Send Me a Cowboy Read online

  So much for feeling small and dainty. “I am not being examined by a vet, John Kinkaid.” She took one of the pillows from the bed and threw it at his head as he walked to the door. She missed.

  “Wanna bet?” He looked over his shoulder and grinned before closing the door behind him.

  Katie was in tears by the time she removed her jeans. The straight legged boot cut might be sexy, but it was a damn nuisance trying to ease stiff denim off a swollen limb. Maybe she should have asked John to help her remove them. It’s what Jessica would have done. Or Marcia. But there was no way Katie would. Especially not after he’d seen her display of athleticism and her fat rolls bouncing all over the place.

  A knock sounded on the door and she quickly pulled the comforter across her thighs to cover herself. She sighed in relief when Marcia stepped through the door. She was not letting a vet look at her ankle.

  “Oh, Katie, I heard what happened.” The woman was all sympathy as she clucked and fussed over Katie. It was kind of nice. Other than Jessica, she didn’t really have anyone in her life that really cared about her. Her mother and father, well, those relationships were better left for brief visits during the holidays.

  Within minutes, Marcia had her settled in the bed, stripped of her grass-stained sweater and dressed in an oversized t-shirt that she had brought in with her. When Katie asked whose it was, she grinned and told her John had given it to her along with the icepack he’d promised.

  “John’s just gone down to fetch, ah, Dr. Anderson.”

  Katie grimaced. “You don’t have to tiptoe around it, Marcia. I know I’m about to be examined by a large animal doctor.” She moved her foot gingerly. Marcia had propped it up on a pillow and wrapped the icepack around it. “I guess it’s poetic justice since a rather large animal caused my injury.”

  Marcia laughed, then sobered. “I’ve never seen John so upset. James had to calm him down. He was ready to ship Big Ben to the slaughterhouse.”

  “What? Oh, please tell me I didn’t cause the bull to hurt himself?” Katie wailed. It was bad enough that she’d almost gotten John hurt. She knew how touchy ranchers were about their livestock.

  “Goodness, no.” The other woman squeezed her shoulder. “He was angry the bull had almost hurt you.”

  To say the words shocked Katie would have been an understatement. She was saved from trying to reply to the mind-numbing comment when a knock sounded at the door.

  “Come in.” Marcia called, eyeing Katie strangely.

  The door opened and a tall, older man walked inside carrying a large black medical bag. “Hello Marcia, is this my patient?”

  Marcia performed the introductions then stood aside to let the vet step up on the bed. His smile was infectious and Katie liked him immediately.

  “Let’s see what damage you’ve done, little lady.” He efficiently removed the icepack and began his examination. Katie was biting her lip by the time it was over. The man had twisted her limb in ways she’d never moved it before. Even though his touch was gentle, by the time his examination ended, she really hurt. He patted her knee under the cover once he’d settled her foot back on the pillow and reapplied the icepack.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have any pain medication to give you, Miss Lenard. I’m sure John has some aspirin, though. That should help take the swelling down and relieve the pain.”

  Katie leaned against the pillows as the pain settled back into a steady throb. “I bet I’m the first patient you’ve ever told to take two aspirin and call you in the morning,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

  The man laughed. “That’s true, young lady, but you’re also the prettiest patient I’ve had the pleasure of treating.”

  “If you’re through flirting with my guest, Sam, I’ll see you out.”

  Katie’s eyes flew open at the tone of John’s voice. He sounded…angry. But why? It had been his idea to have the vet treat her in the first place. His face was a dark mask and she could have sworn she saw a muscle tick on the side of his jaw. He’d changed into another western shirt, clean jeans, and nice boots. He looked just the way a fantasy cowboy should. Heart clenchingly sexy.

  Dr. Anderson fastened his case before answering. “I can see myself out, John. Why don’t you find some aspirin for Katie. I’m sure her ankle is starting to bother her something fierce by now. Tomorrow you can wrap it in an ace bandage and she can get up for brief periods if she can tolerate it.”

  “Tomorrow?” Katie couldn’t keep the note of panic out of her voice. “I can’t stay here tonight.”

  “Yes, you can.” Both men answered at once. John frowned and Sam just grinned.

  “No, I can’t.”

  “Is someone expecting you home?”

  Again, that strange look crossed John’s face. “No, but...”

  “Then it’s settled. You really can’t drive with that ankle, Miss Lenard,” the vet stated. “And you don’t need to be by yourself tonight. The best thing to do is stay here and let John take care of you.”

  Katie waited until the doctor and Marcia had left the room before she looked at John. “I can’t stay here.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, well, I just can’t.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m a big girl, Mr. Kinkaid. I’ve made my own decisions for quite some time now.”

  He snorted. “Yeah, and this one is right up there with taking a walk through a corral occupied by a two ton bull.”

  “I didn’t see him.”

  He laughed out loud and her face flushed. She could hardly tell him her attention had been too focused on him.

  “You’ll be spending the night at the Triple K.” When she started to protest, he touched her lips with his finger. “Think of it as a trial run.”

  She resisted the temptation to lick his finger with the tip of her tongue–barely. For the sake of her sanity, she leaned her head back against the pillow. “So we’re spending the night at the homestead?” she asked.

  “No.”

  His intent stare was making her nervous. “Then it’s not a trial run and I’m going home.” She attempted to move her foot and bit her lip at the shaft of pain that sliced through it. “I’ll just rest here for a little while. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a few hours.”

  “You are not going home tonight.”

  He spoke through gritted teeth and Katie knew she’d upset him. Again.

  “Now, listen...,” Katie began hotly, only to get sidetracked by the sexy picture he made standing there with his arms crossed, muscles straining his t-shirt.

  “No, you listen. I’m your boss and I say you stay.”

  “Does Marcia ever spend the night?”

  “Yes, when she works late.”

  “Oh.” That took the wind right out of her sails and she wondered why she’d even asked the question. When she opened her mouth to protest again, he made a slicing motion across his throat.

  “End of discussion.”

  *****

  John went to his office, trying not to think about his reasons for insisting that Katie spend the night. Marcia could take her home, or even one of the hands. Hell, he could take her himself. He wasn’t about to dig too deeply into the why of it, but he wanted her under his roof, plain and simple.

  Unfortunately there was nothing plain or simple about Katie Lenard.

  She might be ordinary to look at, but she was beautiful to behold. Her eyes were the darkest brown he’d ever seen, bordering on black, but so warm and inviting a man wanted to keep on looking. Her mouth sported a cupid’s bow on her full upper lip and her bottom lip begged to be bitten. Her complexion was clear and unblemished, free of all but the lightest makeup. Her beauty was natural. Her hair color wasn’t from a bottle either. She thought of herself as a little brown mouse. John thought there was absolutely nothing mousy about her.

  She was more like a kitten. Soft and cuddly, with sharp little claws that came out at the damnedest times.

  Taking a deep breath, he eyed his desk. He couldn’t
think about the situation with Katie any longer and he damn sure wasn’t willing to dwell on just how right it felt to have her in his house. He had a mountain of work to do. He’d closed three deals in less than twenty-four hours and the fees would add another zero to the Triple K’s bottom line. The breeding program, along with the oil and gas that had been discovered a few years back, insured his future. And his brother’s.

  But he never felt like it would be enough. He still remembered those dark days right after his parents were killed and he’d realized he was going to be responsible for his younger sibling. They came from an average, middleclass family with two working parents. There had been no savings, no extra insurance money. John’s father had been estranged from his family for years and his mother had no living relatives. By the time social services had tracked down his grandfather, John and James had been placed in separate foster homes. John had vowed that would never happen again. It had taken weeks before the old man had been located. And a few more before he’d agreed to take on the responsibility of a sixteen and twelve year old.

  From the very first day at the ranch, John had worked tirelessly to prove himself indispensable. He’d learned everything he could about ranching and breeding. He’d planned on going to college to study animal husbandry and business management, but that had been nixed when his grandfather passed away unexpectedly four years later.

  Thankfully, his hard work had already started to pay off and he’d had enough money to basically buy himself custody of James. From that point on, he’d vowed never to be that defenseless again. Safety necessitated money. And money equaled power, which bought safety.

  He’d taken night courses and on-line courses and earned a degree in business and learned all about ranching the hard way. He’d thrust his way into the business world and he’d proven himself a success. The discovery of oil and gas was his security. His fall back plan. But he’d never allow himself to live off the royalties. Everything was reinvested, building his wealth. He knew how fragile security and safety really were.

  A knock sounded at the door, interrupting his thoughts. “Come in,” he called.

  “I hear we’re having an overnight guest.” James opened the door, smiling as he stepped inside.

  “Leave her alone, James. She’s here to work.” He’d left Katie in the capable hands of his housekeeper, hoping her good manners would prevent her from continuing to protest. It wasn’t unusual for Marcia to spend the night when she worked late. There was nothing wrong with Katie doing the same.

  James laughed. “Better take your own advice, brother. Or was she working on the staircase the other day?”

  Damn. He didn’t think his brother had seen them. Not that he cared for himself, but he didn’t want Katie embarrassed.

  “Look, James…”

  “No, you look big brother.” James walked closer to the desk, his usual easy-going demeanor absent. “Katie seems like a nice girl. Don’t hurt her.”

  John sighed. Maybe his brother was interested after all. It didn’t matter, not really. As much as he loved his brother, the fact remained that Katie was his. He’d recognized it the instant he’d turned and seen her in the path of Big Ben. And when he’d held her afterwards, he hadn’t wanted to let go. The feel of her against his body, the sound of her heartbeat echoing the fierce tattoo of his own, had knocked the breath out of him. “I know–”

  “You don’t know, jack. Katie looks at you like you’re the flavor of the month at Ben and Jerry’s–”

  John growled, stepping around the desk to face the younger man. If that was a slight about Katie’s weight, he’d deck the man, brother or no brother.

  James waved his anger aside, not intimidated in the least. “You break that girl’s heart and you’ll answer to me.”

  John frowned. “I have no intention of breaking her heart.”

  James walked to the door and turned, giving his older brother a sage look. “No one ever does, do they?”

  ******

  Katie was surprised when John brought her a tray a half hour later. She’d been settled in a room that was bigger than her whole apartment. It was definitely better decorated in warm, earthy colors of golds, rusts, and browns.

  “Ms. Carter was going to feed you some beef broth and crackers but I talked her out of it. A growing girl needs something more substantial.”

  Katie wanted to bury her face in her hands and cry at his flippant comment. Was that his way of saying he thought she was fat? And that such a simple meal would never be enough for someone her size? She willed her stomach not to growl when she caught a tantalizing whiff of grilled steak. She was starving. “I’m not hungry, but thank you.”

  John’s eyes narrowed at her words but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he put the tray on the bedside table before turning to face her.

  “That was not a comment about your weight.”

  Katie couldn’t meet his gaze. Having this conversation with him was even more mortifying than having him think she was fat.

  When she didn’t respond, John ran an impatient hand through his thick hair. “It was a comment about your age, damn it. You’re only twenty-nine.”

  “Almost thirty.”

  “I’m thirty-nine.”

  “So.” Katie’s brow wrinkled in confusion. Why was he talking about age?

  “So, that’s ten years difference in our ages.”

  That unblinking, intense stare almost robbed her of a smart retort. She had no problems with their age difference. She disliked dating men her own age. Most of them were too immature to maintain a simple conversation. Or was that simply another of John’s warnings that he wasn’t available?

  “Is the vet married? Maybe he’d like to go out with a younger woman.”

  She almost smiled when she heard him give a little growl.

  “Sit up.” Without giving her time to comply with the brisk order, he hooked his arms through hers, pulling her into a sitting position against the upholstered headboard. The thin cotton of the t-shirt he’d loaned her stretched across her chest, revealing the fact that she wore nothing beneath. She hastily pulled up the covers to hide her evident arousal, tucking the fluffy comforter beneath her arms.

  She nodded toward the tray of food. “I really don’t want anything.”

  “Well, I do.”

  That was the first time that she noticed there were two plates on the tray. With the delicious smelling fare so close, Katie’s stomach apparently couldn’t hold out any longer. It growled, the sound loud in the quiet room.

  To his credit, John didn’t smirk or even crack a smile. He pulled a leather chair over to the bed and took a seat. Along with the mouthwatering steak, there were bowls of steamed broccoli and buttery baked potatoes. Two glasses of water and a heaping bowl of fresh fruit completed the meal.

  John didn’t say anything even though Katie sensed he wanted to. He cut off a small piece of steak and held it up to her lips.

  “Eat.”

  With an obedience quite outside her nature, she opened her mouth and took the small morsel inside. Flavor immediately burst on her tongue and she tried not to moan. She couldn’t prevent her stomach from growling even louder than before.

  He cut another piece, a bigger piece, and took a moment to chew it before cutting another piece for her. As she took the second bite, he finally spoke. “I don’t like it when you lie to me, Katie. I don’t like it when anyone does.”

  She had to swallow before she could answer. “I didn’t lie.”

  “You’re hungry. Any sane person would realize that. It’s late in the afternoon and we skipped lunch.”

  He gave her some broccoli then took another piece of steak for himself.

  “You don’t have to feed me,” Katie said, even though she was loving every minute of it.

  He smiled and it was so wicked that Katie wanted to sigh. “No. I don’t.”

  They were silent for several moments as John continued to feed her.

  “I see Marcia gave you my t-shirt.�
��

  “I, um…thank you.” She pulled the comforter tighter, anchoring it with her arms. “My sweater was a little worse for wear.”

  John’s hand tightened on the silverware in his hands and his lips thinned. “If you ever do something that stupid again, Katie Lenard, I will put you over my knee and spank you until you can’t sit for a week.”

  Kate bit her lip, surprised at the violence in his expression. “It wasn’t something I planned.”

  “Dammit, Katie, just promise me you won’t put yourself in danger like that again.”

  “I won’t,” she whispered, her heart beating faster at his evident concern.

  He let out a deep breath. “Good. Cause I’d hate to have to feed you my prize bull.” He held out another bite of steak, laughing softly at her horrified expression.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart, Big Ben is safe. Barely.”

  He took a drink of water then held the glass out to her, not bothering with the second glass. She shivered at the intimate gesture.

  “But if he’d harmed one hair on your head, we would be eating him right now.”

  “John!” She almost choked on the small sip.

  He laid down the utensils, staring at her intently. “I was never so frightened in my life, kitty-cat.”

  “I–” What had he just called her?

  She’d never had a nickname in her entire life. At least not any sexy or cute ones. “I…you think I’m like a cat?” She set the water glass on the tray, her eyes never leaving his face.

  Cats were sleek, fast…haughty.

  “That’s what you are,” he whispered, the sudden fire in his eyes scorching her. “A kitten begging to be stroked.”

  He set the food aside carefully and rose from the chair to sit on the side of the bed. His hot gaze caressed her skin, skimming along her body as if he could see beneath the comforter and shirt to her puckered flesh. She responded to his blatant look, her blood heating, pumping madly through her wildly beating heart.