“Of course you do. I’ll get packed right now.”
“No, Mal, you don’t need to come.”
“Sure I do. She’s your mother and I want to be there for her.” She rested her hand on his big arm. “And for you, too.”
“Thanks, but Mack said she told him to say, and I quote, ‘Tell Mal to stay and do what she has to do. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.’”
“But—”
“No, Mal, that’s what she wants and I’m not about to go against her wishes.” He captured her face between his two paws. “You stay. I just wish I didn’t have to leave you stranded here.”
Funny how she thought of his hands as paws. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll get Rick and Gunner to take me into Shatland. If I remember from my research about the area, the bus line runs through there.”
“Yeah, it does. But you’re not to leave until you’re ready.” He gave her knowing look. “Whether that’s tomorrow or never. You got that?”
“Never? That’s not going to happen.”
“Uh-huh. If it does, it’s fine. I’ll stay in touch either way.” He lifted her, surprising her, then whirled her around before plopping her on the ground. “Be happy with them, Mal. Don’t let your crusade ruin your chance at love.”
She slapped him on the arm. “Forget about me. Get your butt moving. Your mamma needs you, ya big jerk.”
“Okay, okay. I’m going. Tell the guys good-bye for me.” He winked, then with the gracefulness no one would ever have expected from a man his size, he spun around and strode toward the house.
He was halfway there when he turned around. “Mal?”
“Yeah?”
“You tell them that if they don’t treat you right, I’ll come back and kick their asses.”
Damn, how she loved that big man. “Will do. But trust me. If they don’t treat me right, I’ll kick their asses myself.”
Kid’s booming laughter filled the air as he pivoted back toward the house. Even though she’d see him again, she couldn’t help but feel like a part of her was leaving.
“Where’s Kid going?” Gunner’s voice thrilled her, making her remember how it felt to be in his arms. She almost asked him to hold her.
The waft of electric lust hummed into her. “His mother’s ill and he’s got to get back.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. But don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
She sought the answer to her question in his face. “How do you know?”
He froze like a criminal caught in the act. Did he know something she didn’t? It hit her that she’d asked herself that same question many times. Maybe the men weren’t as open and forthcoming as she thought they were.
“Isn’t that what people are supposed to say?”
His response made sense, but she didn’t buy it. “Yeah, I guess. Is the calf going to be all right?”
Rick stalked over to them. “He’s fine. More shaken up than anything else.”
“I don’t blame him. But it’s weird.”
“What’s weird?” Gunner shifted from one foot to the other, then tugged on his hat.
Nervous much? “When we were waiting for the truck and had the calf on the ground, he was really calm. It was like Rick was able to keep him still without a problem. I remember thinking that he was like a calf whisperer.”
When they didn’t laugh, she had to wonder if she’d found the answer. “You’re not a calf whisperer, are you?”
“Not a chance. If I was, I wouldn’t need a horse to herd them into the pens.”
Both men headed for the house, giving the vet a lift of their hands as he drove off. The van was already gone, and once again, the absence of Kid left her feeling sad.
“Since Kid took the van, I’m going to need a ride back home. There’s a bus line that runs through Shatland, isn’t there?”
She almost ran into them when they whirled around and formed a human wall. Their confused expressions struck a soft spot in her. They didn’t want her to leave any more than she wanted to go.
“You’re not sticking around?” Gunner shook his head. “Naw, you can’t go. You aren’t finished investigating us yet.”
“Actually, I am. And I want to apologize. I should’ve checked you out better before painting that cow and making the video. You treat animals better than any ranchers I’ve ever seen.”
Rick crossed his arms. The glint in his eyes said what he didn’t voice out loud. I told you so.
“There’s still the matter of Lawson Industries.”