Chapter One – Ciara
Ciara looked down at the directions scribbled on a piece of paper. She was sure this was the right road. However, as the road climbed higher over the lower slopes of the mountain, she was feeling unsure. Maybe she had missed a turning. The directions were clear, though, so she carried on. When she hit a dead end, she would turn around and retrace her steps.
In the meantime, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the mountain air. It had been a long time since she had been out in the open like this. The lower slopes of the mountain were similar to the wide-open plains where she grew up. She vividly remembered running wild and free across them.
Ciara shut off that train of thought. It was the very reason she had left, to escape the life laid out before her. If she hadn’t taken control of her own life, she would probably be surrounded by a couple of children by now, instead of enjoying a successful career as a vet. By working hard, she had assured that her destiny was her own—she would never be dictated to, never told what she could and couldn’t do.
“Ah, there it is,” she exclaimed, coming out of her daydream. She turned quickly, making the stones fly up from the road as her tires spun at the abrupt change of direction. Climbing higher, she took a moment to appreciate the position of the ranch house, nestled close to a small wood. In front of the house were meadows filled with cattle and horses. A picture of idyllic bliss.
She pushed those thoughts out of her head. She didn’t want to settle down. She had studied and trained hard to become a veterinarian; she wasn’t going to throw that all in to become a wife and mother. Not yet.
Parking her car in front of the house, she got out, shielding her eyes from the bright sun as she looked for any signs of the owner. No one around. Going to the trunk, she opened it up and took out her boots, swapping them for the comfortable shoes she preferred to drive in. Then she took out her bag and headed towards the house.
“Hello,” she called. No answer. Strange, the call said it was urgent. The office had sent her straight out here, but no one seemed to be home.
Blowing air out through her mouth, she went to the door and knocked. Still no answer. She tried again, knocking so hard her knuckles hurt. She was tempted to try the door handle, but decided against it. She wasn’t here for a house call; she was here to examine a sick horse.
Ciara headed back to her car, not sure what to do. Standing looking around, she spotted the barn, hidden away by the side of the wood. Going over and checking it out was the sensible thing to do, just in case there really was a horse in distress. With bag still in hand, she covered the short distance to the wooden barn, hearing the sound of horses moving around inside. And a voice.
Deep and very masculine, the sound sent shivers down her spine. It invited her in, not with words, but with the tone. It resonated deep in her soul. Ciara swallowed her desire to fling open the barn door and head straight in there. The pull was so strong, and it scared her to death. The very thing she had been running from was inside the barn, his voice calling to her like a siren’s song.
Flattening herself back against the side of the barn, she stood wild eyed and frightened. What was she supposed to do? She had spent the last few years supporting herself through vet school. Now, the very thing she wanted to escape was in the barn behind her.
Ciara fought with herself. She couldn’t leave; the reason she came up here had not changed. She was here to treat the man’s horse. Wasn’t that why she had become a vet in the first place—to help animals? But if she walked through that door, she would become something she had desperately tried to avoid. Damn, she had even left her hometown to dodge this. Her mate should be waiting back there for her, not in a barn on the side of a mountain in Bear Bluff.
“Steady, girl.” The
Ciara looked down at the directions scribbled on a piece of paper. She was sure this was the right road. However, as the road climbed higher over the lower slopes of the mountain, she was feeling unsure. Maybe she had missed a turning. The directions were clear, though, so she carried on. When she hit a dead end, she would turn around and retrace her steps.
In the meantime, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the mountain air. It had been a long time since she had been out in the open like this. The lower slopes of the mountain were similar to the wide-open plains where she grew up. She vividly remembered running wild and free across them.
Ciara shut off that train of thought. It was the very reason she had left, to escape the life laid out before her. If she hadn’t taken control of her own life, she would probably be surrounded by a couple of children by now, instead of enjoying a successful career as a vet. By working hard, she had assured that her destiny was her own—she would never be dictated to, never told what she could and couldn’t do.
“Ah, there it is,” she exclaimed, coming out of her daydream. She turned quickly, making the stones fly up from the road as her tires spun at the abrupt change of direction. Climbing higher, she took a moment to appreciate the position of the ranch house, nestled close to a small wood. In front of the house were meadows filled with cattle and horses. A picture of idyllic bliss.
She pushed those thoughts out of her head. She didn’t want to settle down. She had studied and trained hard to become a veterinarian; she wasn’t going to throw that all in to become a wife and mother. Not yet.
Parking her car in front of the house, she got out, shielding her eyes from the bright sun as she looked for any signs of the owner. No one around. Going to the trunk, she opened it up and took out her boots, swapping them for the comfortable shoes she preferred to drive in. Then she took out her bag and headed towards the house.
“Hello,” she called. No answer. Strange, the call said it was urgent. The office had sent her straight out here, but no one seemed to be home.
Blowing air out through her mouth, she went to the door and knocked. Still no answer. She tried again, knocking so hard her knuckles hurt. She was tempted to try the door handle, but decided against it. She wasn’t here for a house call; she was here to examine a sick horse.
Ciara headed back to her car, not sure what to do. Standing looking around, she spotted the barn, hidden away by the side of the wood. Going over and checking it out was the sensible thing to do, just in case there really was a horse in distress. With bag still in hand, she covered the short distance to the wooden barn, hearing the sound of horses moving around inside. And a voice.
Deep and very masculine, the sound sent shivers down her spine. It invited her in, not with words, but with the tone. It resonated deep in her soul. Ciara swallowed her desire to fling open the barn door and head straight in there. The pull was so strong, and it scared her to death. The very thing she had been running from was inside the barn, his voice calling to her like a siren’s song.
Flattening herself back against the side of the barn, she stood wild eyed and frightened. What was she supposed to do? She had spent the last few years supporting herself through vet school. Now, the very thing she wanted to escape was in the barn behind her.
Ciara fought with herself. She couldn’t leave; the reason she came up here had not changed. She was here to treat the man’s horse. Wasn’t that why she had become a vet in the first place—to help animals? But if she walked through that door, she would become something she had desperately tried to avoid. Damn, she had even left her hometown to dodge this. Her mate should be waiting back there for her, not in a barn on the side of a mountain in Bear Bluff.
“Steady, girl.” The
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