Chapter Two

Six weeks later

L edger fixed his gaze on the mountain peaks. Hours before, the sun had sunk behind the ridges. The deep black of night brought a chill that he could appreciate after spending countless months in the hot Middle Eastern desert.

He filled his lungs with breath after breath, savoring the flavors on the breeze that washed down from the mountains and the tang from a field of hay they'd just cut and baled.

He never minded fire watch. The late shift had always suited him best. He started the night on a small knoll that overlooked the ranch. As the hours passed, he got restless and moved on foot, checking the perimeter of the property and ensuring the occupants of the house were safe.

He scanned the landscape, taking in the open fields and black dots of the cattle that snoozed there. A faint rustling sound mingled with the gentle lowing of cows.

With silent steps, he circled the foundation of the bunkhouse that had been burned to the ground. Ledger had watched it burn with his own eyes shortly after his arrival on the Gracey Ranch.

But he knew everything about the ranch long before he ever arrived. His fellow SEAL, Forest Gracey, had spent hours just talking about his home and family back in Montana.

He also conveyed his concerns that his father was deep in financial trouble of his own making. Forest never came right out and said it, but he alluded to gambling debt.

Many times since that terrible day when Forest died, Ledger had revisited those talks. Forest was one of those men blessed with a gift for narration—and everything he said brought the listener into their world.

By the time Ledger came to the Gracey, he already knew how it looked and could point out every building on it. He almost felt like Forest's little sisters were his own.

Knowing that Meadow and Ivy now had two of the best SEALs in the country to love and protect them left Ledger with a measure of relief he knew that Forest would have felt too, if he were alive to witness it.

It was no coincidence that they'd all ended up on their late friend's ranch, guarding his family. He'd never said it in so many words, but Forest had known what was coming. That his family would be under fire, the ranch on the line.

Being here took his mind off his own troubles, and for that he was grateful. The inky sky, with the moon playing hide-and-seek behind clouds that drifted by, provided a measure of comfort and peace he rarely experienced since that tragic day, when his best friend bled out in his arms.

Fuck. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the imagery that came with the memory. Focusing hard on his duty was the only way to really erase the visions.

He was a goddamn SEAL. His will was stronger than steel. If he wanted, he could wipe his mind clean of the feel of hot blood on his hands.

All was silent, the ranch asleep. The big sky was always something that comforted him no matter which part of the world he was in.

Moving through the grass toward the barn disturbed a family of crickets, and they chirped louder. With more caution, he approached the corner of the building. A few weeks back, he'd sneaked up on a trespasser.

A swift rifle butt to the back of the skull had dropped the man, then he and Hunter had dragged him off to the police.

Steadying his breathing, he rounded the corner, prepared for ambush.

Nothing was in sight.

At that moment, he heard a thump, followed by a ruckus. A horse issued a loud squeal that turned into a bellow.

Big bodies hit the stall walls. Fuck—something was going on in the barn.

With his finger on the safety of his gun, prepared to flick it off and take out the threat, Ledger rushed in.

His footsteps were drowned out by the stomping and screaming of a frightened animal. He didn't switch on the lights but didn't need to—his night vision was excellent. Plus, he needed the darkness to conceal himself.

He stalked around the big barn, throwing out his hearing. The horse in the back issued another screech. Stall by stall, he moved in the shadows, making a full sweep of the barn.

One horse hadn't calmed and was still thrashing in the back stall. With his senses on high alert, he unhooked the metal hook holding the door shut and eased inside with the frantic horse. It shifted from side to side, head bobbing.

Ledger smelled the iron of fresh blood, and his stomach twisted like someone jammed a knife in it.

It was injured. Bleeding a lot.

The horse needed attention, but safety came first. He needed to check out the area.

He closed the door and sprinted through the barn, swinging his gun left and right as he went, prepared to shoot to kill if it came to that.

Outside, he ran the perimeter of the building, checking all the places a person could hide.

When he was certain they were clear for the moment, he ran into the barn. Grabbing a blanket on the way past a shelf, he hurried to the stall where the bleeding horse was lodged.

Not a ranch horse. The rodeo horse. Meadow's pride and joy—the one that was worth a fortune.

When he entered the stall, he made soothing noises to calm the animal. Easing forward slowly, he leaned his rifle in the corner within reach and crouched near the horse.

It was bleeding a lot. More than he wanted to see.

He had to try to staunch the flow.

He wrapped the blanket around the horse's bleeding leg and knotted the fabric, tugging to tighten it.

The horse let out a scream like the hounds of hell were nipping at its hooves. Something had taken a piece of the animal, that was for damn sure.

He yanked his phone out of his back pocket and quickly dialed Colton.

His friend's groggy voice filtered out.

"In the barn. Come armed. Bring Hunter."

"Fuck!" Colton didn't say another word, just ended the call.

Seconds later, the guys blasted in, shirtless, wearing only jeans and boots and packing heat.

"Back here! We need a vet," Ledger called out.

"Hunter, grab the others. All hands on deck and on patrol." Colton reached the stall first. One look and he cringed. "Fuck me—Meadow's horse."

"I'll try to stop the bleeding. You call the vet."

Long minutes later, Ledger had the horse calmed to the best of his ability, but the blood flowed freely from a deep wound in its leg.

One of the guys snapped the lights on, but even with better visibility, he couldn't see a single thing that could have caused an injury of this kind.

A female voice drew his attention. "Thanks, Colton. I'll take it from here."

Ledger pushed up from his squatting position. His gaze tripped over the woman coming toward him.

A woman he recognized.

Her honey-brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail instead of loose like it was when he saw her before.

His gut clenched.

She looked up and met his stare. The shock he felt at seeing Demi was echoed on her face.

He started to speak, but she gave him a pointed look and shook her head.

"What happened here?" She approached the horse with a calm demeanor that spoke of innate bearing more than training.

"I heard noises and the horse was going crazy. I found her cut and bleeding."

She gave him a once-over. He was covered in blood. He'd wiped his hands on his jeans, leaving rusty streaks, and his shirt was covered too.

"You tied the blanket over her wound?" Demi bent to take a better look.

"Yes."

"Well, let's see what we're working with." She worked the knot loose and slowly drew the cloth off the horse's wound. Fresh blood pooled in the gash.

"Damn." She bit down on her full bottom lip.

Something stirred low in his core—something that had nothing to do with the horse.

She pulled her bag across the stall and unzipped it. As she withdrew instruments, he stole looks at her.

She was prettier than he remembered. After their steamy encounter, he'd used the fantasy of her when he was alone in the shower.

Only those didn't end with a broken condom.

"Hold this." She passed him a sterile package.

He glanced at the words and saw it was a suture kit.

"Get in my bag and find a pair of gloves. Put them on and then open the package for me."

He hadn't taken orders from anybody since leaving the SEALs but he didn't balk at her command. When he squatted next to her and reached into her kit, her scent hit him in a sweet tease.

With economic movements, she grabbed thick gauze and began mopping at the blood.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"It's not great for a rodeo horse to have a severed tendon."

"Shit. Doesn't that typically mean you have to put the horse down?"

"Not this horse, we're not. I'm going to do my best to suture it. Now open the kit."

He met her stare.

"Please."

There were so many things he wanted to ask her. But he wordlessly did her bidding. She disinfected her hands and then slipped on the surgical gloves.

He'd witnessed procedures after battle. Even been patched up a few times himself. But he'd never seen surgery performed on an animal, let alone one of this size.

With each move she made to stop the bleeding and repair the severed tendon, his respect for her grew.

"Demi—"

The barn door opened, and Colton entered with Meadow. Demi gave Ledger another cautioning look.

Meadow cried out and rushed forward to soothe her horse.

The next few minutes as Demi wrapped up the surgery, Meadow plied her with questions. Demi answered every one of them with knowledge and sympathy for the owner evident in her voice.

After it was all done, she gave Meadow instructions to administer medication and stay with the horse in shifts for the next six hours. By then, they'd know whether or not more action would be needed.

Demi reached for her bag.

"I got it." Ledger closed his fingers on the handle. "I'll walk you out."

She shot him a look but said nothing.

As soon as he spotted her SUV, memories came at him, thick and arousing.

She spun to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here."

She issued a noise and shoved a loose strand of hair off her face. "I asked if you were from around here. You said no."

"I'm a military base brat. I'm from everywhere."

She set a hand on her hip. "Well, this is going to complicate things."

He stared down at her. God, her eyes were so pretty. And that bottom lip…

"Why is that?"

She held his stare when she dropped the nuke on him. "I'm pregnant."

* * * * *

Demi didn't mean to blurt that out.

Now she had to deal with the fallout.

She would have been one-hundred-percent truthful with Ledger about the pregnancy—right after she figured out what to say to him.

Now, she had no choice but to wing the whole conversation.

Unless I can dodge him.

Fat chance when he worked on the Gracey.

Ledger started to speak, but she cut across him.

"Do you know how that horse got injured?"

She gave him credit for keeping up with the change in topic. "No. Do you?"

"There's no way it happened on a nail or fence. Someone did this to her knowing it will end a rodeo horse's career. And the ranch would lose a lot of money."

"The family is aware of some crimes going on around here. Demi—"

"Look, I have another house call to make. This isn't the only ranch with a sick animal." Being of average height, her legs weren't anywhere near as long as his, but she managed to rush to her vehicle and jump behind the wheel.

He definitely could have stopped her if he wasn't so stunned by the news she'd dropped on him.

And boy, did she know the feeling well. Every day for the past week since she found out, the minute she woke up, the pregnancy was the first thought in her head, and it was the last one before she fell asleep at night.

A baby.

She attempted to shut the car door in Ledger's face, but he grabbed it and held it open.

The crease between his dark brows told her that he was pissed off. Thunderous.

Dangerous.

A cord of sensation yanked low in her core.

Dammit, the last thing she needed was her body to respond to him— again .

"Demi, wait."

She sent him a look. "Ledger, we need to talk—but this isn't the time."

"When?"

Oh god, the gritty demand in his voice made her nipples harden.

She had to keep it together. "I know where you are."

She pulled the door shut, forcing him to step back. When she drove away, she refused to glance in the rearview mirror.

As a veterinarian, she'd gotten pretty good at shoving her concerns to the back of her mind. Gripping the wheel, she focused on the road leading to the Springvale Ranch.

When the owner's call came in right after one from the Gracey, she heard the worry entwined with the gruff tenor of Mr. Vale's voice. Over the years of working with the man, she had come to know that his bark was bigger than his bite.

Not unlike Ledger. Or so she guessed. After her one-night stand, she never thought to see the side of him she did today.

At the memory of what she'd walked into, her lower belly clutched.

Ledger, covered in blood and toting a rifle. The weapon looked like an extension of him and made her almost positive the man was ex-military.

She forced her mind away from the hot man who had fathered her child…with extreme difficulty…and centered on the animal who required her services next.

The Springvale Ranch could be classified as more of a hobby farm. Over a number of years, Mr. Vale had downsized. Now he only kept a small herd of cows and a few horses on top of the standard chickens and goats. When he called about a downed horse, he told Demi that he suspected colic.

Like her focus was totally shot, her mind swung back to the Graceys' horse. As usual when leaving a call, she ran through the scenario and questioned if she'd done everything to the best of her ability. Asking those questions helped her amp up her game and skill set. She prided herself on being a damn good vet, and being the only one in a fifty-mile radius meant she got a lot of experience.

Being in a fifty-mile radius of the only twenty-four-hour pharmacy means something else entirely.

Ugh. She never expected to see Ledger again. She definitely wasn't prepared to answer questions about the pregnancy either.

Walking into the Graceys' barn and seeing the man she'd experienced mind-blowing pleasure with, had shaken her. It was a wonder she kept her hands so steady while reattaching the severed tendon.

Who had harmed that horse? Since Meadow Gracey purchased the mare, Demi had been seeing to its care. She'd been on the Gracey Ranch enough to know what kind of owners they were, and they would never, ever be so careless with an animal, no matter what dollar figure it fetched at auction.

Someone attacked that horse.

Anyone who hurt animals deserved… Well, she kept her opinions on that topic to herself, but most people would agree with her.

Nausea hit her. Between the stress of caring for a horse that could still have a career-ending injury and coming face-to-face with the man responsible for the positive pregnancy test, Demi had been feeling a little lightheaded.

She rolled down the window and pulled in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air.

The cooler air grounded her. She couldn't risk throwing up while on the job, let alone working around big animals. One false move could spell disaster for her, for the owner or the animal.

When she rounded the last bend in the road before the Springvale Ranch, she spotted movement on the yellow line. Braking, she picked out the whitetail deer in the middle of crossing the road.

In two bounds, it was safely in the brush on the roadside. The next instant, its natural coloring camouflaged it from sight.

Demi checked that it didn't have a friend on its heels, ready to smash into her car grill, before she continued on.

As if her mind couldn't latch on to one thing, the image of Ledger's face when he grabbed her door and prevented her from closing it invaded her memory.

During the weeks since their encounter, she had replayed each moment again and again. Usually when it came to memories, fish got bigger and trophy deer grew more antler points. She had believed the same happened with her memories of Ledger.

Boy, was she mistaken. He was just as big as she remembered.

All over.

He was also just as good-looking.

Turning onto the lane that led to the Springvale Ranch, she took in the property. It was situated on a beautiful spot with big green pastures and a backdrop of mountains and sky. But it had become more rundown since she'd been here last.

She parked in front of the barn and two old hound dogs came out to greet her, barking but with tails wagging. The owner followed behind, moving just as slowly as his old dogs thanks to his rheumatism.

She approached the group with some pats for the dogs and a smile for Mr. Vale.

"How are things looking?"

He compressed his lips. "Not too good. It's Maple."

Oh no. The maple syrup-colored horse was his favorite and in advanced years like the owner and his hounds.

"Let's have a look." She grabbed her medical kit and walked into the barn.

The horse was lying on its side—never a good sign. Plenty of hay and water were within reach, so she knew Mr. Vale was trying to encourage the horse to get up.

Sinking to her knees next to the horse, she examined it. After a minute, Demi nodded. "It isn't colic—it's choke. I'll need a bucket of water."

"Sure thing." He moved off as fast as he could go on painful knees.

She shook her head and got her tubing ready to place down the horse's throat and rinse the clog down into its stomach. With such an old horse, it still might be a bit touch-and-go, but she felt there was a good outlook for Maple.

When Mr. Vale returned with a bucket of water, she couldn't bear to watch him struggle with the heavy burden and hurried to take the bucket from him.

"It looks like you could use more help around here." She grasped the handle.

The fact that he allowed her to take it without putting up a fight spoke volumes about how tired he was. Ranch work took a lot of energy and stamina. Mr. Vale seemed to be lacking both.

"Been trying to find someone to help around here, but the place isn't big enough to support more. My neighbor trades work with me. You could say he scratches my back and I scratch his."

"A good way to get it done." She set up next to the horse and began feeding the tube down its throat. It didn't like it one bit and tried to roll to its feet.

She managed to do her job and started pumping water into the tube. "What about your daughter Opal?"

"She'd help if I asked, but I don't want this life for her."

Demi had seen this plenty. Older people didn't want to pass their ranch on to their loved ones because they knew the heavy burden of such a life. Fact was, ranching came with a lot of work, but a lot of joy too.

"Isn't she already working hard outdoors as a forest ranger?" She felt the water resist against the clog of food in the horse's throat and pushed more water in against it.

Mr. Vale nodded. "She is, but she doesn't need to settle for this."

"This life could kill you if you're not careful."

He shot her an amused look. "I thought you were here to take care of the horse."

She laughed. Just then, the clog broke free and the water flowed freely into the horse's stomach. "I'll send you a bill for the horse. The therapy is free."