Page 9 of Roots of Redemption (Hicks Creek #4)

Chapter Five

Sutton

I didn’t expect to feel so much anxiety the closer I got to town.

I also didn’t expect my body to completely betray me at the sight of Wade Callahan, either.

The man fills out those Levi’s like no mortal man should. Seriously, if they filmed him walking in those jeans, thousands of women would go buy them for their husbands just because of how nice his rear looks in them.

His face has aged slightly; he went from boyishly handsome to devilishly good-looking in a distinguished way.

He packed on more muscle, his body rugged from the manual labor on the ranch and a dark tan from the hours spent out in the sun.

He’s always been handsome, but this older version of him is unexpectedly swoon-worthy.

Maybe I convinced myself that he got a beer belly and had gone bald since the last time I’d seen him, but that was the exact opposite of what happened.

“What is that?” Wade asks as he gestures to the samples I’ve collected and sealed in their vials, tucked securely into the insulated case in my hand.

“Samples for the lab to test.”

He stops and looks back at me in frustration. “Do you think I’m an idiot or something? I know that they’re samples. What kind of samples did you test for?”

I remain stoic as I look back at him. “Fecal, nasal passages, and blood. I also tested the soil, the water, and the feed. I’m not leaving any stone left unturned. I tested a different cow in various stages of the illness.”

“How will you get them to your lab? Are you flying back there tonight?”

“No. I’m here for the long haul. I have a medical courier service that will pick them up.”

“Long haul?” he asks.

I ignore the question because being this close to him is enough to make my stomach tighten, and seeing him again after all these years? Well, let’s just say it’s been a day filled with memories of his hand around my throat and his mouth on my breasts.

You’re carrying around a vial of cow manure, Sutton, and that’s what you’re thinking about? What on earth is wrong with you?

He’s walking a few paces ahead of me, his broad shoulders and easy stride impossible to ignore. The man looks good—too good, if I’m being honest. Sun-kissed skin, sharp jawline, and a quiet confidence that makes it clear he’s still every bit the rancher I remember.

It’s a good thing I swore off cowboys and any man who has anything to do with a ranch long ago. I don’t need to be tripping over my tongue and drooling over this emotionally unavailable one.

He’s never been someone who could be hog tied into a relationship, and by the looks of him, that hasn’t changed at all. I definitely didn’t see a wedding ring on him.

I shake the thought away, focusing on the task at hand.

Reaching the barn, I set the case down on a clean surface and begin stripping off my contamination kit.

The gloves come first, then the plastic coveralls.

Each piece peels away with a satisfying snap, the layers of protection doing their job to keep the bacteria contained.

Wade is doing the same thing a few feet away, his movements efficient and unbothered. Of course he makes even this look good. The rolled-up sleeves of his shirt reveal strong forearms dusted with dirt. I glance away quickly, annoyed at myself for noticing.

“You’ve got a nice setup here,” I say, more to break the silence than anything else.

“Thanks,” he replies, his tone neutral. “We try to keep things running smoothly.”

“Hey, Doc Sutton, we’ve got a shower and cleaning area in the barn if you need to freshen up,” Caleb interjects.

I smile at him, grateful for his kindness. “Thanks, Caleb, but I’ve got an Airbnb nearby. I’ll just head there.”

Wade glances over, his brow furrowing. “Why aren’t you staying with your dad?”

Caleb cuts in, his face lighting up. “Oh, wait! I bet you’re staying at our place. The guest house, right?”

Wade’s head snaps toward him, his eyes narrowing. My stomach sinks.

“What?” We both gasp at the same time.

That’s not possible. I would have recognized the address. Wouldn’t I have?

No, because I didn’t look at the address. I just looked at how close it was to the ranch.

Jesus, what did I do?

Caleb nods excitedly. “Yeah! I didn’t put two and two together since the reservation was under the name of your office. But it makes sense now. You’re staying in our guest house!”

“No,” I say quickly, already pulling up the confirmation email on my phone. I show it to Caleb, hoping he’s wrong.

He grins. “That’s it! I’ll show you where it is and grab your stuff for you.”

Panic flutters in my chest. Staying at the Callahan Ranch? The universe must be playing some kind of cruel joke. This will only give my father something else to yell at me about.

“I should probably cancel the reservation,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Our families…”

“That’s such a silly rivalry, isn’t it?” Caleb chuckles. “How can people be so angry at each other for what, fifteen years?”

“Frank Bishop caused us more financial strain than…” Wade interjects gruffly.

I suck in a breath, my fingers gripping the sample case tightly.

The Callahans could complain all they wanted about financial strain, but judging by the looks of this place, they’re doing just fine.

My daddy was an asshole for how he did it, but he was justified in protecting our property rather than drowning because he didn’t want to hurt feelings.

A true friend would have understood that, but both men are too stubborn for that.

I understand that our dads had beef, but it hurt a lot when Wade flipped a switch and pretended he didn’t know me when it all went down.

I know better than to think that Wade Callahan is a man who sticks around for the long haul, but I had fooled myself into believing that I was different, that I was someone he cared about, someone he saw as family.

My immature, high school brain thought those feelings would develop into more someday. How silly was I?

“But Sutton didn’t,” Caleb adds. “Don’t you always tell me that I shouldn’t form an opinion of someone without getting to know them better first?”

Wade makes a face, and I swallow a giggle.

This kid is something else.

“It’s still probably better,” I say.

Caleb shakes his head adamantly. “You shouldn’t. It’s a great spot, and it’ll be good for you to be close to the ranches that need help. Ours and yours were the hardest hit. I’m sure you need your own personal space, though.”

More than you know, kid.

Doc Lucy steps in. “He’s right, Sutton. Being nearby will save you time and make things easier. If you’re not going to stay with your dad, this is the next best option. There’s not really anything else vacant.”

Wade doesn’t look nearly as thrilled as they do. His expression is unreadable, but there’s a tightness around his jaw that wasn’t there before.

“Why aren’t you staying with your dad?” he asks again, his voice low.

“It’s none of your business,” I snap, shouldering my bag and turning to Caleb. “Lead the way.”

Caleb flashes me a bright smile, oblivious to the tension between his dad and me. As we walk toward the guest house, he chatters on, his easy demeanor helping to ease some of my nerves.

“You’ll like it,” he says. “The guest house is small but cozy. Dad and I remodeled it. I convinced him to rent it out for extra cash instead of giving me an allowance for chores. Joke’s on him, though—I make way more with the Airbnb than he would’ve paid me.”

I laugh. “Smart move.”

He grins. “Thanks. And don’t worry about my dad. He’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s a good guy. The best, actually. Don’t tell him this, but I get why you wouldn’t want to stay at home with your dad. Ranchers are…a rare breed and best in small doses.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “You have my dad pegged.”

“Don’t get me wrong, my father is one of the best, but he doesn’t always come across that way.”

I glance at him, surprised by the genuine affection in his voice. “You seem pretty proud of him.”

“I am,” Caleb says simply. “He’s done a lot for me and the ranch. You’ll see.”

We reach the guest house, and Caleb helps me settle in, carrying my bags and pointing out the amenities with the enthusiasm of a seasoned host. His kindness is disarming and helps me to forget the unease simmering in my chest.

“How old are you, Caleb?”

“Fifteen.”

I remember Wade mentioning that he had just learned he had a son. I guess this is him. It’s good to see that it turned out well for both of them.

I met Doc Lucy at Dad’s, but he wasn’t there anywhere.

She mentioned coming over here in the meantime.

The only reason I agreed was because Doc Lucy said Wade was out of town for the day.

Clearly, that plan didn’t work out. I had told her I wasn’t certain that the Callahans would want me there, but she said that they all needed to swallow their pride to save their ranch and that everything would be fine.

And Wade…

I close my eyes, and the image of him standing in the pasture flashes in my mind. The way the sun caught in his hair, the strength in his stance, the quiet intensity in his eyes.

With a deep breath, I stand and grab my keys. I’m grateful my dad wasn’t home originally—I needed a bit more time to settle and prepare myself for seeing him again after all these years.

“I guess I should make a few other house calls,” I tell Caleb as the two of us walk out of the guest house.

“I can go with you if you need backup,” he offers.

I smile back at him. “I appreciate that, and maybe we can talk about you being my assistant while I’m here. If your dad is okay with it.”

“Yes! I’d love that!”

I’m so nervous about seeing my dad again that I didn’t even look around to take in the beauty of the guest house.

I’ll do that later. Right now, I need to focus on avoiding Wade and keeping my cool with my dad.

“You ready to go next door?” Doc Lucy asks.

“I’m not sure if ready is the right word,” I chuckle.

“Is the guest house not good enough for you?” Wade snaps as he comes up behind me.

“I didn’t say that. Why would you think that?”

“You practically raced out of there.”

“Because I have other house calls to make,” I reply evenly.

Caleb and Lucy walk toward her truck, and I glare back at Wade.

“Is this going to be a problem? I can find some other place to stay or have a colleague take over your ranch. I was hoping that we could be adults about all of it.”

“Why would you think there’s going to be a problem?”

“You’ve snapped at me how many times?” I ask. “Listen, I’m more than happy to help you, but I will not put up with you talking down to me. I get with our history—”

“It was a one-night stand a decade ago,” he chuckles lowly as if it wasn’t memorable.

I’m not going to lie; his dismissiveness is infuriating .

“Swallow your pride and let me do my job. If the legacy of your family ranch isn’t enough for you to do so, I hope that you have a speech planned to explain to your son and wife why you’ve lost your family ranch because of your stupid ego and a ridiculous family beef from fifteen years ago, which I had nothing to do with. ”

“Wife?” he asks as he shakes his head. “I’m not married. And I’m not going to lose this ranch. I will do whatever it takes to save this place, whether you help me or not.”

“The smartest thing to do is to accept my help,” I say as I roll my shoulders.

“How do I know that you’re not going to pretend to help us and then dart off into the sunset the first chance you get at something that will make you money, leaving us all behind holding the bag?”

I’m holding my breath, cussing him out in my head. I’m not sure where he’s gotten the idea that I do this for the money, but he’d definitely be wrong. I want to smack him and tell him to shut up, but instead, I take a few deep breaths and remain calm.

“I’m not going anywhere, Wade. I’m going to stay in Hicks Creek until I figure out what’s going on with the cattle.

You can accept my help, or you can not, I’m not going to fight you about it.

I’ll get my things out of the guest house, and I’ll find somewhere else to stay if you can’t get over yourself. ”

“I didn’t say you needed to leave. You turned your back on your family, on this town, a long time ago.

This…this is too important for me not to know if you’re all in.

If we lose any more cattle this ranch…” He stops and swallows hard.

“This community can’t afford to lose any more cattle.

If my ranch is in trouble financially, then these other ranches in town are probably drowning.

We are the reason this community thrives and if we can’t figure this out, Hicks Creek will be a ghost town before the year is out.

How do I know that you won’t get a better offer and leave again? ”

“Turned my back? You’re kidding me, right? I left for college and started a career. Nobody else has ever been ostracized for that. Heaven forbid a woman doesn’t want to stay in her hometown and…” I take a step forward so that I’m toe-to-toe with him.

“Whoa,” Benny says as he comes between us.

“Ain’t nobody said you shouldn’t be out here chasing your dreams, Doc.

Wade is just stressed out over everything that’s happening and he’s coming off as a jerk, and that ain’t who he really is.

Let’s take a breather. We’re all so damn proud of you, Sutton.

It’s only fitting that you’re the one to come home and save us all. ”

“You’re welcome here, Doc Sutton,” Caleb adds as he shoots his dad a funny look. “We need your help.”

Wade raises his hands up a little as if to surrender. “I guess we’re going to find out if all of those awards you’ve been given are legit.”

He turns on his heel and walks away while everyone stares after him. Wade Callahan researched me, saw all of my awards? Color me shocked.

I take a deep breath and walk back to the truck. Dealing with Wade is going to seem like a walk in the park once I’m done seeing my daddy. The best thing for me to do is to figure out what’s going on here, and fast, that way I can get away from this hostile environment as quickly as possible.