Jericho waited at the barn door, wondering when the smart-mouthed vet was going to show up. He glanced at his watch again. She’d said an hour. It was now fifteen minutes past. Had something happened? Did she have a flat? He started to pace, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Feeling his palms begin to sweat, he rubbed them on his jeans and felt the urge to burst out in nervous laughter. Dammit, why was he such a mess at the thought of seeing Abby again? And where was the confident, witty man who could charm women with just a smile or a wink?

Somehow Abby stripped him of his armor. It was if she could see through the walls he’d so carefully erected to the real man beneath. The one that wanted more than superficial relationships but was too afraid to open himself up.

The rumble of a truck on its last legs interrupted his thoughts not a moment too soon. She was here. Trying to act nonchalant, he forced himself to remain by the barn doors instead of striding out to greet her. She was the vet, here to do a job. Yeah, maybe she was also an old high school flame—the one that got away. That didn’t mean he had to go up in smoke at the thought of being around her.

He watched as she opened the truck door and jumped from the cab. And he did mean jump. She was too short to do much of anything else, even with the running boards Tom had installed. He gulped when she turned around and reached back inside, her curvy ass riding high in the air as she pulled her bag from the front seat. He wiped his face clear of emotion as she walked toward him. There was nothing he could do about the reaction behind his zipper.

“Thanks for coming.” He wasn’t the least bit surprised his voice was deeper than normal.

“No problem. That’s what I’m here for.”

Trying to ignore her wide grin that did wicked things to him, he led her into the barn. Both he and Dakota took pride in the fact that the Double Heart was a well-run operation. They’d both had to grow up quickly when their parents had been killed in an airplane crash. Dakota had taken on the burden of two under-age siblings, becoming an instant father and mother. Not that much younger than Dakota, Jericho hated to admit he’d added to his brother’s burden. He’d turned sullen for a while and still felt like he had a hole in his heart some days. He hid it well with glib talk and a blasé attitude.

They came to the stall housing Lady’s Choice. The barn had been designed to hold injured animals so everything the vet—Abby—needed would be well at hand. She dropped her bag to the floor and approached the stall. “Well, aren’t you a beauty?”

He smiled when he noticed she had to stand on her tiptoes to place her hands on the half-wall. He went to stand beside her. Not for the first time, he realized just what a little thing she was, the top of her head barely reached his shoulder. His eyes roved over her, taking in her curvy backside. Well, maybe not so little. He stole another look. Yep, she was curvier than a sidewinder racing across a desert floor. And he liked it. As the fit of his jeans grew even tighter, he realized he loved it, and that surprised the hell at of him. He hadn’t reacted to a woman this quickly in a long time. Yes, he’d felt desire, but not this instant, almost overwhelming sense of need. Was it the past they shared? The fact that she was literally the one that got away?

“What’s under the bandage?” Abby turned toward Jericho, finally able to take a full breath since she’d stepped out of the truck and seen him waiting on her. Now his scent filled the air around her, and the warmth of his body called out to her.

“A boil that I can’t seem to get a handle on.”

Abby nodded. It wasn’t unusual for ranchers to try and treat their livestock themselves. Most of them had more working knowledge of diseases and injuries than a fourth-year vet student, but situations could become dangerous if they refused to call a vet when they got in over their heads. She was glad to see that Jericho wasn’t one of those ranchers. “Let’s take a look.”

She opened the stall door slowly. The mare didn’t appear to be the jumpy type, but one never knew with injured animals and/or those in pain. That was rule number one for vets. Approach every animal cautiously. Even if they were on two feet. Her gazed shifted briefly to the man who was causing her such inner turmoil. Sure, she’d expected a few heart palpitations upon seeing Jericho again. What she hadn’t expected was this molten river of need flowing through her.

Been there. Almost done that, she reminded herself. Jericho wasn’t the settling down kind. Hadn’t time proven that? It had been years since he’d graduated from high school, six since college and still he was Heartbreak Ridge’s number one playboy. Surprisingly, she didn’t think he’d left behind a string of broken hearts, though. She was up-to-date on all the gossip in the little town of Heartbreak. Her mother and sisters made sure of that. Throughout the years, that gossip had been peppered with more than one story concerning the Sanders siblings, especially Jericho. But like a good luck penny, he always came through each of his affairs smelling like a rose. She admonished herself for her mixed metaphors and turned her attention back to the horse in front of her. The real reason she was here.

It didn’t take Abby long to treat the horse. She’d decided to lance the boil since the poultices Jericho had been using had proven ineffective. A dose of antibiotics and some continuing care would have the horse back in shape in no time. She washed her hands at the sink in the back of the barn and watched as Jericho watered and fed the horse, talking all the while in a low, soothing voice. He did have a way with horses and one of the finer backsides she’d ever seen. The boy she remembered had turned into a full-fledged, card-carrying hunk of a man. A hunk, a hunk, a hunk of man.

“You about done there?” His voice startled her, making her realized she’d been standing by the sink drying her hands over and over again as she’d admired his manly physique.

“Yeah.” She hurriedly repacked her bag. “If you give me your email address, I’ll have Alice send you some aftercare instructions.”

“How about your phone number instead?”

“What?”

Jericho hadn’t missed her inspection of his manly form. The look gave him some much-needed confidence. “Give me your phone number so I can call you if I have questions.”

She cocked her head, studying him intently. Damn, if he didn’t look sincere but somehow she wasn’t buying it. “How often do you use that line on a vet tending your horses? Somehow, I don’t think Kirk would have fallen for it.” The big clinic in Donavan where the other vet worked was her grandfather’s biggest competitor. She would bet a hundred dollars to the donut she didn’t eat this morning that they had more than their share of good-looking female vets and assistants. No doubt they had to draw straws when they got a call from the Double Heart. Two good-looking men like Jericho and Dakota would be hard to resist.

But resist she would. She knew nothing but heartache lay down the Jericho road. She smiled at the unintended pun.

“Like I’d need a pick-up line.”

One dark brow rose at his confidence, and a little bitchiness popped out. “Those women throwing themselves at your feet are probably doing it because of the size of the Double Heart, Jericho.”

His face closed up, and she immediately realized her harsh words had been over the line. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” His answer was a surprise and so was the emotion behind it. Did he really think any red-blooded female wanted to him just because of his family’s wealth and holdings? She snorted to herself. Not bloody likely.

She dug into the pocket of her jeans for a business card. “Here. My cell’s on the back. You can call me anytime you need me.”

Jericho took the card and looked at it for a moment. Again one dark brow rose. “Anytime I need you?”

And the cowboy playboy was back. She rolled her eyes and pushed to move past him. “Grow up, why don’t you.”