He smiled, his dark eyes shining like he wanted to say more, but he was gone before I could probe further.

  Cole returned then and took the stool next to me. “What did I miss?”

  I chuckled. “I’m surprised you came back over here. Chandler didn’t chase you off?”

  “As if he could.” Cole shook his head. “He loves you, and he knows me. He just wants you to be safe.”

  I cocked a brow in his direction. “Are you saying I’m not safe when I’m with you?”

  He took another drink of his beer. “Loaded question.” He met my eyes again. “Tell me why he thinks you aren’t a relationship-type girl?”

  “Is that what he said?” At first, I was offended, but gradually, I realized my brother might be on to something. I’d always told myself I was waiting for real love. I wasn’t wasting my heart on anything less. Because of that pledge, I hadn’t been in a serious relationship. Ever.

  Huh.

  “Yeah.” Cole’s gaze wandered over my face. “He’s not far off-base about me being too busy for relationships. Is that your excuse, too?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I wish.” I searched his eyes, wondering if he was always this easy to talk to. “My parents have been together for over thirty years, but I don’t think they’ve ever been in love.” I shrugged, breaking the eye contact. “I guess they make it work, but it left me and Chandler clinging to each other instead of our parents. They’re pretty distant. I think they only had kids to have an extension of themselves in the world, a symbol of their success. Anyway, I dated a little in high school, but it only confirmed my suspicion that love was a fairy tale.”

  “I’m the opposite.” He waited for me to glance his way before he went on. “I believed in a fairy-tale relationship like my parents’. When that never materialized for me, I sort of…gave up.”

  I pushed my plate of cold fries and half-eaten churro away with a shrug. “I didn’t really give up. Or at least I don’t think I did, but maybe I just didn’t want to admit it.” I met his gaze. “I decided I would only give my heart to someone if it was going to forever.” I shrugged. “And I guess that means never.”

  He brought his hand up to the bar and covered mine with his. He squeezed it, strong but thoughtful. This was the touch of a person who understood, who cared. My heart melted a little. Okay, maybe more than a little.

  His deep voice was like a caress. “I’m not ready to call it a night, but it’s really loud in here. Can I drive you home? We could come back for your car later.”

  I stared at our joined hands and suddenly realized I was already nodding. “Sure. That sounds good.”

  Cole released my hand and laid a few bills on the bar. “See you later, Ryker.”

  “’Night, Cole.” The bartender looked my way. “Hope to see you again, Madison. Karaoke is on Friday and Saturday nights.”

  I chuckled and waved. “Good to know. See you soon.”

  We walked to Cole’s truck in silence. I usually had plenty to say, but I was living in my head at the moment. I’d built my life on the assumption that I was waiting for love, not avoiding it, but Chandler’s comment about me not being a relationship kind of girl hurt. Maybe because I’d always wanted one but I feared it would be like our parents’. And I was good at being alone. It was…safe.

  Was I simply destined to be alone forever?

  Cole opened the passenger door and stood back, breaking me out of my mental fog. “Thanks,” I said as I got in and buckled my seat belt. The cab of the truck smelled like Cole, like a forest instead of the desert he lived in.

  He settled behind the wheel, and his cell phone rang. He looked at the number and frowned. “I’m sorry. I need to take this.”

  He answered, asked a few questions, and ended the call with, “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Keep her up and walking.”

  He put his phone back into his pocket and glanced my way. “I’m sorry. I’ve got to make an emergency visit to a mare with colic. I guess we can take a raincheck?” He paused and added, “Or you could come with me.”

  All that waited back at my apartment was boxes. I nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go. Maybe I can help.”

  “I’d like that.” He smiled, and my heart fluttered.

  Cold pulled out of the lot, and soon we drove down a narrow, one-lane cement drive that led to a twelve-stall barn. Cole turned his truck around and backed into the wide barn aisle. When he leaned over and grabbed his stethoscope out of the glove box, his chest brushed over my thighs, and my body warmed, hyperaware of his.

  I opened my door and followed him around to the back of the truck. At the other end of the barn a woman walked a horse slowly up and down the aisle as the other horses nickered. Cole lifted the cover on the bed of the truck, cringing at the squeaky hydraulics.

  “Fucking truck,” he murmured under his breath.

  I stopped beside him. “Can I help carry anything?”

  He looked over as if surprised to find me there for a second before he smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”

  I took a stainless-steel bucket and held it while he loaded a few feet of plastic tubing and an aluminum pump into it. He walked to the side of the truck, taking out a vat of something and then grabbed a couple vials and a syringe.

  He moved with purpose, not rushed or panicked. This wasn’t the guy I’d just convinced to sing karaoke in a bar, this was the cool, calm doctor side of him.

  I followed him through the barn, glancing at the horses as we walked by their stalls. I’d never touched a horse or a cow before I’d taken the job at Serenity Farms. I was still far from an animal expert, but I’d gotten more comfortable with their large size, and had become sort of fond of their big, caring eyes.

  When we reached the other end, the owner brought the mare over and Cole stroked her neck as he put the plugs of his stethoscope in his ears. Her bay coat was darker around her flanks and along her chest. She was sweating.

  I set the bucket down, and Cole glanced my way. “Madison, this is Cora, and this is her owner, Terry.”

  Okay, there was something so sweet about him introducing the horse first. I offered an empathetic smile to Terry. “Nice to meet you. I’m sorry Cora isn’t feeling well.”

  Terry nodded, running a hand down Cora’s face. “She’s been colicky all day.” Terry focused on me again. “Sorry I interrupted your date.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t a date,” I blurted out. Or at least it hadn’t started out as one.

  Cole stiffened and placed his stethoscope against the base of Cora’s bloated belly. He straightened and glanced at Terry. “Madison is the new ranch manager at Serenity Farms. We were meeting about their artificial insemination program over there.”

  Smooth comeback, Dr. Vega. I looked over at Terry and added, “I’m still learning about the livestock so I offered to tag along and help.”

  She seemed satisfied with our answers and kissed Cora’s muzzle. “Is she going to be all right?”

  Cole listened to a few more places on Cora’s belly and then her chest. He came forward and lifted the mare’s upper lip, pressing his thumb against her gums before answering Terry. “Her vitals are still strong, but her gut is too quiet so the impaction still hasn’t passed through. I’m going to give her one more dose of mineral oil and dipyrone.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Vega.”

  I stayed out of his way while he plunged the syringe of medication into the mare’s thick neck. He was all business now, filling the stainless-steel bucket with mineral oil up to the four-quart line. Next, he hooked the plastic tubing to the end of the pump, then unrolled the tubing and put a squirt of lubricant on the end.

  “Can you hold her head up?” he asked Terry.

  She propped Cora’s head on her shoulder while Cole murmured comforting words to the mare in such a low tone I couldn’t make out what he was saying. He slid the tubing into one of her large nostrils. She fussed once as he fished more tubing down until he was satisfied it was placed in her stomach.

  “Can you bring the bucket closer?” he asked me without taking his eyes off the mare.

  I carefully lifted the bucket and carried it to his side. Cole pumped the mineral oil slow and steady until the bucket was empty. He disconnected the tube from the pump and held it up over the mare’s head until all the fluid drained into her. Slowly, he pulled the tubing free, whispering into Cora’s ear. He lifted her head off Terry’s shoulder allowing her to drop her head.

  “That’s a good girl.” He stroked his fingers down her neck. “You’ll feel better now.”

  Seeing this tender, gentle side of Cole gave me a clearer picture of who he was. He had a natural ability with animals. He was a true healer. It made me wonder what he’d wanted to be before he got his degree in veterinary medicine. This seemed like such a good fit for him.

  He turned to Terry. Her eyes shone with tears as she threaded her fingers through Cora’s forelock. His tone was gentle. “Keep her up on her feet. We don’t want her to lay down and roll over. Give the oil time to work.”

  Terry’s voice broke as she spoke. “Shouldn’t it have worked by now? This is her second dose today.”

  He continued to pat the mare’s neck. “Sometimes the impaction is stubborn. If she has an appetite at all, you could offer her some bran mash. That might help, too.”

  “Okay.” Terry sniffled.

  Cole could have walked back to his truck then, left, and e-mailed her a bill. He’d completed the treatment, after all. But he didn’t. Instead, he reassured her. “Cora’s vitals are strong. As long as she doesn’t roll and twist her intestines, I think she’s going to be all right.”

  Terry nodded with a hopeful smile. “I’m just worried about her.”

  Cole wrapped his stethoscope around the back of his neck and picked up the bucket. “I’ll check in with you in the morning, but you can call my cell anytime tonight if she gets worse.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Vega.”

  I followed Cole back to the truck. He kept his voice low as he loaded his equipment into the right compartments. “I’ll take you back to your car and then swing by the clinic to sterilize my tools.”

  “Late night,” I replied.

  He smiled over at me. His messy hair and the rough stubble on his face somehow made him even more good-looking. “The glamorous life of a large-animal vet,” he said.

  I got in the truck and waited for him to slam the door before I asked, “Will she really be all right?”

  “I think so.” He nodded. “Horses have miles of intestines, and when they get an impaction, colic is pretty common. Usually it resolves.”

  Terry loved on her horse in the beams of the truck headlights. “What if it doesn’t?” I croaked out.

  “There’s a large-animal hospital in Phoenix that offers surgery to repair twisted intestines. It’s expensive and there are no guarantees the horse will survive the operation, but it’s really the only hope if it gets to that point.” He glanced over at Terry and Cora. “Terry keeps a close eye on her horses. I doubt Cora had a chance to roll and get anything twisted. I think she’ll be fine.”

  I patted his thigh without thinking. I barely knew this guy. At least not in any way that could be measured by the time we’d known each other, but after singing with him tonight and watching him treat a sick horse, I’d seen glimpses of his soul. As impossible as it seemed, I knew him on a deeper level than rationally made sense.

  “You’re pretty amazing,” I said, meaning it.

  “I don’t know about that.” He rested his hand over mine again, reminding me how much bigger and more solid he was than me, but it wasn’t unsettling. It was reassuring. “But I like to help animals.”

  I retrieved my hand as he drove out of the barn and back up to the street. He looked over at me as we pulled onto the street. “I could just take you home. We could get your car tomorrow after the shower.”

  I checked the time on my phone. It was already eleven o’clock. But I wasn’t ready for the night to end. Tomorrow was Saturday. I could sleep in before the baby shower. “I could help you with the equipment. Maybe you won’t have to be up so late, then.”

  His lips curved at the corners as he drove. “I’d like that.”

  And I really liked seeing him smile and knowing it was because of me. Bottom line, I liked Cole Vega, smile or not.

  CHAPTER 7

  Cole

  Madison wasn’t kidding when she said she’d help me sterilize the equipment. Instead of standing by and watching, she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, laughing when she picked up the tubing only to find it still covered in mineral oil.

  “I’m glad the lighting in this parking lot sucks.” Her nose crinkled as she walked with me to the back door of the vet clinic. “I don’t want to know what I just stuck my hand in.”

  I chuckled. “Trust me, that’s nothing.” I spared her stories of cattle checks that involved plastic gloves that went all the way up to my armpit.

  We got everything into the clinic, and I washed and sanitized everything while Madison collected the clean items and took them back out to my truck. I was finished in half the time it would usually take.

  She came back inside and stopped by the sink. “Anything else I can do?”

  I glanced her way, thinking of many things I’d like to do with her, but I kept them to myself. She was my mate. I wasn’t sure what to do with that information yet. If Chandler was right about putting her in more danger from our enemies, it was probably best she didn’t know, but it was tough to contain the secret when half of me wanted to tell the world how lucky I am to have this incredible woman as my mate. I didn’t want the night to be over. Hell, I wanted to learn everything about her, hold her in my arms, and never let her go.

  She also worked for someone who wouldn’t hesitate to leverage her safety against the pack. Not only was she the human sister of one pack member but if anyone found out she was my mate she’d be even more at risk.

  How could I protect her? First, I needed to keep my head. Evolution Defense knew our pack. They’d been watching us. I was sure they knew I was a werewolf. If I started spending time with Madison, it would make her even more valuable to them. But how could I keep my distance? Every minute with her made me want another.

  I was fucked, and not in the way I wanted to be.

  “I think we’re finished here,” I said. “Thanks for your help.”

  She leaned against the stainless-steel sink and crossed her arms. “I see why my brother warned me you had a lot on your plate. You’re on call twenty-four hours a day.”

  “I’m the only large-animal vet at my clinic so it comes with the job.” I studied her for a second, wishing I could tell her everything. Baby steps. First I needed to be sure she understood her instincts about her employer were right. “But you work for someone who might be spying on you.”

  She grinned, rolling her eyes. “I guess my plate might be fuller than I realized.”

  I dropped my hands to my sides, sobering. “You could always quit.”

  Her eyes widened as she shook her head. “I just got this job. Besides, even if I wanted to quit, I can’t yet. Deidra is hosting a big fundraiser, and I’ve been invited to network and locate investors for Serenity Farms. The commission would mean I could buy a nice house here. I can’t walk away from that. I’ll just need to be more careful about my communications.”

  My pulse pounded at the thought of Madison swimming with all those sharks. “What’s the fundraiser for?”

  “Some kind of neurological research, I think.” She straightened, placing a hand on her hip. “Deidra gave me a tour of the main house and asked me to bring Chandler along for the event. I was so shocked she knew I had a brother in town that I didn’t really get a chance to think it through. I mean, he is a news anchor, so maybe she’s hoping he can give her some good publicity.”

  Or she knew he was a jaguar shifter whose werewolf wife was expecting. But I couldn’t tell Madison any of that, either. “Your brother has got his hands full taking care of Wendy, but I’ll go with you if you want.”

  She stared at me for what seemed like forever. I wished I could read her mind. Was I pushing too hard? I’d never been in this situation before. My dad told stories about celebrating with his brother when he realized mom was his mate. I needed to keep mine a secret. She was right here, the other half of my soul, and I couldn’t tell her.

  When she didn’t answer right away, I picked up my keys from the counter, not trusting myself to look at her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to invite myself along.”

  I didn’t look back as I walked to the door, but her footsteps trailed behind me. She stopped beside me while I entered in the security code. Her voice was thoughtful and low. I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me or herself. “Actually, I’d like it if you came to the fundraiser with me. It’s just that I feel like I’m missing something here and I can’t figure it out, because when we sang together tonight…”

  Her words trailed off, and my heart hammered in my chest. She must’ve sensed our connection, as well. I turned to face her. “There was something between us. I felt it, too.”

  Time stretched out as I held my breath, waiting to see if she’d acknowledge it. Finally, she started to nod. “That’s never happened to me before.”

  “Me neither.” I swiped the back of my hand across my forehead and risked meeting her eyes. “But that was my first duet. Maybe I’m just a natural.”

  She laughed, the sound feeding my soul as we walked toward my truck. She came closer, nudging me with her shoulder. “You might be.”

  I stopped at the door, facing her again. Her eyes sparkled in the soft glow of the streetlight and I brought my hand up, sliding one finger under her jaw to tilt her chin toward me. God, she was beautiful.

  “If we stay here much longer, I might kiss you.” Chandler’s warning echoed through my mind, but I shut it down. All bets were off. She was my mate, made for me. I’d keep her safe.