Page 5 of No Bones About It

Kimi rolled her eyes. She’d been in the shower and had to take the time to pull her sleep stuff back on. Not that she was telling Stetson that. “She’s fine. You can head on your way.”

His brows lowered, and determination practically emanated from him. “Not until I’m sure she’s safe.”

Well. That didn’t sound like one of Hendry’s men. She doubted those kinds of words ever crossed their lips. Was it a ploy to get Kimi closer so he could get the gun? He wasn’t wearing one of his own, but everything about his posture told her this man could carry one. She wondered if he’d spent some time working for Uncle Sam. He moved like Troy Phail and his army friends. Competent. Aware. Ready.

Lucky for her, she was all of those things as well.

Stetson kept his hands in sight as he turned back to Onigis and her goat buddies. She let her gaze check the animals out as well but returned it quickly to him. The man didn’t have creepy vibes pouring from him, but she wasn’t going to be fooled by a pretty face. While his back was turned, she slid through the fence and into the paddock herself.

His voice held concern when he spoke again. “I think something startled her. She was rearing up when I came in. Her left foreleg appears hurt.”

Okay, he was observant and knew something about horses. A quick peek around showed no vehicles in her yard or in the drive. Thieves would hide their truck out of sight, but they would also approach in the dark, not try to walk the horse off her property and down the road in plain sight.

Something rustled in a nearby bush and a fuzzy orange-brown tail showed briefly. Wagosh. The fox refused to reintegrate fully back into the wild, and he always checked in on new arrivals. Kimi relaxed some more. Wagosh would be the reason Onigis had startled. The fox wasn’t shy and had probably come to check out Onigis. “Our local fox is hanging out in the bushes. He’s nosy and likely the one who startled her. I’ll check the mare over. You can go.”

The man didn’t even bother looking at her. Instead, he continued to ease closer to the horse. Eyes steady, body calm. She could warn him that the mare might be dangerous, but she figured he knew that.

Now that her panic for Onigis was fading, Kimi let her people sense take over. This wasn’t a man who was going to harm her or her horse. She hadn’t taken the safety off the rifle before. Now, she did that, opened the action and unloaded the round.

The man nodded without looking at her. “Thanks.”

Kimi placed the unloaded weapon on the ground outside the paddock and moved closer to the group. Popcorn had calmed Onigis down and was bleating cheerfully at her. The other two goats were bouncing around the man as if trying to make friends. He absent-mindedly patted them while keeping his eye on the horse.

When Pretty and Awesome, the two peafowl wandered around the side of the barn and peeked into the paddock, he didn’t spare them more than a glance. Snoops brayed his annoyance to the world, but that didn’t startle him, either.

Stetson knew his way around a farm and animals. Animals knew when someone wanted to hurt them, and they didn’t get the vibe from him, either.

When Onigis whinnied, he stopped his approach. “Easy, girl. I’m not here to hurt you. Just want a look at that hoof of yours. We might have to see if this town has a vet if you’ve got a serious problem.”

Kimi snorted.

The man’s gaze moved to her. “What?”

“I’m the vet.”

His eyes widened, and a moment later, a lightning-quick lopsided grin changed his face from handsome to movie-star gorgeous. A sexy, whisky-eyed cowboy who liked animals. She firmly told her heart not to soften. She didn’t even know his name yet. Or why he was on her land. But her instincts never failed her. He wasn’t a threat.

He studied her for a moment, and then his face turned serious. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I was going to look at her this morning. She’s new and was too antsy when she arrived last night.”

He nodded as his gaze roved over her. “What did the owner say?”

“Not a word.” Because she was the new owner and the previous owner had been a creep. Stetson didn’t need to know any of that.

“Want some help checking her out?”

“I’m fine.”

The man’s gaze returned to her, and his eyes coasted up and down her body. Hell, she’d forgotten she wasn’t really dressed. She hadn’t brought clothes into the bathroom with her, so she’d jumped back into her sleep shorts and tank top.

He hadn’t ogled her, but her skin heated anyway. She’d given him the once over as well. Turnabout was only fair.

Realizing he had no intention of leaving until they’d checked out the mare, Kimi turned her back on him and moved to pick up the rifle. Then she walked back to her cottage. No way was she squatting down to check out Onigis before she had clothes on. No sense in giving Stetson any more of a show.

Needing the caffeine, she turned on the pot before dressing in her usual jeans, long-sleeved t-shirt, and boots. If deference to the morning chill, she shrugged on a flannel shirt as well.

With a sigh, she filled two reusable mugs. If Stetson didn’t take it black, he didn’t have to drink it, but she had a feeling he would.

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