“No. It’s just . . . she had a rough go of it this morning.”
He’d called Tanna last night and she’d breezily reminded him she was riding the hobbyhorse with Eli today. He’d laughed because the woman had such a way with words. Now, it didn’t seem so funny. “What happened?”
“That’s the thing. You need to ask her.”
“How long ago did she leave?”
“Four hours. I thought it’d be best to wait to call you until near the end of your workday.”
“Eli knows you’re calling me?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks, Summer. Tell Eli thanks too.”
Fletch glanced at the clock. Four thirty. Twenty minutes from the Split Rock. The procedure at the Ludlow Ranch wouldn’t take more than two hours, but he didn’t want to risk Tanna making other plans if he waited to contact her after he finished. He called her, hoping she’d pick up.
“Hello?”
“Tanna. It’s Fletch. What’re you doin’ right now?”
“Burning tater tots in the oven and lamenting the sorry state of my cookin’ skills. Why?”
“I’m on my way to pick you up. Be by your truck in twenty minutes.”
“And if I say no?”
He actually felt her bristle across the phone lines and bit back a chuckle. “You won’t. You secretly can’t wait to see me. And you’re dying to know the surprise I have for you.” He hung up.
Thirty seconds passed before his phone rang. He answered, “This is Dr. Fletcher.”
“What’s with this I have a surprise for you bullshit?” Tanna demanded.
“You’ll see. Now you gonna let me pick you up? Or should I keep goin’ to my original destination all by myself?”
“Fine. You can pick me up. But if I’m giving up hot tater tots, you’d better feed me after this surprise of yours.”
Fletch grinned. This was working out better than he’d planned. “Deal, sugar twang.”
“I’ll warn you I haven’t showered.”
“Neither have I.”
“Oh, and I’ve been drinkin’.”
“Then I’ll be sure not to let you drive.”
Tanna laughed. “You’re a hard one to rattle.”
You’ve rattled me since the moment we met. “Yep.” He hung up again.
His cell rang fifteen seconds later. “This is Dr. Fletcher.”
“I hate it when people hang up on me. Hate. It.”
“So noted.”
Silence.
“Why aren’t you talking to me?” she demanded.
“Sugar twang, you called me. So what do you wanna talk about?”
“Nothin’. I just wanted to hang up on you first this time.” Click.
He laughed. Hard. Such a crazy, funny, ornery woman.
Fletch made it to the back side of the Split Rock in fifteen minutes. When he saw her leaning against the tailgate of her pickup, the sunlight glinting off her mahogany hair, her arms crossed over those ample br**sts—pity that—his pulse sped up.
She hoisted herself into his truck. “Monster rig you got here, Doc. I didn’t know you operated on elephants too.”
“Gotta be a big rig. I’m a big guy, I work on big animals and I gotta have most my stuff with me.”
“So what’s the surprise?”
He whipped a U-turn. “Hey, Tanna. Damn, woman, you’re lookin’ fine. How’s your day been?” He peered at her over the tops of his sunglasses. “Go on. Take a stab at bein’ all polite and shit to me. I’ll wait.”
Tanna smirked. “Why, August Fletcher, DVM, how very thoughtful of you to ask about my day—sucky day that it was. I’m glad you think I look fine. God knows my day is complete with that stunningly original and heartfelt compliment.”
He laughed. “I figured you didn’t want me to confess you looked so tasty that I wanted to lick you up one side and down the other. Ending with my face buried between your amazing br**sts. Then between your thighs.” He flashed another smile. “Bein’s we’re just friends and all.”
She abruptly changed the subject. “What’s the surprise?”
“You’re gonna help me with my last official vet duty today.”
“Doin’ what?” she asked sharply. “Because if this is some sort of forced equine intervention you and Eli cooked up after my disastrous morning—”
“Whoa, there. First off, I haven’t talked to Eli at all today, so I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Fletch wanted to look at her to gauge her facial expression but he refrained and kept his eyes on the road. “Secondly, I’m aware of your discomfort around horses right now, so do you really think I’d force your hand and put one of my client’s animals in danger? No, ma’am.”
A few seconds passed before Tanna reached out and squeezed his forearm. “Sorry. I’m a little touchy if you hadn’t noticed. Especially after today.”
“What happened?”
“Eli eased me in to the horse pasture. Or he tried to. I panicked and fled, then berated myself for bein’ afraid of horses. It was . . . humiliating.”
Fletch twisted his wrist to clasp her fingers in his. “You tried. That’s all you can ask of yourself.” Impulsively, he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “So no horses. This client we’re helping runs sheep. They’re Australian and do things a little differently than the Wyoming sheep raisers, in what’s predominantly cattle country. They’re more successful, which makes anyone suspect, right?”