Page 15 of Fierce Protector

Ledger was used to attention from the opposite sex. Hell, at one time, he would have jumped at a chance with the receptionist on any leave. Not now.

“Can I help you?”

He approached the desk. “I’m looking for the doctor.”

“You and everybody else in the county.”

His heart gave a hard jerk. “She’s missing?”

Confusion lit the brunette’s eyes. “No. She’s been out on farm calls all day. Sick cows, lame horses. A goat giving birth. You know. The usual.”

Relief tingled in his fingertips. She was safe. She hadn’t driven off a mountain pass. Hadn’t been kidnapped like the Gracey daughters.

“When do you expect her to return?”

“Hard to say. Sometimes she never makes it back to the office, just goes home. Do you want me to give her a message?”

He blinked down at his dusty boots. What was he going to say in a message? Call me about the mishap-slash-baby-slash-my child?

He pushed away from the desk. “No message. Thanks.”

Walking out to the truck, he reached down to strum his fingertips over the head of the cement dog. Life hadn’t only taken a different turn—it had veered sharply.

But Ledger was still in control. He would find Demi. And she would talk to him. She couldn’t run from him anymore.

* * * * *

Typically, Demi was a morning person. This week? Not so much. She opened her mouth wide and yawned until her eyes watered and she had to blink to clear her vision so she could see the road.

Were these early calls always so early? First trimester was kicking her ass.

One thing about being on the go for long hours was that she ignored her own body’s needs. She didn’t hydrate enough. Didn’t get enough sleep. She picked up way too much takeout food from the Badlands Bar.

Decompressing with her favorite lager was now off-limits. And she definitely would not be picking up any cowboys from now on.

She’d learned her lesson with Ledger.

Another yawn claimed her, and she was helpless against the heavy fatigue that made her feel like she could sleep for a week. She’d just finished arguing with Mr. Vale about needing to slow down, but with her busy practice, she didn’t have the ability.

Right now, she was tasked with saving the career of a prized rodeo horse.

Driving through the arching gates of the Gracey Ranch made her stomach knot. After the previous day of emergency after emergency, she never found time to think about how that conversation between her and Ledger would go. She’d collapsed into bed and was almost instantly asleep.

As she neared the ranch, her yawning streak abruptly came to an end. She was suddenly wide awake and scanning the area for sight of Ledger.

Her nerves kicked in, and she stuffed those down. She didn’t have time for mistakes when she examined the horse.

Once she parked, the front door of the big log home opened and a woman walked out. Meadow Gracey hurried down the steps and crossed the yard in long strides to reach Demi as she climbed out.

She studied Meadow’s face and recognized the strain and worry around her eyes. “How is Lonesome Rose?”

“I haven’t seen my baby in a few hours. I was up with her all night, keeping watch. Colton finally made me go to bed around four a.m., and one of the ranch hands took over.”

“Good. You need your rest too. You can’t tend to her if you’re dead on your feet. C’mon, let’s have a look.”

They walked into the barn. Demi’s gaze automatically shot to the back stall where she’d seen Ledger the previous day. Rugged. Covered in horse blood after trying to save the animal.

And hot as hell.

---