Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Read online

“And why do you believe she’s in foal? Did you catch them in the act?” I giggle at my silly joke.

  He smiles at my words but doesn’t laugh. “Not exactly. I did have to catch him and take him back to his pasture though. And Lucy here usually has her estrous cycle every three weeks like clockwork.”

  “How long has it been since you caught the stallion?”

  “Just over three weeks.” He nods once and presses his lips tightly together.

  I nod and turn around to place my bag on a nearby stool. Opening it up, I pull out my arm-length gloves. “I’ll check her over, really quick.” I point at the horse and pull on my glove.

  “Right.” He suddenly realizes what I have to do. “I’ll just be waiting outside.” He bows his head and makes a break for the door.

  After checking over the horse, I take off my glove and thoroughly wash my hands and arms in the industrial sink at the corner. I grab my bag and pull it up over my shoulder, then push open the barn door and step out. Tyler is there waiting patiently, sitting on an old wooden bench beside the barn.

  “Well?” he asks anxiously, standing and staggering from one foot to the other.

  I nod. “She’s pregnant.”

  “Shit!” he breathes out, grabbing his hat off his head and kicking at the rocks. “Bossman isn’t going to be happy about this. We breed in the summer so that we don’t have to worry about winter births.” He runs his hand through his dirty-blond hair, causing it to stand up even worse.

  “I completely understand. A winter birth can be hard on a new foal. But it looks like you have a pretty nice set up here.” I look over my shoulder at the big red barn. “You should have plenty of room to keep them indoors and warm.”

  He smiles, causing his dark eyes to light up. “You don’t happen to have a due date, do you?”

  I let out a soft chuckle. “Since you breed horses, I’m sure you know a mare’s average gestation period is eleven months. If she were impregnated three weeks ago, I’d say around the first or second week of next March.”

  He nods and takes a deep breath as he leans against the side of the barn. “I don’t usually breed the horses. I just take care of them and the land.” He places his hat back on his head and flexes his jaw with worry. “We’re currently between vets at the moment. Would it be possible for you to come and check on her until we get someone new? We’re more than willing to pay you for your time, traveling expenses, and after hour visits, of course.”

  I quickly think it over. I could never turn down an animal in need, and good healthcare early on in the pregnancy is vital for a healthy foal. “I can fill in when needed until you find someone to hire full time.”

  He gives me a wide smile, causing his dark eyes to light up and grow wide. “Thank you, Ms. Lawrence.” He holds out his hand to shake.

  “Please, just call me Vesper…or Ves for short.” I place my hand in his.

  “Will do, Ves.”

  I look up at him and see his cute grin starts to form as he slowly licks his lips. I feel my face flush from the way he’s looking at me, but I’m not the kind to fall for the cute boy-next-door type.

  I clear my throat and point toward my car from over my shoulder. “I should get going. It’s going to get dark soon.”

  “Oh, right.” He holds up his finger, telling me to wait a moment. He rushes into the barn, leaving me standing on the gravel alone. Within seconds, he’s back and holding out a piece of paper. “Here’s a check for your time. I really appreciate your help.”

  I take the check and tuck it into my back pocket without looking at it. “No worries.” I turn to leave but suddenly stop and spin around to face him. “I’ll be back in a few days. I’d like to run some tests to make sure her diet is balanced, make sure she’s getting all the vitamins and minerals she needs for a healthy pregnancy.”

  He crosses his arms over his chest again, his biceps bulging so much I think they may rip his shirt. “Thank you, Ves. I’ll see you in a couple days.” He shoots me a wink, and it only makes my face flush.

  I smile shyly and climb behind the wheel.

  The whole drive home, all I think about is Tyler. The way his eyes seemed to darken when they landed on me. His sweet smile. Those massive biceps. But I push it all out of my mind. I’m not looking for a relationship right now. All I need to focus on is getting my new animal hospital off the ground. We only opened a few months ago, and there is still a lot to do. I’d like to bring in more veterinarians, more techs, and clients. Maybe even expand to different areas of the state. But right now, it’s just me, my assistant, and my lonely animal hospital. Big dreams for a small-town girl. But I won’t let anything get in my way. I want to make a name for myself. I want to help as many animals as I can.

  As I’m pulling back into town, I glance down at the time glowing on the dash—7:05. I’m late for dinner with my family, but I assume they are used to me working overtime by now. Within minutes, I’m pulling into the drive of the white, two-story house I grew up in. The windows are brightly lit up from the inside, giving the house a warm feeling, and the porch light is on to welcome me. There is always a season-themed wreath hanging on the front door. This time, it’s covered in artificial flowers and butterflies.

  I shut off the car and grab my purse before running into the house.

  “Mom, Dad, guess what?” I shout as I rush into the kitchen to find them taking dinner to the dining room.

  Both of them turn in my direction. “What?” Mom asks, nervousness showing on her rounded face, causing the wrinkles around her emerald eyes to deepen.

  “I just accepted a fill-in position at the O’Connor Ranch,” I shout, excitedly. “That’s the biggest ranch in the state. Can you imagine the clientele I’ll get if they put in a good word for me? Ranchers across the state could know my name.” I can’t hold back my enthusiasm now that I’m with my family, who’s always encouraged me to chase my dreams.

  “That’s wonderful, Ves,” Dad says, placing the bowl of mashed potatoes on the island and closing the distance between us, pulling me against him for a hug. Dad is a big man, at least six-five and two-hundred pounds. He nearly squeezes the air from my lungs, but it feels good. I know how proud he is of me.

  “That is good news, Vesper,” Mom agrees; her eyes that resemble mine sparkle as her lips turn up into a proud smile.

  Dad pulls away but keeps me at arm’s-length, leveling his brown eyes on me. “Are you sure you’re going to have the time that this new job requires, given the hours you’re already putting in at the new clinic?”

  I shrug one shoulder as I pick up the bowl he sat down. “It’s only one horse, and I’ll make the drive after hours. In fact…” I pull out the check and unfold it, looking down to see many more zeros than I anticipated. My brows pull together as I study the number, confused.

  “What is it?” Dad steps closer and looks at the check in my hands. “Whoa! They paid you in advance?”

  My shoulders fall in relief. That must be it. This check isn’t for this one visit. It’s for monitoring the entire pregnancy of the horse.

  “I guess so. I thought it was for one visit, but no way could they pay this much for a one-time thing.”

  Mom leans over to view the number. “Oh my! That’s more than what our first house cost!” She looks at Dad with her wide eyes.

  A giggle escapes my lips as I slip the check back into my pocket. Now that I know how much it’s made out for, it feels as if it’s burning a hole in my pocket. People get murdered for less than this, and I’m carrying it around in my back pocket like a five-dollar bill.

  I try to push the thought away from my mind as we sit around the table eating the delicious dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and steamed vegetables.

  “How’s Aria?” I ask my mom. “I haven’t talked to her in a while. She never calls me back.”

  She rolls her eyes. “You know your sister. Always too busy with work, school, parties and boys.”

  I nod, not really wanting to brin
g up her lifestyle because I see how annoyed Daddy gets when we talk about it. Aria is the wild child, very free willed and strong spirited. She makes the most out of life and doesn’t care if that interferes with her school work or grades. Dad throws a fit because he feels like his money is paying for her to party instead of get a degree. I understand both sides of it. She wants to live. There’s more to life than school and grades, as she says.

  “Oh, Dad,” I mumble through a mouth full of potatoes, wanting to change the conversation. “I saw Mrs. Stevens today. She said she was making her famous pineapple upside-down cake.”

  His eyes lift from his plate of food and lock on mine. “Did she happen to say when?”

  A loud laugh escapes my lips. “Why don’t you just have Mama make you one?” I motion toward her with my thumb.

  She wipes the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “Nobody’s pineapple upside-down cake is as good as Mrs. Stevens,” she mocks. “According to your father anyway.” She takes a sip of her sweet tea, ice chips clinking off the glass. “I should just thank my lucky stars that he married me before he found out about her cakes. Otherwise,” she looks directly at me, “you may never have been born,” she jokes.

  3

  I stay so busy at the clinic that my days pass quicker than I thought possible. Before I know it, it’s time to head out to the O’Connor Ranch to check on Lucy. Before leaving work, I grab a little cooler, a syringe, and vials to collect some of Lucy’s blood to test.

  Throughout the drive, I listen to music and enjoy the scenery, never tiring of the beautiful landscapes or the wildlife. When I pull into the drive, Tyler is standing out in front of the barn, brushing a beautiful white horse with gray spots. I exit the car, tossing my bags over my shoulder as I make my way over to him.

  “Who’s this beauty?” I ask, reaching out and petting its nose.

  “This,” he smiles, “is Tessa. This will be her first year of breeding, but I know she’ll make some beautiful babies.”

  I smile as I gaze up at the magnificent horse. “I’m sure she will,” I nearly blurt it out, dropping my hand back to my side. “I’m going to go do the blood draw on Lucy, if that’s okay.” I point over my shoulder.

  “Sure. I just brushed her out and put her back in her stall.”

  Before I turn away, I notice the way his dark eyes narrow on mine and the way his jaw flexes.

  “You don’t have time for men in your life, Ves,” I whisper to myself.

  I fill the vials with Lucy’s blood and put them into the cooler. As I make my way out of the stall, closing the door behind me, I run into Tyler’s hard chest, nearly falling backward.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” I mumble in my daze.

  It’s only now that I realize his hands are holding me by the hips, helping to support me. He seems to notice too because he looks at them before letting them fall back to his sides. “I’m sorry, I was just coming to check and see how things are going. Was she behaving herself in there?” His face is slightly flushed.

  I tear my eyes away from him, looking at Lucy. “She was perfect. She’s a very sweet horse.”

  He nods as he runs his hand over the scruff of his jaw. “Good.” It feels like he’s searching for something to say. Is he embarrassed about balancing me? Either way, I don’t want to stick around and make the situation even more awkward.

  “I need to get going. This blood won’t keep for too long.” I quickly step around him.

  “Ves?” he calls after me.

  “Yeah?” I spin around to face him.

  He pulls out a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and hands it out between two fingers. “For today’s work.”

  I take the check and open it to see the same number as before. My mouth drops open. “I…I thought the last check you gave me was an advance.” I hold the checkup higher. “I don’t charge this much.”

  He raises his hands, palms facing me. “The owner can afford it. And this is the going rate that he pays to all the vets that treat his animals. You’re not special. I mean, you’re not getting special treatment or anything,” he corrects.

  I shake my head, letting the hand that’s holding the check fall to my side. “I don’t feel right taking it. When will your boss be getting in? I’d like to talk to him.”

  He shrugs as he spins around and walks out the back barn door with me following after him. “He’s not in town much. To be honest, I don’t know why he keeps this place.” He grabs a saddle off a stack of hay bales and walks it back into the barn.

  “Well, does he swing by once a month or something? I can wait. I still haven’t cashed the last check you gave me.” I don’t follow him—it feels like he’s running from the conversation. I just raise my voice so he’s sure to hear me.

  He turns to face me now. “Look, Ves. This is what he pays. I’m only giving you what he wants me to give you.” He finally walks back over. “It’s not a problem. It’s not up for negotiation. This is what the job pays. You’re worth it. Trust me.” He narrows his dark eyes on me.

  I shrug my shoulders as my determination caves. “I don’t like it,” I claim, shaking my head.

  “I’m sorry, Ves. Maybe…” He looks up like he’s looking to the sky for answers. “Maybe you can donate it. Or start some kind of scholarship for students who want to become veterinarians like you.” He motions toward me with his hand.

  My lips turn up with his words. “That’s a really good idea.”

  He offers a wide smile and his eyes light up. “So, you’ll stay. You won’t quit?”

  I turn away with a grin on my face. “I never said I was going to quit.” I look over my shoulder at him. “I’ll see you soon, Tyler.”

  All I can hear is the crunch of the gravel beneath my feet, but I swear I hear him say, “I hope so.”

  I don’t turn around to ask him to repeat himself. I can’t. He’s cute, cares about animals, and he’s sweet. If I weren’t so determined to stay single, I may have fallen for that line, the line that would reel me back in, but I refuse to get off track right now. I’m too busy. I have too many things on the back burner already, and my career isn’t going to be one of them.

  When I get back to the clinic, I set out to run the tests on Lucy’s blood. I’m in the lab when I hear the phone ring, but Amy hasn’t left yet, so I leave it to her to answer.

  Seconds later, she pokes her head into the back room. “Ves, a man named Tyler is on the phone for you.”

  “Oh?” I set down my work and remove my gloves as I make my way to the office, thinking it must be something to do with Lucy. I sit down at my desk and hit the speaker button on his line.

  “Hello, Tyler? Is everything okay with Lucy?” I start picking nervously at the skin around my nails.

  “Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I just…” his words drift off.

  “You just…what?” My eyes jump to the phone like they would to his face: trying to find the answer I’m looking for.

  “I just… I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since you showed up here the other day, and…umm, I was hoping…that maybe, you’d go out with me sometime?”

  My mouth drops open. Speechless. This has never happened to me before. I’ve always had something to say, a witty comeback, a retort of some sort. But now, I have no idea what to say. Do I want to go out with Tyler? Hell yes, I do. He’s cute and sweet and good looking, but my career—my dreams. I’m torn.

  “A-are you still there?” he asks, fear dripping from his words.

  “Yes! Yes, I’m here. I’m sorry,” I laugh out. “I was… I was just thinking.” I shake my head, hoping to clear it of confusion.

  “Oh,” is his only reply, obviously feeling a little let down.

  “Look, Tyler… It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that we’re working together now, and that may be strenuous. You know?”

  Amy quietly knocks on my door, giving me wide eyes while mouthing the word yes and nodding her
head excitedly.

  “It’s just one date, Ves. I’m not going to ask you to marry me or anything like that. We can just meet up somewhere. Have some dinner, drinks, whatever.” He pauses. “Just as friends,” he adds.

  Amy and I are now in silent mode. I’m shaking my head no while she’s nodding her head yes. All the while, she’s taking turns pointing her index finger at me and giving me the praying hands.

  “Fine!” I accidentally say out loud. “I mean, yes. Yes, I will have one dinner with you…as friends.”

  I can practically hear his smile. “Thank you,” he breathes out. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at eight?”

  I’m gritting my teeth, but I manage to get out a solid, “Sounds good.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Bye, Ves.”

  “Bye, Tyler.” I jab the button on the phone with a little too much force just as Amy breaks out in loud cheers and dancing.

  “You’re such a pain in my ass; you know that?” I ask, standing up and walking past her to finish my work in the lab.

  “Oh, come on. You haven’t been on a date in for-ev-er.” She enunciates each syllable to make it sound dramatic.

  “Of course I have,” I argue, pulling on a fresh set of gloves.

  “Really?” She gives me attitude by leaning her shoulder against the wall and placing her hand on her hip. “When? When was the last time you went out on a date?”

  I quickly think it over. “I went out with Travis Sneer, remember? He took me to that horrible movie, then he bought me a hot dog for dinner.” I roll my eyes at that horrible memory.

  She laughs. “You do realize that was two years ago, right?”

  I feel my brows draw together. “Really? Two years?” I look away from my work and at her.

  She nods once. “Yep.” Her mouth makes a popping sound on the P.

  I swipe my hand through the air and dismiss the whole conversation. “Well, you got your way. Now I have to go out with a cute cowboy that loves animals. Are you happy?”

  She shrugs. “I don’t see why that’s a bad thing, Ves. I mean, how horrible can it be to date a cute guy that loves the same things as you.” Sarcasm is thick in her voice.