Page 9

A few hours later, Charles pulled up outside the big barn and honked before he got out and looked around. He was impressed with the changes Mac had made to the ranch and how it had turned into one of the most successful ranches in the state.

“Charles,” Mac yelled from the doorway of another barn.

Charles walked that way and waited for Mac to give one of his ranch hand's instructions.

Mac shook Charles's hand. “It’s good to see you.”

Charles smiled. “You, too.”

They walked side by side down the middle of the barn, where he kept the pregnant horses and the ones that had just given birth.

“How’s that mare doing that Jenny helped with?”

Mac’s jaw tightened, but he took him over to one of the stalls. They both watched as the foal drank greedily from his mother.

“He looks like a fine horse,” Charles commented.

“Yes.”

Charles hid his smile. Mac was trying to avoid talking about what happened, but Charles wasn’t going to let him get away from it.

“Jenny said you don’t want her to set foot on the ranch. Is that right?”

Mac sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, that’s correct, but don’t I get to choose who my vet is?”

Charles nodded at the man’s belligerence. “Absolutely. I just wanted to know if there had been a problem?”

“No.”

“Then, can I ask why?”

“She’s too damn small.”

Charles’s eyebrows rose. “That’s it?”

“And she irritates me.”

Charles sputtered and then laughed. “Really? How?”

“She’s ... sweet.”

Charles nodded and bit back his grin. “She is that. I think it’s a miracle she’s stayed so upbeat and happy.”

“Really? Why?”

Charles was pleased by his interest, but he was going to make him work for it. Charles shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, she’s had a time of it. That’s for sure.”

Charles walked on, biting on the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing when Mac growled behind him and started stomping after him.

“What are you talking about?” Mac asked.

“She’s had a lot to overcome, but she’s doing great, and she is fitting in well around here.”

“You haven't told me anything?” Mac grumbled.

Charles looked innocent. “Oh? About what?”

“Why she’s had a hard time of it.”

“Oh, well, her childhood was not good. Her parents didn’t have any time for her, so she had nannies raising her.

She commented once they would come home from work and go to their wing of the house without seeing her, and the only time they would seek her out was if she weren’t living up to their expectations. ”

Mac looked deep in thought, so Charles moved on.

“Is there anything else?” Mac asked as he followed the older man.

“They never had holidays together. Her parents would go to parties, but she was always left alone.”

“Jesus.”

Charles nodded.

“Does she talk to them?” Mac asked.

“Rarely. She tries to call, but they are always busy and don’t have time to call her back. They have her information, but have never tried to call her. They were extremely disappointed in her for going to vet school instead of becoming a surgeon.”

“They’re not proud of her at all?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

Mac leaned over the fence to the padlock to watch a few of his horses. He didn’t say anything and seemed deep in thought.

“So, you will have to call on another vet if you need anything, if you don’t want her out here. I can’t do fieldwork with my arthritis acting up nowadays.”

Mac narrowed his eyes and looked at him suspiciously. “I didn’t know you were having problems.”

“Well, it’s not something I go around talking about,” Charles muttered.

Charles could tell Mac didn’t trust him, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He wasn’t going to come out and call him a liar.

Charles turned toward Mac and held out a hand. “Well, I better be on my way. I’ve got paperwork to do.”

Mac shook his hand. “I’ll walk you out.”

Charles walked alongside him, taking it slower and making Mac have to shorten his stride. He was acting a lot older than he felt, but it would make Mac think twice about his arthritis.

He should probably read up on it so he would know how to act if Mac got suspicious because he had no idea what it felt like. He chuckled to himself. He’d planted the seeds into the young people. Now he had to watch them grow.

He waved as he pulled away from Mac. He chuckled when he looked in the rearview mirror to see Mac, with his hands on his hips and a scowl on his face.

Good. He deserved it after harassing Jenny. Even though Charles knew she could take it and give it back tenfold, he was still protective of her. She was the only chance he had to have a daughter or family of his own.

Now, he’d have to sit back and watch what happened.