Chapter Thirteen

Beth dragged her tired body up the porch steps of the clinic. She’d worked all night but it was worth it; her patient was much improved this morning. The small rancher, who didn’t have the funds to replace his stock, was grateful too. His wife even insisted on having her shower and stay for breakfast. Beth had been grateful, but what she really wanted was to get home to her own bed. A glance at her watch revealed it was close to noon.

With heavy arms, she pushed open the door and squealed.

Grant Clark stood just inside, his hands on his hips and a huge grin on his face. Beth dropped the bag in her hands and raced across the small reception area. He opened his arms and caught her up against him.

After he hugged her close and dropped her to her feet, Beth stepped back. “You still have all your limbs, and you don’t look half bad. The visit with your folks couldn’t have been too terrible.”

Grant’s lip curled in distaste. “My mother is a saint, that’s all I’ll say. To put up with my father and my older sister, I don’t know how she does it day in and day out.”

Beth picked up the duffle bag of supplies she’d dropped. “We don’t have anything right now; why don’t we get lunch and catch up.”

Grant followed her down the hall to the office where she plopped the bag on a chair inside the door. She grimaced as she spied the piles of papers. “Uh, I didn’t make a lot of headway on the files these past two weeks.”

“I saw that. I can’t say anything, though. You were running things here by yourself and I’m grateful. I know it was tough.”

Beth turned towards her partner. His dark blonde hair that tended to curl at the ends needed a trim, but that was about it. His tan made her think he must have been working outside the whole time. All in all though, he seemed no worse off for his visit home.

She moved across the room and hugged him again. “Welcome home, partner. I’ve missed you.”

He squeezed tight for a few extra seconds, just long enough to concern her, but when he leaned back and smiled down, his expression revealed the same old Grant.

“I’ve been thinking about you,” he said. “How’s things with—”

Before he could finish, a door slammed out front and Tyler’s voice boomed across the room. “Hey, babe. I promise I won’t stay. I know you’re beat, but Flo sent…” His head poked into the office where she still stood in the circle of Grant’s arms.

Tyler’s brows rose at the same time Grant dropped his arms and stiffened.

Beth crossed the room to take the plated dish Tyler had in his hands. He held on to it.

“Thanks, Ty. You remember Grant Clark, right?”

Both men nodded.

“Clark.”

“Weston.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “That was warm and cheerful. Look you guys, you can both paw the ground and charge if you want, but I’m hungry and tired.” She shot a warning glance to Tyler and then turned to Grant. “Give me twenty minutes to change, and we’ll head out to grab that lunch.”

Reluctantly, he took his gaze off Tyler and nodded. “Okay, I’ve got to unpack yet, too. Maybe I’ll get on that.”

Good idea. Beth took Tyler by the arm and pulled him away from the doorway as Grant walked through and headed down the back hall to cross over to the cottage.

Tyler leaned over and kissed her hard, moving towards the wall, but she planted her hand in the middle of his chest and held him in check. “Settle down, cowboy.” He jerked his head towards the door. “When did he get back?”

Beth headed down the hall to the kitchenette and put the plate in the refrigerator. “Sometime during the night, obviously.”

Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face him. “Grant and I are going to go to town and grab some lunch. There’s some supplies that I need to get, too, and then we’re going to probably be here working until at least dinner, if not after.”

Tyler shoved his hands in his pockets, his expression bland. “In other words, you’re giving me fair warning that you won’t be able to see me today.”

Beth planted her hands on her hips ready for the fight that always came. “Yep.”

He stepped closer and cupped her face in his hands. “Then I’ll see you when you can.”

He kissed her, but when she lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck, he stepped back. “Dr. Sampson, if you’re free on Saturday night, perhaps you’d accompany me to the local honky tonk for some cold beverages and a two step?”

He wasn’t mad that she was going to lunch with Grant? Or that she had a lot of work to do? This definitely was a new Tyler.

Beth grinned. “I do believe, Mr. Weston, that my calendar is free this Saturday night.”

“Okay then. Just remember, that will be date number six and you know what happens on date number six.”

Her eyes widened and her cheeks burned remembering date number five. She lifted her hand to her chest and swallowed hard, her body already leaping in response to his teasing. She wet her dry lips. “What happens on date number six?”

He winked. “Don’t stand me up and you’ll find out.” He walked out of the kitchen, but then stuck his head back in. “Of course, if you can’t wait until Saturday to find out, you know my number.” She laughed, and her mind went back to New Year‘s Eve and the hot tub soak they’d shared. Oh yeah, she might not be able to wait until Saturday for a repeat performance. This new relationship with Tyler was so...freeing. No pressure, no fights, just being in the moment.

Grant appeared in the doorway a few moments later. “You ready?”

Beth jerked her gaze up to meet his. The cool anger reflected in his brown eyes made her buoyant heart crash back to reality. Forcing a bright smile, she grabbed her purse from the desk drawer.

“How about the Inn?”

Grant didn’t move out of the doorway, forcing her to stop in front of him. His broad shoulders and bulging upper arm muscles were such a contrast to his studious looking glasses and polished doctor look he tried to maintain. As he studied her, she read displeasure, anger, and disgust all at once in his eyes.

She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. “Are you going to do this here or at lunch?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Do what?”

Beth lifted her hand and waved it in the air. “Lecture me, yell at me, punish me, all the things you’re dying to do right now.”

Stepping back into the room, she leaned her backside against the desk, dropped her purse to the floor, crossed her arms over her chest, and held Grant’s glare. After several silent seconds, she uncrossed her arms and picked up her purse. Walking back in front of him, she pushed one hand against his chest to move him out of her way. “I’m so glad we had this conversation. I feel so much better. Now, can we go eat?” She brushed past and headed down the hall. She didn’t stop when she reached the door to the clinic, choosing to proceed on out into the sunshine.

Finally, when she reached the front porch steps, she heard him close the door quietly behind them. Without a word, they walked to his truck. He climbed into the driver’s side while she slipped into the passenger side and let her breath out on a sigh.

The CD that jumped to life was one she’d given him for Christmas, and she leaned over to turn it up, then brushed her hair back behind her ear and faced him. “Do you like it?”

Grant’s forearm rested on the open window ledge. He nodded and glanced towards her. “It’s good. One of his best yet, I think.”

“Did I ever tell you the story of the time Sara and our friend Charli went backstage and ended up on Toby’s tour bus?” She forced a laugh, hoping to lighten up the tension in the truck. “Evidently, they partied with the band until early the next morning. I still don’t think even Buck ever got the whole story about what went on that night.”

“This was before Buck and Sara were married?”

“Yeah. Actually, it was the week they went to Houston and—” She waved her hand. “Never mind. It’s a long story and much funnier when Charli tells it. She was here for Christmas with her father.”

“Yeah, you told me on the phone they were here.”

Beth drew a deep breath, wondering if she should tell Grant about the Circle S deal; it wasn’t a big family secret and even if it was, everyone considered Grant family anyway. Well, everyone except maybe Tyler. “You won’t believe what her father did at brunch on Christmas.”

Grant pulled the truck through the Double B arches and glanced at her. “What?”

She went on to tell him about Chase wanting to join the two ranches or at least put them both under the same control.

“Anyway, he evidently had planned on Tyler running it, but Tyler doesn’t want anything to do with it. He wants to stay here and work with Sara on a horse training facility.” She was quite impressed when he told her his plans the other night.

Grant snorted but didn’t make any other comment.

“He does,” she defended. “I know you don’t believe him, but I do.”

“You believe him because you…”

“I what?” She narrowed her eyes, waiting for her friend’s jaded opinion, but they’d reached the parking lot to the restaurant and Grant ignored her, focusing on parking the truck.

When he got out and headed to the restaurant, she scrambled around the pick up and grabbed his arm. “I what, Grant? Tell me.”

He shook his head and studied some spot over her head a few moments before returning his gaze to hers. “After the hell all of us went through when he walked, you’ve simply let him step right back into your life.”

“I’m taking things slow, seeing where they go.”

Grant rolled his eyes and walked away.

She glared at his back. “I’m being careful.”

He stopped, turned, opened his mouth, but then shook his head. “Whatever. You’re on your own this time. When he breaks your heart again, I’m going to step over your body and keep on going.”

Beth gasped at his harsh words. Deep down she knew he wouldn’t turn his back on her, but she’d never seen him this annoyed. Her eyes burned and images of last year played in her mind. Her shoulders sagged. How could she blame him? If their roles were reversed and someone who’d hurt him was back in his life, she’d be the first to tell him he was being a fool.

She didn’t want this to affect their friendship, but didn’t know how to convince him that everything would be fine when she was still trying to convince herself.

****

Tyler squeezed his thighs and sent his horse racing across the field. He needed the thrill of going as fast as he could to help clear his mind. But no matter how much the wind whipped his face, he couldn’t erase the image of Beth in Grant’s arms. It shouldn’t bother him; the pair were friends and work partners. They were close. It didn’t mean anything. He’d watched Beth leave the ranch with Grant, on their way to lunch he assumed. Even though he was trying hard, he was consumed with jealousy that the other man was taking the woman he loved to lunch. That she’d sit across from him and smile and laugh and wave her hands around with excitement with Clark instead of him.

His cell phone jangled Travis Tritt’s song about a women named T-R-O-U-B-L-E, letting him know right away by the aptly assigned ring that it was Charli. He flipped his phone open and grinned. “Hey pain in the neck. How’s it going?” The wrenching sob that came across the line made him pull up his mount hard and fast. “Charli what’s wrong? Honey, what’s the matter?” His heart leapt in his chest. It had to be her father. Before she said a word he was already turning Blaze toward home.

“Daddy’s had a heart attack. I’m at the hospital. It’s bad, they, they...” Her voice broke and she sobbed harder.

“I’ll be right there. Cord will fly me in.” He leaned over Blaze’s neck, spurring his horse on. “I’ll call the second we land.”

As soon as Tyler reached the ranch yard, he swung down and shoved Blaze into the corral. “Red, take care of him for me. There’s an emergency, sorry,” he yelled as he ran towards the ranch office.

Cord was pouring coffee in the kitchen as Tyler raced through the back door. His brother scowled as he spilled the coffee.

Tyler tried to catch his breath. “Charli called…Chase had a heart attack, a bad one.”

Cord immediately set the coffee mug down. “We’ll take the plane out. What hospital?”

“Probably General.” Tyler followed him down the hall grimacing at his clothes. Fortunately, he hadn’t moved all his things from the Circle S yet. He’d be able to get one of the ranch hands to bring them to the hospital.

Cord was already on his cell phone with Sam. “I don’t know if I’ll be home tonight or what,” Cord told their friend as he led the way to the truck. “Call Buck. I’ll be in touch when we know something else. Yeah, Tyler’s going with me. He’ll probably stay there for a bit.”

Tyler climbed inside the cab and frowned. Stay there? Yeah, what choice did he have? Someone had to step in. Beth would understand.

Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice told him like hell she would, but he couldn’t worry about that now. They had to get to Abilene.