Page 68 of Cowboy Wolf's Secret Baby

He opened his eyes when someone knocked on the door. Ugh. Who now?

Grinning, Conner said, “Hi, Doc.”

“How are you feeling today?”

“Less like a bull attacked me and trampled on me and more like I got hit by a fast car.”

“That’s an improvement.” Dr. Jean laughed. “Your x-rays and MRIs are showing a vast improvement as well. You’re a lucky man. If you weren’t a shifter and if you didn’t have those three women in here working on you constantly, you wouldn’t have made it.”

“I am grateful to all of you,” he said.

“So, when’s your next event?” the doctor asked.

Conner grinned. “I’m hanging it up. I’ve got enough bell buckles to start my own store. I’ll use my prize money to start a horse ranch. I’ll have to ride those horses to train them, but I’m done with bulls. They seem to have it in for me.”

“Yes, they do. This is the second time that a bull has almost killed you.”

“Why do you think I’m raising horses and not cattle,” Conner said. “I think they talk.”

Dr. Jean laughed. “I’m going to hold you hostage one more night, and then if all is well in the morning, I’m letting you go. I want to give you one more day for your lungs to heal and to make sure there isn’t any more swelling in your brain.”

“How could I not have a swelled brain with all those pretty women telling me how hot I am and all the fun they’d like to have,” Conner said. “Have you read some of the fan mail and get-well cards and letters that I’ve received lately?”

“Nope, and I don’t want to. If I want to read that kind of smut, I’ll pick up a Playgirl magazine. Sylvester Stallone was featured in the October 1985 edition. I’m a huge fan, you know.”

“Of Playgirl or Sly?”

“Sly, of course. I’ve loved most of the movies that he’s been in.” Dr. Jean laughed. “Now, back to the subject at hand. You. I’m delighted to know that you are done with the rodeo. You’re getting too old and decrepit for those kinds of shenanigans.”

“I’m only thirty-one.”

“And you were brought to me, twice, almost dead.”

“Keep rubbing it in, why don’t you?” Conner asked.

The doctor laughed and said, “I’ll check on you in the morning and let you out.”

Gideon stopped by about an hour after the doctor left. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got ran over by a herd of bulls,” Conner said.

“At least you’re alive enough to feel that way,” Gideon replied. “You know we were all talking about you at the rodeo grounds.”

“About how amazing I am and that you are all going to miss me?”

“No,” Gideon said. “About how lately there’s been all kinds of mishaps, especially with the bulls. You got thrown across the arena, you got your wrist broken, and then this. Either there is something in the Wyoming air or you are cursed.”

“My guess is that it is the latter. You know about Beth’s mother. She warned me that if I didn’t leave town there would be consequences.”

“She wasn’t lying. I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen her hanging around quite a bit. She’s in her fifties with red hair like Beth’s?” Gideon asked.

“That would be the one.”

“We’ll be glad to move on and leave her behind. If you were a cat shifter, you would have already used up all nine of your lives,” Gideon said. “Are you going to be ready to go with us?”

“Nah, I’m done with the rodeo. You know I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I want to be around for Taryn and Beth.”

“What are you going to do with Zephyr?” Gideon asked. “I’ll buy him from you.”

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