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His eyes blurred until all he could see was the black hide of the cow they needed to help but weren’t. “Who?”

“I did.”

He jerked his head to look at her. “Let’s deliver this calf.”

“Colton—”

“Not now, Meadow. We’ll talk about your brother later.”

“All right, but when? You’ve been avoiding me.”

He refused to let her catch his gaze. Refused to acknowledge how her nearness affected him.

If he was going to share the ranch with Forest’s little sister, Colton must continue to avoid her too.

And he sure as hell would not be ordering her to lower her jeans so he could see if she bore his palm prints on her supple ass.

* * * * *

“One more pull! Yes! You got this!” Meadow’s excited voice bounced around the field.

Her urging for him to keep going, to pull harder on the rope she’d managed to tie around the calf’s small legs, infected him with excitement too.

She positioned herself beside the cow, one hand on its side in a comforting manner while she watched Colton dig in his heels and haul with all his might.

“That’s it! That’s it! Yes!” Her cry ended on a bubble of laughter as the calf burst free of its mother and he dragged it a foot across the grass.

Before he let go of the rope to check for proof of life, Meadow tore off a twist of grass and used it to brush the fluid from the baby’s nostrils. Its chest heaved once or twice before she cleared its nose enough for it to suck air.

“Woooo!” Meadow tossed away the soiled grass and swiped her forearm across her forehead.

Colton’s chest heaving, he scrambled to his haunches and observed the calf. Sure enough, it was breathing on its own. It would probably survive.

The momma rocked, readying herself to stand.

He threw out an arm to protect Meadow. “Get back!”

She scrambled to her feet and he did too. They stood back, watching the momma gain her feet and stand, wobbly-legged, for a minute or two. When she twisted her neck and began cleaning her calf, Meadow issued another joyous laugh.

He just knew he’d replay that sound in his head over and over again.

If he could keep his hand off his cock while he did, it would be a miracle. That noise edged into his system in a way nothing else ever had.

Her face lit with the miracle of what they’d just done. As their gazes connected, her smile faded just a hint, but the warmth in her eyes built into a blaze.

“You’re covered in birthing fluid.” He hoped his statement knocked that look she was giving him right off her beautiful face, but she only tossed her head on another laugh, blonde hair rippling down her spine.

“So are you.”

Flies buzzed. The humidity today was off the charts, and he was sweating from the work it took to pull that calf in conjunction with the effect of Meadow’s close proximity.

Before he could order her to go back to the barn, she whirled and took off at a run for the fence.

What the hell? The woman was insane.

She vaulted over it and whistled for her horse she’d left cropping grass. It picked its head up and trotted to her. She shimmied into the saddle and took off for the ridge—and the slope leading down to that pond.

He froze. He didn’t actually know that she was going there. She might know a different route back to the ranch.