12-Alarm Cowboys (32 page)

His deep voice with its southern drawl almost sent her to her knees. Growing up in the wilds of Maine, she’d never heard anything as sexy as the molasses-thick accent of Tanner Marshall.

She picked a couple of quarters of apple and headed for Jolene. “How old is she?”

“Turned four a couple of months ago.”

She nodded. “Good morning, little momma,” she cooed. “How about a little apple for a morning snack?”

Holding out the palm of her hand with the apple quarter, she approached the horse slowly. Jolene’s big eyes watched her with a nervous edge.

“Don’t blame you for being a little leery. I’m a new person, but we’re going to be good friends.”

She kept her voice calm, and as soothing as possible. Jolene held her ground and let Georgie get next to her. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed at the apple before using her teeth to gently lift it from Georgie’s hand. Georgie smiled and ran her hand down the mare’s neck.

“Good girl.” She continued to talk to Jolene in a quiet voice as she felt along the horse’s sides. “Hello, baby.” When she spoke, the foal kicked against her hands. “Active one, huh?”

“The little guy has given his mom lots of kicks lately,” Tanner said. “I think she’s tired of being pregnant.”

Georgie chuckled. “From what I hear, most women are by this time. And you’re going to be a great momma, right Jolene?” She looked toward Mabee. “You got a stethoscope on you? I’d like to check out our little momma while I’m here.”

James pulled one from his pocket. With long strides, Tanner had the scope and was back at her side in seconds.

“Thanks.”

He only nodded in reply.

She listened to both Jolene and her baby’s heartbeats. Both were strong and regular. The foal was active, kicking against the stethoscope bell and producing a loud THUMP in Georgie’s ears. From her initial assessment, Jolene was a strong, healthy mare who should have no problems.

“She’s as healthy as a horse,” she joked.

Tanner didn’t laugh, but she might have seen a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

“The foal’s pretty active too,” she added.

“Foal’s been active for a while,” Zack said from the fence. “We might be starting our own line of broncs if that little guy is any indication.”

Georgie laughed.

Before she left the corral, she fed the rest of the apple to Jolene, who gobbled the last three pieces with the enthusiasm she had for the first one.

“Have you set up a place for the foaling?”

Tanner nodded while Zack answered, “Yup. Want to see it?”

Georgie looked at Mabee, who shook his head. “We need to get moving, guys. We’ve got a number of ranches to visit today. I’m sure Dr. Greyson can make it back by before Jolene foals and you can show her the set-up.”

Tanner opened the gate to let Georgie back into the yard.

“I’d love to check on Jolene again,” Georgie said.

“Anytime, Georgie,” Zack said.

“We don’t want to keep you any longer,” Tanner said. “James, good to see you as always. Have a great time in Australia. Dr. Greyson, it was a pleasure to see you without matches in your hand.” He touched the brim of his hat. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to finish my chores.” He started to leave and then turned back. “Make sure we have a direct phone number for Dr. Brian…just in case, you know?”

His last comment knocked her back like a kick from a horse. She’d thought the visit had gone well. Obviously she’d been wrong. It was hard to believe that in this day and time a man as intelligent as Tanner Marshall appeared could let the lack of a penis be the deciding factor of a person’s qualifications.

She and Mabee visited ten additional ranches. Her reception at all of them was friendly, but she got the distinct impression that her abilities as a large animal vet were suspect for most of the men. The women she met were a little more accepting.

“Looks like I’m going to have to prove myself around here.”

Mabee snorted lightly. “I warned you, but I’m not worried. I know you can handle the animals, and their menfolk.”

“I think so,” she said with a laugh.

The only man that gave her cause to worry was Tanner Marshall. And the list of ways Tanner bugged her would fill a notebook.

‡

M
ost of what
Georgie saw the first week on her own in the clinic were dogs, cats and the occasional turtle. One of the ranches, Trickle Down, had called in Dr. Brian for a colicky horse. Since she had more than enough to do, it shouldn’t have hurt her feelings, but it had stung a little.

“Have you given any thought to what you’ll need on Saturday?”

Georgie looked up from the chart she was reading. Janet, her clinic assistant, was leaning against the office door, a pad in one hand and a pen in the other.

“I usually like to make a list so I don’t forget anything.”

Georgie searched her brain for what Janet was talking about and then frowned. “I am seriously at a loss here. What are we talking about?”

“The county fair booth. Didn’t Dr. Mabee mention that to you?”

“Gosh, let me think.” She rubbed her forehead. “Man. Seems like way in the back of my brain there’s something about a fair but…” She shook her head. “Clue me in. I’m lost.”

“The Whispering Springs County Fair starts on Thursday.”

“Am I a judge or something?”

Janet laughed. “Yeah. The
or something
. You, a couple of vets from Dallas and a couple of local ranchers are doing the judging for the 4-H animals Saturday morning. Plus, you’re scheduled on Saturday from noon until three to man the 4-H booth.”

“
This
Saturday?”

“Yup.”

“Well crud. You’ve done this with Mabee before?”

The blonde nodded. “Want me to pull out the same materials we used last year? You can look through them and see if you want me to take anything else.”

“Perfect. Thanks. Remind me to buy you a lemonade on Saturday.”

Janet laughed and left.

Georgie dropped her forehead on the desk…three or four times. This was the one Saturday a month that Dr. Brian saw patients and she was off all day. She’d been looking forward to the down time or maybe taking a horse ride or even sleeping until nine.

By Friday, all her clients were talking about the fair and the animal judging the next day. One mother had hinted that a first place in the sheep division for her daughter could go a long way in encouraging her to pursue animal husbandry. Georgie opted to not respond, other than to just nod and continue on with her exam of the lady’s overweight poodle.

But the verbal hinting was only one subtle reminder that parents had as much stake in these animals as the kids. By the time she left for home on Friday, her car was loaded with three casseroles, a chocolate cake, a blueberry cobbler, a pecan pie, four jars of strawberry preserves, and eight dozen cookies. There was no way she would, or even could, eat all these. She’d be as big as Jolene.

At that thought, she turned her truck toward Flying Eagle Ranch. She could check on Jolene and at the same time maybe unload some of her goodies on the guys. She knew from her staff that Tanner had been left in charge while Mr. and Mrs. Marshall took a long-overdue vacation around the United States.

It’d been ten days since her first visit but the place pretty much looked the same. She crossed her fingers that Zack would be around, not that she was interested in him. She wasn’t. He was a cutie, with a personality to match, but mostly, she wanted not to run into Tanner. Cutie with a personality didn’t begin to describe the oldest Marshall. He was more like a heart-stopping hottie with a sharp tongue and no personality…or at least no personality that she’d experienced.

When she climbed from her parked truck, a dark-haired teenage girl exited the barn.

“Hi,” she called. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Dr. Greyson,” Georgie said. “I thought I’d stop by on my way home and check on Jolene.”

The girl wiped her hands on her jeans. “Deborah Marshall. Call me Deb.”

“Call me Georgie.”

“Georgie. I like that.”

“How’s Jolene?”

“She’s doing great. Tanner is walking her around for exercise. Hold on. I’ll holler at him.”

Before Georgie could say, “That’s okay,” Deb had her hands around her mouth. “Tanner, come here. Bring Jolene.”

“I hate to bother him. Are they far away?”

“Just around back. Tanner’s been getting her used to the foaling area he set up for her.”

Georgie heard the clop-clop of horse hooves echoing in the barn. In a minute, tall, handsome and moody led Jolene into the front yard.

“Georgie is here to see Jolene,” Deb said.

“Georgie?” Tanner’s eyebrows arched.

“That’s what she said I could call her,” Deb retorted in a tone only a teenager could manage.

Tanner turned his gaze to Georgie, making her flinch from his high intensity laser stare.

He tapped the brim of his hat. “Dr. Greyson.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Marshall.”

Deb rolled her eyes. “Good lord. You sound like the people from Downton Abbey.”

“Don’t you have homework, Deb?” Tanner said without moving his gaze off Georgie.

“Yes,” she snapped.

“Why don’t you get to it?”

“Fine,” she huffed, whirling around, her long ponytail swinging. “I know when I’m not wanted.”

“Wait,” Georgie said. “Before you go. I’ve been inundated with casseroles and desserts all week. New doctor in town and all that. Think you guys might take some of it? There’s no way I can begin to eat it.”

“Sure,” Deb said.

“Check my backseat,” Georgie said. “Leave the cookies!”

The teen hurried off to the truck.

“We’re not a charity, Dr. Greyson. I can feed my family.”

Georgie whipped her gaze back to Tanner. “I never thought you couldn’t, but with you and your siblings, I just thought you all might enjoy some of the home-cooked meals. Like I said, most of it would go to waste at my place.”

“You wanted to see Jolene?”

“Just in the area and I thought I’d check on her. Any problems?”

Tanner shook his head. “No. Don’t expect any either.”

“Who was the sire?”

“Blue Rocket, from Halo M Ranch stock.”

She thought for a minute. “One of the Montgomery ranches?”

Tanner nodded. “Travis. Runs the best horseflesh in the area.”

The entire time they’d been talking, Tanner had been running his large hand along Jolene’s neck with long strokes. The horse shivered to the touch and shook her head. Georgie knew how the horse felt. She wanted to shiver just watching the gentle caresses.

“As long as I’m here, why don’t I take a quick look at the little momma-to-be.”

She moved closer to the horse, which put her much closer to one of the hottest, and most infuriating, cowboys she’d ever dealt with. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up past his elbow exposing tanned flesh and thick forearms. Every time he moved his arm, beefy muscles made their presence known. What was it about well-developed forearms that made her lose all her professionalism?

When she leaned down to press the bell of the stethoscope to Jolene, she discovered the position gave her a front row seat to study the worn denim of Tanner’s crotch. She liked how the material molded over his assets. She’d be willing be wager the backside would cup his ass just right. And—

“Is something wrong?”

Georgie startled. Hells bells. She’d forgotten to listen to the foal’s heartbeat. She held up one finger for silence, listened briefly and then stood.

“Nope. Nothing’s wrong. Momma and baby are doing great.”

The lines at the corner of his overly-sun-exposed face deepened as he glared. “Are you sure? You were listening for a long time.”

She stroked Jolene’s side. “I’m sure.”

Not like she could confess that she’d gotten distracted by his, um, jeans.

“Anything else, Doctor? I need to get back to work.”

“Nope. Enjoy all the casseroles.”

He gave her a single nod. “Thanks.”

*

Saturday morning, Georgie
hit the alarm multiple times, trying to stay in dreamland a little longer. All night her dreams had been filled with a large, hot hand stroking her flesh. Fingers that had been roughened from work fondled her thighs. Thick, sculpted forearms that held her. A deep and uncomfortably familiar male voice whispered dirty, suggestive acts he wanted to do to her body. At one point, an orgasm hit her so hard she woke herself when she cried out.