Mallory's Bears (10 page)

He had to see the truth written on her face. “Do you know what it is?”

“In a way. It’s a kind of energy that brings a man, or men, and a woman together.”

When the calf stirred again, he held its head and stared at it. The calf quieted. How did he do that? Was he the calf whisperer?

“Are you talking about fate? Like star-crossed lovers?” She was ready to laugh along with him. She’d have to. How else would she cover the fact that she believed in such a thing?

“Call it what you want. It doesn’t matter. All we need to know is that we belong together.”

Her mouth dropped open, surprise and joy fighting against reason. “Together? You and me?” Before she’d met them, she wouldn’t have given the idea any thought. But now? His explanation fit and it was the only explanation she had.

“You, me, and Gunner. All three of us. Just like we were last night.”

She was ready to fall into his arms again, ready to believe that they were the good men they seemed to be. Ready to believe that her fantasy had come true. But was she ready for more?

“Prove it.”

He reached over until his mouth hovered an inch from hers. His eyes met hers, pinning her to him without a touch. She couldn’t move, wouldn’t have, even if she could have managed it.

His hand slid over her jaw, going to the back of her neck again. She prepared herself, her heart setting up an erratic rhythm.

Kiss me.

She wanted to say the words out loud, but her throat had closed up, her body tense with anticipation. At last, he tunneled his hand into her hair, then pulled her mouth to his.

He crushed his mouth to hers and plundered his tongue forward to wrestle with hers. Then, all at once, when he’d made a mess of her mind and weakened her body, he softened the kiss. She feared he’d pull away again.

But he didn’t. Instead, he slowed the kiss down, even as the intensity of it grew. It was hot and thorough, a kiss she’d remember for the rest of her life.

She tried to lean closer without putting her weight on the calf. How the animal remained quiet, she’d never know. If it felt only part of the heat that was winding around her, it would’ve run like it was escaping from a grass fire.

Her nipples hardened, her breasts swelled as she tried to arch her back. She longed for him to forget the calf and touch her. Her pussy clenched, then released, then clenched harder, longer. The burn between her legs roared to full life. She was as helpless as the bound calf lying between them.

What the hell?

She wanted to scream at him when he turned her loose. The roar of the pickup headed their way brought her back to reality.

“My brother has lousy timing.”

“Yeah, he does.” Sitting back, she pressed her fingers to her lips and wondered if Gunner would see the kiss lingering there. If he did, she’d have no problem letting him even the score.

The calf’s patience, however, had worn off. Letting out a pitiful mewl, he jerked at the ties around his legs. Rick gave her a heated glance that sent her own flame firing higher, then scooped the calf into his arms. She stared up at him, mesmerized at his strength. Even Kid, the strongest person she’d ever met, couldn’t have lifted a calf with such ease.

Gunner piled out of the truck, then lowered the tailgate and hopped into the bed of the truck. After Rick handed the calf off to him, Gunner set it down, then lifted a hand and waved to her. Rick strode around to the driver’s side.

“Follow us back to the house. You can lead Rick’s horse although he’d probably make it back on his own. Kid’s waiting for the vet to show.”

“Will do.” She’d rather have ridden in the truck with Rick, but gathered the reins of Rick’s horse then mounted hers. At least the ride back would give her time to think.

* * * *

Mallory and Kid stayed out of the way as the vet and the men talked over the calf’s condition. She was relieved to know that the calf wouldn’t be put down. Instead, they’d determined that he could stand on his own, and other than taking care of the wound, there was little else they had to do for his recovery. They moved the calf into a pen at the side of the barn, then brought his mother in for him to nurse.

She studied them, noting how tender they were with both animals. The sight of the mother pushing her nose against her calf warmed her, putting a lump in her throat.

“I don’t know how the little guy got away from—” Dr. Haskell glanced at her then settled his focus back on the calf.

Rick looked at her, too, then jerked his gaze away. Were they afraid to talk in front of her? Which, of course, meant she wasn’t about to walk away. If it wasn’t so obvious that she wanted to eavesdrop, she’d get closer. Instead, she wiped away the tear that slid down her face, then tried to act like she wasn’t paying attention. Her big friend wiped his own tear away.

“It’s the same, right? The way the bite is, as well as being like all—”

She concentrated, but she couldn’t pick up the rest of what Gunner said. Damn.

“But it’s definitely not a wolf’s bite. At least not a real wolf—”

Not a real wolf? What did Rick mean? What were they not telling her?

Gunner gave her a quick smile, then took Dr. Haskell’s arm and moved him farther away. Now she couldn’t hear anything they said.

“You’re stuck on them.”

She’d known Kid wasn’t going to let that subject go. “I said as much, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but something’s changed.” He lifted his hands in defense. “I’m not talking about sex. Or at least, not entirely about sex. It’s more than that, more than you being hot for their bods. I was only half kidding before, but I think you made a choice.”

“A choice about what?”

“A choice that you made here.” He put his hand over his heart. “And not here.” He lifted his hand to point to his head. “I don’t think you could leave them if you tried. Hell, girl, it’s as plain as a roach on a bagel. You love them.”

“Are you serious? And I’m a prisoner here?” She laughed, yet wasn’t he right? Her love for them—and yes, now that he’d said it out loud, she knew she did love them—bound her to them. Had that strange sensation wrapped around her and tied her to them as surely as if it had been a rope? But she was a prisoner who didn’t want to be set free.

Oh, lord. How did that happen?

“Yeah. You’re a prisoner of the heart.”

She started to laugh again, but his serious expression drove that away.

“It’s okay, Mal.” He pulled her into a huge bear hug. “I know what you’re feeling and you’re lucky that you do. Not many people get to feel that way. I’m happy for you.”

Tears moistened her eyes as she laid her head against his belly. “Damn it, Kid. You make it sound like I’m losing you. Geez, you’re such a diva.”

His chuckle rumbled against her ear. “Yeah. I am and proud of it.”

When he pushed her away, she knew he had something more to tell her. “What’s going on?”

“Now don’t go getting all flustered, but while I was waiting for the vet, I got a call from my brother.”

“Is there anything wrong?” She’d known his mother was in failing health. Had, in fact, urged him to stay home with her. He’d refused, saying his mother would rather have him doing his job than playing nurse to her. Although she’d only met his mother a couple of times, she could easily see her telling her son exactly that. Louise Shorter was a large woman in both bulk and weight, with a sharp wit and an even sharper mouth. She told it straight and didn’t care if anyone liked it or not. Mallory had liked her from the start.

“Mack said she’s getting worse.” His big brown eyes were darkened with worry. “I need to get back.”

“Of course you do. I’ll get packed right now.”

“No, Mal, you don’t need to come.”

“Sure I do. She’s your mother and I want to be there for her.” She rested her hand on his big arm. “And for you, too.”

“Thanks, but Mack said she told him to say, and I quote, ‘Tell Mal to stay and do what she has to do. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.’”

“But—”

“No, Mal, that’s what she wants and I’m not about to go against her wishes.” He captured her face between his two paws. “You stay. I just wish I didn’t have to leave you stranded here.”

Funny how she thought of his hands as paws. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll get Rick and Gunner to take me into Shatland. If I remember from my research about the area, the bus line runs through there.”

“Yeah, it does. But you’re not to leave until you’re ready.” He gave her knowing look. “Whether that’s tomorrow or never. You got that?”

“Never? That’s not going to happen.”

“Uh-huh. If it does, it’s fine. I’ll stay in touch either way.” He lifted her, surprising her, then whirled her around before plopping her on the ground. “Be happy with them, Mal. Don’t let your crusade ruin your chance at love.”

She slapped him on the arm. “Forget about me. Get your butt moving. Your mamma needs you, ya big jerk.”

“Okay, okay. I’m going. Tell the guys good-bye for me.” He winked, then with the gracefulness no one would ever have expected from a man his size, he spun around and strode toward the house.

He was halfway there when he turned around. “Mal?”

“Yeah?”

“You tell them that if they don’t treat you right, I’ll come back and kick their asses.”

Damn, how she loved that big man. “Will do. But trust me. If they don’t treat me right, I’ll kick their asses myself.”

Kid’s booming laughter filled the air as he pivoted back toward the house. Even though she’d see him again, she couldn’t help but feel like a part of her was leaving.

“Where’s Kid going?” Gunner’s voice thrilled her, making her remember how it felt to be in his arms. She almost asked him to hold her.

The waft of electric lust hummed into her. “His mother’s ill and he’s got to get back.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. But don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

She sought the answer to her question in his face. “How do you know?”

He froze like a criminal caught in the act. Did he know something she didn’t? It hit her that she’d asked herself that same question many times. Maybe the men weren’t as open and forthcoming as she thought they were.

“Isn’t that what people are supposed to say?”

His response made sense, but she didn’t buy it. “Yeah, I guess. Is the calf going to be all right?”

Rick stalked over to them. “He’s fine. More shaken up than anything else.”

“I don’t blame him. But it’s weird.”

“What’s weird?” Gunner shifted from one foot to the other, then tugged on his hat.

Nervous much?
“When we were waiting for the truck and had the calf on the ground, he was really calm. It was like Rick was able to keep him still without a problem. I remember thinking that he was like a calf whisperer.”

When they didn’t laugh, she had to wonder if she’d found the answer. “You’re not a calf whisperer, are you?”

“Not a chance. If I was, I wouldn’t need a horse to herd them into the pens.”

Both men headed for the house, giving the vet a lift of their hands as he drove off. The van was already gone, and once again, the absence of Kid left her feeling sad.

“Since Kid took the van, I’m going to need a ride back home. There’s a bus line that runs through Shatland, isn’t there?”

She almost ran into them when they whirled around and formed a human wall. Their confused expressions struck a soft spot in her. They didn’t want her to leave any more than she wanted to go.

“You’re not sticking around?” Gunner shook his head. “Naw, you can’t go. You aren’t finished investigating us yet.”

“Actually, I am. And I want to apologize. I should’ve checked you out better before painting that cow and making the video. You treat animals better than any ranchers I’ve ever seen.”

Rick crossed his arms. The glint in his eyes said what he didn’t voice out loud.
I told you so.

“There’s still the matter of Lawson Industries.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m having a friend check them out. He’ll get back to me as soon as he can. If what your sources say is true, we’ll end out business relationship and find another plant to work with.”

“But you won’t get out the business of selling your cattle to a slaughterhouse?” As soon as she’d said it, she wished she could take it back.

“This is our life. It’s how we make a living. You need to accept that and move on.”

Move on? Was he asking her to leave? A sharp pain stabbed her in the chest like a heart attack. She struggled to breathe and fought to keep the misery from overwhelming her. “I thought you made enough money from oil that you could stop doing the cattle thing.”

That glint changed into a flash of irritation. “I said we make more money doing that than doing ‘the cattle thing’.”

She hadn’t wanted to get angry or to make him mad, either, but they’d gone there nonetheless. “Could you live on the oil money alone?”

“That’s none of your damn business.”

She half expected to see smoke coming from Rick’s ears. “Fine. My business here is over.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Hey, you two, calm down.”

Gunner reached out for her, but she yanked her arm away.

“At least that part of it is.”

“What other part is there?” Rick hooked his thumbs into the pocket of his jeans. “Except finding out about Lawson’s? You don’t have to stick around for that. I can e-mail you the findings. Providing you trust me to tell you the truth.”

“I’m talking about the things you’re not telling me. Like what happened to the calf. You two were very hush-hush with the vet.”

“That is also none of your business. Unless, of course, you think I took a bite out of him.”

“Easy, Rick.” Gunner stepped between them, taking each of them by an arm. “You two sure get twisted up sometimes. Maybe that’s just how it’s supposed to be between you, but I don’t like it. Both you need to calm the hell down.”

But her emotional guns were loaded and aimed straight at Rick. “Of course I don’t think you bit him. That’s ridiculous.” Damn, he was such an irritating man. “Gunner’s right. Enough said. Can I ask you to give me a ride into Shatland tomorrow?”