Zane Read online

  Zane looked down and nodded. “It’s almost nine o’clock.” He frowned. “Are you okay to drive back alone?”

  She laughed. “I’ve been driving this road a long time,” she said.

  “Or you could live here now and not make the night drive,” Jeffrey said.

  She reached out and patted his arm. “Thank you. I know, but I need to be in town for my job.” She took her cup back into the kitchen. When she came out to the entranceway, Zane waited for her.

  They stepped out in the front yard, and he closed the door behind him. “What’s he living on?” Zane asked abruptly. “I can’t imagine any retirement check would be big enough to cover his liquor bill much less anything else.”

  She shrugged. “I have no clue. But there’s food in the cupboards, and he’s got power, and there’s gas in his tank because I see him driving around every once in a while. So he’s getting by somehow.”

  Zane nodded, crossed his arms over his chest and stared out in the night. “Some things never change.”

  “And yet, some things do,” she said with a sudden tiredness. “Anyway, if you need a place to stay, as I told you, you’re welcome to my guest room.” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “That’s my work number, but, if you call, let the girls know who you are, and I’ll give you a shout back. Otherwise, I hope you have a good stay.” She bravely turned and walked toward her vehicle.

  “How much do you have to do with him?”

  She looked back at Zane. “Probably not enough,” she said. “Your father is all alone. I stayed with him for a while after we lost Brody, but then it was time to get my life together again. I don’t think he appreciated that I moved out, but it was what I needed to do.”

  Zane shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and rocked on his heels, nodding. “It makes sense.”

  “Does it? How does any of this make any sense at all?” she cried out, raising both hands in frustration. Seeing yet another flat stare of his, this time directed at her, she hopped into her SUV and drove away.

  How the hell had she loved two men from the same damn family? And a family full of obstinate and difficult men?

  Chapter 2

  The next morning Holly headed to work after a really bad night. She kept waking up with pictures of Brody dying again in her dreams, yet his face was superimposed with images of Zane’s face. They’d always been confused in her head. She’d understood it was her own fault, but that didn’t change anything.

  “Wow, you look like you need coffee,” Mittle said as Holly came through the glass double doors at the front of the office.

  Groaning, Holly nodded. “You’re so right. Have you got any made?”

  “Coming up,” her assistant said. “As a matter of fact, it’s almost done.”

  “Great,” Holly said. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  “Still got bad dreams?”

  “Yeah, they were much worse last night though.” She walked through to the back, smiling to see Katlyn, her vet assistant, checking over Maxie, a big tomcat. They’d put stitches in his ear and patched up a gash along his back—his tomfoolery days were now over. “How is our guest?” she asked.

  “He’s feisty but looking for attention.”

  “Maybe contact Selena at the shelter and see if she has room for him. I hate to release him back out in the wild. Or at least maybe find a farmer or a rancher where he can be a barn cat.”

  “I love that you treat a lot of our local feral animals for free. You name them, for God’s sake. You’ve got a good heart, Holly. But we’re up against an incessant problem with cats, aren’t we?”

  “We are often. The harsh winters take our numbers down, but, if we could at least catch, fix and release, it would help.”

  “We could do that with this one, but you said you didn’t want to.”

  “Because I’d rather catch, fix and release into a new home for these guys,” Holly said, walking through to her office. “What kind of a day do we have scheduled?”

  “It’s office hours all day,” Mittle said, “and we’re booked up.”

  Holly nodded, headed for her desk, sitting down, ready to cry. She didn’t know why she was so emotional, weepy. It would never do though. Her staff only ever saw her with a bright, cheerful attitude, not this one—where all she wanted to do was go home, curl up in bed and forget the world had come and gone. She hated to think Brody was her last chance at love and life, but it’d seemed like it for so long, until she saw Zane again. Then she realized everything inside of her wanted Zane to come back into her life again.

  She checked her calendar, saw it really was a full day, opened her email and ran through that until she heard the initial buzzer. She got up, headed into the first treatment room to find it empty. She walked through to the front office. “Did I mistake that buzz for a patient?”

  “Well, maybe a patient,” Mittle said, “and maybe not.” She pointed to a man in the center of the room. “He came in looking for you.”

  She looked up and smiled. “Zane. I wasn’t expecting you so early.”

  He gave her a crooked grin. “Should have been here earlier and then we could have gone for breakfast.”

  “She doesn’t have a patient for at least an hour,” Mittle said to Zane. Then she turned to Holly. “Your first appointment is canceled.”

  “It should be more than one that canceled for me to have an hour free,” Holly said jokingly.

  “So how about forty-five minutes?” Mittle replied.

  Holly looked over at Zane. “We can step into the diner next door, if you want.”

  He nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Instead of waiting for her, he left and waited on the front step.

  “Wow, that’s a bit of an untamed animal in his own right,” Mittle said with an odd breath. “He looks damn familiar though. Who the hell is he?”

  Holly laughed. “That’s Zane. Zane Carmichael.”

  “Shit, really? Brody’s brother?”

  “And Butch’s brother and Jeffrey’s middle son.”

  “There’s definitely a family resemblance,” Mittle said. “But, wow, this one looks like, I don’t know, there’s just something almost extremely wild about him.”

  “Maybe Sandra thought the same thing when she hooked up with Butch,” Holly said. “Zane’s back looking for a dog, a War Dog last seen in this area. Could be dangerous to humans, but Zane wants to ensure the dog has a good life.”

  “You were talking to Reggie about a dog yesterday. That might have been the one Zane was talking about.”

  “Oh, I forgot about that.” Holly frowned. “Write down Reggie’s contact info and address for me, will you? So I can give it to Zane.”

  Mittle opened up the files, checked for Reggie’s info and wrote it down for Holly. “Enjoy your breakfast,” she said. She leaned closer. “And remember. It’s been two years. Nobody would blame you if you wanted to do the hubba-hubba with this guy.”

  Holly snorted at that and walked out. Good thing nobody really understood that she had already done the hubba-hubba with this guy, and it had been the best damn hubba-hubba she’d ever had.

  Zane waited until she stepped up beside him. “Ready?”

  She nodded. “You didn’t have to wait outside.”

  “I’m an outdoor man,” he said and led the way to the coffee shop. “Besides, I don’t want your staff to get the wrong idea.”

  “What idea would that be?” she asked drily. “I haven’t seen you since the funeral. That’s too long to make anybody think anything.”

  “Probably better that way,” he said.

  “How do you figure?” she asked.

  He could hear the curiosity in her voice. He shrugged, didn’t answer.

  They walked into the café, sat down and ordered coffee. She handed over the vet’s name and number. “This is the guy I mentioned last night, telling me about a dangerous dog in his area.”

  “Thanks. I’ll give him a call as soon as we’re done
here.”

  “What will you do when you find the dog?”

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “I guess it depends on the circumstances.”

  “You really feel for him, don’t you?”

  He folded the piece of paper and put it in his wallet while she watched. He nodded. “Yes, I do. I have PTSD myself. The dog and I are kindred spirits. Although I have some skill with animals, I wasn’t part of the military’s K9 unit. And I don’t know how this dog will do in the real world.”

  “Kind of like you too, huh?” She hesitated, then added, “Was your PTSD that bad?”

  He shot her a shuttered look, then a clipped nod. “My case could be much worse though, so I try not to focus on the negatives.”

  “Meaning, you don’t want to talk about it,” she said.

  He slid her a look. “Exactly.”

  “Did you see your father at all last night again? Did you guys talk?”

  “Humph,” Zane snorted. “I went back inside, and he was gone. I went up to bed, got up this morning but saw no sign of him. He’d already left the house. I don’t know where he went because I’d think it was too early for a liquor store to be open. I just hopped into my truck and came here. Like he said, it was okay for me to stay the one night, but I’m not welcome back.”

  “That is a shame,” she said quietly. “I know you guys didn’t always get along, but right now you’d think the loss of Brody would pull you together, not push you further apart.”

  “I think he figures, as long as he has Butch and you close by, he doesn’t need me.”

  He couldn’t even decide for himself if that hurt or not. He’d become accustomed to it a long time ago. The younger Zane would have been hurt, but the older one—who’d seen his father so set in his ways, and Butch just following right along behind him—wasn’t sure he wanted anything to do with either of them. They were family, at least by blood, but, if a family didn’t give a shit, why should he?

  “Brody got along with him,” she said.

  “Hell yeah, because Dad loved Brody. Dad probably only loved two people in his whole life. Our mother and Brody. Of course it was Dad’s version of love.”

  “After Brody’s death, I think your father went to pieces. I stayed in the house as long as I could, more for his sake than mine, but it was like a restraint wrapped around me. As if he didn’t expect me to move on with my life.”

  “You weren’t supposed to,” Zane said. “God knows Dad never did.”

  “Right.”

  The waitress walked over and handed them menus.

  Holly looked up, smiled and said, “Hi, Sally. I’ll have the special, please.”

  Zane returned his menu and said, “I’ll have the same thing.”

  The waitress noted their orders and disappeared.

  Zane looked at Holly and asked, “What about you? Have you picked up your life and moved on?”

  “Only as far as moving back and being independent, working at my clinic,” she said. “I have two other vets I work with, so it’s a shared process, but at least I’m doing what I was meant to do.”

  “I didn’t mean to upset you. I guess I don’t quite know how to get over the blocks of the past.”

  “Coming home is a good way to start,” she said.

  “And yet, look what happens when I do come home,” he said.

  “I haven’t really started dating again,” she said abruptly. “Tried a few casual coffee dates, but that’s all.”

  He studied her features for a long moment. “When you do, I’m sure you won’t lack for suitors.”

  “And what does that mean?” she asked, her voice edgy.

  He raised his head and studied her more clearly. “Nothing. Just that you’re an attractive young woman, and I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding a new partner in life.”

  “Do you think that’s what I want, a new partner in my life?”

  He frowned at her. “This is starting to sound like we’re arguing. I didn’t intend that. I was trying to tell you that you’re attractive, and I’m sure lots of men would like to go out with you.”

  He didn’t understand the fathomless look in her eyes. It looked like she wanted to say something. He was glad she didn’t because he wasn’t sure he was up for any melodramatic conversations. They had a history, but the history needed to be kept in the background. He still couldn’t reconcile the fact that she’d been his kid brother’s wife. It might be his issue, but, because it involved her, it was still her issue to deal with too.

  “I’ve been asked,” she said slowly, “but I keep holding whoever it is up to the same yardstick that I held you and your brother up to.”

  “Nobody can measure up to Brody. He was your choice, so he’ll be the best in your mind. You have to accept either there’s another best choice or there’ll be somebody less than Brody but who will still make you happy.”

  She stared at him in surprise. “Is that why you think I married Brody?”

  He frowned at her. “I hope so, for Brody’s sake.”

  At that, she fell silent.

  “I don’t understand what this conversation is about,” he said slowly. “Are you saying Brody wasn’t your best choice? He wasn’t the man you loved?”

  “I married him because I loved him,” she said quietly. “And because I no longer had a relationship with you.”

  He stared at her. “Of course you didn’t. We broke up.” He took a deep breath, adding, “And then you went out with my brother.”

  “I went out with your brother because it was as close as I could get to you,” she admitted slowly. “I hate to admit it, but that was my original reason for going out with him. I think the real reason he wanted to go out with me was because I was your girlfriend. As if some jealousy was there, or he wanted something you had. I don’t know.” She waved her hand as if to brush it away. “Over time I did love him, and we were happy when we were married.”

  “Good,” he said. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  She frowned at him. “This is a silly conversation.”

  “Agreed,” he snapped, feeling uncertain and irritated, not knowing why. “So let’s find something else to talk about.”

  “Like what?” she asked. “All there ever was between us was us. One of the reasons we couldn’t stay together was we never could talk. You never would share your feelings or let me know what you were thinking.”

  “Well, that hasn’t changed,” he said. “I still don’t share very much. After my accident, it got worse. I spent a lot of time in the hospital, a lot of time in rehab. I was alone then, and I’m still alone now.”

  “And, like you just suggested to me,” she said, “you don’t have to be. I’m sure any number of women want to spend time with you.”

  “Maybe,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean I want to spend time with them.”

  “What is it you’re looking for?”

  He stared out the window, knowing he couldn’t tell her. “What I want is what I can’t have.”

  “Maybe you should be honest for once and tell me what it is you really want.”

  He looked at her but again shuttered his gaze. Just then the waitress arrived, saving him from giving Holly an answer, even an evasive one.

  He looked down at the large breakfast in front of him and smiled. “Well, this was worth coming into town early for. I wasn’t going to get any breakfast at home.”

  “You should have stayed with me then,” Holly said with a bit of snap to her voice. “I would have at least fed you.”

  Chapter 3

  As they walked out of the diner, her phone rang. She checked it to see the same Caller ID information she’d given to Zane earlier. “Hey, Reggie. How are you doing?”

  “I’m okay. Just short on a couple medications and wondered what your supply is like?”

  “I’m walking back to the clinic now. I can take a look. Tell me what you need,” she said, nodding a couple times. “While I have you, a man I know is looking for a do
g, a War Dog, last seen in this area. He’s tracking him down to make sure he’s okay. So he’s asking questions about any aggressive dogs or untamed dogs, dogs causing problems. You know what I mean?” she added with a sidelong look at Zane.

  He raised an eyebrow at her but waited patiently at her side.

  “I’ve got one in right now,” Reggie said. “He’s in the back pen, but I’ll have to restrain him before I can deal with him.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “Honestly it looks like somebody tried to shoot him and did a shitty job.”

  “Male, female, shepherd, what?”

  “Very dark-colored shepherd crossed with something. He’s got the caramel-colored eyebrows, but everything else appears to be black. Decent size so likely mixed with something bigger.”

  “Does he have a name tag, tattoo, anything like that?”

  “No idea. I haven’t been able to check. He’s next on my list. But he’s not taking any of our medication the easy way, so I’ll have to use a dart gun on him. I can’t get close enough to use a syringe.”

  “How did you get him into the pen in the first place?” she asked curiously, holding the phone out so Zane could hear.

  “He was dropped off barely conscious. Found on the side of the road apparently. We moved him into the yard, and he came awake, fighting and trying to bolt. So he’s functioning and mobile, but he’s definitely pissed off. Now I have to find a way to get close enough to him to knock him out.”

  “May I come over and take a look?” Zane asked, leaning into the phone.

  “Sure. If you can control this animal, all the better. Otherwise I’m not sure what’ll happen to him.”

  “Was a complaint registered against him?”

  “No, but it looks awfully similar to the one that we’ve got a complaint about from several homeowners.”

  “And, of course, that’s a death sentence right there,” she said, her voice quiet. They both did as many charity cases as they could afford and the community helped out with various fund-raising but if it wasn’t kept up, the money dried up very quickly. There was always more animals in need than they could handle.