“Where’s her mare?” I asked, trying to redirect, so I didn’t start a shifter brawl in front of the horses. The animals had gotten used to us all being shifters, having predators inside us, but we had to be cautious around them. Especially new ones like the horse Charlie brought.
Clint tipped his head. “Put her in the near pasture.”
Was it strange that I didn’t even like the other guys handling Charlie’s mare?
Not just strange, downright nuts. Especially considering Seraphina wasn’t even Charlie’s. The mare belonged to her boss, Mr. Claymore. Some eccentric millionaire.
Whatever. He could be as eccentric as he wanted because his craziness was what had brought Charlie here. I owed the man a thank you card. And a resignation letter for his soon-to-be former vet because while everything in me resisted wanting a human, I wanted Charlie here, and I had a feeling two weeks wasn’t going to be enough.
I turned on my heel and headed out to the pasture, only because I couldn't very well go back into the bunkhouse and wait outside Charlie’s room like a crazy stalker. Being with the horse was the next best thing. Like getting to know Charlie’s horse—making friends with Seraphina—would somehow get me closer to her prickly veterinarian.
4
CHARLIE
Oh, sweet baby Jesus. I should’ve packed my vibrator. I woke up from the most sexual nap-dream I’ve ever had. I wasn’t sure if I should rub my eyes or my clit.
In the dream, I’d been in this same bed, only Levi, the giant cowboy, had been in here with me.
Looming over me on his hands and knees, framing me in, so all I could see, all I could feel, was him.
Calling me beautiful and—oh my God, what had he said?
It’s my job to see to your every need at Wolf Ranch. And it starts with this…
It was only a dream. Only a dream.
I didn’t even know how I’d fallen asleep! I’d meant to sit down and review the data of all breeding activity for Mr. Claymore’s mares over the past eight years, to update the ovulation chart for Seraphina, but the drive from Colorado had exhausted me. Obviously, I’d conked out.
And had a sex dream. Now I was rested but flustered. Horny, too.
For one specific cowboy who was going to be sleeping just down the hall.
I checked my watch as I ran my hand over my hair. Seven o’clock already. I needed to unhook the horse trailer and drive into town to scrounge up some dinner. Damn, how far did Boyd say town was? Twenty miles? My stomach rumbled.
Maybe I would just eat the granola bar in my bag.
I grabbed it off the floor, found my cell. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the text.
Dax: Where the fuck R U? Looking for the vitamin K.
Shit. I took a deep breath, tried to calm my racing heart over the fact he was trying to find the ketamine I’d ordered for him last week. Tried not to throw up. With trembling fingers, I typed back.
Me: It’s being shipped.
Dax: U said it wld B here 2 days ago.
Me: I have no control over a shipping company.
That was the truth. I ordered the stuff. How long it took to arrive was not my problem regardless of what Dax thought.
Dax: It had better be.
I sucked in my breath.
Me: What do you want me to do?
Dax: Order more. Get the fast shipping.
Me: I can’t order more and send it to the Claymore stables. Too much to one address.
If someone else received the order while I was gone, one batch might not raise an eyebrow, but two? That was more ketamine than I could explain away.
Dax: Ship the shit there to bumfuck Montana. Bring it back with you.
Ship it to Wolf Ranch? I glanced around. This was insane. Not only did the people here have nothing to do with my shit, but it added more danger. How could I explain away a shipment being delivered? It wasn’t like I was on vacation or something. I wasn’t ordering a dress online for a wedding. What the hell could I say to Clint about getting mail?
That didn’t even take into account that Levi was not only a ranch hand here at Wolf Ranch but also the flipping county sheriff. I had no doubt he could sniff out illegal activity.
Dax: Show me the order confirmation, or I’ll go to the vet board.
I felt like puking. If Dax went to the board, I’d lose my license and my job. But at the same time, I definitely couldn’t keep this up. I knew it wouldn’t stop. He would be pushing me forever. I’d hoped to get some clarity while I was here in Montana on what to do, but I was more freaked out than ever. Being away made it even worse. Made Dax even worse.