Page 2 of Married With Lies

“Yeah.” Jasper sets the broom against the wall and stuffs his hands in his pockets. His clothes are the same ones he wore yesterday. A junior in high school, he’s been volunteering here since I opened Bright Hearts Ranch over two years ago. “Things weren’t too cool at home last night.”

Betsy whines when I stop scratching her ears. I hand over another biscuit as consolation. “What happened?”

“Mom’s got a new boyfriend. We don’t really get along so I decided not to stick around. She doesn’t care. It’s okay. I stretched out in the utility room and took a nap.”

“How long have you been here?”

Another shrug and an evasive frown. “Awhile.”

“Jasper, you should have knocked on the door. I meant it when I said you are welcome to stay with us anytime you need to. You know Peggy doesn’t mind.”

The eighty-year-old woman who showed up one day to volunteer and never left occupies the guest suite attached to the main house. Peggy isn’t fond of many humans but she has a soft spot for Jasper. Without Peggy, I’d spend many hours curled into the fetal position and sobbing my overwhelmed heart out. She’s indispensable.

He chews on his lip and shifts his weight. “It was only a few hours. I was fine.”

I’m bothered by the idea of the kid walking all the way out here in the middle of the night. The small town of Sleepy Rock is only a ten minute journey in my rumbling pickup truck. However, for a teenager on foot in the dark and the cold it’s another matter.

He pushes his unruly mop of hair from his eyes and heads off any other questions I might ask with one of his own. “Is the Doc gonna be here today?”

The ‘Doc’ is Dr. Augusta Edelstein. To the folks of Sleepy Rock, Colorado, she’s the third generation town veterinarian. To me, she’s just Gus. My closest friend. We share a love of animals and regency romance and jelly donuts.

“She’ll be stopping by this afternoon to give the puppies a round of distemper vaccinations.”

“Cool. You think she’d mind if I asked some more questions about veterinary school?”

I give him a grin. “I know she wouldn’t mind at all.”

The dogs are still squirming and pleading for attention when there’s a sudden outbreak of sharp barking. Peppered in there are also a few low growls.

“Who’s that?” Jasper gestures.

The figure of a lone man stands just inside the closed metal gate at the end of the long ribbon of driveway. Even from here it’s clear he’s a tall man. Formidable. He wears a dark suit and sways on his feet.

I can feel my mouth fall open. Of all the things I expected to see when I woke up this morning, the man at the gate wouldn’t have been anywhere on my list.

Not because I’ve forgotten about him. He’s not a man you could possibly forget about.

But seeing him here is like watching a cat stand on two legs and recite the alphabet. It’s just not something that should happen.

Jasper sees my reaction. “What’s wrong?”

My vocal cords have frozen. All I can manage is a wordless rasp.

Jasper’s head whips back just in time to see the man in the suit crumple to the ground. “Oh shit,” he says.

The sight of the man lying in the dirt is enough to shake me from my trance. I take off at a full sprint, dog treats spilling from my pockets like oversized breadcrumbs.

Jasper moves much faster and streaks past me. He reaches the unconscious man first and skids to a stop. “He’s alive. You know him or something?”

I fall to my knees and press two fingers just beneath a rough, stubbled jaw. Somehow I’m never prepared to confront just how handsome he is. His skin is clammy but the pulse is strong. “Yes, I know him.”

At the sound of my voice his brow furrows. He opens his eyes, always startling in their green ferocity.

“Scraps,” he croaks. “There you are.” His mouth pulls into a grimace and his body stiffens with obvious pain.

Something is very wrong.

Obviously.

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