The White Cowboy - Complete BWWM Romance Box Set by Susan Westwood
Authors: Susan Westwood
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money from his rodeo days.
He'd never go hungry. Still, he didn't every want any of his animals to suffer.
"Let me check her out. Just go sit by your wife and let me do my job."
Doctor Holder looked like a typical country vet. White hair, twinkling blue eyes, and a no-nonsense attitude. He did inspire confidence in Brandon, but he bit his tongue against correcting the man. Gemma was not his wife.
Gemma would never be his wife, but right now he had to worry about the cow, not Gemma's feelings.
Gemma patted his arm. "I'm sure the doc knows what he's doing."
"He's the best around, for sure." He tore his gaze from the doctor's examination to look at her. "Thanks for singing."
She smiled. "It's what I do best."
"Don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you have other talents."
She shrugged. "Only one that will make me a star."
That left his blood cold. As much as he enjoyed the domestic situation and playing house, he had to remember that she was leaving when her car was fixed.
He tried to keep his tone light. "I guess that's true."
"Speaking of singing, I wondered if you could drive me to that open mike night?"
He glanced down at her wrapped foot. "Should you be doing that with your foot?"
"I've been off it since we got back, and I'm not on it now," she said.
"What about the pain relievers that make you loopy?"
She laughed. "I'm not taking it until I go to bed. I'll live on ibuprofen until then. Besides, I'll be sitting on a chair, and I don't need to stay past my performance."
Confident that she'd thought this through and that she'd go with him or without him, he nodded. "Let's just see how the cow is doing."
"Of course. If you can't get away, then I understand. You could always drop me off and come back for me later."
He frowned, not liking that idea. "We'll see, okay?"
"Fair enough."
***
Gemma listened as the doc went through what Brandon needed to do. The cow just had an infection. From what she'd seen, the doc had examined the animal thoroughly, even donning an arm length glove to palpate the cow for pregnancy.
Gemma never needed to see that again.
In fact, she wished she'd gone back to the house, but she hadn't wanted to leave Brandon alone. He seemed to appreciate her presence in the barn.
"I'd like to wash my hands," Doctor Holder said.
"There's a sink in the feed room," Brandon said. "Just go towards the back of the barn. You can't miss it."
She must have looked a little ashen, because Brandon patted her arm before he stood to stroke his cow. "I'm sure you've never seen that before."
"No, not at all. We don't have cows in the part of New Jersey I'm from, and I never really thought about what an examination would entail. I might have left."
He turned to her, his face grave. "I do appreciate you staying. I was pretty nervous about her condition."
She studied him for a moment, gaining a newfound respect for him. "No problem. I know she isn't just another animal to you."
How can anyone be bad if they care about animals? That was something her mother had taught her.
"No, I care about all of my animals. I try to treat them as humanely as possible."
"That's admirable. It would probably be cheaper if you didn't."
"I don't think the meat would be as good."
"Probably not, but I don't really know."
He continued stroking the cow, then he led her back to her stall. The other cows had remained quiet as if they wanted to know how she was doing also.
Now they raised a ruckus, and mooed. Gemma could hear them her whole trip back to the house. They put a smile on her face.
***
Brandon watched her go, thankful that she'd been there. The doc appeared beside him. He handed Brandon some liquid in what looked like children's medication syringes.
"Put these in her feed for five days. If she doesn't improve, call me again."
"So you're sure it's just an infection. How?"
The doctor shrugged. "She could have eaten something odd and it lodged in her stomach."
"You're sure the calf is okay?"
"Yes, it moved when I
He'd never go hungry. Still, he didn't every want any of his animals to suffer.
"Let me check her out. Just go sit by your wife and let me do my job."
Doctor Holder looked like a typical country vet. White hair, twinkling blue eyes, and a no-nonsense attitude. He did inspire confidence in Brandon, but he bit his tongue against correcting the man. Gemma was not his wife.
Gemma would never be his wife, but right now he had to worry about the cow, not Gemma's feelings.
Gemma patted his arm. "I'm sure the doc knows what he's doing."
"He's the best around, for sure." He tore his gaze from the doctor's examination to look at her. "Thanks for singing."
She smiled. "It's what I do best."
"Don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you have other talents."
She shrugged. "Only one that will make me a star."
That left his blood cold. As much as he enjoyed the domestic situation and playing house, he had to remember that she was leaving when her car was fixed.
He tried to keep his tone light. "I guess that's true."
"Speaking of singing, I wondered if you could drive me to that open mike night?"
He glanced down at her wrapped foot. "Should you be doing that with your foot?"
"I've been off it since we got back, and I'm not on it now," she said.
"What about the pain relievers that make you loopy?"
She laughed. "I'm not taking it until I go to bed. I'll live on ibuprofen until then. Besides, I'll be sitting on a chair, and I don't need to stay past my performance."
Confident that she'd thought this through and that she'd go with him or without him, he nodded. "Let's just see how the cow is doing."
"Of course. If you can't get away, then I understand. You could always drop me off and come back for me later."
He frowned, not liking that idea. "We'll see, okay?"
"Fair enough."
***
Gemma listened as the doc went through what Brandon needed to do. The cow just had an infection. From what she'd seen, the doc had examined the animal thoroughly, even donning an arm length glove to palpate the cow for pregnancy.
Gemma never needed to see that again.
In fact, she wished she'd gone back to the house, but she hadn't wanted to leave Brandon alone. He seemed to appreciate her presence in the barn.
"I'd like to wash my hands," Doctor Holder said.
"There's a sink in the feed room," Brandon said. "Just go towards the back of the barn. You can't miss it."
She must have looked a little ashen, because Brandon patted her arm before he stood to stroke his cow. "I'm sure you've never seen that before."
"No, not at all. We don't have cows in the part of New Jersey I'm from, and I never really thought about what an examination would entail. I might have left."
He turned to her, his face grave. "I do appreciate you staying. I was pretty nervous about her condition."
She studied him for a moment, gaining a newfound respect for him. "No problem. I know she isn't just another animal to you."
How can anyone be bad if they care about animals? That was something her mother had taught her.
"No, I care about all of my animals. I try to treat them as humanely as possible."
"That's admirable. It would probably be cheaper if you didn't."
"I don't think the meat would be as good."
"Probably not, but I don't really know."
He continued stroking the cow, then he led her back to her stall. The other cows had remained quiet as if they wanted to know how she was doing also.
Now they raised a ruckus, and mooed. Gemma could hear them her whole trip back to the house. They put a smile on her face.
***
Brandon watched her go, thankful that she'd been there. The doc appeared beside him. He handed Brandon some liquid in what looked like children's medication syringes.
"Put these in her feed for five days. If she doesn't improve, call me again."
"So you're sure it's just an infection. How?"
The doctor shrugged. "She could have eaten something odd and it lodged in her stomach."
"You're sure the calf is okay?"
"Yes, it moved when I
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