Bossing the Cowboy (Circle B Ranch 4)

Grandma’s protective but also persuasive and always gets what she wants. The woman rules the roost in Eldorado, and I know for a fact she talked to Connor about hiring an intern. Regardless, it’s not an excuse to be treated like an inconvenience. I’ve proven myself worthy time and again even though he’d never admit it.

By the time I pull into the B&B, my mood is sour.

“What’s wrong?” Rowan finally asks.

I groan, annoyed at him and myself for needing his validation. “I just want Connor to be impressed by something I do. Just hearing a good job, Elizabeth or nice work, Elle would be great. I try so damn hard, hoping he’ll consider hiring me full-time when I’m licensed, but he’s an arrogant asshole.”

“I’m sorry,” Rowan says. “Maybe he doesn’t realize how he’s acting?”

Maize snorts. “He knows. He’s not stupid. But if you think about it, he’s just like your dad. Uncle Evan acts exactly the same way—a complete hard-ass. Maybe it’s a doctor thing to be all business all the time regardless of the situation?”

We climb out of the truck. “I’m used to Dad acting that way with other people, but it’s different when it’s your boss. It sucks to be on the receiving end of it.”

“Have you ever thought that maybe you like him so much because he acts like your dad?” Maize asks with brows lifted as we enter the B&B.

“And now I’m gonna go throw up,” I taunt as we walk to the bathroom to clean up.

“It’s a proven fact that women fall for men who are like their father,” she continues.

Rowan bursts into laughter.

“Yep, I’m officially grossed out. Thanks, Maze. You have a special way with words.”

After we’re done washing from our fingertips to our elbows, we go to the buffet and snag a few cookies before I leave. Right now, I need a hot shower to scorch away the images Maize shoved into my head.

Chapter Two

Connor

This morning, I got an emergency call to help with a sick horse on the outskirts of town. Since I’m the only vet in town, I get called at all hours of the day and night. It’s a flip of a coin of how the weekend will be. Sometimes, it’s quiet, and other times, it’s crazy. This weekend was the latter.

Since I was tied up with another patient, I had Elizabeth go to the Bruces’ for his heifer’s delivery. She’s done this more than a dozen times with me, so I know she’s more than qualified to handle it on her own, but if anything goes wrong, Jeffery will tell me.

After I finish dosing the Arabian with antibiotics and chat with the owners, I get in my truck. I pull out my phone to check for any missed calls, but there’s nothing. I’m concerned Elizabeth’s having issues because it’s been radio silence for the last hour and a half.

Once I’m on the road, I finally get a text from her. It’s a picture of her giving a thumbs-up next to the newborn, and I can’t help but smile at seeing her bright face. Below it reads—everything’s perfect!

Connor: Great.

She never responds to my one-word messages, which makes it an easy conversation killer. There are times when I want to praise Elle the way she deserves and maybe open up a little, but I refuse to break the boundaries I’ve set. The last thing I need is to give her the wrong impression and for her to see the way I really look at her.

I decide to stop at the diner to eat, then drive out to see Jeffery and his new calf. As soon as I pull up, he shakes his head with a shit-eating grin. He’s an older man, at least a decade older than my dad, and has known me since I was a toddler.

“Son, I knew you weren’t gonna make it home without stopping by here. The kid did a good job,” he admits.

“Kid? Elizabeth’s not that much younger than me,” I say even though I’m eight years older than her.

“You’re still a kid, too.” He chuckles and leads me over to the maternity stall. “You ain’t chargin’ me extra for this visit, are ya?”

I snort. “You’re already gettin’ the senior discount, old man.”

“Good one,” he muses as I step inside the stall.

After I look over the animals, I give him a nod of confirmation. “They’re both healthy.”

“Happy to hear,” he says.

“If there are any issues—”

“Give you a call. You know I will,” he assures.

I say my goodbyes, and by the time I make it home, I’m tired. I sit on the couch and watch TV for a little while before doing some laundry and cleaning around the house. Living alone has its perks, especially when I need the time to decompress, but sometimes the silence drives at my nerves. Before my divorce, there were days when I wished for quiet. Now it’s too much.