Fierce (Wolf Ranch 5)

Huh.

Maybe this thing could be possible… Maybe?

19

CHARLIE

“You’re still the big mama here,” I said to Seraphina the next day, patting her nose and rubbing her flank. “Just because we have eight cute little puppies doesn’t mean you’re not going to have the prettiest foal ever.” I crooned to the horse, who snuffled and nudged me with her nose. “I’m not sure who the baby daddy is for those pups, but I can tell you, Eddison is a stud.”

I smiled.

“Literally,” I added. A stud horse whose job was to knock up unsuspecting mares across the country.

I smiled and fed her some sugar cubes.

My bubble of happiness over seeing the puppies being born—and at having a guy of my own, at least for a short time—popped when my cell rang.

I grabbed it from my bag, saw that it was Dax. I also saw that he’d called before. Not once or twice, but over and over. I’d missed them all tending to Shadow and then dinner with everyone. I had to answer because I knew he wouldn’t stop, and I didn’t want to talk to him back at the bunkhouse later when Levi was around.

Besides, I didn’t know how unhinged he really was.

“Hello?” I asked, even though I knew all too well who had called.

“Hello-o,” he snarled in a sarcastic, expectant way.

I winced.

“When you getting back here?” For a really smart guy, he spoke like an idiot.

“Next week.” I wasn’t going to share more than that.

“Did you get the goods?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “No. I told you I ordered it. You saw the invoice. I also told you I don’t control shipping.”

“I control you. You show up without the K, and you’re fucked.”

“It’s on order.”

“I’ll be waiting.” He clicked off.

I dropped my cell in my lap, my head into my hands. What was I going to do?

My cell rang again, and I jumped. It wasn’t Dax, but Mrs. Vasquez.

“Hi there,” I said, trying to calm my heart and even out my voice.

“Did I catch you at a bad time, dear?” she asked. I could hear the worry in her voice.

“No. What’s up?”

“I know you’re busy, but something happened with your grandfather.”

I popped to my feet. “Is he all right?” I walked out of Seraphina’s stall and paced the long central corridor of the stable.

“He’s fine. He was trying to make lunch earlier. Heating up gravy on the stove.”

“Oh, God,” I said, setting my hand on my forehead.

“He forgot about it, and it began to burn, setting off the smoke detectors. I heard it next door and went over. We got the place aired out, no worries there. He was agitated and angry. I think he was a little ashamed of himself realizing what he’d done.”

I blinked back tears, mentally seeing Pops frustrated in himself. Ruining something as simple as heating leftovers would have bothered him.

“We had grilled cheese, and he settled in with his book. I made dinner and took some to him, so he didn’t cook tonight.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Vasquez.” I leaned against a wall with my forearm, set my forehead on it. Shut my eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I think it’s time, dear. Time to consider someone to stay with him during the day at least.”

“You’re probably right. I’ll see about it when I’m back, if you’re okay keeping an extra close eye until I’m back.”

“Good, and no problem. I’ll watch out for him.”

“I’ll check in with you tomorrow. And thank you.”

She hung up, and I stood there, thinking. Hard. Too hard.

“Hey, doll.”

I jumped at Levi’s words. He held his hands up. “Sorry. I thought you heard me come in.”

Shaking my head. “It’s okay. I’m… distracted.” I reached down and grabbed an antacid from my bag, popped it in my mouth.

“What has been going on?” he asked. He pulled me into his arms, and I let him. The feel of him hugging me close, of his chest beneath my cheek, felt safe. As if things weren’t so bad.

Yet they were.

He’d stayed on the ranch all day, but he and Colton had gone off somewhere to do something… I wasn’t exactly sure. A patched roof or something. I hadn’t seen him since I’d rolled out of his bed. Yeah, his bed. I pretty much gave up on the whole separate beds thing.

“Ultrasound tests show follicle growth, so it’s my guess we’re close to ovulation, but… whatever. Seraphina’s fine,” I told him.

“I wasn’t really asking after the horse, but I’m glad that’s going well.” He tipped my chin up, studied my face. “Want to go for a walk? With the rain clouds gathering, it’s shaping up to be a beautiful sunset.”

A walk. Such a simple pleasure, but one I almost never allowed myself. Not unless someone else invited me. It was stupid how hard I worked.

“That sounds great.”

He looped an arm around my shoulders and led me out of the stable and past the main house until we hit a path that seemed to lead up the mountainside. The path was dusty, but the field was sprinkled with yellow and blue wildflowers.