Cowboy, Come Home

Leaving his Colorado hometown was the second hardest thing Reed Montgomery ever did—the first was breaking up with Avery McAlister, his high school sweetheart. Now his Western roots are calling the citified CEO back to his family ranch to be surrogate dad to his niece, Jess. Of course, he can’t help being pulled back into Avery’s world.

Keeping her financially strapped animal shelter open is Avery’s first priority—her second turns out to be helping Reed with his parenting skills. They may be bonding, but her former flame still has some serious explaining to do about the secret that drove him away.

The ghosts of the past and a rekindled desire bring Reed and Avery ever closer together. But will Reed embrace his future…as a cowboy, a father and as the man for Avery?

“Do you wonder what it would be like between us now?”

He sure as hell did, ever since she’d walked out of Colt’s barn. That image had kept Reed awake more than one night since he’d returned.

“No.” Her expressive eyes and her breathy voice contradicted her statement.

“I do.” His lips pressed against the tender skin behind her ear, and he felt her shiver. How long had it been since he’d felt a real connection with a woman?

Not since he’d left Avery.

Her head rested on his shoulder, and her warmth seeped into him. Need overrode what little common sense he possessed. His lips traced a path down her neck, while his hand caressed her lower back, encouraging her even closer. Her gaze locked with his, and he couldn’t resist her. He lowered his mouth to hers and gently covered her lips, searching and testing.

Being with her like this felt right—like coming home.

Dear Reader,

For Avery’s story, I turned to an event from real life. My best friend Lori, executive director of The Hinsdale Humane Society, mentioned that the shelter owns their building, but the city of Hinsdale owns the land. While this has worked wonderfully for them since 1953, what if the situation suddenly changed? In The Rancher and the Vet, what if Avery’s shelter thought they owned the land, but discovered they didn’t when the owner’s heirs decide to sell the property? Suddenly the shelter needs to raise a huge sum of money. Then to throw Avery further off balance I had her first love, Reed Montgomery, waltz back into town.

I’d come up with a tortured situation for Avery, and then I turned to Reed. I made him responsible for the well-being of a teenager—a teenage girl, no less! Being the only female in a household of five, I’ve learned men and women see the world differently. While that definitely makes life fun, it also causes problems, as Reed discovers with his niece. I hope you enjoy Avery and Reed’s adventures.

Blessings, and remember—adopt, don’t shop!

Julie

P.S. I love hearing from readers. Contact me at www.juliebenson.net.

The Rancher and the Vet

Julie Benson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An avid daydreamer since childhood, Julie always loved creating stories. After graduating from the University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in sociology, she worked as a case manager before having her children: three boys. Many years later she started pursuing a writing career to challenge her mind and save her sanity. Now she writes full-time in Dallas, where she lives with her husband, their sons, two lovable black dogs, two guinea pigs, a turtle and a fish. When she finds a little quiet time, which isn’t often, she enjoys making jewelry and reading a good book.

For Lori Halligan

Some friends are silver. Some are gold.

You’re twenty-four karat. Thanks for always being there for me.

And to Lori Goddard

Just for being you.

Special thanks to the staff and volunteers of

The Hinsdale Humane Society for putting up with me being underfoot and answering all my questions. (Pam and Mary Alex, thanks for the laughs during lunch!) For all of you, it’s clear your work isn’t a job, it’s a calling.

Thanks also to John Milano, one of the wonderful regulars at Starbucks at Custer and Renner in Richardson, for answering my legal questions and helping out when I was at my wit’s end.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Excerpt

Chapter One

“I’m being deployed to Afghanistan. I need you to come to Estes Park and take care of Jess.”

Reed Montgomery straightened in his black leather desk chair with the lumbar support, his cell phone clutched in his now-sweaty hand as he processed what his older brother had said.

Colt was being deployed to Afghanistan. Soldiers went there and never returned.

Then the remainder of his brother’s words sank in. I need you to come to Estes Park and take care of Jess.

He loved his niece, but the thought of being responsible for a child left Reed shaking. He didn’t want children. The pressure. The fear of screwing up and damaging the kid for life. To top it off, taking care of any kid would be hard enough, but a teenage girl? That could send the strongest bachelor screaming into the night.

“Tell me I heard you wrong.”

“I need you to watch Jess.”

His brother had lost his mind.

Once Reed’s brain kicked back into gear and his panic receded, he remembered his niece still had one set of grandparents. “I thought the plan was for Lynn’s parents to stay with her.”

“That was the idea, but when I called them I learned Joanne broke her hip last month and needed surgery.”

“And they’re just telling you now?”

“We don’t talk much since Lynn died. They blame me for her death.”

Almost a year ago, after fifteen years of marriage, Colt’s wife had said she was sick of ranch life and had run off with her lover, only to die in a head-on collision a month later. Colt had picked up the pieces of his life, and explained as best he could to Jess that she hadn’t been responsible for her mom leaving.

Lynn’s death had also meant that Colt had to revise his family-care plan in case he was deployed.

“You weren’t driving the car. Her lover was.”

“They think if I’d been a better husband, she wouldn’t have left. In their opinion I should’ve spent more time at home and less time with the reserves. Blaming me is easier than accepting the truth.”

An only child, Lynn had grown up catered to—spoiled rotten, actually. Colt’s wife had been high-maintenance, self-centered and had believed her husband’s life should revolve around her.

“Is Joanne doing well enough that Jess could go live with them in Florida?” In addition to being unqualified for the job, Reed thought, his life and business were here in San Francisco. How could he up and leave for Colorado?

“She said she should be eventually, but there’s another problem. Their retirement community only lets children stay for a week. Last night Herb brought up the subject at a town hall meeting, and everyone went crazy. The Association of Homeowners thinks if it makes an exception for Jess, within a month they’ll be overrun with kids.”

“Threaten them with a lawsuit. That’ll make them back down. Better yet, give me your in-laws’ number. I’ll have my lawyer call them.”

“You need their phone number, but there’s no point in them talking to your lawyer.” As Colt rattled off the phone number, Reed added it to his computer address book. “Even if they made an exception, Jess refuses to live in ‘an old folks’ neighborhood where people drive golf carts because they’re scared to drive a car.’ That’s a direct quote. She said when she stays with her grandparents they never go anywhere. So in her words, she’d be a prisoner.”

While he felt bad for his niece, that didn’t mean Reed wanted to return to the old homestead and play dad. He’d been happy to see Estes Park in the rearview mirror of his beat-up truck when he left for Stanford. The thought of returning for anything longer than a weekend visit left him queasy.

“You’re the parent. Don’t ask Jess what she wants. Tell her what she’s going to do.”

Colt laughed. “That’s easy to say for someone who doesn’t have kids. I tried the strong-arm approach. She threatened to run away.”

“Teenagers say that every time they don’t get their way.”

“I think she meant it, Reed.” Colt’s voice broke. “She’s been having trouble since Lynn died, but she won’t talk about it. Last year she started cutting classes and sneaking out at night to meet friends. Living in a retirement community and going to a new school would only make things worse.”

Somehow Reed couldn’t connect the sweet niece he’d seen a year and a half ago at Christmas with the teenager his brother described. Jess had been eager to please, had loved school and was an excellent student. He stared at her picture on the corner of his mahogany desk. Her wide smile and twinkling brown eyes spoke of how carefree she’d been. Of course, the photo had been snapped before her mom ran off. He knew how that betrayal had affected Colt, but how could a kid wrap her head around something like that?

And his brother expected him to deal with a teenager who’d lost her mother and was acting out? What did he know about dealing with difficult children? Nothing except the piss poor example his father had given him. His stomach dropped. When Jess pushed him, and she would—hell, all teenagers did, even the good ones—how would he deal with it? Would he react like his old man, with a closed mind and an iron fist?

No, he was better than his father.

He’d worked hard to become the man he was today and, unlike his father, he tried to do something about his anger. When Reed had worried he might repeat the cycle of violence, he’d taken an anger-management class. Of course, going back to Estes Park and dealing with a teenager could test the techniques he’d learned.

The good news was he and Jess got along well. He loved his niece, and to her he was the cool uncle who sent great gifts like the newest iPhone. They’d be okay. “You really think she was serious about running away?”

“I wouldn’t ask you to come here otherwise—not when you could be here up to a year. I know this will make running your business tough.”

His cell phone beeped in his ear, alerting him to another call. Reed glanced at the screen. Damn. He’d been trying to get in touch with Phil Connor all morning. Forcing himself to let the call go to voice mail, Reed focused on his brother’s problem. “Tricky? Yes. Impossible? No. Could she come here instead?”

“As if dealing with losing her mom wasn’t enough, soon after that her best friend moved to Chicago. Now I’m going to a war zone. I’m nervous about uprooting her, too. That’s another reason I backed down when she balked about going to Florida. I need you to do this for me. You and Jess are the only family I’ve got.”

The words hit Reed hard. He and Colt had always been close. Even before their parents died, he and Colt had relied on each other, sticking together through all the crap slung at them during childhood. While Reed’s life the past few years had been almost perfect, Colt hadn’t been as lucky. Life had knocked his brother around pretty well, especially the past year. How could Reed add to Colt’s problems? Only a selfish bastard would say no.

“How soon do you need me there?”

“I leave in three days. If you get here tomorrow, that’ll give us time to go over things before I leave.” Colt’s heavy sigh radiated over the phone lines. “If anything happens to me, promise me you’ll—”

“Don’t say that.” While Reed tried to fill his voice with confidence, he knew there was no guarantee Colt would come home in one piece, or come home at all.

“I’ve got to and, dammit, Reed, you will listen. If I don’t come back, promise me you’ll watch out for Jess. Sure, Lynn’s parents would take her, but I’m not sure that’s best for her, especially if they won’t move to Colorado.”

“I give you my word, but you’ve got to take care. Don’t do anything stupid. You don’t have to be a superhero.”

Colt chuckled, but the sound rang flat in Reed’s ears. “Deal.”

After ending his conversation with his brother, Reed returned Phil’s call and reassured his client that their project was still on schedule. He was proud of his company, of what he’d accomplished. RJ Instruments was small, with only forty employees, but it was his. Something he’d created from nothing, and the company was holding its own in the market. They were the up-and-comers in the semiconductor business, making the chips that drove many of today’s electronic wonder gadgets.

Of course, all of that could change when he started running things remotely.

Reed turned his attention to his calendar and his upcoming meetings. Some he could handle via Skype. With a laptop and his cell phone, he could run his business long-distance for a couple of months, but more than that? Probably not. His customers would want to see him in person. He’d have to make in-person sales calls to launch SiEtch. He smiled, thinking of their newest product. If he was right, they’d revolutionize the semiconductor industry, but they were approaching some crucial deadlines for release. He definitely couldn’t run his business remotely for a whole year until Colt returned.

He hadn’t gotten where he was by letting fate toss him around. He’d created a solid business by being proactive. His mind worked the problem, rehashing the immediate issues forcing him to return to Colorado—the Association of Homeowners’ age restriction and Jess’s resistance.

No matter what Colt thought, the first step was tackling the association’s age restriction. Reed turned to his computer and clicked on his address book to locate Colt’s in-laws’ number. Then he opened a new email, hit the priority icon and typed a message to his lawyer.

Contact my brother’s in-laws to get the contact information for their Association of Homeowners. I need the association to make an exception for my niece to stay with her grandparents indefinitely while Colt’s in Afghanistan. Threaten them with an age-discrimination lawsuit. Do whatever you have to, but get the exception. Until I receive the approval, I’ll be forced to relocate to Colorado to take care of my niece.

Reed hit Send and leaned back in his chair. Surely when the exemption came through he could convince Jess to see things his way, especially when staying with her grandparents was best for her. There she’d have a woman to talk to and two people who’d actually raised a child, instead of an uncle who couldn’t keep goldfish alive.

Next Reed called Ethan, his vice president of engineering, and asked him to come to his office. He’d met Ethan fresh out of college when they’d started working as software engineers at the same company. Eventually Reed had moved to the management track while Ethan pursued the technical route. The guy was a genius in that area, and the first person Reed had hired when he started RJ Instruments.

When Ethan arrived, Reed motioned toward the black leather couch. Then he walked across his office and settled into the wing chair to his friend’s right. He glanced up at the print of a hole at Pebble Beach on the wall behind his sofa. Below the photo were the words The harder the course, the more rewarding the triumph. He hoped that held true this time.

“I need to update you on something that developed this morning.” Reed explained about Colt’s deployment and his leaving for Colorado.

“What about the customer calls you’re scheduled to make next week?”

When clients had questions or needed hand-holding, Reed picked up the phone or hopped on a plane if necessary and handled the situations. While both he and Ethan understood the technology, over the past few years Ethan had developed issues dealing with some clients, becoming frustrated when they refused to see things his way. Now he’d have to step up and take on more of those responsibilities.

“I hope I can handle most of the issues with conference calls or on Skype. I might be able to pull off a quick day trip.” Fly out, meet with the client and rush back to Colorado. Or he and Jess could leave Friday afternoon for a meeting/vacation trip. “But if those options don’t work, you’ll have to go instead.”

“If I have to, I guess I have to.”

“I can still run the weekly status meeting as usual via Skype. Between the two of us, we can reassure clients they won’t see any difference in our service or attention to detail. We need to make sure everyone understands my being in Colorado won’t affect our timelines, either, especially for SiEtch’s release.”

“I still think we’re missing the mark, and we should lower our price point.”

No way would he discuss that issue with Ethan again. They disagreed, and nothing either one said would change the other’s mind. “My lawyer’s working on getting approval for my niece to move in with her grandparents. Six months at the outside and I’ll be back here running things.”

Ethan shook his head, and chuckled. “I don’t envy you. Six months with a teenage girl? I hope you can manage to stay sane.”

“It shouldn’t be too bad. School starts a couple of days after I get there. How hard can it be when she’s gone eight hours a day?”

* * *

REED’S STOMACH KNOTTED up when Estes Park came into view. The main drag into town was four lanes now instead of two, but even at rush hour, the traffic seemed nonexistent by San Francisco standards and, damn, a turtle moved faster! They passed The Stanley Hotel, a white giant perched on a hill above the town. Farther down W. Elkhorn Avenue, shops catering to the tourists that kept the town of ten thousand alive lined the sidewalks. So many people came to Estes Park to enjoy the scenery, shop and relax. Here, they could get away from their lives and slow down for a while. Recharge their batteries.

Not Reed. How would he face anyone after what he’d done to his father? Sure, he’d changed, but everyone in Estes Park knew who he’d been. That’s why when he visited Colt he stayed on the ranch, but that wouldn’t be an option now.

As they left the town behind and drove past other bigger ranches, Reed longed to be back in the city where he could blend in with the masses. Where he could walk past people and no one knew him. No one knew what he’d spent a lifetime running from.

When Colt turned down the long gravel driveway to the Rocking M, Reed’s chest tightened. Pine and aspen trees stood guard. Others would call the rustic ranch settled among the rugged Rocky Mountains beautiful, maybe even going so far as serene, but not Reed. The mountains loomed over the ranch like silent giants, reminding him of his father—harsh, unyielding and domineering.

Memories bombarded him as the simple ranch house came into view. Colt had painted the place a soft brown instead of the dingy cream Reed remembered and had planted new landscaping, but the alterations couldn’t change his memories or the fact that he’d been glad to be free of the place. For Reed, the old man’s presence dominated everything on the ranch. Even after all these years and everything he’d done to shake him.

Like staying away from Estes Park while his father had been alive.

“You know where the guest room is,” Colt said once they stepped inside the front door. “When you’re ready I’ll give you the rundown on the place.”

While Reed had returned to the Rocking M since Colt owned the place, his visits had so far consisted of a Thanksgiving weekend or a couple of days over Christmas, and he’d avoided going into town. He’d worked so hard to leave his past behind, but that was hard to do when everyone in town knew who he’d been.

Especially Avery.

Ben McAlister, Avery’s father, had done him a favor all those years ago, though at the time, Reed had thought it had been the worst thing ever to happen to him.

Your father’s an alcoholic who beats the people he claims to love. You’ve changed this summer, and I hate to say it, but I see glimpses of him in you, son. You need to grow up and deal with your past. Until you do that, all you’ll do is drag my daughter down with you.

As Reed trudged up the stairs he told himself he’d be damned if he’d let his memories pull him back.

He walked into the guest bedroom and his throat closed up. While the room looked nothing like it had when he’d lived here—now resembling a hotel room with its nondescript accessories and earth tones—all he saw was the past. He pictured himself as a scared child, huddled in the corner between his bed and the wall as the sounds of his parents arguing shook the house. He remembered how often he curled up on his bed, his chest aching from the blows his father’s meaty fists had delivered. He pictured himself as a teenager sprawled on the floor, the world spinning around him from drinking too much beer to numb the pain.

He’d never been able to stand being here for longer than four days. How would he handle staying for possibly a year? One nightmare at a time. And he’d do what he’d always done. He’d focus on work. After dumping his suitcase in the closet, he practically ran out of the room.

When he and Colt toured the ranch, Reed realized almost as many ghosts taunted him outside as in the damned house. They walked past the hay pasture and he remembered how his dad had smacked his head so hard his ears rang for a day after he’d gotten the tractor wheel stuck in a hole and it had taken them over an hour to pull the thing loose.

Don’t go there. Remember who you are, not who you were.

He needed to remain focused on tasks and what needed to be done while Colt was gone. If he stayed busy enough he might survive. “I knew Dad sold some land before he died, but I didn’t know it was this much.”

“Damn near half of the acreage. My guess is once you left he was too lazy to do the work and too cheap to hire hands, so selling off the land and stock was the easiest way to keep a roof over his head and his liquor cabinet full.”

“That sounds like our father.”

“I’ve been rebuilding the place, but it’s been slow going.”

Especially with a wife like Lynn. Reed often thought if she hadn’t gotten pregnant in Colt’s senior year, she and his brother would’ve broken up after high school. Instead, his brother had graduated, enlisted in the air force and they got married.

Five years ago when their father died, Colt bought Reed’s share of the ranch, and his family returned to Colorado. His brother hoped putting down roots would make his wife happy, since she’d grown weary of military life, something he loved. Something he saw as a calling. Part of the compromise had been that Colt could join the National Guard Reserves. Unfortunately, despite everything Colt did, he didn’t get the happy ending.

Reed had gotten the better end of the deal. He’d used the money Colt paid him to start his company.

The dusty smell of hay hit him when they entered the barn, bringing with it reminders of the hours he’d spent toting hay and horse feed to the barn.

“How can you stand living here? Don’t the memories get to you?”

“I just remember the bastard’s dead and buried. I’ve had a damned good time changing things around the place. I hope some of them have him turning over in his grave. That gives me a whole helluva lot of pleasure.” Colt thumped his brother on the back. “I know this is tough for you.”

“I’ll be honest. I’m not sure I can stand being here a year.” He looked his brother straight in the eyes. “You don’t know what it was like after you left.”

While they were teenagers, Colt had saved Reed more than once. When their dad went on a tirade, Reed shouted back or argued. He and his father went at it like two bulls stuck in the same pasture. Colt was the one who stepped in to defuse the situation, or he hauled Reed off before his dad could beat him to death. When Colt left for the air force, their father’s anger had spiraled out of control.

He’d come home one night to find his dad drunk and spoiling for a fight, hammering on his favorite subject—how Reed was a bastard for leaving him to fend for himself. One thing led to another, and his father had punched him in the face. Something inside Reed had shattered that night, and without Colt there, he exploded.

He whirled, delivering blow after blow until his father collapsed on the floor. His chest heaving, Reed stood over the man who had tormented him for years. Then the reality of what he’d done sank in. He’d stooped to his father’s level by taking his anger out on another human being. His father roused enough to scream that he’d make Reed pay. He’d call the police and see that Reed’s sorry, ungrateful ass landed in jail.

Panic consuming him, Reed ran out of the house. Hours later, he found himself at the McAlisters’ front door. Avery held him while the whole damned mess poured out of him. Then she’d woken up her parents.

Once Reed had explained to Avery’s parents what had happened, Ben McAlister had called his lawyer. When Reed claimed he couldn’t afford that, Ben told him not to worry about the money. Without Ben paying for his attorney, Reed could’ve gone to jail. He never knew the details of how Ben and his attorney got his father to drop the charges. They never said, and he never asked.

That one event had changed him in ways he still didn’t understand.

“I’ve got an idea what it was like. That’s why you coming back to stay with Jess was always the backup plan. That’s why I didn’t want to ask you to do it, and if Joanne hadn’t broken her hip, I wouldn’t have.”

“I’m also worried about dealing with Jess.” That and holding his company together, but Reed left out that detail. Colt carried enough weight on his shoulders.

When Reed had first spotted Jess at the airport, dressed in tight, low-cut jeans with a deep V-neck sparkly T-shirt that barely covered her midriff, he’d wanted to turn around and catch the first plane going anywhere.

“If I can’t handle being here...if I get your in-laws’ Association of Homeowners to make an exception, and I can get Jess to agree, are you okay with her living with her grandparents?”

Colt nodded. “As long as Jess agrees, I’m fine with it.”

Reed’s fear subsided now that he had a safety net.

“Jess is a good kid. Lynn’s leaving really did a number on her. How the hell could she run off on her daughter? She didn’t even have the nerve to tell Jess before she left. I had to,” Colt said as they walked toward the horse stalls. “Damn, that was hard. You should’ve seen Jess’s face. She looked at me with those big brown eyes of hers, and asked why her mom didn’t love her anymore.”

Reed stood there stunned. He knew Lynn’s leaving had been bad, but Colt hadn’t told him what a bitch she’d been. “You sure picked a winner.”

“You’re right about that. The only good thing I got out of that marriage was Jess. She’s worth whatever hell I went through.” Colt shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. “School starts the day after tomorrow. It about takes a crowbar to get Jess out of bed, and she takes forever to get ready. Classes start at eight. If she isn’t up by seven, she’ll be late. You need to leave by seven forty-five.”

Reed jotted down information about Jess’s routines, the location of important documents and anything else he thought he might need to remember.

“She seems nervous about starting high school this year.” Colt shook his head. “I don’t remember us worrying about the kind of stuff she does—imagined slights, who’s best friends with who, who said what about her outfit. The worst arguments are about boys. Girls are downright mean to each other. And their fights...” Colt whistled through his teeth.

“Worse than ours?”

Colt nodded as they walked past another stall. “We pounded on each other, but then it was over. Not with girls. When they get mad the emails and tweets fly. Girls divide into two camps. Then the tears start. Sometimes for days, and Jess won’t talk about it. Then when I think it’ll never end, they’re all friends again.”

Lord help him. He’d rather fight off a hostile takeover than face what Colt had just described. Why didn’t society ship all teenage girls off to an island, and allow them to come back only once their sanity returned?

“You’re not making me feel better about this. What do you do during all this drama?”

“Drama? That attitude will get you in trouble.”

Reed froze as a lilting feminine voice washed over him. How many times had he heard that sultry voice in his dreams? Way too many to count, but never once when he’d come back had he sought her out. He wasn’t one to borrow trouble. They were too different. He couldn’t live here again, and she wouldn’t live anywhere else. More important, though, she wanted children and he didn’t.

He glanced over his shoulder at the woman coming out of a horse stall two doors down. She’d been pretty in high school, but the word failed to describe her now. Tall and willowy, even dressed in dirty jeans and a shapeless scrub top, without any makeup, the woman before him could stop traffic when she crossed the street.

Avery McAlister.

Staring at the beautiful blonde in front of him, he knew he’d been right to avoid Avery, because seeing the only woman he’d ever loved hurt worse than any blow he’d taken from his father.

Chapter Two

“Avery, what are you doing here?”

“It’s good to see you, too, Reed.” Avery laughed nervously as she forced herself to remain outwardly calm despite the blood pounding in her ears.

The last time she’d seen him he’d been tall and lanky, but in the years since, his frame had filled out in all the right ways. His shoulders were broader now, and he might even have grown an inch or two. His chiseled features, strong jaw and short black hair remained the same. Dressed in tailored slacks and a pinstriped shirt, Reed Montgomery, the boy she’d dated and fallen in love with in high school, had grown into a fine-looking man.

And he didn’t show the slightest hint of guilt over breaking up with her via email all those years ago.

Avery tried to shut off the memories, but they broke free. She and Reed had met in Mrs. Hutchison’s kindergarten class. They’d been seated at the same table and were busy drawing when Bennett Chambers yanked the yellow crayon from her hand. She’d been about to punch him in the arm when Reed whispered something she couldn’t hear to Bennett. The boy’s eyes widened and he paled, then a second later she had the yellow crayon.

They began dating their sophomore year of high school and fell in love soon after. In their senior year, Reed gave her a promise ring and they started making plans for their future. They both wanted to go to college. He’d received a scholarship from Stanford to study business, and she had one from Colorado State to study veterinary medicine, but he promised to come home as often as he could. Then a month after leaving for California, he sent her a short email. He loved living on the West Coast. He didn’t want to come back to Colorado. Ever. He didn’t want to get married. He didn’t want children. He thought it was best they end things.

Being young, foolish and unable to let the relationship go that easily, Avery had called him. When he didn’t answer, she’d left tearful messages on his voice mail, begging him to talk to her, which he never did. Then she wrote long letters that came back unopened.

Staring him down now, she reminded herself she wasn’t the naive teenager willing to beg a man not to break up with her anymore, and she was damned if she’d let him see how much his coming back shook her.

“I’m here checking on Charger’s injured foreleg. I’m a vet now, and the director of the Estes Park animal shelter.” Take that. I went on with my life and made something of myself.

“I’m glad you’re doing well, though I’m not surprised. You always could do anything you put your mind to.”

Except hang on to you.

Their small talk sounded inane considering how intimate they’d once been. “What are you doing here, Reed?”

“I’m staying with Jess while Colt’s in Afghanistan.”

So that’s what had brought him back. She turned to Colt. About the same height as his younger brother and almost as handsome, Colt had inherited their mother’s blond hair while Reed resembled their dark-haired father. “I’ll keep you and Jess in my prayers while you’re gone.”

Colt nodded. “I appreciate that.”

“You’re staying here for what, a year? Eighteen months?” she asked Reed. “You must have a very understanding boss.”

“A year. Luckily I own my own small company, and thanks to Skype it shouldn’t be too difficult to run things long-distance.”

He was still as confident as ever, Avery mused, and yet she wondered if Reed’s plan was one that looked great on paper, but wouldn’t work well in practice.

“Wow. You own a company.”

“It’s not as glamorous as people think. I put in more hours than any of my employees, and I get a salary like everyone else. Most of what the company makes goes right back into developing new products.”

A cell phone rang. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to take this call,” Reed said.

As he moved away, his phone glued to his ear, Avery turned to Colt. “Are you sure about this? I think running a business long-distance will be harder than he thinks.”

“I don’t have a choice.” Colt explained about his mother-in-law’s health issues, the age restrictions in his in-laws’ community and Jess’s reluctance to live with her grandparents. “Reed will settle in. He’ll do right by Jess.”

Colt’s daughter had gone through so much over the past year. Some women shouldn’t have a pet, much less a child, and Lynn Montgomery had been one of those women. Now Jess’s dad was being deployed. How much could a teenage girl take?

Avery wondered where she would’ve been without her mother to talk to during her adolescence. Her dad had been great, but he’d never quite understood things from her perspective. He saw things, well, like a guy. Did Jess have any women in her life to talk to now that her father was being deployed and she would be living with her bachelor uncle?

Who had never wanted children.

“Reed hasn’t been around Jess very much. Are you sure he can handle this?”

She shook herself mentally. She always did this—got attached to any stray that wandered across her path. Colt was Jess’s father. If he thought Reed was the best person to care for his child, who was she to criticize? But neither of them knew what it was like to be a teenage girl, one of the most insecure creatures on the planet.

Reed joined them, irritation marring his classic good looks. “Jess and I have a good relationship. We’ll be fine. She’s not an infant that needs watching 24/7. Things will be hectic for a while until I’ve reassured my customers that my physical absence won’t affect my business, but then everything will settle into a predictable routine.”

Avery laughed. “Predictable routine? With a teenager? Good luck with that.”

“She has a point, Reed,” Colt added. “Teenagers give mules stubborn lessons. You’ll have to be a little flexible.”

“Lucky for me I’ve got great negotiation skills.”

“Good thing, because you’ll need them.” Pride cometh before the fall popped into Avery’s mind. With Reed’s attitude, one was sure coming. Not that it was her concern. Needing to steer the conversation to a safer topic, Avery said, “Charger’s leg is better. I changed the dressing. The redness and swelling have subsided, but keep him away from the other horses a while longer. I don’t want the wound getting reopened.”

“How much do I owe you?”

Avery waved her hand through the air, dismissing the question. “Nothing. You didn’t ask me to come by. I did that on my own. It’s the least I can do. By the way, I wanted to remind you Thor is due for his annual shots.”

“Thor?” Reed asked, knowing the shots would fall to him to get done.

“That’s Jess’s dog.” Avery reached into her back pocket, pulled out a business card and handed it to Reed. “Call the office and set up an appointment.”

“When did Jess get a dog?” Reed asked his brother.

“Must’ve been a couple of months after the last time you were here.”

“The fact that you didn’t know Jess has a dog says a lot about your relationship. I bet you’re one of those uncles who sends birthday and Christmas gifts, but can’t bother with anything else. If that’s the case, you’re in for a bumpy ride.” With that, Avery turned and hurried out of the barn. Reed Montgomery was back, and worse yet, he could still make her heart skip a beat.

* * *

WHEN AVERY WALKED INTO the shelter twenty minutes later to a chorus of barking and meows, she still hadn’t regained her emotional balance from seeing Reed. When she’d first spotted him, her palms had grown sweaty. Her heart had raced. All reactions she hadn’t experienced with a man in far too long.

She needed to go on a date with someone. Anyone. What had it been? Six months? Longer? That was her problem. She’d been neglecting her social life.

Like that was something new?

When she found time to date, it seemed no one could hold her interest. Invariably she discovered some irritating habit she couldn’t overlook, or her boyfriend’s future plans conflicted with hers. Whatever the reason, the fun and attraction fizzled out after a few months.

Stop it. Focus on work and quit thinking about Reed and your pathetic love life.

So far the week had been a good one for the shelter. Five dogs, six cats and three horses had been adopted. They’d gotten enough donations to buy animal food to last until the end of the next month. Hopefully the recent events indicated an upward trend.

“Betty Hartman called this morning and said she couldn’t come in,” Emma Jean Donovan, Avery’s volunteer coordinator and right-hand gal, said the minute Avery walked into the front reception area.

“Oh, the joys of working with volunteers.” People thought nothing of canceling at the last minute, not realizing how the shelter relied on them to accomplish many of the daily tasks, chores that had to be done, no matter what.

“Because she wasn’t here, Shirley didn’t have anyone to gossip with, so guess who got an earful?”

“Better you than me, Em.”

“All she could talk about was Reed Montgomery being back in town.”

“So I discovered when I stopped by the Rocking M this morning.”

“You saw him? Are you okay?”

While Em had been two years behind Avery and Reed in school, everyone in town knew about their messy breakup. The news had spread through Estes Park High faster than the flu. “I was barely eighteen when we broke up. I got over him ages ago. So what if he’s back? I don’t care.”

“Oka-a-ay.” Em drew out the word, and tossed her a sly whatever-you-say-though-I-don’t-believe-a-word-of-it grin. “You don’t have to convince me. Is he still hot?”

“He looked sort of silly standing there in the barn wearing dress pants and a pinstriped shirt, but I guess he’s attractive in a California yuppie sort of way.”

Liar. He’d looked better than ever. He’d been a teenager when he left. He was all man now.

“I could get used to California yuppie. If you’re not interested, do you mind if I make a play for him?”

“He probably has a yuppie girlfriend, but if he doesn’t, go for it.” Annoyed with the topic and her internal hell-no reaction to Em’s question, Avery steered the conversation back to shelter business. “Has anything happened that I actually need to know about?”

“We had an abandoned mama dog and her litter dropped off this morning. The pups are about three weeks old.”

So much for the to-do list she’d compiled last night. Avery’s top priority now became examining the latest arrivals and getting them ready for foster care. The commotion at the shelter was too much for a mama and her babies, especially for the five weeks until they could be put up for adoption. “Got any ideas of who can foster the little family?”

“It’s already taken care of. Jenny will pick them up once you give them the all clear.”

“You’re amazing.”

“And on only four hours’ sleep.”

“I heard the band was playing at Halligan’s. How’d the gig go?”

Music and her country-and-western band were Emma’s first loves, with animals a close second. She worked at the shelter to pay her bills, and moonlighted playing at area bars in the hopes that someone would spot her and offer her a record deal.

Emma’s face lit up. “The crowd was small but enthusiastic. My new song went over well.”

“When your record deal comes through, promise me you’ll train someone before you leave me. Not that anyone would do the job as well as you do, but at least then I’ll have a chance for survival.”

“I am one of a kind.” A beaming Emma held out an envelope. “This came by registered mail.”

Avery read the return address. Franklin, Parker and Simmons, attorneys at law in Denver. “Let’s hope it’s good news. Maybe someone left us a bequest in their will.”

She tore open the envelope, pulled out the letter and started reading. The missive indeed dealt with a will—Sam Weston’s. Twenty-five years ago, when Geraldine Griswald had created an animal shelter, her husband and Sam were hunting buddies. Sam, also an animal lover, rented Geraldine a piece of land with a tiny building along Highway 35 East for one dollar a year. Eventually, the shelter raised money and built a bigger facility.

Avery read further. No. This couldn’t be right. The shelter didn’t own the land their building stood on? Everyone believed Sam had donated the land to the Estes Park animal shelter over fifteen years ago.

This couldn’t be happening.

She read further. Sam’s heirs wanted to sell all his land to a developer, including the parcel where the shelter stood. They’d “generously” offered to let the shelter buy their lot if they matched the developer’s price of three hundred thousand dollars. Otherwise, they had forty-five days to move.

Three hundred thousand dollars. Just raising a 20-percent down payment of sixty grand would be daunting in the allotted time. Avery swallowed hard and tried to push down her panic.

The Estes Park animal shelter was the only one for miles. If it closed, the other shelters would have trouble dealing with the additional demands on their resources, and the animals would pay the price.

“From the look on your face, I’m guessing it’s bad news.”

Talk about an understatement, but Avery couldn’t tell Emma that. Until she checked into the situation, she’d keep the news to herself. But if she discovered they didn’t own the land, everyone would hear about the situation, because they’d need every cent they could get to keep the shelter open.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Avery inwardly winced. How could she say that with a straight face, especially to Emma who knew her so well? They’d both pinched every penny thin over the past few months to keep the shelter afloat, but she thought she could come up with sixty grand? Delusional, that’s what she was.

“Next thing you’ll try to sell me the Rocky Mountains.”

So much for keeping the news to herself, because she refused to lie to Emma. Glancing around the front room, Avery made sure no volunteers or other staff members were around before she told Emma the news.

“What are we going to do? Do I need to update my résumé?”

“Don’t you dare. I need your help now more than ever. This is the game plan. While I’m examining the new arrivals, you’ll contact the property clerk to find out who they show owns the land.”

“What about the board?”

Avery cringed. Harper Stinson, the shelter’s board president and a top graduate from the micromanager school of business, had hinted they could solve all their financial problems by cutting staff. If Avery didn’t handle the situation carefully, Harper would run amok through the streets of Estes Park with the news of the shelter’s impending doom.

“I’ll figure out how to tell the board when I have more information.” She’d be proactive. Assess the situation and develop a plan before she spoke to them.

“Lucky you.”

“The board may be a big help. They’ve got a wide range of skills and talents, and that’s exactly what we need right now.”

“When they aren’t arguing over who has the best idea and who should be in charge of the project.” Emma shuddered. “I still have nightmares about our last dog-washing fund-raiser.”

“Thanks for reminding me about that.” Three of the board members had taken on organizing key aspects of the fund-raiser. Avery had been forced into the peacemaker role when the lines between the jobs blurred and toes got stepped on. “They’ll pull together better this time because it’s such a dire situation. You’ll see.”

“You’re such an optimist.”

“If I wasn’t I’d never survive running a nonprofit agency.”

* * *

REED’S DAY STARTED at the bank getting the forms notarized for him to be Jess’s guardian while Colt was overseas. Then he and Jess took Colt to the airport. On the drive to Denver, his niece slouched in the backseat texting and ignored her dad’s attempts at conversation, while Reed tried to ignore how much Jess’s actions hurt Colt.

When Colt hugged Jess, telling her how much he loved her, and how he’d miss her, Reed’s eyes teared up. He and his brother shook hands, thumped each other on the back, and Reed reminded Colt not to act like an idiot and get himself hurt. Then he prayed this wasn’t the last time he would see his brother.

On the return trip, Jess sat stoically in the passenger seat, texting. After a few feeble efforts at conversation, she snapped that she didn’t want to talk. Then she popped in earphones, cranked up her music and shut her eyes.

When they returned to the ranch, she retreated to her bedroom while Reed saw to the stock. A couple of hours later, dripping in sweat, muscles he hadn’t used in years sore from hauling hay and water, he crawled into the shower.

After cleaning up, he headed downstairs to work on dinner. He’d learned to cook out of necessity when he and some college buddies lived off campus his senior year. Unable to afford eating out every day and sick of boxed mac and cheese, he’d turned to the internet and the Food Network.

He glanced at his watch. Not even six and he felt as though it was after midnight. As Reed added chopped garlic, onions and ginger to the chicken breasts cooking in the skillet, the aromas engulfed him. Though the sleek stainless-steel-and-earth-toned kitchen looked nothing like the one he remembered growing up, he still could see his mom standing in the same spot as he did now.

Life had been so different before she died of breast cancer.

He often wondered why she had married his father. Talk about opposites. His mom loved to cuddle up with her sons every night before bed and read to them. He could still hear bits and pieces of Green Eggs and Ham read in her soothing voice. His mom quickly and generously offered support and encouragement, while his father tossed out criticism and orders. When his temper exploded at his sons, his mom stepped in and smoothed things over or took the blows. She also kept his father’s drinking in check. All that changed when she died.

Reed tossed sliced carrots, snap peas, broccoli and soy sauce in the pan. Nothing he’d ever done had been good enough for his father. When he showed an interest in business and computers, his father took that as a personal rejection. Ranching had been good enough for Aaron Montgomery and his father before him—why the hell wasn’t that good enough for Reed? His father expected, no felt, his sons owed it to him to stay at the ranch and take care of him in his old age.

As if either he or Colt would do that after the hell their father put them through.

After plating the chicken and sautéed vegetables, he walked to Jess’s room and knocked on the door. High-pitched barking sounded from inside. “Dinner’s ready.”

The door opened, and Jess stood there, a brown Chihuahua clutched to her chest. The dog immediately growled at him. “This is Thor?”

“What’s wrong with my dog?” Jess asked, her voice laced with distrust and irritation.

Did all teenage girls twist the simplest questions into knots?

“When your dad told me you had a dog named Thor, this wasn’t the image that came to mind.” He’d envisioned a border collie or a shepherd mix. A dog that would be useful around a ranch, not one that fitted in a girl’s purse. “Why’d you name him Thor? Don’t girls usually name their dogs Mr. Boots or Prince Charming?”

“And you know that because you’re such an expert?” Still clutching the dog, she stalked past him toward the kitchen.

He still couldn’t get over the difference in his niece’s appearance since he’d seen her last. With her dark brown shoulder-length hair and wearing enough makeup to start her own makeup counter, she was fourteen going on twenty-two.

When he reached the kitchen, Jess was seated at the round oak table, her dog settled on her lap. He was having dinner with his niece and her dog. Dogs belonged under the table begging for scraps, not seated on someone’s lap. He opened his mouth to tell her to put Thor down, but paused. A fire burned in her eyes, as if she dared him to say something, as if she was spoiling for a fight. He’d entered labor negotiations where people looked at him with less animosity. A smart businessman picked his battles carefully.

Reed reached for the plate of chicken. The dog peered over the table and snarled.

“Does he growl at everyone, or is it just me he doesn’t like?”

“He’s very sensitive.” Jess picked up a small piece of chicken and fed the morsel to her pet. “In his head, you came and Dad left. It’s kind of a cause-and-effect thing.”

“You sure it’s okay for him to be eating chicken with soy sauce and all those spices?”

Jess rolled her eyes and made a tsking sound with her tongue as though she was the Dog Whisperer and he the idiot who couldn’t spell dog.

This charged silence couldn’t continue between them. Even he could tell she was bottling up her emotions, and anger simmered barely below the surface. Better to bring things out in the open than have them explode later, but how?

“What about you? What are your thoughts?” Reed kept his voice level and unconcerned.

“It’s not like I had any choice.”

“When I was your age, not having any say about something ticked me off big-time.” Not that his father had ever noticed. Or would’ve cared if he had.

Jess shrugged and handed her dog another bite of chicken.

This was getting him nowhere. Could he use a strategy he applied to employees with Jess? Build a team atmosphere? “I know this is hard for you, and I’ve got to admit, it’s not easy for me, either. Since Mom died when Colt and I were a little younger than you are now, we grew up in an all-male household, but I’m not that bad a guy, am I?”

Jess eyed him cautiously. “I don’t know. The last time you were here, you left the toilet seat up. That really ticks a woman off, you know.”

The chip Jess carried around on her shoulder had to be getting heavy. Maybe if he made her laugh, she’d loosen up. “In a show of good faith I’ll invest in one of those toilets that have an automatic seat-lowering feature.”

His niece smiled, ever so slightly. “Whatever.”

“I wouldn’t want to have to call your dad and tell him you fell into the toilet.”

“Eww! Thanks for putting that image in my head!”

Her bright giggle thrilled him, easing the tightness in his chest. Maybe they could make a go of this. At least long enough for him to change her mind about staying with her grandparents. “I haven’t worked on a ranch since I went to college.” He’d gone to summer school to avoid coming back. “I’ll be relying on you a lot.”

Her smile faded, and her chocolate eyes darkened. “If you think I’m going to do all the work around here, forget it.”

“I was thinking of you as an expert consultant.” Giving someone a title helped an employee feel vested in a project. She nodded, but remained quiet. “Do I have any redeeming qualities, or am I a total pain in the ass?”

As Jess eyed him he could practically see the biting comment forming in her mind. Then her gaze softened. “You’re a good cook. Even better than Dad, so at least we won’t starve.”

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING AT FIVE Reed dragged himself out of bed, threw on jeans and a T-shirt and headed for the barn. He went to the hayloft and grabbed a bale, jumping when a rat scurried over his boots. At least it wasn’t a snake. He’d never gotten used to them. What was the rule about which ones were poisonous? Something about red, black and yellow being a friend of Jack or killing a fellow, but that’s all he recalled. Making a mental note to check Google for poisonous-snake sayings for future reference, he tossed the hay out of the loft.

While his muscles strained against the unfamiliar work, part of him had come to enjoy the physical exertion. The upside was he collapsed into bed at night exhausted enough that being back in his old bedroom didn’t prevent him from falling asleep. Of course, he didn’t sleep all that well, either, but one out of two wasn’t bad.

He filled the hay bins in the stalls, then gave each horse some grain and fresh water. Next he went in search of a saddle, surprised to find his old one in the tack room. He smiled, remembering how he’d saved for a year to buy it. He ran his hand over the suede seat and the basket-weave tooling, then lifted the saddle and carried it into the stall of a calm chestnut. His body went into autopilot, his hands efficiently accomplishing the task of saddling the horse.

He rubbed the horse’s neck. “Go easy on me. It’s been a while since I’ve done any riding.” Then hauled himself onto the animal. The old leather creaked under his weight. His heels tapped the horse’s flanks, and the animal responded. So far so good. He was in the saddle, not on his ass in the hay.

As he made his way across the ranch toward the cow pasture, Reed settled into a rhythm with the horse. The stiffness he’d woken up with from tossing and turning most of the night eased with his movements. Colt had told him to keep a close eye on the cows. For a small herd, Colt said, they caused a surprising amount of trouble. Most of which revolved around finding holes in the fencing and traveling to Sam Logan’s land.

The soft summer breeze teased his skin. The house disappeared from view, and he relaxed. Urging the horse into a gallop, he felt the tension drain from his body. He’d forgotten how freeing it felt to be on top of a magnificent animal riding hell-for-leather to nowhere in particular. Just running.

Recalling how often he and Avery had ventured into the national park to get away and just be together, he smiled. They’d ride and then stop near a mountain stream to talk and make out. There he’d been happy. At least until he returned home.

The herd came into view, thankfully still where they belonged. After a quick check of the fences Reed returned to the house, showered and then headed for Colt’s office, where he pulled up an email from his lawyer.

He had a problem. According to his attorney, there was some federal act that let communities set age restrictions as long as they met certain criteria, like 80 percent of the houses having someone over fifty-five in residence. As long as they maintained that, the neighborhood could keep kids from living there.

After firing back instructions for his lawyer to check into the community’s compliance, Reed glanced at his watch. Seven in the morning, and he hadn’t heard Jess stirring. If she didn’t get moving soon, they’d never make it out the door on time, and he’d start his day behind.

When he stepped into the hallway that led to the bedrooms, an alarm clock’s irritating beep greeted him. How could she sleep through that?

He knocked on her door. Nothing. He knocked harder. “Jess? Are you awake?”

High-pitched yips masquerading as barking came from behind the door, but nothing from his niece. Now what? He sure as hell wasn’t going in her room. Then, between the alarm beeps, he heard snoring. He pounded on the door. “Jessica! Shut off your blasted alarm, and get your butt out of bed!”

More yipping, followed by “All right!”

He glanced at his watch. “I’ll expect you downstairs for breakfast in twenty minutes. That will give you ten minutes to eat and brush your teeth, leaving five minutes to gather what you need for school before we head out.”

He heard her shuffling around the room before the door flew open and he faced a scowling Jess dressed in boxer shorts and an oversize T-shirt. “You worked out how much time I need to brush my teeth and gather my stuff?”

“What’s wrong with a schedule?”

“Nothing if you’re the TV Guide Channel.” She brushed her bangs out of her face. “Don’t get your shorts in a wad. I’ve got plenty of time. They won’t count me late on the first day.”

He hadn’t given a thought to the school counting her tardy. “We’ve got to leave by seven forty-five. I have an eight-thirty conference call.” Also, he refused to set up bad habits. Managing his staff had taught him it was easier to create good patterns than to break poor ones.

“That’s not my problem. I’ll be down when I’m good and ready.” She slammed the door in his face.

At seven-fifty he called his assistant to push back his conference call. He and Jess left at seven fifty-five.

When he returned to the house at eight-thirty, he opened the front door, stepped inside and slipped, nearly ending up on his backside.

Glancing down, he discovered puddles—and they weren’t pee—dotting the wooden floor. As he stared at the trail heading upstairs toward the bedrooms, he wondered if he’d shut his door.

“Thor, you better not have gone in my room, or you’ll be in trouble.” I’m threatening a dog. Three days with Jess and I’m going crazy.

He followed the trail right to his open bedroom door. Peering in, he discovered the damned dog sleeping on his pillow, away from the mess he’d created on the rest of the bed. “You’re out to get me, aren’t you?”

Not wanting to put off his conference call a second time, he made his way through the minefield to Colt’s office, shut the door behind him and decided to deal with it all later. He spent the next hour reassuring clients that his being in Colorado wouldn’t affect their business, while pretending his life hadn’t become an exercise in surviving teenage angst and cleaning up after a vindictive Chihuahua.

After ending his call, he found rubber gloves, paper towels and a bucket to tackle Thor’s messes. He’d muck out an entire barn before he’d pull this duty again. Any repeat incidents and he was calling in a hazmat team.

Next he retrieved Avery’s business card from his wallet and punched in her number. As he waited for her to answer, he stormed into Jess’s room.

Didn’t every girl with a Chihuahua have a carrier-purse thing? Clothes covered the floor, making it look like a patchwork quilt made by a color-blind quilter. He scanned the disaster zone. If she had something to put the dog in, he’d spend the better part of the day finding it.

No way was he letting the little monster ride in Colt’s truck unconfined. Some things were sacred, and a man’s truck was in the top two. He headed for the kitchen to find a substitute carrier as Avery’s voice answering the phone floated over him.

“I need your help.”

Chapter Three

“Jess’s dog has the runs.” Reed walked into the kitchen. He glanced around the room. What could he use? “Can I bring him in?”

He flung open cabinet doors, searching. The plastic containers he found were too small, and Thor could get out without a lid. Then he spotted cloth grocery sacks hanging on the pantry door. He smiled and snatched one up.

“Thor’s sick? Bring him in. On Thursdays we don’t open until noon, but I’m going in early to do paperwork. I’ll meet you at the shelter in twenty minutes.”

Sack in hand, he thanked Avery, said he was on his way and returned to his bedroom. Maybe he’d get lucky and she’d keep the dog for a couple of days.

When Reed walked into the room, Thor eyed him suspiciously. Reed inched closer to the bed, trying to appear casual. The dog sat up and growled. Reed strolled to the dresser, opened a drawer and dug around inside.

I’m trying to carry off a sneak attack on a dog. I’m not going crazy. I’m there.

He stalked toward the dog, and Thor bolted under the bed.

Damn. No way was he getting on the floor to catch the mutt. Instead he returned to the kitchen. When he looked inside the fridge he found deli ham. He stormed back to the bedroom, tore off a chunk and dropped the treat on the floor beside the bed. Seconds later, a little brown head appeared and gobbled up the meat. Reed tossed down another piece, this one farther away. Two tries later, he snatched up the dog, dumped him in the cloth bag and looped the handles through each other so Thor couldn’t hop out, leaving enough of an opening for air to flow.

As he left the house, he realized fate seemed determined to throw him and Avery together. What were the powers that be trying to tell him? He shook his head. He didn’t care. All he wanted to know was how to get them to leave him alone.

* * *

AVERY STOPPED AT THE FRONT DESK to locate Thor’s file, and giggled thinking of Reed dealing with a Chihuahua with the runs. When she opened the door for him five minutes later, irritation darkened his handsome features.

“Where’s Thor?” Then she noticed the black cloth grocery bag dangling from his large hands. Hands that knew her body well. No. She couldn’t think about that. Focusing on the sack, she saw it move. She bit her lip, trying to hold in her laughter, but failed. “You put him in a grocery sack?”

“Woman, I’ve been pushed about as far as a man can be. You’re taking your life in your hands, laughing.” The minute he started speaking the dog growled. Reed glared at the bag. “And you better be nice to me after the bomb you dropped on my bed.”

“He didn’t.”

“He sure as hell did, and all over the wooden floors.”

The absolute horror on his face made her laugh harder. “I’m sorry. Really I am.” She giggled one last time thinking of his reaction when he’d found his bed. It was amazing the dog was alive.

“It’s funny to you because it wasn’t your bed.”

“Bring him in.” She stepped aside for him to enter, and Reed’s musky cologne tickled her senses. As he handed her the sack, she remembered how his scent clung to her clothes after they’d been necking, which led to images of the two of them together and a sudden spike in her heart rate.

Stop it. Trips down nostalgia lane led nowhere but back. She was all about moving forward with her life, and hoped she’d find someone who wanted the same things she did—a loving marriage and raising their children in the same town where she’d grown up. Something that Reed never would do.

“After I examine Thor, I’ll let you know what’s going on.” For a minute she stood there, the silence between them shouting volumes.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “This is awkward, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know what you expect me to say. I wasn’t the one who ended things between us.”

She’d told herself she’d gotten over him. But until she’d seen Reed in the barn the other day, she hadn’t realized how much anger she still carried. They’d made love the first and only time the July after graduation. She’d loved him so much, wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, and then the relationship was over.

“We’d talked about our future so much, and never once did you mention the fact that you didn’t want children. How could you have left out that important detail?” Giving voice to her anger and throwing the words in his face felt good. Closure. She finally had what she’d never known she craved.

“I don’t know what to say other than I was young. When I got to college, I started thinking about what us having a future meant in practical terms, and it hit me.”

“You gave me a promise ring, and then you never came back.”

“I couldn’t. Once I got away, I felt free. I didn’t want to lose that, but you’re right. I should’ve called you.”

But it had been worse than that. She’d left messages begging for him to talk to her. Ones that he’d never returned.

Let it go.

“I was an ass, and I’m sorry I hurt you.” He stepped toward her, then froze, as if he wasn’t sure of what to do next. “Can we start over with a clean slate? Be friends?”

Friends? The word shouldn’t have stung her pride, but it did.

Avery nodded. That would make things easier when they ran into each other, and in a town of less than ten thousand people, their paths would cross. “I’ll call you when I know what’s going on with Thor.”

Dismissing Reed, Avery reached into the sack, lifted Thor out and snuggled with him for a minute. She waited for the sound of the door opening and closing as Reed left, but after a moment she glanced over her shoulder, finding him still standing there. “Is there something else you need?”

A familiar look flashed in his cobalt eyes as his gaze locked with hers. Her heart fluttered. Was he thinking the same thing she was? How much they’d once thought they needed each other?

“Jess will be worried when I tell her about Thor. Can I bring her by after school?”

“Absolutely. Chances are it’s nothing serious, and he’ll probably be ready to go home by then.”

Reed nodded and then turned and walked out of the exam room. When she’d said they could start over, she’d thought doing so would make things easier. Then she’d asked him if he needed anything else, and now she wasn’t so sure. The look she’d glimpsed in his eyes moments earlier was the same one she’d seen years ago, right before he kissed her.

* * *

LATER THAT AFTERNOON, as Reed sat in the pickup lane at Jess’s school, his thoughts returned to Avery. He was thankful that they’d cleared the air. In a town the size of Estes Park, they’d run into each other. Now maybe things wouldn’t be as awkward.

Who was he kidding? Things would still be awkward. Everything he’d loved about Avery—her giving spirit, her quiet strength, her down-to-earth nature—was still there, but there was something more now. Something more refined. Her appeal had heightened over the years. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, and yet she seemed unaware of the fact.

The truck’s passenger door opened, a red backpack flew behind the seat. Jess slid in, the leather seat squeaking with her movements. He tossed out the obligatory “How was your day?” and she responded with the typical teenage response of “Fine.”

“I took Thor to the vet. He wasn’t feeling well. I came home to messes all over the house.”

Her eyes widened, and her lip quivered. “What’s wrong? Is he okay? What did Dr. McAlister say? Is he home?”

The more questions Jess asked, the higher her voice rose. He rushed to reassure her. “Avery—Dr. McAlister—said it probably wasn’t serious, but she was going to run some tests. I said we’d stop by after school to check on him.”

Minutes later, at the shelter, Avery walked into the exam room, Thor snuggled in her arms. Jess raced toward them.

“We gave this guy some fluids because he was a little dehydrated, but that’s nothing to worry about, Jess,” Avery commented in a soothing tone as she placed Thor on the metal table. “I ran some tests, but didn’t find anything.”

“Then why’d he get sick?”

Avery shrugged. “He might have eaten a plant or something outside that upset his system. Who knows. To help with the diarrhea I want you to give him some medicine once a day. The front desk will give you the dosage information when you check out.”

Reed bit his lip to keep from saying he’d told Jess she shouldn’t have given her dog the chicken last night, but he did toss a knowing glance in her direction.

“Let me show you both how to give Thor the medicine.” Avery reached into her scrub-top pocket and pulled out a plastic syringe filled with the pink liquid. When Reed remained nailed to his seat, both she and Jess turned to him. “I can see fine from here. I’m responsible for Jess. She’s responsible for the dog. That’s the chain of command.”

Jess shook her head and faced Avery. “He doesn’t like Thor.”

“The dog doesn’t like me,” Reed countered. As if to prove the point, Thor peered around Jess, glared at Reed and growled. “See.”

“That’s actually natural. Chihuahuas bond strongly with their owners and tend to distrust people they don’t know. Isn’t that right, Thor?”

Reed frowned. The danged mutt wagged his tail. But then, what male wouldn’t be hypnotized into submission receiving Avery’s full attention?

“Thor doesn’t understand why Colt is gone and you’re here,” Avery continued. “That adds to his uncertainty, but Jess can help him accept you.”

Acceptance? All he wanted was the dog to stay out of his way, and do his business outside. He could live with distant disdain.

Avery glanced between Reed and his niece. “Jess, would you go to the front desk and get some dog treats so we can work with Thor?”

When the door shut behind the teenager, Avery faced Reed, her hands on her hips. “Did it ever occur to you that Thor is upset with you because he senses the tension between you and Jess?”

“I love my niece.”

“Then prove it. You need to get to know her as a person. You need to show an interest in her life.”

Reed stiffened. “That’s going to take time. I just got here.”

“Remember she’s your niece, not one of your employees. And FYI, a good start would be making an effort to get along with her dog.”

Before he could answer, his cell phone rang. He glanced at the screen and answered the call without so much as an Excuse me.

“What’s up, Ethan?”

Avery shoved her hands into her lab-coat pockets and took a deep breath. “Get off the phone. My time is valuable. I’ve got other animals waiting.”

Reed ended his call with a terse “I’ll call you back.”

The exam-room door swung open and Jess returned with the treats. The teenager glanced between the two adults. “Jeez, you two look like you’re about to take a swing at each other. What did I miss?”

Was that how they looked? Reed paled and stepped back.

“It’s nothing. Just a difference of opinion.” Avery cleared her throat. “Jess, if you want to help Thor accept your uncle, he should take over caring for him for a couple of days.”

“I don’t know.” Jess clutched her dog against her chest. “I want them to get along, but he’s my dog.”

“I understand. We can still do some things that will help.” She asked the teenager to sit in a chair by the door while she worked with Reed. “Both of you need to reinforce Thor’s good behavior with praise and treats, while you ignore the negative. Let me give you an example. Jess, if you’re holding Thor and he growls at your uncle, put him down and turn your back. If he doesn’t growl or act aggressively, Reed, you need to give him a treat and praise him in a high-pitched voice.” She demonstrated. “We call it a Minnie Mouse voice.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Reed shook his head. “You’re determined to crush my ego today, aren’t you?”

“Like yours can’t take the hit?” Avery teased.

“I’m willing to try if you are, Uncle Reed. Then you could help me give him his medicine.”

For a moment, despite the dark eyeliner, Jess’s wide brown eyes filled with innocence and she looked her age. How the hell could he say no to her when she looked at him like that? Had he ever been that innocent or trusting? Even before his mother died? “We’ll give it a shot.”

Avery spent the next couple of minutes working with him and the dog. At one point he looked at Avery and said, “Thor’s not the only one who needs reinforcement for positive behavior. I want some props for my effort here.”

“Good job, Reed.” Avery tossed the words out in a high, squeaky voice.

“That wasn’t what I had in mind.”

“Too bad. That’s all you’re getting.” Their light banter reminded him of how comfortable he’d always felt with Avery. He’d been in love with her for dozens of reasons, one being how at ease he felt with her, but that was before he damn near beat his dad to death. Before he’d talked to her father and realized he loved her so much he had to let her go because she deserved better than he could give her.

Being back here still wasn’t good for him, and she refused to live anywhere else. His thoughts stopped him cold. “I’ve got the idea. Jess and I can work on this at home.” Before Avery could say anything, his cell phone rang again. “We done here?”

Avery nodded, handed the dog to Jess and headed out of the room. He answered the call and told the client he’d call back in five minutes. Then he joined Avery and Jess at the front desk. Reed scanned the bill, amazed that the charges were bigger than the dog.

“Avery, what’s this I hear about the shelter not owning the land our building resides on?” The sparkle disappeared from Avery’s gaze, and she stiffened as though someone had tied a broom handle to her back. Reed turned to see a woman with short salt-and-pepper hair dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with an elk on the front stride toward them.

Avery made the introductions. “Reed, Jess, this is Harper Stinson, the shelter’s board president.”

Years ago, when he’d been on the board of his boss’s pet charity, Reed had learned a lot about the people who served on them. Some were crusaders. Others were out to make community business connections. Others still were bored housewives looking to find purpose. But no matter who they were, everyone had an agenda. What was this woman’s?

“So, you’re the Reed Montgomery that has everyone in town talking. I want you to know I’m keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers,” Harper said. “We’ll all be glad when your brother’s back home safe and sound.”

No one more so than him.

Jess tossed him a let’s-go look. “Thor and I will wait outside.”

As the door swooshed open and thunked close with Jess’s exit, Reed glanced at Avery. “I appreciate you working Thor in this morning. I hope you got some paperwork done after I left.”

When he turned to leave, Harper partially blocked his exit. “Since you brought up the topic of paperwork, Avery and I are developing a new business plan for the shelter. What do you think—”

“Reed’s a busy man. He doesn’t have time for shelter business,” Avery insisted.

Her stiff posture and the way she nibbled on her lower lip told him Avery had reached her patience limit. Something was going on between these two. Any businessperson worth two cents knew better than to discuss their business in public, especially in front of strangers.

“Avery’s right about that. I’ve got my hands full with Jess and my own company.”

“Our main sticking point is staffing issues,” Harper continued, completely ignoring his and Avery’s comments. “I’m sure you know that while no one likes to cut staff, sometimes it’s necessary to lower operating costs.”

Now he knew her agenda. Harper wanted him to back her up against Avery. “I’ve found people often latch onto that solution because it’s easier than working to find other ones,” he said.

He glanced at Avery and found her eyes shining with gratitude. When she smiled, his insides twisted, and he swore his chest puffed out.

Avery flashed him a tight smile. “Reed needs to go, since Jess is waiting for him. I’m sure she has homework to do. If you have any other problems with Thor, call me.”

As he left he almost pitied Harper. He’d seen that look in Avery’s eyes today, and unless he missed his guess, Harper was in for a stinging lecture on business etiquette.

* * *

AS AVERY USHERED HARPER into her office, she struggled to control her temper. How dare she burst into the shelter and take her to task in front of Reed and Jess? Worse yet, she’d tried to pull Reed into their disagreement and use him to get her to knuckle under.

As Avery sank into her worn desk chair, it squeaked under her movement. Before she could explain her position, Harper said, “Why wasn’t I informed the minute you received word from Sam Weston’s lawyers?”

“I wanted to research our options before talking to you.” Avery placed her folded hands on her desk. When her fingers started tingling, she loosened her grip. “If you need to talk to me about shelter issues, especially our disagreements, I’d prefer we discuss things in private.”

Three months ago, Avery had loved her job. Harper’s predecessor had valued her opinion and trusted her instincts. He’d allowed her to do her job. All that had evaporated once Harper assumed control of the board and insisted she be consulted on every issue.

The more she delved into the business side of the shelter, the less Avery liked her job. Holding her hand out for donations and managing a staff weren’t why she had gone to vet school. While she’d taken a couple of business classes in college in preparation for opening her own office, she hadn’t enjoyed them.

When she’d accepted the shelter’s offer, the board had hoped to hire an executive director within six months. She’d figured she could hold on until then, but that was over a year ago. The plan was that this year’s Pet Walk would allow them to hire a director. Then she could focus on what she loved, taking care of animals and educating owners. So much for that.

“I know it’s been hard for you to understand that working for a nonprofit organization in a small community means everyone knows your professional business, but that’s a fact you need to adjust to,” Harper said, her tone bordering on condescending.

Avery concentrated on her breathing, counted to ten and mentally listed Harper’s good qualities. She truly cared about animals. Her heart was in the right place. She possessed valuable business connections and used them to recruit new shelter supporters. A great ambassador and advocate, she donated generously.

Her temper reined in, Avery said, “Our disagreements need to remain between us. You wouldn’t want me to discuss problems I had with your shop or your merchandise in front of customers. I expect the same professionalism from you.”

Realization dawned in Harper’s eyes. “My mistake. I was upset about the news that we don’t own the land. However, I do believe Reed could be a valuable resource for us.”

The last person Avery wanted invading her professional life was Reed. “While he knows the corporate world, he lacks experience in the nonprofit arena and with fund-raising, and that’s our biggest concern right now,” Avery said in hopes of channeling the conversation to the task at hand. “The first thing we need to do is move up the date of the Pet Walk. I spoke with the executors. If we take out a loan to buy the land, the papers must be signed by the deadline. Since the land price is three hundred thousand, that means we need sixty thousand dollars for the down payment.”

Harper paled. “The most we’ve ever raised from the Pet Walk is thirty-five thousand, and that was in a better economic climate.”

Avery refused to let the shock and worry in Harper’s voice rattle her further. They could do this. They had to. “Getting more and bigger sponsors is the key. I hope to tap some of my brothers’ contacts.”

Avery’s oldest brother, Rory, modeled designer jeans for a large New York–based clothing company. Her brother Griffin was the host of the reality show The Next Rodeo Star. “If I can get Devlin Designs and Griffin’s network to write us big checks, that’ll go a long way to achieving our goal. However, the first thing we need to do is make sure that buying this land is our best option.”

Harper tapped her manicured nail against the chair arm, something she did frequently as she thought. The habit grated on Avery’s tightly strung nerves. “No matter what we do, we’ll have to obtain a loan. To give us one, the bank will require proof we can afford the increase in our monthly operating costs.”

Yesterday, Harper’s micromanaging had been Avery’s biggest problem. Now her shelter needed sixty thousand dollars to remain open, and the only man she’d ever loved was back. What she wouldn’t give for a time machine.

* * *

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, REED sat jotting down discussion points for Monday’s staff-status meeting as he waited for Jess in the school’s pickup lane. Thank goodness for wireless technology to make productive use of otherwise wasted time.

The truck door flew open, Jess’s backpack flew behind the seat and then the door slammed shut. He rolled down the passenger window. “Where are you going?”

“Out with friends.”

“Get in. I’ll drop you off after we talk.”

“They’re waiting for me.”

“If I don’t get more details, you don’t go.” Reed almost winced as similar things his father had said rang in his ears. He inhaled deeply before he continued. “Text them that I’ll drop you off in a few minutes.”

The door flew open again, and this time Jess crawled in, mumbling something about the Spanish Inquisition and teenagers having rights, too.

As the line of cars inched forward and Jess texted away, he asked about the specifics of her plans.

“We’re going to hang out. We might go to a movie.”

“What movie? Who with? What time will it be over?”

“I don’t even know if we’re going to a movie, so how can I know when it’ll be over? Dad doesn’t give me the third degree.”

Reed wasn’t sure if he believed her, but whether he did or not didn’t matter. He was here, and Colt was in Afghanistan. Instead of saying that, he reiterated his stance that without enough details, she didn’t go.

“We talked about going to the new Robert Pattinson movie, and before you ask, it’s PG. I’ll be home around eleven.”

“Your dad said your curfew was ten-thirty.”

“Whatever.”

She was testing him and, he suspected, trying his patience on purpose. Did she really think her dad wouldn’t tell him about her curfew or that he wouldn’t remember? “How are you getting to the movie?”

“Jeez, my teachers ask less questions on quizzes. We were going to walk downtown and shop first, then go to McCabe’s for pizza. If we go to a movie we’ll walk. Otherwise we’ll go back to Lindsey’s house.”

As he pulled out of the school parking lot onto the street, Reed said, “Text me when you know whether you’re going to a movie or to a friend’s house. I need to know where you are so I can pick you up.”

Jess rolled her eyes. “You want to fit me with a GPS?”

“Don’t tempt me,” Reed said.

* * *

LATER THAT NIGHT, as Reed sat on the couch, a beer in his hand, watching the Colorado Rockies game, he thought over his first week. So far there hadn’t been any major fires to put out at work. Most of his clients understood his situation. The two customers he’d been scheduled to visit next week had agreed to conference calls instead.

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