Pamela Toth - Man Behind The Badge

Charlie nearly chuckled out loud. She’d be fun to tease, as long as he didn’t upset her too much. She was too uptight.

“Change the tire yourself?” her boss asked when she didn’t elaborate.

Her chin went up in a gesture Charlie recognized as purely defensive. “Actually, my neighbor changed it for me.” It was easy to see from her glance at Charlie that the admission was hard to spit out. The woman sure came with a lot of prickles, but the sweetest fruit was surrounded by thorns.

Catching her glance, he gave her a deliberate wink before she jerked her attention away. “Always nice to have someone pitch in and help,” he said in as bland a tone as he could muster.

She didn’t answer. After a moment of awkward silence, Adam asked where she was from.

“Chicago,” she replied, looking relieved. “I grew up there.”

“You’re a long way from home,” David observed. He’d straightened up and puffed out his chest. Didn’t the boy realize how obvious he looked, grinning at her with calf’s eyes while he flexed his arms like a damn body builder?

“I wanted to get some experience with large animals,” she explained. “That’s my main interest.”

“Well, let’s look at the colt,” Doc Harmon interrupted before David could ask any more questions. “Has he been limping?”

Charlie stood back and watched as both vets took their time entering the roomy stall and making sure the horses were at ease before they proceeded. Robin’s nervousness seemed to vanish. Even her voice changed, going all husky and soft.

A man could get lost in the sound of it, Charlie thought, even if her appearance was strictly business. She wore a loose-fitting white blouse and long tan pants, despite the heat of the afternoon. Too bad she didn’t dress like the clinic receptionist. There was a woman who knew how to draw a man’s attention, even as she blinded him with color and sparkle. Everything Erline wore was short, tight and bright.

Charlie tried to imagine Robin in that type of getup and failed. It was impossible to guess her shape with the way her clothing fit. Maybe that was the point.

The other four people were busy with the horses, and he knew he’d only make her uncomfortable if he tried to talk to her now. Tipping back his head, he finished off the can of soda.

“I’ll see you all later,” he said to no one in particular after he’d tossed the empty can into a nearby recycling bin. “Duty calls.”

Three male heads turned. Three masculine voices said goodbye. Dr. Marlowe was bent down by the colt. She never even looked up.

“Something else?” Adam asked when Charlie hesitated.

“I hope the little guy’s okay,” Charlie said, staring at the back of Robin’s head. Her short hair was as dark as a crow’s and as shiny as the paint on a new Mercedes.

Adam gave him a puzzled look. “Thanks. Keep me up to speed on the other business.”

Other business? Had Adam picked up on Charlie’s interest in the new vet?

His momentary blankness must have shown. “My cattle,” Adam prompted him dryly. “They’re dying, remember?”

“Sure thing,” Charlie stuttered. “I’ll let you know.” He didn’t dare risk another glance at Robin to see if she’d been listening to the awkward exchange. Before his oldest brother, as sharp as the rowel on a new spur and twice as scary as any bad guy, could figure out the reason Charlie had been distracted, he turned and fled.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.