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M ac watched her pull away. He knew Gary was waiting for instructions, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her vehicle as it left.

He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head.

She was a little-bitty thing and was beautiful.

She had long, light brown hair that had a silvery look to it, and the two times he’d seen her, she’d had it in a ponytail.

Her eyes were bright blue, and she had a round face.

He thought it might have been her dimples that made her look even younger than she was.

Twenty-seven. Shit, she looked more like a teenager.

The night before, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. When she swept her gaze over him, he’d been instantly hot and needy. He’d made a mistake of pulling her onto the dance floor because she’d been close enough to catch her vanilla and orange scent, and it made his mouth water.

He was brought back when Gary cleared his throat behind him.

“What exactly did she say?” Mac asked.

“He’s got colic, but it’s not a bad case. The doctor gave him some pain meds and something for the upset stomach. She said to keep him in the stall today.”

“That’s what I thought it was.”

“Yeah, but it’s good to being in a professional just to make sure.”

“I’m not so sure she is a professional,” Mac griped.

“She seemed to know what she was doing.”

“That’s not hard to fake.”

“She’s coming back in the morning to check on him.”

Mac looked at his manager. “When?”

“All she said was early.”

“I’ll make sure I’m out here.”

“I’ll get back to work,” Gary said and walked off.

Mac stood for a minute longer before coming to a decision. He walked back to the house and into his office. He sat at his desk and dialed his phone.

“Sherman.”

Mac smiled. He was a cranky older man but damn good at his job. “I just met your new vet.”

“Yeah? I was damn lucky she chose me.”

Mac’s eyebrows rose. “What do you mean?”

“She had like fifteen offers from all over, and she chose to come here.”

“Why?”

Charles chuckled. “She said it was because she fell in love with me, but it was the town and the beautiful area she fell in love with.”

Mac was a bit taken aback when the vet laughed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard it. “Why was she so in demand?”

“She has a genius IQ and a way with animals I’ve rarely seen.

She was always at the top of her class, and she works hard, always with a smile.

She’s worked under a few of the leading vets in the US.

She could have stayed with them, they all wanted her to stay, but she decided to come here. We’re damn lucky to get her.”

This was not what he wanted to hear. “I don’t understand how she can deal with the large animal. She’s so damn small.”

“She has different equipment to help compensate for her lack of strength. A few of them she’s designed herself and sold the patent for a hefty amount. I wish I’d had them years ago.”

“So, she’s rich?”

“Oh, yeah. Besides what she’s made from her patents, her parents are both doctors, and she’s an only child, so she comes from a wealthy background.

She has also been paid a substantial amount of money to give speeches at various venues throughout the country.

The woman doesn’t have to work, but I’m damn glad she wants to.

Funny thing, you couldn’t tell she was rich by the way she dresses or acts. ”

Mac had heard enough.

After a short talk about grain prices, Mac hung up and then dropped his head back against his chair. Fuck. He wanted to find something he could use to push her away. He didn’t know why, but the woman made him think of things he shouldn’t—like a relationship.

He had been married before, and it had been disastrous.

His ex-wife had been a gold digger, and he hadn’t seen it until she already had the ring on her finger.

She’d made his life a living hell for three years before he finally got enough evidence to get a divorce that she vigorously fought against.

The only smart thing he’d done was to get a prenup, so she wasn’t able to take him for every cent.

She fought it and still tried, but he only gave her the amount the courts said he had to and not a penny more.

It went directly into her account on the first of every month.

It was plenty of money for the average person, but Carly wasn’t average.

She wanted the best of the best, and God forbid she didn’t get it.

She would usually call or come to the ranch about two weeks into the month, asking for more.

He always gleefully told her she got a hell of a lot more than she deserved, and if she kept bugging him, he’d bring her back to court and take it all. That usually corrected her behavior for at least a couple of months, and then she would be back.

The last time she’d stopped there, he could tell she’d been drinking.

It seemed to worsen over time. He also suspected it wasn’t just alcohol that was making her moods swing all over the place.

He’d called the sheriff a few times to keep an eye on her when she left the ranch.

The last thing he wanted was for her to kill someone on the road.

He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Dammit. He didn’t want to go against Charles, but he also didn’t want her around either. He didn’t like the way his body reacted to her and the feeling of desperate hunger that twisted his gut into knots.

If Charles found out he refused her, he’d be so pissed and probably drop his account.

He could call Dr. Reynolds a few counties over, but his practice was an hour and a half away.

Mac would think about it and call his friend, Devin, who also had a large ranch, and get his perspective. His first concern was his animals. His discomfort being around her shouldn’t be brought into the equation, and it really didn’t mean anything.

He’d do what he had to for the ranch because that was where his heart lay.