Page 3 of Austin’s Answer (Shifter Ranch Mates #4)

THREE

Austin

Emily jotted notes down on clipboards she’d secured to each stall as she moved between the horses. She insisted on checking them again as soon as she’d dropped her bag off at the house. Whatever she felt toward me, it was obvious she’d never take it out on the horses.

“I want to examine them every couple of hours until they show signs of improvement.” She crossed over to the sink in the corner and washed her hands. “Do you have a safe food supply for them?”

“Declan’s running into town to get some senior feed. He should be back before we’re ready to try feeding them.” I handed her a towel. “The others are covering for me with the dude ranch duties so I can help you.”

Her lips tightened. “I wish I could say that wasn’t necessary.”

I leaned against the wall near her, shoving my hands in my pockets. “We really need to talk, Em.” Her brown eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. “Not now. You’re not ready. But at the very least, there are things you deserve to know.”

“Just leave it in the past. That’s where it belongs.” She hung the towel up and turned away from me. Her steps were angry as she crossed over to her bag and began shoving her equipment inside.

“Fate brought us back together for a reason.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You believe in fate?”

“Absolutely.”

Her brow wrinkled at my quiet certainty. “Since when?”

“Since always.” I blew out a breath. “It’s a shifter thing.

And you’re not ready to hear about it. So, let’s leave it alone for now.

We have a couple hours before we need to check on the horses again.

Why don’t we use that time to welcome you home properly?

How long has it been since you’ve been on horseback? ”

A flash of longing crossed her face before she steeled her expression. “I’m not here to ride horses. I’ll go back to the house and get unpacked.”

“Come on, Em. I’ve got the perfect mare for you. Ginger needs the exercise. It’s been a while since she’s had an experienced rider on her back. She’s wasted on the dude ranch guests.”

I watched as she wavered. She bit her lower lip and played with the strap on her bag. “A short ride would be okay. But only to get Ginger her exercise.”

I hid my grin. Em would do anything for horses. “Let’s go saddle them up.”

I didn’t give her a chance to change her mind and headed straight for the main barn. As we walked by the gallery, she asked, “You explained the dude ranch, but what’s with the art gallery?”

“Turns out Gabriel’s an artist. His artwork helped to save the ranch.”

“A lot of changes around here.”

“It took some adjusting, but we were all determined not to lose our parents’ legacy.” I opened the barn door for Emily. She slipped past me and made a beeline for my horse’s stall.

“Hey, there, Lightning.”

The roan’s ears perked forward at hearing his name. He rushed to the stall door and hung his head over to receive the attention Emily lavished on him. “You’re looking good.”

“He’s doing good.” I walked over to Ginger’s stall and opened the door, sliding her halter on. Lightning let out a whinny as I led the mare closer to him. “Ginger is his crush.”

The two horses greeted each other as I handed the reins to Emily. “I’ll leave you to get acquainted while I grab the tack.”

We made quick work of saddling the horses and were soon riding away from the barn. Even from a distance, I sensed the tension melting from Emily. Her face relaxed, a small smile forming on her lips. I bit back the words I wanted to say, unwilling to see her expression shutter again.

We reached the far side of the pasture before she broke the silence between us. “How long have you been back from the rodeo?”

I fought to keep calm, ignoring the urge to shout in triumph that she was speaking to me about more than the sick horses. “A few years. I don’t regret going, but it wasn’t home.”

“What did you do there?”

“Bullfighter.” I steered Lightning closer, relieved when she didn’t move away.

“Not a bull rider?” She shot a sideways glance at me. “I figured you’d be on the back of a bull.”

“My tiger makes them too uneasy to ride them. But that same unease helped me get them under control.” I grinned and winked at her. “They didn’t want to pick a fight with me.”

“Makes sense. I remember the first time you met my horse. She almost threw me trying to get away.”

“Yeah, I thought your dad was going to forbid you from hanging out with me after that.” I shook my head. “Instead, he had me come over and train your horse to be comfortable with me.”

“Oh, he tried to stop me.” A smile played at the corner of her mouth. “I put my foot down and pitched a small fit before pointing out the hypocrisy of allowing Vince to be friends with Mason while not allowing me to see you. He couldn’t argue with that.”

I chuckled. That certainly sounded like something she would do. Emily was not one to back down from a fight. She waded right in and took control.

We fell back into a comfortable silence for a few minutes before I asked her about vet school. Her answers were short at first, but soon we were swapping stories from our years apart. It was almost like old times, but we both avoided talking about us.

Now, when I looked back, I kicked myself. It was obvious in hindsight that she was my mate. Our connection had been instant from the start. But I always assumed my mate would be a shifter. It wasn’t until Declan found Chloe that I considered I might be searching for a human.

I wondered how different things would have been if I’d stuck around for her birthday. Instead of joining the rodeo, would I have followed her to school? I doubt I would have been able to handle the separation while she was away becoming a vet.

My brow furrowed as I considered the consequences of that.

I wouldn’t have been home when we lost Dad and then Mom.

I wouldn’t have been here to help my brothers save the ranch.

Or, knowing Emily, she might have left school so I could be here.

She was selfless enough to do that. And then I’d have that guilt hanging over me.

She was meant to be a vet. Always had been.

I wouldn’t blame fate for my actions all those years ago. My words had been hurtful. I’d known they would be when I said them. My teenage self had thought they were the only option, but in hindsight I realized I’d taken the coward’s way out.

Still, it was possible the timing wasn’t right back then. Hopefully, it was right now.

Emily

It was easy to fall back into old habits. I’d always been comfortable around Austin, from the first time I met him. I was thirteen the first time I tagged along with Vince when he visited Mason. They had ditched me, leaving me alone near the barn.

I kicked the dirt. There was no way for me to get home until Vince was ready to go. I shouldn’t have come, but I was curious about the shifters next door. Now I was stuck.

A horse whinnied next to me, and I looked up, squinting against the sun. The horse was tall. Taller even than my dad’s horse. A teenage boy, around my age, leaned over the front of the saddle, his green eyes pinned on me. “You lost?”

“No.” My mouth twisted, almost forming a pout, but I stopped it. Vince said only babies pouted. “Vince and Mason took off without me.”

“You Vince’s sister?” His eyes lit when I nodded. “Great! Want to get back at them with me?”

I tilted my head and asked, “How?”

He slid off his horse, holding the reins with one hand while holding the other out for me. “Come along and find out.”

I considered his outstretched hand. Maybe this was a trick on me. I switched my gaze back to his face. “Why do you want to get back at them?”

“No particular reason, but I figure they’ll do something in the future to earn it.” His eyes twinkled playfully as he grinned. “And it means I get to spend time with you.”

Dad always taught me to listen to my gut, and it said I could trust this boy. I slid my hand in his. “I’m Emily.”

“Austin.” He nodded to his horse before leading me toward the barn. “This is Lightning.”

Three hours later, Vince and Mason ended up covered in feathers, and Austin and I became practically inseparable. We rode together regularly, talking about our dreams and our innermost thoughts.

At least, I thought we did. Austin had never mentioned the rodeo. Never mentioned leaving his family ranch at all.

Of course, I didn’t share everything either. My teenage heart had created a picture of our future together. We would be long distance while I became a vet, but when I returned home, we would get married.

Then he turned eighteen and left me behind.

I couldn’t even say he led me on. Not really. He never kissed me, never professed deeper feelings for me. But in the foolishness of my youth, I’d believed he loved me too. Instead, I was just some girl who couldn’t take a hint.

And now I was tumbling into old patterns.

I’d told myself I wouldn’t initiate a conversation unless it was about the sick horses, but my curiosity had got the better of me.

And once I started talking, it just clicked back into place between us.

He made me laugh with his stories from the rodeo, and he listened to mine about vet school.

He had a way of focusing on me that made me feel like he was really hearing me.

“I can’t believe Vince didn’t tell you about your dad.” Austin’s lips thinned. “You had the right to know and to make your own decisions about how to handle it.”

“He hasn’t been the same since he returned from the army.” I hesitated before asking, “Has Mason said anything about what happened between them?”

“Not a word. I was kind of hoping you might know something.”

A loud bellow echoed across the pasture, and Ginger shied nervously beneath me. I held the reins firm, bringing her back under control. Austin and Lightning stayed steady through it, but when I looked over, the tension in his shoulders was obvious.

“Em, when I say go, you take the horses and run for the barn.”

“Austin, what’s wrong?—”

Another bellow, closer this time. I turned toward the sound, spotting a loose bull in the distance. “Shouldn’t he be in a pen?”

“Yes.” Austin swung his leg over Lightning and dismounted, handing me the reins. “Havoc’s a mean one, and he’s been wanting a piece of me for a while.”

“I’m not leaving you here alone.”

Austin kept his eyes trained on the bull. “I need you to go. I can’t be worried about your safety while I deal with him. It’ll distract me.”

“He’ll tear you to pieces!”

“He’ll try.” Austin’s gaze shifted to me for a moment, his eyes moving over me as if memorizing every detail. “This showdown’s been a long time coming. But, Em, I just found you again. Trust me when I say I won’t let anything keep us apart. Not even an angry bull. Now, go!”

He reached over and smacked Ginger, setting her in motion. I clung to her back as she raced toward the barn, Lightning on her heels. I stole a glance over my shoulder and saw Austin waving his arms, taking the bull’s attention off of us.

Unease churned in my gut, and I reined Ginger in, turning back toward Austin and Havoc.

It didn’t feel right to leave him. Everything in me cried out to stay by his side.

Forget the words he said that broke my heart once upon a time.

The thought of anything happening to him made me realize my heart was still very much his.

But what could I do to help? Austin was a trained bullfighter and a tiger shifter. I was just a woman on a horse. It wasn’t like I had a weapon on me.

My breath caught. I might not have a weapon on me, but I had access to one.

I stole a glance over my shoulder as I urged the horses to a full gallop.

The last thing I saw before they disappeared from view was Havoc charging straight for Austin.

An instinctive response rose in me, wanting to turn back, but I pushed it down.

I needed to be calm and think if I wanted to help him.

I slid off the back of Ginger before she came to a full stop next to my SUV, stumbling a little before regaining my balance and opening the back gate. Reaching in, I grabbed the dart gun that was meant for administering drugs to aggressive animals. Perfect for Havoc.

I fumbled for the tranquilizers, doing the math quickly to determine the correct dosage. After filling the darts, I mounted Ginger again just as Luke rounded the corner of the barn.

“Emily? Is that you?” His brows drew together as he took in the gun I balanced on the saddle in front of me. “What’s going on?”

“No time to talk. Havoc’s loose and after Austin.”

He cursed as I urged Ginger into motion. I heard him shout for his brothers, but I didn’t slow down. Austin didn’t have time for me to wait.

The sound of animals fighting reached me before I saw them.

The rage-filled bellow of a bull, the mighty roar of a tiger.

When they finally came into view, I realized they were closer to the pen.

I watched Austin’s tiger circle the bull, only lashing out with its powerful claws when it drove Havoc closer to the gate that hung open.

My gut twisted as I realized that instead of ending the fight, Austin seemed determined to herd the bull back into its pen, which meant more opportunities for him to get hurt.

As if to prove me right, the bull lowered its head and charged at Austin, who leaped from its path, just barely missing the horns.

He landed lightly on his paws, but Havoc spun around, driving forward into Austin’s side.

His tiger roared and snapped at the bull.

As they clashed, I noticed a flash of red on the tiger’s side.

When they separated, I noticed Austin favoring his injury.

Once I was in range, I brought Ginger to a stop and dismounted. I glanced over at the fight before loading the gun, only to find the bull had a new target. Austin, looking unsteady on his paws, was circling him again, still stubbornly sticking to his plan, but Havoc’s gaze had locked onto me.

Havoc suddenly threw his weight to the side, sending Austin stumbling and crashing into the ground. Then the bull pawed the dirt and charged straight at me. Panic clawed at my insides, but I took a quick breath as I loaded a dart into the gun. I needed steady hands for this.

I raised the gun, finding the charging bull in the sights. Austin’s tiger roared, and from the corner of my eye I watched him run at Havoc. But he wouldn’t reach us in time. I held the gun steady, breathing out, and in the space between breaths, I pulled the trigger.