasn't he, too, simply trying to earn a living?  Trying to keep food on the table?  While she may have lied, may have chosen an unconventional way of going about it, Wade knew how hard it was some days to just make ends meet.  Who was he to make hers any harder?

"I'll stand behind my decision to hire you but Jillian, I really don't have time to seek out each farmer around these parts."

Her smile lit her face, captivated him until he had to remind himself to blink.  The hand that still rested on his arm squeezed gently.  For two, three beats, their eyes held, questioned.  Wade shifted his gaze from hers to her hand and back again.  Her eyes widened, almost as though she'd forgotten she was touching him.  With a fresh pink flush brightening her cheeks, Jillian lowered her hand.

"Thank you."

Afraid if he opened his mouth he'd give in to the urge to wrap his arms around her small waist and pull her in for a kiss, he tipped his hat, mounted Whiskey and headed for home.

***

Dazed and confounded by her reaction to Wade, Jillian wandered back to Hope's corral.  Animals didn't talk, but she definitely understood them better than she understood herself.

Opening the pen, Jillian grabbed the brush from the bucket in the corner and, with long slow strokes that soothed Hope as much as they did her, brushed her horse.

She'd gotten a silly flutter in her belly when she'd stepped from the barn and seen Wade at her porch.  Considering his last words to her, she shouldn't have felt anything toward him but anger.  Not that she hadn't felt that as well, but underneath the fury had been an undeniable, completely female and non-rational flicker of attraction.

The flicker had turned to flame when she'd touched him.  In his barn, they'd touched due to confinement and though she'd felt a reaction then, it didn't compare to the pull she'd felt this time.

"Nothing like it," she murmured, remembering the feel of muscle beneath her hand, the way he'd looked at her.  But then she knew looks could be deceiving.  She'd been fooled by them once before.  She'd given Clint her heart, almost shared her body, only to learn that he'd expected--no, demanded--that she give up her silly desire to remain a vet once they were married.

She'd given him back his ring and he'd laughed.  Laughed and told her that no man would ever want her as long as she was a vet.  Laughed and said he couldn't wait for the day she realized that and came home begging to have him back.

His laughter echoed in her ears, continued to sting in that part of her heart that had yet to heal.  It was the reminder she needed.  Handsome or not, desirable or not, she wouldn't open her heart again to that kind of rejection.

She'd do whatever it took to prove Clint wrong, because, as God was her witness, she wasn't ever going back to Pennsylvania.  Even though she'd never take Clint back, even if he begged, she'd never give him the satisfaction of seeing her back home.

Hope's head lifted.  Jillian looked over as another rider turned into her lane.  Tossing the brush into the bucket, giving a quick glance to ensure there was water in the other, Jillian slipped from the pen.

Could it be someone needed her already?  Or, had word gotten around about Wade's cow and the fact that their new vet was a woman and they'd come to demand she leave?  Her belly twitched.  She placed a hand over it in an attempt to still the nerves.  She stood tall.  Whoever it was, for whatever reason, she would only let them see her confidence.

She smoothed her skirt and waited by her porch as the man in black slid out of the saddle.

He was almost as tall as Wade, she noticed, and appeared to be close to the same age.  Equally as fine-looking, too, she thought when he took off his hat and she saw his midnight black hair and grey eyes.  She caught the glint of silver, looked down at the gun belt and wondered what reason the sheriff had to call on her.

"Afternoon, Miss Matthews."

"Sheriff."  She cocked her head to the side.  "Should I be concerned that you already know my name?"

His lips curved into a very nice smile.  "It's not a bad thing.  Word gets round in a small town."

"I imagine it does."  She gestured to the porch.  "Would you like to sit?  I can get you some lemonade."

"No, thanks.  I won't be staying long."

"Then what can I do for you?"

He leaned against the rail of the porch, crossed his arms.  "Town's beginning to buzz about you."

Well, she'd expected it but nevertheless her stomach sank.  "That didn't take long."

"Never does.  Anyhow I thought I'd let you know it's not good."

"I didn't expect it would be, Sheriff, but I'm prepared to stay so I hope it's not running me off you were after."

"Nah.  We're mostly friendly and harmless around here."  He extended his hand.  "Sorry.  I never introduced myself.  Shane McCall."

"A pleasure, Sheriff," she said as she took his hand.

"Or Shane.  Whichever you prefer.  Just don't call me Mr. McCall; that was my father."

From the shadows that crept into his eyes, Jillian gathered that Shane had some deep feelings toward the man.  Feelings that weren't all good.

"All right.  Shane it is.  Are you sure I can't offer you anything?"

"No, I'm fine.  I need to be heading back.  Just wanted to come introduce myself and let you know where you stood."  He placed a boot in the stirrup.  "I don't expect anyone around here to give you any real trouble, they're mostly just jawing.  But should that change, you be sure to let me know."

"I will, thank you."

He tipped his hat, swung the rest of the way in the saddle.

"Good day, Jillian."

"Shane."

She watched him ride away, tall and handsome.  His dark hair and clothes, along with the six-shooter he carried, gave him a commanding presence.  She imagined if he wasn't married he'd have any number of eligible young women swooning.  Yet, no matter how much she thought Shane attractive and pleasant, that sizzle of attraction she'd felt with Wade hadn't been there with Shane.

She gave herself a mental shake.  "You have more important things to worry about, Jillian, than handsome men.  If the townsfolk were staring to buzz, then it was time she threw herself into the hive.

***

If Wade thought it had been hot on his way to Jillian's, it was nothing compared to the heat that cloaked him leaving her place.  Her smell, her touch.  Everything lingered and teased him until riding became damn uncomfortable.  He'd had women approach him at church, on his errands in town.  He'd known by the way they smiled or found reasons to touch him that they'd been interested.  The problem had been that he wasn't interested.

Oh, he'd looked.  Considered, even.  But as much as he wanted a woman who'd be happy to take care of his home, help raise his daughter, he knew that attraction was a necessary ingredient in a healthy relationship.  And the more of it, the better, he thought as he shifted in the saddle.

And wasn't it just his luck that the first woman who'd stirred his desires since Amy had died was a woman who, he knew, would never be happy to simply be a wife and mother.  A woman bold enough to move across a country for what she wanted wouldn't give it all up for anything.  Or anyone.

Old bitterness replaced any lingering desire.  Who was he fooling?  He hadn't been enough for Amy.  The ranch, the family they'd built, none of it had been enough.  She'd still wanted more.  And, to this day, he didn't have more to offer.

The bills his father had accumulated were staggering.  The first time Wade had seen them, he'd been sure there was a mistake.  But a closer review showed they were correct.  What he hadn't been able to figure out was why.  Though not a huge spread, they had a fair sized herd and the beef prices had been strong.  It was his mother who'd finally filled in the blanks one night while he poured over the ledgers at the kitchen table.